Ate O'Clock

Came here a few months ago to celebrate my birthday and had a lovely experience. The staff were very friendly and the atmosphere was calm and relaxing. We enjoyed the food — portions were decent and satisfying. The drinks were a bit mediocre, which is why I’ve taken a star off, but everything was reasonably priced. It also wasn’t busy at all, so even without a booking, you should be able to walk in with no problem. A solid spot overall.

The entrance, tunnel with fairy lights, was what compelled me to eat here with my family. We got seated quickly and the service was fast. We ordered off the set menu. The starters came eight minutes after ordering and our main courses came eight minutes after our starter. The mushroom arancini starter was delicious but the main courses was when it became questionable. The only good dish was the pan roasted beef. The pesto lacked any taste of basil and was far too creamy and the sea bass was unremarkable. The sides did not pair well. This meal was not worth the price.

8 o'clock were kind enough to let us book for a large family 80th birthday lunch, and despite it being a busy Saturday afternoon, our experience couldn't have been better. From the minute we arrived, every single member of staff was welcoming and attentative. Our table was beautifully set, all the food was delicious and nothing was too much trouble. We took in a cake which they lit and delivered to the table while joining in the singing and we also had a 3 year old with us who they were very lovely towards. Prior to the meal, we had pre drinks in their Social8 bar, and again, the staff were welcoming and helpful. The birthday boy had a fabulous time, thank you.

I had an amazing dining experience at this restaurant! The atmosphere was warm and inviting, and the food was absolutely delicious—fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented. What really stood out, though, was the exceptional service from our waiter, Lily. She was attentive, friendly, and knowledgeable, making sure our every need was met without ever being intrusive. Lily’s genuine care and professionalism truly enhanced our meal, making the whole experience memorable. I’ll definitely be coming back and recommending this place to friends. Thank you, Lily and the entire team, for a fantastic evening!

The food was excellent and good portions of it. The staff were fantastic. Even though it's a little more expensive than other places, it was worth it because everything oozed quality.

Well, that’s it. We’ve found THE spot. Can’t believe we’ve been in York this long and somehow missed this place. We took one look at the menu and lost all self-control. Starters—we went all in. Way too many for two people, but zero regrets. Not a single weak link, just hit after hit. Main course? Pan Roasted Chicken. And listen, I don’t say this lightly—it was unreal. Juicy inside, dreamy flavour. I wanted to try something else next time... but I already know I won’t. That chicken’s got a hold on me. Now—Ruby (our server for the evening). Absolute standout. You know when someone just gets it? That was her. Effortless charm, warm without trying. She made us feel welcome, looked after, and somehow managed to strike that perfect balance of professional and genuinely down-to-earth. The kind of service that doesn’t feel like service at all — a natural vibe that made the whole experience feel lighter, better, just... more fun. Already planning round two. Might pace ourselves on the starters this time... or not.

Sparkling and inviting kerb appeal. Clean and tastefully decorated. Pleasant and helpful staff. Amazing food!! Each dish offering lots of flavour and huge portions! Highly recommended.

Absolutely fabulous, I’ve been really disappointed recently when going out for dinner, but my meal today was absolutely fantastic. The service, food and atmosphere was really good. I had the duck breast which was delicious and my partner had the pork. Would 100% go back when in York next.

Finally got to eat here on our second day in York after three attempts. This place came highly recommended multiple times by our hotel staff so we persisted and kept trying to get a reservation and were finally rewarded with a late reservation with high expectations and alas we were extremely disappointed. Since our reservation was so late (almost 9 pm) we took the time to review the menu beforehand and knew exactly what we were going to order. As soon as a waitress came over we ordered our meals. A starter and 2 mains with the instruction to bring it all out at the same time as our meal. The meal which consisted of a steak and salad for me and the pork belly main and chicken wing starter took over 45 mins to get to us. This didn't seem a huge deal initially since as mentioned previously we were hungry but talk about disappointing. The steak was cold and had obviously been resting a really long time. I ate it despite finding it unappetising and cold as I was starving. My dinner companion was similarly unimpressed. Slimly cold pork belly just doesn't have the same appeal you expect from some good crackling on hot pork belly. Given the price of food at this this place and the many recommendations I really expected more. I will likely never visit this place again. Hopefully this was just an off night but I'm not taking any chances here again. There are too many other amazing establishments in York to pay such exorbitant prices for poor service and mediocre food. The hype definitely wasn't worth it.

