Cafe Ventoux in Harborough

Obsessed with this place! An absolute gem and so glad it isn't always packed. Food is amazing and such a lovely atmosphere. Staff are always so happy polite 10/10

Mid way through a walk from Skeffington we thought we’d have a look at the cafe. After making our way down the drive following the signs, we were promptly stopped by a man working on site. We were told it was private property, to which we asked where the cafe was. To that he patronisingly joked that we’d had too much to drink at Christmas. His attitude put us off and we left without finding the cafe. Unfortunately we won’t be back on site anytime soon.

My wife and I have been going to Cafe Ventoux at Tugby for coffees several times a week since April 2023. We love the place. We first discovered it while on a walk in 2022, unfortunately just as it had closed down for a major revamp and were pleased to find it had re-opened from a mention in the Motorcycle News. We think the coffee (and tea, according to my wife) is the best we've had anywhere. Living about 12 miles away, we've tried pretty much every cafe in the area, but we keep coming back to it. We've had a few meals and cakes there too and always been pleased with them. We're not cyclists, but it has a very "cyclist" theme to it and for those who are, there's also a large new cycle store that's recently opened next door. As they're a bit out in the sticks and occasionally close for private functions, if you're going to travel a long way, I'd definitely recommend phoning first, as they don't always manage to update their website for every one. There's plenty of free parking, the staff are always friendly and frankly it's a very nice place to visit, modern, but set in some beautiful countryside. For disabled folks, there's a sloping paved path all the way from the car park and I'm pretty sure the threshold in the (double) doorway is flat, or at best very low. You should be able to get in and enjoy it without any drama. I notice there's a few disparaging reviews on here, but we can probably consider ourselves "regulars" now, having visited so often and our experience over the last 20 months has been a consistently very positive one. Please give them a try. I'm sure you'll be pleased you did.

Probably one of the best breakfast I’ve ever had 😍😍😍😍

Lovely place breakfast was beautiful service was spot on very happy 😃

Myself and some colleagues had a meeting at Giant Cycles Tugby and popped in to Cafe Ventoux for lunch afterwards. the food was excellent, service really friendly and attentive, the ambiance was warm and relaxed - really enjoyable. A great place to stop into for a very tasty lunch in a lovely location. First rate!

We'd ridden 2hrs to get here as my friend had heard about Cafe Ventoux & wanted to visit. Checked opening times online beforehand. Arrived to find it closed at 1pm as they had a function, it was posted on social media we were told. Not happy but the Fox & Hounds in Tugby was open & made us feel very welcome. If you're visiting, I recommend 'phoning ahead. The 5 values they expouse on the website should include Integrity.

1st visit , it was late afternoon so quiet which was good. A friendly welcome.

Really lovely warm ambience, friendly staff. Food is delicious, as is the coffee. Another favourite.

Lovely coffee and light refreshments. Cafe is set in a lovely green and peaceful surroundings. We sat inside but outside seating is also available. Very clean and staff very friendly.

Brilliant spot for a café stop with top coffee when out on a ride. The cafe has plenty of seating and decor is great for a place out in the countryside.

Great place, can’t believe I have not been before. Breakfast was amazing, coffee is great and staff are all friendly

Pricey but very tasty, well placed and a beautiful setting. Water tap for bidon in car park too is really handy.

Love this place. Nothing to fault, food and surroundings were perfect!

Good selection of cakes at reasonable prices, very helpful staff. Great outdoor seating options. Excellent for a snack when cycling.

Great improvements and great cake !!!’

I’ve had some cake that was delicious. However, the tea (came in a pot) was quite strange. I’ve visited on one of the hot days and the location seems quite liminal (lack of trees, a lot of concrete)

Having phoned on Tuesday to book a table for 4 people for brunch at 1100hrs on 1/9/24 . On making the reservation my details and phone number were taken and the details of the booking were read back to me. So today we attend for our brunch to celebrate my birthday today to be told there was no record of my booking and the best they could do was a few seats outside . I questioned this as my details had been taken when I phoned . The assistant went away to speak with a manager and came back saying there were no tables available only outside . I did not want to sit outside. So we left . What is the point of booking . Completely ruined my day

Great spot for a big breakfast before a big walk.

