If you’re looking for a dining experience to awaken all the senses, Allium is the place. From the moment you arrive at the former Victorian Police Station, through high gloss black doors, you step into a calm, cool space more akin to a hip, Italian hangout – effortlessly chic, and oh so cool.
It’s unsurprising. Afterall, restaurant is based in The Vices, a private house hotel that has become one of the city’s most exciting destinations.
You can sit in the dining room or the wine library – the latter an intimate space for six guests surrounded by an impressive collection of Italian wines. But it is in the Dining Room where the magic happens.
As you pass the myriad white gallery-style spaces broken up by bursts of eye-catching art and eclectic furniture, you’re suddenly plunged into pitch-black dining room where the only light is that from the exposed, stage-like kitchen, along with a single light at your table.
It feels theatrical – a way to heighten your experience. This tunnel-vision effect focusses your attention on the things that are important - the chef and his process, the food before you, and your company.
It is the concept of head chef Luke Sanderson, the super chef from the multi award winning gastro heaven, The Pheasant at Harome. He honed his skills working with other talented chefs around Italy and Spain. His dishes are exciting, innovative intriguing – run of the mill restaurant this is not.
The menu waits in a sealed envelope. Choose to open it or wait for a surprise. Personally, we couldn’t wait to see what lay ahead. The menu piques your interest and reads as chapters from a story.
The six-course tasting menu is served to just 14 guests at a time, allowing those lucky diners immerse themselves in the flavours and fragrances of the dishes. Each plate rivals a work of art – each course another triumph from chef Luke.
The dishes of decadence included delights such as burnt onion in a whey sauce with fermented wild garlic; pigeon shot on the North York Moors, served alongside potato cooked in parmesan and mushroom with a rose petal vinegar and winter black truffle; and a personal favourite ‘Lost in Grapes’ which features enlarged, slightly fizzy grapes, representing the fermentation of classical method sparkling wine.
This particular dish was created by Luke in homage to co-owner Daniel Curro who opened the hotel in 2022 with Moreno Carbone. A trained chef and sommelier, Daniel’s passion and extensive knowledge for wine comes through as he guides you through the perfect pairings.
Between the experimental dishes, immersive aesthetics, unrivalled knowledge and passion of the team, it is little wonder Allium has just been featured in the Michelin guide.
The six-course set menu is priced at £100 per person, with an optional wine pairing starting from £85 per person to include a glass of wine to complement each course.
The Vices York, Alma Terrace, York
thevices.co.uk
