Courtyard Cafe in Ryedale

Lovely staff, delicious for brunch or a carrot cake muffin and you can enjoy the courtyard cafe, gift & farm shop without needing to pay an entry fee; Castle Howard is still one of our favourite travel stops (and well worth the entry fee if you have time to browse and enjoy the vista from the gardens too). Great coffee but can be very busy around 1pm (as expected).

The perfect little spot for a tasty brunch! All of the staff are amazing, nothing is too much hassle for them and they were so accommodating (I'm a fussy eater). When our food arrived, it just looked beautiful and then of course, it also tasted amazing. The quality of the ingredients used are clearly the best around and no expense has been spared. Such a credit to Castle Howard! Would really recommend this to anyone in the area looking for a special lunch, even better that you don't need to pay into the house and grounds to go here. Lovely terrace out front for you to sit and watch the world go by.

Disappointing experience overall .. despite the great quality dishes the table service was awful.. there was no leadership in the team and so staff lacked cohesion, they were really disorganised and ineffective… sorry !

This is more of an observation than a negative review. Castle Howard is a fantastic place to visit, and great for persons of all ages. In general the food we had at the Courtyard cafe was nice, if a little overpriced, and staff were friendly & helpful. However, although not that busy, the food service seemed a little slow, the wrong wine brought for my partner, and the portion of chips was full of overcooked bits of potato. Not good value for money at all. See attached photo.

OMG. Castle Howard management are clearly are not bothered. The previous reviews are my same poor experience as well. Got shown to a table and that was it. Staff stood about chatting with no attempt to take our order. We left after 10 minutes, and they just watched us go and said nothing. We went down to Rievaulx Abbey and had a bite here. Staff here very attentive and chatty. HC management, sort out your useless staff, they are costing you money.

So impressed with staff, service and food today. Husband in wheelchair and staff were very attentive, friendly and helpful seating us and making us feel welcome. Food was prompt and delicious. Really recommend it as a place for wheelchair users.

Absolutely awful service. I don’t know what else to say that hasn’t already been said by other reviewers. The staff are completely uninterested in guests, are unapologetic, and seem unwilling to do basic things like take an order or even give you a menu. And Castle Howard are clearly not bothered about their guests’ experiences or improving the service as this seems to have been going on for years. I’d go as far as saying that our experience in the cafe ruined our day out at Castle Howard. We won’t be returning, and we urge you to try somewhere else in the area for food instead - or bring a packed lunch and save yourself the upset.

So in the unlikely event that anyone from Castle Howard actually reads these reviews... 4 years after my last terrible experience here, I ventured in again today for lunch, in the hope that there had been a staff turnover or a cultural overhaul at the very least. Sadly, no. We saw there were only a couple of tables occupied so asked the waitress if they were still serving food. She confirmed they were and we were shown to a table. And that was the end of any form of customer service whatsoever. 15 mins later, we gave up waiting for anyone to return to take our food or even drinks order. Unbelievably other customers started arriving and being shown to tables. We resisted the urge to warn them of their fate, and we put on our coats and left. Not sure if any of the staff noticed or even cared. This place badly needs a change in management. The same issues existing 4 years later points to a more serious issue than just some lazy and incompetent staff. The culture that has persisted here is one of disinterest and arrogance. This time, we won't be back.

Awful over priced food. As a family, of four we had lunch and a drink each, it came to over £77.. which on the face if it is expensive but you don't mind if the food is good...it was far below average. We had a full breakfast which was undercooked and tasteless, a beef baguette which was small with dry over cooked chips, and overly sweet gravy, a burger which was tasteless with dry over cooked chips and a smoked salmon and eggs which was ok.. all told we will definitely not return. The staff were friendly and helpful so thats why this is a 2 star review and not a one star

What has happened to the courtyard cafe? For some time now the service has been non existent. It has become so bad that even though we are members, we have stopped going. On our last visit, we stood at the entrance whilst being ignored. Finally we were given a table and a menu and order taken. Our meal arrived and basically that was it. There was absolutely no interaction with us after that. We finished our food and waited for someone to clear our plates and ask if we would like dessert. After 30 minutes still no-one had approached our table. I looked around and several tables were in exactly the same position. There were plenty of staff but they are either chatting at the coffee machine or delivering a meal and then walking passed all the tables to get back to the coffee machine! One elderly couple asked twice for the dessert menu. Other tables next to us stacked their plates and pushed them to the edge of the table to get attention. Finally, we got up and went to pay and leave, feeling completely ignored. No-one was at the cash till. We waited and finally someone came. I explained that we would have like a dessert but no-one had come. The couple behind us who had also given up waiting said they had ordered a dessert but it never turned up. The service has been like this for a few months now and is getting worse. We shall not be renewing our membership but then will anyone at Castle Howard even notice?

