TWO top York restaurants have been recognised by the AA for their superb cuisine.

The AA are celebrating the best restaurants in the UK with the the latest AA Rosette Award winners in a virtual ceremony.

Three restaurants received four AA Rosettes, marking them as among the top dining destinations in the country, while a further sixteen were awarded three AA Rosettes in recognition of their outstanding culinary standards.

Included among the recipients of three coveted AA Rosettes were two York restaurants: Roots in Marygate, which AA inspectors commended for “intelligent treatment of prime seasonal produce”, and The Bow Room Restaurant at Grays Court close to York Minster, which was praised for serving up “vibrant modern dishes".

Gray's Court owner Helen Heraty said: "For the restaurant to get this recognition, it's like all the years of hard work have paid off. Earlier this year chef Adam Jackson and restaurant manager Alex Stainsby joined our team of 28 and we are looking to increase our covers from 24 to 30 once our new plates arrive from Here Be Monsteras ceramicist Kayti Peschke.

"There's a great food offering in York and it's great that the city is getting a reputation as a foodie destination."

Simon Numphud, Managing Director at AA Media said “As the hospitality sector reopens after a challenging year, it is an honour to be able to recognise those restaurants achieving the highest levels of gastronomic excellence.

“All 2021 Rosette winners deserve to be celebrated, with each one demonstrating the exceptional culinary standards being offered to diners across the country.”

Now in its 65th year, AA Rosettes have been awarded to restaurants since 1956, with the top award of five Rosettes being introduced in 1991. The allocation of multi-Rosettes is determined by one or more visits by an AA inspector to a hotel or restaurant.

The announcement of the latest AA Rosette winners accompanies the release of The Restaurant Guide 2022.

For the full list of winners go to www.ratedtrips.com/aa-rosette-restaurants