Bistro Number 8

Gillygate, just outside the city walls, is emerging as a charming street of individual enterprise, and Number 8 is a prime example. A cheerful little cafe by day for breakfast, sandwiches, soups & salads, it transforms itself at night into an intimate neighbourhood bistro. Sausage & mash, gorgonzola & mascarpone tart, & grilled chicken with coriander & lime suggest the range of main courses, with simple starters & sticky puds at either end. The kitchen is too small for much more ambition, but any shortfall in sophistication is compensated for by oodles of warmth & character. Tables in the leafy split-level garden at the back expand the operation in summer.