We had breakfast here. Nice little place. Service wasn't great but good food.

First time I've been here for breakfast. Lovely place and surroundings. I had the full English which was cooked to perfection. My son had the eggs royal Will definitely go back here for lunch/dinner when they open later on Fridays.

Lovely place!! All the staff such nice people!!food was Fab !!and beautiful views of country side !! What a great place!!

This was by far the best breaksfast I have had out. We stopped off for breakfast and was truly amazed by the location, friendliness of staff and quality of food. The poached eggs we runny and delicious, portion size was very generous and great value for money. Not sure why this has not got a 5 star rating.

Great find! Travelling through and came across this place. Food was fresh, and lovely. Thank you

Good price for the food quality and a fun walk around the farms around the area

Great place to stop for a bike ride. Or even without a bike! They have amazing coffee, friendly staff, and a great atmosphere.

Super cafe, try the ginger cake, awesome! Not surprisingly, welcome cyclists.

One of the best cafe’s I’ve been to, lovely outdoor terrace with views for eating in the summer. Food was exceptional and staff were friendly. On the pricier side but well worth it.

A fabulous lunch in beautiful surroundings. The staff were incredible; they were very busy but so friendly and efficient.

Absolutely delicious Gorgonzola Tart in the lovely countryside surroundings. Highly recommend ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Nice place to sit outside and have a coffee. Plenty of parking for any vehicle.

Great place for cycling cafe stop after a Hilly ride, happy atmosphere staff always smiling which is great

Fantastic place to eat and rest

We started going to Café Ventoux earlier this year and it has rapidly become our go to place for breakfast, lunch, and our local pub. The staff are exceptionally friendly and can’t do enough for the kids. The food is excellent. Highly recommended

Lovely cafe, decent value and mix of menu, but a really good setting. Something different, worth a venture out to.

Cafe just off a main road through Leicestershire, great for a lunch along the way. Food always interesting and the Specials are varied. Plenty of zero alcohol drinks for those driving. Popular with bicyclists as there is a bicycle shop next to the cafe. Large car park.

Visited for the first time as part of a small cycling group. I'd been aware of it for years and had heard good things. Have to say from my point of view it was a bit disappointing. It's not really a cycling cafe anymore, rather more a posh cafe with a cycling theme. The price, £11, of my bacon roll and latte we all thought a bit too high (hence 3 stars). On the positive side, it is in a lovely bit of countryside, nicely laid out. The bike racks and water bottle filling point were a nod to their original cycling background.

It was our first time yesterday to this cafe. We initially went for a coffee but then ended up ordering food. Latte was just right - my husband and I loved the latte and the burgers that we ordered were delicious. We don’t drink so Andrea gave us sparkly water instead of beer. Staff were really nice. Andrea was nice and friendly. Took our niece with us today and she throughly enjoyed it too. Worth the visit!

The facilities here are high quality. The cafe serves good food and drinks and has been renovated to a high standard. However, they do not allow dogs. A cafe situated in the middle of the countryside! Waiting for a few cyclists to come by and spend 10 quid on a sandwich. When we went it was pretty empty. The no dogs policy will kill a business like this imo.

Excellent place to stop during your cycling route or at any time. Wonderful atmosphere, fantastic service and superior food. For cyclists and non-cyclists. Don't forget to visit it.

Shame visit was spoilt by loud diners on next table

Wow just wow! Amazing pancakes, whilst sat on the terrace whilst taking in the views.

