YORK - Local tips for places to eat etc..... ?

[wrongsideof40]

Hi - I'm going to York tomorrow with 2 children - 8 and 5 - have been before so will do the usual Train Museum etc - but what else ? (prob not Jorvik again !) And what about child friendly places to eat ? Any advive gratefully received !

I'd take a picnic - there is an indoor bit of the railway museum you can eat one in?
There are zillions of nice places to eat in York actually - my mind has gone blank.

What's your price range/criteria?

Just walking around York is nice, go on the walls. Castle Museum is great for a walkaround.

from weds onwards there's the viking festival....if you fancy waiting a couple of days?

I was thinking of going to York on Friday - will definetly go if Viking festival is on. I quite fancy tea in Betty's as well.

On Blake street (quite near the minster and where Macdonalds is) is a large Ask in the Assembly Rooms - gorgeous building and they do a childrens menu. The real plus for me is that it is HUGE so you should be able to get a table easily. 1/2 term York is very busy and Bettys for example - though wonderful will have a huge queue at busy times.

The other side of the Minster is a street called Goodramgate and the National Trust shop there has a good cafe with childrens options. Fenwicks in the Coppergate centre has a decent cafeteria too - and a great toy department in the basement....

the spurriergate centre is tres child friendly and not too hard on the wallet.

Your littlies may be a bit young for the York Dungeon but it's worth thinking about if you come again when they're a bit older (or perhaps you think they'll enjoy it anyway)

There's also no shortage of pubs in York and they are pretty much all child friendly and lots of them serve delicious real ale as well.

Squonk - have you been to the dungeon? Personally I don't think it's suitable for adults let alone children!

Up on Mickelgate is a very nive veggie cafe and bookshop called the Blakehead - they are child friendly but not a place to go if your dcs are desperate for some chips!

nive? nice that should be!

You can also try the Spurriergate Centre, very child friendly, and lovely food.

The DIG centre is good, but you may have done that already.
Or the York Museum (including the gardens and the Abbey ruins), and there usually a fair of some sort on Parliament Street.
Clifford's Tower is interesting too.
If you look on the council website - york.gov.uk, there'll be info about half-term stuff in the city centre.
Hope you all have a lovely time

NL: nope. much to scary for me!

dd1 went when she was about 8 and loved it though (although I have always wondered about her empathy and compassion... or lack of them )

Spurriergate centre - that's the one i was trying to remember!

We're going on friday - ds1 and I to the Dungeons and ds2 and dh to Castle museum (dh and ds2 too wimpy for gory fun)

Thanks everyone for your input - have written it all down - I haven't been to the Castle Museum before so will give that a try - and someone at work suggested DIG - so might go there - have jotted down all the cafe suggestions - thanks - let's hope it stays dry !