Blue Lagoon Cafe in Derbyshire Dales

Lovely cafe with lovely views.Good food and staff very helpful.Dogs allowed inside and also plenty of seating outside.Thete is a charge for parking but this education centre is run voluntary so we don't mind paying.Would recommend a visit.

Very nice tea and fruit cake, plus treats for dogs!

Nice and clean , friendly staff , breakfast wraps were tasty ! A little expensive but understandable as it off the beaten track .

Good food at reasonable prices. Great views too.

Good food and a great view over the Derwent valley , would recommend to anyone wanting a short walk and some food afterwards.

As a local person, I've used this cafe on many occasions over the past few years and until recently never had any cause for complaint. The food, facilities and staff have always been reasonably good. (The scones, in fact, were home made and terrific. Scones are my "benchmark" for food quality) For about a year the cafe has been under new management and I think certain aspects have deteriorated. Today - mid-week in late July - I called in with a friend towards the end of our walk. I ordered a cheese scone with a side salad, he ordered a quiche. We sat outside and within a few minutes my cheese scone arrived but I was told that it was not possible for me to have a side salad to go with it. No logical reason was given, they just didn't do salads with scones (yes, ridiculous, I know.) My friend's quiche didn't arrive, so rather than let my warm scone go cold, I ate it. (To be fair, it was quite a good scone.) Ten or more minutes later his quiche still had not arrived. As he's more patient than me he waited yet a few more minutes before enquiring. And then after a further wait it arrived - with a side salad. The food was OK, but the service and response to customers' reasonable requests was dire.

Very disappointing visit, again completely lacking in any sort of customer service! The server was not welcoming nor friendly, we arrived an hour before the advertised closing time to be told the kitchen is closed although menues were still out and people were being served. They seemed to still be serving coffee although this wasn't offered as an option and there was a complete disregard of our potential business. It used to be such an welcoming place serving lovely homemade food. Its such a shame its changed.

I don’t know what’s happened but it’s gone downhill massively. While I was here some people gave up waiting for simple food. Over an hour wait for a sausage sandwich. Definitely won’t be going back. Hope it improves soon as it can’t get much worse!

Good coffee, good service, lovely to sit outside.

Lovely friendly cafe with tasty homemade food and a good coffee

Lovely views of the old quarry, great breakfast and cheap too.

The food here is now ok but fairly average

Horrendous. Don’t waste your money or time. Took 45 minutes to serve us 1 sandwich, 1 stale quiche and two leather like baked potatoes, the waitresses after 30 minutes told us that there were a couple of orders before us, when there were only 3 other families in there. two of them entering after us and 1 already eating their food. These waitresses proceeded to lick the spoons that they were using for the coffees and stand on their phones, instead of clearing up tables with left over plates on. Don’t waste your time and go to the Chippy in Wirksworth.

After we eventually got served it was 45 minutes until we received our food. Soup and a sandwich. 45 minutes. Bread was borderline stale and salad had no dressing so was just some dry leaves on the side. At least the soup was hot and edible. Whole experience has put me off ever being a return customer unfortunately, I’m sure others feel the same.

Lovely place... Sat in the sunshine with our hordes and enjoyed a coffee and cake.

Hot chocolate was ok food took an age to arrive then we ordered cake which was in the display cabinet and had to wait 10 mins for that too ! It was right next to the till!!! Come on!!

Sadly one of our favourite weekend pit stops has gone down hill in recent months. We always enjoyed the home-made scones and would look forward to visiting for our mid-morning coffee or a light lunch, sadly no more.

It’s lost its authenticity and probably half of its customers. Don’t sell out my favourite place to eat…

Limited menu but staff are friendly and very accommodating for kids and babies. Good baby changing facilities.

Have used this cafe for years and always held it in high regard but on a recent visit it was shocking. Very poor slow service, a number of our group had to chase up our orders to find they'd been missed, 30 minute wait for a cup of tea and a further 5 minutes for a stale bread roll and under cooked sausage. I won't be rushing back here anytime soon.

Sunday visit, cafe only two thirds full but still had to wait 40 minutes for two coffees. Despite the fact that they offer a fraction of the menu that the previous owners did, they seem to be all at sea about how to run a cafe with the slightest efficiency. It’ll be coffee in Wirksworth from now on.

