Ambiente Tapas Fossgate is a spacious Spanish restaurant in central York with a contemporary, stripped back interior. The energetic dining room is designed around sharing, making it practical for a relaxed lunch as well as a busier evening with friends. Its official postcode is YO1 9TA, correcting the final character supplied in the queue.
Tapas allows a table to build a meal in stages from cured meats, cheese, vegetables, seafood and slow cooked meat. Patatas bravas, tortilla, boquerones and chorizo with potatoes sit beside more inventive seasonal plates. Paella provides a larger shared centrepiece in meat, seafood and vegetable versions.
A Spanish made Josper oven is at the heart of the Fossgate kitchen, cooking meat, fish and vegetables over charcoal. The intense heat develops a smoky char while helping ingredients retain moisture. A broad vegetarian and vegan selection, children’s choices and a dietary requirements menu make the small plate format flexible for mixed groups.
Spanish wine, sherry, sangria and beer complement the food and reinforce the restaurant’s regional focus. Desserts continue with choices such as crema catalana, Basque cheesecake and almond cake. Ambiente combines Yorkshire produce with Spanish methods, using fire, sharing and a lively room to make the meal feel social from the first plate.
Address: 31 Fossgate, York YO1 9TA, United Kingdom
Ambiente Tapas Fossgate Menu
Para Picar (Nibbles)
Pan
Baked bread served with olive oil and balsamic vinegar (Gluten (Wheat), So2)
Pan Catalán
Baked bread topped with tomato and garlic (Gluten (Wheat), So2)
Aceitunas Gordal
Pitted Perelló Gordal olives (So2)
Almendras
Roasted and salted Valencian almonds (Nuts (Almonds))
Manchego y Membrillo
Manchego cheese served quince sauce (Milk)
Boquerones
White anchovy fillets marinated in vinegar and garlic (Fish, So2)
Jamón Ibérico de Bellota
Premium Jamon Ibérico de Bellota from the Pata Negra Pig
Dátiles con Serrano
Dates stuffed with almonds and wrapped in Serrano ham (Nuts (Almonds), So2)
Dátiles con Queso
Dates stuffed with Picos blue cheese and wrapped in streaky bacon (Milk, So2)
Hummus Cargado
Griddled Halloumi with a cucumber and tomato salad served on a bed of hummus and dressed with dill and Aleppo pepper (Milk, Sesame)
Sharing Platters
Wheel of Tapas
A platter of white anchovy fillets, Manchego cheese with Quince and Serrano ham all served on Pan Catalán and arranged around a small bowl of olives (Gluten (Wheat), So2, Milk, Fish)
Veg Wheel of Tapas
A platter of artichoke with parmesan and chilli, sundried tomato & butterbean pâté and broad bean and garlic all served on Pan Catalán and arranged around a small bowl of olives (Gluten (Wheat), So2, Milk)
Premium Spanish Meat Platter
Jamon Ibérico, Lomo Ibérico, Chorizo Ibérico, Coppa Ibérico and Salchichon Ibérico from the Pata Negra Pig, and Truffle Fuet served with guindillas and homemade bread (Gluten (Wheat), So2)
Mediterranean Veg Platter
A selection of grilled Mediterranean vegetables, all served with a selection of pâtés, almonds, olives, guindillas and homemade bread (Gluten (Wheat), So2, Nuts (Almonds), Sesame, Celery)
Paellas
Paella de Pollo y Chorizo
Yorkshire Grain Fed Chicken and Chorizo Paella (Celery, So2)
Paella de Pescado
Mixed seafood paella (Celery, Fish, Crustacean, Mollusc, So2)
Paella de Verduras
A hearty Mediterranean vegetable paella (So2, Celery)
Meat
Secreto Ibérico
Seared Secreto Ibérico ~ a tender, marbled cut from Spanish acorn fed pigs ~ served with quince alioli & jalapeño pesto (Nut (Almond), Egg, So2)
Bistec con Escabeche
Chargrilled Hanger steak served with sweet & sour escabeche vegetables & spiced corn purée (So2, Milk, Soy)
Chuleta de Cordero
Grilled lamb chops with smoked aubergine purée & a fresh courgette salad {So2}
Empanadas de Carne
