Café 21 at Fenwick York in York

We had a busy few hours shopping so were in need of a reviving cup of coffee or tea. I really didn’t fancy a coffee chain coffee so we popped up to the Coppergate Kitchen in Fenwicks. It was a Bank Holiday so I expected it to be busy but there was plenty of space. It was a lovely oasis of calm. Service was very quick with lovely, smart and professional staff attending to our needs. In the end we only ordered a flat white and an Americano, both with hot milk but they were really good cups of coffee. The menu looked good but we didn’t eat on this occasion. As someone who is often solo shopping I would definitely feel comfortable coming to this venue alone. Update: late June 2024 and I have visited again as a solo coffee drinker. This is such a lovely venue! Light, spacious, customer care is second to none and the staff are great! I did treat myself to a piece of wheat free orange polenta cake- more expensive than I would normally pay -but a generous portion, beautifully fresh and tasty (and I’m worth it😹!)

I had a delightful experience at this charming restaurant inside Fenwick's. The atmosphere was incredibly relaxing, and the staff were exceptionally attentive, making us feel welcomed throughout our visit. We indulged in their cream tea set, along with some refreshing beverages, and it was truly enjoyable. The food quality was excellent, enhancing the overall experience. I must say, I prefer this spot over Betty's for its cozy ambiance and personalised service. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a peaceful tea time treat!

Went for sunday lunch food lovely portion size amazing lovely staff really nice ambience will be back

(* firstly this location is now called coppergate kitchen, not cafe 21*) came here for afternoon tea on the restaurant week deal so was £15 each. when we arrived we waited for a few minutes then were shown to our seat. the server very kindly gave us prosecco/mocktail on the house, and the afternoon tea was soon brought out. everything was delicious and very nicely presented. highlights were the smoked salmon sandwich and passion fruit cream thing on the top layer. would absolutely return, both the food and staff were great!!

Great food, great staff! Highly recommend! Perfect for lunch😊

Classy environment for a coffee break, not your average department store and not your average cafe....stylish,welcoming and pleasant staff....away from the hustle and bustle. Nice.

Very good lunch! We were in there shopping, thinking about a pub lunch somewhere?Decided instead, to stay in the shop and give the cafe a go. Decoration and tables similar to Harvey Nichols, staff looked very smart, menu looked tempting, so in we went... In short, the service in there woukd easily show lots of 'actual' restaurants how it's done! Our waiter was 10/10, the manager also, who was friendly and helpful. Food was spot-on, the wine too. Decent value and a great experience, alied with decent value for money! Well worth a try! We only had one coarse, hence not giving 5 stars throughout. Will definitely return and review once more.

Very good lunch with friends. Food tasty and great staff

The food is a little expensive considering the quantities.

Visited just after Xmas..lucky to get in. All perfect..staff very friendly but not too much so...great place for lunch or afternoon coffee to watch people. Second floor inside Fenwick store

Lovely place to grab a bite & a brew in the Heart of York.

Lovely place. Excellent food. Would recommend.

Popped in for a coffee - lovely. Excellent staff service.

Friendly and helpful staff great choice on the menu clean and tidy value for money

The food and drink are very good but unfortunately today we ordered coffee and scones. Our drinks arrived promptly but it took almost 15minutes for the scones to arrive by which time my husband had almost finished his coffee.

Nice food and accommodated 6 people nicely. Good food and helpful waitresses and waiters. Was very busy due to time of year but food was worth it.

Atmosphere seems nice but took over 30 mins to get a coffee, breakfast order was wrong and orange juice was from concentrate.Service poor.

Excellent cafe well organized polite staff table service great food

A bit to wait but excellent service. Great coffee

Quiet and unassuming restaurant serving excellent food by attentive, though not overbearing staff.

I preferred this restaurant when it was Carluccio's. Much more welcoming. Service very slow. Waitress too busy chatting to another waitress. Sparse looking furniture. Expensive. Wouldn't mind paying, but not in this soulless place.

We love go in here for tea/coffee and a bun as break from York shopping. It's like stepping back into the good times of quiet, genteel cafes with personal table service from order to bill. Good food. Lovely quiet atmosphere. Flawless Staff.

Very nice cafe to say it's in a store, not what I was expecting

Over priced and asked to move while breast feeding. Staff quite abrupt, wouldn’t recommend.