Had Duck from the specials board.. 👌

Super bright lively venue - super little fiat car in cafe - cyclists friendly- lovely staff and local produce

Best cycling cafe I've been too, totally welcome for non-cyclists too, food is brilliant, the eggs benedict are delicious and the staff are always really friendly. Really nice to sit outside on a sunny day!

Popped in for a hearty breakfast with my family, amazing food and friendly service.

Found this hidden gem of a cafe midway on a long journey, where a lovely warm welcome was given plus the food and coffee was the best, will return when next in the area. Thank you all.

Absolutely love this place. I have visited 10+ times over the last 12 months and each time the service is great, the food is delicious and the atmosphere, naturally, is lovely (it's surrounded by greenery). On my most recent visit it seemed the vegetarian options had reduced somewhat but this may be down to seasonality. It's also a great place to take your laptop on a spring/summers day and get some work done sat outside, along with your coffee/lunch. They have power points and I always manage to get a good internet connection.

The food here is always exceptional, I had the tempura prawns and I've never tasted batter that good! It's a shame they don't allow dogs given the location though and I wish the menu was a little bigger or they served the breakfast options all day.

Great brunch stop for all although it's targeting cyclists.

Lovely little cafe out in Leicestershire countryside

Highly Recommend. The food is wonderful. Hot, tasty, fresh. The service was excellent, really nice vibe with all the cyclists and amazing views of the countryside to look at whilst enjoying my coffee. The areas needed somewhere like this, I’ll definitely be returning. Edward (the owner) has built something really special here, definitely worth a visit. 5 stars!

Nice place, good coffee, shame that dogs are not allowed especially due to the location being in the middle of the countryside.

Polite staff supplied a warm welcome Revised internal layout Good food and drink options Superb parking area

Just popped in for a cafe stop and found excellent food, atmosphere, and service. View over the fields helps to make Ventoux special. We had soup and baked potatoes but the breakfast and main meals looked enticing as well. Good facilities, clean, music is subtle. All good.

Absolutely outstanding food quality, extremely friendly staff and lovely atmosphere. A regular place which never disappoints!! Would highly recommend.

Outstanding food and service in a beautiful location. Breakfast is fantastic, main menu for lunch is really good regardless of whether it's a snack or a full dinner. Most recently had a Sunday lunch here and it was out of this world. The location is fab, especially in Spring and Summer for sitting on the patio. The service from all staff is friendly and efficient and the perfect amount of attentiveness. It has a lovely vibe to the place with people having celebrations, cyclists an folk just in for coffee and cake Everything that comes out the kitchen is absolutely top notch and the owners work hard to make sure you have a great experience. A must visit for anyone.

Great service and atmosphere and the coffee was top notch. I'll be back for breakfast one day soon.

Really nice cafe, great service and food.

Lovely place for a cup of coffee and a natter. Would recommend.

A regular stop off whilst out cycling. Great coffee, great staff.

Lovely meal. Had the venison burger! Was beaut.

Had a lucky find with Café Ventoux whilst out and about Dropped in on spec for a drink. Had lattes and scones but the other food also looked nice around us. The staff were all very friendly, the views were nice and the whole atmosphere was very comfortable. It'll definitely be on our list for a revisit when we're in the area.

As a special treat I take myself to Cafe Ventoux. Stunning Three Chimps Coffee & the Cakes are to Die for.

Excellent cafe. Great breakfast. Great atmosphere. Highly recommended.

What a little gem we stumbled upon.. Excellent place for a drink or meal and to relax. Found it on Google maps as we were travelling to Corby on A47. The quality of the food was exceptional and how it was served 10 out of 10. The staff gave 100% and it was worth every penny. We were not rushed in any way. Thank you

Beautiful views, lovely atmosphere, very friendly employees. A little escape from the daily grind.

Service was a little slow, food was very nice 👌

Had a lovely run round Belton and finished in the cafe . So what’s it like ? The coffee was amazing and cakes .. well to nice . The staff was very polite and helpful The cafe was clean with almost every seat with lovely views . The perfect place to chill after a tad of exercise. I would 100% go back again Clive

If you have a dog avoid. Dogs are not allowed inside as the owner seems to think they are “smelly little hogs”. This is a very ordinary cafe but the owner seems to think it is something special.

We have visited on several occasions over the summer months with our 2 dogs for a drink on the outside patio. As autumn/winter approaches I emailed the owner to enquire if we could take our dogs inside. The response was that “smelly little hogs” are not allowed inside! This is a ordinary cafe used primarily by walkers and cyclists not “foodies” but the owner seems to think he running a 3* Michelin restaurant.

We arrived mid morning on bikes, and had a nice experience except for one important point... The welcome we got, we were asked immediately if we'd booked, and when we said no (as we didn't think we had to for a cycling cafe!) we felt unwelcome, and it was suggested we'd have to sit outside (it was quite chilly and we were cold from riding) - luckily my forthright riding friend spotted someone about to leave a sofa and had to forcefully suggest we could sit there, which seemed to be somewhat reluctantly accepted. Once sat down we were served by someone else and it was all fine from then forwards, but as a supposed cycling cafe we were all left with a slightly sour feeling and not sure if we'll return. We had previously been maybe 10-12 times over the past few years. I can't imagine many bikers will frequent either, the bike theme now seems to be a thin veneer...

Great food, friendly service and reasonable prices. Very nice.

Surprise to find this eatery serving good quality and unusual food.near Leicester. It is on a main cycling route and plenty of provission for those on two wheels including placevto fill water bottles. I had Truffled Cauliflower soup and my partner had the Lincolnshire Poacher cheese and onion hot sandwich. Both were excellent.

What was once a cracking stop for any group of cyclists wanting to reload on Coffee and cake during a group ride has sadly parted ways with their roots and look to appeal to the masses offering 3 course lunches and Christmas party bookings in advance. Told we would have to sit outside because we hadn’t booked was an odd welcome to say the least. Asked for cakes which were well displayed at the front of shop, but we had to order from the table without a cake menu. Just never really felt welcome from the moment we arrived. Cycling apparel and signage on the wall will not be enough to keep this as a cycling cafe. Cyclists talk.

Writing as a group of 4 cyclists who arrived for coffee and cake half way through our. ride. We were greeted by a chap who kind of looked us up and down and told us we'd have to sit outside because we hadn't booked... There were 2 spare tables at the back albeit he was not going to offer us one of them. We did manage to find some space on the sofa near the toilets (the lady who served us was friendly enough). I've been to Ventoux many times over the years, I've never been a huge fan but this particular non cyclist welcome is the nail in the coffin for me. We parted with £25 and that's the last time. "Ventoux" - Is this really a cycling cafe or just an averagely marketed hyped up cafe than doesn't really want cycling clientele as customers??

Absolute gem in the beautiful countryside. We have been twice now, once for brunch and another for a live band evening. Amazing owners, amazing staff and , amazing food (panko cauliflower with a katsu sauce ) was an favourite. Atmosphere is lovely. This is our favourite place to be.

Absolute gem in the beautiful countryside. We have been twice now, once for brunch and another for a live band evening. Amazing owners, amazing staff and , amazing food (panko cauliflower with a katsu sauce ) was an favourite. Atmosphere is lovely. This is our favourite place to be.

Great place with good food but the service was way too slow on the day we were there.

Went as part of a group of 13 around 10am Sunday . We were informed that if we come as a large group, we need to book in advance. Despite this , our beverage and cake orders were taken (thank you) , about 20 minutes later we enquired about the status of our order and were informed that they had not yet started preparing - we cancelled and left as we did not want to wait any longer.

First visit - so enjoyable, lovely food (don't let the limited menu put you off, we just had three different choice - all excellent!) All in a gorgeous setting with great staff too, will be going back very soon.

