Rarity, York

Put simply, the restaurant, Rarity, lacks any kind of atmosphere. The waiting staff were uncharismatic, inattentive (ignored when trying to order more drinks) and clumsy, plus the food was disappointing considering the cost. We were sat at a table at the back of the restaurant, in full view was an untidy desk area with cleaning solutions, paper towels, etc.

I ate there last night for the first time and won't be going back. I had a bad feeling the minute I walked through the door. Due to the no smoking policy, we were met with freezing cold smokers hanging out of the door in an effort to keep warm whilst puffing on their cancer sticks. For me eating out isn't just about good quality food, it's about the atmosphere and service and general vibe. Rarity lacks charisma in all senses, from the service to the decor (which was reminiscent of a travel lodge reception area) to the food. It's overpriced; for the price I paid (£17 for a 12oz steak, plus on average an extra £2 per vegetable), I would expect a much better experience. My steak I ordered medium - it was burnt around the edges. One of our starters was a warm goats cheese salad - it was cold. We also waited almost one hour for our main dishes.

Guys, if you're in York and want gorgeous steak, excellent service and a great atmosphere, then my advice is to check out El Guacho. Just remember to book!

It took a while to find a good seafood restaurant in York but then we came accross Rarity Steak & Seafood Restaurant.

At first I thought Steak & Seafood was an odd combination. However, after both men ordered Steak and both women ordered seafood I realised it worked quite well.

There was a good selection on the wine list and a lot of names I had not come accross before.

For starters I had the Spiced Mussels whilst Marie opted for the Dressed Crab. Both men Had the Pate, but complained there was never enough toast. Apart from that all the starters were wounderful.

For our mains, the chaps both had a different carpet bag steak. One was filled with prawns and smoked salmon, the other, horseraddish and stilton. These both went down exeptionally well.

I had the char-grilled Marlin on asparagus with a lemon and ginger butter. This was the first time I had eaten Marlin and thoroughly enjoyed it. Marie went for the Red Snapper with a mederteranian vegatable salsa, a dish similar to one she'd eaten on her honeymoon in Antigua.

However, when the dessert menu arrived, lovely as it looked we were simply too full. All the portions were a little on the large size, great value but I would have liked to try the Turkish Delight ice cream.

All in all a great evening was had, and we will definitely be back next time we're in York.