Met up with my son and daughter for a lunch get together. The food was lovely, though the customer service was appalling. Stood ten minutes waiting for a table without any acknowledgement. Kept trying to deliver a pot of (unordered) tea to our table. We wanted dessert but had to go and ask to order. Was asked what we wanted, without having seen the dessert menu. When the dessert came, was given a fork to eat pouring cream! A shame really, it spoiled a lovely meal.

Friendly staff, prompt service Reasonable atmosphere but overly warm. Disappointing, bland food and small portions.

Menu is not very enticing and food was extremely disappointing. The worst part of the experience though was the staff who were not very friendly and completely incompetent, kept forgetting things and serving the wrong orders to different tables. By the time our order arrived it was cold and congealed, perhaps it had been sitting on someone else’s table for a while. Will not be returning and would not recommend. There is a good cafe and pub in the nearby village, far superior.

Stopped here for brunch before a walk around castle howard. It was a warm, sunny day so ate in the courtyard. Service was excellent. My husband had the avocado on sourdough with local cheese, sun dried tomatoes, poached eggs and hot sauce. I had the same, but they were very accommodating and I swapped out avocado for mushrooms. This was one of the nicest brunches we have had, mainly due to the quality and freshness of the local Ingredients. Would definitely recommend. Nice shops too with amazing deli with butchery and fresh local produce.

Would like to comment on the food but could not get served, arrived and sat in the courtyard introduced ourselves and was told to sit down and somebody would take our order in a few minutes, 30 minutes later 14 other people had sat down by then, a waitress came out and started taking orders from the later people seated and when I informed her that we had been waiting over 30 minutes all we got was a disgruntled "we are to busy" no apology or we will come over next, at this point we left the venue, vert poor customer service

£6 for a micro bacon butty, and the slowest service in Britain on a quiet midweek morning. The staff appear to be paid to stand around chatting to each other. At least the pot of Yorkshire tea was good, and it’s a nice cafe.

Nicely situated in the square as your approach the admission desk area, it offers inside and outside seating areas. Food and drinks are of good quality, and whist not the cheapest they are not the most expensive. Very friendly service and well worth a visit whilst at Castle Howard.

WOW WEE - what fabulous service throughout! The food we had was wholesome, delicious and so very tasty. Well presented and good quality. The prices were great too, certainly won't dint a whole in your wallet and good value! We will definitely be back and real soon too, and can't wait!!

Plenty of room but the table near the door was very draughty. The burger was very tasty as was the fish and chips.

I recently visited Castle Howard Cafe and unfortunately, I had a very negative experience. One of the workers, Alan, was very rude to me and my dog, even though she was on a short lead. Despite the fact that the cafe wasn't particularly busy, the...

We drove out to Castle Howard as I have recently had a hip replacement . A friend took me as a treat as I can’t drive and am walking supported with sticks currently . The cafe was clean , sunny and quite busy , in...

Extremely god quality, very good value for money and very helpful staff. A definite must go to in the future.

Please ladies. Tell your faces it’s Christmas, that you enjoy your jobs, that you like your customers! I stopped by for a latte and I’ve never seen such miserable faces. If you don’t like your jobs, do something else!! There are lots of jobs where...

This is a review of the Fitzroy Cafe at Castle Howard but the only option on trip advisor is the Courtyard Cafe - so apologies for any confusion. Anyway this cafe was literally appalling. The choice is dreadful with very little for vegetarians and no...

We walked from Welburn across the estate up to Castle Howard. As we had our dog with us we were never going to visit the gardens or the house and were happy just to visit the Courtyard Cafe. They were offering a limited menu at...

went with family found the menu disappointing. The childs meal was good value, everything else was over priced and dull. Such a shame that they can't do better , to say it has such an excellent setting. The management should take a trip to Chatsworth...

The outside seating area is looking tired. Overpriced cream tea for two arrived in stained and dirty crockery. Inexcusable.

Lovely friendly staff, we had a lovely relaxing lunch here a bit pricey but these place always are. The staff work so hard to make your visit pleasant. The food was lovely and excellent quality. I would definitely recommend a stop here the cakes are...

