Do you have a favourite coffee shop in York?

There may be a handful you like to visit often for a latte, flat white or cappuccino whether on a solo date or an afternoon catch-up with friends and family.

With a mixture of popular corporate chains and unique independent cafes, coffee shops are essential to the local culture and community of our high streets.

So with the demand for coffee only growing, where is the best spot in the UK to find it?

Inspired by this, the experts at Reviva Coffee sought to investigate which UK city is the best for independent coffee shops, by analysing independents as a proportion of total coffee shops.

Within the top rankings, York was named among the best, but why? Let’s find out.

Why is York among the UK’s best cities for independent coffee shops?

The city was ranked just outside of the top 10, in 11th place with a total of 176 independent coffee shops.

Out of all coffee shops in the area, 85% were found to be independent and not part of a chain.

The data conducted by Reviva Coffee also found that York has 31 chain coffee shops (15%).

This means there is a total of 207 coffee shops both independent and as part of a chain located across the city.

Top 10 UK cities for independent coffee shops

Take a look at our interactive map below to discover the UK’s top 10 cities for independent coffee shops:

The research by Reviva Coffee revealed the best UK city to find independent coffee shops is Leeds.

Leeds is a “hidden gem” for the UK’s thriving coffee culture, as 86.3% (584) of coffee shops here are independent, and just under 14% are chains.

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Placing second is Edinburgh. Whether you’re a coffee connoisseur or just needing a cosy pit stop, Edinburgh has you covered with its outstanding coffee scene - with 85% of coffee shops counted for being independent (560).

In third for best UK cities for independent coffee shops is Bristol. Known for its vibrant identity, brimming with creativity and colour, 86.3% of the coffee shops in the area are independent (347).

Additionally, in fourth place is Brighton and Hove, with a whopping 90% of coffee shops being independent (329), and in fifth is Sheffield, with 85% of coffee shops being independent (314).