Waterstones Cafe in York

It's Waterstones, à bookshop and a few extras. Sort of place that any bibliophile could easily spend thousands of pounds in! This was no exception. 6 Nov Always my favourite part of a visit to York but uninspired today, not the fault of the brilliant staff and wonderful displays, just me! 8 April 2024 Still the best bookshop in York. A pleasure to visit, and especially so when I find a couple of books that I want to read.

Great bookshop with lots of choice, and a nice café.

Beautiful cafe in this store. Lovely staff and delicious coffee - always happy staff - perfect place to sit and chill.

On a visit today to the waterstone’s cafe, I was met with two of the most horrific staff members I’ve ever met. Outside of the one with red hair I don’t remember appearances. The entire time myself and friends were drinking, they were pointing, loudly laughing at us and making extremely snide comments (making overly exaggerated whisper motions.) When I left to the bathroom my friend ran after me, since I had forgotten to take my seizure medication with me, only for the redhead girl to loudly yell ‘why the hell is he running’. Disgusting service, don’t work in customer service if you’re still stuck acting like a Regina George wannabe.

Lovely coffee and an hour to read. Helpful bookshop staff

Nice coffee shop upstairs. And the usual book store stuff. Nice helpfull staff

Really excellent staff, stock and atmosphere. A chain bookshop with the feel of an independent. Excellent displays, layout and stock. Bookshop staff are dedicated and knowledgable, and there are a lot of very long-standing staff members there, which says a lot about the manager and - I assume - the Waterstones general ethos. It still grates to leave out the apostrophe, but as gripes go, that's not bad, is it :)

Always a decent bookshop. I never fail to find a book or two to buy here..friendly staff too.

Usually call to look for manga and anime statues alway helpful staff and friendly

Love looking rounds books and cafe too.

I just want to say thank you to the staff who are absolutely amazing. The cafe staff are lovely and some even recommended some books to me so thank you! And the shop staff are equally brilliant. Stephen (I think) managed to help me find the perfect horror book to match my very specific tastes the other week and today when I went in searching for even more fantastic recommendations the two staff members who helped me spent so much time helping me to find the perfect books and seemed genuinely happy to help and share their love of books! Thank you!

Great choice of books even just after Christmas. Got what I wanted. Friendly staff.

Great bookshop. Wide selection of books available. Cafe on site

Fantastic choice of books and gifts, polite and helpful staff who were extremely busy.

Review based on the cafe. Friendly staff, and a small selection of cakes and toasties. However the the cake and toasties I had was very nice and far exceeded my expectations.

The blueberry Bakewell slice is very good. Sadly, the flat white on this occasion (and many others) was lukewarm. The queue is too long to go back to get the coffee sorted. Very disappointing.

Brilliant shop for all your book needs. Staff are excellent and knowledgeable.

Gorgeous book shop - really well stocked and easy to find things. Staff were lovely too! Cafe was really cool.too!

A nicely sized shop which doesn't seem as big as some Waterstones but plenty of stock covering just about every genre and subject for every age group.

Came in to grab a book for my nephews and a present for my partner. The present for my partner was in stock as a set but not individually so James offered without prompting to break apart the set so I could get the book my partner wanted which was exceptionally kind of him. Lottie on the till put it through for me and was also very kind, explaining that we could still get the points on the loyalty card without my partner seeing what the purchase was. Delightful service from them both, I'll absolutely be back soon!

Great bookshop, they run a click and collect system if you're after a particular title. There is also a nice little café too.. 👍

Very helpfull and friendly staff

Staff always seem friendly and helpful. Excellent selection of my taste of books 😁📚. Good coffee shop upstairs, lift available.

I found what I required quite easily, but there was a long queue to pay. The cafe is nice but if there are no tables available one will not be served.

I love Waterstones, but I do wish there were more staff present to help with queries. The coffee shop is an added bonus, although I find the Staff very slow.

Fab first one I've come across that has a cafe

Great bookshop with friendly staff, always willing to help. Books and games spread over several floors with a lift for those that need it. Includes a cafe space as well.

