Cafe at the House in South Tyneside

First impressions always count they say and when you enter you are met with huge mouth watering sandwiches and pies in the display cabinet. As you walk through the premises, it then seems you've entered the doctors Tardis, with rooms either side of the main room. Decor is fab and you'd thought you were in a plush restaurant rather than a cafe, so well done to the decor team. The cafe wasn't busy with I'd say 4 tables taken. One waitress was providing all the services. Two things disappointed our first time at the cafe. One was the table to our right that had finished plates left with food scattered from the baby which stayed uncleared throughout the majority of our time there. Not something you want to see to be honest. Second was the fish finger sandwich we ordered. The meal arrived and instantly was hit with a very odd smell. Kept smelling the sandwich to ascertain what it was and could only conclude that the fish fingers had been deep fried using oil that had been used for other breakfast items....that's where I had a real issue as my partner is a pescatarian and usually has to follow a vegan dietary requirement when out. All I could think of was this fingers had been cooked in oil where sausages had been cooked also. Didn't enjoy the meal what so ever. Purchased 2 Aberdeen Angus steak and ale pies, where upon returning home cut into them to find it packed full of meat so thumbs up on that one. Dogs enjoyed there pie, will have the other at weekend. So I'm questioning the hygiene between food dietary requirements. Sure you'll come back and say that different oils are used and not mixed, but the smell wasn't pleasant. Don't get that when I cook fish fingers at home!! Will be back with the dogs but will be more careful what I order next time.

Nice and quiet cafe. Friendly staff and tasty food. I hope to come back to try the hot chocolate which they’d ran out of.

What a great find... will 100% be back... really great food, staff are lovely

Best afternoon tea ive ever had, excellent value for money, huge selection

What a gem we found...went too Kwick Fit for new tyres and had to wait an hr...popped into this delightful place...we ordered our food which was pipping hot and cooked perfectly...was a warm friendly service in delightful settings. Definitely go again.

Lovely place,lovely food,service is quick and efficient,portion sizes little bit small but still ok.Food quality very high not a single item over or undercooked on either meal all round recommended

Best breakfast I've had in the UK so far. Food is perfectly cooked and presented. There are lots of tables inside and outside with a good atmosphere. Would really recommend to those who love to enjoy their meal.

went Saturday at 9 for breakfast told don't open till 9.30 do wasted journey. Opening hours on Google says 9!!!!

Great little find, fantastic food and matched by fantastic service.

Expensive for the quality. Two scones cost £7.50 (even for takeaway which is daylight robbery for one of the cheapest things to bake!). They were flat and so crumbly (not in a good way) that I could hardly cut them. Also, we were told it was a cheese scone but it actually has onion in too. Probably won't be back.

Wow!! Obviously a very talented and passionate chef here! The food is delicious and the presentation is 1st class! The place is decorated beautifully! Something I’d expect in London more than South Shields

Such a lovely setting to meet friends and the food is amazing. The selection on offer spoils you for choice, as you just want to try everything. We settled on a toastie each with chips and they were lovely. The cake display cabinet. OMG, I'm not normally a cake person, but I could not resist having one. Lemon and white chocolate cheesecake .It was devine. The service and staff are warm and welcoming. Michael the owner is such a pleasant and wonderful host. Honestly, if you live in south Shields, this needs to be your go to place.

Great place with wonderful food, I can definitely highly recommend 👍

Cannot express in words how good the food is here. Its a treat and hidden gem of a restaurant. Best breakfast in Newcastle area by far.

The place was freezing, ordered food waited nearly an hour for corned beef and potato pie with chips and gravy for both myself and my wife. Food arrived, one order with chips one with a handful of salad. The girl serving us said she'd bring the gravy. I was going to say I ordered chips with both pies but after another wait of nine minutes for the gravy to arrive we thought what's the point we'll be waiting an eternity for the second portion of chips. Chips were basic fries tasted ok, gravy ok, corned beef pie over seasoned with what I'd describe as a mountain of pepper. Not what I expected and I won't be returning

We were staying at the premier Inn at the port of Tyne and were looking for breakfast nearby as this no longer has a connected restaurant. This came up on a Google search and turned out to be a real gem. We both had the small breakfast, which turned out to be a perfect size for us. The quality of the food was great and it arrived pretty quickly. Service was also spot on. It's got quite a classy vibe to it which makes it a really pleasant place to be.