Visited the Courtyard Cafe for a late lunch today before shopping in the garden centre. Must say last few times we have been to the cafe we’ve left feeling a bit ‘meh.’ We only live in York so we aren’t just summer tourists. We sat...

No sandwiches on the menu but informed by the friendly waitress, they can be bought and consumed in the seating area. Even on a sunny day I chose the tomato and tarragon soup, whilst my wife favoured eggs benedict. Quality and presentation of food together...

Il faut s'adapter au pays visité, ok. Mais s'adapter à la nourriture anglaise est un véritable défi. En clair, ce...

Escaped the rain and enjoyed lunch at the Courtyard Cafe. Fish & chips, bacon roll, quiche & salad and the best chips EVER!! Everyone thoroughly enjoyed their food and the teas & hot chocolates. Staff were pleasant, friendly and efficient. Will return again when in...

Nice cafe with the best sausage roll I've ever had. Worth visiting Castle Howard just for the sausage roll

ate here today, it was tasty, staff great and well run. plenty choice, and lots of social distancing

Decent sized fresh egg sandwich, tasty but only a small choice of fillings. Nice scone with cream served by a friendly lady. Quite happy with visit

Poor food, staff disinterested and freezing cold all for £10 a sandwich !! The worst experience I could put into words from start to finish . Save your money

We were very disappointed with the food. I had the soup of the day, which was tomato soup and it had a strong burnt taste - there were small black bits in it indicating that they had burnt it and then continued to serve it. It was also served lukewarm. They should taste the soup after making it to make sure it is okay. My partner had the quiche, which turned out to be like an egg flan - not a quiche at all. It was served with crisps and coleslaw. She had an upset stomach after eating it. The cafe is very expensive for the small quantities they serve. The £21 they charge adults to visit the house is also excessive. We won't go back to the cafe.

Already submitted a more detailed review of this place under Castle Howard but will summarise that the table service was appalling, the food completely tasteless and the price for what we ate way too expensive. The main issue is the lack of attentive staff who are reluctant to do anything other than clear the tables and take your order. If you want anything else or to ask for the bill, forget it. Also being a vegetarian, i was delighted to see a number of options. Unfortunately I chose the ravioili which was completely tasteless and dry. I can't comment on the desserts as we gave up trying to get the attention of the waitress after 20mins and left. This place is badly in need of a front of house manager and a change of chef in the kitchen. A really disappointing experience.

We stopped to eat here before going into the grounds. The weather was good so we ate outside. The service was great as was the menu. My friend is vegetarian and had a very tasty risotto and I had a very good burger. It was lovely eating outside. There was a good toilet in the courtyard. A very pleasant stop before going into the grounds

Arranged to meet a friend for lunch.Although it was a sunny day chose to sit inside because there were issues with wasps in the outside seating area. The prices of dishes on the menu seem to be on the expensive side . We both opted for the Ploughman’s lunch which was over £12 but from the description sounded delicious. However the meal certainly did not live up to expectations . The bread was toasted not chunky pieces of fresh bread as expected for a ploughman’s lunch and served without butter which we had to ask for . The terrine was a tasteless crumbling mass of dried meats not a sign of any apricot as in the description. The coleslaw was also dry . The cheese was an ungenerous square of cheddar . We did enjoy the onion marmalade which gave some moisture to the meal . With a pot of tea for two the bill was over £30. We did mention our disappointment to the staff who said they would pass on our comments to the chef.

Fantastic butcher with great produce Felt pricing was initially very steep but we did have a full day of enjoyment. Great weather which helps in this location

Stopped at the Courtyard Cafe for lunch on a recent visit to Castle Howard. It was a boiling hot day and was very pleasant to sit in the cool interior which was both welcoming and comfortable. Staff were busy as most people chose to sit outside in the courtyard seating area however, they were friendly and courteous and we were served quickly. There was plenty to choose from though, as a previous reviewer has stated there seems to be a conflict between being a cafe and a restaurant. We both chose the Coronation Chicken sandwiches with a side of fries. Unfortunately the sandwiches were served on very thick bloomer bread which was incredibly dry and the filling, whilst obviously freshly made and had no shortage of chicken, was also dry and more like a chicken Tikka. The garnish was lovely and the skin on chips were delicious.Choice of cakes were good and these also looked lovely. We opted for cold drinks and there were plenty to chose from.The prices are not cheap but what you would expect from a stately home cafe. I would definitely return but would steer clear of the sandwiches.

