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The cafe at Swinley Forest is a complete rip-off. Nothing wrong with the actual food, the prices are shocking especially after the coffee cups shrunk and price increased.
Actually I avoid buying food when out riding - my home-made egg and cress sandwiches take some beating. 🙂
When I moved up to my current location I went into a local cafe. Asked for an egg and bacon sandwich.
Pre cooked bacon went in the microwave. This was bad enough but then a precooked fried egg went in the microwave.
I am scarred for life.
Come to my cafe in Cholsey! (just off the ridgeway!) (the four teas cafe)
Sausages and bacon from the butcher next door and cakes from a lady in the village and good Kenyan coffee.
Cheap too 🙂
Our website is a bit cack but we had a mystery shopper in the other day from 'tea talk' magazine which is a national magazine for finding out good tea shops!
And we have bike mags in the shop. 🙂
Advert over 😉
Zippykona
At thT point id say no forget it - they would get the hint if the great unwashed just complained a bit ! Bouncy egg - no thanks
The cafe ( will not use the term restaurant) half way up the hill in Ednburgh Zoo is shockingly poor. And Deep Sea World at North Queensferry is overpriced and tasteless too.
This is very true!
Janettas in St Andrews is nice though
I thought it was just me who didn't rate the Woodbine.
A few years back I overheard a MXer getting a telling off for eating a Mars bar in there that he hadn't bought there. This was after him and 3 mates had bought and ate full english breakfasts all round!!
🙂
peaslake stores!brew is ok but there sandwiches are TONK as is the famous cheese sticks!
You're having a laugh, right?
Proper tasty bang tidy food at northern prices. Their cheese straws, sausage and leek bake, quiches and various cakes (to name but a few) are epic. End of.
Lots of people flaming Pete's Eats. I really like them. But then I do live very close so only tend to go in the evenings during the week when there is no one else there. Never had a problem.
Just need to make sure you ask if you can do your own milk in your cuppa.
The bad
Pete's eats
The council one at afan (few years back)
CYB (new one)- you actually though I ordered Prawn Mayo Jacket potato with cheese? For that money I expected steak
Grindleford - overpriced greasy slop with crap attitude (truckers cafe in the wrong spot)
The Over Priced
Whinaltter - might be due to the fact we always had tea and cake at home 2 mins away
Anywhere in Tasmania
Apple Pie place in Ambleside
For balance
The Good (there may be a theme with some of these)
Old Skyline
Old CYB
Hub
Stoney Middleton for about 1 year mid 2000's
A Cafe in swansea about 11 years ago after a stag do where the mega breakfast was awesome and would feed half of africa
Never had a problem at Pete's Eats, and I'm now keen to give the Cafe in Bryn yr Efail a go too.
lots of negative reports regarding the Woodbine! oh dear.
On a positive note we have a great little diner in Long Itchington called the 'Long itch diner' and on weekends its packed to the gunnel's with all types-muddy riders, roadies, bikers, car enthusiasts. its the culinary equivalent of Haight Ashbury.
I cannot condone the negative remarks surrounding Peaslake stores as they seem to manage not only a friendly service but one where the food has flavour as well.
Peaslake Stores are good, although spoiled by the morons standing blocking the roads outside. It's mostly funded by the locals to keep a shop open in the village.
Seal tea rooms has great cake.
Box Hill caf is hugely overpriced, has appalling service - in 17 years of going there (not at the moment seeing as Cycling Weekly have made it the best tea spot in the south east) they've never worked out how to quickly and efficiently serve lots of people.
The Lucky Duck in Shere has awfully slow service and is outrageously expensive. On a club run 3 people didn't have enough money to pay their tab - which was tedious having to bail them out without ever getting the money back.
+gazillion on the Woodbine cafe in Hope. Worst cake ever.
On the other hand the place next to 18 Bikes (Courtyard Cafe?) is really very good, the homemade treacle slice is mega!
The cheese sticks are gopping. (might just be me)
Also I think £2.75 for a egg mayo sandwich is ok IF the filling is up to scratch but when 90% is mayo that's not good.
Not had a lattice thing yet. Maybe next time.
I've been in the woodbine a few times for flapjack etc. I like it, never had any problems.
I didn't like purple mountain at dalby. The staff where nice in the cafe but it was overpriced in my eyes so I ended up going to the visitors centre.
I suppose PM didn't get away with it. VIVA LA REVOLUTION!!
monsall head and monyash.
nice spots. too much dollar.
Laggan, poor service, poor food.
LITTLE CHEF we always called LITTLE THIEF.
part of trust house forte group now ,totally overpriced rip off for the masses.
A good local pub is always a better bet i find.