Brought two books and had a lovely cup of tea in the cafe

Had all the titles I was looking for

Waterstones Books.. I have much praise for this company who helped me to get a book for my ill relative which was only available in Bradford. York store after speaking to their manager was so helpful and kind she had a transfer done from Bradford to York of the book I was so desperate to get. With no extra cost to myself it arrived within the week promised. This has brought much joy to my dying relative reading this local history book and I cannot thank or praise Waterstones books stores for all their wonderful help in making this possible. Well done Waterstones you've shown what a friendly caring helpful book shop you really are..

Table space can be at a premium due to folk with laptops monopolising room. Good environment, friendly staff

I went here for a book singing and talk evening. Whilst the provided chairs were super uncomfortable, just wooden chairs, not great to sit on for an hour the whole vibe and evening was great, the place was clean and welcoming. Would've been nice to be able to grab a coffee for the event too from their café.

Great shop, fab selection. Cafe and toilets on sight. Great book shop

Excellent selection of books on all subjects...paperback and hardback.

the library is very cozy, always full of people. upstairs there is a corner bar where you can stop to drink a great coffee and read

Visit was mostly for a cafe stop. Book shop nice. Cafe a bit cramped. Staff friendly. Tea pots need a deep clean, as tea scum was flaking off the inside the pots into our tea when being poured.

Plenty of fiction and non fiction to browse and buy. Nicely organised, with friendly and helpful staff. A fair range of other goods are available too. Always a pleasure to visit York Waterstones.

Lovely bookshop lovely coffee shop. Great selection of childrens books

A large and well stocked bookshop in the centre of York across 2 floors. A cafe is situated on the 2nd floor.

This is a “proper” bookshop with something for everyone - you can even have a coffee and cake as there’s a good sized cafe on the first floor. When I visited today (Sunday after lunch) the entire shop was buzzing with people of all ages. There are lots of display areas around the shop and there’s always something new to catch your eye. I had a coffee and flapjack in the cafe and noticed that there were also a number of people working on laptops, absorbed in what they were doing. If you are looking to do your Christmas gift buying on the High Street this year, Waterstones in York would be the perfect place to go as there really is something for everyone.

Très belle librairie et beaucoup de choix

The coffee at this cafe is very good as is the range of cakes. Unfortunately, the seat covers are stained and look very grim; they need to be replaced.

I come to this café regularly and generally have a very good experience. They have recently installed a screen between two of the tables. I hope they put up more as it will make us more secure. The coffee is always good. I often have a lemon muffin but on this occasion I couldn't detect much lemon. The muffins are supposed to have a dollop of lemon curd inside.

Nearly all the customers were reading in the café. Surprise, surprise it's a bookshop cafe! The problem was that the music was loud and irritating. Worse, one of the servers was whistling almost the whole time. Really, really irritating.

The staff seemed to be unable to cope with all that was being laid on them. That, coupled with the fact it felt too cramped, meant our experience of this cafe was terrible. The staff, mostly young, seemed pleasant. Except for one who was rude. The cake however was nice. I feel this place should be closed during the pandemic. Perhaps they can restaff and refit in the meantime??

The young staff seemed friendly at first, welcoming, but the moment the cafe seemed to get busy it’s as if they couldn’t handle the pressure!! I was forced to leave the cafe because the needed my table to accommodate new customers. Why??? I hadn’t been sat down for more than half an hour! I noticed they hadn’t requested any other customers to leave who had been seated there longer than I, which lead me to question if a coffee and a cake had not been enough consuming for me to stay longer. But alas, before I could put my coat on they were already wiping my table down and escorting a new customer to my place. I could see other tables watching me leave also very confused. It was frankly rude!! And although I love the York Waterstones, I have left feeling so inappropriate and disappointed, forced to find a different cafe in this pouring rain.

I love Waterstones. The book staff were all very polite. But venturing into the cafe at the time I felt unsafe and my wife was served something that had a hair in it. I took the food back, and even though they were very apologetic, the person who seemed to be in charge was too busy chatting to care. A poor experience for what could be a quirky cute cafe.

