Absolutely delicious food, really tasty and great portions- good value for money. The staff were very friendly, smiling and interacting with my 2 small children. A lovely atmosphere and overall experience. We will definitely be back!Kid-friendliness: Extremely child friendly, very warm and welcoming
oliviapx
I had heard positive things and seen positive reviews for the Blue Barbakan and were throughly excited about the food and were looking forward to the night. However, from the moment we sat down the experience was utterly horrible. Our drinks/food order were taken promptly which is always good. We sat down and orders were taken around 7:40pm. We ordered 3 starters (fish cake, perogi, meat platter), 2 mains (lamb shank, beef and a side of mixed veg). It got to around 8:20pm and our starters still hadn’t arrived so I politely asked the waiter how much longer it would be. He came back and informed us that the order had been deleted from the system, he apologised and took our orders again. We gave it the benefit of the doubt as sometimes these things happen. We were then informed that the beef my partner had originally ordered was now out of stock. The starters (only two of them, we never received the meat platter) arrived around 30 minutes later. The mains still hadn’t arrived around 30 minutes after that (we are now on around 9:30pm, 2 hours after we sat down). We asked the waiter how much longer they would be as we were hungry and he told us ‘I wouldn’t count on them coming out’ and in not so many words told us we were better off leaving as the kitchen was overwhelmed and likely wouldn’t get the food out. This was extremely disappointing. We left hungry, upset and annoyed. At this time it was coming up to 10pm and there was nowhere open to eat, so we had to settle on toast at home. THE worst dining experience we have ever had. I emailed them privately and they never responded. :)
Susan W
Came here in the summer and loved it so we came back, we noticed they’ve got new staff which is never a good sign. Food was lovely as always but the service let the place down. Staff forget about you and don’t check up on you at all. There was also a rude girl there who was the manger apparently, she spoke to us in an ugly manner and we caught her rolling her eyes at one of the girls working there. Bring back the old staff !
G2567
We ate at this restaurant last night for the first time and we had a lovely evening. Fantastic food and a lovely atmosphere. The restaurant was very busy however the service remained excellent and really friendly. We will certainly be returning!
nathaliejane
We went as a family of four for breakfast. Most of the time we were the only ones there. Service was fine but the food was not. I have wanted to try this restaurant for some time because of the inexplicable good reviews but I was very disappointed. We ordered 3 cooked breakfasts and one American pancake. The cooked breakfasts had a polish sausage which was uncooked in the middle. The bacon was purely fat and was fried until it was a crisp. The fried egg was raw and the mushrooms were bizarrely cooked in loads of garlic that was over fried and bitter. The half a tomato was covered in fennel seeds which were again way overcooked and burnt. The only saving grace were the pancakes which were light and fluffy but lacked syrup. Hugely disappointing, the whole meal cost just short of £70, you couldn’t pay me to eat there again. They don’t even have the excuse of being busy.
Mike Dickinson
Great polish restaurant. Visited several times, go hungry the portions are huge and desserts are amazing.
Alice Mayes
The best meal we've ever eaten out. Unbelievable food. Superb hospitality. We didn't book ahead and they were so accommodating and the service was excellent - make sure to try the Polish Soplicha! Delicious!!
Luke Warren
Food was so delicious. All the staff were lovely but especially Benjamin who was our waiter and was so so friendly and attentive. Big shout out to him. Will definitely come back next time we’re in York.
Paul Allan
What an absolutely beautiful place to eat, the staff were so accommodating and the food was delicious ? I just wish I had room for more ? Highly recommend the Bigos and honey beer ? Also very reasonable priced for the service and quality! Me and my friend will definitely be returning soon ? Bardzo dziękuję ?
Katie Smaylen
One of the best breakfasts i've ever had! Don't miss the polish toast option! Lovely service and I was coverting the authentic Polish plates and cups.
Probably the best Polish restaurant in Yorkshire ? The food was very tasty and the portions really good size. The cakes not exactly Polish and not exactly to my taste but otherwise was amazing!
Matt Sitachitt
Visiting York for the week and this is my favorite breakfast place! The atmosphere is calm, the prices are fair, and the food is amazing. We had the breakfast sandwich, Shakshouka, and full English. Strong coffees!It’s a nice change from the hustle and bustle.
