On our last day in York we headed to Cafe No 8 for both breakfast and dinner. Located at No.8 Gillygate, the restaurant is a relaxed and friendly venue within close proximity to York Minster Cathedral and the many attractions of York. Cafe No 8 is also particularly appealing as its prices are great value for money. Our mini-Yorkshire breakfast was really satisfying and priced at a mere £5.95 (the full Yorkshire was £7.95). We opted for the scrambled eggs with our breakfast and were extremely impressed with how delicious the eggs were. Perfectly cooked, they were the height of creaminess. We easily could have ordered seconds.

Yorkshire breakfast

Dinner was also very reasonable priced with two courses for £19 and three courses for £23. For starters, a peppered mackerel on a slow cooked tomato and cucumber salad with salsa verde was refreshingly satisfying, particularly as the slow cooking of the tomatoes helped to intensify its lovely sweetness. The creamy chicken liver pate with chutney and sour dough proved to be delicious as the pate was rich, smooth and wonderfully tasty.

Peppered mackerel

Chicken liver pate

We really enjoyed a main of pan-fried seabass with its moist flesh and crispy skin. Accompanying the seabass was a hot smoked salmon and horseradish potato salad with fennel pesto which was also delicious on its own. But it was served cold, and a hot accompaniment would have probably worked better with the fish.

Sea bass

Less successful was the game cottage pie of venison, rabbit and wild boar in red wine and juniper gravy and creamed potatoes. The meat was a little dry and the sauce was quite peppery and overpowering.

Game pie

Dessert of rhubarb and custard meringue was delectable with the combination of all the flavours dancing a merry dance on the tongue. The rhubarb held the right balance between sweetness and acidity and was delicious. There was also a topping of toasted flaked almonds that added a nice crunchiness to the dessert. A ‘No.8’ banoffee pie with maple roasted pecan nuts was also really enjoyable. The bananas were soft and delicious, and the toffee was thick and sweet.

Desserts

We thought highly of most of the dishes we tried at No.8 Café. There were some fine cooking skills on display and we couldn’t have been more thrilled with how reasonable the prices were, especially given the standard of the food. The restaurant was simply furnished but cozy, and with the good food and pleasant service, Cafe No 8 made for unbeatable value for both breakfast and dinner.

Summary Information:

Food rating: 3.75/5
Service rating: 3.5/5

Prices: Dinner – two courses for £19 and three courses for £23, excludes drinks and service.

Website: http://www.cafe-no-8.co.uk/