A Grand time in the Florence of the north

Exploring York can be a tiring business, but found the perfect way to unwind after a busy day on the tourist trail

Thankfully there are plenty of other things to do in York.

Cosy traditional pubs, swanky gin bars, chocolatiers and fascinating fusty old curiosity shops all compete for the tourist pound.

I’m not a huge fan of tea parlours but the queue outside Betty’s tells me there is something good going on in there, rivalled as it is only by the line of people queuing for the town’s latest sensation, a roast dinner in a Yorkshire pudding wrap.

Coinciding with our visit, is a fabulous market filling the city’s central streets with 40 street food stalls and 80 produce stands, and filing the air with exotic smells.

And after all that there’s only one thing to do head back to the hotel to relax.

The Grand is the only five star hotel in Yorkshire, boasting two restaurants, and a bar and whisky lounge offering 150 still and sparkling wines, 40 cocktails, 50 types of gin and 100 bottles of whisky.

But we’ll get to all that later. For now, the only thing that matters to us is that it’s got a spa.

Buried deep into the bowels of this magnificent five storey building, built to house the wealthy and powerful North Eastern Railway company, it’s the perfect antidote to a day on the tourist trail.

We head through the thick, reinforced doors of the former vaults that housed the railway men’s millions below ground, to treat our tired limbs to a soothing session in this calm and luxurious oasis, offering two hot rooms, a sunken whirlpool and 14 metre pool.

When it was converted to a hotel in 2010, the old building’s opulence was restored and it became a magnet for the city’s most well-heeled visitors.

Our suite – the Master Suite, no less – is stunning, beautifully decorated, with its own lounge and bedroom, boasting views from across the mighty walls of the town, two large flat-screen TVs, a spare toilet and a bathroom (almost) the size of a school gym.

The friendly concierge knows we are keen to get down to dinner, but enquires whether we have time for a complementary glass of prosecco as he delivers the bags. We somehow find the time.

The Grand has two restaurants and we choose The Rise, which offers a range of tapas style plates to mix and match.

First up is a delicious braised Yorkshire lamb shoulder, capers and pea guacamole.

Then it’s a bit of a test for my wife, a relapsed pescatarian no less, but she bravely puts away the steak tartare with sour dough and ‘horseradish emulsion’ like someone who has eaten raw meat all her life. Venison, ox cheek, grilled tiger prawns and even octopus follows.

If there’s one thing The Rise teaches me it is that no dessert should be served without a pairing cocktail, so my wife’s Yorkshire Cheese Platter comes with a delightful Port Manhattan, while my Buttermilk Pannacotta Yorkshire Strawberries and Sorbet are complemented by a Sweet Dream G&T.