Simon Davies
A truly HORRIFIC experience with a rude owner and inedible food!I’m very honest with all of my reviews and I’ve eaten authentic Polish food in Poland, so I do know that culturally their food can be super tasty. However, this food was quite literally offensive to my taste buds and it is one of the first times I’ve been unable to eat less than 10% of any meals I’ve been served in ANY restaurant and on any of my travels. I’m also a very adventurous eater and there’s very little that I won’t manage to get down, even if it doesn’t quite hit the spot, so this was a pretty big deal for me. - The icing on the cake is the utterly revolting owner who showed zero compassion or empathy towards our dissatisfaction and became aggressive and rude to the point I asked her to call the police when she refused to discount our bill at all. Now look, please understand that this wasn’t a bah humbug attempt at some free food… after all we ate less than 10% of it!!!! I even offered her £40 when she became unwilling to even listen to me and tried to hold my wife hostage in her restaurant. At this point there was simply no reasoning with her and she just kept referring to her excellent online reviews, so we were left with no other option but to stand our ground and leave on a matter of principle. Oh dear, our romantic evening in York will be remembered for all the wrong reasons as she shouted foul language down the street at us in public ?♂️. Honestly, I despair when business owners don’t have common sense and try to defuse situations.I had the Polish perogies and an attempt at eating the stew which I failed miserably at because the 4 perogies were served in a litre of revolting acrid battery acid and the stew was bone dry and couldn’t be eaten as it contained so much salt. I have no idea how this place has such good reviews based on our experience…. it truly, truly baffles me. AVOID is my best advice.
Flo S
The breakfast was very tasty and the ambience was great. We didn't have a reservation but we found a table. Staff was nice too!
Simon D
A truly HORRIFIC experience with a rude owner and inedible food! I’m very honest with all of my reviews and I’ve eaten authentic Polish food in Poland, so I do know that culturally their food can be super tasty. However, this food was quite literally offensive to my taste buds and it is one of the first times I’ve been unable to eat less than 10% of any meals I’ve been served in ANY restaurant and on any of my travels. I’m also a very adventurous eater and there’s very little that I won’t manage to get down, even if it doesn’t quite hit the spot, so this was a pretty big deal for me. - The icing on the cake is the utterly revolting owner who showed zero compassion or empathy towards our dissatisfaction and became aggressive and rude to the point I asked her to call the police when she refused to discount our bill at all. Now look, please understand that this wasn’t a bah humbug attempt at some free food… after all we ate less than 10% of it!!!! I even offered her £40 when she became unwilling to even listen to me and tried to hold my wife hostage in her restaurant. At this point there was simply no reasoning with her and she just kept referring to her excellent online reviews, so we were left with no other option but to stand our ground and leave on a matter of principle. Oh dear, our romantic evening in York will be remembered for all the wrong reasons as she shouted foul language down the street at us in public ?♂️. Honestly, I despair when business owners don’t have common sense and try to defuse situations. I had the Polish perogies and an attempt at eating the stew which I failed miserably at because the 4 perogies were served in a litre of revolting acrid battery acid and the stew was bone dry and couldn’t be eaten as it contained so much salt. I have no idea how this place has such good reviews based on our experience…. it truly, truly baffles me. AVOID is my best advice.
Absolutely delicious food, really tasty and great portions- good value for money. The staff were very friendly, smiling and interacting with my 2 small children. A lovely atmosphere and overall experience. We will definitely be back!Kid-friendliness: Extremely child friendly, very warm and welcoming
I had heard positive things and seen positive reviews for the Blue Barbakan and were throughly excited about the food and were looking forward to the night. However, from the moment we sat down the experience was utterly horrible. Our drinks/food order were taken promptly which is always good. We sat down and orders were taken around 7:40pm. We ordered 3 starters (fish cake, perogi, meat platter), 2 mains (lamb shank, beef and a side of mixed veg). It got to around 8:20pm and our starters still hadn’t arrived so I politely asked the waiter how much longer it would be. He came back and informed us that the order had been deleted from the system, he apologised and took our orders again. We gave it the benefit of the doubt as sometimes these things happen. We were then informed that the beef my partner had originally ordered was now out of stock. The starters (only two of them, we never received the meat platter) arrived around 30 minutes later. The mains still hadn’t arrived around 30 minutes after that (we are now on around 9:30pm, 2 hours after we sat down). We asked the waiter how much longer they would be as we were hungry and he told us ‘I wouldn’t count on them coming out’ and in not so many words told us we were better off leaving as the kitchen was overwhelmed and likely wouldn’t get the food out. This was extremely disappointing. We left hungry, upset and annoyed. At this time it was coming up to 10pm and there was nowhere open to eat, so we had to settle on toast at home. THE worst dining experience we have ever had. I emailed them privately and they never responded. :)
Came here in the summer and loved it so we came back, we noticed they’ve got new staff which is never a good sign. Food was lovely as always but the service let the place down. Staff forget about you and don’t check up on you at all. There was also a rude girl there who was the manger apparently, she spoke to us in an ugly manner and we caught her rolling her eyes at one of the girls working there. Bring back the old staff !
We ate at this restaurant last night for the first time and we had a lovely evening. Fantastic food and a lovely atmosphere. The restaurant was very busy however the service remained excellent and really friendly. We will certainly be returning!