Try the Blue Lagoon if you are in the area, it's good. Might be an idea to go on a dry day and enjoy the trails and walks. Have some lunch and refreshments before visiting their shop. Give it a go, you might just like it and return.

We called for coffee on a damp day and found the cafe quite busy with a good range of snacks available. If there had been recent teething problems it looks as though these have been sorted

Lovely food and drinks. Friendly staff. Difficult to find better.

Not good, Luke warm tasteless sausage , takeaway cardboard coffee cup after 20 mins wait. This is the service to expect untill refurbishment... Which looking at the size of the plans, could take 2 years.

Friendly staff and volunteers, and a nice sausage cob!

Small cafe at a nice location. Pretty expensive though

The cafe is not worth visiting since the new management took over earlier this month. Only drinks and a few bought in cakes. Avoid. We so miss the previous ladies.

Great cappuccinos and selection of hot and cold meals to accompany the fascinating geological history of the Peak district at the adjoining National Stone Centre.

I am a regular visitor at this cafe because of the delicious scones but was very shocked when I went in today. I was under the impression that when Laura left some of the staff were staying but obviously not. The lovely very friendly atmosphere has completely gone. All the equipment behind the counter has gone and just a very small chalk board stating what basic food they were serving. The only member of staff I saw was a man who looked totally bored and gave no explanation as to what was happening. I live locally and from what I know of this place is that it is going to be knocked down and a completely new visitor centre is being built but my goodness you might as well close it now. Very sad.

Sadly, the old crew are no longer here. The friendly atmosphere has gone. There was no sugar available for coffee, nor were we asked if we would like sugar. When we asked for sweetener there wasn't any, but they then mentioned they could get us sugar. Scones £2 for something that looked like it came from Aldi. Gone are the beautiful scones this cafe was known for, no food hot or cold. Only Mr Kipling type cakes available. One member of staff was most unfriendly to the point of rudeness. Staff coats dumped behind the counter. No wonder the place was nearly empty. I have never seen so many empty tables.

As part of the National Stone Centre it makes the visit also educational for all ages . Great area for walking and dog friendly .

Beautiful location, excellent food,all home cooked, all day breakfast to die for! Snacks, pasties, scones cakes etc, well worth a visit!!

Not as busy today, (Thursday) as trade was on Sunday when I was here with Spondon CC. Same cheerful and efficient service. Had a really tasty sausage and bacon cob on Sunday but only a cup of coffee today. Good value and good service on both occasions. This is a great cafe, very well located close to the High Peak Trail serving visitors to the National Stone Centre. On a second visit (Tuesday 11.30am), I was taking a break on a 50 mile cycle ride and there was the same courteous and cheerful service. This time I had 2 cups of coffee, a brownie and the tastiest sausage roll ever ( I was hungry and needed pepping up). It had just come out of the oven and hit the spot immediately. I will definitely go back again and again.

Not sure if something has changed here? We came about a month ago and had a wonderful late breakfast. However today we brought our grandson for lunch after a particularly active morning and were really looking forward to having a wholesome meal, ordering the cheese and onion pie. Apart from the, not so clean cutlery which we discreetly wet and wiped on the serviette, our "cheese and onion pie" arrived with a small side salad. The "pie" turned out to be an average sized portion of mashed potato with a bit of cheese and some relatively raw onion frugally dispersed through it, no pastry and nothing more than those three ingredients, for a few pennies shy of £9! We ate it because we were hungry, but this was in no way what I was anticipating and a massive let down. When the lovely waitress came to take the plates away, I explained that I was a little disappointed in my meal due to the fact that it fell below my expectations of a pie. She informed the cook, who then replied it would be a "Homity Pie" if it had pastry? Well sorry, but there is a bit more to a Homity Pie than pastry, mashed potato, a sprinkling of cheese and raw onion!! It may just have been our choice of meal, I don't know? But we will not be in such a rush to go back this time and I am sad to say that as I do like to support local businesses. We thought we had found somewhere that had elevated itself from mediocre many years ago to above average, but today our offering was definitely mediocre.

Lovely lunch in a light and airy dining area with large outdoor terrace. Stylish wooden furniture. Friendly staff. Varied menu, mostly lighter bites but a few main meals available. Very tasty but jacket potato overdone somewhat but still tasty. Quick for order to table and the most heavenly cup of tea I had in a long time.

