Goji Cafe — Restaurant in England

I came to Goji cafe expecting big things, hearing it's reputation as "the best veggie restaurant in York" and I was not disappointed. I ordered the Mushroom and Halloumi burger, and I would absolutely recommend this as it was gorgeous, as were the sweet potato wedges that came as an accompaniment. My partner's quinoa burger was also very nice, but not as good as my burger! We concluded our lunch out with sharing a slice of chocolate cake that was so good I considered ordering another slice just for me.

The building of Goji Cafe is very unique and full of character, definitely an unconventional yet quirky place to host a restaurant. Additionally, I thought the local art on display and available for purchase scattered through the building was a lovely touch.

The staff at Goji were informative and very friendly, delivering a fast but effective service with a smile throughout. You could tell all the servers were slightly tired however, and I think everyone would've benefited with having a few more hands on deck.

Ultimately, my only criticisms lie with the pricing of the menu, while under £10 for a lovely burger and wedges is a great deal (especially in York), the portion of wedges seemed slightly disappointing and left me feeling not entirely full. Additionally while the cake was delicious, I thought £3+ for 1 slice was slightly on the expensive end of cakes I have bought.

Considering the majority of the customers were clearly students, it was slightly disappointing to see Goji offered no student discount or lunch set deal (perhaps including a main, slice of cake and drink for £12-15 or something) and I think it could highly benefit from this.

However, do not let my minor criticisms take away from the wonders that this vegetarian hive has to offer, and it is an absolute must-go for any vegetarian or vegan seeking a meal...

After our lunch at the restaurant I bought 2 slices of cake for my friend and myself. As she placed each slice on a plate the waitress used her hand to position each piece. She was not wearing disposable gloves. I pointed out to her that she should not directly touch food at point of service and she replied that they all wash their hands. I said that the food standards body were unlikely to be sympathetic to that view. She took my bank card which has been through many hands and has never been washed, and waited for one of her colleagues to complete a transaction While I was waiting one of the other waitresses put her hand in her hair, another placed a finger in her mouth. When I returned to my table the third waitress at the till area placed her fingers inside her skirt belt touching her bottom. None washed their hands. I understand that McDonalds have higher hygiene standards.

Goji is a nice restaurant with good food, a pleasant atmosphere and decor with polite, friendly and wholly untrained staff. If they scratch their hair and bums and suck their fingers nonchalantly in front of customers and bat off criticism, in the nicest way, what do they do when out of sight?

The meal itself was good, my friend particularly enjoyed hers. The marking reflects my concern about your front of house hygiene.

Should you offer a response the phrase is; would have, should have etc not would of, should of, basic grammar.

Where you have received negative commentary, in all but one case you have responded...

I'm not vegan and wouldn't normally choose a Vegetarian cafe. I'm really fussy about vegetables and have a nut allergy. However my partner is Celiac, so finding a lunch venue involves a wider search of options.

Goji have a selection of Gluten Free options (not just a salad or baked potato) and clearly labelled menu. (Dairy free, Contains nuts, None Gluten containing ingredients)

My partner had the all day breakfast which she polished off in no time. I tried a little and was surprised at the vegan sausage, it was moist and succulent, not dense and dry. The Gluten free bread was fluffy and soaked up the juices perfectly. (GF bread is the ultimate test of an establishment) I had a Mediterranean style quiche, which was bursting with flavour and had a delightfully crunchy crust but softer base. The herbed new potatoes were amazing. I would gladly eat a portion of them on their own. Because I'm fussy about broccoli, they were nice enough to exchange it for some sweet potato wedges, which were nice and firm with good seasoning.

The GF beer option was really nice and worth tracking down.

There wasn't any room for dessert, so we took a slice of the GF cheesecake home. I didn't get to try this as my partner inhaled it before complaining she should have bought 2 slices.

In a city with plenty of dining options, Goji is near the top for a return visit. Im really keen on trying one of their picnic boxes.

Oh, and the staff were delightful and communicated well regarding our food...