Cafedral Durham in County Durham

You walk in passed a few outside tables up the internal stairs to a packed room that has a buzz about it. If you're into gardening there is a beautiful display of house plants in various containers. It was pa ked and we waited ten minutes for a table, but the turnover is quick and staff are efficient. We only had coffee and cake but will decorate go back for lunch having seen everyone else eating.

Amazingly accommodating staff, the team were lovely and the scones are worth going back for - especially the lemon and blueberry with lemon curd and clotted cream. The best!!

Always busy but the staff always give you their full attention. Good variety of food to choose from, always fresh. I had the walnut, apple and wensleydale quiche this time, beaut. The scones are amazing. The cafe is covered with a huge variety of plants, grown by the owner who is always happy to answer your questions, on plants, food or Durham City itself. Nothing matches here, from the cups and saucers to the tables and chairs but it adds to the lovely atmosphere. Well worth a visit.

Great coffee delicious food and very helpful and friendly staff

Lovely cafe! Friendly staff, excellent food, excellent vibe and decor ... definitely recommend!

Very cozy place with very nice atmosphere however usually very busy so queues and noise becomes an issue. Staff are very friendly but with a packed restaurant 24/7 waiting for orders becomes long

Great little cafe, entrance is found at the top of the stairs. Nice section of food and drinks. The plants fill this cafe and give it a cute vibe. We tried out the scones and there was quite a selection to chose from. Would go back again.

Just been at cafedral. Absolutely amazing.

Went in for a lite bite and a coffee. Lady that served us, I presume was a manager, needs to have a course on customer service !! Not rude, but very blunt and no please or thank you. Nice atmosphere, cheese scone would have been better if it was warmed up ( wasn't offered by this manager if I wanted it ) and the coffee was nice. Shame about the lady that served us, has put us off coming back.

A good stop for a coffee during a conference.

Always amazing cakes and lunches. Worth the queue.

Lovely café near the Cathedral (hence the name!) with a cosy atmosphere, great coffee, and really friendly staff! ☺️ The food was also delicious; I had an Eggs Royale for breakfast and it was yummy!! 😋 Will definitely come back often!

A lovely cafe. Friendly environment and lovely food. Always a treat

Popped in one Sunday off the cuff and wasn't disappointed. I can highly recommend the eggs riccardo. The staff were really friendly and the decor was the perfect setting for breakfast. I would recommend

Lovely to not miss out on a cream tea with my friend with there being a gluten-free coeliac friendly scone. Would have rather the scone was room temperature, as the clotted cream did melt, but it was still tasty.

Visited Durham at weekend,enjoyed lovely coffee and scones/teacakes.Cafe is very quirky in a good way,staff were very welcoming and friendly.

Popped in after a visit to the cathedral & having seen the sign for fresh scones on the way up. Excellent scones & lovely welcome from staff. Loved the old fashioned traditional china too. Would highly recommend.

First visit with quality food ingredients and presentation. Exceptional equal welcome to all customers that I overheard given by all staff.

Very good place to eat or have a snack. The service is more than pleasant, the cafe is nicely decorated with plants and flowers. The hot chocolate is delicious, as is the mint chocolate cake. I loved my salad. Very nice place. ☺️

Visited today with our rescue Labrador Gibbs, had soup and they made cheese and ham sammiches so we could share with the pooch Thankyou so much xxx

Popped in today for sandwiches and soup, Thankyou so much for making us cheese and ham “sammiches” so we could share with our rescue Labrador Gibbs x

Great food, a little bit pricey

The owners/staff make you feel so welcome the moment you step in. The thought and care that have gone into the space is just fantastic! We absolutely adored it and can't wait to be back! The food was delicious too! I could not recommend it more!

Just down from the cathedral, some seats on the ground level and the main cafe is upstairs. Dog friendly 😁. We were seen to straight away and water was brought for the dog. The cafe is lovely, the staff so helpful and friendly and the toasted teacake with jam and mature cheddar - a game changer! De- flippin-lish!! Will definitely come back.

What a hidden gem. Excellent choice of breakfast and brunch. I opted for the smoked salmon and avocado bagel. Absolutely delicious. The scones looked incredible but I was too full to try one. Will definitely be returning just to try the lemon scone with clotted cream. Gorgeous decor - a little quirky. But the icing on the cake (pun intended) was the staff, especially Mark - friendly, fun and welcoming. Thank you Mark for a lovely host. Really looking forward to my visit.