We called in about 11.30 Monday morning, waited to be seated in the courtyard. Not too long before our order was taken, pot of tea not too long to wait but the 2 sausage sandwiches took ages. When they came, we had to wait for cutlery, napkins, etc, then another wait for sauce, the bread was nice and fresh but the sausages were small, very dry and tasteless, 3 small sausages each on 2 slices of bloomer bread, not what you would expect!! Disappointing!

A very dissapointing menu and meal. We have been prevously and on those occasions had been more than satisfied hence we chose to take friends. Unfortunately we were dissapointed as the food was very bland. Four of us each had a different meal and afterwards we all agreed that the offering was poor. We were not asked by staff how much we had enjoyed the meal otherwise we would have made comment. When you consider that people from around the world visit CH on a daily basis, one would expect better.

Forgot our order completely and left us sat there without acknowledgement or apology. No offer of waiting and eating for free. They did offer us the drinks for free. But no offer of a free meal or lunch. 2 starving children left for 40 minutes. Unacceptable.

Visited Castle Howard 3 days ago but decided to return at a later date at an earlier time to get our money’s worth at £40 a couple entry. You CAN wonder around the outer bit (shop, garden centre etc.) so we decided we'd have a bite in the Courtyard Café. I’ve really been struggling to write a review for this establishment, as my feelings are so conflicted.

Our first visit here with friends today. We visited for lunch and got one of the last menu is fairly varied with some specials on the board. Our friends had the specials, a scampi and chips that was plentiful, hot and very nicely cooked plus a poached salmon with new potatoes that again was a good size and very nicely seasoned. Both of these were a little pricey for a cafe but they were extremely good. The other two of us had sandwiches which were served on lovely thick bread with plenty of filling, potato chips and a homemade slaw. Very nice. The service was efficient and pleasant. We will definately be coming here again, not just if visiting the house but just to enjoy the very good food.

Decided not to use the cafe due to member of staff being rude. Found a friendlier cafe in Sheriff Hutton. I would not recommend the Courtyard Cafe at Castle Howard and will never return.

First the good - my husband had never seen ( or eaten!)such a stupendous sausage roll! My blue cheese and broccoli quiche was nice but warm on outside and cold inside. Maybe I should have complained. Victoria sponge was good but in catering for vegetarian/vegan/gluten free ( which is good) this seems to have resulted in a lot of the cakes posing problems for those with nut problems.

Called in here straight away as was raining outside We had a coffee and cream scone both were very good

Today (4/1) after having done a walk over at Kirkham Abbey & our usual cafe at Welburn closed we decided to head the short distance to Castle Howard and the Courtyard Cafe. We were seated in the marquee on chairs covered with sheepskin, lovely & cosy. Lady who took our order was very friendly and smiley. We had a coronation chicken sandwich & an orange and cranberry scone sharing half of each, both were equally delicious, coffee is also very nice. It is a little pricey but worth it, with a lot of their food is sourced locally. A very welcome stop, and wonderful staff.

We were visiting the house when it was decorated for Christmas and the house was therefore very busy. We chose to have coffee and lunch in the courtyard restaurant rather than in the large marquee by the house. The staff were pleasant and helpful, and we were very impressed with the number of gluten free options they were able to provide.

Arrived for Brunch at around 11.30 and ordered. A sausage sandwich, a croissant with butter and jam and two coffees. Simple enough.

A pre-festive visit to the CH Butchers shop and lets have a spot if lunch. A couple of door-step ham sandwiches and a ploughman’s. Locally sourced meats and pates, local vegetables in the chutney. It’s good food. Pleasant and helpful staff .

Had the butternut quash and sage soup and bread for lunch. The best we could say about it was that it was the right colour! Very watery and bland! Would not know it had sage if it was not on the menu! Bread was more akin to Navy Hard Tack, just knocked it on the table just in case!

We intended to celebrate my birthday with a lunch time meal, but the music was too loud to even contemplate stopping to browse the menu - fortunately the Arboretum cafe was peaceful and relaxing.

