Short Review - Coffee Culture, York

I 'discovered' this coffee shop, located on Goodramgate, sometime in Summer 2010 after it was recommended by a friend. It was love at first sight. Downstairs there are a few stools and a small bar against the wall, but the room is dominated by the counter, coffee machines and food preparation areas. So you head off up a steep narrow staircase to find yourself somewhere to sit. (Important note at this stage: delightful though this place is it's not suitable for pushchairs, disabled people, or those with an irrational fear of steep, narrow staircases).

So, you've made it up the stairs and you find yourself facing a wall that's covered in posters advertising all sorts of stuff in going on in York, from music gigs, to yoga sessions. Look to your right and you'll find 4 tables set out along a narrow room. The first two are standard table and chairs, but the other two are high tables with a chair on one side and the coveted window seat on the other. This is my favourite place to sit for a coffee in York; you can prop yourself up on cushion and spy on the people in the street below (might need your coat if it's chilly mind, I'm pretty sure its single glazing).

If there are no seats on this floor you can head up another set of steep narrow stairs to the next floor. This is a snug little room with a nice squigy sofa, 1 table and chair set up, and 1 corner seat. If there's still no room in here, and if it's open, there is another room up an even more steep and narrow staircase. You find yourself in the loft with a choice of two tables and a view down the alley behind the building towards the Bedern area, or if you lie on the floor you can look through the front window at the street (it's rather low down).

I love the coffee they serve here, not too strong, but not really mild either, and they make a very nice cappuccino (unlike some places where it comes out more like a latte that someone's spat on). The food is good, not an enormous range, but enough to satisfy most tastes. I enjoyed a bacon and brie panini on my last visit while mum had the soup. There's also a fairly large range of non-coffee drinks, and they stock Teapigs tea, which my mum, who likes all sorts of odd tea, is a big fan of. I've even bought a single teabag from this shop to take home for her to try once. They only take cash, but according to their menu there's a cash machine just down the street, yey.


So conclusion: Best coffee shop in York; great coffee, tasty food, friendly staff, bags of character.


Where to find it: 41 Goodramgate, York YO1 7LS

Looks like they're on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/41Goodramgate?sk=wall