Breakfast, brunch and 2-4-1 cocktails in York — all in one place
Most places in York make you pick a lane — a breakfast spot, a brunch spot, or a bar. At Zest on Whip-Ma-Whop-Ma-Gate, the full breakfast and brunch menu and 2-4-1 cocktails run at the same time, every day the doors are open — no set brunch hours, no cocktail cut-off.
All-day breakfast, brunch and cocktails — no cut-off
The full breakfast and brunch menu is served every day from 9am until the kitchen closes at 4pm, and the bar stays open until 6pm Monday to Saturday (4pm on Sunday). Alongside it, 2-4-1 cocktails run all day, every day, with no cocktail-hour restriction and no minimum group size. That means a Full English and an Espresso Martini at half past ten on a Tuesday is exactly as normal an order as a round of Bellinis with brunch on a Saturday afternoon.
This isn’t a set-time package or a fixed-price deal — it’s simply how the menu works, all day. You order what you want, when you want it, and keep going for as long as you’re at the table. For anyone weighing up whether Zest fits the plan — breakfast meeting that might run long, a birthday that starts with pancakes, or a weekday treat after a stressful morning — that flexibility is the actual selling point, more than any one dish or drink.
What to order together
These are genuine pairings from Zest’s own menu, not a fixed set menu — mix and match as you like. Prices shown are per drink; cocktails and fizz are 2-4-1 on any two of the same order.
Full English + Espresso Martini / £13.95
Zest's Full English is the most talked-about dish on the breakfast menu, and it holds up even during a busy morning rush. Pair it with an Espresso Martini — vodka, coffee liqueur and a shot of espresso, shaken until frothy — and you've got a proper wake-up in a glass alongside a proper cooked breakfast. Order two Espresso Martinis between two people and it's 2-4-1.
Mediterranean Breakfast or Avocado & Poached Eggs + Peach Bellini / £10
For something lighter, the Mediterranean breakfast and the avocado and poached eggs with chilli jam are the two dishes that come up most often from people who don't want a heavy plate. Alongside a Peach Bellini (D.O.C. Prosecco, peach, dash of soda) it's a lighter, brighter combination that suits a slower Saturday or a warm-weather booking on the rooftop.
Brunch Stack or Morning Melt + Aperol Spritz / £12
The brunch stack and the Morning Melt are built for sharing a table with friends rather than eating quickly and moving on — which makes them a natural match for an Aperol Spritz (D.O.C. Prosecco, Aperol Aperitivo, dash of soda). It's the pairing that suits brunch running into early afternoon rather than a quick stop.
Vegetarian & Vegan Brunch + Classic Mimosa / £10
Zest's breakfast and brunch menus both carry a proper vegetarian and vegan selection, not an afterthought — and a Classic Mimosa (D.O.C. Prosecco, fresh orange) is the easiest all-rounder to pair alongside any of them, veggie, vegan or otherwise. It's the safest order for a group where everyone's eating something different but wants the same drink.
Breakfast stack + Raspberry Bellini or Hugo Spritz
For anyone after something sweeter than a cooked plate, Zest's breakfast stack pairs well with either a Raspberry Bellini / £10 (D.O.C. Prosecco, raspberry, dash of soda) for a fruitier match, or a Hugo Spritz / £12 (D.O.C. Prosecco, Gordon's London Dry Gin, elderflower, fresh mint, dash of soda) if you'd rather something drier. Both work equally well at 10am or 2pm — this pairing doesn't keep office hours.
Rooftop or downstairs, your call
Every pairing above works the same whether you’re sat downstairs at the bar or up on the rooftop terrace looking out over York’s rooftops — the full breakfast, brunch and cocktail menu runs in both spaces, and 2-4-1 applies wherever you’re sitting. The rooftop is the better call for a longer, slower visit or when the weather’s on your side; downstairs suits a quicker breakfast or a booking when the terrace is full. Neither space is the “proper” one — it’s genuinely down to what kind of visit you’re planning. Being two minutes from the Shambles and a short walk from Parliament Street and St Sampson’s Square also makes Zest an easy stop to build a morning around — food and a drink here, then straight into the rest of a day exploring the city centre, rather than having to plan a separate stop for each.
Who this combination suits
This is honestly best suited to a slow Saturday or Sunday morning with a friend or two, a small celebration that starts with breakfast and doesn’t want to stop there, a catch-up that’s allowed to run long, or a first visit to York where one stop for food and a proper drink beats splitting the day between a café and a bar. It also works well for anyone finishing up work for the day and treating themselves to something better than a quick coffee. What it isn’t is a fixed-time bottomless package — there’s no set slot, no time limit to order within, and no minimum spend. It’s built around ordering a round at a time, at your own pace, for as long as the table’s yours. If you’re part of a larger group, get in touch with us at Zest to book a table — Zest in York is a great place to start your party. We keep things relaxed, friendly and welcoming, so if you’re after an all-day breakfast, brunch and cocktail menu, come and visit us — we’re just next to St Crux Church.
Start your party at Zest
If you’re visiting York for the day, or the whole weekend, and want somewhere to kick things off, Zest is built for exactly that. A proper breakfast or brunch alongside 2-4-1 cocktails sets you up for a full day of sightseeing, shopping or just wandering the city — and if it’s an evening out you’re planning instead, starting here means you’re fed, watered and in the mood before you’ve even left the table. Whether it’s a birthday, a reunion with old friends, a hen or stag weekend, or just a group of you making the most of a trip to York, Zest is a genuinely good place to start your party. Being right in the heart of the city centre — with York Minster, Clifford’s Tower, the city walls and Coppergate all within easy walking distance — means wherever your day or night takes you next, you’re never far from the table you started at.
Good to know before you visit
Is this a bottomless brunch package?
No. There's no set time slot, table package or bottomless deal — it's the full breakfast and brunch menu plus 2-4-1 cocktails, available all day, ordered a round at a time for as long as you're at the table.
Do I need to book a table?
Walk-ins are always welcome. Booking is a good idea for weekends and for the rooftop terrace specifically, since that's the space that fills up first.
Can I get non-alcoholic pairings too?
Yes — mocktails, soft drinks and hot drinks are all available alongside the full breakfast and brunch menu, so the food pairings above work just as well without alcohol.
What time can I start ordering cocktails with breakfast?
From opening at 9am every day until the kitchen closes at 4pm — cocktails carry on at the bar until we close. There's no cocktail-hour cut-off and no need to wait until a certain time of day.
Can I book for a group?
Yes, groups are welcome for breakfast or brunch with drinks — it's worth calling ahead for anything larger than a table of four or five so the team can seat you properly, especially on the rooftop. This is a standard group booking rather than a set event package, so the same all-day menu and 2-4-1 pricing applies.
Visit Zest for breakfast, brunch and cocktails in York
Whether you’re after a leisurely breakfast in York, a relaxed brunch in York, or 2-4-1 cocktails to go with either, Zest brings it all together on one all-day menu. Pull up a stool at our cocktail bar, or see the full menu for everything on offer.
Menu prices and pairing suggestions shown above are taken from our current food and drinks menus and may vary — please check with your server for the latest availability.