Urban Kitchen, Reigate. Slice of cake almost £3
It's the awful tea that bugs me not much else. It's SE prices. However if I was going round the M25 then stopping off at J8 and popping into the Urban cafe for a coffee and cake in a car park with a great view would be a far better (and quicker) option than the hideous clacket lane. BTW service stations like Clacket lane that make you walk in a huge circle inside the building to get to the loos (usually when you really need to go) so that you might buy something you don't need, really bug me.
Not a bike cafe, but the kiosk café at Kedleston Hall is the only place I've ever sent back food - ordered a 'cream tea' and it turned out that what they meant was half a tiny scone, which had obviously had a blob of clotted cream and a strawberry put on it at 9 in the morning and had then been left out on the plate in the sun till the afternoon. And only serving half a scone, and the tiniest scone I've ever seen, what a load of rubbish. The lady serving it seemed pretty embarrassed too - she'd obviously had a few of them returned, and just said "that's how we've been told to serve them" when I questioned where the other half of the scone was.
On a positive note, the lovely and ludicrously cheap Tor Cafe in Cromford is a good stop on a ride. Not much over 2 quid for a double egg cob and a big mug of tea. And service so quick that I'd only just got sat down and comfortable when it turned up.
Been to Conwy Falls cafe a couple of times and it's always been good food. Similar with Woodbine - the apple pie is great, as is the fire in the winter, but yes the lady who runs it seems thoroughly miserable most of the time. Whinlatter cafe is great!
Pete's Eats - disappointed to be honest. Dirty tables and even grubbier looking staff. Possible the weakest, milkiest cup of tea ever and the food looks more like overcooked school dinners. Even the breakfast was rancid, cheap gristly sausages and fatty, limp bacon. I mean how hard can it be to get that right? Shame really - if they upped the care and attention to detail with the food then it could be the be one of the best cafes going. Maybe they should stop trying to cook every meal option under the sun and reduce the menu by two thirds - and then cook the remaining third properly with quality local produce?
God I sound like Gordon Ramsey on Kitchen Nightmares!
Not had a bad eat on the cafe at Cwmcarn, and certainly better priced than many others. The plates of food at Skyline cafe are good. No longer rate the munch at the Llandegla cafe, costly, smaller portions and not very tasty. Shame as they used to be good.
I'm saddened by what's happened to Pete's. Used to be part of the North Wales pilgrimage on climbing trips. Then they made it bigger and the whole thing fell to pieces. Is there anywhere in 'beris that does the job now?
Yorks Dales MTB Centre does lovely cake and the prices are reasonable.
There's been a couple of -ves for the Grizedale cafe. Personally I like it - had a massive slice of cake there last year. It was a meal in itself. Over Easter had one of their Brie and Bacon toasties and again it was great - 2 halves of toasted Ciabatta with mountains of crispy bacon and brie on. It's making me feel hungry just remembering it.
Forgot to mention that Cafe Caban y Pair just up the road from the bridge in Betws y Coed seems very nice. We ate there in the evening and the pizza was lovely! No license but there's a small Spar down the road for a BYO beer or wine.
Vaughns Cafe near the car Park @ Tocholes Woods Blackburn / Darwen
Over Priced & Complete Shite 🙁 Miniscule portions and miserable staff (on a good note though there is a pub approx 100mtrs away so on nice days a pint is better than a coffee 😀 )
I did stop at a good Cafe yesterday whilst out on my road bike @ heptonstall near hebdon bridge, super sized portions of very good food and coffee top ups when you want @ the right prices 😀
Our website is a bit cack but we had a mystery shopper in the other day from 'tea talk' magazine which is a national magazine for finding out good tea shops!
That's my wife's birthday present sorted then, if they do subscriptions.
The bad reports for Conwy Falls suprised me.
I had a breakfast there about 2 months ago and it was excellent, did the same again the next day. It wasn't cheap but it was delicious and it didn't include the usual "sawdust and fat" sausage.
For what it's worth, my mate is a veggie and he wouldn't stop raving about their vegetarian breakfast.
Elsdon, Northumberland. famous cyclists cafe, which is basically someone's house. Mate asked for Beans on toast, with a fried egg. got charged 7 quid for beans on toast (3.50) and egg on toast (3.50).
another friend drank a whole cup of 'coffee' before he realised he'd drank his mates tea.
Mate asked for Beans on toast, with a fried egg
that's ended my debate on what to have for lunch. maybe add a bit of tabasco and sorted!! 😆
not very biking related, but my current local favourite cafe is the Curious Cafe in cheltenham (bath road).
Epic sized fryups for not too much dosh, top quality food too; but get there early or you won't get in!
mmm blacksmith's breakfast 🙂
Dave
Conwy Falls cafe was amazing two weeks ago, had breakfast and lunch in there on different occasions and although a little expensive was excellent and good friendly service. Toilets arent all that but who really cares?
Llandegla was ok, average coffee, average cake but decent size slices. Captive audience will always command a higher price but it didnt seem outrageously expensive.
