Coffee Culture in York

We only had coffee. We sat in downstairs and ordered two flat whites, yesterday. The women working were more than happy to check upstairs for a table for us, and then seat us downstairs when there weren’t any. In fact, in the half an hour we were there, they must have ran up to check tables 6/7 times for other people. It was a very small place, cosy. Decorated nicely, lots of delicious food choices and cakes on offer. There was a bit of an issue with someone who ordered after us not willing to wait longer than 5 minutes for her skinny mocha despite it clearly being a very popular cafe. The staff handled it brilliantly and with lots of grace. The coffee tasted great and the prices were good for a busy city centre. Perhaps the best part about the place was the ease with which the staff worked together & bustled around the small space, chatting & laughing together. It was such a “Little Women” vibe, in the best possible way. Would definitely recommend and visit again in future.

I used to love this café 6 years ago when I was student - used to come in every week or two to study for a few hours. I went in today after remembering that, and also to check that it was still as good as I remember as my sister is coming up later in the week and I had planned to take her here for some lunch. As you can see by the 1 star review, this really didn't go very well. I came in and was greeted by a lovely barista who welcomed me in and said I could get a table upstairs. A few minutes later I ordered a latte with her and she brought it up to me. I had wanted to study, so I had brought my laptop to do a few things on there and was planning on spending time studyinng whilst getting some coffee and food. Not even half a hour had passed when the owner of the café had taken a order from the table I was sitting next to then turns to me, knocks my laptop twice to get my attention and asks, "Are you getting anything else?" in a rude fashion. I say "Not quite yet, no", to which he replies loudly, "Well, we're turning people away downstairs, so...". All of the tables fell silent to listen in as he said this, and after a pause I say, "So, you want me to leave?" to which he scurried away downstairs before stating awkwardly stating only a "yes". Again, I was only there for about half an hour. An awkward silence suddenly hit the café. The couple on the table next to me even said to me "that's not very good". I agreed but feeling immediately unwelcome, I quickly started to get my things together to pay for my coffee. I paid with the lovely waitress who also said "Oh, leaving already?". I told her I had been effectively kicked out as I waited for the owner to come out from under the stairs so that I could tell him that as per his request I was leaving now but that he just missed out on more business from me because of his behaviour. His only retort throughout was "try running a business, try running a business" - as somebody who is part of a successful franchise of a very busy shop in York, I know exactly how to run a business and it is not done like that. Seeing that my feedback wasn't being received at all, all of which I truly stated calmly, I started to make my leave and said "Well, there's something wrong with your attitude so you should probably fix it" to which he replied, "There's something wrong with your head." I am not one to leave reviews (especially not negative ones to small businesses as someone who really loves the idea of a high street) but I thought I had to at this. I'm sure the owners will be glad to know that I won't be coming back but the level of disrespect I was given as a customer was embarrassing. If you do go, I can only hope you do not the the same service as what I received. I will add that other independants such as vi coffee, The Perky Peacock and Heppni have no problems with people coming in who wish to stay and study for a few hours. Quick note: if you are not comfortable with people bringing laptops / coming to study for a few hours, perhaps make this clear on the bar.

Nice lunch place . Cheap and good food .

I enjoyed the guest coffee, worth the extra 50p. Takeaway cups are made from paper with plant starch lining.

Stumbled across this little gem on a walk with a mate the other day, and what a find it was! It has everything a cafe could offer: delicious food, friendly and prompt service - although not sure how they manage it with those stairs, they deserve a medal for been able to walk up and down them, without spilling or dropping food! Cafe also has a warm and welcoming atmosphere, with a cheeky view of a part of the Minster. Can't recommend this place enough.

Excellent brunch at Coffee Culture in Old York City. We enjoyed the avocado smash and smoked salmon scramble eggs toast. The place is small which makes the atmosphere warm. And the prices are absolutely fair. If you are in York, I highly recommend stopping by Coffee Culture.

what an EPIC experience !!! delicious sandwiches and lovely staff :)) scoffed my sandwich so quickly i hardly had time to take a photo 😿😻

lovely lunch here. very reasonable price. lovely staff

Everything I had at this cafe was incredible, the food was so delicious and the coffee was so nice as well. Would recommend to everyone. Great prices too! Service was amazing, very kind and positive

We sat in for some coffee, vegan scone then a brownie cheesecake. Coffee was superb, great to be served quality coffee from an independent. The food was incredible as well. So many options so this is definitely a new “Go to” coffee place for me now in York. The staff are also very friendly and helpful. 🙂👍

Lovely little coffee shop with great coffee and nice food! The small upstairs seating area is amazing! Highly recommend

Amazing. Great customer service. The staff were warm and friendly and teated us with kindness throught our stay here. Food and drinks were delicious. We are definately coming back here. Thank you so much for making us feel so welcome. ❤😊

Top coffee, friendly staff. Great scone's.

