Castlegate Cafe in County Durham

Arrived at 10 on a Tuesday morning in half term and there was only one other table taken but by the time we left an hour or so later, the place was full. We all had different breakfasts and they were all delicious! Full English to French toast. Service was great, teas were piping hot and all reasonably priced. Wish we were around d long enough to sample lunch too but we will have to wait until we next do a trip back this way. Really clean and parking outside, gorgeous place to fuel before exploring nearby.

We absolutely coming here to eat, I’ve tried lots of items and it’s always top notch. Today I’ve had the French toast and bacon with maple syrup!! We also take away bread and tea cakes to eat at home.

We have visited this excellent establishment many times over the past 3 years and I have decided to give it the top class review it deserves as this visit will probably be our last as we are relocating to Dunfermline and it will be sorely missed. The place is impeccably clean and the staff are very friendly, polite and a credit to the owners. We have mainly had breakfast here (from a wide selection across the menu), and the food has never been anything less than outstanding including the delicious Sourdough Toast, all washed down with some lovely Tea. There was always a fantastic array of cakes available too, tremendous. We will definitely miss this place, just maybe we will get to return at some point in the future, but I thoroughly recommend it to anyone looking for a top class meal when they are in the town, you will not be disappointed. Many thanks.

We found this cafe in the square- a super, friendly place with great food. Reasonable prices and dog friendly. Nothing was too much trouble

Lunch on a wet Tuesday in Bishop Auckland - there isn't a lot of choice but this was a real find. Excellent home made (roasted swede - brilliant!) soup and sandwiches. And genuine old fashioned ice cream sundaes served in tall glasses with a long spoon! Brilliant!

Beautiful food, great service - We both had Eggs Florentine which was superb - also recently had an English Breakfast there which was easily the best I have had in the area.

Called in for brunch and really enjoyed our visit. Staff were very friendly and food was excellent. Great location and will definitely be back

It was a wet and miserable afternoon when we drifted in with the hope of having our spirits lifted by some good food and service……but it didn’t quite happen The menu looks good, the food didn’t quite hit the expectation level, it wasn’t bad but not great, Service was a little forced, the coffee was poor. At least the staff eat the food there so can’t be all bad Could have been an off day as have had friends rave about the place, will try again, maybe

Disappointing visit today for a late lunch. Ordered 2 full English breakfasts. Took 30 minutes to arrive but I don't mind that if freshly cooked. Baked beans were barely warm. Informed waitress who asked if we wanted 'new' breakfasts. No, just hot beans please. Over 5 minutes later our breakfasts returned. Beans still not hot and rest of breakfast had been allowed to cool further. I ate mine as not much time left on parking, but my companion was put off due to food being, at best, lukewarm. Interestingly, no one came to ask if our food was okay, but all 3 waiting staff leaned around the till area and chatted. Were not asked if everything was okay when we went to pay, so I told them it had not been good and why. The reply was 'Oh, sorry.' Not great for almost £26. It was not busy, with only 1 other couple present, who were already eating when we arrived. I'd avoid until the owners return from holiday as service has clearly suffered. Shame.

First off the food here is genuinely really good. The French Toast is to die for, and they do really generous paninis, home made soup and of course their own bread and brownies. I would say to avoid the cakes that haven’t been made in house as they are nowhere near as good as the ones they make themselves (ask if not sure). It’s not super comfy (quite a lot of tables crowded together, hard chairs, a bit noisy), and in busy times it does feel like they are trying to get you in and out as quickly as possible to fit someone else in. But great for a satisfying lunch or take away.

The omelette my partner had was very good, served with salad and coleslaw. I was disappointed with my order of vegetarian breakfast,with a side of crushed avocado, two poached eggs, beans, tinned tomato, bread and mushrooms which I had to request, sadly looked like mush on a plate, retailing at over £10 was not vfm comparable with other places to eat in area. Fresh tomatoes could have improved the breakfast. In future will I stick to omelette order, was still quite hungry when I left.

Excellent breakfast at this small cafe. Decent coffee, crispy bacon, sausages had browns, beans tomatoes and lots of mushrooms- hot and tasty. We received a pleasant greeting when we arrived and cheerful and prompt service. Lovely. We didn't try the cakes but they looked delicious.

