Every street in York is crammed with historic pubs all telling their own stories and with their own past. But enter the Eagle and Child in High Petergate and you can tell this is different. As soon as you pass through the door there’s a real sense of history the envelopes you in this Grade 2 listed building that dates back to 1640.

The Eagle and Child took its name from an old ale house in The Shambles that operated from the 1700’s to around the mid 1920’s when it became a pub.

This three storey timber framed building on three floors has been lovingly restored, stripped back and opened up with great care. The Rolling Stones hung out here in the 60’s when it was a restaurant and on the top floor you can still see their names written in lipstick on the wall.

The furnishings are antique and blend in with the surroundings and the wooden bar is the stuff ale house bars are made of. On Each of the floors there are small breakout areas or you can look through the windows and watch the world go by.

Their best kept secret is the very pleasant walled courtyard. Here you are  invisible to passers by and can sit under the umbrellas on a sunny day to keep cool or on a rainy day to keep dry.

At the Eagle and Child there is a great selection of food on the menu some with a delicious but quirky twist.

For starters I chose the warm roasted Jerusalem artichoke with blood orange, Yorkshire goats cheese and hazelnut salad. It was the first time since I left Australia many many years ago that I had sampled roasted artichokes. They are delicious and the accompaniments enhanced the flavour. The Eagle and Child have got the mix just right here. The goats cheese was a great choice  and the hazelnut salad gave the dish a great nutty flavour.

My colleague decided on the smoked mackerel pate served with toasted focaccia, dill cucumber, capers and horseradish. The pate was smooth and had a full on taste of mackerel. Because this type of fish can have a strong taste the accompaniment of cucumber, salad and horseradish was brilliant as it blended so well.

For my main I opted for the spiced pork tenderloin. This was a very generous portion and was beautifully tender and served with creamed feta, pomegranate accompanied by roasted new potatoes, broad beans, tender stem broccoli and peas.

The creamed feta and the pomegranate gave the dish a lovely tangy flavour and were the perfect contrast to the pork. The roast new  potatoes were simply delicious on their own as a vegetable.

My colleague chose the stuffed chicken breast, which again was a very generous portion of meat. It was stuffed with Yorkshire goats cheese and spinach – a great combination and wrapped in a crispy smoked bacon.

The accompaniment of sauteed new potatoes, peppers and cherry tomatoes added moisture to the chicken dish and a definite  flavour to what can sometimes be a bland and dry meat.

The Eagle and Child surpasses  itself with its desserts with their own takes on the usual traditional sweets.

My colleague’s Eton Mess came with a sorrel and a lemon sorbet, meringue and whipped cream. The addition of a raspberry puree was a brilliant touch it made a very refreshing sauce and was very sharp so the dish was not overly sweet.

This was the first time I had seen or sampled Trifle Tart and it won’t be the last. Certainly my heaven on a plate this was amazing and I cannot wait to try it again. The sweet pastry case was filled with custard and Pimm’s jelly and served with strawberry’s and cream. It was light, tasty, tangy and just soooooo delicious.

We finished our meal with coffee outside in the secret garden as I called it. It was quiet and relaxing we could have been a million miles away.

The Eagle and Child has some wonderful staff who are friendly and very helpful in every way. They will tell you about the dishes, wines and beer but also be able to tell you the history of the place – but only if you want to know it!

The Eagle and Child has become my pit stop in future in York its so near everything from tourist places, theatres, shops and the Art Gallery and yet so peaceful and quiet.

The Eagle and Child, 9 High Petergate, York.

Open: Mon-Thurs 12.00 to 11.00pm: Fri-Sat 12.00-12midnight

Sunday: 12.00-10.30

www.eagleandchildyork.co.uk