Such a cute spot with great food and friendly service. Can’t beat the price and great for dietary restrictions.

This is a small and quirky building which is a very pleasant historic setting for coffee. The staff have always been very friendly and helpful when we have been. The coffee was good and the carrot cake was extremely nice and visually attractive. It may not be the best place if stairs are difficult for you.

Excellent coffee and very friendly service. We had the raspberry scones which were amazing and a gluten-free toasty which exceeded expectations too. Lovely staff who were very accommodating. Plenty of upstairs seating.

Lovely little coffee place by the cathedral,the staff are very friendly,the coffee is on point,the space is super quirky and welcoming and they accommodate a range of Dartry requirement,it's the place to come and relax

What a lovely, quirky, individual spot. A real antidote to the big chains. We were warmly welcomed into the ancient building (15th century?) and were served with genuine charm and enthusiasm. The coffee was good and the bacon/sourdough sandwich is a treat - chunky slices of tasty bread,packed with good quality bacon. Other offerings (salads and cakes) looked good. It really is worth walking the extra 50yards to get away from chains and treat yourself to something real!

Coffee Culture is one of my go-to places in York for great coffee and tasty treats! Their homemade cookies are some of the best I’ve had, and the toasted banana bread with warm Nutella is a taste of magic! For savoury options, I especially like the salmon and scrambled eggs - always hot and fresh. It’s a cosy spot spread over three floors, seating is limited so you sometimes have to wait for a table but it’s worth it. Of course they also do takeaway, and the Minster Gardens is only a short walk away - perfect for a picnic or to sit and enjoy a coffee ‘neath the Minster bells. Staff are friendly and welcoming, and they cater to a range of dietary options. Worth a visit! The Wizard of York (Wizard Walk of York)

Very nice servers, good atmosphere. In addition, great price/quality ratio!!!

Cute atmosphere with super lovely staff & tasty coffee :)

Lovely place, lovely staff, lovely coffee, and great GF brownies & cannoli! My go-to Coffee Place when I’m in town.

It’s my go to coffee shop in York!! I have been there countless times and I will keep going back. The food is amazing, the staff are so lovely and it’s very affordable. Keep doing what you’re doing, and hopefully the council let you have the outdoor furniture back! :)

Absolute best coffee shop in York! This place has been my number 1 place to go since I’ve been working in York. Great coffee, delicious food and treats and lovely lovely staff. I highly recommend the caramel cannoli. 10/10

Quirky, cosy coffee shop. Lovely coffee and cakes

Friendly team Great coffee using their tailored blend from York Emporium. High quality bread and sausages. Clean kitchen area. Excellent cakes. What else do we need?

A quaint space with some delicious food and fantastic coffee!

A great place for coffee and drinks, I had a lovely milkshake. The food was also fantastic, I love that a lot of the ingredients they use are locally sourced. The service was great, the staff were friendly and welcoming.

What a qonderful shop, with delicious sandwiches, scones and cakes Run by the sweetest people. The place to go when roaming around York.

Lovely lunch at Coffee Culture. The vegan brekkie butty was so good!

Lovely little cafe, I had a berry smoothie, and the avacardo and scrabled egg on soughdough. Good quality food and didn't have to wait too long, friendly staff, cute upstairs area and interesting decor. Would visit again

Tiny place (Sometimes you have to crab sideways). Very friendly staff & great service. The steep narrow stairs to the 1st floor are an experience. But well worth a visit!

Great coffee in a quirky building (steep stairs!). We loved the relaxed vibe, and the baristas were incredibly friendly.

Beautiful coffee not a burnt bean in sight served at the perfect temperature couldn’t ask for more only wish I’d bought a bag of beans! , stunning cakes and deserts nice and genuine coffee shop

Lovely little place, fab food, desserts and service, and the latte art was breathtaking! Only warning is you do need to be steady on your feet as the stairs are very steep (as with many places in York).

A hidden gem cafe looks little from outside but the cakes draw you in and it’s well worth a visit. The ‘guest’ coffee was so delicious, cake and food highly recommended. Take care on the stairs but totally adds to the character!

Best café in a fairly hotly contested category. Does everything you'd ever want in a cafe in a teeny tiny space

Went for breakfast, ended up having to buy a sandwich. Used to sell full breakfasts and the place was heaving. You wouldn't be able to find a space. Now it's still nice food but there's less choice and as such there's less customers and less atmosphere. Staff still brilliant though.

Friendly staff, amazing food and hot drink selection.

Marketed as dog friendly on maps, but this is not true.

Excellent place. Small rooms so best visited when not busy.

Great coffee. Generous portion of tasty sourdough toast. Good service in atmospheric historic building.