Finally made the 1.5-hour trip from Scarborough to Bishop to sample breaking bread and it certainly didn't disappoint. I ordered a ham salad (enough to feed an army) with some surprise added extras like ploughman relish and pickles. Delicious! My daughter had a ham and cheese paninni 'the best shes ever had.' She usually leaves some behind her, but this was just too good not to finish. The sourdough bread was also really soft and went down easy. When I was talking to the owner i mentioned i had a sore throat he recommended ice cream, it was just what the doctor ordered. The staff were very friendly and efficient. All in all, it was a lovely experience. Will not leave it so long next time. Thanks guys.

Best breakfast place in Bishop Auckland! I’ve been several times with friends, family, couples and every time I can’t fault the food wether it be lunch or breakfast. They also have a very tempting selection of desserts and fresh bread on offer when you go to pay! Would highly recommend! ✨

Interesting little cafe on the much improving market place. Popped in with daughter for a little lunch, I opted for the all day breakfast, pretty happy, daughter had a salad, happy too. The letdown was the super fish finger sandwich. A dry brioche bun, with three 'kiddy' fishfingers and some fries. Sorry, but you'd expect some chunky fish fingers given the hype. drinks OK. Staff friendly and service swift.

Meet a friend for coffee had a cheese scones with chutney , my friend had a toasted teacake We where very impressed very clean and staff very attentive I'm looking to bring more friends to this lovely venue

Called with mum for a coffee & decided to have food, despite other reviews we found the service to be fine, coffees arrived quite quickly & were very hot & lovely, the BLT was accompanied by a lovely salad & coleslaw, we had a really lovely visit despite 4 young lads (late teens/early 20’s) coming in who were incredibly loud & their language was awful no respect for anyone else in the cafe including 2 other customers with young children!

Walked in off the street to the outside eating area,was cornered by a waitress who said room was available on second floor.Other people were eating in the outside area of our but we were informed that room upstairs was the only area available to eat. We followed the waitress reluctantly and was seated in a room of empty tables with only one customer being served. We gave our order and waited. The waitress who had guided us to the seats she had designated to,took our order. My food was reasonable but my wife’s soup was warm not. I should have informed them of this but the overall attitude,lack of empathy and feeling that we were not welcome made me keep quiet,eat what they presented and leave asap and never return. We are local people and try and help local business but we will never go back to this venue,bring back the Rossi’s

We came in for lunch after a walk in the deer park. After showing us to a table and taking our order, the waitress complained we had mud on our shoes. I would gladly have put on protectors on my shoes if she had given us some - I asked for some - but instead she just grumbled and kept giving us evils when I got up to go to the loo. Needless to say, I lost my appetite after that and would have preferred to have walked out if we hadn't already ordered food. The food was mediocre anyway. Terrible and I definitely recommend avoiding

Randomly dropped in here early one morning- lovely friendly atmosphere, pleasantly busy, clearly popular with people who know it,. Being Christmas, had a cinnamon latte- and was amazed- this way way better than anything I've had from Starbucks, Costa or Caffe Nero, Delicious. Had to top that off with a delicious egg and bacon roll, which came in tasty fresh bread. You really couldn't ask for more from a breakfast stop.

I decided to give this a second go, I have to say I was pleased I did. I visited for breakfast and the service was excellent, staff polite, food lovely and good quality. Only slight problem was my wife said her coffee was a bit watery, but it was still good

Good food at a reasonable price.and plenty of it . Good Northern portions! Friendly staff. Can recommend

My first visit today althroufh I have known about this place for long time I had not had the time to visit living in bishop Auckland I’m honoured to have a place like this around. The food was delicious, the staff were wonderful polite and helpful and lots of food for everyone.

My first visit here and was looking forward to it after seeing the good reviews. However, I was very disappointed as the cheese scone was at least a day old and had obviously been in a fridge overnight. It was very dry, fridge cold and...

Stopped in on a wet and miserable day for lunch. Lovely staff wonderful food and reasonably priced. Would definitely recommend and visit again.

Opens nice and early, lovey breakfast items, proper quality bacon and really nice bread. Friendly service, and the toilets were spotless. If I was being really picky I would say the beans tasted a bit cheap, but then again I am a baked-bean-snob - only...

On a very windy Saturday morning my wife and i decided to breakfast in Breaking Bread 🥖. What a treat delicious breakfast with great service thank you, we will definitely be back.

Our third or fourth visit. I had an excellent BLT and my wife a gluten-free toastie with a choice of white or brown bread. There’s a comprehensive menu. Really good Lontons coffee. Service is quick and friendly. Pricing is very reasonable.

