Places for the Best Breakfast in York – I think there is something wonderfully decadent about eating breakfast in a restaurant or cafe.
It’s such a lovely, novel thing to do and there are so many places in York that offer a fabulous breakfast. Here are a few suggestions – I will add more as I come across them.
We also have a list of places for bottomless brunch in York too.
Brew & Brownie
5 Museum St, York YO1 7DT
At Brew & Brownie “we are inspired by the seasons, our countryside upbringing, our urban adulthood, the food we craved as children, to the tastes we developed as we grew. We aim to bring this vision to life at our cafe and coffee house in the centre of York.
We have spent many hours researching and discovering some of Yorkshire’s best produce, such as Raydale Preserves based in the sleepy village of Stalling Busk, Johnson’s free range eggs, Bishy Road’s M & K butchers, Wilson’s Butchers based in Huntington, not to mention Haxby Bakehouse’s amazing bread! We care where our food is sourced from and always look for the best quality produce to serve our customers.
We include vegan & gluten free options both savoury & sweet as much as we can, one of our lovely staff will be happy to chat about the options available that day.”

Fancy Hanks
39 Goodramgate, York, YO1 7LS
Fancy Hanks breakfast/brunch on weekends only from 10am ‘until its gone’. I liked their ‘chicken and waffles’.
The Old Liquor Store
Bishopthorpe Rd, York YO23 1FT
The Old Liquor Store is a brand new restaurant on Bishopthorpe Road in the old Terry’s building.
They serve an Italian inspired menu and are open Wednesday to Sunday serving an all day menu and small plates. They also do a Sunday Brunch and Sunday Dinner.
We enjoyed a cosy lunch here and can recommend it.
You can see our review of lunch at The Old Liquor Store here.
The Ivy – Saturday and Sunday Brunch
2 St. Helen’s Square, York YO1 8QP
The Ivy in York do a Saturday and Sunday Brunch (and bank holidays). The restaurant itself is a beautiful art deco inspired space.
With options like Truffle Arancini, Zucchini fritti, Eggs Benedict and Avocado Benedict, as well as Hot Buttermilk Pancakes for those (like me) with a sweet tooth!
Cote
49-51 Low Petergate, York YO1 7HT
Cote are a French Restaurant that serve brunch on Saturday and Sunday, as well as Bank Holidays, from 10am to 2pm. They serve a full breakfast as well as French classics such as Croque Monsieur and Croque Madame.

Betty’s
6-8 St. Helen’s Square, York YO1 8QP
Betty’s Cafe is famous in York for elegant and traditional dining. You can pop in a cup of tea, lunch, dinner or afternoon tea. They also serve a fabulous breakfast. You can choose from a Swiss Breakfast Rösti (A classic Swiss rösti made with grated potato, gruyère cheese and cream, pan-fried until golden and served with dry-cured bacon, a plum tomato, mushrooms and a poached egg.).
I love the röstis at Betty’s and have eaten many over the years and would absolutely recommend you try one. They also serve a vegan Crushed Avocado on Toast (Lightly toasted Yorkshire Millers bread topped with crushed avocado and served with cherry vine tomatoes.) and a slightly more difficult to find (and not something I would like!), Kedgeree (A breakfast classic made with creamy rice, smoked haddock, mild aromatic spices, fresh coriander, sultanas and flaked almonds, topped with a poached egg.)
Bill’s Restaurant
12 Coney St, York YO1 9NA
Bill’s has a lovely eclectic, home from home, comfortable feel to it. Breakfast includes the ‘Bill’s Brunch’, two fried free range eggs, smoked streaky bacon, Cumberland sausage, roasted plum tomatoes, mushrooms, potato rösti, baked beans, black pudding and toast. Eggs Benedict or Eggs Avocado Florentine.
There are three vegetarian options including ‘Bill’s Garden Plate’, two poached free range eggs, halloumi, roasted plum tomato, charred red peppers, smashed avocado, hollandaise, mushrooms, potato rösti, baked beans, pea shoots, mixed seeds & toast. Or, for a lighter dish you could try Smashed avocado, feta cheese and poached eggs.

The Blue Barbakan for Breakfast in York
34 Fossgate, York YO1 9TA
The Blue Barbakan is an independent restaurant based on Fossgate serving predominantly traditional Polish cuisine but with an extra multi european twist. We serve dishes strongly influenced by several different countries within Eastern Europe fused with others that have been taken from more of a Western European style. Everything, without exception, is made on the premises. For breakfast, to start with, kids eat free. They serve the usual Full English, or you could order an omelette (ham, mushroom and cheese, goat’s cheese, ham and roasted pepper). There are also pancakes and Polish toast (fried eggy sourdough with fried eggs and bacon – mmm!). Breakfast served till noon.
Cafe No 8
8 Gillygate, York YO31 7EQ
“Our small-but-beautiful bistro, Cafe No 8, is found on the busy and lively Gillygate in York. A street full of independent shops and businesses, it leads right into the heart of York through one of its ancient City gates.”
They provide breakfast options on a Friday and Saturday that include a Full Yorkshire Breakfast with dry-cured bacon, sausage, mushrooms, eggs “your way”, thyme roast tomatoes, black pudding and toast. They also do a Vegetarian version. Or try Baked eggs and soldiers with salmon, crème fraiche, capers and watercress. I also like the sound of French Toast – toasted brioche, blackcurrant compote, mascarpone cream.
Make sure you also look at our list of places for brunch in York.