This place is absolutely fantastic.
The Grazing Menu is exceptional and all 7 courses looked and tasted beautiful.
I would recommend this place to anyone and everyone.
Beware though, once you visit this place you will keep going back!!!
Howweoperate
I love this place, its character shines through in its food - unpredictably satisfying - quirky, unpretentious and thoughtful. The grazing menu changes frequently and never fails to make an excellent night out. The restaurant is friendly and comfortable, try the grazing menu without being previously informed of its contents, it's like seven surprises - brilliant.
Pino Noir
Without doubt, the food here is good but beware! The atmosphere is horrid and the staff surly beyond belief. The decor is cold and the walls are covered with the most awful pictures ever, should win the bad taste award for design! Our meal was ruined by incompetent and unfriendly staff who were more bothered in talking to each other than serving their customers.
Good food is one thing but when the other parts don't add up, you don't have a good restaurant!
Plum
Jeff Baker has to be one of the most inventive chefs operating in the North. His food is exciting, playful, beautifully executed and good value. The menu changes constantly and the dishes echo tastes and memories of childhood but with a classic base. Try the tasting menu if you want to surrender completely. And the lunchtime grazing menu (3 small plates for a tenner) has to be the best deal around. A standard muffin, cappuccino and sandwich from Starbucks would cost more. Baker's makes the best of local produce and many of the dishes are Yorkshire on a plate. The restaurant is unpretentious and service could be a bit sharper. But it's democratic - no-one will feel out of place here. It's a bit hidden away and kind of hides away from it's quality in a weird way. Maybe he's hiding from the stresses that a Michelin Star gave him in Leeds. Whatever, give this place a go. We've never eaten a poor dish.
Paul M
J Bakers is the best restaurant in York. The menu is inventive and interesting without being pretentious. You can trust things to be great even if the description seems unpromising. Prices are fantastic for food of this quality. The 'Grazing Plate' at lunchtime is particularly recommended - you get three small but fabulous dishes for not much more than the price of a couple of sandwiches from Marks and Spencer
Daniel
eaten at a fair few places,this was the best since i eat pied a terre in london a few years ago, the black pudding scotch egg, fantastic
Syn
We booked in for an early evening slot as they said it was fully booked later? which when we left there were plenty of empty tables, we could not work this out? Food was lovely, could not fault it. The restaurant was clean but there was no atmosphere at all, and the staff were stood around talking to each other, although very helpful. I know it was early evening but it was gone 9pm when we left and it still was the same. We would go back though as the food was worth it.
Swanny
In a word, pretentious. Five items on the menu of which only one was considered by our group to be edible. You're informed the steak comes medium rare, a sure sign the chef is up himself. Tiny portions being served on roof tiles is the icing on the cake.
If you’re the type of person who thinks eating Pigs Cheeks and Rhubarb is ‘fancy’ then this is the place for you.
I wont be back.
Alibell
Booked the private function room at J Bakers after being recommended it by another restaurant that couldn't book us in and WOW were we glad. The private room upstairs adjoins the very quiet and stylish bar/lounge area so it feels like you are entertaining at home. The chef had created a menu specially for us which had on it some of the best food any of us had ever eaten, service was efficient and friendly, really good wine menu with a fantastic house selection, presentation was beautiful, portions just right and value of food is brilliant. There is nothing I would fault or change about this place.
crissy
We had the 7 course taster menu which was exceptional.