My family and I walked in and was greeted by someone saying 'dont think we have room for you', no hello, no sorry but, no niceties whatsoever, quite rude really, lacking basic manners

Came here with my mam for a late lunch. Lovely atmosphere, staff are polite and helpful and the place is lovely and clean. We had the club sandwich which came with salad and coleslaw and then we added a sharing bowl of fries! Honestly, the...

Found this place on trip advisor and stopped Off with friends and bikes …. Lovely place, food good and friendly staff. Very cycle friendly And would recommend the scones. Never been offered a choice of jam before 👍

Have visited a few times and always been impressed with this cafe. Breakfasts are lovely and great service. Delicious baked bread too. A great asset to bishop Auckland for sure

The best bacon double sourdough toastie on the planet (and Ive had a few). This isn’t on the menu but is available. The bacon is thick, not too salty with just enough fat, the sourdough is to die for, buttered, toasted and simply perfect. Mrs...

Central location . A really good cafe and Bakery in the heart of Bush. Good gluten-free provision. My Baked potato with bacon and beans was excellent. Super Lontons coffee and Salted Caramel Brownie.

Amazing service, beautiful outdoor sitting and the most stunning bread I have ever tasted! Would highly recommend and will be visiting again soon.

We had been travelling a long time so were pleased to be able to get a walk -in table here. The welcome and service in general was first class, these guys really try hard. Food was very fresh and prepared from scratch. I had a...

I have visited for breakfast on a few occasions both with family and friends. Each time everyone in the party has enjoyed their breakfast and recommends this place to anyone who’ll listen. Quality ingredients with freshly baked bread; excellent service and a lot of choice...

We had a lovely walk around Bishop Auckland and then looked for somewhere fairly sheltered to have lunch. We were thinking we'd just have to grin and bear the cold winds in early May, when we spied this hidden gem. It has a sheltered courtyard,...

Visited for a breakfast. The food was a little on the cold side. No sugar offered with the latte and no cutlery so when we recieved our breakfast they had to go all the way back and get them. Food just OK but service very average I'm afraid.

My experience here was the absolute opposite to what i expected. We had placed our order for 9 work lunches and we attempted to call to add an an additional meal however couldn't get through. On my arrival i stated where i was from and that we'd tried to get through and would like to add an additional chicken salad to our order. To which the male owner said 'you'll have to wait for it' as if trying to put us off and to leave one worker hungry. I said this was fine and the server went in the kitchen and asked the cook to put up an additional salad to go with order. The cook shouted at her " for gods sake why can't people put their whole order through at the same time". I shouted to her would she prefer i take my whole order somewhere else? The server went in to tell the loudmouth that"people can hear you". My coworker also wanted something so after a minute of looking decided on hers and asked the server for this. The server then went to tell the cook of this for her to reply "NOOOOOOOO!" While this is happening the owner is in and out of the kitchen and saying " for f*cks sake" ( i hope about the the loudmouth) in our earshot. When our lunches were ready we went through the bags to make sure they were correct. 1 meal was missing which was the sandwich that was ordered last. The server shouted through to the cook to say it was missing for the cook to shout back " WHAT WHAT?! I CANNIT HEAR YOU MAN WHEN YOU'RE THROUGH THERE" The server went through to explain and the cook said "WEY YOU DIDN'T TELL ME ABOUT IT DID YOU" when in fact it was this that she shouted "NOOOOOOO!" about. We had to wait. The server mentioned to the owner that she'd taken the payment for our order for him to snap " AND WHY DO I NEED TO KNOW THAT?!"Sadly for this business the food got good reviews, but from the service i experienced and the way the owner and the viscous tongued cook treat the other staff we will not be going back. When people are evidently embarrassed about the behaviour of their co workers it goes a long way to say they hate being there or hate working with them. I know for a fact that poor lady would have gone home and weighed up why she goes to work there, just as we all would. The owner should be ashamed that we witnessed this fiasco after putting almost £60 through his till.

It feels like a lifetime since I have been out last for a bite to eat in this pandemic so it was lovely finding this cafe in Bishop Auckland after a walk in the castle park.I stopped for a light lunch, the cafe was clearly busy on a lovely sunny day. The service was very friendly, the prices reasonable and the sourdough delicious

A great addition to the Market Square, but I just want to highlight one thing: they make the finest brownies anywhere, I mean anywhere. And one more thing, they’re gluten free!

We are four friends who had been to Willington and were looking for a place for a coffee, my friend searched on her telephone and we were guided to Breaking Bread. What a lovely place. Very extensive menu, it was a pity we only wanted coffee and scone. Excellent friendly service and very good value. I had to go back to Willington today so took hubby, gorgeous lemon cheesecake. Wish it was nearer to where we live, we are about 30 miles away.

Can't fault the food. Full English and Fish Finger Sandwich were worthy of a 5/5 review. However the service was 1/5 for us. We received no drinks that we ordered. We chased said drinks up when the food came only to be told and I quote "they are on the list, they will be on the way". They did not arrive. None of the servers looked particularly happy to be there and we felt like a burden upon them. When paying the bill we were offered our Dr peppers (yeah I know, all this waiting for 2 cans of Dr pepper) free of charge

Really good full English breakfast. Only reason it’s not a score of 5 is because the flat white needs to improve but otherwise really good.

This was my third visit in a week taking advantage of the 50% off promotion. This is a well run business that has both indoor and outdoor seating.I found the pea and ham soup to be excellent seemingly made on the premises and coupled with the bake house bread very tasty.I tried a breakfast bun and the bacon and egg was just great.I can recommend the teacakes too fresh and buttery.The restaurant is careful of Covid rules and regulations and there is no need to be fearful if you visit.The place is staffed by friendly workers and good prices.(especially in August)

My first visit here and won't be the last. Great tasting food complemented by fresh bread made on the premises - what a treat!! I had homemade soup with fresh sourdough to start - excellent. Then I had a sandwich - which again was perfect and the bread brilliant. I Don't normally have a pudding at lunchtime but I couldn't resist the homemade rice pudding and it was great. Such a pleasure to find a cafe of this quality in Bishop Auckland.

Just popped in today with my wife and a friend after visiting the excellent Mining Art Gallery across the road; promptly offered a table (although the café was quite busy). Delighted with the very good value lunch menu, and the friendly and prompt service. The food was perfect. There is also a range of very nice breads for sale at the till. This is a place we will definitely return to!

Friendly and comfortable atmosphere, good food and quite different twists on old favourites. Good value

Been to this cafe a lot in past had many good meals now under new owner we had a dinner and a breckfast vegtabels and roast potatoes whew raw I had a breckfast and the black pudding was over cooked we told them about the veg and potatoes all they did was take food away not even a sorry or any kind of apology

Been for the first time with friends. Good menu and tasty specials, and a warm welcome. French onion soup and gruyere toast deserves mention as excellent. Home baked sourdough bread for sale as well! Great for lunch after visiting Auckland Castle.

What a friendly, welcoming cafe. The food is all home-made - the quiches, cakes (including gluten-free), the soup and the artisan bread, baked at their on-the-premises bakery. The owners also own the artisan bakery, Breaking Bread Durham.I don't know how they cooked the mushrooms in the omelette but they were much more tasty than when I make mushroom omelette at home. It is served with an accompanying side salad or a jacket potato as well if you are as hungry as I was. The coffees were also very good.We were in Bishop Auckland to visit Auckland Tower - one of the attractions of the Auckland Project. This cafe is conveniently located just a one-minute walk away from the tower, on the market place itself. For its relaxed friendly ambience and the quality of the food, in my view this is most definitely the best cafe on that market place.

My Wife and I called at the Castlegate Cafe in Bishop Auckland on Friday 16th August, 2019. We were on our way to Newcastle to board a Cruise Liner going to Norway. Sadly the weather on this day was awful with heavy rain and quite cold. However we found this lovely cafe in Market Place. We had soup of the day, a pot of tea for two, and some lovely apple pie with custard. The food was well presented and delicious. Staff were very friendly and attentive. We would visit again if in the area and recommend without hesitation.

Sat in the little passageway garden at this cafe. Service was friendly and quick. The toasted teacakes were full of fruit and spice; the coffee and tea tasty. The waffle with strawberries had pleanty of fruit and was nicely presented. A very nice cofee break and the prices were very reasonable

Just had what is probably the best strawberry scone I have ever seen or tasted👍 the rest of the family had tremendous homemade cakes, crepes and waffles. If you visit Bishop Auckland don’t miss this treat....