Called in for a coffee today in the middle of the afternoon and was not at all impressed by the service. There were five empty tables but all needed clearing. By the time I was served, I had to clear a table myself. There were three members of staff behind the counter but they were too busy chatting to notice. It was hardly busy. Will not be returning.

Flat whites are always good and strong. Sadly on this occasion the muffins and scones didn't seem at all fresh.

I used to be a regular customer, now just an occasional one. It could be so much better with a little extra attention to detail. It's nice to have friendly young staff, but not when their conversation is over loud to each-other and their customer friends that it draws attention. One day the staff were throwing the sandwiches over the counter to one another to restock the fridge, thankfully I wasn't planning to buy one. On my most recent visit, I had to select 3 knives before I found one which was remotely clean, the others didn't look as if they had been in the dishwasher at all and the young man serving looked as if his apron hadn't been changed all week. I will be back, as it's convenient and I like Waterstones, but there's no reason things can't be clean.

Spotted this caffe in York..jumped for a coffee meeting with some colleagues from New York.. ,we had few cakes and coffees very good ended, very nice and tidy place in such a busy day ,we meet the Manager Kamila with a great smile even with a busy Time...I hope to find more often place like that..they made our Day..Thanks Kamila..thanks waterstones .

Went to Waterstones café to kill some time thought be there for an hour at max, stayed for 3 hours. The drinks were delicious, the food was mediocre but not awful and was made up for by the latte art and lovely staff. I'd like to shout out Laura who served me with a smile and made me laugh quite a few times. Definitely going to come again!

He estado muchas veces para disfrutar de un café con un buen libro. Solo he disfrutado el pan tostado de queso y cebolla, el resto de la comida preempaquetada que he probado ha sido bastante sombría. Las cosas sobre las que el personal tiene control, como el café y los batidos, siempre son absolutamente excelentes: el arte del café con leche de Laura es fenomenal, y tanto ella como Izzy son una delicia, parecen estar haciendo un muy buen trabajo al capacitar al nuevo personal, y siempre haga un esfuerzo adicional para asegurarse de que se satisfagan todas sus necesidades. También me encanta que Laura se esfuerce un poco más para comprar flores y ponerlas en todas las mesas para hacer las cosas un poco más agradables. No sería lo mismo sin ella o Izzy.

I don't like to moan at staff - many of them are on low wages and have to deal with terrible people everyday. However, I was in the Waterstones Cafe the other day and was genuinely aggrieved by my service. The staff like to talk among themselves, very much with customers as second priority. I can live with that, as long as I get served properly. The cafe used to be okay. I once found a bit of plastic in a bacon sandwich I bought there and I STILL went back. However, this time, with not very many customers around, it still took them 15 minutes to prepare my pre-packed bacon roll, and when it arrived it was a black, solid mess that dissolved into cracked burnt pieces when I picked it up. Absolutely inedible, and at nearly £4 you expect something you can actually eat. The undercooked, thin streak of bacon inside probably wouldn't have filled me up even if I had been able to bite into the burnt roll. I'm far too socially anxious to ask for a refund so I just left it all and walked out miserable. I won't be going back.

We stopped here on our way to the railway museum. The staff were very friendly and helpful, the bacon sandwich was lovely and the chocolate chip cookie tasted really nice. Definitely worth the stop to fuel us.

Me and my mum came here for a drink on a Saturday morning. We found the cafe was well priced. We opted for a caramel shortbread to share which was ok but wish we had the toasted teacake instead as that smelled delicious. There was only one member of staff serving at the time so it wasn't the quickest drink we ever had made but they were professional. Note:There is only one toilet on the left at the back of the cafe that is for everyone.

Horrible. Dos miembros del personal pagaron para pararse y hablar. Inquieto y hablando tan fuerte. Muy disruptivo. He estado aquí una hora y ellos han hecho dos tazas de café, y se pusieron a hablar. No me ofrecí a ayudar a llevar mi taza a la mesa cuando estaba claramente luchando con ambas manos. Costoso.