We went as a family of four for breakfast. Most of the time we were the only ones there. Service was fine but the food was not. I have wanted to try this restaurant for some time because of the inexplicable good reviews but I was very disappointed. We ordered 3 cooked breakfasts and one American pancake. The cooked breakfasts had a polish sausage which was uncooked in the middle. The bacon was purely fat and was fried until it was a crisp. The fried egg was raw and the mushrooms were bizarrely cooked in loads of garlic that was over fried and bitter. The half a tomato was covered in fennel seeds which were again way overcooked and burnt. The only saving grace were the pancakes which were light and fluffy but lacked syrup. Hugely disappointing, the whole meal cost just short of £70, you couldn’t pay me to eat there again. They don’t even have the excuse of being busy.
Great polish restaurant. Visited several times, go hungry the portions are huge and desserts are amazing.
The best meal we've ever eaten out. Unbelievable food. Superb hospitality. We didn't book ahead and they were so accommodating and the service was excellent - make sure to try the Polish Soplicha! Delicious!!
Food was so delicious. All the staff were lovely but especially Benjamin who was our waiter and was so so friendly and attentive. Big shout out to him. Will definitely come back next time we’re in York.
What an absolutely beautiful place to eat, the staff were so accommodating and the food was delicious ? I just wish I had room for more ? Highly recommend the Bigos and honey beer ? Also very reasonable priced for the service and quality! Me and my friend will definitely be returning soon ? Bardzo dziękuję ?
One of the best breakfasts i've ever had! Don't miss the polish toast option! Lovely service and I was coverting the authentic Polish plates and cups.
Restaurantji Recommends
Probably the best Polish restaurant in Yorkshire ? The food was very tasty and the portions really good size. The cakes not exactly Polish and not exactly to my taste but otherwise was amazing!
Visiting York for the week and this is my favorite breakfast place! The atmosphere is calm, the prices are fair, and the food is amazing. We had the breakfast sandwich, Shakshouka, and full English. Strong coffees!It’s a nice change from the hustle and bustle.
A truly HORRIFIC experience with a rude owner and inedible food!I’m very honest with all of my reviews and I’ve eaten authentic Polish food in Poland, so I do know that culturally their food can be super tasty. However, this food was quite literally offensive to my taste buds and it is one of the first times I’ve been unable to eat less than 10% of any meals I’ve been served in ANY restaurant and on any of my travels. I’m also a very adventurous eater and there’s very little that I won’t manage to get down, even if it doesn’t quite hit the spot, so this was a pretty big deal for me. - The icing on the cake is the utterly revolting owner who showed zero compassion or empathy towards our dissatisfaction and became aggressive and rude to the point I asked her to call the police when she refused to discount our bill at all. Now look, please understand that this wasn’t a bah humbug attempt at some free food… after all we ate less than 10% of it!!!! I even offered her £40 when she became unwilling to even listen to me and tried to hold my wife hostage in her restaurant. At this point there was simply no reasoning with her and she just kept referring to her excellent online reviews, so we were left with no other option but to stand our ground and leave on a matter of principle. Oh dear, our romantic evening in York will be remembered for all the wrong reasons as she shouted foul language down the street at us in public ?♂️. Honestly, I despair when business owners don’t have common sense and try to defuse situations.I had the Polish perogies and an attempt at eating the stew which I failed miserably at because the 4 perogies were served in a litre of revolting acrid battery acid and the stew was bone dry and couldn’t be eaten as it contained so much salt. I have no idea how this place has such good reviews based on our experience…. it truly, truly baffles me. AVOID is my best advice.
The breakfast was very tasty and the ambience was great. We didn't have a reservation but we found a table. Staff was nice too!
A truly HORRIFIC experience with a rude owner and inedible food! I’m very honest with all of my reviews and I’ve eaten authentic Polish food in Poland, so I do know that culturally their food can be super tasty. However, this food was quite literally offensive to my taste buds and it is one of the first times I’ve been unable to eat less than 10% of any meals I’ve been served in ANY restaurant and on any of my travels. I’m also a very adventurous eater and there’s very little that I won’t manage to get down, even if it doesn’t quite hit the spot, so this was a pretty big deal for me. - The icing on the cake is the utterly revolting owner who showed zero compassion or empathy towards our dissatisfaction and became aggressive and rude to the point I asked her to call the police when she refused to discount our bill at all. Now look, please understand that this wasn’t a bah humbug attempt at some free food… after all we ate less than 10% of it!!!! I even offered her £40 when she became unwilling to even listen to me and tried to hold my wife hostage in her restaurant. At this point there was simply no reasoning with her and she just kept referring to her excellent online reviews, so we were left with no other option but to stand our ground and leave on a matter of principle. Oh dear, our romantic evening in York will be remembered for all the wrong reasons as she shouted foul language down the street at us in public ?♂️. Honestly, I despair when business owners don’t have common sense and try to defuse situations. I had the Polish perogies and an attempt at eating the stew which I failed miserably at because the 4 perogies were served in a litre of revolting acrid battery acid and the stew was bone dry and couldn’t be eaten as it contained so much salt. I have no idea how this place has such good reviews based on our experience…. it truly, truly baffles me. AVOID is my best advice.