Dropped into the Castlegate with my wife. had soup of the day, carrot and lentil, with brown bread. My wife had the bacon quiche and salad. The service was fast and efficient and the staff extremely friendly and helpful. The whole experience was brilliant and the food was the center-piece, being very well cooked and excellent in taste. The staff even checked if I wanted more bread. I would certainly recommend this cafe to any visitor to the town.

Had a light lunch here today, first visit and won't be the last. Had quiche which was outstanding and salad which was very fresh. Service very attentive and friendly. Lots of lovely looking other food went past our table in particular the all day breakfast. Comfortable seating and clean environment. What more could you ask for.

Nine ladies on an outing from the Dales enjoyed lunch at the Castlegate Cafe recently.

I called in this cafe on Friday lunch time and had the best rice pudding since my Gran passed away. Also the quiche was home made and salad fresh and crisp.

We called in last week and requested two regular cappuccinos , extra hot and without chocolate on the top. We received exactly what we had asked for and I complemented them on how hot the coffee was. We returned this morning around 9.40 and made the same request, without the same result. This time the coffees were barely luke warm, and yes this time they had chocolate on the top! We won't be returning.

This establishment has been in the town for some time, BUT, it is now under NEW ownership. Anyone who visits the Bishop Auckland market will know of the 'Breaking Bread' man. This is a new venture for them taking over the tea room business. All the food served is home cooked. You can also buy fresh bread, tea cakes and the amazing chocolate brownies made by Breaking Bread inside the tea room as well. The staff are a delight. Very friendly and welcoming. A lot to choose from off the menu, together with 'specials'. Portion sizes are generous. Just be aware that toilet facilities are up a fairly steep set of stairs. We shall watch with interest as this business evolves in the future. They have plans! Definitely a place to stop and eat at.

It was a cold, cloudy day and after a walk around the Auckland Castle and Bishops Garden, we had a good half hour before catching the bus back to Durham...

This is the sort of place to while away an hour or so with friends over a pot of tea and cakes. Plenty of choice of tea too. There are tables outside if it is not too cold but it can be a bit noisy out there.

We had lunch on a long and arduous cycle ride. Very welcoming, secure parking for bikes, and excellent service. We had sandwiches, coffee and cakes. Service was rapid and the food excellent. While we were there the place filled up quickly with many people ordering hot meals which were also served promptly. The mince and dumplings looked and smelled superb, made us regret our choice of sandwiches. We will be back to try them!

Good variety of light meals, delicious cakes, friendly staff. What more could you want? Nice courtyard for summer. Was busy, which is a good sign

Just needed a quick cup of tea. Didn't fancy Weatherspoons so tried here. Sat in a pleasant courtyard and enjoyed our drink of tea and a toasted teacake. Reasonably priced and delicious.

I visited the Castlegate a few days ago,with three family members. I had never dined there previously, but I enjoyed a very pleasant experience. The cafe is scrupulously clean, tastefully decorated and ideal for a relaxing meal. Table Service was very quick, and our order (food and drinks) were equally quick to arrive. It appears to be a family run establishment, and as such we found the staff friendly and welcoming. There is a varied menu, and we thought the prices very reasonable. We may have been first time visitors, but we will be going back again.

Nice little cafe, food is great, would recommend it to anyone , staff are lovely . Do specials on a afternoon, different ranges of drinks

We only had coffee and teacake (which came with a choice of jams) but there is a good menu and others were arriving for lunch by noon as we left. Ambience is very pleasant. Prices are reasonable. Medium cappuccino was generous in size.

Just had an excellent cream tea at Castlegate Cafe after vsiting the Mining Art Gallery opposite. Very friendly staff, spacious, good decor - highly recommended.

My wife and myself have visited for coffee and breakfast the breakfast alone is a great selection from full English to tea cakes and scones and jam you name it they have got it, service is excellent and the proprietors are very sociable. This is a long established business and is one of the better coffee shops and eateries in Bishop Auckland Also worth a mention is the fact in fine weather there is a great patio at the rear of the premises an absolute joy in the summer.

We love this cafe in Bishop Aucklsnd market place. Comprehensive home cooked menu great range of coffee and teas expertly prepared by Mike. They have seating outside at the front and a secluded rear eating area. Well worth a visit.

Straight across the road from the Miners Art Gallery. The Peach Melba and Rice Pudding are to be tasted, the coffee was good too.

Located in the market square this is a pleasant location to call in and enjoy the food. Good quick service and excellent value for money. I opted for the full breakfast which was tasty and well prepared, accompanied by a decent hot cup of coffee.

