Betty is a Yorkshire institution and not to missed if you are visiting York. Established by Fritz Bützer, who later became Frederick Belmont, a Swiss confectioner and chocolatier in Harrogate in 1919. The York branch of Betty’s opened in 1937 as York was fast becoming the confectionary capital of Britain.
The Betty’s tea rooms on St Helen’s Square were modelled on the interior of the RMS Queen Mary whose maiden voyage Frederick and his wife were on in 1936.
A visit to Betty’s is like stepping back in time with the staff members wearing traditional black and white outfits with aprons and tea served in silver tea pots.
York previously had 2 branches of Betty’s, the St Helen’s Square site and Little Bettys on Stonegate. Little Betty’s in now closed but St Helen’s Square is still as busy as ever.
The Restaurant:
The tea rooms on the ground and lower ground floors do not require a booking. On busier days there can be a long queue outside but Betty’s manage the queue well and will even bring umbrellas out during bad weather. The queue usually moves fairly quickly.
The first floor is the Belmont Room which accepts bookings for afternoon tea and where you can eat whilst listening to a pianist and watching the city of York go by.
The ground floor is also home to the shop where you can buy your favourite cakes or tea blends to take home with you. The shop has a separate queue from the tea rooms.
The Food:
The menu at Betty’s is seasonal and changes depending on what fresh ingredients are available, it includes breakfast and brunch served up until 11am, sandwiches, cooked meals, cakes, cream teas or full afternoon tea. If you aren’t too full then you can also choose from the dessert trolley that is brought to your table after your meal.
There is a huge tea menu to choose from with blends from around the world or coffees if tea is not your thing. You can also opt for a soft drink, one of their delicious milkshakes or an alcoholic drink.
Afternoon Tea:
You can choose off the menu but if you would like to experience the full Bettys Afternoon Tea then this will include a selection of sandwiches, scones with jam and cream and a selection of small cakes. The cakes and sandwiches will change depending on the season and are brought out on a traditional tea stand. This is all accompanied by one of Bettys own tea blends. This can be booked in the Belmont Room or chosen from the main menu in the Tea Rooms
Go everywhere, Do everything 