Vegan-friendly
Lacto
Ovo
Mediterranean
Beer/Wine
Spanish
Non-veg
Serves meat, vegan options available. Spanish tapas restaurant and sherry bar. Offers a marked vegan menu, and probably about 40% of the main is vegetarian. Has espresso drinks, organic and vegan wine. Open Mon-Sun 11:00-21:30.
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Last update on 28 Oct 2020 by craigmc
Update business info -
Added by Alyson on 15 Sep 2011
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26 Reviews
First Review by Alyson
SarahMoyes
Points +115
Great vegan tapas - Edit
There's lots of great things to choose from on the menu, even for people like me who don't like aubergine. I had 3 dishes and bread and it was all delicious!
Read morePros: Helpful staff , Lots of choice , Good value for money
Guest
SarahEvans
Points +33
Enough options but not special - Edit
The staff were spot on, attentive and polite but also not overbearing. Three of the dishes came with vegan aioli which was incredibly salty and held its shape a little too much. The red wine I had was lovely and the vegan wines were indicated on the menu. They recommended 3/4 dishes so I had 3 and a starter but it was an insane amount of food for one person (with a decent appetite). After paying a £45 bill, I was left feeling disappointed on the value for money.
Read moreGuest
Vegan.Matt77
Points +113
Quality tapas in the heart of York - Edit
This is a cosy restaurant with a great vibe, really good service with knowledgeable staff, and the food is amazing. There are plenty of vegan options, all clearly marked on the menu.
Read morePros: Lots of choice, Great food, Nice setting
Guest
Samantha_C
Points +322
Very Tasty & Plenty of Vegan Options - Edit
They clearly labelled the vegan options as well as clearly labelling the options which weren’t vegan but could be modified to become vegan.
Read moreThe three tapas dishes I had were very tasty and good sized portions.
Guest
laurabruton
Points +1415
Authentic, delicious tapas - Edit
My friend who lives in York recommended this restaurant to me and we had a great meal here. They have a selection of plant based tapas as well as a few starter style plates which are vegan friendly. All the food we had was amazing and so fresh, I particularly liked the tomato bread & patatas bravas. We booked in advance as was advised it would get busy, the staff were really lovely however the food did take quite a while to come out so would be wary if you are looking for a quick pit stop!
Read morePros: Lots of vegan options, Great atmosphere and location, Lovely staff
Cons: Slow service
Guest
AndreaMurcia
Points +80
Amazing veggie tapas - Edit
Delicious vegan options of spanish tapas 😋
Read morePros: Food, Service, Ambient
Guest
NickCase
Points +467
Incredible - Edit
Been to several Ambiente's before so knew what to expect, but I think this was my favourite. lovely location, great food and very nice staff.
Read moreVery chilled out atmosphere. Plenty of vegan options!
Guest
HarleyJones-Ryley
Points +1005
Love love loved this meal! - Edit
Went here with my meat eating boyfriend and it was such a lovely experience. Great vegan versions of classic tapas and plentiful portions. Drinks all labelled where vegan too!
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-07-08
Guest
JoDandelion
Points +731
Many vegan tapas options - Edit
Nice to see a lot of vegan tapas options - we had battered aubergine fritters, patatas bravas, chorizo stew, 'mince' empanadas, among other things! The bread to start was actually amazing (not just because we were really hungry) - it was like focaccia.
Read moreEverything tasted really quite authentic!
Pros: Authentic cuisine, Nice selection of vegan options
Cons: A lot of meat on the menu
Guest
EddyMaya
Points +1125
A good selection of vegan tapas - Edit
Ambiente is a nice little restaurant offering a good selection of vegan tapas. The plant-based section of the menu includes fake meat options such vegan meatballs, vegan chicken kebabs and vegan chorizo. There are also plenty of other options including aubergine fritters, patatas bravas and pan-fried green beans with sundried tomatoes. All in all there are about a dozen vegan tapas to choose from. There's also a vegan paella available if you don't fancy tapas. Everything we tried was pretty good. Wines are also marked as vegan on the menu. Our waiter also helped us identify which of their extensive selection of sherries were vegan. Lots of options for your carnivore friends too. Well worth a visit.