**Review: Café 21, Fenwick, York** Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Café 21, nestled within Fenwick in York, offers a dining experience that stands out, not just for its culinary excellence but also for the impeccable service that accompanies it. During a recent visit to celebrate my first anniversary, I was treated to a morning repast that truly set the tone for the day. The breakfast menu is a symphony of classic choices crafted with an evident flair. The flat white coffee was a revelation — robust, smooth, and brewed to perfection. It's the kind of coffee that wakes up not just the body but also the soul, setting the stage for the courses to follow. The eggs Benedict were a particular highlight. Perfectly poached eggs with a velvety hollandaise sauce, served on a tender muffin, it's the epitome of breakfast luxury. And as if this wasn't enough, the buttered croissant was sheer delight, flaky on the outside, soft within, and meltingly buttery. But beyond the food, it's the warmth and attentiveness of the staff that elevates the experience at Café 21. Every member of the team makes it their mission to ensure diners are comfortable, satisfied, and genuinely enjoying their time. Celebrating an anniversary, especially a first, is always special. But Café 21 made it even more so. Their commitment to culinary excellence, combined with an unwavering focus on customer satisfaction, truly makes them deserving of all five stars. Whether it's a special occasion or a simple desire for an outstanding breakfast, Café 21 at Fenwick in York should be at the top of everyone's list.

Arrived around 12.15 - still waiting for main course 55 minutes later. Not a patch on other Fenwick restaurants.

This is a really nice place to eat in the city centre, delicious food and attentive service.

Wonderful food, very friendly and professional service, will definitely go again!

Four pieces of cake. Four fruit juices. £40. Absolutely shocking. The staff were pleasant, but the experience wasnt worth the price.

Service was very slow with only a few customers in.

Very expensive young giggling waitresses manager was very helpful.

£3.30 for a coffee in a tiny takeaway cup with a lid that has a hole too big to walk around with and made of cardboard so goes soggy, disintegrates and leaks... Well done for overpriced products that simply aren't fit for purpose! Avoid!

Excellent service but oh! so expensive!

Lovely place to go for a sandwich or chips or something more substantial..staff were very friendly and helpful.

Excellent toasties had by both of us. Very cheerful staff, very professional.

Enjoyed a cake and soft drink. Friendly helpful staff. Lovely place to visit

Good food,pleasant staff & fair pricing

Nice coffee, but a ridiculously small cup for the price. Won’t be in a rush to buy from here again.

Really like this. Very posh, very smart.

Just been robbed by this place. £4.20 for the smallest cup of coffee you've ever seen. Three mouth fulls. Disgusting how they think that's acceptable. Why would you do that too your business people see that they will never come again. People want a nice cup of coffee go Stam n maries in Parliament street I will walk out my way next time. Avoid this place

Nice place to go for a change of food and atmosphere. Little pricey but the food was very nice.

Sofistcated and almost old fashion service. Nice change. Just had a latte.

Popped in here whilst taking a look around Fenwick department store, originally just for a drink and a sit down but was tempted in by the cakes too. Was not disappointed, with the cakes being extremely tasty and the drink refreshing. Recommend the Gâteau Esterházy if you like Ferrero Rochers. Prices are what you'd expect given the nature of the store it's located in and the fact it markets itself as a bit more up market. The staff were all extremely pleasant, dressed in smart uniforms and such.

Great cafe with a feel of a silver service restaurant. We were some of the last customers of the day so we did feel there was an urgency to clear up and move us on hence the atmosphere rating. However, the coffee and cake were lovely.

Lovely and clean and a warm welcome

A bit slow on service, but very friendly staff

Went here with my wife for lunch . Firstly the service is superb . The menu is of the type fish cakes , beetroot salads , croque monsieurs all beautifully prepared ( we had the salad and fish cakes ) . Not a place for a quick sandwich more an elegant lunch or a coffee and cake . Three ladies near us were just having Martinis . Run by respected Cafe 21 Newcastle owners . I strongly recommend . Has its own website and identity despite being inside Fenwick’s York

Can't praise the food quality enough. Would happily visit again.

Nice clean place nothing exciting

Worth the money , taste good and fresh

Great Food, Great service worth the trip 👍

Brilliant service and food. Always polite, friendly and helpful.

My wife won Festive afternoon tea for us both from a instagram competition. It was absolutely amazing. One of the best afternoon teas I have ever had. The staff were great and the food was incredible.

Fabulous food. We just had soup, hummus, scones, polenta cake, coffee and tea and it was all delicious. Service was fairly efficient erring on the functional.

