It’s that time of year once again. And, we thoroughly enjoyed our trip to York Christmas Market’s opening day yesterday, as it returned to the city once more. Parliament Square and St Sampson’s Square have been transformed into twinkling winter wonderlands once more with a festive buzz in the air and aromas coming from all angles filling our nostrils.
York Christmas Markets is one of our favourites due to the traders being mainly local, with 80% of traders coming from across Yorkshire. The food stalls are so much better than your average options that you’d get at a festive market. Due to restaurants and local street food traders making up the majority of the stalls serving up high-quality food options, you won’t get it at any other market.
Open daily from 10.30am to 7pm, the market runs until Sunday, December 22nd, making it one of the region’s most magical winter traditions.
Here’s everything we ate at York Christmas Market 2025
The Irish Spice Bag
Kicking things off with a new arrival for 2025, The Irish Spice Bag. Bringing the viral sensation to York for the very first time, Millers, York are behind the creation, serving up a spice bag packed with salt and pepper chicken, crispy proper chippy chips with a generous tub of curry sauce & chilli sauce. This one hits all those comfort food needs and will leave you so satisfied with proper Yorkshire portions.
Chocolate Circus
Next, we sought out something sweet, and Chocolate Circus delivered in a big way. Their massive hot chocolates came topped with toasted marshmallows and crowned with a cookie baked by Beth Bakes Cakes, an incredible baker who also has her own stall this year, for good measure. We also indulged in their melted chocolate cups, which were rich, warming and unapologetically festive.
Cut and Craft
A York Christmas Market staple, Cut and Craft once again proved why they’re a must-visit. We have made this a priority for the last three years, and each time they deliver. Their signature steak and chips, served with a choice of gravy or peppercorn sauce, remains incredibly moreish and great value for money. Definitely not your usual Christmas market fodder. This year, they’ve introduced a smoker, too, slow-cooking beef rib to tender perfection. It’s hearty, indulgent, and exactly what winter food should be.
Beth Bakes Cakes
Another newcomer for 2025, Beth Bakes Cakes, brought towering Matilda-style chocolate fudge cake slices to the market. These enormous wedges were drenched in velvety fudge sauce, making them an unmissable treat for anyone with a sweet tooth.
Lucia
A returning favourite, Lucia once again served their iconic cheese wheel pasta. Watching the pasta swirl through the melted cheese is all part of the magic, and topped with rich bolognese, it remains one of our favourite market meals year after year.
Scandi Sausages by Shambles Kitchen
Celebrating a decade in the market, Scandi Sausages continued to impress. Their bratwurst, served with chips and smothered in bubbling raclette, delivered the perfect festive cheese pull. A simple Christmas classic elevated to perfection.
Churros on St Sampson’s Square
For a mid-market sweet stop, we headed to the churros stall in St Sampson’s Square. These came piping hot with toppings ranging from all-chocolate-everything to pistachio sauce, the latter being our standout choice. Crispy on the outside, soft inside, and fantastically moreish.
Crumbles
We ended our food tour with one of our returning favourites: Crumbles. Their classic apple crumble topped with chocolate custard and toasted marshmallows was the nostalgic winter dessert of dreams. The chocolate custard in particular is a must-try, comforting, creamy and wonderfully rich.
Other Festive Stops
There were plenty of other tempting stalls that we didn’t get around to sampling this year, including Tommy’s Pie Shop, Saint Nick’s Frites, Herbie’s Treehouse Mulled Wine and Cider, Wonder Mulled Wine, Hot Chocolate and Baileys Bar, and Tom’s Winter Toddies and Tipples. They’re all worth a look if you’re exploring the market yourself.
From savoury indulgence to sweet seasonal treats, York Christmas Market 2025 served up one of its best food line-ups yet. If you’re visiting this year, bring an appetite; you’ll need it.
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