Call in this cafe regularly for a coffee and a scone. The service is always quick and efficient. The staff are very friendly, the coffee is a nice strength and always hot. Just how I like it! Great cheese scones. Lovely outside area if it's sunny.

Friendly and polite staff, fantastic food and coffee, we like the outside eating area at the back lovely and peaceful.

Visited Bishop Auckland today - last visited 20 years ago-and after a very disheartening walk through just about the saddest high street on the county , we came across this little cafe in the market square in a very smart, well presented part of town.

We were lucky enough to find Castlegate Cafe on a visit to Bishop Auckland. After a walk down a very tired looking high street we were loosing hope of finding somewhere nice to eat when we turned a corner and found a number of eateries. Having read the menus of a number of other establishments we glanced through the window of Castlegate and saw a place which reminded me of my grandma's front room. We went in and was greeted by two lovely, polite young women and was told to take a seat where ever we liked. We sat near the window and after a read of the menu I decided to have bacon & mushroom quiche and my daughter had a jacket potato with bacon & mushroom. I had a lovely cup of tea and my daughter had a hot chocolate. The food was served after an appropriate wait and it was filling and delicious. It was also very nice to hear the staff greet other guests by name and ask if they would like their usual. It felt like you were in someones home having lunch and it was a lovely bolt hole after I had become disappointed with Bishop Auckland town centre.

Sat out the back of this little cafe in the sun. Lovely place. Latte and scones were great, well worth a visit if you are in Bishop Auckland.

We chanced upon the Castlegate Café on a short visit to Bishop Auckland. We were looking for a light lunch. Seating was offered both inside and outside. We opted for inside as it was very hot. Immediately we noticed that the café was popular with locals, always a good sign. Service was efficient and quick. Our sausage and bacon rolls were tasty and we enjoyed an excellent pot of tea. good. Prices were very reasonable. The Castlegate Café is unpretentious, traditionally British and offers good value. We are happy to recommend it.

Consistently superb quality, service and Excellent pricesSorry to mention, but please, walk past the cafe a few meters awayBoth are overlooking the Square, but here is a fraction of the price and eat here!

Me & mum come here whenever we want a bite to eat in Bishop Auckland. This is such a reasonable priced place to eat. Staff really friendly. Nice to see the owner working there too. Look out for the special board! Try a sweet as well, really nice.

my husband and i plus my mum in law have visited this cafe many times now.we do a 30 mile round trip each time and yes its def worth it.the owners and their staff are so friendly and welcoming and its excellent service always with a smile.its a varied menu, very reasonably priced all of which tastes delicious.the home made cakes and desserts look and taste amazing and its my favourite coffee of anywhere.the fact that we return again and again bears testament to how good this little cafe is.well done all at castlegate.

Just popped in after a long walk around the Park and the river in need of a few minutes rest. The service was excellent, the snack was excellent.

Stopped in for a late breakfast and coffee on a Saturday morning. Chose scrambled eggs on toast and a drink from the menu. Service was quick and friendly. The food was lovely, will try a bigger breakfast in the future. Inside the cafe is like quite a traditional tea room. Wouldn't hesitate to bring visitors here in the future.

We visit castle gate regularly food is excellent service always friendly & welcoming my friend & i were the 2 customers that where in the cafe on the 27th Jan when the customers came in the waitress was not helping herself to coffee she was actually making my friend & myself hot choc & latte drinks also these customers were kept waiting less than 10mins before walking out we find this paticular critisicm very unfair & unwarranted to the staff involved

We have been in here a few times,and on occasion I visit by myself., several times outdoors in the courtyard.Th ser ice and food have always been good. After a hospital visit we decided to go in for something to eat and drin k in the afternoon. There were only two other customers there, totally surprising on a Friday afternoon.A woman emerged from the kitchen who we took to be the cook ans then anpthefr woman who helped herself to coffee and we could see someone else also in the kichen. Although they all were aware of our presence,noone bothered to come and wait on us, even though we had looked trough the menu an d selected a meal. We satn there a while.but still no one came alrhough they were still in the counter are.Atlast, we gave upand walked outand as we did so one of the women whispered "Hello" as we passed.Sarcasm? I have no idea but it would beat Fawlty Towers. I wondered if the business had changed hands s the owners are usually ;present and they are very [leasant and helpful, but the whole atmosphere was one of couldn't care less I could hav e understodd why we were ignored had the place been full and busy but it wasn't. Needless to say, we won't be back!!

