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Artful Lodger York sales@artfullodger-york.co.uk 07976 155345 |
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Coffee Bars in York
York Coffee Bars They say that the number of coffee bars measures the vibrancy of any city or town. Even the recent polls and debates into the best and worst places to live in the UK frequently mention the number of venues where residents can purchase a latte or cappuccino. Thankfully, York has a lot going for it: one Café Nero, four Starbucks and a wealth of assorted hideouts and locations where any variation of the thick, hot black stuff can be indulged in – or taken away. I remember the days where the idea of visiting the local ‘Koffee Pot’ in the shopping arcade was considered an exiting proposition. A cup of white coffee, milky coffee or expresso (sic) tasted exactly the same and the froth dissipated with the first scalding, tentative sips. Tastes and choice has come a long way since then and the coffee houses have taken their rightful importance for sipping the best that beans have to offer much as they did in the 18th century. But drinking coffee in York was, and still is, only part of the fun. Cafés serve a wide range of purposes. They are the city-centre oases, the makeshift offices, the rendezvous, the viewing galleries, the people watcher's chapels, the conference halls, the studios, the refuges and shelters from the rain, the single person's prospect and the insomniac's dream. It is the place for respite, for inspiration, for important meetings and unexpected reunions. Just as importantly, Coffee houses are free of the vanity of late evening posturing and the urgency and desperation of the drinking spots and night clubs. They are the places where tourists and the people of York can mingle and relax. Life used to happen in homes. Homes now seem to be places to watch other people’s reality on the wide screen. And yet, they are the only the Director’s version of reality. Real life happens outside; on the streets, the avenues, the offices, the shop floor, the pub and now, more than ever, the coffee bars. There is a certain mystery to purchasing coffee at the more modern type of bars and sometimes the trick is not to look at the board - which takes an age to understand and decipher - but just to ask for what you want. Call me awkward but I refuse to ask for a ‘Grandee Americano’. Instead I ask for a large black coffee – they understand what I mean and most importantly I know what I have ordered. Still, I usually have to encounter the following, almost obligatory exchange: “What did you order sir?” “Black coffee.” "Do you want any milk in that?" And then like a badly rehearsed joke: "Well then it wouldn't be black would it?" "Oh yeh!", comes the embarrassed reply. But lets face it, you don’t have to be a coffee lover to enjoy a Café. Even more perplexing is the choice of calorific fruit drinks, whipped and topped with cream, which look like edifying statements against faddishness and a healthy diet. There is also another verbal assault course you have to be wary of before being allowed to take away your preferred choice of refreshment. "Just coffee?" "Yes, please." "Do you want anything to eat with that?" "No, thanks." "Any sandwiches, pastries?" "No." "Cakes?" "No!" "Will that be all?" "Just give me the ***** bloody coffee!" What I like is the personality that each café has to offer. It is not only the venue, the view and the visitors. It can be the music, the seating, the purpose to which they are used and intended. In the center of York, Café Nero on Davygate is a case in point and changes character throughout the day. In the morning it is the crossword enthusiast, the student with approaching exams, the aspiring writer, the newspaper reader and the ‘form’ guide aficionado that fill the seats. The music is classical and restrained. Downstairs there is the morning rush of take-away office clerks and shop assistants. In the afternoon, the music is more fluid and the rasping jazz is designed to deter the groups of teenagers from being too comfortable and taking up all the seating. The ‘Habit’ on Goodramgate is completely different. It is the one place that is usually by-passed by the heavily-laden shoppers and tourists and offers a quiet venue (and good coffee) for the more sociable and affable people of York. As the late afternoon wares on, it becomes a licenced watering hole for those reluctant to join in the melee of pub life. Starbucks, whilst thankfully smoke-free, drags on the atmosphere from its surroundings and architecture. The impressive ceiling in their branch on Coney Street; their quaint corner venue on Stonegate and Petergate; the modern and comfortable site on Coppergate and their echoing, bookish location on the top floor of Border’s bookshop. Coffee Culture, just across from the Habit on the same street, is small and narrow and a little quirky. The stairs are not for the faint-hearted but the different floors offer their own haven of seclusion and peace. O’Briens offers open air seating on Parliament Street and if you don’t mind drinking coffee in the maelstrom of busy and bemused visitors and the barrage of sounds from the pavement artistes, it is the ideal venue for people watching. Some places are more suited than others for varying purposes. Coney street provides another venue if passers-by take your interest. What is most pleasing about York is the tide of tourists that wash in every day, regardless of the season, add a special variety and colour to the spectacle. They are the not the same faces with the same routines. The streets are filled with excited and confused faces, fascinated by this fantastic city. If it is not people you want to watch but the flowing nature of the River Ouse, then the café and bistro at City Screen York provides a wonderful south-facing veranda even though seats are at a premium in the Summer but guaranteed as the seasons close in. My only gripe is that the coffee – the normal black variety – is not always freshly made and is allowed to sit and become bitter on the hot plate. Costa, tucked away at the back of WH Smiths offers a limited number of window seats above the river but has ample space if a view is not important. The coffee however is good and usually served by a smiling and friendly staff. I have not -and cannot -mention every coffee venue in York. There are too many. Which, as I started by saying, is a telling indicator of the vitality of the city and its people. York would be a less interesting place without them. If you want to know more about York, about its routines, its characters, its personality, check out your local coffee bar – and if you don’t like it, try another! Whatever your interests or preferences, there is a suitable bolt-hole for you. Me? I’m the one with the laptop and as such, given the state of modern technology, I need to find a café with a conveniently placed electric socket. Oh yes, and one that has freshly made, steaming extract of dark brown coffee beans See the www.artfullodger-york.co.uk for a range of the best coffee bars. |
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