Cafe in the Park in Derbyshire Dales

Excellent hearty food. Well priced. Nice clean, well presented venue. Would recommend.

Had tea and cake here recently. As usual the service was friendly and the food and drink was excellent. I have visited many times and would highly recommend. Called in again in August and had this lovely coffee and pecan cake. Added some Valentine cake photos for February 2024. 13th October 2024 had tea and apple pie delicious!

Lovely little cafe which I often visit with my little boy as its one of the only places he enjoys having a drink and something to eat in. Today we had the hot pork ciabatta's which were really tasty and exactly what we needed on a rainy day. Staff are always friendly and great with children and the cakes are delicious 😊

I waited outside by the door/takeaway window for 10 minutes as I had my dog with me. I had the exact cash in my hand to buy a couple of cakes but despite trying to get the staffs attention, I was ignored. It wasn't overly busy and despite 3 staff managing the till and 2 other staff looking directly at me, I didn't manage to order any food. It looked good though! Sadly, I'll never be able to confirm...

This was our second visit to this lovely cafe and on each occasion we were very happy with the food, ambience and the staff. Cafe is in a great setting, the food on both occassions was exceptional, for lunch we both had a couple of the specials on offer and you could tell that they were all home made, both were very tasty and the portions were large enough to satify both of us. A number of the people in the cafe were suggesting what to have from the specials board everyone was very friendly and helpful. Wished we lived in Matlock as it would be a local stop off point for us everyday. Keep doing what you're doing it's brilliant. Hope to join you again in the future. Thank you....

Can be a bit pricey for what you get but the service and atmosphere are top notch.

Visiting Matlock whilst on holiday. We had read good reviews about the Cafe in the Park and decided to have lunch there. The setting of the Cafe is good overlooking the park, despite the ongoing construction work nearby. We had read several comments online about possible queues at peak times, and we thought that if customers were prepared to queue then the food would be good. We were able to find a table straightaway. I ordered a pork and stuffing ciabatta with potato wedges which came with a pot of gravy and my wife ordered a jacket potato with tuna mayo and side salad. My ciabatta was Ok and tasty enough, although there could have been more apple sauce and there was only a small portion of wedges. I did wonder about the size of the potato they had cut up for wedges as they were tiny!! My wifes jacket potato was not good and a large part of the potato was bad and had to be cut out. She didnt enjoy it. We left disappointed with both of us still feeling peckish. The Cafe was busy but there seemed to be no one clearing tables and several people looked to take the empty table next to us but moved on when they saw that there were several piles of used plates with food crumbs all over the table top and on the floor. Would we go again - based on this experience, probably not for lunch, but afternoon tea in the Park on a sunny day rather than dodging rain showers might be more enjoyable.

What a lovely little cafe. We enjoyed a pot of tea and some toasted teacakes, but feel like we need to go back to try some of the other cakes! They all looked delicious. The only little downside was the menu on the table was sticky and the spoons in the table tidy were used.

As always, food, drinks, and service were good. A group of 7 we enjoyed it

There's plenty of room for improvement on the coffee, it's not a place where I'd go for just a drink.

Lovely setting and well maintained in the inside. Food and coffee are amazing. One point to consider; the sign about your card-charges. Take it down, these charges are a tax deduction against your income, plus all your bank charges. Maybe you should get rid of card payments all together if it’s causing an issue. At the end of the day, it’s the cost of doing business and these charges are already worked into your costs.

What more can we say, it's the only place for us, top quality produce, never a bad meal, staff are sooooo lovely, in a beautiful park, thank you everyone.

We live in Nottingham so come here quite regularly. We like to come out of season or early in the morning before it gets too busy. We’ve had breakfast, lunch and dinner here. Sometimes we just pop in for coffee & cake. Today we had breakfast. £28 for a full English, sausage & bacon cob and beans on toast with egg & mushrooms and 3 drinks. Really reasonable. Everything is freshly cooked, tasty and the portions are generous. The staff here are lovely and welcoming, friendly, polite and we’ve never had a bad meal or experience. Clean facilities and the cafe has lots of seating. You really can’t go wrong here. 100% recommended.

Lovely place. Food was fantastic.

Great value for a 'full English' breakfast.

Nice cafe but found the coffee to be abit weak. Good menu and pleasant place to watch the world go by.

We enjoyed our visit to the park, the cafe was a bonus for us, as the catered for people with a gluten free diet. Staff are pleasant and helpful. Thankyou

Lovely little cafe, really nice food. Bit of a wait but it was busy.

Busy but relaxing If raining then fewer tables.

Very civilised bistro evenings and excellent home cooked food

Poor, slow customer service. The staff serving on the inside counter were very efficient and working hard. However the member of staff serving the takeaway counter seemed to spend most of her time talking, faffing about and achieving very little.

Very nice place for a spot of tea and bacon sandwich

Warm, busy, nice cafe. Food is really nice, service is great, interior decor is impressive, and the atmosphere is warm - you can tell its of great service to its community and tourists alike.

We had cake and coffee ,they all looked very nice .

Had a nice salad here, overlooking a lovely park.

Terrific location, great food, friendly.

Bit costly but nice vibe, lovely location.

A nice relaxing cafe. Food and service good

Fantastic sausage and bacon cob. Always got a good selection of cakes and tray bakes as well. Much better than a national chain cafe.

Lovely setting with plenty of outdoor seating. Excellent range of fresh food and amazing display of huge cakes which we sampled. Menu looked to be very accommodating of dietary requirements too. We visited peak time on a Saturday and the cafe was very busy, despite this the service was exceptional, something rare to come by these days. The girls and ladies serving were very polite and efficient in serving. Would highly recommend and definitely return when we go back to this area. Also good and clean baby changing facilities! Thank you for a brilliant brunch

Nice food quick service clean and tidy

Amazing I had the chipata with cheese caramelised onion and bacon and omg it was the best would highly recommend

Full English breakfast was great.

It's a great cafe in a lovely location. Friendly staff and a warm welcome. Highly recommended.

Great position. Very friendly staff. Reasonable prices.

Great cafe in a beautiful park alongside the River Derwent in Matlock. We stopped off here for lunch after a scenic walk in the area. We were a group of 7, served quickly and professionally by the staff. Lunch options were tasty and well presented.

Welcoming to families and dogs Great sandwiches cakes and coffee

Always lovely to visit just a shame the coffee isn’t the best.

Nice coffee, nice relaxed place

A lovely friendly place with great food too

Lovely cafe in a great location. Proper home made cakes. Friendly staff. And a section inside that's dog friendly too!

We have had two wonderful visits here during our stay nearby. The cafe is dog friendly, with a dog specific area at one end (the far right) with plenty of tables. There were SO many choices of cakes we struggled to choose, and shared three things between us each time. Each one was absolutely delicious but our highlights were probably the biscoff millionaire, and creme egg brownie (the brownie was almost as gooey as brownie batter - one of the best brownies I’ve ever had!). The service was friendly and fast and prices were very reasonable. Would recommend to anyone!

Good menu with good portions. Cakes and tray bakes are value for money. Friendly service. Lovely setting.

Bang average cafe, the best part of the visit was the pictures of floods in the bathroom

Fantastic , service , beautiful food . So good we had some take out for our walk too

Staff were welcoming and friendly, had an excellent choice of cakes.

We enjoyed a delicious lunch at Cafe in the Park. Staff were really friendly and the food really good quality. I would recommend ordering chicken, brie and cranberry toasted sandwich! My partner enjoyed the triple sausage ciabatta too.

Wonderful homemade food - especially the soups and good service. Always helpful.

We stopped here for a cuppa on a long drive and was pleasantly surprised at the low cost yet high quality (Biscoff Millionaires Shortbread, by the way👌) The view was lovely, staff was great and bonus points for the dog section (we didn't have a dog but loved seeing them).

Had really 'on point' midday nosh here. Good unpretentious food and cosy atmosphere, with a proper coffee as well. Dog friendly, a good feature for next visit.

Lovely cafe, not pretentious but not down-market either. Service is always excellent and there's a great selection of cakes and treats as well as breakfast and lunch. Staff are always super friendly and there's a nice atmosphere.

