Review - Northern Monk Refectory, Little Stonegate, York
NORTHERN Monk opened its York Refectory around six months ago and it’s been sitting quietly on my must-visit list since day one.
The Leeds-based independent brewery has taken over what was once the Forage restaurant (and previously Mulberry Hall’s dining shop) in Little Stonegate, bringing with it a simple but appealing USP: an interesting selection of drinks served alongside freshly made pizza.
With my daughter home for the Easter break, my husband and I decided a Friday night straight after work was the right time to check it out.
We’d booked a table online – something I’d strongly recommend. The place was already buzzing when we arrived at 6.30pm and we settled in our reserved spot in a spacious booth bang in the middle of the main bar.
Our next stop was a visit to the bar to study the illuminated beer menus (in the style of a cinema advert) fixed on the wall at either side of the serving area, listing nine drinks on each.
We were greeted by smiling and helpful staff – and when I hesitated over what to choose, the barman happily offered samples until I was confident with my pick; a small thing, perhaps, but one that scores Brownie points in my book.
I settled for a two-thirds pint of the intriguingly named Dave Who's On The Train from Sureshot brewery (£6), a fruity Berliner Weisse bursting with raspberry, blackberry and grape flavours. Sweet but balanced with a gentle sour edge and a light fizz, it was refreshing without being too sweet (my daughter tried it and described it as “like Ribena with vinegar – but in a good way!”). And at just 3.4 per cent abv, it wasn’t going to knock me out or make me regret my decision the next day.
It also allowed me to follow up with a second drink – a half of Schofferhofer’s Grapefruit Radler (£2.70), which is a favourite of mine and at just 2.5 per cent abv as drinkable as a glass of pop.
My husband was pleased with his choice too; he found Northern Monk’s Sup (pint at £4.50/3.4 per cent abv ) very drinkable and scored it an 8/10. Our daughter loved her pick: Brass Castle Morph’s Neipa (£5.75/ 5 per cent abv) – a citrussy IPA from New England described as “sunshine in a glass”
And so to our pizzas, the only food option available at the Refectory.
Slice Culture Pizza are in charge of the kitchen here, offering just four options and two specials on a A5-size menu placed on each table.
Regular readers will know I prefer a small menu, but I did feel this one was too limited, especially when some of the choices featured overlapping toppings and flavours.
All pizzas are 12 inch and the options on our visit were: the vegan New Haven Tomato Pie (£11) with marinara sauce, oregano and olive oil; the classic Margherita (£12) with mozzarella, oregano, basil, marinara sauce, and olive oil; the Honey Pesto Four Cheese (£13), with mozzarella, oregano, Genovese cashew basil pesto, honey, brie, mature Cheddar, and Spenwood cheese (an English hard cheese similar to Pecorino); and the Pepperoni Hot Honey (£14), starring mozzarella, oregano, marinara, pepperoni, hot honey, and Spenwood cheese.
The first of the two specials was the Stonegate Spicy (£15.50) which was basically the Pepperoni version with the addition of Scotch Bonnet chilli, pistachios and burrata.
El Vino (£14) was the second special – a ‘white’ pizza (as in no tomato sauce) with toppings of mozzarella, oregano, tarragon white wine cream, garlic croutons, Spenwood cheese and lemon slice.
For reviewing purposes, we decided to order three different varieties; my husband went for the Pepperoni Hot Honey, our vegetarian daughter picked the Margherita, which left me with the El Vino.
I would never ordinarily choose a white pizza, so felt I’d drawn the short straw (although I kept this to myself for fear of appearing a sourpuss!).
However, this wildcard, which felt like a gamble on ordering, turned out to be a pleasant surprise, especially with a squeeze of lemon over the cheesy, herby topping. Sometimes it pays to take a risk.
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The subtle flavourings in the toppings really allowed the taste of the pizza bread to shine through: deep and earthy and perfectly seasoned.
I loved the thinness of the base too – just how I like my pizza.
If there was one criticism, the Pepperoni pizza was almost burned on the base, with some of the outside edges quite charred.
We were hungry however, so dived in, leaving the worst of the dark bubbles of burnt base on our plates.
We all agreed the pizzas packed lots of good flavour and the toppings were just the right amount so as not to overload each one.
Another plus was the quick service – the pizzas were delivered impressively quickly, in around 15 minutes after ordering at the bar.
And when they arrived, we realised we had forgotten to order a garlic dip (£2 extra), which was no problem for our waiter. And before we’d polished off our first slices, a tub of tangy and creamy garlic sauce was delivered.
Northern Monk’s York new taproom Refectory feels like it’s already found its feet.
Good beer, tasty pizza and spot-on service make it a place I’d happily return to – whether for a quick drink, a casual meal, or an unplanned evening out with friends or work colleagues.
Reviews are independent and meals paid for by The Press
Fact file:
Northern Monk Refectory, 2-4 Little Stonegate, York
Phone: 01904 803466
Reservations: sevenrooms.com
Verdict:
Food: Very good pizza, if a limited choice
Drink: A decent selection of beers with some interesting options
Service: Swift and with a smile
Value: Very good, recommend for a casual night out that won’t break the bank
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