Absolutely fantastic little Cafe. We went for breakfast and we were so surprised that such a small place was offering such a large fresh menu. We were not disappointed at all, all of the food was amazing, well seasoned and obviously freshly made. All of the staff were so friendly and accommodating and the coffee was so good that we kept going back every day throughout our visit to York!

Good coffee, very crowded place though!

We stopped over for a quick beverage break while exploring York - this is an excellent destination, with prompt service and an array of enticing baked goods (I had to get the rocky road!).

Lovely place for breakfast to start our day out in York!

I regularly visit this place. I reckon it's York's best café. Staff are always delightful, the building is a delight though space is strictly limited (no good with a buggy for example, and the stairs are steep) but none of that is a criticism. The sandwiches are all perfect and made to order. The espresso is as good as any north of Milan.

Really lovely cafe in York, would 100% recommend as the perfect spot for a quite bite to eat to shelter from the cold and rain. We ordered a brie, bacon and cranberry toastie which was surpassed expectations!!! And the veggie sausage butty was amazing. There were some other great vegetarian and vegan options, ones which you don't normally get in cafes, so would definitely recommend. The food was tasty, filling and great value for money. The staff were also very lovely, considering they have to walk up so many flights of stairs. If we didn't live 4 hours away, this would be a weekly stop! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Lovely quirky tiny 3 story cafe with only a few tables on reach floor. Staff were all very nice. I got a latte which was really really good. Strong and creamy with a lovely taste as well as texture. Only minor issue was it was very small for a large (which is what I ordered and paid for) My wife had the hot chocolate with cream and marshmallows which was also good. They also sell coffee beans so I will definitely be back to get some when my current supply runs out as it tasted so good.

Amazing as always avocado smash is the best 👌 One of my favourite places 🥰

This place is one of my absolute fave spots in York. An absolute MUST. HUGE shoutout to Josh, Annabel and Sophie were absolutely amazing, loveliest staff!!

Excellent coffee. Please come here rather than going to the big chains! The coffee is served a little less hot than at the big chains, but that's because it IMPROVES the taste of the coffee! I suspect the big chains serve the coffee so hot to cover up the fact that their beans are not as good.

Delicious coffee. Lovely staff. Can see why it is a favourite!

By far my favourite cafe in York. Amazing coffee and food, and the staff are absolutely lovely :) will be back!!

Short story, go here. best oatmilk cappuccino I have had in York. The staff was kind and friendly, they moved quickly. the GF cannoli were unique and tasty. the scones were balanced and moist. I very much enjoyed my experience.

Been here 3 times in the last month. Recommend the pumpkin spice latte and the sourdough toasties. Also the GF cannolis are the best.

Love this type of coffee shop, nice atmosphere very cosy and great service. They have nice soup and sourdough toasties too!

Good coffee! My partner enjoyed the carrot cake very much. Careful on the stairs! It's like going up a windmill! Very quirky.

Good coffee and canneloni ordering take away was a bit awkward at the door

friendly staff & a lovely cup of tea! Milkshakes are nice too very refreshing Recommend Outdoor and indoor seating

Really nice coffee & cakes, kids loved the milkshakes! Lots of dietary options for food & drinks and reusable straws. Found a water bowl for our dogs too

York is full of cafes, but I spotted that this one had yummy looking vegan sausage sandwiches in the window so popped in to get lunch. Such a friendly bunch of staff, chatting with me about what I'd done on my trip to York and gave me recommendations for other cheap things to do / places to eat etc. The sandwich was really great and combined with the staff, this place was one of the highlights of my three days in the city!

Stopped by when having a day trip in York. Coffee was incredible, as good as I have had while visiting, from Melbourne, Australia, my parents who live in Yorkshire. Staff were really friendly and accommodating. A must when in York!

Had the brekky buttie, piled high with scrambled egg, bacon and sausage, spinach & delicious chilli jam! Also had the BLTA buttie, crammed and super tasty, well done bacon and a layer of avocado to finish it off 😋 Coffee is strong and good quality. Menu full of interesting and delicious treats i.e. lemon & elderflower scone. Vegan friendly too.

On our trip to York we had been walking around at lunch time on the first day looking for somewhere to eat. A lot of the cafes are small and fill up quick so there was no room anywhere. We stumbled into this place and I was so happy we did. It was like greeting old friends speaking to the staff here. I know other reviews complain about the stairs and they are steep, but its so worth it in the end to sit somewhere quaint and have some lovely food. The vegan/veggie options were great and a lot of the ingredients were locally sourced. Small businesses helping each other out, that is what community means. Would highly recommend this little gem :)

Excellent menu items. Very fresh and current menu. The mozzarella and tomato on ciabatta is very good. One of the best carrot cake we've ever had. The coffees are equally as impressive. Recommend checking this place out.

Really love this place, great drinks, friendly staff, though the stairs are a challenge so be prepared for that! Never seen stairs so steep haha

Great coffee and tempting sandwiches, neatly crammed into historic half-timber property. Lovely lunchtime stop off. If this review was helpful, please be kind enough to click the button below.