Can’t beat the gorgeous food here but you need to put some heating on it’s absolutely freezing 🥶 you have to eat with your coat on

First time visiting. My first reaction was that the food displayed in the cabinets looked fabulous, the decor is beautiful, like an up market restaurant. It was a great start. There was a huge choice of sandwiches (which is what we wanted) some of the descriptions stated that they contained mayo, I have an allergy so chose one without, on ordering I luckily double checked the mayo situation, and was told all sandwiches contain it, but it's OK, you can't really taste it. Not a great reply. Can I suggest that some of your sandwiches don't contain mayo, not everyone likes it or can eat it, we would like a choice. I decided on a steak pie, to be told the only pie available was corned beef, so I had that. We also ordered two large glasses of wine. Our food arrived but not our drinks, there was no salt or pepper on the tables so I went and asked, I also asked if our drinks could be bought to us. Salt and pepper came, still no drinks. We were half way thruogh our meals and again had to go and ask if we could have our drinks. The cafe was not particularly busy, lots of empty tables, so no excuse for slow service. Inspite of the bad service the food was very good, but not sure if we will return. Also while we were looking at the menu, on two occasions we were bought someone else's meals.

Excellent I would recommend anyone to try this place 😀 x

I took my twin sister for high tea for our 60th birthday could mot fault it food was fab we will be back

Love this place, it’s a little hidden gem, and the breakfast is delicious, cakes are also lovely too, freshly made, food on display looks amazing too, my new fav place to eat. 10/10

Such a hidden little gem. The food is gorgeous home made. The best toasties we've ever eaten, and we are fussy!!! The cheesecakes are to die for.

Absolutely gorgeous lunch today with my sister, the toastie was amazing and the chocolate cheesecake was out of this world! The staff were brilliant and very friendly. Really good value for money too. We'll definitely be back again ☺️

Visited today and was so disappointed. There were only 2 tables ordering but the staff managed to mix them up. We got 2 meals which were meant for the other table so our extras and 3rd meal didn't arrive until we were nearly finished ours. The fish finger sandwich was awful, completely bland, no side salad( ran out of salad apparently) and the chips came too late to be eaten with the meal. The pies looked amazing but when on the plate must have been nuked in the microwave as imploded in on itself. I did query the service with a member of staff but was told the meals got mixed up the fish fingers had to be cooked in the fryer first before the chips are cooked as only one fryer. The chicken in the taco was like chewing rubber. Floor was littered with food but didn't notice this until we sat down as place was just about in darkness. We were swatting the flies away and toilet facilities left a lot to be desired. £38 was certainly not money well spent

The young lady serving made a lovely coffee, she also went above and beyond for my partners little one. Will definitely be returning. Toasties were super filling and the desserts were so good we brought some home.

We enjoyed our visit, we had mains and drinks,then ordered some desserts. The food was delicious, nice atmosphere and I loved the decor too. The only thing that let it down a little was the service. The staff were pleasant and polite however the systems seemed wrong... items seemingly on offer which weren't, my friend waited for her tea so long, she'd almost finished her scone. Service was generally slow.

The best afternoon tea served anywhere! Great attention to detail. Food presented like a work of art! Simply the best!

Tried this place for lunch today. Popped in at 1:30 pm and we ordered two big breakfasts. We all day variety. Delicious food and quality ingredients. Nice coffee, too and a very pleasant venue. Recommended.

First time visit impressed with the layout and the decor which transforms your mood immediately from post industrial urbanity to a quiet oasis of calm. I went for a simple breakfast and as a diabetic I found that I could get a perfectly hearty and tasty meal without any carbohydrates. The hash brown had a cauliflower instead of potato option so that was just great. Friendly and helpful staff provided a nice experience, and with a pot of tea my breakfast cost less than £9.00. This place is a hidden gem.

