The Dark Horse Espresso Bar in York

An open air site serving excellent coffee, with good speedy service, in a convenient location in the centre of York, a nice spot to watch the world go by

This is my favourite stopping off point when I walk to and from York Racecourse. Super coffee, nice indoor and outdoor seating, interesting cakes and snacks, and above all lovely staff. A real boon to have such a great independent coffee shop in York which is full of same old, same old, indifferent places. Good luck, success richly deserved by quality, hard work and super service.

This is a great place for brunch lunch quality food very tasty and great coffee Relaxed atmosphere close to the buzzing market very friendly staff

After a long walk in the rain we were looking for somewhere to grab a drink and maybe lunch and spotted this place. It far surpassed our expectations- friendly, warm, busy but not crowded, and the best toasties we've had in a long time. Just fabulous!

Fabulous as always. Coffee & food delicious. Laura and team very welcoming and always happy to help. I have no hesitation in recommending.

Great brunch at the newly opened venue on Bishopthorpe Road. Good, friendly service and very tasty salmon bagel and good coffee.

Whilst all the reviews about wonderful coffees and excellent toasties are all spot on, what struck us more, was Callum’s wonderful social skills and dedication to keeping his area and tables spotless! So beautiful to watch! 5 stars. James and Antonia.

Excellent coffee, really tasty sandwiches and friendly staff! Would highly recommend - my go to for lunch when I'm working from home 😋 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

All the toastie praise is 100% deserved, best one I have ever had (chicken & chorizo). Wife had the cheese/garlic and said it was very meaty while still being veggie. Love that "no lid" is the default on the coffees too, more places should do this.

Best toasties in York. Can not be beaten on quality and prices. Also brilliant coffee. The staff are friendly and welcoming

Service terrible. Don't bother going. Waitress was rude and after waiting an hour to be served was told kitchen was closed.

We went on a Saturday at peak times. It wasn’t too busy and our order was taking quickly and returned quickly. Prices were fair and the Nutella/kinder pie was delicious. Also, the hot chocolate was the nicest in the centre.

The perfect flat white coffee Simply divine Lovely staff and very friendly Great spot for people watching in a bustling market atmosphere

Best coffee in York. The Toasties are amazing the team are always super friendly. Can’t fault anything.

The Dark Horse is great for family and friends. The toasties are incredible and they honestly have the best coffee in York. It is my favourite cafe in York, everything about it is just great. I would recommend visiting.

Wow! What a place, what a vibe! The dark horse on the shambles market is probably the most quirky and cool coffee shop I’ve ever been too! The staff were so kind and polite and the coffee really was just the best I’ve had in the city so far! More than reasonable prices for the best quality toasties (I had the chilli cheese and garlic oil) would recommend!! The sweet treats are just heavenly. A hearty filling meal with a smile on the end of it! All for less than £13. Will be returning as much as possible!! If you’re wanting to support small local businesses this is the place to be!

There are no words to describe just how good these toasties are.....AMAZING...both of us had the ham , cheese ,tomato , chutney and Scotch bonnet chillies....not too hot and the coffee was amazing!! Thank you

Small cabin in corner of shambles market with nice outside seats and a section of artificial grass. Very good coffee and the toastie I had was excellent. A huge two slices of sourdough with lots of cheese , ham , tomatoes and a chilli relish . Really filling and good value for £6 plus the coffee it came to about £9. Far better than one of the chain coffee places if the weather is good. There is some undercover seating nearby if not. The dog liked it as well !

You simply will not get a finer latte in the whole of York. Maybe even Yorkshire. The food is delicious coming from such a small establishment. If you have not tried this place yet. What are you doing ? Go…. Now

Great coffee everytime from Laura and Mark makes a mean toastie, the specials are always a welcome addition to my regular ham & cheese. But there’s always room a chocolate Anzac biscuit or a piece of banana bread.

Best toasties I've ever eaten. Perfect coffee, friendly staff, quick service, nice seating. Definitely worth the money. Will be back soon!

This place is beautiful, the staff are a delight, the Bailey's coffee was gorgeous and the toasties were just insane!!! My partner and myself couldn't decide so we got two and split them between eachother! Was not disappointed. Thank you

Quite simply, if you’re looking for a take out coffee in York - go here as it’s the best! Guaranteed to give you the caffeine hit to keep you going all day!