Really friendly staff! They have a good food menu and do a great coffee. Interior is cosy too

Really delicious vegan scones (we got one every day!). Definitely get it toasted, otherwise it's a bit dry. Coffee was mediocre.

Always excellent coffee and cakes, breakfast here is really good too.

Vibrant café in heart of York, and a regular fixture of my ventures into the city centre! Great coffee & snacks, fab service. Fully recommend if you’re nearby and in the mood for some good coffee vibes!

A quirky and unique place to enjoy a coffee, we thoroughly enjoyed our visit. The staff were attentive and the drinks were lovely x

The cakes are amazing. The brunches looked nice too. Lots of vegan options and plant based milk available. Small lattes available, just enough for my 83 year old dad :-) Outdoor seating. Indoor seating is up a steep set of stairs, but worth the climb. Lovely views of the street and eclectic decor. The staff are amazing, friendly and very efficient.

It was a lovely and cosy place. Latte and the lunch I had was amazing. It was busy but this cafe is one of the cafes I recommend those who want a good coffee in york:)

Great atmosphere and delicious drinks

Amazing food and lovely cup of coffee, I had the falafel, humous, chilli jam and spinach sandwich and it was amazing!! 10/10 would recommend

Popped in as we were walking past and had one of the best cafe breakfasts I've ever had, great vegan selection and the brownies are incredible.

Lovely place, great vegan food, fantastic coffee. Cool seating areas give it a very cosy feel.

Best coffee in York served by wonderful staff

I've always loved coffee culture from when I was a teenager. Today I visited with my partner (his first visit) and they were very busy. We were asked to sit outside whilst waiting for a table which was fine but then multiple new customers were sat upstairs I realised when I popped up to use the loo and we were never given a table up there. As well as this, when I did go up to use the toilet I was quite rudly asked where I was going even though I had been sat eating outside and was a paying customer, I felt pretty embarrassed being told off in front of a room of people! Food and drink was really nice as usual, it did take 30 mins for the drinks to even arrive let alone the food. I felt disappointed with the service from somewhere I have often bought lunch at throughout years of being a loyal customer.

I've always loved coffee culture from when I was a teenager. Today I visited with my partner (his first visit) and they were very busy. We were asked to sit outside whilst waiting for a table which was fine but then multiple new customers were sat upstairs I realised when I popped up to use the loo and we were never given a table up there. As well as this, when I did go up to use the toilet I was quite rudly asked where I was going even though I had been sat eating outside and was a paying customer, I felt pretty embarrassed being told off in front of a room of people! Food and drink was really nice as usual, it did take 30 mins for the drinks to even arrive let alone the food. I felt disappointed with the service from somewhere I have often bought lunch at throughout years of being a loyal customer

Some of the best cocktails I've ever had ☺️

Great coffee in a really interesting little cafe. Thanks so much.

Lovely place for a high quality coffee. Some nice choices for sandwiches and cakes too.

Tasty coffee in a quirky location. Set across two floors with steep stairs, you get a uniquely York experience here. However, though it's a decent place it's not the cosiest - rickety and uncomfortable chairs don't make for the most fun visit. Good with mates for a coffee, cake or sandwich.

It’s for good reason that this little coffee house is popular in York. The staff are super smiley, friendly and they serve the perfect coffee. Quality produce surrounded me and tempted me to buy 5 sandwiches and 7 cakes but I resisted...until next time. Enjoy!

Breakfast very tasty, very pleasant staff, lovely seating area, nice and cool with windows open upstairs on very hot day. Will definitely return.

Lovely coffee shop in an old building

Very friendly staff and great service. Coffee was also in point. The sandwiches look amazing - these will be for next time.

Just had an amazing brownie in a box from coffee culture! It was delicious! Crumbles when eating melts in the mouth delicious! Recommend caramel peanut butter brownie

Gorgeous vegan milkshakes and friendly staff, what's not to love. Would have had a vegan brownie if I wasn't trying to loose pandemic pounds!

Quant little cafe with great coffee and food. Super friendly staff too.

Brilliant coffee. Tasty food. Great service. Going to try indoors next time!

Very friendly staff ! Lovely for take away coffee or sitting in. Really quirky and cute, genuinely a brilliant place to relax in

Great coffee with a view of the Minster

Charming, quaint cafe in great location. Decent choices, great quality and reasonable prices. Excellent service and we found it a nice place for my wife and me to stop off, chill, and have a drink and light lunch.

Lovely people, very accommodating, milkshakes and hot drinks to die for. Love the local artwork they have for sale/decoration too!

Cute place with nice coffee and nice food.

Absutely gorgeous locally sourced & tasty food, cozy interior, would stay here the whole day!!! Amazing 💜