Pavement Vaults York Review - Where To Eat In York, UK

Last Updated on 18th October 2023

This Pavement Vaults York review contains affiliate links.

Ever since I turned 18 (and perhaps even before then 👀), I’ve been eating and drinking at Pavement Vaults York and it’s firmly cemented as one of my favourite easy-going restaurants in the city and it’s also featured in my list of the very best places to eat and drink in York.

It’s a pretty big set-up, with seating both on street level, as well as an underground seating area that gives it a really cool and intimate speakeasy vibe. Pavement Vaults is perfect for casual dining with friends, a romantic dinner with a partner or a place to host a family get-together, which is what my most recent visit was for.

I’ve been many times over the years both for food and drink, but I’ve never taken any proper pictures of the restaurant/bar or the food there until recently so I thought it was about time I wrote a proper review of Pavement Vaults York on my blog to help inspire you guys for your next visit to the city!

If you’re looking for a fab restaurant in York that caters to many appetites and dietary requirements, check out my review of Pavement Vaults below to see my top recommendations of the best dishes to order!

P.S. I apologise for the terrible quality of the pictures in this post; Pavement Vaults York is a truly beautiful place to eat with a great ambience and atmosphere but the lighting is so low that it makes my old iPhone pictures look dreadful haha!

York Pavement Vaults menu

Both the food and drink menus at Pavement Vaults is vast and varied and whether you’re into a fancy bottle of wine or a more sophisticated beer or lager that’s not just a pint of Fosters, you’ll find an awesome selection of craft beers, hearty spirits and expensive wines.

In terms of the food, you’re not going to find anything Michelin-star-worthy at Pavement Vaults, but you can expect your typical pub grub and hearty helpings of carbolicious cuisines!

On my numerous visits to Pavement Vaults, I’ve tried many different things across the menu, including their burgers, ribs, side dishes and small plates and every single meal I’ve eaten there has been wonderful.

We were seated in the downstairs area at Pavement Vaults which has a mixture of booths that can probably seat around 4-6 people, depending on how cosy you want to be, or there are also a few smaller tables and chairs that can be pushed together to create a long dining table as we did.

As I mentioned above, the lighting throughout the whole restaurant/bar area is provided by warm-toned lights, so it’s not exactly a light and airy place to eat, but it does make it feel incredibly warm and cosy and it’s one of my favourite places to eat and drink in York in the autumn/winter.

On our most recent visit to Pavement Vaults, we were dining with Matt’s family for his dad’s birthday, along with his grandparents and some friends so there was a range of age groups in attendance, all with different dietary preferences and requirements. Happily, Pavement Vaults catered to all our culinary desires and even Matt’s grandparents who are in their 80s were delighted with the food here!

Both Matt and I were absolutely starving when we arrived at the restaurant, so we both went for an indulgent burger as I knew how good they were and how generous the portion sizes were.

Matt opted for the pulled pork burger which was served with BBQ sauce, mustard, slaw, gherkins and a substantial portion of chips. The pulled pork was positively dripping with BBQ sauce, so if you’re not too much of a sauce lover, this might be a little much for you, but both Matt and I thought it was truly delicious.

The Best Places To Eat In York chicken burger

I went for the buttermilk fried chicken burger which is something I almost always go for in terms of a burger at any pub or restaurant and I’m delighted to say that this didn’t disappoint in the slightest!

The chicken was coated in a deliciously crispy batter and included smoky bacon and a beautiful smoked mayo sauce with pickled red onions. My burger was also served with BBQ spiced fries and again, the portion size was absolutely huge. I was truly a fan of this burger and I’d 100% order it again!

As we were eating with Matt’s family, I didn’t want to be rude and ask to take a picture of everyone’s meal before they started eating, so unfortunately I can’t share any pictures of what they ordered. However, I can say that the small plates that almost everyone else ordered went down an absolute treat!

The 1/2 rack baby back ribs were a firm favourite of Matt’s grandad and the beef shin nuggets and pork and slaw were also very much enjoyed by everyone.

I love that the menu has plenty of dishes to cater to almost everyone’s needs and desires, including several vegetarian and vegan dishes as well. They specialise in their hearty burgers and pitmaster trays, but I’ve also eaten at Pavement Vaults with my friend who’s vegan and she always raves about the BBQ jackfruit burger as well.

In terms of cosy restaurants in York, Pavement Vaults has to be up there with one of the very best, and whether you’re visiting for drinks only, or you’re excited to tuck into one of their scrumptious burgers, I can promise that you won’t regret a visit to Pavement Vaults York!

Related posts: