Curlew Cafe in County Durham

Another fabulous visit to the Curlew Cafe at High Farm Holiday Park, wonderful friendly welcome. Great lunch and cake, followed by a lovely walk round the animals. Great place, with lovely views. Need to come back with the grandchildren

We’ve visited numerous times in the past so we’re looking forward to brunch as it’s always been good food and service previously. However on placing the order we sat and waited for nearly an hour. When we checked with the staff we were told it was up to an hours wait! Had we been told this at the time of ordering we wouldn’t have bothered and found somewhere else to eat. Furthermore it would have been good customer service to provide updates given the long waiting time. It was clear there were quite a lot of people waiting but no one was being updated. Appreciate there are busy periods but customers should be kept in the loop.

The cafe is a gem. Massing choice of breakfasts and snack meals. Mostly homemade or locally sourced all at a reasonable price. Part of a camp site. Lovely site with great views. Amenity block spotlessly clean and looks brand new. Camper van, tents caravan pitches and great looking glamping railway trucks. Great variety of animals to see/feed.

The female member of staff at the counter was courteous. My friend and I both had a cheese scone which was incredibly dry! On a previous visit I did ask if the scones were freshly baked that day, the owner was clearly annoyed at me asking this question and I got an abrubt rude response from her. I returned only because my Grandson wanted to see the animals and play in the park, however, despite spending money in the cafe we were then expected to pay £4 pounds each to enter the animal paddock/play area!! We will not be returning.

We visit The Curlew Cafe on a regular basis and have always found the staff to be warm, friendly and really helpful. The food is delicious and always hot and presented really well. The animals are a brilliant attraction for any families visiting with small children. We would recommend this cafe to anyone who likes to be treat well and anyone who enjoys good food.

Food was ok tables close together so when a family arrived it felt like they were sitting on my knee (their ignorance probably exacerbated this!) Staff - I asked a staff member could I look over the gate of the paddock to check if age appropriate for varying ages of children/grandchildren to bring for a day out - I was asked ‘where’s your wrist band’ I explained the reason for a look and that I did not want to go beyond the gate I was told in no uncertain terms that to look over the fence I would need to ‘go buy a wrist band, then you can look all you want’ I walked away before I could reply in a similar manner! I then went to car started to upload satnav for next destination for yet ANOTHER staff member to come out of the cafe ask me at my car window ‘what’s your problem , corrected herself and said. do you have a problem’ ? she didn’t wait for a reply went to the paddock and was obviously checking I had not gone beyond the gate!!! Rude ignorant staff members - lesson learned customers aren’t always right - shame as it is local would have been a regular customer will never return !!!! Appalled!!!!

Well worth the Return though a Tad Expensive for Lunch. Never the Less : One may Say 'You pay for the View'; is My Hunch. When a Man has a Vision and Works Ceaselessly to Achieve. The Results are Quite Plain : You have to Visit Again: To Believe! CHILDREN are Well catered for in Both Fun Exercise Area & Animal Views.. Perhaps Spend on Exploring rather than Their Food : You may Muse! Transformation's take Time. The View is Sublime! ALL Home Cooking in the Main. A Vuew with Protection from the Rain!

First time visiting the Curlew Cafe. We went for afternoon tea for Mother's Day. It is in a beautiful setting staff are amazing nothing is too much trouble and the tea was to die for with a good variety of items. Would definitely visit again hopefully on a sunny day

Second visit to the cafe and once again it was superb. The place itself is warm and inviting and all staff are friendly and welcoming. Ordered 2 veggie brunches and 2 coffees. Brunch was amazing and the coffee; one of the best I’ve had at a cafe. I couldn’t leave without a cake so got the orange chocolate to take out which was again amazing! I can’t wait for the next time.

Visited today for Afternoon Tea. Outstanding food and service. All of the staff were happy and helpful. The food was fresh and home made. Enough to feed 4 people. Asked if we need a top up for our tea/coffee. The tea pot was huge and a cafetiere for the coffee. We have visited a few near by places, we were not asked about a top up. I had to ask at one and was told it would be extra. Will definitely be back.

