Castaways in Northumberland

Nice place and food, but weak coffee. We asked for additional shots of espresso which was provided, but they tried to charge us. Other cafes serve weak coffee but are happy to provide an extra shot, but not Castaways. We will not be back.

Pleasent little cafe, good food and nice atmosphere.

Went for walk with friend on beach with her dog decided we would have coffee when we got there went in was told card only 🙈 what about older generations not everyone pays by card never go back

We were welcomed, unflinchingly, for a welcome break from our cycle ride, despite being spectacularly muddy. (We did our best not to abuse this hospitality by containing the mud as best we could and clearing up after ourselves.) The coffee was good and stayed hot while we drank it. Each of our chosen breakfasts was well cooked and well presented. I went for an old fashioned bacon and sausage bun, which was delicious and came with a bottle of Heinz ketchup so I could lather it with as much red sauce as I liked. My fella's poached eggs and mushrooms were served, at his request, on ordinary toast rather than sourdough and decorated with pea shoots. Nothing was a bother to the lovely staff and the bill was very reasonable. I'll go again and have already recommended it to friends.

Closed Tuesday. Bit different. Quite small with small outside area. Exotic cakes.

Not a pleasant experience at all. I waited 25 minutes for cold food to arrive; which was inedible too much mayo in the tuna sandwich, bread very dry, scone full of bicarb!, price range is extremely overpriced for the quality and standard of the food .

Good quality food. Flatbread of the day is really nice. A bit costly for lunch but dog friendly and tasty

A lovely cafe, busy with locals, visitors, and dog walkers. Quirky decor, friendly and efficient staff, and delicious quality food. A hidden gem.

Food great as always, although avo toast is becoming a little too overloaded with other ingredients! Service however - diabolical. We live on the same street as the cafe so frequent it quite a lot. Each time we’ve been over the last year the new manager (I think that’s who she is, bob like brunette hair) has been nothing but rude. At first we accepted it as maybe she was having a bad morning, these things happen. As time has gone on it’s started to feel personal towards only myself and my wife. Every single other table gets greeted with a morning, how are you, idle chit chat, talking to the dog or children.. we barely get a hello. Our order is taken like it’s an effort, no please or thank yous and on our last visit our food was slammed to the table. We’re never asked if we’d like more drinks or need any condiments etc whilst everybody else around us has flowing conversation. It doesn’t seem to matter how overly friendly we try to be - it’s the same blank stare and attitude. It’s such a shame to have a local, great, cafe ruined by one person. We will no longer be visiting or spending our money here.

The menu is about as large as this tiny tearoom which perhaps seat 20 at maximum. That said it is indeed an ambitious and varied menu backed up by a chiller display of lovely-looking cakes. The service is smiling and efficient and hard to fault.

An amazing little gem of a place!! A warm and friendly atmosphere with brilliant staff and lovely customers. The food options are incredible for a small business, my youngest has a severe cow milk allergy and we often struggle to find places suitable for him. I was very impressed at the choice available to him, both my children loved it, we will definitely be returning 😊 x

Cosy café with beautiful decor, fantastic service, great home cooked food/snacks including vegan options. Highly recommended 💫

Nice little dog friendly cafe, good home cooked food, and great service

Really lovely little place, used to come here in the 90's as kids with my parents, this place has been lovingly restored. Great place to come after a chilly beach walk. Fab coffee and the nicest toasties! And they are dog friendly which is great 👍🏻

Had a lovely visit, I had one of their festival special drink and a piece of lovely cake. Staff were very friendly, very communicative and comfortable atmosphere

Busy but worth the wait. We brunched. Gloriously.

Not like it used to be. Very pricey for what you get. Won’t be rushing back. Cheese scones were sweet

Dog Friendly but not customer friendly. Three sometimes four or five of us every Wednesday go for breakfast and have done for years even before the new owners took over. This week we were shown to a table for three but next to a dog (nothing against them) allergic and prefer not to if another table is free which there was. Every week there are two seperate individuals sitting on two tables of four. This week one of them wasnt there so asked if we could sit on the empty table. Quite aggressively were told no it was a table for four and we were three and was shown another table for three the other side of the dog. When I pointed out that she had already set a precedent of having one individual on a table for four and does every week then surely a three would be fine. After all there was no queue. She didnt like my attitude apparently perhaps it was my logic. We have put up with staff fondling dogs and having to ask them to sanitise there hands before serving our food as they hadnt, we have even had our order forgotten two weeks ago. Everyone makes mistakes but we cant forgive the attitude I presume of the owner to us yesterday. Her behaviour was totally unprofessional and sorry to say after this we shall not be back.

