Henshelwoods

You can find everything from fresh Longley Farm curds to Yorkshire-grown chillies on the shelves of this busy delicatessen, but for the visitor it's an excellent place to pick up a superior takeaway sandwich or a slice of homemade quiche. Ingredients, such as Mrs Appleby's Lancashire cheese and Whitby crab, are first-rate, as are the breads. Salad boxes are available in which you can mix 'n' match deli counter items and to which, if that feels a bit too virtuous, you can add a pork pie.
• Sandwiches from £2.35. 10 Newgate, +44 (0)1904 673877; deliyork.co.uk

Melton's Too 

A spin-off from chef Michael Hjort's well-regarded Melton's restaurant, 'MToo' sees the Hjort ethos - precise treatment of seasonal, local produce - applied in a more informal setting. A tastefully renovated 17th-century workshop, Melton's Too is nowadays split between a cosy ground-floor cafe-bar, first-floor bistro and further events space, the eating options evolving with the day. It is a great, sedate place to linger over a late breakfast (until 12.30pm). Try the light, creamy, intensely buttery scrambled eggs with stridently smoked Whitby salmon. Later, snack on tapas, or give the globally-inspired bistro dishes a spin. Typically, the menu might range from Peruvian beef dish, huatia, to roast squash and courgette ravioli with pesto. Express one-course lunch, £6.90, until 5pm. 
• Brunch/tapas dishes from £3; mains from £10.80. 25 Walmgate, +44 (0)1904 629222; meltonstoo.co.uk

J Baker's Bistro Moderne 

Be in no doubt, Jeff Baker takes his food very seriously. Its delivery, however, is fun and democratic. At lunch, thrill-seekers can cherry pick from a grazing menu of small and large plates, that proves a very cost-effective way of sampling food of real ambition and quality. At £6.95, Baker's signature Whitby crab salad - the crab accompanied by a citrussy, avocado creme fraiche "sorbet" and Indian spiced quavers - is, if not quite a steal, then certainly a very pleasant way to spend seven quid. The arrival, meanwhile, of an amuse bouche of tiny baked potatoes, served in a paper bag, alongside a little smoked salt and a generous slick of anchovy and black olive butter, is, at these prices, genuinely amusing. The service is warm and appealing, too.  
• Lunch dishes from £3.75. 7 Fossgate, +44 (0)1904 622688; jbakers.co.uk

The Hairy Fig 

The Fig claims it sells York's finest pork pie. Certainly, it is a mighty fine pastry product. Delivered fresh daily from the village of Bubwith - that is as much as the Fig will reveal - said pies feature supremely tasty, properly chunky mild-cured pork encased in supremely thin, crisp pastry. The Fig also sells Pieminister pies; its own cakes; various olives and cured meats; speciality breads baked in York; and Ampleforth cider (1 litre, £5.95), making it a great place to stock up for a picnic.  
• Pork pies from £1.30. 39 Fossgate, +44 (0)1904 677074; thehairyfig.co.uk.
 

Il Paradiso del Cibo 

With its scuffed lino, cheap, mix 'n' match furniture and Juventus memorabilia, Paolo Silesu's tiny Italian feels, quite deliberately, like some family-run back street restaurant in Turin or Rome. Silesu isn't interested in interior design, but in serving good, unfussy food at knockdown prices. Indeed, Il Paradiso has become something of a word-of-mouth sensation, not just among students enjoying £6.25 pizzas and pasta dishes, but local foodies, too. Look to the specials board for, say, a rustic plate of fat, perfectly cooked sardines, salad and red pesto (£4.50), or oven-baked sea bream with mussels and king prawns in a mixed herb, wine, garlic and lemon sauce (£11.50). Friendly, bright service, too.
 • Dishes from £3.95. 40 Walmgate, +44 (0)1904 611444

The Bar Convent Cafe 

The oldest working Roman Catholic convent in Britain, which "Welcomes visitors of ALL faiths and none", is also home to a useful cafe. The decor is a little drab and municipal, but the adjacent gardens and the tiled Victorian entrance hall lift the space. Choose from sensational cakes; interesting sandwiches (pastrami and sweet red pepper tapenade, for instance); simple, tasty eats like Welsh rarebit topped with caramelised onions; and daily specials such as beef bourguignon.
• Light lunches from £4.25, specials from £8.75. 17 Blossom Street, +44 (0)1904 464910; bar-convent.org.uk
 

The Pig & Pastry  

The locals' favourite for breakfast, brunch and (late) lunch, just outside the city walls, and thus off the natural tourist trail. It's an attractive space - big, chunky tables; a low counter laden with glossy, sexy cakes; huge plumes of dried peppers hanging in the windows - which chef-owner Steve Holding ensures delivers on its appetising promise. Squeeze on the end of a table, and tuck into good, crowd-pleasing dishes like pork belly cassoulet or Bleiker's kippers with brown bread. Attentive cooking and first-rate local ingredients mean that even the simplest items shine. The Pig's bacon butties, for instance, are exemplary.   
• Sandwiches from £3, meals around £5-8. 35 Bishopthorpe Road, +44 (0)1904 675115
 

Cafe No.8 Bistro 

This buzzy, casual eaterie has the looks of a 1930s diner, complete with Ella Fitzgerald jazzing it up over the PA. Thankfully, however, the food is thoroughly 21st-century. The emphasis is on Yorkshire ingredients, sensitively treated. Whether you're just dropping in for a bowl of soup - a warming, gently fiery Indian spiced tomato and ginger, say - or a 21-day aged steak with chips and a Yorkshire blue sauce, expect cooking shot through with a quiet, self-confident flare. Look out for the guest beers, like Rudgate's Camra champion, Ruby mild (£3.60).  
• Daytime dishes from £4.95. 8 Gillygate, +44 (0)1904 653074; cafeno8.co.uk
 

Goji 

For years, El Piano - an elaborately tiled, tapas-dispensing slice of Andalusia in Yorkshire (tapas dishes £3.95; 15-17 Grape Lane, +44 (0)1904 610676; el-piano.com) - has ruled the local vegetarian scene. Now, there is a new kidney bean on the block, Goji delicatessen and cafe. Taking a less eccentric line than its erstwhile competitor, Goji is good for soups, quiches, homebaked cakes (including a decent waffle with hot chocolate sauce and ice-cream). The speciality cafetiere coffees, however, were a disappointment.  
• Snacks from £1.50, larger dishes from £7.25. 36 Goodramgate, +44 (0)1904 622614; gojicafe.co.uk
 

Le Langhe  

Located on one of York's less historic streets, just up the road from Allied Carpets, it would be easy to overlook Le Langhe. For local foodies, however, this deli-cafe is one of the city's most breathtaking sights. It is a treasure trove of artisan Italian produce - cured meats, imported cheeses, buckets of glistening olives and phalanxes of wine and olive oil cover every available surface. It can get expensive, particularly Thu-Sat evenings, when Le Langhe morphs into a restaurant proper. But, by day, you can pick up a fantastic sandwich – for instance, tart, smoky speck with rocket on a springy, chewy ciabatta from Le Langhe's bakery (£2.95) – or head into the elegant dining room for simple hot dishes, salads, and meat and cheese platters. 
• Starters from £3.95, pasta £8.95. The Old Coach House, Peasholme Green, +44 (0)1904 622584; lelanghe.co.uk
 
• Tony travelled to York with Northern Rail. 

This article was updated on 1 May 2012