First time at the Cafe at the House. Fabulous venue food and service. We went for afternoon tea for my friends 90th birthday. Stacey was fantastic could not help us enough. Will defnitely return . Jan and Betty

Been for afternoon tea today for Mother’s Day . Absolutely lovely homemade food and excellent value for money. Definitely a hidden gem this place food is glorious . Would highly recommend

Lovely place, nice decor, the food is superb. They have a big choice of toasties, they all looked nice, i couldn't make my mind up and decide what i wanted. Coffe also was nice. The music in the background was a bit unusual for the place but i enjoyed it. Ill definitely be back!

Food is always delicious, but staff aren't on the ball, waiting at the till then took to a table before been served went back to the till and lost our place, had to ask for our tea no saucer, then when the cake came no fork or napkin. This isn't the first time I have had to ask for my order, but I Will Keep going back because it's a beautiful place and lovely food. Been back today 2. 3.2023 when we arrived the manager was in the car park, we asked what time they closed he said 3pm but there was plenty food left and customers still in we still had time even though it was 3pm then, we got served and shortly after the manager left, he wouldn't have time to get in his car and staff told us they were closing in 10 mins and started putting lights off and closing blinds, we were sitting in the dark, weren't given time to finish our tea it was obvious we were getting thrown out how rude. The food is amazing but staff are always a let down

I had thought this was a great find. The coffee is good and the staff and vanue are very nice, but there's a shameful lack of vegan options. A spread for the toast would be a minimum. I'll probably not return while there's no food options for me.

The Best afternoon Tea we have had and we have had a few ❤🧡🧡

Ale and stake pie with chips was absolutely delicious and oh my lord the cakes,,, would recommend to everyone A***service and staff are friendly

Visited today 6th January 2023, not busy when I arrived and this is my first visit. Very pleasant welcoming on entry. Lovely atmosphere and the service was very good, even though it was a light lunch order it arrived in good time and was presented well. Coffee was hot and of good quality. Would definitely recommend.

Had breakfast this morning (5th Nov 22), very poor experience. Only about 3 tables had customers. We ordered 2 small breakfasts and 1 eggs benedict with 3 coffees. The drinks came after about 15 minutes and the food 40 minutes after the drinks. The food was on cold plates and the temperature in the rooms was very cold. People took coats off when they arrived but had to put back on after a few minutes. Some people had to go and ask where their food was because of the time taken to arrive. If I had to score my experience on this visit it would 1 out of 10.

What a amazing cafe. Beautiful afternoon tea, great staff and service. We celebrated a 90th birthday and we all had a lovely time. Well done guys, it’s so nice to have a unique local business serving delicious food!

Great staff. Smart interior and fab food. We'll be back

Best toastie I've ever had ,staff friendly and prices are good ,and the cream cakes are to die for.

Very nice atmosphere I'll be back

Was at the cafe and it was a bit of a disappointment, could not get a peach Melba cake to enjoy with a cup of tea unless I took it home for it to defrost as the cake was only sold frozen, the staff had trouble in understanding what I was asking when I asked for my tea with the tea bag on the side and not in the pot, brought a pot of water with no tea bag and when pointed out there was no tea bag she said she thought I had brought my own, also I wanted a toastie without mayo and they said all of our sandwiches had mayo on and plenty of it ,so found my first visit to the cafe a disappointed one.

This cafe is a little gem. We come once a week. We tried the feta, olive pizza today and it was gorgeous. Staff are always lovely and friendly. I highly recommend this place.

Good food. If you want to abused by the staff, this is the venue !!!!!!! 👎👎👎

Fabulous afternoon tea, lovely food and friendly service. I fully recommend

I really like this place but the staff always seem stressed. The food is exceptional and very well worth a visit.

Walked out after being totally ignored by staff to busy idly gossiping

Booking for afternoon tea, not taken yet

We had afternoon tea, the plate of pastries was missing as staff had placed it on another table. We were told thats not their problem and if we want the food we had to go ask the other tables for it even though they had already started eating. Also no drink was offered until after we had finished our food. Staff member was rude, and unhelpful. I contacted management before putting this review online and I have been ignored.