Read morePros: Vegan options clearly marked on the menu, Helpful & knowledgable staff, Nice ambiance
Guest
pateyrad
Points +64
Terrific tapas - Edit
Great atmosphere, friendly and helpful staff.
Read moreGreat choice of Vegan dishes, each one tastes fantastic. The green beans with sun dried tomatoes and pine nuts are a must try,
Both of the York restaurants are equally brilliant, and the prices are very reasonable.
Pros: Great range of Vegan dishes, Great value, Friendly staff
Cons: No lift access to upstairs
Guest
kate77827
Points +58
Lovely tapas and great staff - Edit
Great food and staff
Read morePros: Lots of vegan options clearly labelled, Nice friendly and helpful staff , Tasty food
Guest
Helenggvv
Points +435
We really enjoyed it - Edit
Against popular opinion, I must say this place surprised me. I am Spanish, so as always I was skeptical because I thought they would give me beans and chilli (mexican) or some spicy weird fusion like they do in many "Spanish tapas" places. We ordered plenty of the vegan tapas available on the menu and when I could taste actual Spanish flavours (no spice, no chilli), tomate frito, oregano, EVOO and just freshness I was impressed. I personally recommend this place, we enjoyed it!
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2022-04-19
Pros: Plenty vegan tapas , Good flavours
Guest
carlyvegan
Points +474
Not fresh and unauthentic - Edit
I have spent nearly a decade of my life living in Spain and I found this restaurant’s food to be very unauthentic ,which I could stomach if the food was at least well cooked and tasty, unfortunately it was not. We didn’t finish our food and we left hungry. Definitely would not recommend this place . It needs serious improvements to its vegan dishes
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2022-02-19
Pros: Lots of vegan options , Extensive drinks menu , Good service
Cons: Food
Guest
Guruofsurf
Points +651
Good range of vegan Tapas and Paella - Edit
We often drop off at this small group of restaurants when in York and are rarely disappointed. Staff are knowledgable about requirements and there are quite a few tasty vegan options. The sharing platter is really good and the paella is usually great. Although the paella flavours can be variable or occasionally is rather too peppery. Probably just my taste buds though. This particular restaurant is very atmospheric.
Read morePros: Many vegan tapas, Vegan paella, Lovely ambiance
Guest
AliceSmith
Points +13
Incredible food!! - Edit
Clearly marked menu, we picked 6 of the tapas dishes and they were all amazing! Staff were also really nice. Best tapas I've ever had!!!
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2021-08-14
Pros: Lots of veggie options, All veggie tapas was so so tasty
Cons: None
Guest
runcmd
Points +64
Excellent tapas and paella - Edit
Really great vegan options with lovely flavours, texture, and quality veg. Artichokes were especially delicious. Would give it 5 stars if the app would let me!
Read morePros: Lots of vegan options, Great dishes, Veg-focused
Guest
MeganSmith
Points +610
Lovely meal - Edit
Such a cute relaxed setting in the centre of York with some great tasty vegan options!
Read moreGuest
AndyCropper
Points +453
Excellent - Edit
Excellent vegan options and very tasty, in fact the best tapas I have had!
Read morePros: Plenty of vegan choices, Fair priced, Quality food
Guest
deadpledge
Points +15067
Room for improvement - Edit
We have visited here twice and have enjoyed the food and ambience on both occasions. However, personally I think the vegan options could be better. Although there is a separate menu for vegetarians, for a vegan it is sadly "you can get this dish but without this element.." answer that you will get, as they have no dairy alternatives, which is a real shame. Nevertheless, we were able to order a satisfactory tapas including judias verdes, patatas bravas, paella, pan Catalán, champiñones and a vegan red wine for about £40. The paella was a little over cooked on this occasion but all the other dishes we got were tasty and quickly served. For each dish you are looking at paying £4-5. Worth visiting if you are in the area.