If we are visiting or indeed passing Durham, we endeavour to visit this wonderful cafe. The eccentric layout of the cafe creates areas within areas. The seating is an absolute joy. The plants which adorn the cafe are lovingly attended by the dedicated owner. So do not take cuttings without permission. Once visited, hopefully the efforts which go into making this place so special, will draw you back time and again. The food and service is worthy of it's unique environment. _________________________ Update Our most recent visit 22nd February 2023 was totally as expected. The service, the food and the unique ambience are still evident. Keep up the great work. Very pleasing to see the Cafedral overflowing at lunchtime. July 2024 A warm welcome as usual. The owner is a jovial chap. The service remains to a very high standard. The food is still equally as appetising and flavoursome. The atmosphere remains, which is such a delight in an ever changing world.

Nice Bagel and Pannini's . Pay extra for salad and crisps

Really disappointing. The customer service leaves a lot to be desired. No greeting upon arrival - we were actually a bit early so waiting outside. The workers then stood by the door collecting deliveries after opening time, ignoring us (2 adults and 2 young kids) and left the ‘closed’ sign on the door. Another worker arrived and just shouted up the stairs ‘can I open the door people are waiting?’ Then opened the door but never spoke to us. When we went upstairs again no greeting was given - just ‘how many?’ And then not even taken to a table just pointed to the back of the cafe and told ‘you can sit there’. Really lacking any kindness or warmth. The food was priced what I would expect for this style of cafe but typically a kind customer experience is expected to go along with this price (£30 for two drinks, a slice of cake, a scone and a panini). The menu was also significantly different to the menu on there website - huge price increase (I understand pricing has gone up everywhere but a bit shocking to have an idea in mind from the menu on their website and then see such a jump upon arrival). Also there weren’t as many gluten free options. I’d pay less for more food in Wetherspoons and have similar if not better customer service. I know where I’m going next time.

Tables and water cups were dirty. It was busy though, so I imagine difficult to keep up. Food was alright, but overpriced for a panini and salad, especially compared to offerings from other nearby cafes where you get more and better quality food for less.

Called by on my friend's recommendation for lunch whilst on a visit to Durham. We were greeted in a friendly manner and seated very quickly. The menu was full of tasty sounding options. I had a delicious falafel wrap which was very flavoursome, with a lovely fresh and crunchy salad and crisps. This is just the kind of vegetarian food I really enjoy. Also the coffee with oat milk was very good. I loved the quirky and cheerful decor.

The gluten free scones are out of this world. As a life-long coeliac, theirs were the best I've had. Lovely folks too, very warm and welcoming. Really couldn't recommend this place enough.

Fabulous cafe/bistro just down the hill from Durham Cathedral. You’ve got to try the homemade scones (especially the lemon and blueberry) with Devon clotted cream and lemon curd, DELICIOUS! Very warm welcome on arrival and well organised, as it can get busy, but well worth the wait.

Wonderful cafe! Great cakes and scones. Had a lovely time at a university reunion. Thank you for hosting and we will come back xx

Adore! Very sweet spot, unique items (tiramisu iced coffee, lemon curd scone) and the classics. Great quality and some wonderful service. Thank you ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Visited when they were very busy, really friendly staff, fresh food, nice atmosphere. We went back the next day for a cuppa and vegan cake, again really friendly and lovely place to visit. Highly recommend.

What a wonderful cafe, located close to the cathedral and castle. Cafe was really busy but they found us 2 seats quite quickly, service was really good, nice atmosphere, loved the China cups and saucers. Food was excellent and nicely presented. Thank you

Having lived in the area for many years, we visited the Cafedral for the first time. The staff are very welcoming and helpful and the choice and taste of food is exceptional. I had the Tuna, Mayo and Red Onion sandwich with salad, and my wife had the Greek Salad sandwich with salad and coffee. From taking the order to serving was approximately five minutes, which was very good taking into consideration it was busy. There is a good choice of food on the menu. We will certainly return on a number of occasions.

Mark and his team supplied a fantastic birthday party afternoon tea. All made and baked on the day. Sandwiches were entirely made to order and the cakes and scones were delicious. They also supplied everything so that all we had to do was to take off the wrapping. Excellent service!

Great food, good atmosphere, attentive service!