Had a lovely breakfast. Girlfriend had a prawn sandwich which looked incredible. Finished with a salted caramel eclair which was exquisite. Would recommend highly.

Lovely place for lunch, fabulous food, staff are nice and prices are great.

Another awesome breakfast, cooked beautifully. Staff are top draw. 10/10. It would be my last death row.

Best breakfast ever dont go any where else amazing food lovely staff lovely atmosphere carnt get any better would recommend

The food here is amazing. All handmade by Michael, the cakes are delicious and the salads out of the ordinary. Very good value for the quality you get. I'd expect to get food like this in a posh hotel not a small community venue. The only downside is I wish it were open later.

. Cheese toastie was greasy and waited ages to get served

Had a nice bacon sandwich there with a cup of tea

Just had a chicken masala on flat bread. Plenty of chicken and tasty. Lovely!!!

We've been passing this place for months saying we had to go in and try it. Well we finally did and we were impressed. Really nice decor and atmosphere. Great and friendly staff. We all had a mini all day breakfast and the food came well presented and exceptionally good. The coffee was also good which makes a change. From what we saw in the display cases the rest of the food was excellent. They had a wide range of sandwiches and cakes and the scones looked amazing. We've put this on our list of to go to places, it's a bit out of the way but has a car park and is well worth going out your way to eat.

2 fantastic breakfasts yesterday. One full English and one black pudding benedict. Really superb value and very high restaurant quality food. We were disappointed that they’re not open on a Sunday as we would have been back again today. Very highly recommend this place.

A really nice place to have a cuppa, decor is a little different from other places in shields. Staff really pleasant and helpful. Give it a go.

Lovely place and food excellent

It must be a couple of years since I stopped having my breakfast regularly here. Prices had crept up to occasional treat level not daily fare. Wolfmanns was closed for their hollies so my Cardiff based veggie daughter and I tried Cafe at the House. I was so pleased we did. Great friendly but efficient service, beautifully presented food and such an extensive menu we were both satisfied. Of particular interest for future reference was the beautiful display of sandwiches and confectionery. Seemingly afternoon teas are big here. And no wonder after seeing a cake packaged up for a takeaway in a beautiful presentation box which looked a million dollars. So nice to see a team go that bit extra and provide a quality offering. They deserve the obvious success they have as shown by the way the place has expanded and the number of customers. Also it may sound prosaic but free onsite parking is great!

Very busy in peak times but lovely food

Amazing food and great service

Went today for the first time. My Son had the large breakfast I had the small one couldn't fault any of it. I given full stars even though the Coffee machine wasn't working so I had to have a Pot Tea ( Not the end of the world) Will try again in the future.

Poor service waited 20 minutes for 2 lattes 1 tea and after all that they forgot our order

Nice place. Good menu choice. Will be back.

This was the first time I'd visited Cafe at the House, and it will probably also be the last. We took my mother-in-law here for an early Mother's Day lunch. We arrived at 12.15, and I went to ask for some menus. I told they were just dotted around the cafe. I went to find some menus, and after deciding what we'd have, went to order at the counter at around 12.30. I was told that they weren't taking any orders, and to come back to the counter in at least 10 minutes. The girl at the counter then advised me that they were only serving breakfasts and whatever sandwiches and toasties were already pre-made behind the counter. As we had already chosen what we wanted, and none of it was available to order, we decided to leave. We wanted lunch, not breakfast at 12.30. Surely they could have taken the order and just explained that there was wait for food? And we should have been told when we asked for the table or when we had to ask for menus of the reduced menu options, rather than having to be told to choose something else after already deciding what we wanted. The cafe also lacked atmosphere, with no background music and the tables were very close together. It's a shame the customer service was so poor, as the food does look promising.

