How to do 24 hours in York – including where to eat and where to stay
IT was hard to decide which was sweeter, the tower of chocolatey treats on our table or the view of York Minster from the bay window.
Luckily, afternoon tea at The Principal allowed my husband Thom and I to feast on both, washed down with a pot of Earl Grey.
The hotel is a stone’s throw from York station and has been refreshing weary travellers for 145 years.
Who wouldn’t feel at home amid its comfortable Victorian grandeur?
Our room had all the mod cons, but a sense of history has been retained throughout the hotel, including the attractive corridors that feature original, ornate tiles.
In the early 1900s, the building was a printing factory, speedily knocking out posh menu cards for the trains sitting on the platforms next door.
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Legend has it that horse trainers made their jockeys run up and down the 100-yard central hallway to shed weight before heading to York races.
Had the new afternoon tea been on the menu back then, I suspect they would have failed to make the cut.
The cake selection is inspired by the city’s food heritage and links to the confectionery trade, which helped build York as much as the Romans and Christians did.
The Rowntree and Terry families started their empires here. While only the former remains – under the guise of Nestle – both have left their mark.
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A good starting point to find out more is York Chocolate Story, a small and interactive museum where our tour guide introduced us to the failed Chocolate Apple and the history of the KitKat.
We also made a stop at Goddards, the beautiful home of the Terry clan, now a regional HQ of the National Trust. It has pristine gardens and terrific views across the racecourse towards the red-brick art deco Terry’s factory, with its majestic clock tower.
As keen foodies, we wanted to get a taste of York’s present as well as past.
We really were spoilt for choice, from fine dining to delis with heaving cheese counters. There is even a food festival every September.
The city has a Michelin-starred restaurant, Roots, although we opted for the more budget-friendly Partisan, which is spread over two floors and serves inventive brunch dishes.
Spark, a foodie hub made of shipping containers, is a mecca for affordable street grub, including the moreish Clucking Oinks fried chicken.
Burned calories
We also scoffed lemon curd-filled doughnuts from Cosgriff and Sons bakery, handily located opposite Clifford’s Tower.
The calories were burned off scaling the steps to its newly installed viewing platform, which lets you gaze across to the North York Moors on a clear day.
Finally, we enjoyed a nightcap in St Helen’s Square at Impossible Wonderbar, opposite Betty’s tearooms.
It is in a grand restoration of a Grade II listed former Terry’s shop and ballroom.
There was only one choice of tipple – chocolate and orange York Gin.
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To paraphrase the advert, it wasn’t round for long…
- Rooms at The Principal hotel cost from £125 per night. Call 01904 653681 or see . York Food and Drink Festival takes place from September 22 to October 1. See .