Gem of a place , the staff are genuinely interested in the customer and invest in your experience, makes you feel valued, foods great and well priced , well done thanks

The dishes are handmade. Healthy. Good atmosphere. There would be one more person missing from the service to avoid waiting. But the atmosphere of the establishment relaxes and allows reflection.

Brilliant service and to die for food. Served with a smile and very courteous staff.

What a lovely place to just relax and enjoy a nice cup of tea with a scone.. such lovely staff... will call again

Great cafe, good food and drinks, friendly staff.

The staff here go out of their way to make your visit as nice as possible. The little changes they make to the food places it above most cafes. Ansolutely worth a try and try again.

Lovely food and staff so popular you may need to Q

Short waiting before being greeted by a gentleman. First impression busy and buzzing with people from all walks of life. Ordered our meal and beverage and was amazed by what was presented. Salmon and avocado salad for my husband and the Apple, Wensleydale and Walnut Quiche. All we can say is....what a pleasantly beautiful meal. We will come back again.

Very pleasant place. Not bad food or service but there is room for improvement.

Lovely people, excellent food, reasonable prices considering the location 😀

Fantastic place full of atmosphere. Come for the scones (made fresh in the house and delicious), stay for the plants. The best thing about Cafedral is the people who take care of it and its customers :) Welcoming and generous. Thank you for everything!

A lovely little cafe hidden away on the Bailey. Excellent service as soon as you walk through the door making you feel very welcomed and a valued customer. The food and drinks are great with lots of selection. I would highly recommend visiting this cafe when in Durham!

This place with was full of plants just near the Cathedral I found the name very cool just for it I wanted to try. Actually they were kind they asked me if I want to move near the window. We were in rush so just ordered tea and it was fast served. Only thing that I felt a bit uncomfortable was a man that was walking near the tables with towel and a bit angry. I totally understand with the theft this is very hard situation. Other than that it was good. I hope you the best

Lovely place.Had a fantastic wrap and then a slice of cake which I wasn't going to have but our lovely waitress bought 2 plates so it would have been rude not to! Highly recommend.

lovely cafe within walking distance of the cathedral. Dog friendly. We came with our newborn son and baby changing facilities that are non-existent, and only one toilet - we didn't mind changing him in the restaurant and neither did anyone else. This isn't disabled friendly and the stairs were slippery (raining on the day). Food was very nice and came out quickly, within 5 minutes for four people. They did forget my order and this took another 5-6 minutes to prepare. This happened again later on when we asked for hot water for the tea too. The waiter was slightly loud, but it was quite busy at brunch so I could understand his loud voice. He did give our dog a nice water bowl without us needing to ask, which was a nice change. The avocado and salmon bagel was nice and they provided a generous amount of cheese with the scone too. Overall this is a good place for brunch, and would like to see some small changes to avoid slippages which may cause accidents on wetter days.

What a lovely find! Will definitely be returning! Delicious food and very friendly and efficient staff 😋

Came in right at open with a group of 12 hungry Floorball players. The team were incredibly welcoming and accommodating - moving the tables around so that we could all sit and eat together. Drinks: A variety of hot and cold drinks available - I opted for a large Cappuccino, which was very tasty. Food: We came in early, so had a choice of breakfast/brunch options alongside the rest of the food menu. - I ordered an Eggs Florentine, which was well cooked, rich, decadent and creamy. Staff: The staff, as mentioned above, were very warm and welcoming. They were attentive and saw that all of our café needs were met. If this is how they treat all of their customers, the crew should be very proud of themselves. Final thoughts: Thank you to the Cafédral team, I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for a nice breakfast out in Durham. If I'm ever back in the city, I know at least one establishment that I will be returning too.

Cosy atmosphere, great food, friendly staff, fabulous plants, 11/10

Eclectic little coffee shop great scones as well very busy but easy to see why

Busy little cafe serving hot drinks, cakes, sandwiches and soups. Not welcoming to people looking to work on laptops, and very much geared towards fast turnaround to tourists.

I went there for the hot chocolate, but to my surprise, the water there surpasses everything. The hot chocolate was good, but the flavor of the water overshadowed everything. I would recommend it just for the water; the hot chocolate was good too. On a serious note, the owner was pleasant to meet and the service was impecabble, their cakes and scones are a must try along with the hot chocolate.

Poor show, food very ordinary, very little filling in the panini and capucino cups very small. Poor value for money.