Absolutely exceptional. Usually when you find somewhere that offers nice food it is either very expensive or staff aren't great but honestly this place is just absolutely top of the list on everything. Staff are absolutely delightful despite being busy and nothing is too much trouble. The food.. oh my god the food... it's just like nothing I've ever experienced.. the care and quality of ingredients that goes into everything from their toasties to breakfasts is second to none. Fresh, clean, friendly and the most incredibly tasty food. You must visit.

Resanbale price and food is so nice

Service very very slow best thing on the breakfast was the eggs

Beautiful food lovely staff what more do you whant go see for yourself.

What a genuinely lovely place. The food was delicious and the gentleman who ran Cafe at the House was a delight. I would highly recommend you try it out for yourself, as I'm sure you will like it as much as we did.

Lovely little hidden gem of a cafe that I discovered recently. Lovely atmosphere during late morning/lunchtime, very friendly and hardworking staff. I have never tasted Cheese and Onion Toasties quite like the ones served here - mouthwatering, full of flavour and a great sized portion that's more than enough. Can't wait to try some of the other things on the vast menu.

such a wide selection of food this place is 5×plus.offering more than the average toastie & Cake so fresh and delicious very nice young ladies so busy but time for a smile and very polite

Lovely little cafe. Superb service and very friendly.

Went for interview, what a lovely place.very relaxed and friendly people will look up Facebook page as forgot to ask for details

Gorgeous food lovely helpful staff , my first time there . Will definitely be back ...

Really good food, presentation lovely and staff very friendly, definitely going back

Food very good quality n portion. Waiting time is a little long.

Lovely pleasant surroundings and very nice food. I had baked stuffed potato with bacon and cheddar with a side salad and pickle and the salads and wraps looked lovely. Would have given 5 stars if they had had gluten free cake and bread options.

fab little cafe with a lot of good food and fantastic staff and perfect coffee

Fabulous food, gorgeous decor and brilliant staff worthy of 10 stars ⭐️

Best afternoon tea I've ever had. Great unique sandwiches and toastie. Friendly staff.

A hidden gem food top notch exellent menu very cheap breakfast best in the town

Breakfast wasn't brilliant bacon was hard and dry, black pudding is an extra and garden salad should NOT be put on a English breakfast... the waitress is an absolute delight she's seems to do everything and still happy about it

Nice little cafe but not fair paying £2 for half a cup of coffee

This is our 4th visit food is spot on and the staff are very polite and efficient

Beautiful food and beautiful people

This is truely a little gem of a restaurant which I can't praise highly enough. From a coffee and scone to an amazing afternoon tea it has it all. The fish and chips, all freshly cooked, are scrumptious with a crispy batter. It is spotlessly clean and the staff are very friendly and extremely helpful. The prices are really good. Definitely my favourite place to eat

A little gem of a place, the food is top notch, will be visiting again.

Really nice breakfast and lovely staff

Fantastic afternoon tea, definitely worth a trip

We had breakfast there for the first time yesterday and were very happy, the food was delicious, very good value, friendly staff and good service, highly recommended, we will be back.

Excellent food fantastic prices and the service from the staff especially Julie was amazing made it a really good experience will definitely be going back soon

I came in here on Saturday 24th March with my daughter since i was up to South Shields for the weekend from West Yorkshire. This place was a complete disorganised chaos. People who worked there had no clue how to use the " tablet " complaining amongst themselves about it not being on " charge " Then staff shouting at other staff.. It was the complete shambles! 30 mins for a sandwich, Couldn't guarentee that it wouldn't come into contact with nuts and when your an anaphalaxic with nuts then essentially it would but my life at risk and then they offered to make something else despite saying they had only one work bench. Sorry but how stupid are people.. if it isn't " safe " or " suitable " to make a single sandwich without a trace of nuts then how would it be acceptable to make something else with again only 1 work station. Then the attitude of the lady who spoke to the young lady outside was a complete disgrace. She should have been ashamed of herself talking to her like that!!!!

Tasty well presented food. Staff lovely helpful and welcoming. Cosy and clean. Cant fault it. Very very reasonably priced. We will be returning.

Turned up on a Saturday at 12.30. They’d already stopped serving. Disappointing.

Best burger EVER, my compliments to the chef