Called in whilst in the area on 03/10/2018. Excellent, friendly service. Homemade delights on the menu all at a reasonable price. The sandwich was on Homemade bread accompanied with homemade sides, A good selection of Teas and coffees all served by friendly staff

Been here a few times and the service pace has excellent quality food in a nice setting. It’s all local produce and some from the estate itself. The only downside is it’s a little pricey but you get what you pay for. Lovely breakfast and coffee with cake, recommend

Called there on our way home after a weekend away. Was very disappointed with the service and food. Having been a couple of times previously and always enjoyed it we were shocked at the change. I ordered broccoli and blue cheese quiche with salad and crisps. The quiche was overcooked so much that it was brittle. It only tasted of egg, I think that they had forgotten to put the cheese in it. We spoke to a waitress and said it was not nice who said sorry and she would tell the chef. However she never returned so having sat there whilst my friend finished her meal I spoke to another lady who looked more in charge and explained what had happened. She apologised and offered me an alternative but by then my friend had finished her meal so I declined. I didn't have to pay for it but was so so disappointed and left hungry.

Cafe was busy as you may expect early afternoon on a Bank Holiday but that dies not excuse a lot of uncleared tables. That said we were shown to a table quite quickly & that’s when it really took a turn for the worse. 10 minutes before order taken, another 10 minutes before our drinks arrived & 50 minutes for the food to arrive.

The restaurant is more of a tea room, with all the usual trimmings. The produce seems to be home made and rustic, Beautiful cream teas, the biggest sausage rolls I've ever seen, which they serve by the slice, altogether a pleasant experience.

We popped in for coffee to warm us up after walking around the grounds. Service was okay and the price was what we expect from a large tourist attraction.

This cafe is ok for a short break. The staff are efficient and polite and the drinks are fine. It is a little noisy when full and does feel a little cramped downstairs. I would use it again if at Castle Howard.

Visited today for breakfast with my son. Greeted by a mass of very tired gold chairs that obviously had seen better days quite a while ago. The tables desperately need replacing. Gone are the lovely photographs on the walls, replaced by tiny blackboards. The cake table looked very ‘brown’. And unappealing. Not at all tempting. Very strange looking brownie, more like a pale dry looking chocolate cake. The breakfast sandwiches however were very good, the service by Monika excellent as always. Money certainly needs to be found to update this cafe, it’s apparent that it’s certainly the poor relation of the newly refurbished Fitzroy restaurant.

The court yard cafe serves local produce and our meals were OK, very handy for visitors at Castle Howard

Usual weekend visit incorporates coffee and a toasted tea cake in Cafe followed by a visit to the Farm Shop.

We called in to the Courtyard Cafe for a quick lunch before visiting Castle Howard and we’d expected something on a par with a national trust cafe. Whilst adequate we both felt it wasn’t up to NT standard. We both opted for Rarebit which was pretty much cheese on toast and very greasy and for £8.50 a go, we certainly expected better. The staff were friendly and reasonably attentive the decor was a little tired looking and devoid of personality. A nasty brown carpet covered the cafe floor which didn’t seem at all appropriate for a cafe. The chairs whilst comfortable were a nasty mustard yellow colour which completely clashed with the bland colour scheme. The menus were really tatty.

Called in here with a girlfriend for lunch, what a disappointment it was. We chose the mashed avocado on sourdough toast, with a choice of either bacon or mushroom with poached egg. Stale toast, very hard poached egg and deep fried mushrooms! plus the avocado was very scarce and chopped sadly, not a good lunch, all served very tepid! You can do better than this am sure for £10 a person, all washed down with a very mediocre cup of coffee. Sadly not a great impression for our lovely tourists.

We attempted to book afternoon tea at the main Fitzroy restaurant but due to a wedding they were unable and we were put through to the Courtyard Cafe, they don't normally do this but for this occasion they would. The staff were excellent and very helpful, the service was prompt and very polite, as if we were the only people in the cafe. Reasonably price and excellent quality food. I have to say it again the staff were brilliant.

Called in last Tuesday on our way up towards Pickering. Had one roast ham sandwich and one egg mayo and shared a portion of chips. The hubby said the ham was very good and I really enjoyed the egg mayo. Could have done with a few more chips. We had a pot of tea to share. The spout on the teapot was cracked and should have been thrown away and replaced. It was a nice warm day so was able to sit outside so we could people watch.

It was a nice day so sat outside in the courtyard which is lovely. The coffee was very good and...

Absolutely delicious lunch - amazing chicken sandwich, good quiche, salad and yummy scones! Perfect spot for lunch before touring Castle...

