YORK is not short of snack spots. Some are part of national chains, others somewhat anonymous.

It is always a delight to find a venue where the owner is so obviously in attendance. This is true of Coffee Culture.

From the outside the caf appears small. True. However, there are two floors above street level. Pity the Polish waitress who has the stairs to climb all day.

The menu is fairly standard for a venue of this size. However, having seen the proprietor shopping, most of the food appears to be locally sourced.

Your day could start with a breakfast sandwich (£2.50-£3.50), then move on to a range of coffees starting at £1.40 and iced or hot tea at the same price.

There was a tremendous demand for both banana and strawberry smoothies (£2.35) during my visit.

Lunchtime salads, sandwiches or melts abound. Vegetarians are catered for with a tricolore, comprising vine tomato, buffalo mozzarella, avocado and basil.

The venue was busy with both seated snackers and customers taking food out.

But whatever their needs, everyone received the same warm, friendly greeting. Some people were clearly regulars.

Although soup (£2.95) was on the menu, it was far too hot to indulge when I visited.

I was desperate for a drink, and a pot of tea and fresh milk quickly appeared. In due course I asked for the teapot to be topped up with water and this presented no problem.

The day's specials included a bacon and brie baguette (£3.25) and tuna, bacon or chicken melts (up to £3.50).

A toasted teacake (£1.40) satisfied my initial hunger which was eventually dispelled by a Danish pastry (£1.35).

All food is prepared to order. The delay between ordering and delivery depends entirely on how busy the staff are. However, the quality and value of the food is worth the wait.

Ground floor tables have high stools that could make it an uncomfortable venue for anyone in a wheelchair. Be warned, the toilet is up a narrow steep staircase.