A TOP restaurant guide has acclaimed York as the new must go destination for gourmet diners.

The Yorkshire capital has shed a staid but charming reputation according to Harden's Best UK Restaurants Guide 2019 and has made it into its top 10 dining out destinations.

York is listed at equal eighth, level with Bath and above Oxford, Newcastle and Leeds.

The guide also lists Le Cochon Aveugle in Walmgate among its top 100 restaurants in the UK.

The guide's editor and co-founder Peter Harden said: “During Harden’s 28 years of reviewing, York has hitherto been one of those charming British cities with inspiring medieval architecture, but, by contrast, a middle-of-the-road selection of pubs, tea-shops and bistros.

"But in the last year or two, the city has shot to prominence as a foodie-magnet, with an assortment of Shoreditch-worthy arrivals in recent times such as Arras, Le Cochon Aveugle, Skosh and the yet-to-be-rated Roots.”

Paul Whiting, Head of Visit York, said: “This is brilliant news and especially encouraging as the annual Hardens Guide survey is based on diners’ feedback.

"With over 2,700 restaurants in the guide, this recognition for York’s foodie scene comes at a time when the city has never had so many top quality eateries. York can now add Britain’s foodie hotspot to its list of accolades.”

Harden polled 8,000 diners, who contributed 50,000 reviews to the guide's editors which analysed and curated them before deciding what to include in Harden, how each entry should be rated and provide the reviews.

According to Harden, there has been a surge of interest in the York dining scene, whose rather "staid" dining culture had been transformed in recent times with the arrival of several new eating out venues.

Modern British and French restaurants still predominate in the Harden’s 100 but Asian cuisines gained ground with 16 listings in total.