Bookshop cafes can be an absolute godsend when you're tired, but they rarely surprise you. This one is no exception. It's a perfectly acceptable place to rest your weary legs in a city that entices you to walk further for longer than you thought you could.

Estaba lloviendo ese día y solo queríamos detenernos en algún lugar después de caminar por el centro de York. Pasamos una hora hojeando los diferentes libros, y luego comimos un bocadillo y un chocolate caliente. El chocolate caliente era delicioso y muy reconfortante, considerando que estaba lloviendo afuera y nos estábamos congelando. La camarera era encantadora. Definitivamente regresaremos de nuevo.

Impressive Cafe Art on quality coffee, at a comfortable bookstore. Books everywhere! Laura was lovely! Thank you!

Durante el año pasado, pasé muchos días comprando varios cafés, pasteles y sándwiches durante mis visitas, ya que me sentaba y trabajaba en mi disertación de maestría.

We called in as it was raining and glad we did. Calm quiet atmosphere serving food and drinks by pleasant and friendly staff. Gorgeous latte and Eaton mess tray bake.

Very nice large toasted teacake and coffee in pleasant surroundings overlooking the street. Very reasonable cost and good staff.

Nuestros dos hijos adoran visitar Waterstones cuando estamos en York y hemos estado usando este café por 4 años. Es agradable sentarse y leer un libro o ver las idas y venidas en la calle de abajo si tienes la suerte de conseguir un asiento en la mesa. Estuvimos aquí para tomar café y bocadillos esta vez. Pastel de té tostado para mí, galletas inteligentes para los niños. También tiene una buena relación calidad-precio. No hay muchos lugares en York donde pueda obtener dos bebidas calientes, 2 bebidas frías y 3 comidas para solo 8 personas. Sí, 8. El dispensador de agua (vidrio antiguo montado en una mesa) también es un buen toque. También han agregado sándwiches salados al menú, y en el pasado hemos tenido deliciosas empanadas de Cornualles y pasteles de carne, pero ya que era tarde en el día, ¡nos perdimos esos!

Average coffee, not a lot of atmosphere, just a basic cafe. The loo was not the cleanest I've seen, even early-ish in the morning. There are better cafes around.

The three of us needed a quick snack in the centre of York. We have loved going to this place before and it proved to be just right yet again. The best thing is that it is so reasonably priced, given its situation right in the centre of York. Passing through the bookshop is also a pleasure: it sort of adds a n extra dimension, reminiscent of similar places that are much more common in Ireland, say. Also very convenient for the picturehouse at City Screen, which is virutally next door.

My sister took me to Waterstone's cafe to enjoy a "Toasted Mallow", a hot chocolate with marsmallows and cream. It was great. She had every right to say:"I told you so".

Waterstones is, obviously, a great book store, but the cafe here is a gem! Always friendly service, great food, and wonderful coffees - buy a book, then enjoy immersing yourself in it while enjoying a fabulous coffee... and maybe treat yourself to a lovely cake - or even a bacon sandwich - they are really tasty! Books and coffee... what's not to like? A favourite of mine in York.... they even stock my novel DUST which I love to view on the ground floor. I have to pinch myself to make sure I'm not dreaming about seeing my own novel in such a fabulous bookshop before I head upstairs to treat myself! Always a delight!

The atmosphere here is very pleasant and comfortable, mainly thanks to the helpfulness of the staff. Though small and rather cramped, especially at the counter, it is worth visiting for the quality of the snacks and drinks - we loved the freshly cooked bacon sandwiches with our coffees and hot chocolate. Each time we have been there it has been popular. The prices are much cheaper than those at most similar places in York. It's also handy for a quick visit to St Martin's Church - just round the corner and a haven of peace - or to the City Screen.

I went in for lunch in a very busy Saturday and staff were so accommodating. I had a scone and it was gorgeous!

This is a very busy cafe, lots of choice for drinks and light bites. A place to rest after browsing through the Bookstore.

The cafe itself was inviting and comfortable, and the staff were friendly and fast in clearing tables! Very nice coffee and an extremely good carrot cake!

A little bit cheaper than the Costas of this world and yet a notch better and they also have a buy 9 get one free program (though you sometimes have to remind them). Lots of gluten free food too.