Great cuppa , great food , great staff the breakfast is amazing

Cracking spot Food was hot and flavoursome And you don't feel rushed

What a great little cafe that looked so unassuming from the outside but was tastefully decorated and very welcoming. Had to wait a short while for table which highlights its popularity. Lovely quirky scones, clearly home made. Lovely friendly staff … thank you

Castaways is a very pleasant place and well worth a visit. The only thing that let it down when we called was the service. We ordered soup, teacakes and coffee all of which were very pleasent. We finished our soup but sadly by the time the teacakes arrived the coffees had gone cold . I had to remind the waitress that we were waiting.

We visited at the weekend, we both had the build your breakfasts, when they arrived both bits of bacon were burnt to a crisp! The dirty beans were cold, the hash brown was soggy like it had been microwaved and the whole breakfast generally was very underwhelming. No table checks, otherwise I would have told a staff member. The staff looked miserable, had no craic and it was extremely expensive. I'll not be back. Shame, if it was ran by passionate people this place could be fantastic.

This is such a hidden gem of a place to eat. We have been going for breakfast/lunch for a couple of years now and it never fails to disappoint. The staff make you feel so welcome, always a smile when you arent feeling the best. The atmosphere is great, and the decor is funky..background music is just our 'cup of tea' too! It gets busy at times as its popular but we know if we cant get in then we will sneak back when its quieter! Lovely place..get yourself there (just not when we go!)

Mine and my dogs absolute favourite place for a coffee (and a sausage) on the weekend. The staff are the sweetest team and the food is great. They always have great, well thought vegan options too!

Hidden delight. Interior was quaint yet vibrant. Warm interior and staff. Such a surprise considering the exterior view. Food delicious.

A lovely quaint cafe by the sea, great atmosphere and lovely food, had soup of the day and a toastie, the cakes looked amazing and they had a great selection of specialist drinks, it's also dog friendly so there's lots of small furry friends around to keep you entertained

1st time I've visited with a friend and we certainly will be back.

What a fabulous place!! Magical quirky decor, great service. I had a giant piece of pistachio cake. Excellent before a big walk on the beach! (dog friendly too)

Everything we wanted from a cafe. Great coffee, really friendly helpful staff and an amazing slice of cake. The cafe had a great atmosphere we some lovely art on the walls

Castaways is a great place to eat, drink, and meet friends. The food is great, and the staff friendly and helpful. Well worth a visit..!

Nice cafe with reasonable prices

What a lovely find after a swim. The food was delicious and the cakes were delicious. Would definitely recommend for a spot of lunch.

Perfect! Beautifully decorated with lots of love and attention to detail. Lovely staff and great breakfast. Excellent service, warm and friendly atmosphere. Cheryl is a lovely lady 😘

Food always tasty and hot ,but you wait a while for hot drinks. Nice outside seating area.

First time here. Fantastic little tea room. Food was outstanding, plenty to choose from. Will definitely be back

Very nice however. It is tiny and you have to queue up.

Popped in after a long walk along the beach. Staff very helpful noticed straight away I had my hands full with 2 wet lively Labradors! Offered assistance straight away. Enjoyed a lovely warm cheese scone and flat white. Will certainly return.

Brilliant cafe. Really friendly and efficient staff. As vegans we were really pleased to find somewhere to eat. The breakfasts are huge and we struggled to finish everything...we did try on a few occassions! There were also vegan lunches available and these were great. Really nice place to eat at and comes highly recommended. Don't forget the vegan cakes!!

May 2023 - We have visited this cafe a number of times as they offered a selection of gluten free cakes. The last time we visited we were very disappointed to see that nearly all the cakes were now vegan, but none of them were gluten free. It would appear that the cafe has changed who they are targeting as their market. Unfortunately we will not be returning, unless gluten free cakes become an option once more.