Every one is welcome there, beautiful setting with outside seating and inside seating, friendly staff.

Great food, great team and great atmosphere. My new favourite lunch/coffee place 😍

I had lunch at Cafe Ventoux today and the waitress misunderstood my order, brought out a cauliflower soup instead of the main I had asked for. I was offered the soup while I waited for the right order. I have to say, it was absolutely delicious, probably the best soup I had in a good while! The main was gorgeous too. Left well fed and happy!

Lovely location and views. Wonderful coffee and cakes. Will definitely return.

Joined an evening of live music and chilli. Food was amazing, both the standard and the veggie versions. Duet band ‘Leannan’ were great. Service was fantastic, location beautiful - highly recommend!

We came across Cafe Ventoux almost be accident. We were on a Polestar test drive and Cafe Ventoux was given as the directions for the 'event'. Being early we decided to grab a sit down coffee before the drive. What a place. The staff were incredibly helpful and friendly, the cafe is a little quirky and chic - in a welcoming way. Pleanty of tables, open countryside all around and coffee that is sublime. The best americano in a long, long time. We were tempted by the breakfasts, and had a Brioche sausage bap and a brioche bacon bap. I cant complain about the sasuage bap, it was wonderful and my wife raved about the bacon bap. The menu is limited - so what, its a cafe. We will be back....

Tables not cleared. Only wanted a drink but it dragged on and on. Saw people leave. Chai Latte very strange tasting and we have tasted quite a few before. Noticed people left food on plate.

Perfect location. Beautiful views. Lovely food. Brilliant service.

Great place to stop on your ride. The biscoff cake is amazeballs + great coffee too!

We visited Cafe V last night with friends. Paulina and Max made the evening a fantastic evening for us all. Max’s flare and passion as a chef shines through in his evening menu. The steaks were the best we’d eaten in some time, the duck, so tender and flavoursome and the sea bass a divine mix of flavours and textures. This couple really do go out of their way to personalise your dining experience with them. The attention to detail in each plate is inspiring. We have seen and witnessed recent comments about the poor service but honestly please don’t give up on this venue, the food is the real magic and the service issues are being addressed. Bistro Ventoux would have aptly describe the dining experience last night. 5 star!

No longer the top quality cycling pit stop that it once was, it instead feels much more like a restaurant. The food, whilst tasty, is rather pretentious, with what should be simple tasty cafe snacks tarted up to try and justify a high price and small portions. Take a look at the beans on toast, the jus around the plate is a tad over the top in my opinion. Unfortunately the staff also seemed to struggle when it came to dividing the bill up, resulting in some of us paying far more than we should have, which wouldn’t have happened if we could just order at the till. The new building is lovely and well decorated, as is the landscaping outside. Though the bikes are quite a way from the cafe now, to the point where it’s not actually easy to keep an eye on them.

Been here a couple of times now, it’s a lovely spot and good food, would recommend. Have tried a couple of things and everything was good aside from the sausage/bacon breakfast bun which was very underwhelming considering the price. The blonde lady who I think is the main waitress there is also very friendly and always in a good mood. Only downside is that the menu is very limited and could definitely do with some new additions.

Isn't what it used to be. Table service only. Tiny bar and fewer staff. No bacon sarnies unless you want to pay £10 Loads of space for bikes, but less than 3 when we were there on a sunny Sat afternoon.

Not cheap but quality tasty food

Very very delicious food at Cafe Ventoux, absolutely loved the Beef Carpaccio, super tender. Staff were lovely too. Excited to go back.

The good is fantastic, beautifully presented!

Fantastic service and delicious food with a view

Planned a visit whilst we stayed locally & didn’t disappoint at all. Food was delicious, so much so, 2 of our group (teenagers) had seconds!! Lovely friendly staff. Will definitely visit again.

Perfect from start to finish. Very welcoming staff perfect service and food, wonderful comfortable seating and a lovely view, what else could you ask for