York, Sandwiches, Cakes, Etc Restaurant Guide

“Exceptional breakfasts” and “wonderful coffee and cake” are the big draws at this deli/café with a restored Tudor frontage, which the Mannion family originally opened as a grocer’s more than 30 years ago. It’s also a “perfect spot for brunch, with a courtyard outside – the food is of a very high standard and the specials board changes weekly”. There’s now a spin-off in Helmsley.

“Like being on the Titanic without the iceberg!” – with its “piano music and wood panelling taking you back to a bygone age”, its “super service and such attention to detail”, (not to mention its “perfect cakes”) – this iconic tearoom sails serenely on. The same couldn’t be said, though, for its nearby Little Betty’s offshoot, whose closure was announced in Spring 2021.

2021 Review: “Never had a bad meal”, say fans of this “favourite” tiny bistro, off the Gillygate, serving “excellent ingredients prepared with some imagination”. It can feel “rather cramped inside”, though. Top Tip: “go for the garden room in summer, under the medieval city wall”.