I had the Nanwhich which was fine friend had ham sandwich with salad. Very dry brown bloomer and half a cherry tomato. Coffee cold by 25 min wait for food. Pink Lane coffee ok but expensive.

Amazing little place. Staff are lovely. Decor and atmosphere are very welcoming and homely. All reasonably priced. Lovely little spot to sit outside on a nice day

Kleine Pause auf unserer Tour,direkt am Meer 💖

First time visiting while on a bike ride. We ordered soup of the day and a cheese and ham toasties with side salad. It was really nice but looking at plates being served to others thought, I need to come back and sample more. It was quite busy, set in a great location and dog friendly

Very good food and good vegan food on

Friendly staff good coffee and scones

Had lunch here recently the flatbread of the day was delicious really enjoyed it will definitely visit again

I have to say I am disappointed with my visit today. The service was very slow and we waited 15 minutes for a menu and ending up having to go to the till to pay. They seem to be plenty of staff but service was lacking. I normally come here due to the fact I am gluten free. They used to have plenty of choices for cake and meals. I was extremely disappointed today to find out the menu is now mainly vegan which precludes me from having most items on the menu. Vegan is a choice I do not have the choice to eat or not eat gluten. I will not be visiting again

Beautiful cakes and a warm friendly environment. Also dog friendly, will be coming back with the pooch.

Just the best coffee shop in the north east. We’ve been coming for almost 2 years now religiously every week sometimes several times a week. Amazing food every time, the best coffee that I now drink at home and just the most amazing staff. They are so welcoming and friendly and they dote on our Labrador (Bailey). We class them as friends, and manager Cheryl is so great. Thank you guys. X

Amazing food. Can’t say more than that. Great interior - won’t spoil it for you. Dog friendly- loads of dogs here inside or outside. Should you go? Yes definitely!!! Thanks for a great lunch.

I think this place needs a reality check on their prices. Called in Sunday morn 2nd April and thought we would grab a tea & 2 hot chocolates before we set off for our walk on the beach. 3x hot drinks in Paper cups (TO TAKE AWAY) OVER £10..YIP £10). Will bring our own flask next time. We love to support local businesses but this is just taking us for a ride. Bertarelli's for example in Newbiggin nearby, you can SIT IN their cafe with 3 hot drinks for £6, now that fair and reasonable In my opinion. Wont be back.

Tried here for brunch after a walk as heard they had vegan options. Plenty of choice & I had the avocado sourbread toast which was delicious & a good size portion. Then had to try one of the vegan cakes which melted in my mouth, it was the raspberry, lemon & coconut. Will be returning to try the lunch menu. Quaint cafe good service friendly staff & delicious food=result!

Half an hour wait for drinks, one hour wait for food, having to chase staff to get even this level of service (as did other customers). Drinks order was wrong and food not as described on the specials board. When leaving I asked to speak to the person in charge to explain the issues we had experienced. Their attitude was sulky and sullen, with no acceptance of fault, no responsibility taken, and no apology offered. It was like a preview of the new series of Fawlty Towers, minus the humour. Will not return.

I come here a lot and every time the service is friendly, fast and the food is delicious. They do fab gluten free, vegan options as well as good traditional meals and amazing cakes that are all decent value for money. Dogs welcome, sea view, it’s a gem of a place.

We came across this place on a coastal walk. It was busy, but we got a table more or less straight away. The menu was very tempting and we both chose to have the curried vegetable soup, which was delicious. We were served promptly and...

Lunch (a treat from a friend) was really disappointing . I chose the festive bubble and squeak with pigs in blankets… One fried egg with the white still runny, one over-cooked rasher of bacon, three party-size pigs in blankets and a square of bubble and...

We came for breakfast and we love trying out different places. It was a full house when we came (it was just before 12pm). They seemed to have a good variety of food, including specials on the wall. My only suggestion would be to try...

I can not rate this cafe more. We travel from Durham for this place. The cafe is quirky and cosy. The hot drinks are amazing. I am a massive fan of their mocha! We ate breakfast which was all cooked to perfection. Everything about it...

Met friends for late breakfast nad wow what a breakfast. They recommended this place but didnt tell me the size of breakfast! Sausage egg and bacon on a Ciabata roll and it was awesome. Lovely place to sit and natter to friends and good and...