Lovely place with a good vibe and reasonable prices. Also incredible that it sponsors so many toilets through toilet twinning. Very friendly staff and would highly recommend if you’re visiting Durham.

Gem of a find...Great menu, food and friendly service 😋

If you're in Durham and want tea and a scone, you owe it to yourself to visit Cafédral. The house made pastries are delicious, the sandwiches are superb, the hot chocolate (my son's favourite) is amazing... Even the salad dressing is among the best I've ever had. Highly recommended. One thing worth mentioning: To serve as many customers as possible, Cafédral is a 'no-work zone', so if you take out your laptop while seated, you will be asked to put it away. I can understand this, and they handle it very politely, so I'm not complaining. But it is worth knowing before you go, just in case a work area is what you're looking for.

Excellent home made food. The scones were particularly good. Cozy atmosphere.

Phenomenal food and genuinely the best hot drinks my partner and I have had in our lifetimes, served with a smile - can't recommend enough!

Brilliant cafe. Incredible paninis and sweets.

Lovely place but very busy and inattentive service. Food is expensive but that is on par with Durham. Very good coffee

Really nice scones, hosts and atmosphere !

Lovely cosy cafe a stone's throw from the castle and cathedral. Great selection of hot and cold drinks, as well as hot and cold food with many marked gluten-free options. A gf panini was a very welcome (and tasty) change from jacket potatoes - thank you! Great service, nice atmosphere and local artwork for sale. Be mindful that both the cafe and its toilet are up several flights of stairs, so access is a little limited. Otherwise, cannot fault it, and had a very tasty and reasonably priced lunch here!

Had the Ploughman's Panini with salad and 'slaw - LOVED IT!! Will definitely ho back. Scones were also AMAZING!!

Nice fresh cheese scone with a piec e of cheese and chutney. Friendly staff, efficient table service. Very busy. Personally I don't think dogs should be allowed inside cafes

A really lovely place with good food and ambience . The owner and staff are really friendly and amazing service done by them. The hot chocolate (with cream and marshmallow) and the water is a must try. Highly recommend this place.

Busy, busy, busy and so enjoyable. A really good find.

quirky 1st floor cafe near Castle and cathedral in Durham, up three short flights of stairs lovely bright interior, mixing different chairs, tables and lighting with plants and loads of natural light from the massive period windows, great service and lovely food with many gluten free options. Got really busy when we were in but all added to to homely feel

Scones fit for Bede himself. This cafe is nice and quirky with fresh scones.

As a local this has become the Cafe I tend to come to if I want to eat in town. It has a nice relaxed atmosphere, friendly service, tasty food and vegan options. It can get busy but you can't fault the place for being popular. Prices are a bit high but it is right next to a world heritage site so that is to be expected I suppose. As for the mean reviews by people (students) wanting to sit on their laptop nursing a cup of tea, well I agree with the owner's policy on that one. People want to be able to get a seat and the owner needs to make money so the policy is fair enough if you ask me. I have never felt rushed.

What a great find. Cream Tea with Blueberry scones. Emily recommended lemon curd instead of jam. What an amazing combination! Thank you. Mark was welcoming and spent time explaining how he grew the avocado trees. Lovely to talk to and welcoming to all who visit.

What a find. A lovely place, great food, and a lovely chat to the gentlemen who was telling us about York. (We were visiting there the day after)

Quick lunchtime snack, friendly staff, tasty tuna panini. The petit POIs in the salad were awesome. About as good as you're going to get for a quick bite. Lovely cafe inside too, green with plants, bright and open.

Food was really good. Atmosphere and staff very pleasant. Coffee needs upgrading.

The food was nice and the interior is cool, but the person who served us was quite rude and unfriendly. Not a fan of the ‘you can’t work here’ signs, think this deters regular customers in a university city and gives off the energy that their goal is to cash you out and kick you out. Will give it another chance though.

Totally splendid! Small area to front of premises where you can sit outside to eat. Flight of steps upstairs to the restaurant, so upstairs is not pram/ wheelchair friendly, but the small front garden area is attractive to sit in. Inside is most attractively decorated with an oasis of plants and green foliage, real ones, all looking robust and healthy. Popular and very busy place but with prompt service. The decor is quite quirky with an eclectic range of lightshades, all different, and all work together as a whole. The banana smoothie was delicious and shows what a proper smoothie should be like. Good menu choice with vegetarian options available. I had the magnificent and awesome Greek salad wrap, which came with a plentiful, vibrant salad, all well presented. Only negative was my table had not been wiped down and had food crumbs from the previous diners on it. However, it does warrant a 5 star and I very highly recommend indeed and shall most definitely be returning. I shall try their award winning hot chocolate next time. Oh and the Victoria sandwich cake was yum too.