Escondido en el último piso de Waterstones este café es popular entre los lugareños y visitantes (que encontrarlo! Precioso) ofrece comida y bebida. Los chicos que trabajan allí son rápidos, amables y atentos. Un lugar agradable para sentarse y charlar o leer más bebidas. Recomendado:...

Muy bien ubicado por encima de la librería con asientos en la ventana con vistas a Coney Street. Hay una bastante limitada selección de bebidas, pasteles y aperitivos ya que es sólo una pequeña zona, servido por un personal amable. Todo se hace bien, hay...

Nos dieron almuerzo aquí y las opciones no eran lo que eran hace un año así como no había ensalada de cortesía lado con su sandwich. Mi sandwichera fue quemada en la parte inferior, pero no importa demasiado. Lo mejor de la experiencia fue que,...

Paramos en waterstones para navegar y el Aroma encantador desde el café significaba nos sentamos a café y un sándwich de tocino. Encantadora y fresca y fabuloso café. El personal amable y el ambiente acogedor. Sería normal si viviera en la zona

This is busy bustling cafe. The food was fine and the coffee was good. The cafe itself serves its purpose and it was nice to peole watch

Very central, this first-floor cafe is ideal for busy shoppers. They have sandwiches and tea-cakes and some other cakes, none of which I've tried. But the coffee is good and I'm in the place to buy books or browse books, so coffee is what I need.Efficient and busy and if you get a seat near the window you can watch the hustle and bustle of the Coney Street shoppers below.This has become a regular stop for me.

Ok, let me hit with you positives. This cafe is located in a damn book store, Waterstones in fact.. so that's already a win. Combining my love for books and my love for food. The cake is OUT OF THIS WORLD. I love a good Victoria sponge, who doesn't?, and the slice from here, with a nice pot of tea was beautiful. I was real lucky to take my lunch breaks in town and come here. Even the sausage rolls and snacks are all locally sourced and taste stunning.But, sadly, there is negatives.. If you happen to encounter this cafe on a weekend or during a busy day in York, you will be seeing it at it's worse. Finding a seat will be the first real struggle and then once you do find one you realize it's very cramped and taking some quiet reading time is impossible due to the groups or families using it as a standard cafe. This place flourishes when used for it's actual purpose and that's taking some quiet time to read.. The prices are, to be expected, expensive but the staff are nice and the quality is definitely there. But please, go on a weekday morning and see this place at it's best and use it for it's purpose and you have a 5/5 establishment, hands down. Thanks for reading and don't forget those helpful votes :)Thanks!

The coffee and cake here is lovely, although finding a seat is not. Every visit here involves finding every table occupied by a solitary student complete with laptop and empty cup of coffee. On my most recent visit I had to ask a student who was occupying a table for 4 to move her laptop so that I could squeeze in beside her. She wasn't happy. Neither was I. I have given up coming here. Management need to solve this problem.

This is a gorgeous little cafe, with lovely staff. The coffee is really nice and they offer milkshakes etc in the summer months. Unfortunately is occasionally frequented by less than pleasant customers (rude, complacent) but this is not a comment at all on the general atmosphere of the place or the quality of its staff. Especially at the weekends when one staff member often brings her charming little girl into the cafe. They offer events and clubs as well as the day to day cafe service as well. If only everyone could appreciate the hard work and pleasant atmosphere this place and it's staff provide instead of finding fault in every little thing. Please try and enjoy!

Went in here for afternoon tea and found the first floor cafe a very pleasant place to relax and get second breath. The cafe has an eclectic mix of furniture adding to atmosphere and the staff were friendly. We had toasted tea cake and tea which was good value. Its away from the madness of main part of York and prices are standard.

By having a cafe inside Waterstones you are a "caught fish", because most people find it easier to just sit in for a cup of coffee or tea with a light bite, instead of trawling the streets of York for a coffee shop.The shop was very busy and so too was the cafe. The staff were working flat out to serve everyone. The "cooking/service" area needs to expand to be able to cater for the diners. The light bites was not too light on the pocket, but hey ho.