I Love this little cafe with friendly staff and great and quality food/ the decoration is eclectic in taste with is right up my street, I am more than happy to return again.

Fantastic coffee , great choice of freshly prepared food and cakes and friendly welcome for me and especially my dog. Molly wouldn’t have coffee anywhere else 🐶

Fantastic cafe, warm welcome and friendly staff. Nice atmosphere and great menu. Had the Sweet potato and carrot soup which,as promised was delicious! If you're visiting that area with family then this is a must! Dog friendly!

Great little find cafe, warm welcome, lovely menu , Efficient staff and dog friendly couldn’t ask for anything better.

I’ve been here twice now and each time we’ve been welcomed in and the service has been very friendly and helpful. Food and atmosphere is great. Will definitely be back!

Lovely little cafe by the sea. Castaways is one of my favourite places for a coffee stop, breakfast or even a light lunch. It's in a great location by the sea and has a quirky authentic interior that makes sitting in a pleasure. The outdoor...

Always such a loving warm welcome each time we arrive (we have to keep coming back as they’re dog friendly and our dog loves it here too so he needs his fix! 😂) Staff are so very friendly, They can’t do enough for you. They...

While working away from home this charming cafe has been a great source of comfort and pleasure. They have a consistently excellent range of sweet and savoury vegan options and today's afternoon tea was simply wonderful: delicious, varied, well thought out and so beautifully presented....

Hidden GEM! I visit this place once a week at least — dog friendly, incredible staff & team who literally go above & beyond to cater for you! FOOD IS SENSATIONAL & GREAT SPECIALS BOARD COFFEE IS DELICIOUS! & if you get a chance to...

Fantastic little tea shop. We just happened to pass it as we were wandering around looking for somewhere to have lunch. It's a lovely place. The food was amazing with veggie and vegan options. Incredibly friendly staff. I will definitely have to go back to...

Nice little location by the beach which is ideal for indoor or outdoor seating (on a nice day). Had a warm welcome from the girls at the counter. If you like your flavoured coffees, ask the staff what syrups they have as they're not on the menu. Had a cranberry and brie toastie and a coffee which was lovely. Only wish we looked at the cakes before we left..

Having walked from Whitley Bay to Seaton Sluice we felt like we had earned a cuppa and s bite to eat. When we arrived the waitress was open and honest and said there was a queue and was unable to give us an approximate time before we would be seated but invited us to wait. One of the best decisions of the day as it did not take long and in the waiting area we were able to view some of the cakes on display which looked delicious. I also noticed they had draft Moretti which is an addition since we last visited (pre Covid). The waitress was friendly and attentive as well as being extremely efficient. She showed us to our table gave us menus walked away long enough for us to choose and took our ordered. My wife ordered a cheese scone and I ordered a fruit scone with jam and cream. We were asked if we wanted them warmed up which we did and very quickly she returned with said scones plus the drinks we had ordered. The fruit scone I had was lovely and the jam and generous dollop of cream on the side of the plate was lovely. My wife said her cheese scone was equally nice and I thought really good value for money compared to other places along the coast.The place was full and had a constant churn as people tended not to linger but it was good to see people out and about on a cold January Saturday afternoon. It was nice to see the staff sanitizing each chair and table as people left and before others were invited to sit down. We will be back when we are next on a walk in the vicinity and will also wait if there is a queue as it is worth it.

So impressed with this lovely cafe - staff were friendly and accommodating with my kids and dog, the coffee is excellent and the food is superb: interesting creative takes on classic dishes with lots of veggie/vegan/gluten-free options at decent prices. Amazing sea views too. Definitely coming back.

Called in for a takeaway breakfast sandwich (bacon, sausage, egg stotti) Absolutely gorgeous! Top quality ingredients! People commenting about the price. You get wot you paid for! Like my husband say’s. It’s only expensive if you don’t enjoy it. Will definitely be calling in again next time we’re up there.

Visit Castaways whenever I am visiting my parents in the north east and absolutely love it (to the point that I nearly didn't leave a review because I don't want others to discover it!) Fantastic food and fabulous staff.