Have visited the Castlegate Cafe, on many occassion,from Dec2015 to present day. Food very good, good clean pleasant surroundings,good service from friendly staff.

Food was good and hot. Cakes look amazing . staff are helpful and friendly and welcoming . Lovely place to sit and relax after walk around the castle.

This cafe is a really good place to eat.The food is all homemade and fresh,the staff are soo friendly and the sevice is excellent.When my inlaws visit us from Kent they cant wait to visit and enjoy the food and friendly atmosphere.

Can't recommend Castlegate enough. Great service always with a friendly smile. Lovely food especially the scones with strawberries and cream. We get little enough sunshine here so when it does shine the courtyard at the back is like being abroad.

Had an hour to kill so though I would have a walk round the castle grounds, but got way-laid by this cafe. Though I would get a coffee.Very friendly staff very attentive.Lots of people in always a good sign.Good price for a coffee and a snack in very pleasant surroindings.

Just went in for some ice cream for the children and a coffee and found the service was amazing, the waitress was so attentive to my children, and all just for a cheap ice cream, coffee was lovely too and place was spotless

When you want to treat yourself to tea andsnacks outdoors on a sunny day , the little courtyard of this cafe is the only sunny spot in The Market Place. Service with a smile and a welcome for the dog who got fresh water and a friendly chat. Very pleasant but beware You need cash.

Bishop Auckland unfortunately does not have a great deal of choice of eating places. With this café they do not need the choice. Seriously give this place a try. Delicious food at very reasonable prices. For two people we had 2 coffees, 2 main meals and 2 desserts and it was less than £20. Staff ever so friendly and the food is cooked to order.

Been here on lots of occasions - young waitress particularly pleasant. Called in on the Sunday of the food fayre. Im not a lover of burgers and street food so was overjoyed when this was open. Service was excellent, food excellent and it was lovely and warm in there on a cold day.

Situated in the market place in Bishop Auckland, this cafe serves well cooked, tasty home made food. The environment is extremely dated, however there is always a place for this type of warm ambiance. Hot food, particularly hot sandwiches and meals are very well prepared and tasty. Unfortunately there are areas where this cafe is outdated and outclassed. 1. Service - owners are cold, you can feel rushed during busy periods and feel awkward sitting on certain tables... the service from the cafe owners is well below par.2. Coffee - made by the Ferrari of coffee machines but sometimes undrinkable. Espresso is disgusting and not of a smooth and refined taste. Often served too hot and bitter. 3. Desserts - not always served piping hot and the selection of cakes are kept in a cold refrigerator, resulting in dry and cold products. 4. Prices - not as good value as perhaps it should be. In the days of Costa, Starbucks and local 'up to speed' eateries, this potential gem must open those 'Castle Gates' with a more welcoming and friendly attitude.

We stopped by for lunch after visiting Bishop Auckland park. It was busy when we arrived (which we always take as a good sign), and we were warmly welcomed by the staff. There was a good range on the menu with some very tempting desserts. We didn't have to wait long for our order even with it being all homemade and cooked to order. The portions are fantastic and at very reasonable prices, not to mention it was all very tasty. When we finished our mains, the table was quickly cleared and we ordered desserts and tea and again, they were lovely, tasty and a good size.The service was excellent throughout and we couldn't find a fault with anything.Well done everyone at Castlegate café!

This hidden gem is located in the historic town of Bishop Auckland's Market Place. With old-fashioned service and cooking styles this place is the perfect example of how it should be done. Polite young waitresses dressed in appropriate attire, with no haste, come to take orders in a polite and respectful manner; the same service is consistent throughout many of my visits. The laminated food and drinks menu is outdated albeit affective and easy to analyse; could definitely do with a restyle. The longstanding owners are hands-on, experienced and clearly happy to be doing what they love, where they love. Along an old, The queue Leah leads to an outside seating area, a lovely place to sit and not be disturbed by anything but the freshness of flowers adjacent to the tables or a fresh whiff of scones on first thing on a morning. The food is exactly as it should be and charged as so; I recommend the full English Breakfast for the hungry early morning traveller or

Had a hot sandwich and coffee for lunch. Sandwich was fine but it was just that. No garnish or crisps or the offer of tomato sauce. Coffee was nice and strong.