Cafe No.8 Bistro

We had a delightful, delicious birthday dinner at cafe 8. Our meal included the spiced pigeon breast with poppadom crust, seared fresh mackerel, spiced cauliflower and paneer cheese filo parcel with pistachio crumb and spiced sweet potato and blackberry posset with elderflower mascarpone, meringue and almonds. Everything was seasoned and cooked to perfection. The service was excellent too. I t will be part of any visit to York.

A charming spot at Gillygate, Café No.8 Bistro is perfect for a cosy meal. The atmosphere was relaxed and welcoming, and service was warm and attentive. I remembered how enjoyable the dining experience was; everything, from the plating to the flavours, was handled with care and creativity. It’s the kind of place that delivers quality and value without fuss!

Food was fantastic. Good attention to detail to flavours and presentation, very tasty vegetarian options too. Came quickly. Customer service was also very good - all staff were friendly and attentive. General atmosphere could use some work - it seems very understated but maybe that's the appeal. I think some extra colours and photographable features may help bring attention to the place. Overall enjoyed the experience and would come again.

We both had a lovely meal to celebrate our anniversary. A "proper restaurant" that strikes exactly the right balance of doing excellent food, without feeling too formal. They also have vegetarian and gluten-free options which is good on a small menu. Excellent wine, starters, mains and desserts.

I visited Cafe No 8 before Covid and really loved the food. They shorten their operation hours after Covid and we finally made it for Sunday lunch today. We had a starter, mains and dessert. The food was just as good as I remembered. Service was good too. This place just celebrated their 20 years' anniversary in York which tells you that they got to be good to last that long given the ultra competitive food scene here. The food was of top quality, refined and cooked with care. We had beef and pork tenderloin and they were so tender. The potatoes were roasted perfectly. And we had a selection of vegetables (Broccolini, Parsnip, Carrots, Spring Onions etc) not over cooked like many places. And I was so glad to try the Dark Belgian Chocolate Truffle with Black Sesame Ice Cream. I love black sesame ice cream but is a rarity to find them in York. I wish I could buy a tub of their black sesame ice cream and bring it home. If you are looking for a place with a relaxed atmosphere, serving non-pretentious and delicious food, I recommend Cafe No 8 Bistro.

Fantastic restaurant. Really interesting and varied menu. Food is beautifully presented and tastes amazing. Staff are very friendly. So pleased to have found Bistrot no. 8 and will definitely be back.

Martin was lovely! He greeted me by name at the door, and since we were traveling through the UK for our honeymoon he gave my wife and I each a free glass of champagne. We had a pleasant chat with him about our travels and life, and he was mindful as to not be overbearing and let my wife and I have time to chat amongst ourselves. We had the steak and halloumi chips and both were about the best we've ever had! Great experience all around.

We enjoyed a lovely early evening meal here and would highly recommend. A small but interesting menu, high quality ingredients, beautifully cooked and presented. Add the welcoming atmosphere and great service and you really can't go wrong. House wine is outstanding too! Will definitely return on our next visit to York.

Great stop for a quick bite and a local brew of course! Tired tourists needing refreshments and we were treated very well indeed.

Good god, people. Eat here. I don't often leave reviews on Yelp (see my profile) but I must praise this unassuming restaurant. I found myself taking smaller and smaller bites hoping to extend the experience of eating the most savory dinner and no matter how small, each bite exploded with flavor. Do yourself a favor. Eat here.

We came here for a quick lunch and the food was fantastic. However I feel I cannot give 5 stars since I the prices were fairly high for small portions. It felt slightly pretentious. I went for the goats cheese and pesto on a toast which left me wanting more. This was because of two main reasons. 1 it was absolutely fantastic. 2 I was still hungry. For the £8 I spent (one of the cheaper options) I only got 1 piece of toast which was a little disappointing. The actual bistro is very cute and has a pretty garden out the back.

Recommended in a few local lists but distinctly overrated as far as Sunday lunch is concerned. Too at least 10 mins to get menus then longer to get served. Only then did they mention that it might take longer to get served because they were switching to lunch menu. Starters of soup and bread basket were actually pretty good but beef roast mains were distinctly average and relatively expensive. Meat was fine but gravy was too cold and not enough of it. Yorkshire puddings didn't do the county proud and were too dry. Likewise the roast potatoes were sub par and veg too soft. They might have got away with all this with more attentive staff who noticed our disappointment but as it was, they didn't. Too bad - we won't be going back. As a postscript, it looks like it could be really nice in summer with the garden out back.

Our daughter never wanted to taste chicken livers or pate, she begrudgingly tried mine and ate most of it--astonishing. The roast beef and pig platter were delicious. Can't wait to go back, an unexpected delight.