I rarely leave reviews but I’ve just had a delicious takeaway bacon and cheese Croissant accompanied with a very tasty caramel latte, nice and friendly staff as well. Top points!

Called into this little café on our bike ride today just to get two takeaway coffees as our bikes were outside & didn't want to leave them. Shocked to say the bill came to £7.30 for a regular Cappuccino and a Latte with an extra shot. The coffee's were nice and the café looked clean, but come on that's just ripping customers off.

Went into this cafe/tea shop and stupidly ordered before looking at the menu. Was shocked to be paying just shy of twenty ponds for two bacon egg and mushroom sandwiches to take away especially after eating the sandwich and they were very average at best when i asked for mushrooms I did expect to see mushroomsand not a single mushroom. I think it will be the nearest greasy spoons next time as I do think this little place is massively overpriced for under average food and under valued food

I have been coming to this little hidden place in Seaton Sluice called Castaways for quite a while now, on my own and with friends. Each visit has always been good. Good food, good coffee/tea and above all very good service. During lockdown, when they were permitted, they provided a much needed takeaway service. When the weather is good there is a seating area to the front of the premises with a view out to the North Sea. If you’ve not been give them a try.

Went for breakfast today was perfect. Food fab and coffee really nice. Lesley and the staff looked after us very well. Tks

Met by very friendly staff, sat in the waiting area until our table was cleaned and ready. Food was excellent,I had the Cumberland sausage stottie and my partner had the leek and potato soup. Washed down with an Americano and a pot of tea. Very comfortable dining area, plenty of interesting paintings and photographs on the walls. Would definitely call again.

Incredible food, you're spoilt for choice! Great options to accommodate everyone's dietary requirements. I highly recommended the Castaway's special breakfast and salted caramel brownie. I visit castaways regularly; it's a popular small cafe so it can get very busy… but they have a clear seating/ordering process in place to try and keep everyone happy.  Don't worry if you do have to wait for a seat, they have a little area you can sit and wait until a table becomes available!Enjoy!

First visit. Won't be the last. Superb. Warm welcome. Very cosy. Great decor and background music. Friendly staff. Excellent food. Big shout out to the Apple Smoked Cheese Toasted Sandwich at this point. Faultless. And a triple decker too. Take a bow! The coffee is excellent as well. The others' food was equally good. Nothing about this place is not to like - it's a real gem.

Went in for spot of lunch states find a seat so went in to look for a table a server came up behind me and spoke to me like dirt on her shoe stating abruptly someone already waiting for table we have none. I was so disgusted with her attitude I just left. The server needs to learn how to talk to customers won’t be going again

We’ve walked past this tea shop many a time during the pandemic but this was the first time we noticed it was open. We had to stop and try it!We arrived around 11:40am after a windy and cold walk along from Whitley Bay. All tables indoors were taken so we decided to sit outside. It was very cold though and when I ordered at the till inside I asked the waitress if she’d mind letting us know if a table became free. By the time our drinks came out she was able to let us know of a table inside and we were able to move in to the warm! So kind of her to remember.Inside is a bit of a hidden gem - a lovely space and not too many tables so we didn’t feel on top of anyone else. My partner and Dad enjoyed a bacon stottie & flat white, whilst I tried the sausage roll and one of the sweet potato scotch eggs. I was pleasantly surprised that both of my light bites came with lovey fresh salad and dressing. All in all we really enjoyed our stop and would definitely return.

We stopped here for the obligatory coffee & snack whilst walking in the area. The coffee was lovely and the cheese scone as nice (could have been better warmed), scotch egg was nice, and I’m told the coconut & lime cake was also nice.

The Hot drinks and scotch eggs were scrumptious today and the staff were a delight. We would recommend this beautiful place for a visit 😊

An amazing place to unwind, chill, meet friends and family. The food is delicious, plentiful and very tasty. The staff are amazing, they’re so helpful, courteous, and make you feel so welcome; nothing is too much trouble for them to make sure your experience is a good one! Keep making people happy guys; you do an amazing job!

Picked up a takeaway coffee and cake from Castaways. Really lovely and the staff were friendly. A great place to pick up a takeaway and sit outside watching the surf roll in. Magic!

