Best Cafes and Tea Rooms in York

It's getting pretty chilly outside which makes me think of warm drinks and wholesome cakes. I begin to miss York and all it's wonderful cafes and tea rooms. Not to mention it's more congenial winter. So here is my list of some of my favorite places. I can assure you that this is nowhere near a complete list. These are just the places that I liked to frequent. If you go there, please let me know what you think. So in no particular order: 

Betty's Cafe and Tea Room  

6-8 St. Helen’s Square     

There is no place fancier than Betty's! The afternoon tea there is rather pricey, but the experience is unforgettable. From the perfectly formed finger sandwiches to the white table cloths to the delicious scones to the piano playing while you are enjoying all this goodness. If an afternoon tea is a little too much for you, you may try their normal menu, which, I can assure you, is anything but ordinary. The tea is served in lovely silver pots and you can enjoy a variety of cakes and savory snacks. I had their pavlova and both the appearance and the taste were divine. But the place is very popular so you may end up queuing before you can enjoy all of that.     

Cakes d'Licious  

61 Clifton

This one is my favorite place in York. A little out of the way, but it's definitely worth a visit. It's a charming 1940s style tea room, with friendly staff, amazing afternoon tea and probably the best cake selection in town. It's really popular with the locals and it does get very busy around lunch time. My personal favorites - scones, naturally, and brie and grapes sandwiches.

   

The Cake Shop & Tea House 
24 Fossgate

This place is no Betty's, but it has undeniable charm. It has a lovely 1930s aesthetic and a quiet relaxed atmosphere. The afternoon tea is served on a wooden stand and the cakes are amazing. They are delicious and have a real homemade feel to them. My only regret is that I only had two opportunities to try all their delights.

Gatehouse Coffee 

Walmgate Bar

If you can only go to one cafe in York, I suggest you go to this one. I would not go as far as to say that it is the best one, but it is most certainly picturesque. It's located on Walmgate bar (Remember, in York all streets are gates, all gates are bars, and all bars are pubs) and it's a perfect place to sit down and relax as you're making your way around the York city wall. The place inside looks like something out of a Harry Potter movie with wooden benches, tiny windows and old arm chairs. My personal recommendation is their aptly named London fog tea and mini cinnamon rolls. It is very popular with students, so beware.       

Cosy Time 
23 Fossgate

This place is so cozy, no lie. They have comfy chairs, lots of books around so you can sit and read something light and frothy as you are enjoying something light and frothy. Again, I can definitely recommend their scones. And their tea sets are so lovely.       

Top 5 Vintage Shops in York

This autumn I am planning a short trip to the UK. I will be going to York again and, naturally, I'm very excited to visit my old haunts. So I decided to post these lists of my favorite places to shop for vintage in York.

Bowler Vintage 
52 Fossgate

This is by far my favorite store of the lot. Not becasue it has the best wares, but becasue how stylish it is. Every time I'm there I just feel instantly glamorous. Even if I hadn't washed my hair and I'm wearing my lazy day jean, when I step over the threshold, I become Bette Davis or Norma Shearer. There are two floors to the store, first one is dedicated to men's fashions, and the second has a collection of modern repro clothing (they've got all the usual suspects with Hell Bunny, Collectif and Dancing Days by Banned) as well as vintage pieces. And the atmosphere is lovely - the store is bright, with a lovely old display that contains accessories, wooden chairs, low hanging lampshades and bag-scarf-hat combos decorating the shelves.

Dog & Bone Vintage 
28 Castlegate

While I love Bowler Vintage for the atmosphere, I love Dog & Bone for the stuff. And, boy, do they have some nice stuff! It's also two floors of shopping delight. The ground floor has men's clothes and lifestyle things - cards, games, cups and books. You need to go into the basement to see the women's clothes, and they have plenty. The lights are low and it's a lot more crammed, but they do have some of the best vintage dresses I have ever seen from blue chiffon prom dresses (perfect for cosplaying 1950s Cinderella) to delightful novelty prints cotton frocks that seem to be from the days of rationing.

The Flax & Twine 
20 Shambles

This is what I would call a bric-à-brac store. It has an assortment of the most wonderful things from old typewriters to parasols, from hats and purses to little brushes to remove crumbs from your dining table. I cannot recommend this place enough! You can spend your whole day there looking at little treasures and once you're tired of that, you can head to the second floor and take some tea with cake in their cafe. I am still very sad that I bough nothing there since the things were either too big or too brittle to transport them back home with me.

Expressions 
12 Walmgate

This store was on my regular to-visit list since it was right next to the bus stop that took me to the University. They mostly have the usual rockabilly stuff, which did not strike my fancy. I did, however, feel very drawn to an assortment of sweaters, which had been made by the owner's wife based on authentic 1940s patterns.
   
Sue Ryder Care 
28 Goodramgate

I loved this thrift store (or as they call it in the UK - a charity shop). Unlike most other thrift stores in town that had a pretty indifferent collection of old Marks & Spencer sweaters and ugly shows from the early 2000s, Sue Ryder had a vintage section on the second floor and some of the things there were divine. I have come across some really beautiful hairbrush and mirror sets that were in good condition and cost a fraction of what you would have paid for them in the vintage stores. I bought a pair of cream colored embroidered gloves there. I would have bought a hat, but I had no way of transporting it back home.    

Hope you liked this post. In my next one, I will list my favorite York cafes.