Golden empanadas filled with slow-braised beef, ancho chilli & pineapple (Gluten (Wheat), So2, Celery)
Chorizo y Patatas
An Ambiente Original! Chorizo & potato caramelised in a sticky fennel, brown sugar & red wine sauce. A long-time guest favourite for a reason! (So2)
Albóndigas con Tomate
Beef & pork meatballs cooked in a smokey chorizo and tomato stew (So2, Mustard, Egg, Gluten (Wheat), Celery)
Croquetas de Jamón
Jamón and cheese croquette (Egg, Milk, Gluten (Wheat))
Brocheta de Pollo y Calabacín
Soanes grain-fed chicken & courgette kebabs marinated in yoghurt, herbs & Ambiente spices (Milk, So2)
Fish
Pulpo a la Gallega
Slices of octopus served in the traditional way on a bed of confit potatoes, drizzled with olive oil & sprinkled with pimenton (Crustacean)
Pescado del Día
Our weekly hand-selected catch
Gambas Pil Pil
Sizzling prawns in garlic & chilli infused olive oil (Crustacean)
Mejillones a la Marinera
Mussels cooked in a creamy white wine sauce (Mollusc, So2, Milk)
Paella de Pescado
An individual mixed seafood paella (Mollusc, Fish, Crustacean, So2, Celery)
Gambas Tempura
Tiger prawns deep fried in lightly spiced tempura batter and served with alioli (Egg, Celery, Milk, Gluten (Wheat), So2, Crustacean)
Calamares
Calamares rings deep fried in our own buttermilk batter and served with alioli (Egg, Celery, Milk, Gluten (Wheat), So2, Mollusc)
Croquetas de Pescado
Salmon & smoked haddock croquettes (Fish, Milk, Egg, Gluten (Wheat))
Veggie
Col Hispi Asada
Charcoal roast hispi cabbage with fermented chilli butter & cashew nut purée (Soy, So2, Nut (Cashew))
Brócoli con Romesco
Charred tenderstem broccoli with romesco sauce, drizzled with a smokey-sweet hot maple syrup (Nut (Almond, Hazelnut), So2)
Empanadas de Frijoles
Golden empanadas filled with slow-braised blackbeans, ancho chilli & pineapple (Gluten (Wheat) So2, Celery)
Patatas Bravas
Triple cooked sagitta potatoes served with our classic spicy tomato sauce & alioli (Celery, Egg, So2)
Champiñones con Manchego
Creamy baked mushrooms topped with a manchego crumb (Milk, So2, Gluten (Wheat))
Queso Feta al Horno
A baked filo parcel filled with chilli & honey feta, sundried tomatoes & hazelnuts Milk, So2, Nut (Hazelnut), Gluten (Wheat)
Judías Verdes
Pan-fried green beans served with sun-dried tomato and pine nuts (So2, Kernel)
Queso de Cabra
Lightly battered goats cheese, drizzled with honey and served with braised fennel and beetroot crisps (Milk, Egg)
Tortilla
An individual Spanish omelette (Egg)
Ensalada Ambiente
Mixed leaves, fresh herbs, cucumber, peppers, tomato and shallots finished with feta cheese and Ambiente salad dressing (Milk, So2)
Plant-based
Our Plant-based Signature Menu recreates some Ambiente favourites using a range of plant-based protein instead of our usual meat products.
Albóndigas Veganas
Meatless meatballs cooked in a smokey pimenton and tomato stew (So2, Soy, Celery)
Chorizo y Patatas Veganos
Caramelised chorizo-style pieces and potato (So2, Soy)
Sauces
Alioli
Garlic & lemon alioli (Egg, So2)
Vegan Alioli
Vegan garlic & lemon alioli (Soy, So2, Mustard)
Mojo Verde
A vibrant, fresh green herb sauce (So2, Gluten (Wheat))
Chipotle Ketchup
Ambiente’s mildly spicy house ketchup (So2, Celery)
Desserts
Available at all locations.
Millionaire’s Chocolate Brownie (v)
Chocolate brownie, caramel and a chocolate topping served with Yorvale vanilla ice cream (Nut (Almond), Milk, Egg)
Crema Catalana (v)
Crema Catalana served with shortbread biscuits (Egg, Milk, Gluten (Wheat))
Burnt Basque Cheesecake (v)
Served with PX sherry-infused raisins (So2, Milk, Egg)
Spanish Almond Cake (vg)
Spanish almond cake drizzled with an orange and vanilla syrup, served with fresh raspberries and whipped cream (Nut (Almond), So2)
Sherry Raisin Ice cream (vgo)
PX sherry poured over Yorvale vanilla ice cream and sprinkled with sherry-infused raisins (So2, Milk, Egg)