Vegan
International
Mediterranean
Beer/Wine
Take-out
Catering
Spanish
Gluten-free
Breakfast
Founded in 1997, El Piano specializes in vegan and gluten-free meals and tapas. The daily offering of savories and sweets vary and incorporates influences from world regions. Location is in the city centre, and upstairs from the restaurant is a bed & breakfast. Last day of business Aug 30, 2018.
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Last update on 26 Feb 2020 by TheVeganBuddhist
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89 Reviews
First Review by smartheidi
soyacat
Points +95
Hit all the right notes :D - Edit
Lovely all Vegan cafe-restaurant nestling among York's lovely medieval shopping streets is El Piano, had the VAT Buster for £19.95...save lots of room! Had a rich and warming tomato soup garnished with chilli rice crackers and served with warm, home-made (gluten-free) bread, followed by brown rice, spanish potato omelette, corn patties and tabbouleh...followed by scrummy rasperry cheesecake. Included in the deal was a juice and a drink, I washed down my dishes with Jasmine tea which arrived in a gorgeous exotic silver tea-pot...great, friendly service and truly imaginitivew and delicious food! Will definitely be returning!!! :)
Read morePros: Wide menu, All gluten free, Sublime soup!
Cons: None?!?!
Magdalena, owner
Well you are going to love this then... In cooperation with 2012 VISIT ENGLAND we are boosting the VAT buster with an even LARGER wine or juice and offering it at £20.12 or, another related offer is a party for 20 people at 12 pst per person, Monday - Thursday...Shame the government won't reduce the 20 percent VAT rate to 12 percent as part of their celebrations!
Read moreGuest
loobybunny
Points +22
One of my favourite places! - Edit
I really love this little restaurant! The menu is seasonal and very varied, I would say there is something to suit everyone! (even my meatloving cousin is happy to eat there!) The staff are really friendly and always happy to help.
Read moreI would say however, because there is so much to choose from its very easy to get carried away and order too much, which can get a bit pricey!
I highly reccommend the carrot cake, the brownie and the hot chocolate! Devine!!
Pros: fresh seasonal menu, friendly staff, amazing vegan cakes
Cons: can be slow service during busier times
Magdalena, owner
A lovely review. Thank you. Your advice about over-ordering is right... The food at El Piano is very satisfying. Fresh, good quality ingredients, well prepared, will readily stave off hunger and have no empty calories... You can always add to the order later, or enjoy more than one dessert as you did!
Read moreGuest
Veryblue2
Points +42
Great food to go... - Edit
Friendly staff, take out order took a while but as it wasn't too busy they let us sit at one of the tables to wait. Environmentally conscious packaging was a nice touch. Desserts recommended!
Read moreUpdated from previous review on Friday July 01, 2011
Pros: great food, environmentally conscious packaging, dessert
Cons: on the slower side, a bit disorganised :) , small
Magdalena, owner
Thanks so much for taking time to review El Piano in York. Sorry about the wait for the take out...we are glad it was worth the wait. We are trying to pick up our game on this and reviews make us aware it is appreciated...
Read moreGuest
Opalfruit
Points +17
... - Edit
Like an Episode from Fawlty Towers... We went here on 27th April 2011. It was a nice day and we sat out back, it was a pleasant day and they appeared to be a barbecue going on at the back of the yard. The staff were drinking and entertaining their friends there. Our order was taken and then the list of mist started.
Read more1. We were served the wrong drinks and sent them back.
2. When we had the right drinks, they doubled up and tried to serve us the same drinks again.
3. It took ages for our order to arrive.
4. Only my food arrived, we waited for the my partners food to arrive, but it did not.
5. I ate my food, it was cold and very bland, expecting my partners to turn up anytime.
6. After 45 minutes we finally collared a waitress and asked where the rest of our order was. She looked shocked and ran off to find out.
7. The waiter that took our order came back and apologised. And tried to sort out what had happened. We had to be somewhere else and had to leave.
It was very disappointing. Not only poor quality food, but the staff were too focussed on enjoying their private event at the back than providing the service they were being paid for.
Magdalena, owner
We are really puzzled by this review, a similar one appeared on TripAdvisor and we asked that it be checked...you see... we don't have a bar-b-q, although the neighbouring bar does and so we wondered if the reviewer was confusing our place with theirs...hmmmmm.
Read moreOpalfruit
Definitely El Piano, we've avoided going there since our first experience of the place. If your neighbour was having a barbecue then the waiting staff that originally greeted us were paying more attention to that than their customers.
Read moreMagdalena, owner
Very likely they were paying attention to the bar-b-q. As a largely vegan staff it can be very distracting to have scorched pig under one's nose and also the noses of our loyal customers. We have prevailed and the bar-b-q has now been moved. So perhaps we may see you again.
Read moreGuest
SallyP
Points +328
funky little place in York - Edit
This place is vegan so well worth a visit if you're in York. The cuisine is tapas but with dishes from all over. There is plenty of choice. We were a party of 3 so started with a soup each (which was really tasty) followed by a 'fleet'. A 'fleet' is a selection of 6 of the tapas dishes. This worked out really well for us as there was plenty of choice but we weren't over-faced. The soup cost £4.50 each and the float was £19.50. The service was good to say they were so very busy. And the staff are informative, helpful and friendly. Unfortunately, as they are so popular, they do have to turn people away. But please don't let that put you off. York isn't so big that you can't shop a bit longer in the area and try again....
Read morePros: all vegan, great selection, whole food
Cons: can be busy
Guest
veganini
Points +68
Quaint, cosy, delightful - Edit
Went here with two omnivorous friends and we all loved this place. We went for the larger meals, rather than the tapas style, though we all tasted each others. Everything was vegan and really tasty and came in little bamboo 'boats' instead of ordinary plates/bowls. The portions were a little on the small side, though that suited my very filling paella! Rather than being a downside though, that left room for the others to choose from the great range on the desserts menu. The decor helped give a cosy, friendly feeling. It can seem a little cramped but, again, that adds to the friendly feel of the place. Great prices - 3 main dishes, 2 desserts and 4 soft drinks (tea+coffee) = £33 (£11 each).
Read moreDefinitely going here again next time I'm in York.
Pros: great range of dishes, lovely atmosphere, really nice staff
Guest
natz
Points +133
Fab food! - Edit
We went here for lunch on Sat 24 May 08 after reading the reviews. It was so good we went back for dinner in the evening and my boyfriend had a piece of cake to take away in the afternoon! Fully vegan and gluten-free, also sells alcohol and soft drinks and some take away food. For lunch we had a selection of 6 main meal tapas dishes (as recommended on the menu) and that was plenty for two without starters. Particularly gorgeous was the sweet potato mousse and the Aztec tofu. Great range of vegan desserts including carrot cake, choc brownie and sticky toffee pudding. I asked for rice custard with mine and it was brought at no extra charge so we left a good tip. Highly recommended.
Read morePros: staff, excellent food, great value
Cons: tiny tables as it's a small place
Guest
smartheidi
Points +24
El Piano - Edit
We went to this restaurant on a Friday evening. The ambience is very nice and staff are lovely, but the food was average. You buy portions of various dishes (which i usually love) but nothing really stood out as being very tasty. They were all quite palatable but many dishes were dry and lacking in flavour. To get a good variety it works out quite expensive.
Read moreGuest
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