The best scones I have ever had and they have gluten free option too!

Quirky and busy with efficient service and pleasant staff. For Durham City centre location ( just down from the cathedral) very good prices. Would call again when in Durham. Take note lot of steps/stairs up to the cafe.

Excellent cafe style food and drinks with the more human touch, that is missing from the large chains.

Food has always been lovely everytime I've been in . Will always go back . Well worth a visit

Where to start! First off the floor was gross. Looked like they'd just swept all the crumbs to the sides of the room rather than actually remove any of it... perhaps they'd just lost the dustpan? Staff were pleasant enough at first but as they realised that I wasn't just going to down my tea and swallow my scone whole, they started to make pointed comments nearby about how they had people "queueing into the road" and checking my cup as they walked past repeatedly to see if I'd finished my tea yet so they could hurry me out. Seem to be a lot more interested in turnover of customers rather than making it an enjoyable experience. Ah and finally there's the lovely signs on the table basically telling you it's not ok to sit and work on your laptop because as I say they're far more interested in making as much money as they can from your table than making sure you want to come back. I did ask if I could use my laptop, as requested, and was told it was ok "if you're eating, some people just sit there with a drink on their laptop"... how terrible 😂. Felt quite uncomfortable using it after that, as if I'd have to order more food to ensure I wasn't considered to be taking the mick. Suggestion to staff if anyone cares: get yourself some smaller tables. At one point I saw 5 tables able to seat 4+ people with only 2 people sat at them. Clearly people tend to come in pairs. This might mean you can make some more money from the same space and perhaps even let your customers enjoy their time with you.

Had scones and a drink, to keep us going until evening. Nice cafe, pleasant and good scones.

Absolutely 💯 gorgeous home made cake, good coffee and friendly staff bohemian style very comfortable atmosphere positioned right near the cathedral its perfect for all occasions. It does sell food, I've only sampled the cake as yet ! be warned they are generous with the portions.

Fabulous tasty cheese scone with cheese and chutney, great coffee, mince pies super service. WONDERFUL

What a lovely takeaway. The scone is so yummy indeed! Had accidentally bumped into the boss of this cafe, and he was so full of wise judgement during a polite conversation with a sit-in customer. Would definitely visit again.

Delicious scone! A lovely place to start the morning at.

I waited there with my daughter for 25 minutes, then the lady came up to me and said that they don't have any seats at the moment but there is a high turnover, she then went to the girls who were in the queue after us, spoke in a different tone and said with a smile "I will get you seated as soon as possible sweetheart". My daughter and I were the only people of colour and it was blatant she did not want us there, as the customers who were seated before were also politely spoken to. Now we are at Patisserie Valerie, excellent service, you should all come here instead

Hot chocolate was lovely. Staff very polite. It was nice to sit outside and watch the world go by.

Wonderful scones nice decor and friendly staff.

A busy cafe right next to the cathedral, savour and sweet scones were phenomenal

Queued on stairs for 30 mins for a table. The man who runs it shut the door in my wife's face while stood in doorway! When we got in we ordered panini's. What arrived was toasted baguettes and the ploughman's was very poor... Meagre amounts of sandwich ham, melted cheese and unpleasant chutney. My son ordered a chicken and chorizo panini and there were slices of something like salami. The man in charge asked if I wanted to take the rest of my uneaten food away and I told him it was very poor and explained why. He muttered something about speaking to another member of staff and nothing more. When I went to pay they hadn't even offered to remove the charge from the bill. I complained (again) and the man directed me to someone else to sort it out....still no apology and visibly angry with me even though he didn't say it. Another member of staff offered, reluctantly to remove the fee...which I accepted. This gets rave reviews on trip advisor but the food and service left a lot to be desired.

Pretty cafe with friendly staff and nice and cozy atmosphere. Service is quick but they clear your table very quickly too so perhaps not a place where you can relax and read a book. We’ve enjoyed the scone and their famous hot chocolate.

Absolutely fabulous. Waited for the gluten free lemon sponge as it was baking when I turned up with my son, which was yummy and warm. Very pleasant staff and quirky cafe right near cathedral 😃👍