Bettys – York’s Most Famous Café Tea Room

At Bettys, Teas and Meals Are Served in the Traditional English Style:

If you’re looking to enjoy some Yorkshire tea whilst in York, one of the most famous York tea rooms is Bettys Café Tea Rooms. Bettys is a family business that has been in existence for over 90 years and they serve teas and meals in the traditional English style.

There are six Bettys Café Tea Rooms in Yorkshire and two of them are in the historic centre of York.  The main Bettys York branch is right on St. Helen’s Square and Little Bettys is on medieval Stonegate, not too far from York Minster.

Bettys York branch is said to be its most sophisticated branch so far and it has an interesting story behind its creation.

When Frederick Belmont, the founder of Bettys, travelled on the maiden voyage of the Queen Mary in 1936 he was so impressed by the splendour of the ship that he commissioned the Queen Mary’s designers and craftsmen to transform a dilapidated furniture store in St. Helen’s Square to what is Bettys today. The Belmont Room on the first floor was inspired by one of the Queen Mary’s state rooms.

Having tea at Bettys is like being in a tea room scene in an Agatha Christie movie.  Young waitresses in black floor length skirts and white aprons wait on the tables. Your cakes and sandwiches are served on silver cake stands or, you can ask the waitress to bring the cake trolley to your table so you can select from the day’s spread.

Although called a tea room, Bettys serves meals at its café tea rooms and you can even order champagne.  Bettys also has its own range of handmade Bettys Chocolates. They also sell specialty coffees and teas, preserves and all kinds of sweet treats which you can buy on-line.

We wanted to have lunch at Little Bettys but were told that there was a waiting time of at least 20 minutes. The main St. Helen’s Square branch was just as busy. So, unfortunately we didn’t get to sample their famous Yorkshire Fat Rascal, a plump and fruity scone served warm with butter.  On the positive side, we probably saved ourselves from a few thousand calories.

About a million customers visit Bettys each year which says something about their success. However, if you’re on a diet, it’s not safe to stray into Bettys.

Address:
Bettys York
6-8 St. Helen’s Square
York, YO1 8QP
Website: www.bettys.co.uk

York City Map:

York, North Yorkshire YO1 8QP, UK

Things to do in York

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