My twin brother Stephen and I planned to visit five pubs in and around Shambles ,after having a great burger meal and fries in Taylor Made Kitchen in the food truck next door to The Dark Horse Expresso Bar we decided to grab a coffee...

Excellent Coffee. We only had the coffee and tea, and both were great. It would be good to have access to a stirrer and sweetner, rather than having to go up and ask again. Other than that.....the best coffee we tried and there is a...

Came here whilst staying in York for the weekend for my birthday. By far the best cappuccino I have ever had! Couldn’t resist a toasty and oh my….was absolutely delicious. Made sure to come back on my day home too. The ladies are really lovely...

Best coffee and ham and cheese toastie I have had. Reminds me of being in home Australia. It is an absolute must go!

Really good coffee and cakes etc. Proper espresso which makes much better coffee that the chains. Don’t waste your money on expensive dishwater - get to Dark Horse.

Super Tasty!!!!!!!! Triple cheese and ham toastie, hot and melty! Yummy local bread too Lovely sat by the market

I've not come across anywhere in Yorkshire that does it any better, well worth checking out. I was eying up the anzac biscuits but was too full to try one sadly! They have a few dedicated tables in the market, and gourmet toasties to complement...

Warm friendly welcome Fantastic flat white, really the best one to date! Toasted banana bread with butter really hit the spot in a cold & breezey North Yorks day.

Fantastic coffee, smooth and flavorful. Friendly service and very tasty cakes, well located in a cracking market. Bang on

We love coming to the dark horse, the coffee is great and the banana bread is the best in the land! Also the ham and cheese croissants are my most favourite things to eat- love it!

We came to York for the weekend and went to the food festival. After walking round and shopping we needed a nice coffee and saw The dark Horse had a spare table. We sat down and I went up and ordered, I had a Latte...

Great coffee and food, can recommend toastied 100%. Very good customer service and overall nice experience

Amazing iced coffee with a cheeky baileys on a warm day. Lovely staff, great prices. Lovely atmosphere

The BEST COFFEE we had our whole trip, and to make it better we had THE BEST toasties we have ever had. York is expensive but a £6 toastie was totally fine because they were dense, super tasty, filling and absolutely amazing. This place gives...

Just stopped here by chance as it is in a great position in the Shambles. Very welcoming and one of the best hot chocolates I’ve had in a while. Most surprising.

Called in here on 13 August with my wife and we had a cappuccino each and a toasted cheese with garlic sandwich. Both were excellent and the service was excellent, we sat at small table which was very clean. We live just outside York so...

I live locally and go to the Dark Horse regularly Hands down the best coffee in York and amazing service Try the toasties!

On a brief visit to York a friend (and local) recommended Dark Horse as the best coffee in York. She wasn’t wrong. Laura served up a delicious latte with such a gorgeous roast I regretted only buying a small cup! If I lived locally, I’d...

First class spot for a summer Pimms in the Shambles. Very friendly, great quick food. Absolutely recommended.

It is great to see more of these small coffee/tea stalls starting up. We stopped for just two teas whilst sauntering round York. We were warmly welcomed by Laura who was a really busy bee ! Lovely atmosphere and a great place to people watch...

Really wonderful coffee! We had oat milk iced coffees and regular lattes and they were all great. Lovely staff and fantastic service.

York has a wealth of excellent independent coffee houses, but Laura and the team at Dark Horse have made something really special - all from a repurposed horse box! The coffee is expertly made and the team are more than happy to make it just...

Best coffee and toasties in York. Love the dark horse it has a beautiful location in the heart of the shambles market where you can watch people come and go. The coffee is consistently amazing and the toasties are pure indulgence. Laura and her husband...

Amazing coffee. Had a decafe and was the best flavour id had from a decafe. The cakes were amazing too. Next time I’m in York il be back for a toastie and a pimms

I visit weekly as it’s the best place to get lunch in York. The toasties are amazing and you get a great portion size. The owners are friendly; support local business!

Lovely coffee spot in Shambles Market, York. Brilliant service with a smile & great coffee. Food also looks top quality with an interersting menu. Love it!

