greffe's Qype profile

This is strictly for the tea rooms, where I found the lunch options bland, sandwiches on less-than-fresh bread with very average fillings, all packaged as high tea and costing really inordinate prices. Nothing I tasted, from start to finish, including cakes to finish, justified Betty’s special reputation and the constant queues (tourists to York must be a bit gullible).
Either they changed the menu or it’s listed separately, but I’m nearly certain they served a special 'champagne tea’ costing £50. Absolutely shameless.
The bakery has higher standards, and is certainly good for some local specialities, but that’s takeaway and not part of this review.

Il Paradiso del Cibo serves some of the finest Italian food I’ve tasted anywhere, even compared to ones in a completely different price league. The atmosphere is unpretentious and playful, and the pasta and pizza always tastes fresh and immensely flavourful. I want to make sauces like theirs myself.
I particularly enjoy the spicy dishes with seafood, and they do have vegetarian options. It’s a good idea to come on the early side for lunch as Il Paradiso has been discovered and tends to fill up later in the lunch hour. I think Walmgate is the only neighbourhood with good lunch spots in town (a few doors down is the awesome Barbakan deli). Don’t even think about queuing at Pizza Hut when you could eat here.

Having moved house a few weeks ago, I miss the Barbakan deli most of all the restaurants we tried in York. First of all, the owners make their own bread, in their own oven, with the dedication it takes to bake, very early in the morning, in all seasons (I know how dough reacts to temperature and so on). Then, the ingredients used to make sandwiches are invariably scrumptious and harmonious. We also miss the getting picnic makings here, especially the marinated tomatoes and red peppers. Along with the outstanding and reasonably priced sandwiches (how can anyone but a misguided tourist spend lunch money on the dry, tasteless, exorbitantly-priced fare at pretentious tearooms in the centre when Walmgate is only a five minute walk from Parliament St.?)...
they also have awesome coffee--Illy espresso, cappuccino, latte and so on. The Polish and other international products in the shop are also very nice, from a wide range of cuisines, and as far as I knew, it’s the only place in York that sells kefir.
The only lunch choice in York even in the same league is Il Paradiso del Cibo, just a few doors up, doing pizza and pasta. The Barbakan, however, is my personal flavour gem, and can’t be replaced :(

Today I drove to Hereford intending to go to Doughty’s, and ended up luckily parking in front of Badder Fabric, where I found everything I needed for my project. The staff were really helpful and gave a discount in view of a small mark on the fabric I needed.
Upstairs there’s also a remnants section worth checking out; I found a beautiful fabric on sale that I can’t wait to use.
The shop is a stone’s throw from Hereford’s pedestrian shopping area. I’m sure I’ll be back at Badder sometime soon.