A York cafe is serving up an exciting twist on brunch – and it’s going down a treat.
Days Cafe is making its mark in the York hospitality scene. After taking over the previous two Lucky Days locations on Parliament Street and Low Petergate, this summer has seen the launch and opening of Days Cafe.
The cafe is aiming to bring a “relaxed, friendly atmosphere, fresh food, great coffee, and great service” and is serving up twists on familiar dishes that you won’t find elsewhere in the city.
YorkMix spoke to head chef Martin Stones and manager Jade Ewan to find out more.
The menu serves breakfast and brunch dishes all day, and features “variations on the classics”.
“We have the classics of a full English breakfast, sides of homemade hash browns – which you won’t see anywhere anymore,” explained head chef Martin, “through to things like chicken and waffles, and pork belly Benedicts with Gochujang Hollandaise.”
Some of the menu highlights include the Chicken Schnitzel Poached Eggs (£11.50), with homemade crispy chicken on sweet Belgian-style waffle, with maple syrup and Sriracha sauce, which is an intense mix of sweet, salty and spicy.
One of the bestsellers is the Smashed Avocado Fritter (£10.95), a sweetcorn and halloumi fritter with smashed avocado, poached egg and Sumac-spiced yoghurt.
One of the must-try dishes is the Creme Brulee French Toast (£10.95), which features butter-baked Brioche smothered in classic creme brulee and fruit – complete with a caramelised sugar crust. The first bite will send you to a taste sweet sensation! “You won’t find this anywhere else in York.”
The lunch menu, served from 12pm, includes filled and open Focaccia sandwiches, light bites like a Ploughman’s lunch (£10.95) and Doorstop toastie (£6.50), and freshly made salads.
And make sure you leave room the coffee and cake! The cakes are homemade by local independent baker Beth Bakes Cakes.
In the kitchen, there is a team of six across two sites on Parliament Street and Low Petergate.
The cafe recently received a five-star food hygiene rating.
“I’m an experienced chef, so for me it’s something that’s expected,” said Martin. “It’s the bare minimum of what kitchens should have.
“We’ve been in here nine months, so a lot of hard work from the owners to the kitchen porters, the chefs, front of house – everyone is involved to make sure that we are clean, tidy, organised and welcoming.”
The team at Days Cafe are keen to establish their own brand, and to encourage visitors who were familiar with its previous iteration to come and give them a try.
“They always knew it as something else,” he said. “We’d like to think we’ve made a good impression on the changes.
“We’ve had some great feedback on the menus.
“It was a slow start for us getting things right, but we think we’re there now – and the reviews online show that as well,” said Martin.
Days Cafe currently has a 4.3 out of five rating on TripAdvisor out of 44 reviews.
One review from Grace D says ‘Stunning breakfast, we like to try new breakfast spots all the time and this one did not disappoint! Service was fab, they couldn’t do enough for us.’
Another from Mitch H reads ‘Great vibes and a great breakfast! We stopped in for a bite to eat and loved our experience here. The food was fantastic and we’ll definitely be going back.’
Brian M said ‘The staff were outstanding all happy and very polite…I had the pork belly eggs Benedict which was absolutely outstanding…can’t recommend enough.‘
“People didn’t know what they were walking into,” continued Jade, “and now people are realising it has changed for the better.”
After months of hard work, the team are looking forward to what’s to come.
“We can see some light at the end of the tunnel,” said Martin. “It’s been hard graft to get to where we are but we have a fantastic ownership team, management team, front of house and kitchen team.
“I think all the pieces have fallen into place at the right time, just as we’re building up to Restaurant Week and Christmas.”
Martin said that visitors should come and try Days Cafe because “we provide fresh food that is value for money, friendly, great service, and the location in town where you’re centralised for everything you’d want to be.”
Days Cafe on Parliament Street has a bustling downstairs seating area and outdoor terrace. It’s a licensed cafe so why not enjoy a glass of wine or Brew York beer in the sunshine?
For those who prefer a quieter, cosier, coffee stop, make sure to head upstairs – it’s a haven for those wanting to escape the rush of the city centre.
The cafes are dog-friendly, have high-chairs and baby-changing facilities, and has wi-fi if you’re looking for an ambient space to get some work done.
Martin emphasises the importance of treating every person who comes through the doors with excellence of every aspect.
“Now because money’s so hard to come by, it’s a treat,” said Martin. “One thing we try to do is make sure that we understand it’s a treat, and we treat you like it’s a special occasion – even if it’s just a bite to eat while you go shopping.”
Days Cafe is open on Parliament Street and Low Petergate every day from 9am to 5:30pm, and open until 8pm on Fridays and Saturdays. Stay up to date at their Instagram page here.