Read morePros: Ambience, Vegan options and wine, Staff
Cons: Vegan options could be improved, Serves meat
Guest
nomnomvegon
Points +39
4.5 stars - Edit
Mum says "I really enjoyed it". separate vegan menu with lots of vegan options
Read moreGuest
Braidy
Points +395
OK - Edit
It's perhaps unfortunate that there are two veggie-friendly tapas bars in York because this will inevitably suffer in comparison with El Piano. The dishes they gave us were tasty and filling and the décor is interesting. I feel guilty about criticising it because it was fine, it just can't stand up against El Piano and Goji.
Read morePros: Smart décor, nice food
Guest
Travels_in_Reggie
Points +4531
Delicious Tapas - Edit
Visited here with a non veg friend as otherwise would have visited some of the vegetarian restaurants in York instead. Initially I was disappointed at having to go here but my view changed completely the moment I walked through Ambiente's doors!
Read moreLovely atmosphere, friendly staff, quirky decoration. I was handed a vegan menu, which I expected to be limited. Not so, I was surprised at the choice and had trouble choosing as all of it sounded delicious. I had four different plates which were extremely tasty, freshly cooked and filling. Staff also knowledgable about vegan wines.
This is a place you can go with non veg family and friends and still feel you've had a lovely meal out with plenty of choice. I shall definitely return next time I'm staying in the York area.
Updated from previous review on Sunday January 11, 2015
Pros: Wonderful food, Nice relaxed and friendly atmosphere, Plenty of choice for veggies & vegans
Guest
Neridah
Points +510
Good quality tapas - Edit
There was a specially marked vegan menu, and staff were knowledgeable about vegan alcohols, including a vegan sherry. Tapas was super tasty, and the atmosphere was friendly.
Read morePros: Separate vegan menu , Vegan-friendly staff, Vegan Wines
Guest
Livinglost
Points +98
Really pleased - Edit
I had heard great things about this place for vegans, so one day a friend and I walked in. It was a strange time, around 4pm on a Saturday. We walked in, not having a clue what was going on, there is a small sort of waiting area downstairs, I assume all staff were too busy to find us so others more pushy, ended up being helped first. I do think this needs looked at.
Read moreHowever, having been given the menu, we decided on the vegetable paella for two and as that would take 35mins (as all paellas do take some time) we thought we'd order a couple of dishes first. I checked with the waitress if something had any dairy in it and I was handed the menu again, but this time with stickers next to everything dairy free. This also included the meat items, but the whole menu was covered in little stickers, there were plenty veggie options and apart from the obvious with cheese or cream, they all appeared to be vegan. There were also other notes on this menu so I assume this is for other items which may cause allergies.
I settled on a blackbean and cashew fritter and my omni friend had a chicken dish.
Mine was very tasty and we didn't have to wait long, although we were forced to stand while we waited and were then taken upstairs with our drinks when our starter was ready.
The paella came out and looked small, but was quite deceptive, so the waiter offered to pack it up the remainder for us. Warning if you do this, the package will leak oil! I found this out when my jeans ended up with delightful oily patches.
Still, it was very nice and a great choice for vegans and reasonably priced. I would recommend booking though as it was really getting busy when we left close to 6. I will certainly be visiting again.
Pros: very vegan friendly, tasty, reasonable prices
Cons: slightly awkward but friendly service
Guest
Alyson
Points +823
Surprisingly good for vegans - Edit
I was in York for work, arriving Sunday evening. I had checked Happy Cow for veggie/vegan places but none were going to be open at that time. A colleague said that this place came up on her search for vegetarian so we gave it a go. On informing the waitress that I was vegan she went and got a specially marked up menu and many of the vegetarian tapas dishes were vegan, and didn't mean 'missing' the non-vegan thing out either. The three of us had a good selection of dishes - about 3 per person is about right - and it was nice to try lots of different things. All the ones I had were good. Wine list also specified vegetarian / vegan. So, a good place to go if the fully vegetarian / vegan places are closed. Nice decor and surroundings. Reasonably priced, and the food section of our bill for 3 people only came to just over £30.
Read morePros: Vegan menu, Reasonable price, Surroundings
Cons: Meat/fish served
Guest
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