Really good cafe amidst the rocks. Great exhibition too

Even though the staff were very busy we didn't have to wait long for our food.Dogs were welcome inside as well as outside and there were water bowls everywherefor them. Just a lovely experience sitting in the September sun in fabulous surroundings.will definitely visit again.

Absolutely amazing! They have your café staples - sandwiches, soup, potatoes and cakes - but some of the flavours they offer are a bit more imaginative and the end result is amazing! I had a goats cheese and mango chutney panini which was amazing and a scone. I asked for sultana but was given cherry and walnut.. After the first bite I was glad of the mistake as it was like a slice of heaven on the plate! Would definitely visit again!

Really nice day out, full of information and a few fun things for kids to do. Staff seemed very friendly and acomadating

Lovely restaurant. Plants look so healthy. Love visiting the pet section.

CARROT CAKE!!! Ooooh.DeliciousI now have to diet fir 6 months. Plants ... Great selection and so well kept. Go. Visit. It's very nice.

Excellent place for food drink and peaceful atmosphere

Lovely choice of food and cakes and lovely scenery when you sit outside

Good choice and food. Fairly quiet today but the staff still seemed under pressure which makes for an uncomfortable atmosphere. All credit to them though as they were great.

Score of 3 for the view, zero for the vegan sausage roll. The staff member asked if we wanted it heated so we said yes. It was still luke warm & he charged us an extra 50p for heating it! On top of that it was half the size of a usual vegan sausage roll & stale. Sure some of the food must be delicious, just avoid the vegan sausage rolls!

Great breakfast and friendly staff and all six of us from scooter club enjoyed our visit

I live quite close and have often called in while walking in the area. I usually have one of their excellent cheese scones and a salad, but I also love their cherry and walnut scones. I'm a bit of a "sconoholic" and have had lots in the area. These are probably the best. As the National Stone Centre and the High Peak Trail are nearby, the area is popular, so the cafe often gets very busy and there can be quite a queue for food, so be prepared to wait a while, especially if it's a sunny weekend. The outdoor seating area is very pleasant, but can be a bit blowy. The staff are always very friendly, efficient and helpful. Once you've placed your order it's brought to you speedily. Whatever else I've had has always been tasty and well cooked and the prices are reasonable.

The food was as hard as a rock it broke my balls and now I can not have kids. I will turn into hulk.

Small friendly cafe with reasonably- priced food, much of which, I think, is cooked on site. And of course, ice cream!

Expensive for what you get . Cheese pie and oven roasted veg was mash and cheese in a pyrex dish ,not a pie ,and a spoon of veg . Disappointing .

Grand jacket potato, lovely views and atmosphere.. And quality ice cream!

Good food at reasonable prices.

Lovely staff, nice and clean and welcoming. Plenty of space between tables too on a busy day. Nice outdoor seating area

Lovely place for a meal and coffee, friendly staff and beautiful surroundings.

Good food, but it can take while to be served.

Nice cafe friendly staff, gets busy in term time with school trips.

Consistently great place for coffee, breakfasts and the best scones in the world.

Great atmosphere, coffee and cake!

Jesus....ordered coffee and a roll, waited more than an hour to have it! Waste of time....

If you want wait 1hr-1.30hr for simple breakfast roll and get dirty, scratched mug of latte . Is right place for you!! . 1 star, don't waste your time. Never wait sooo long for simple breakfast roll!!! Not recommend at all.

We have visited the stone centre before, so just dropped off for a snack while walking the High Peak Trail. Had cheese scones, which were the best ever. I had to queue a while, so feel they could benefit from more staff, but as we...

Spot on cafe for me, with lots of choice. Clean tidy and a bit of a walk from the car park to get your taste buds going

Great. Lovely choice of food. Clean. Polite staff. Freshly made.

Good food, reasonable prices. Steep walk down from the car park or trail but there is disabled parking outside the door.

Lovely selection of drinks and sat out overlooking Wirksworth

What a wonderful cafe this is. Food fab, staff extremely Friendly and helpful with great customer care and many services available. Very doggy Friendly, even supplying treats!! Clean and tidy and covid compliant. Great views across the Derbyshire Dales and very central to many walks. Highly recommend 👌 👍 👏 🙌 😀

Average - which for Blue Lagoon is 5⭐ anyplace else. Jus' go...seriously.