We went with family here and were pleasantly suprised by the wonderfully tasty food that was on offer ,the freshly made pies are awesome

Pleasant café with indoor & outdoor tables in a delightful courtyard setting serving a good range of snacks, cakes, sandwiches etc. We stopped for a mid morning break and enjoyed a really nice scone with jam and clotted cream. My cappuccino was a little bitter but my wife’s tea was good. Very pleasant helpful service.

We have had coffee & cake and other times breakfast here. The choice of cakes and light treats is wide. It's recently been refurbished. Service is fast and friendly. I've recently had a couple of meetings in here and it's a great venue, tall ceilings, feels spacious inside. Outside cafe area is up a couple of steps. Friendly good service, high standard of food.

On a family visit to the area we thought that castle Howard would be an interesting place to lunch. That was a mistake. Very limited lunch menu. Poorly presented and indifferent service. Uninspiring ambience. Everything was overdone or underdone. For example complained about the 'chunky chips'. Dark greasy, overdone and for nearly £3 one might have expected more than 8. On complaining told by the staff that this was the normal way that they served them. Staff disappeared after that so no quality check or feedback opportunity. Vegetables underdone, salad pathetic for the price. I guess if your customers are mainly tourist who won't be back you can get away with this. Just not good enough for a premier tourist attraction.

This is set in the stable courtyard so apt an environment. When busy it can be difficult to get seated however the food is worth a wait. We have eaten the Sunday roast menu in a couple of occasions here and highly rated this. The wine was also good quality. Only criticism is that you might have a bit of a wait for service, it depends on how busy they are, at Christmas time we had to queue but otherwise it wasn't a long wait. The food quality was excellentband despite other reviews to the contrary, our service was also excellent. Sometimes it depends on the customer's manner as well you know! The only drawback is that prices are extortionate, well maybe that's a bit harsh but it is not a cheap or mid range price , be prepared to spend more than you anticipated. However, our full meals were satisfying. I can't comment on snacks as we've never had a snack here, only substantial fodder. The sweets were good also.I would recommend this place for when you visit , there is also a very nice cafe at the arboretum for breakfast buns,( highly recommended) snacks, soup and lovely cakes, all home made and fresh.

We treated ourselves to a cake and drink at this cafe and were really impressed with it. The staff were very helpful and the seating outside on a lovely hot day was really enjoyable. The menu was quite varied with tasty sandwiches hot meals and yummy cakes. Prices were not too bad either.

The courtyard cafe is at the stables at entrance to castle howard and can be visited without paying admission to the castle. The cafe itself is in a lovely period building but is quite small and not at all Inspiring Internally. However it does has a rather wonderful external terrace at the front. Staff are efficient and friendly and whilst menu is not particularly extensive, there is a reasonable choice for a light lunch and snacks. The homemade quiches and the fruit scone cream tea are particularly good. Freshly made sandwiches on granary bread are also good. Prices considered reasonable given location and Quality of food.

Worst meal ever. Underdone fish, cold peas, overdone chips.. Simply awful. Long wait for meal to arrive. Staff OK, surroundings lovely but very disappointing for my elderly aunty on her birthday

Just headed here for lunch after a walk and not busy, sat outside. Ordered two salads, the chicken caesar was ok if not huge but the superfood salad was tiny and mainly leaves. The chips were ok, but the sandwiches lacked taste and filling and the bread was dry. Quite pricey too.............we went last year and it was good, definitely gone downhill - very disappointing. Service was slow but adequate.

Stopped here as our cafe break on our bike ride. Gorgeous day but no probs getting a table. Food was delish well seasoned and plentiful. Quick efficient service nice and clean environment.would definitely return.

Food delicious and well presented. Staff helpful and smiley, only criticism service quite slow. But definitely a place to go and have a lovely breakfast. Also on the doorstep of Castle Howard, which is also a fabulous place to visit.

Visited Spring Bank weekend, but it wasn't very busy possibly due to Malton Food Festival, but this suited us fine. Food was delicious. Would go back.