Afan I always go self catering...
I had the misfortune of being at the Woodbine yesterday. I didn't realise it was going to be a misfortune.
I only wanted a coffee so I could sit in the sun and admire my new road bike for a bit.
I made the mistake of only buying a (crap) coffee (with only one of those teeny cartons of milk allowed) and not food as well it would seem.
I'm giving the place a miss from now on.
I had the misfortune of being at the Woodbine yesterday. I didn't realise it was going to be a misfortune.
I only wanted a coffee so I could sit in the sun and admire my new road bike for a bit.
Head up the road a bit and go to The Penny Pot Cafe at Edale (right next to the station). Used to be a real greasy spoon and was staffed by the most miserable woman you've ever met. A few years ago it was taken over by the National Trust and it's now a really nice walkers/cyclists cafe. Good food, locally sourced, decent prices.
Service can be a bit slow when it's busy but that's the same with most places making food to order. I much prefer The Penny Pot to the Woodbine.
Head up the road a bit and go to The Penny Pot Cafe at Edale (right next to the station). Used to be a real greasy spoon and was staffed by the most miserable woman you've ever met. A few years ago it was taken over by the National Trust and it's now a really nice walkers/cyclists cafe. Good food, locally sourced, decent prices.
Is that the old cabin thing that they used to look at you funny for coming in asking for food and drinks!
Don't have any problems with the Woodbine, but won't go back to the Penny Pot. Overpriced, pretentious and stops serving anything but teas at about 3pm, so if you've been out for a decent walk/ride, you can't get a hot meal at the end of it...
The Woodbine is great place on a miserable wet day - pint mugs of tea, massive apple pie, great breakfasts, benches and big tables and big fire to thaw out in front of. Judith (the ‘woman’) is fine too. I imagine it's a tough job day in day out dealing with us lot.
Saying that The Courtyard Cafe 100m up the road is also fab- now share business out between the two cafes.
I second the vote for Laffan Wolftrax cafe as dreadful and had exactly the same experience (every time I've been in there) in having to interrupt a moaning conversation to get served from a not particularly inspiring array of cakes. Started to use the Pottery/Bunkhouse cafe just up the road instead.
Dishwater coffee from a popular scottish trail centre controversial cafeNo price could justify the stuff :/
Spoke to the owner about this, they've got a new coffee machine in now. Still don't think it's great coffee but it's many, many times better than the muck that was getting sold early days.
One of my mates was telling me how good a BLT he got in a George Street (Edinburgh) place for lunch, 'and it was only £9!'. Couldn't believe he was serious no matter how good it was - £9 for a sandwich???
The cafe at Swinley Forest is a complete rip-off. Nothing wrong with the actual food, the prices are shocking especially after the coffee cups shrunk and price increased.
+1 Even by souterner standards it's expensive, there's a good kebab van in crowthorne woods* though 😀
* no, I've no idea how it makes it's money either unless there's a 24/7 silent rave going on.
Head up the road a bit and go to The Penny Pot Cafe at Edale
Why though, there's a pub about 50m away!
I did then go to the cafe in Edale for another coffee and 20 minutes admiring my new road bike (I really like it) but it was the Edale Film Festival this weekend and the place was rammed.
I used to like the old girl in there. She could take a bit of verbal abuse as well as hand it out. Also, there was a lovely young lady who used to work there.
H(e)artside, the highest cafe in England, staffed by the grumpiest staff in England. Went in Feb on a road ride battled the last few metres through snow all in the group cold and wet. Woman told us not to sit too close to the fire as other customers needed the warmth, we were the other customers. Pricey tea and ropey bacon sarney along with expensive soup. Not good at all.
[url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-18141421 ]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-18141421[/url]
A royalist County Durham tearoom owner told how she threw three women out after they refused to stand when the national anthem was played.
They told me my coffee was rubbish but it is a tearoom so I don't care
Conwy Falls cafe is great.
Petes Eats OK in the week when you really need a huge carb fix.
Does no one complain anymore except behind a key board. Bought a pack of cakes this week and got home to find they were stale. Tootle back on the bike to the shop and get a refund. We really do not complain enough in the UK. I dont mean moaning on websites I mean face to face complaints.
They told me my coffee was rubbish but it is a tearoom so I don't care
^ Yes, I chuckled at that on the radio this morning.
Of the ones mentioned on here already, Dales Bike Centre is of course superb, and the tea room up the dale in Gunnerside is good too, and more mud-tolerant than I have any right to expect. Conwy Falls has always been pretty decent in my experience, although occasionally a bit too busy for the level of staffing (but always friendly and apologetic when that's the case).
I can't remember the name, and it's not actually a café, but there's a really nice deli in Church Stretton that does takeaway coffee and cake as well as lots of nice home made pork pies, cheese and sandwiches - definitely worth visiting if you're in the Long Mynd.