Cafe No 8 Bistro in York celebrates 24 years in business

Café No.8 Bistro in Gillygate is a neighbourhood bistro known for its fine dining and seasonal menus and said to be one of the best in the city.

Highly acclaimed by diners, it has 4.7 stars out of five on Google, based on 544 reviews.

Tripadvisor awards 4.6 stars out of five, based on 1,871 reviews, ranking it 13th out of 800 York restaurants.

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Run by Chris Pragnell and Martin Gore, the café which opened in 2002 says it has stood the test of time thanks to Chris and Martin each playing to their strengths.

Chris shapes the culinary vision in the kitchen, and Martin leads the Front of House. Together, they say they have become a force to be reckoned with.

Chris said: “The hospitality sector has become a lot more competitive in York. Staying open is far more challenging than it was 24 years ago. But Martin and I believe Café No.8 continues to thrive because we put the customer experience before profit.

“We recognise as an informal fine dining restaurant that our pricing is not comparable to say a chain restaurant yet is modest compared to a traditional fine-dining setting.

“We keep our pricing as reasonable as we can ensuring we never compromise on the quality of the ingredients we buy. We source seasonally, and everything is made from scratch in our small on-site kitchen.

“As a result, our menus change regularly, our environmental impact stays low, and our customers get to experience new and exciting dishes every time they visit us.”

Chris says this has helped the bistro develop a loyal following of locals and tourists alike.

He further explained: “We don’t hike up our prices at Christmas or Valentine’s Day. It may not make business sense to some, but we find if our customers have a positive experience with us, the likelier they are to return and recommend us to other – this takes precedence.”

Café No.8 employs a small team of eight, with Chris’ son, Ian working with him in the kitchen who has become a young talented chef.

In recent months, the bistro has pivoted to introduce new changes to the bistro, including being open during the evenings and Sunday Lunch times only to create a better work-life balance for everyone within the business.

The venue has also relaunched its on-site art exhibitions with local artists as well as introduced more dishes to cater for different dietary requirements in preferences.

Martin said: “There’s been a real shift in recent years, with more people choosing meat‑free diets or feeling more confident dining out as allergen‑aware options become more widely available.

“We don’t market ourselves as a specialist dietary‑requirements restaurant, but it is something we can potentially cater for. If customers do have specific needs, we simply ask that they let us know in advance so we can prepare properly.

“For example, a couple recently told us one of them was gluten‑free and wanted to join us for Sunday Lunch. Because they gave us notice, we were able to make a gluten‑free Yorkshire pudding, which, from what they told us, is quite rare to get with a gluten-free Sunday Roast.”

Looking to the future, Chris and Martin now have aspirations to secure Michelin Guide recognition for Café No.8 Bistro.

Martin added: “We’re proud to have achieved many awards over the years, and being recognised by the Michelin Guide would really be the icing on the cake. We’re hopeful that by this time next year we’ll have news to share, and we’re committed to working hard to reach that goal.

“The general feeling among the team is that we offer something genuinely unique: removing the pretence from fine dining and creating a relaxed experience that feels welcoming to all.”

To find out more, visit: www.cafeno8.co.uk