Fish&Forest is a small friendly restaurant serving seasonal and sustainable fish, game, and forest foods set on Micklegate in York.
Menus take inspiration from the sea, the forest, and the Yorkshire countryside. Head Chef and owner, Stephen Andrews who is a self-taught chef, creates a small regularly evolving a la carte menu of simple seasonal plates that allow the ingredients to shine.
Sustainability is at the heart of everything they do. Fish is wild, native, or ethically farmed and sustainably caught on day boats using a specific and targeted method of fishing. Crab comes directly from the fisherman in Whitby, scallops are hand-dived and oysters come from Lindisfarne. The game comes from small local farms and estates which have less intense and smaller shoots to maintain the delicate balance in population control. Wild food is foraged from the local countryside by the chefs.
Steve says: “I cook the sort of food I love to eat – proper food with soul, using the best ingredients.”
While the focus is on fish and game, vegetarians and vegans will also find interesting vegetable-led dishes on the menu. As a neighbourhood bistro, they offer a genuinely warm welcome and personal service, and top-quality food. Stephen is supported by a young and welcoming front-of-house team led by Yohan Barthelemy, a French native with years of experience in hospitality who curates a well-balanced and diverse wine list.
Chef & Owner Stephen Andrews
Fish&Forest was founded by Yorkshire man and chef, Stephen Andrews, a self-trained chef. Stephen moved from the front of house to being a chef at Yorks bar 1331 before quitting to go travelling and cooking in some of the most exciting kitchens in Sydney, Australia which inspired his interest in sustainable ethically sourced food. When he returned to York, he was inspired to open his own restaurant that demonstrated these values of quality seasonal sustainable produce.
Stephen launched Fish&Forest in March 2019 at Spark, York’s space for food & drink and creative start-ups. After three months, he was approached by the team at the Gillygate pub who offered him the opportunity to use their underused front room as a new base for Fish&Forest. Here, Stephen and his team built a loyal following of York locals and visitors and quickly outgrew the space and started looking for their own restaurant signing the lease at 110 Micklegate in April 2020 while the country was in lock-down.
Awards and accolades
Michelin Guide 2022 – Commitment to sustainable gastronomy
AA Guide 2022 – 1 Rosette
Good Food Award
Yorkshire prestige award
110 Micklegate, York, YO1 6JX