As ever, the coffee and cakes are of good quality though the cafe is quite small and you might struggle for a table at busy times.

No trip to Waterstones in York is complete without a visit to the wonderful cafe. Sit, relax and bury into the new book. Apparently you can just visit the cafe at any time and can converse with friends. Novel and flexible. That is what makes it such a great venue. And it is in the fantastic Waterstones bookshop. And the staff and service in both cafe and shop are a delight.

Me and my friend went into the bookshop it was very big and spacious . We went upstairs to the cafe it was very busy but we soon got a table and it was lovely I had tea the other 3 had coffee and cake it was quite reasonable considering other place we had been to in York would recommend . Also not definite but I think there maybe a lift to the upper floor

Really pleasant morning tea and teacake.Not the usual chain stuff and very tempted by the bacon sandwich.

As always a great book shop and the cafe area upstairs is delightful. Some excellent offers Coffee and Bacon Sandwich £3.50. Nice and relaxing on comfortable seats where people were quiet! Quiet chat should be compulsory in all eating areas cafes etc. (Victor Meldrew Moment ) Really nice place and nice staff

On the first floor of the bookshop a very friendly setting with staff to match. Light and airy with quick attentive service.Had a good coffee and a tasty toasted sandwich for just £5 so good value.

Combining books, coffee, cake and a place to pop in with the dog is a real treat for me. The staff are all super friendly and whilst my other half, perused the book shelves I popped up to the cafe and indulged in a delicious slice of 'Gluten Free' Carrot cake and a lovely cup of decaf soya mlik cappuccino.

After visiting York for many years it is the first time we had seen this café. 2 Toasted Ta Cakes and tea for two £7.00. Teacakes were done to perfection and the tea lovely. Will definitely visit again. The Waterstones where we live has a coffee shop but nothing on this level. Served in proper cups and a proper tea service. Lovely, plus you can browse around the shop afterwards. Definitely will use again.

I regularly call in for a coffee and one of their very large toasted tea cakes. The tea cakes are worth the journey, but be warned they can sell out early.

A nice find in Waterstones in York, only had a light lunch that was good. Only drawback was the tables were not cleared had to clear a table so we could eat, staff seemed to be too busy /short staffed to clear them several customers had to do the same as us

Quaint cafe overlooking Coney Street. Nice to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city centre.

Great food - lovely staff - in a great setting... a bookshop! A perfect setting for a leisurely read over teacakes and cappuccino....

Stopped here for coffees and milkshakes on our afternoon shopping trip in York. Busy but friendly staff. Good Americano and free glass of water. Milkshakes very tasty!

Visited today and what a find. Okay, it has some rough edges in terms of lack of available staff. However a good portion of the menu is £3.50. (With a offer of any cake and hot drink also £3.50). Plus the food and coffee are fantastic. So in view of this background and the value for money when feeding a family, happy to afford a little patience. Would definitely visit again.

Sorry to read some people haven't received a great service , as we were served by a 2 young ladies who were so competent and so dedicated I was immediately impressed by their above and beyond service !I can't believe I'm writing a detailed review about a book shop cafe but I felt this was worth writing . We saw there were no sandwiches left which we liked, I asked for a scone and tea meal deal, and while browsing and talking about the kids lunch box, the friendly lady at the cashier kindly informed us what was included in the box . I asked if there were any salmon and cream cheese sandwiches left, to which she told me that she can make one fresh , and the other friendly lady working with her popped some crisps and salad on too for me and my sister's sandwiches! The scone was simply delicious, as was the tea, rivalling Betty's! And I love Betty's more than anything. So Thank You so much for such a pleasant cafe tea , so unexpected !

I have been to this cafe on several occasions because it is bright and airy with some lovely tray bakes, cakes, scones and sandwiches. However... the manageress here is appallingly rude to her customers !!! She is pompous, arrogant and patronising and I am always made to feel unwelcome and rushed out of the cafe! If I do go back, I'll make sure she isn't in that day! Considering the cafe has the potential to be very good indeed, the poor level of customer service is extremely disappointing!