Bettys Cafe Tea Rooms
Amidst the hustle and bustle of twenty first century life there is much to be said for regressing backwards in time to a period of greater style and class. Having been ushered in to this idiom through the delightful Train Museum in York, where to eat was never in question. Bettys, https://www.bettys.co.uk/cafe-tea-rooms/our-locations/bettys-york is a Yorkshire institution celebrating its centenary year and still achieving a high level of excellence both in service and fare. The back story in itself is inspiring, a young Swiss baker and confectioner, Fritz Butzer, arrived in England penniless, jobless and unable to speak a word of English yet having a dream to establish his own business. By 1919 the first Bettys had opened in Harrogate and the legacy and family ownership continue.
The staff are all elegant in their black and whites with their monogrammed aprons and there is always a queue but we are quickly seated, much to the delight of our little rascals, in the sun streamed ground floor classically framed with stained glass. The ever popular afternoon tea is in full swing with stylish cake stands adorned with mini sandwiches, scones and pastries. I prefer, first, to delve in to the Swiss influence on the menu and opt for the Bacon & Raclette Rosti. This Swiss classic contains grated potatoes which is shallow fried with gruyere cheese, cream and bacon and topped with melted raclette cheese. This was hearty and satisfying although the potato could have been slightly crispier for my taste. The good lady went for the smoked salmon equivalent which was given the thumbs up treatment. However, this is only a side show to the main appeal of Bettys which is the home baking and particularly the cakes. The famous cake trolley was still being replenished which did not deter us for the task in hand. I chose the rhubarb and ginger frangipane which was deliciously moist with the subtle tartness of the rhubarb off set by the almond and sugar mix of the frangipane. Again, the good lady chose similarly but this time with the raspberry and pistachio frangipane which was dispatched rapidly accompanied by the appropriate noises. Our five year old devoured the Swiss chocolate tart in record time so no words needed there.
So the moral of the story is, when in York visit Bettys, especially if you have a sweet tooth.