We had a quick lunch here while visiting the house. The food was good and was the typical fare that that is served up in such places. It is not particularly cheap, but of good quality.Dogs are not allowed on the decking outside or in the café.

called in as part of our visit to castle howard at the weekend, great cakes and well made coffee - head for the Date Slice ! All very polite and courteous a very fitting end to our day at Castle Howard

This courtyard cafe has gone down hill since just over a year since our last visit!My friend has a 2 year old and we came just over a year ago - prior to ordering we requested a high chair for the 2year old which took a while in coming (from under the stairs the young waitress said!) The menu read delicious but pricey so when we ordered fish fingers, chips & peas priced at £5.95 for the 2 year old you would expect the BEST fish gingers or even home made for the cost.... no! Cheap nasty little, no fish and soggy potato stuffed fingers which was left (we bring up our children on quality fish !) as the 2 year old spat out the discussing mush (yes vile!) a expensive child's meal! I had the chicken salad with poached egg at £11.95 - nothing to be excited over (I'd value it at £8.95) and my friend had Welsh Rabite at £8.95 - for that was a standard slice of bread with cheese topping , two skinny bacon rashers , garnish salad & mini pot of chutney - something id pay no more than £5.95 for ! So sorry to say CH I think it's time for a review of what your are serving & the price !Beautiful surroundings- the courtyard is lovely.

Good food and coffee, service was good, menu had a good variety of food and drinks. Well set out cafe with plenty of space. Room to sit outside if weather is good. Not dog friendly either inside or out. Dogs not allowed on decking outside.

Recently had lunch here with friends, staff very friendly and welcoming. Waitress very attentive. Food was lovely and made good use of local produce...they also have a fantastic selection of home made cakes if you've room for a dessert.They also have a farm shop on site selling fruit, veg,cheese,preserves, biscuits, cakes and a butchers selling meat reared on the estate...there is also a gift shop.Would definitely recommend a visit and will certainly be returning.

We(party of 4) arrived shortly before closing time on a winters afternoon but were told they were still open and they could serve us drinks but not cakes.So we ordered tea which was provided promptly and then went over to their shop and bought a couple of scones. Sadly they were unwilling to provide a plate for this . Then everything became secondary to cashing up and closing -we really did feel unloved and unwanted. Such a shame as we suspect the young ladies were highly capable and in different circumstances it could be a very pleasant experience.

Good service for a little lunch (soup of the day, bacon sandwiches ...). You can't find an other place after parking.Toilets outside.

Visited the courtyard cafe as most other tea rooms in the surrounding area were closed at this time of year. Cafe was located inside a large tent, it was evident that there was insufficient ventilation as the air inside the tent was NOT fresh and in fact could be described as rather smelly. Ordered a cream tea, and was surprised how small the scones were, even the tea was lukewarm. However the staff were pleasant and attentively dealt with the order. Overall disappointed with the experience.

We had an early lunch here. Menu is fairly limited but we liked the table service and the fact you could get both soft and alcoholic drinks. Although the castle was incredibly busy we were seated within minutes. Our order was taken quickly and arrived pretty promptly.Some may feel prices are a bit on the high side. Our sandwich lunch was just short of £50 for 4 including drinks. However portion sizes were large and we felt represented fair value.In our opinion this is the nicest of the castle's eateries. It's not gourmet dining but it was more than OK from our perspective.

We 3 friends just spent a glorious day at Christmas bedecked Castle Howard. It was a chilly, but sunny day and after our trek all over the grounds we were oh so glad to slip into our sheepskin clad chairs for a long lunch/combo tea at the Courtyard Cafe. Indoors this time of year...heaters going full blast. We were all so happy with our yummy squash soup, fresh scones...flavorful butter. We had sandwiches, quiche, and the best part our chocolate clementine cake for dessert. We also all had a mini crush on our 16-year-old waiter whose first day it was...he was nervous, but charming!

Decent food, good setting and pleasant, though not attentive, staff pretty much sums up this establishment, in my view.

It was a cold, wet day when we visited so we were pleased to drop into this warm refuge for lunch. We just had sandwiches and a pot of tea but the quality was very good. Just what we needed.

Had turkey sandwich with stuffing and cranberry it was absolutely delicious. Not cheap but when I enjoy something I don't mind as much

Called in here after a local walk as other cafes shut for winter. Staff were pleasant enough but a bit too keen to chat to each other. We had passed the bakery on the way in and assumed the cakes on sale there would also be available in the café. However, range was restricted - asked for cheese scones (available in shop) but told they were not available. Had fruit scones instead - given two small ones each with plenty of cream but not enough jam. Cost £4 per person - ouch! Small coffee was £2.60. Expected it to be dear but cost is about a third more then other places.

Young polite staff but very inexperienced and untrained.Customers are easily forgotten at busy times and staff changes.

All good, all happy, all satisfied. We have generally eaten brunch or early dinner. We generally have had soup and sandwiches and have never been disappointed. Value for money... Just!