Get the lamb shank! Lamb is perfectly slow cooked on a bed of herb mashed potatoes surrounded by a pea and gravy moat. Everything about my meal was exceptional. My daughter had the kids burger which was very over cooked and somehow spongey in texture. My lamb shank was so good, all is forgiven. Service was very nice

Very warm and inviting. Layout was long and narrow and felt a little cramped but service was good, quick and sufficient, food was delicious, especially the beef casserole and cost very reasonable. I had a very pleasant evening at Ate O'Clock and felt very comfortable being a solo diner and would eat here again.

A reasonably priced dinner in a fun area! We got a reservation here for our first night in York. They were super busy and had a line when we left, so I'm glad we booked ahead! We did the three course menu each. We had the wings and salad to start. The wings were actually delicious- great quality meat and nice bbq flavor. The salad was a bit mayo-y for me. I had the halloumi burger and he had the steak. The halloumi was fine- the bread was a bit of an odd choice but the cheese and toppings had nice flavor. The fries were crispy and delicious. His steak though was just kinda bad. It was tough and didn't have any flavor. I don't think it was the best meat. For dessert we got one sticky toffee pudding and one brownie. The brownie was a bit dry but the pudding was fantastic. I wouldn't go back but they likely have some good items and it's a reasonable price point.

I've passed by this restaurant many times while crossing Ousegate and have been wanting to try it for a while. I decided to order from the 3 course set menu (£19.95). For the starter, I got the deep fried calamari with garlic mayonnaise. The crispness of the calamari paired with the garlic mayonnaise made for a delightful appetizer. For my main dish, I got the grilled chicken breast in lemon butter with new potatoes. I decided to substitute the seasonal veggies with French fries. The portion size was a bit smaller than I anticipated but there was an abundance of fries. For desserts, I went with the fresh crepe filled with chocolate sauce, banana, strawberries, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. However, because of the 1.5 hour table limit, I was never served my crepe before we were asked to leave. We had waited almost 40 minutes after our main dish but no one ever came to check with us and to give me a chance to ask for my crepe. I was given the option for takeaway but couldn't get it with ice cream because it would have melted by the time I got home. However, I still had to pay the same price even without the ice cream scoop. Additionally, because I was taking away food, I was asked to sign a waiver, essentially stating that the restaurant was not liable for anything that happens to my food, or me, once we leave the premise. I found that very odd and have even asked my friends, and everyone told me that they had never had to sign a waiver to take away food. It made makes me wonder whether something bad happened in the past. Overall, this was a good experience. It is definitely pricey, but I may come back another time. Hopefully I'll get to enjoy all my orders at the restaurant instead of being forced to take it away.

It was 8:00 and we were hungry, and what do ya know, Ate O'Clock was right in front of us! We took a peek at their outdoor menu and it looked tasty, so we went in! They have a large menu with options for everyone - healthy, pasta, salads, steak, etc. I was in need of something healthy so I had their grilled haloumi salad and it was exactly what I was craving! It had grilled haloumi cheese, olives, tomatoes, and more veggies with a light vinaigrette dressing. They also have a wide variety of cocktail options and specials. You can choose a coursed dinner for set prices too. So many options! I would come back again! It wasn't the best meal that we had in the UK but definitely hit the spot at 8 O'Clock! ;)

A nice space with helpful staff, but sadly not good food. I had the haloumi burger which was ok, glad i added avocado it would've been dry without it. The kid got ribeye steak and that was tasteless and dry, she left half of it. I don't think it warrants three £, the haloumi burger & fries lunch was only £6.