A little 'gem' of a tea room tucked away. The tea room is halfway along my daily walk between Blyth and Whitley Bay. Great staff, nice unhurried atmosphere, reasonably well sheltered outside seating. Card only service.

Having been a regular at the old castaways we decided to try it again under new ownership & doubt we will be returning.Although the staff we were friendly the food was not upto much. The leek & potato soup was very tasteless with no flavour. Our toasties were just very run of the mill with what seemed like cheap cheddar inside. We got scones to take away & I can only assume the same scone mix was used for both cheese & fruit scones as the cheese scones with cheese just put on the top before baking they were inedible they were very sweet like eating a sweet scone. After a couple of bites the three of us put them in the bin & at £2.50 each not cheap. Our bill was £28 in total so not cheap & wish we had gone over to the Kings head opposite where we would have got a Sunday lunch for the same price.

We found this place by accident on out last trip to Seaton Sluice, when we just had takeaway drinks. Today we returned and had breakfast. The cafe is beautifully situated across the road from a wonderful cliff top seating area with fabulous views across the sea and St Mary's Lighthouse. Also has the benefit of free roadside car parking right outside.My wife is gluten free, and they had gluten free bread available, so she had scrambled eggs of gluten free toast. I had a bacon stottie. We both had a pot of lovely tea pig tea.It was really good to see that all covid advice was being followed, including well spread out tables, masked staff and card only payments.Afterwards I slept off my breakfast on the grassy clifftop in the sunshine, fabulous.

Visited on Monday for breakfast and returned again today. This breakfast will be hard to beat. Tasty herby tomato and mushroom and the ‘dirty beans’ make a nice change/ Phoenix looked after us with delight N.E. charm. Caramel shortbread lovely too.

This is a great coffee shop. Excellent toastier and a good selection of different flavoured Scotch eggs. Coffee is good. A small number of outside seats and tables. Good to sit looking out to sea.

First time here since it was taken over and reopened, we went for breakfast it was lovely, the coffee was good and food excellent. Lovely atmosphere even with the masks and social distancing. Would fully recommend

Wife and I walked here one mid-morning last weekend. It’s in a lovely location and the interior decor is great. The bacon sandwich and Halloumi Toastie superb, as was the coffee. BUT….the coffee came AFTER we had finished our meals. My wife’s toastie came with a side salad but she wasn’t offered any cutlery or even a napkin. We asked for some cutlery and we were given just a fork but no napkin. We sat outside…right next to the bins. Don’t get me wrong: this place is nice and the food and drinks superb, and I would definitely recommend it, but a little tweak here and there and it would be even better.

My wife and I used to be regular visitors to Castaways but in all truth haven't visited the place for years! Called in on spec the other day and what a move that turned out to be! Totally revamped with brand new owners and obviously new staff! We were met at the door by a lovely girl who we recognised immediately! Daisy McCullough is the brand new Manager in there and boy does it show! What a LOVELY young lady who went out of her way to welcome us with open arms! Two stunning bacon sarnies and two delicious cups of coffee later, we left chuffed to bits that we'd actually called in! Superb, absolutely superb and we will once again become their most regular visitors (whether they like it or not)! It makes such a pleasant change nowadays to be met with staff who actually go out of their way to demonstrate true Customer Service! Definitely TEN out of TEN and no mistake! With that sort of attitude, you're sure to make a bomb down there (no, not literally) and we hope that you do! Gorgeous little cafe with great new staff. Daisy pet, we were chuffed to bits when we realised it was YOU who was now running the place and you'll be the perfect Manageress and no mistake! See you all shortly. xxx

Excellent lunch - Toasties and scrambled eggs. Very good value for money. Unique environment. Well worth seeking out.

This little teashop deserves your custom. We were unable to eat inside but had a great r=takeaway sausage sandwich and good coffee. The staff were working their hardest despite difficulties.

We have used this coffee shop during lockdown and looked forward to sitting outside once we were able to. Unfortunately all the seats in the courtyard were full, however there was a single table at the side of the premises, on the street, in the sun. It was ideal. A quiet road, lovely sunshine and friendly staff. I love sausage sandwiches and honestly I was not disappointed. A lovely stottie with an excellent sausage. Absolutely delicious. Highly recommended and we will certainly return