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However, whilst Betty’s is a must at some point in our three year (or more) student stint in York, there are plenty of other hidden gems of tearooms and coffee shops in the backstreets that are equally worth a visit.
Gatehouse Coffee
This café is situated right at the beginning of Walmgate, a convenient distance from campus. As suggested by its name, it is actually inside one of the gates of the city wall!
However, the novelty of going up the steps of the wall to get there is soon forgotten; the interior of the café holds yet more wonders.
Wooden floors, authentic stone walls, floor-to-ceiling bookshelves; it has all the magic of a Harry Potter common room. You can choose to sit on one of many charmingly tattered leather armchairs or sofas, at the long banqueting table on the top floor or at one of the more intimate little table and chair set ups. You wouldn’t know it by looking at the outside, but the place is deceptively spacious.
The food and drink are just as remarkable. Their claim to be “purveyors of fine coffee” is not false. Tea for £1, coffee averaging at £1.50 and all the usual hazel-mocha-caramel-vanilla-chai combinations are available. Homemade cakes range between 50-75p and paninis are delicious at just £2.75.
Gatehouse Coffee has a tranquil, library tinged atmosphere (maybe it’s all the book shelves) and is a great place to go if you’ve got some reading to do or for a quiet coffee and catch up with a friend.
Circles Café
This is another of York’s cafés that will entice you in with its distinctive exterior, not in a gatehouse this time, but a bridge-house. Just at the beginning of Lendal Bridge, opposite Pizza Express, Circles is tiny, but worth a visit – maybe stop by on your way to the station.
They have more traditional drinks menu here and light-lunch food such as salads and sandwiches. However, what makes Circles really worth a trip is their cream teas; a pot of tea, scones, jam and cream for under £4. If you need a break from old Americanised-Starbucks-latté habits, Circles is the place to get back in touch with English tea-time traditions.
Coffee Culture
Brightly coloured walls and chairs, aging floorboards, window-seats and cosy sofas. The three floors of Coffee Culture get more and more delightful as you ascend their narrow staircases.
This charismatic establishment can be found on Goodramgate, up near the Minster and is very popular; it is probably best to go there in the week if you can, to avoid the queues
They have a huge menu, and like Gatehouse offer a range of flavoured coffees as well as Tea-Pigs herbal teas ranging from £1.40 to £2.25 depending on how adventurous you are.
They also do excellent smoothies and fruit drinks, with combinations such as apple and mint, tropical fruits, honey and many more. If you’re feeling peckish, they have a selection of homemade cakes, freshly made Paninis and wraps.
One of the most recommendable items on the Coffee Culture menu are their platters. You can choose from various combinations of cheese, Parma ham, chorizo, cheese, olives, sundried tomatoes, humus and more; it’s the perfect lunch for two. You might struggle to finish one on your own, but at £4.50 it’s worth a try.
Café Concerto
Café Concerto is right in the centre of town, in sight of the Minster and Minster Garden. The café’s interior has a musical theme; the walls are plastered with manuscript paper, and hung with instruments rather than paintings.
Like Coffee Culture and Circles, Café Concerto has an array of lunch food – as well as teas and coffees – and even has substantial hot meals as well as sandwiches. Partly due to its location, but mostly due to its unique style and good food, Café Concerto frequently has queues rivalling Betty’s.
Whilst it’s a little more expensive than the other café’s mentioned, their homemade cakes and desserts are exceptional and varied, including such classics as bread-and-butter-pudding.
Evil Eye
No doubt you have been here already, sampled many a cocktail and many a Thai dish. However, there is another level to Evil Eye’s infallible excellence: hot chocolate. Anything from regular chocolate, with marshmallows or banana, to Tibetan spices, Peanut-Butter-Cups, Mexican chilli, and even Vodka. If you haven’t tried it already, it’s a must.
Next time you go for coffee with a friend, or head in to town on some errands, the notion of passing through Starbucks at the back of your mind, why not give one of these places a go instead? Of course this is not an exhaustive list, but its definitely a tick list of places to go before our time in York expires.
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