The food and drinks were freshly prepared and very tasty. They catered for my limited tastes due to food intolerances despite being a very small outfit. They even split our sandwich so we could have slightly different fillings. Staff were very friendly and patient. Thoroughly...

I absolutely love this place and I’m so happy that they have some seating back! It really is the best location and they definitely serve the best flat white in town-consistently the best. Also, the Banh Mi is back on the menu and not to...

I was in the Shambles walking past the Dark Horse and I was impressed with the set up and look of the trailer so I stopped for a coffee and toastie The staff were very friendly, coffee was excellent and the toastie was delicious. If...

Laura often rescues my day with a decent oat milk latte, flat white or a macchiato, (depending on what caffeine fix I’m in need of), or even an iced latte more recently. Mark then saves lunch with a tasty hot toastie (my fav is the...

I ❤️ coffee and Laura serves the BEST coffee in York from the cutest coffee trailer with her homemade Anzac biscuits. Defo worth a visit

Awesome toasties and coffee. Very friendly and even customised a toastie especially for my daughter. Nice spot to watch the world go by.

Always a good coffee at a very good price. Staff are always helpful and friendly. Well worth a visit if you are in York

G'day, we don't normally write reviews for places we visit but we felt these guys deserved a mention as this UK/Aussie partnership certainly delivers! Great coffee (very hard to find in York), excellent food and super friendly and above all genuine service. Also don't forget...

I visit The Dark Horse several times a week; the coffee is excellent (and always consistently so) and they have an interesting range of freshly baked Aussie themed goodies such as Friands and Anzac biscuits (the latter with drizzled chocolate and as a slice). They...

I grab a double espresso each time I come into town. It’s easily one of the best in town. The staff are great.

Found this little coffee van whilst wandering round the market and felt the need for a little break. Very good mocha and flat white. The billionaire slice was absolutely delicious - well done to whoever made that. Service was so friendly too. Didn't even mind...

The best flat white I’ve had in a while, and I drink a lot of coffee. Fantastic coffee and flat white

We were wondering round the market area and stumbled across this wonderful coffee bar, we didn't have coffee we had tea the lady was very helpful we don't take milk or sugar so she offered to put a bit of cold water in it great...

Laura and her team make the most amazing coffee, sweet treats (the banana bread is scrumptious) and savoury nibbles. Sit down or take away, the choice is yours but don't miss out !

As always amazing coffee and welcoming service even on the rainy days, the homemade Anzac - heaven! Thank you

The perfect pit stop for a walk around The Shambles. Coffee and service is fantastic, would recommend to anybody visiting York.

I challenge anyone to find a better coffee than here as I love coffee and it is the best tasting I have ever had the pleasure of drinking and so smooth. I also highly recommend the sausage rolls. Again the best I have ever tasted...

Really tasty coffee, chocolate undertones. Friendly fast service... And participating in the 'eat out to help out' offer. Fab!

York is blessed with a excellent coffee shops but Dark Horse is the best when in comes to a friendly face, fair prices and brilliant coffee. My 'go-to' as someone living in York.

Lovely coffee!! And I'm normally a slave to Costa. This was very tasty....I had a Skinny Flat White...... so glad she had skimmed milk. Also had a home made biscuit which was also very tasty. Nice and oatey. Pleasant service with a smile and also...

Recently started buying my coffee here when in town. Such a lovely friendly lady who owns it. The coffee is great quality and feels good supporting local businesses. Next time I'm going to try the Bhan Mi sandwich

Have you ever been served coffee from a horse box? Give it a try, you Winnie be disappointed, Neigh-bouring food stalls are plentiful and tasty so this place will serve you the perfect coffee for afterwards as you embark on your stroll. Friendly service gee’d...

Great little coffee horsebox located in the Shambles Market. The coffee is good, the toasties amazing & the service super quick - Laura is so lovely. Get out and support local!

Me and my family ordered a small box of some tasty treats from The Dark Horse which arrived first hand from the manager to our door step within a few days - delicious!

Diamonds come in small pieces and this place hits the spot. With its friendly staff offering exemplary customer service and it’s coffee being the best in town, it’s worth a visit. Since lockdown they have been providing a delivery service of it speciality cakes, which...

The Dark Horse Espresso Bar have embarked on doing deliveries during this awful pandemic time whilst the York Market has been closed. For me, you could look around stores and maybe obtain some Banana Bread, you could have your own Espresso machine at home but...

