John’s York Cafe

York Café is somewhere that I can’t really make my mind up about — I have only been here the once and came along for a fry up, the breakfast was actually really good but the place itself just seems a little bit tacky. I can see the attraction of York though in terms of getting a very reasonably priced big generous breakfast — it tends to be popular with some workers in the mornings, especially builders if there’s building work going on. Around the time Cabot was being built York Café seemed to be their number one hang out!
They specialize in big breakfasts, but also offer other snacks such as sandwiches and refreshments throughout the day, it is a small venue though so there isn’t too much seating — I’d probably recommend taking away anyway because it’s not the nicest place to eat in in my opinion. The breakfasts are great though and they do a good range — including vegetarian — they are also very happy for you to mix and match what’s on their menu, so you don’t have to have the set meals!
The one thing I would say about this café is that they don’t have any toilets, which is kind of unusual, and an even better reason to get a takeaway instead of eating in. When I asked they suggested going along to some nearby public toilets, which I guess if you’re not fussed is fine, but I prefer to have the option of using a bathroom in a dining area! Overall, good food at good value but not a massive fan of the venue!

Über greasy spoon style, the York café is both in a prime position and an entirely unlikely one. The former because it’s the only independent café in this part of town — everywhere else to get food around these parts is an expensive chain, and the latter because of exactly that — it’s tucked away on the outer part of old Broadmead, surrounded by chains and big shops, and it’s the kind of place you’d expect to see in a residential area, not in the heart of town.
So good marks to start off with — and a million more for the cheeeeap and good food that they whip up here. It’s greasy spoon to the extreme, but there’s no apologies for that and they’re not trying to be anything different — it’s honest, hearty food that’s good for the soul.
I came here looking for a sobering full english, and found exactly that at a pinch of around £3.50. They’ve got a good selection of specials on the board, along with good hot lunch items like jacket potatoes. It’s really good value for money and an excellent little place — give it a try next time you find yourself at a loss in town.

«We’re trapped in a time warp, round about 1960-​something, so if we’re not so good at whipping up a cappuccino or a pain au chocolate, perhaps you can forgive us.» Says their website, but isn’t that what people are looking for these days, after all, we are in the noughties…
This café prides itself on it’s historic roots — it’s certainly no Costa or Starbucks — The owners have an extremely hospitable attitude to customer service, opening early if you need a bacon sarnie (from as early as 6.30am) and welcome builders, students and shoppers alike.
It has also been rewarded the title of one of Bristol’s top ten cheapest eateries, so could definitely be a great place to lunch after splurging your spending money in the Broadmead shops.

Formerly of Clifton, the york café is a cozy little place that moved down to Broadmead about a year or so ago. With laminate tables, authentic smell of bacon frying, and copies of the Sun strewn around, this is more or less a typical greasy spoon. I noticed various innovations on my last visit though, such as fairly lights on the walls and a lunch menu, which makes me think an effort is being made to take it a bit upmarket.
A cup of tea and a bacon sandwich is £3 now, so its probably a touch more pricey than the burger vans that set up around Broadmead (with that said, I haven’t been out doing price comparisons). The portions are on the generous side, however, so good value. Would particularly recommend to anyone seeking comfort food after a long day of work. Certainly better than going to the Mc Donalds next door.