Excellant food and service rather up market.

Sorry to say it but I never stopped to try the food. Waited to get a table, was asked to sit by the bar whilst a table was made available. There was a small table next to me and the first that anyone sees which had yet to be cleared.... Not a good sign. Eventually I was directed to a table which obviously hadn't been wiped down. Wet rings and crumbs... Considering we've spent the last few years worried about cleaning to avoid passing on COVID I was somewhat surprised. Took a while to get any attention from anyone. I gave up and was not impressed... I left.

We had tea and cream scones plus a delicious homemade lemonade. Lovely friendly waitresses and very reasonable prices. A great oasis in a busy store.

Great flat white, well presented location & staff.

Excellent food and excellent service 👍

Great service from Café 21. We wanted an early afternoon tea and they were happy to oblige as long as we booked ahead. There was plenty of food and it was all of a high standard and filling - we even took some home. The tea was endless and our servers were so polite and helpful. For £20 per head we thought this was good value for money in the very plush surroundings and in the centre of York. We will all return and recommend to others.

The sandwich was really good, and there are many desserts to choose from

Nice place outside for a beer in the sun.

Great place to people watch. Staff ok. Expensive. 4 cakes, 4 hot drinks £26

Quite pricey, but my partner loves the eggs benedict so we have been a few times. I normally have the bacon bap, which is nice but nothing mind-blowing, we will always come back for that eggs benedict!

Cafe 21 have a mobile in the St Mary's Square area of Coppergate. A great place to stop in all weathers thanks to seating and shelter. Staff are always friendly, nice selection of snacks, hot and cold drinks.

Good service, excellent food. A must have for lunch, the cheese souffle!

Apparently my coins are not welcome at your 21 Express counter outside Fenwick's. Imagine being turned away for having the exact money to pay for something! I was pleasant and carried a smile but the treatment I received for not having a card or contactless form of payment was quite frankly disgusting!

Was recommended cafe21 the food was delicious and the service and staff were excellent nice and clean cafe I would recommend this cafe the staff were friendly and helpful we would definitely go back

Sad about Betty s closing in Stonegate but this offers a very acceptable alternative

Cozy cafe with good food. Staff are friendly.

Looking for somewhere to have breakfast near the York museum we noticed a cafe sign advertisement for Cafe 21 inside Fenwicks department store. We decided to give it a visit. The dining area is very upmarket looking, more like a high end restraunt, the food that was served was exceptional, even though it was only a bacon roll, scrambled eggs on toast and a selection of different toasts with butter and marmalade you can tell it was professionally made, this was reflected in the price which was slightly higher than your average cafe. The servers were polite, prompt and well presented, they really took the time to make sure you were looked after.

Had a lunch here during our trip and we had a very nice experience. The waitress was adorable with us and very efficient. The food was also very good with a very generous portions. We will come back again next time for sure!

Had lunch at the 21 Express while on a weekend break, the egg mayo baguette is incredible, as are the potatoes. Everything I ate tasted really good and fresh. The staff were friendly and chatty, cant fault them for anything. I tipped the change I had, i wish i couldve tipped them more. Next time im in York I will visit again

I used to love Cafe 21 at Newcastle but it was a bit too far from where I live. Thank goodness they finally opened up in York! We popped in for an early lunch when it was relatively nice and quiet. The restaurant was nicely air-conditioned on yet another very warm day. Staff were very attentive. I ordered the chicken club sandwich which was amazing. 100% recommended!

Used the pop up Express 21 cafe in York today. The staff were lovely and gave me a cup of milk (which wasn't technically on the menu) and served me with good humour. There's a nice seating area outside too and I'm looking forward to trying more on the menu. Thanks guys 😊

We had a lovely meal here yesterday. Relaxing, contemporary vibe, beautifully cooked and presented food, welcoming staff who served us promptly. A welcome addition to the eateries of York.

The cheese scones are lovely... Coffee no so good... Branded illy but in truth very weak, either not or on rations...

Just visited this new cafe/restaurant at Fenwicks in York. Had the afternoon tea for two. Excellent food and service, quality surroundings. Doggy bag provided as we could not manage everything. Watch out Betty's there is a 'new kid on the block' plus no hanging around to get in or get served.. Excellent

Went in on its opening day. Staff were amazing. Really made a nice day with my wife even lovelier. We had a champagne afternoon tea and I cannot recommend them highly enough to anyone. You can keep that other shop where people queue in the cold thank you.