My wife and I had a meal on Saturday afternoon. We were visiting Matlock after exploring Bakewell and Matlock. The location is good being in the Hall Leys Park. The service was good. Although there was only one toilet (it's clean and nice) which led to queues. The service was quick. My wife had the soup of the day which was cauliflower soup with a roll. It did seem poor that to have a simple breadroll it costs 1.25 extra. We both had beef and ale stew in a Yorkshire pudding. My wife liked the cauliflower soup and it was extremely filling. The Yorkshire pud was strong and robust and could hold the stew, it tasted fairly soft and was easy to eat and the beef stew had plenty of meat with the potatoes. It was 9.95 so whilst expensive for the type of establishment, it was nice.

A calm space on a cold day during the Christmas Market. Friendly staff

Always pop here if out with the mut in Matlock, lovely food and really cosy when it's rainy outside.

Beautiful cafe with great service. Staff were so friendly and accommodating. Ordered the breakfast and steak and ale pie, and was great food! The breakfast was genuinely the best I’d ever tasted. Very high quality meats and perfectly cooked. Also recommend the cornflake tart and Christmas cake. 10/10. Thanks Tracey!

Lovely little cafe, lovely staff.

Lovely place it was a shame that the Christmas Market was on .food was good,and good price as well.the girls fantastic

Nice cosy place for tea or coffee and a light bite. Nice variety of savories and sweets with pleasant service. Seating inside and out and at a very reasonable price.

I absolutely love cafe in the park. I’m happy every time I come in for a cuppa and a coke or lunch. Everyone who works there is amazing. Today though was the absolute best. I had the turkey, bacon, cheese and cranberry stack with pigs in blankets and it was (chefs kiss) perfect. My mother in law had the turkey and stuffing ciabatta, with pigs in blankets, roast potatoes and gravy and said the exact same thing. I know what I’m having for lunch next Wednesday.

Turned up at 11:10 and noticed that they stopped serving breakfast at 11:30. Decided what food we would have and started queuing at 11:15. Got to the front of the queue at 11:32, we were told breakfast ended at 11:30. Explained we had queued for some time and we were the only ones left in the queue. They didn’t care. It looked nice…… pity!

Lovely place with extraordinary tasty foods

We always pop in for lunch when we are in Matlock. The sandwiches are very good with a variety of options available. The ingredients are high quality and made to order.

Friendly. Comfortable and welcomes dogs. Good coffee and Carmel square

Popped in en route to our first family holiday, gorgeous setting in the park and the food was fantastic. We had the ploughmans for two which was delicious and great value for money. Very family and dog friendly!

Coffee and cake and watch the world go by in the Lovely Hall Leys park

We called in at the end of a local walk and were delighted by the choice and quality of the food on offer .My partner had a baked potato with cheddar cheese and salad and I had a breakfast bacon sandwich - both excellent .We were only sorry that we discovered this place on the last day of our holiday !

Gorgeous food and gorgeous service, came last year and will be back next year. So reasonably priced and great quality! Keep the fab work going girls

Nice cafe serving hot and cold food, good selection of cakes aswell, staff very friendly and welcoming

Visited on the recommendation of a friend so decided to try it rather than our usual eatery in Matlock. It was ok, food was tasty (we all had ciabatta’s) but randomly my salad garnish was half the size of everyone else’s. No big deal but it looked like it had come out unfinished. The table next to us had a ploughman’s platter and afternoon tea which looked delicious. The crockery was stained (the first cup the server gave us was filthy and she quickly exchanged it) and the cutlery had leftover food bits on it so we had to give it a good wipe over with napkins before using it. The place itself needs a spring clean, the ceiling lighting has big cobwebs hanging from it. The cafe was busy and the staff looked run off their feet but the young girl who took my order wasn’t very friendly - didn’t get service with a smile that’s for sure. Minor niggles but all added up didn’t give a great impression. Would we return….probably not.

What a lovely place. Great food, great service and fab coffee. Such a find and a regular spot. Try the homily pie, or the sausage and bacon bap. Personal favourites!!

The coffee was lovely. The beef lasagne was confusing at best. The pasta had the consistency of mashed potato, and the lasagne was cold in the middle. I’ve never had the experience of beef russian roulette, but every forkful was a surprise. I didn’t send it back, as I didn’t want to bother the staff who looked like they’d rather be anywhere else. The apple pie was brilliant though. Overall, a place I’d come back to for drinks, but not for food.

