Living in York has given Sam and I a huge list of new restaurants that we’d like to try out. The length of our list nearly rivals the length of the one we made for London; and I can safely say we got off to a very good start! One of our local joints is the Pig & Pastry off of Bishopthorpe (“Bishy”) Road.
Having read other reviews on the internet, the biggest complaint seems to be the fact that it’s quite small; that’s actually something that I like about it. It makes the atmosphere more cozy and gives you the illusion that you’ve just discovered a hidden gem. I also liked that it really seemed like a community place. Bishy Road really seems like a village unto itself and the Pig is one of its jewels.
The menu was diverse and lovingly put together (with plenty of vegetarian options). I opted for the shakshuka (£6.50): baked eggs in tomatoes, peppers and North African spices served with a killer focaccia. It was delicious; perfectly savoury and sufficiently filling. It was reminiscent of a Turkish menemen but with a different spice profile. The addition of pomegranate seeds was inspired: they provided a satisfying crunch to differentiate some of the texture in the dish. Sam had the chorizo eggs (£4). (The chorizo was out of this world and I *may* have been envious of his sourdough toast and ordered some as a side.) We both had lattes which were just on the right side of creamy.
Things I want to go back for: all the pastries, sausage rolls and waffles. I can’t wait to see the seasonal changes in the menu and for the summer pizza oven to get fired back up.
35 Bishopthorpe Rd, York YO23 1NA (Open 9am-5pm)
Have you been?
