"Adam Humphrey's five-course Yorkshire homecoming, £90 in a converted coach house — book it for an anniversary in York."
About Arras
Adam Humphrey ran Arras in Sydney for a decade before bringing it home. He and Lovaine opened the original in Walsh Bay in 2007, moved it to the CBD in 2011, then spent two years scouting York before taking the Old Coach House on Peasholme Green in spring 2017. The result is a small, husband-and-wife room cooking a five-course Kitchen Menu at £90 — East Yorkshire technique sharpened by twenty years abroad, with a cheese trolley that gets its own following and a sourdough good enough that they opened a bakery to sell it.
The Kitchen
Humphrey was born in East Yorkshire, cooked under Richard Guest at Maison Novelli in London, then rose to sous chef under Guest again at the Castle at Taunton before emigrating — a lineage of northern sensibility and classical drill that still shapes the menus. Lovaine's pedigree runs front-of-house royalty: service at Michel Bras in Laguiole and the wine team at the Fat Duck in Bray before she swapped the wine knife for the chef's knife and, eventually, back again — she built and runs the Arras wine list.
Dinner is the five-course Kitchen Menu at £90, with a shorter à la carte of two or three courses and cheaper lunch and pre-theatre sittings midweek. The cooking is seasonal Yorkshire produce under precise, slightly playful technique — the couple call it food "of a time and place" — and the famous Arras sourdough opens every meal; since 2020 their Little Arras bakery a short walk away has sold it by the loaf alongside Square Mile coffee. The cheese trolley is the closing argument and should not be declined. The room holds a Michelin Guide listing, and on the York dining map it completes a tight triangle with Roots and Skösh.
The Room
A converted coach house: beams, brick, white linen, a couple of dozen covers and no music fighting the conversation. Sound stays conversation-easy all night, lighting is low and warm, and tables are spaced generously for a room this size. Dress is smart-casual — York does not do jackets-required, and Arras does not pretend otherwise. Service is essentially the Humphreys themselves plus a small team, which is the charm and the constraint: Wednesday to Saturday only, lunch and dinner.
Best for an Anniversary
Book this room for an anniversary because it runs at anniversary tempo by design: five unhurried courses at £90, a host who has poured wine at the Fat Duck reading the table's pace, and a coach-house quiet that lets two people actually talk for three hours. The cheese trolley at the end gives the evening a final act. Reserve two to three weeks out for Saturday, less midweek, via ResDiary with a card to secure. For the wider field, see our anniversary restaurant guide and the tasting-menu index.
Not for
Not for walk-ins or big groups — a few dozen covers, Wednesday to Saturday only, and tables of six or more need forms signed in advance.
Frequently Asked
Is Arras in York worth it?
Yes — it is one of the strongest-value serious dinners in the north of England. Ninety pounds buys five courses of genuinely individual cooking from a chef with Maison Novelli and Castle at Taunton drill, plus bread and a cheese trolley most London rooms cannot match. The catch is access: four days a week, a small room, and the Humphreys do everything themselves. Compare the field on the York dining guide.
How far ahead should I book Arras?
Two to three weeks for Saturday dinner, a few days for midweek; booking runs through ResDiary and requires card details to secure the table. Groups of six or more must contact the restaurant directly and return signed terms and dietary forms. Dietary requirements on the Kitchen Menu need 48 hours' notice — the kitchen is two people deep and prepares everything on site. Our guide to booking Michelin-listed tables in 2026 covers the general playbook.
What is the Kitchen Menu at Arras?
The five-course set dinner at £90 — the kitchen's full statement, changing with Yorkshire's seasons, with optional paired wines chosen by Lovaine Humphrey. A shorter à la carte (two or three courses) runs alongside it, and lunch and pre-theatre menus on Wednesday to Saturday afternoons come in cheaper. Every table starts with the Arras sourdough, and the cheese trolley is the optional but near-mandatory finish.
What is the dress code at Arras?
Smart-casual: jeans with a decent shirt pass without comment, jackets are welcome but never required. The room is a converted coach house with linen-dressed tables, so the register is relaxed-formal rather than starched. York's restaurant culture as a whole skips formality, and Arras follows the city, not London.
Is Arras good for a first date?
A confident yes for a serious first date: quiet room, generous table spacing, food that supplies conversation, and the à la carte option keeps the bill controllable at £45–£60 a head if a five-course commitment feels presumptuous. Midweek tables book easily. More candidates ranked on our first-date guide.
Reserve a Table
Reserve at Arras
ResDiary with card details to secure; 48 hours' notice required for dietary requirements on the Kitchen Menu.
Affiliate disclosure: Restaurants for Kings may earn a commission when you book through our reservation links, at no cost to you. Our scores are editorial and never paid for.
Practical Information
AddressThe Old Coach House, Peasholme Green, York YO1 7PW
NeighbourhoodPeasholme Green
CuisineModern British
Price£45–£130 pp; Kitchen Menu £90
Dress CodeSmart-casual
SeatingCompact coach-house dining room
ReservationResDiary; card to secure