Great coffee, amazing cakes. Views are OUTSTANDING. Carpark close by, so many great walks nearby too. And a geological and stone museum in the same building. Derbyshire at its finest :)

Great location with lovely fresh food and very friendly service

Cannot recommend this place highly enough. The food was amazing and the staff were so lovely Will definitely visit again soon

I had to delete my previous review, (which was a 5 star review) and submit this new one in light of my past recent visits. I think this cafe is a victim of it's own success. My first visit here was way back when it...

Recommend to us by a family friend. Pros are that the place is dog friendly and has lovely views overlooking the Derbyshire countryside. I had the sausage roll which was asked for warm but arrived not freezing cold but not piping hot either a little...

On a return walk from Middleton Top to Black Rocks we called into this cafe for lunch. We discovered it’s very dog friendly, it was lovely and warm on a chilly day with a very varied menu. The food we chose, bacon, Brie and cranberry...

Lovely cafe. Great service and lovely inexpensive food.

Delicious breakfast, served in a lovely, warm place, highly recommend

Really enjoyed our lunch this place gives you access too some wonderful walks

Keep coming back to this place because it's just so good. What more can I say....👍

Lovely cafe for a catch up or stop on a walk. Food is tasty, good sized portions and value for money. Long wait in the queue is a pain, however, it just shows how popular this cafe is. Dog and children friendly.

Lovely clean popular resteraunt well laid out lovely vistas looking over Derbyshire very impressed how well appointed the set up was we had a lovely brunch on the verandah the coffee was exellent the staff extremely nice polite and engaging didn't want for a thing....

I am a regular visitor for cheese scone to die for

Arrived at 3.15pm, supposedly open until 4pm. There was a closed notice on the door. I asked if they were open and was told, "We've run out of milk". As we'd walked 7 miles and it was hot we asked if we could have a...

We had to queue for 30 minutes just to place the order . The reason was lack of staffing because the person taking thd food and drink orders was also making tea ,coffee ,playing up cakes and pastries and dealing with money. She also was...

Went for the first time after being recommended by good friends. It was a nice place to drink and we found many people enjoying the food too. Lots of choice and we will be going back for a breakfast in a few weeks. We found lots of families with their children who were having a fabulous time. We intend taking younger members of the family to learn and play.

First visit and definitely won't be my last. After a short walk from Holloway with the dogs thought I'd call in for a coffee. There was a great choice of cakes which I couldn't decide on then I saw the cheese scones which I love, so decided on one of those and I wasn't disappointed, so much so I bought some to take home. They were delicious and really cheesy, so often when I've had a cheese scone they never have enough cheese but these were lovely. I just need to go again now and try one of the delicious cakes or one of the many other items on the menu. The staff were very efficient and friendly and a bonus that the dogs were allowed inside. A lovely place so will be back next week already planning my walk 😃.

Cafe was very nice, had a lovely cooked breakfast and some great views from the cafe as well.

Not overly busy. Plenty indoor & outdoor seating. Dog friendly (outside). Excellent menu selection from paninis, jackets soup, breakfasts, omelettes, sausage rolls & pasties plus cakes & drinks. Friendly staff. Clean, tidy with nice view. Lovely lunch.

Brilliant for an interesting walk around, visitor centre small but very interesting. Cafe good value and no CE staff

Lovely selection of home cooked food and staff are really nice

Great cafe and gift shop and stone history

Faultless. Great food and even better service

We had never heard of this place or the National Stone Centre before. We were walking along the old railway line from Cromford for the first time and saw a sign for the cafe. We were a bit peckish, so decided to have look. We...

This cafe is very good. The food is excellent and not overpriced. They do gluten free sandwiches and cake (not just the usual flapjack). The staff are very friendly and there is a great view from the terrace outside.

Great place unbelievable history.

Really nice place .. 4 of us bikers turned up this morning, 4 x full english breakfast... scrummy... and the waitress in the short black skirt and blond hair was too.....

Delicious food and friendly staff. Lovely views.

As always this place is great, good food, staff and awesome views. Even being very busy the service was excellent.

Brilliant place love a cuppa and a chat there with friends .love seeing the robins

A little gem! Ate delicious sweet & savoury scones & a just right (strong!) flat white coffee. Lovely terrace plus spacious indoors seating. Friendly staff & clean loos - what's not to love! 🙂👍 ☕

Great place great food & drinks