I am so happy that The Dark Horse has reopened and i can get my coffee fix when in York again. I usually get a hot coffee but it was a hot day so thought i would try an iced latte, wow! It was really...

Really lovely and friendly - great coffee! We had iced coffees this time, but we've been before for hot ones! second time visiting, and won't be the last! keep up the good work!

I think Dark Horse does one of the best, if not the best, cups of coffee in York. I have been missing the coffee and the addictive Anzac biscuits during lockdown. I am so pleased that the biscuits and cakes are being delivered, fantastic service...

We had a boxed selection of cakes delivered and what a treat it was. The Banana bread is out of this world, the best we've tasted. So good we decided to have a box delivered to our friends during lockdown as a pick-me-up.

We ordered a treat box from the Dark Horse today! It was full of Australian baked goodies!! They were fresh and delicious!! Now looking forward to their opening so we can get their coffees to go with them!!

Oh my gosh. My small cake box was delivered today by a lovely lady. Very friendly. Socially distanced delivery. The contents of the box are delicious!! We warmed up the banana bread and the muffin as advised and they were amazing!!! Thank you so much...

Brilliant!, Dark Horse are doing a delivery service, i just received a scrumptious delivery of amazing baked treats today delivered to the door by the proprietor. Good value, I had to freeze some of them to save for later. The owner also mentioned the they...

As an expat living in Australia we have become coffee snobs! Great coffee from dark horse espresso, why would you want to go to a chain coffee shop when you can get great coffee here! Friendly staff, even remembered our order from earlier that day...

We stopped by here after looking at reviews of where to find a decent coffee in York. The reviews were spot on, it was great coffee with a friendly owner. We enjoyed the coffee so much went back for another cup later that day. We...

It was the leap day in February. The wind was blisteringly cold, the rain unrelenting. In need of some caffeine refreshments, we stopped by and ordered a hot chocolate (with marshmallows and cream of course) and a simple flat white. The owner kindly offered to...

Great service such friendly staff and so chatty. Delicious coffee and treats. A must pop by 😊 great location too. Lovely to just sit and people watch 😂😂 great place for vegans , vegetarians and gluten free diets 👌

Its a dog eat dog world at the christmas market and truth be told I grabbed a coffee from here as there was no que. Coffee was great and i feel great value. 100% would reccomend.

The four of us tried a different gourmet taco and each of them were tasty and good wholesome food. My pulled pork was to die for. Definitely worth a visit.

We stumbled across this fab place today when needing a quick bite for lunch. 2 out the 3 of us need gluten free and we were seriously impressed with the knowledge of GF needs and in turn the taste of our toasties. Very accommodating to...

Literally the best panini I have ever had 😍 Lady running it is so friendly and I am in food heaven. I would recommend to EVERYONE

I love The Dark Horse Espresso Bar! The coffee is great, the banana bread perfect, and the Anzac biscuits a treat. I haven’t tried any savouries, but knowing where the component parts come from; I can guarantee they’ll be delicious. I have to say that...

Genuinely the best toastie I've ever had. Pulled pork, double cheese and rocket on sourdough bread. Fantastic. The coffee is incredible too. Costa and Starbucks should hang their heads in shame.

We have found the best coffee on our trip so far! Us Aussies can be coffee snobs I know, but it is great to finally find a brew that holds its own against what we normally expect. Great work!

Love the coffee (flat white) and the ham, cheese and tomato toastie with chilli sauce! Would definitely come back.

We stopped here last year when we visited York and the coffee was perfect. We returned again today and it was fantastic. Friendly service and great home bakes. We will be back again.....maybe later today!

When in town I must stop here just wish it was more often

The Best place to have a great coffee and a toasty or the best sausage roll in all of the U K They are located in the Shambles and it is a must to visit.

I loved the coffee it was great to finally get a true coffee while travelling, also the toasted sandwiches were first class very tasty and filling just what we needed for a day in The Shambles.

Lovely coffee and table service in the rain. Super clean and well presented. Plastic free. A nice place to stop for a coffee and a chat in York. Can't ask more than that.

Lovely freshly ground coffee at the Black Horse Espresso Bar. Also had the homemade lemon curd muffin, scrumptious. Great service 5*