Ate O'Clock is an interesting looking venue with both sheltered courtyard, and traditional indoor seating. Finding Ate O'Clock online, we were enticed by the delicious looking, well presented photographed dishes and mouth watering menu. Service was welcoming and pleasant from the very beginning, immediately greeting us upon our arrival, then asking preference and showing us to our seats. Tempted by trying something different, I decided to go for the pigeon for starters. The food arrived in good time, and well presented. My meal was delicious, but it was during the last mouthful that the problem occurred. With my front teeth, I accidentally bit down full force on a metal pellet that had been overlooked from when the pigeon had been shot. The waitress was very apologetic, so, as painful as it was, I was satisfied that I hadn't chipped or damaged a tooth and put it down to a simple mistake - the meat was game meat after all. We continued with our meal, ordering the main course. My partner opted for the Sunday roast that she had been craving all day. Once again, arriving in good time and well presented. Unfortunately, our problems hadn't ended, and it was half way through her meal that my partner stopped eating and pulled something from her mouth - a knotted bit of butcher string used to bound the joint together. After what I had found in my meal, we could only laugh, yet it didn't excuse what my partner almost ate. Once again, we alerted the waitress - who was now clearly embarrassed by a situation that really wasn't her fault. She stated that we wouldn't have to pay for the meals, which was good enough for us, and we asked for the bill. Rather than have us leave displeased with our experience, the waitress insisted that we stay for complimentary coffee or dessert. As she had been so pleasant throughout the evening, we didn't want to cause offence and took her up on her offer - at no point was it stated that this was in place of the contaminated meals being wavered. The sticky toffee pudding that we chose was delicious and would have been a pleasant end to an unfortunately eventful evening, however, when we received the bill my partner's main had not been removed. When I queried this, I was informed that because we had accepted the complimentary desserts the meal had not been wavered - this was clearly because the price of the two desserts was considerably cheaper than the main meal itself. Noting this, I said that if that's the case I would much rather pay for the desserts instead. The waitress disappeared to speak with the manager and returned with the bill that I should have been given at the first instance - a bill minus both contaminated meals and desserts. We paid our bill and left, annoyed at the cheek of them daring to request payment for the contaminated meal. Had it not been for the events that happened, I would have enjoyed my experience at Ate O'Clock, but it's too late to turn back time (pun intended) and change what happened.

This is one of our favourite restaurants in York. You cant book a table for 8 o'clock due to the name of the restaurant apparently so its 7:45 or 8:15, i like that and find it amusing! The food is sublime and the atmosphere is buzzing. On out last visit we ate off the specials board and were not disappointed. The king prawn starter was delicious and the duck with chorizo risotto was unbelievable. The staff are attentive and relaxed and they make you feel welcome. All in all this is a diamond of a little restaurant that we cherish!

Wonderful food, wonderful staff, great ambience.. but book or you wont get in!! k3vnn x

We really enjoyed our meal at this establishment. The service was very good! We had the Venison and Chicken wrapped in Parma. Both dishes were well presented. The sauce on the chicken dish was superb! The Venison was cooked to perfection. This was one of our best meals in the UK.

After 9 years in York, we must have walked past this dozens of times, just never got round to going in. Not in the greatest street in York, and having to walk down a narrow alley was slightly intimidating. Pleased that we finally had lunch here (recommendation from my Wife's hairdresser). Had a spicy burger and chips, and a chicken burger with choritzo. Excellent, burger had my eyes watering no shortage of chillies. Chicken all free-range lah-di-dah quality, really well cooked. Evening menu looks more adventurous, definitely on my list next time I'm here for a concert. Only one minor criticism wine by the glass was only available in 250ml glasses just too much for lunch, especially when driving.

Excellent lunch spot in York! Great patio for outside seating. The meatballs and fishcake were both delicious and the staff was very friendly!

Love this restaurant. Gorgeous food and great service. Little on the pricey side but worth it for a treat. Been a few times now and hasn't dissapointed.

Very good food, hard to get a table so reserving is a must.

Vibrant restaurant with very creative chef producing a varied delicious menu. Best meal in Britain so far