This is really lovely spot with pretty views and well-placed for the way back from a good hike in the hills. The staff were really friendly and helpful. The early grey tea is a highlight. Plus there's a masive outdoor area.

Lovely food, can take a dog into the dog area, outside seats, love the park, always enjoy this lovely cafe

We have been a regular visitor to the cafe over the years and when the new owners took over a few years ago it has gone to a different level Good honest food at a fair price not “ Ego Ronny’s but home cooked proper grub . Personally I love the veg curry but there are lots more goodies available my only problem is now I have written this review more people will want to visit our little getaway in the park .

Lovely place for lunch or snack enjoyed sitting outside as a nice day and looking out over the park, only missing a band in the band stand to be be playing

This is a great place and I highly recommend a visit if you’re visiting the beautiful historical town of quaint Matlock! The cafe was very busy and had a long line but I was pleased to see people being served efficiently and speedily. One server in particular was especially friendly reddish dyed hair in pigtails and a nose piercing (I think) she made us feel very welcome and tempted us into buy cake, I’m very glad she did! Delicious! Thank you for the great service young lady you made a lovely day even lovelier. We’ll be back 👍🏻

Had a superb breakfast yesterday. Staff were very friendly as always and food was top notch

Popped in at short notice as part of my dog walk yesterday and ordered a full English breakfast. The service was very friendly, got my food quickly and it was absolutely delicious. I’ve been here several times and always had a great experience. Perfect for locals and tourists alike. You’ll not be disappointed

Great cafe and great service but bought two cakes to take away and one was mouldy. Shame as everything else was so nice!

Called in yesterday for an late breakfast early lunch and I had sausage sandwich and my wife a bacon sandwich. They were well cooked with nice bread and good fillings. The staff are excellent and the surroundings nice, clean and tidy a very enjoyable and filling sandwich.

Good breakfast range. Service a little slow. Dog friendly 🐶

Food very well cooked Staff very friendly and polite Would highly recommend

I visited here recently with my daughter, & decided to sit inside. It was lovely to see that there were various toys, & colouring crayons, to keep kids entertained whilst waiting for food. I decided to go for a flat white, & for food I...

Came here with my mum for lunch. I had quiche with salad potatoes and coleslaw, and my mum had tuna jacket potato with salad. Fantastic little cafe with lots of choice at a reasonable price. Clean and very friendly staff. Can't wait to return

Amazing service, the server who served me was incredibly sweet and polite . Sadly I don't remember her name but she had lovely red hair. The food was really nice as well so I highly recommend going to this cute café and having the pleasure...

£13.60 for 2 breakfast cobs to take out Bacon Sausage and Egg although the items were of a fair standard there was a lot of grease and cannot justify the price sorry !

Home made pie and roasters with lovely thick gravy. Top notch food. Nice environment to sit and super staff. Even better not overpriced in any way. I’d score it 11 out of 10

Nice location and nice staff however food didn’t not seem to be fresh.

I searched trip advisor for somewhere to go for breakfast during a recent stay in Matlock. This cafe came up as recommended and I'm so glad it did. The service was so friendly, the cakes and pastries looked amazing and our breakfast was delicious.

A really lovely park and food especially good for a park cafe . We were actually suprised as some cafes in park is not such high quality as this one . Will definitely come back .

Lovely coffee in convivial atmosphere, dog friendly...

Friendly helpful staff, dog friendly, great coffee/tea and food.

A very good local cafe with excellent service and a great menu. Very busy when we called on a wet January afternoon.

Stopped for a beautifully prepared breakfast en route to Chatsworth. Very helpful and friendly staff. Really enjoyable visit! Thank you.

Very popular. Fabulous food. They even have a area at the far end where you can sit with your dogs.

Smashing little cafe. Catered for 12 of us as a family sweet potato curry was delicious. Soup wholesome and all sandwiches were delicious.

Great to see a Gluten free selection 😀

Lovely place to relax in the park when there are tables free. Good prices and nice food. A real treat for a family stroll in the park with my little one.

Wonderful little cafe, accommodated a large group of 12 of us so well and the food was delicious! Every meal was spot on despite a large number of us ordering. Friendly staff and a great experience overall.

A great experience from the moment we walked in upon until leaving. The food quality was great