Partisan
York, North Yorkshire
Don’t be put off if you see queues outside this clever independent café on Micklegate. It’s a sure sign that something good is going on here and the chances are the queue is made up of customers popping in to buy from the shop: sourdough loaves, chocolate babka, fruit tarts, cakes, croissants. If you want to eat in (they now take bookings), there are two smallish rooms, upstairs and down, with scrubbed pine tables and mismatched chairs. It’s relaxed, informal and a bit bohemian – with furniture and original artwork all for sale. Happily, since lockdown, a large marquee in the back garden allows for more diners and while it’s not as pretty as indoors, you are here for the food. The menu goes big on brunch. Not only your full English, full veggie and full vegan (all done beautifully), but also a scallop and bacon butty in a brioche bun, and never-off-the-menu Persian eggs scrambled with spinach, onion, dates and dukkah. 'Eggs in purgatory' are baked in a skillet with 'nduja-infused tomato sauce, then finished with melted Parmesan still bubbling from the grill. Brunch segues into lunch proper with a soup, and a daily special of aubergine Parmigiana, shakshuka or perhaps Korean bibimbap. All this is the drive and vision of Florencia Clifford whose Scottish, French and Italian heritage have inspired her cooking – along with time spent in the US where she learned that good food need not be complicated. As a result, dishes are simple and delicious, yet have a global reach. They sing with world flavours and make best use of seasonal produce from an impressive roll call of local suppliers. Note: no longer open in the evenings.
Dining Information:
Outdoor dining, Wheelchair access, Family friendly, Dog friendly
112 Micklegate, York, North Yorkshire YO1 6JX
01904 629866