A huge thanks to all the staff here. We arrived about 11am on a Saturday after our village suffered an electrical outage so missed breakfast. The sign outside said Café open, we were starving, so we went straight in. We were ignored. My wife went to the counter and was told someone would take our order. Then we were ignored some more. We had been waiting 15 minutes by now, and looking constantly at the counter area where there was a constant flux of female staff in and out of the building, and hovering by the counter. Just before we were ignored even more, two of the members of staff looked at us, then at each other, then disappeared. I can highly condemn this place as a waiting area, possibly even a warm place. Anyway after 20 minutes of anonymity we sneaked quietly away and found the most amazing cafe just round the corner. The 68. A very warm and welcoming place.

We visited the cafe and play area yesterday with my son and niece,we had a lovely afternoon until the owner decided to speek to us like absolute rubbish and make us feel so unwelcome. I have never known a camp site that only allows couples or 3 people at the most no kids?unless she just ment us very disappointed

Not sure what the bad reviews are about !! Been visiting the cafe for years, Staff are very welcoming and friendly, taken my nephews numerous times. Staff are so friendly they instigate the children to see the animals. Animals are very well taken care off. Nice clean environment. Worth a visit.

Absolutely disgusted! Been myself with family a couple of times, each time served by the young girls in the cafe,always polite. just found out my 3 year old daughter, 5 year old nephew visited with their nana and aunty this afternoon for what they thought would be a nice couple of hours (on my recommendation) to be spoken to like total crap on more than one occasion by the female OWNER! they had coffee & cake in the cafe, asked the young girl if the paddocks were open, to be told yes they will be for a while yet. To be approached by the female owner at the paddocks telling them "we should of closed over an hour ago" although they had paid and been let in, very ignorant and rude. Then to be walking around with the kids for the female owner yet again shout "is that your white van up there" told no we are parked at the top (customer car park) for female owner yet again saying abruptly "what you parked in my house" !! Lastly my sister asked about the campsite saying to bring her husband and my nephew, for female owner to say that "we don't accept kids, prefer couples" & "we only let 3 man tents on,at a push" rolling her eyes! In other words to say you are not welcome to come and camp here with your son. They have come away from there very upset and angry having their afternoon with the 2 kids absolutely ruined by this ignorant, rude, abrupt owner! I hope anyone visiting is served by the nice friendly staff and made to feel welcome, and not what my family got made to feel like today by her.

Very good quality food and customer service, lovely staff; beautiful and healthy animals. Clean and nice. Perfect for Sunday morning with the family

Fantastic cafe, warm and welcoming, in a lovely rural farm location. Plenty of seating space, good menu and excellent customer service from all staff. Happy to recommend.

This was my first visit hubby been before with cycling group. Very busy at 12-30 on 9/7/24. Unfortunately no seats available on veranda so it was inside. Good choices on menu of food & drinks. After ordering drinks arrived promptly then the wait began over three quarters of an hour for bacon butty & sausage butty. They where lovely 4 very tasty sausages . Staff very pleasant would have been nice if they had said busy food will have a wait no problem as all freshly cooked. Will be back.

Visiting the area and popped in for breakfast. Breakfast was great. Lovely friendly staff. Had a walk around the animals and I was in a very happy place. I could’ve stayed there all day. Well worth a visit. We will be back soon.

This spot is great for all sorts of reasons. The food is home baked loveliness with cakes to die for. And don't get me started on the ice cream. Curlew cafe is dog friendly in that you can sit outside or on the decking with your furry friends. It's wonderful for children as there is a play area far enough away from the main cafe not to annoy the not so child friendly diner's (guilty) and both children and adults alike will love to walk round the animal enclosure which boasts amongst other things some very friendly ducks, as well as alpacas, lamas, donkeys, meerkats, rabbits, guinea pigs, peacocks, goats, a couple of Gloucester old spots, wallabies and the most gorgeous sheep I have ever seen. You can purchase food from a dispenser if you want to feed the animals and there is a hygiene station to wash your hands afterwards. It's well worth a visit. Did I mention the stunning views of the beautiful surrounding countryside? You can side inside the cafe, on the covered balcony, outside on the decking or on the picnic style tables next to the children's play area and animal enclosure.

Poor service. Always seems to be a really long wait when the cafe isn’t busy. Staff borderline rude on occasions. Cakes tasty but would opt for a take out

The food is very good especially the g/f cake. Friendly, chatty staff and plenty of seating areas. The grounds are lovely to walk around with some well looked after animals. The caravan and pods area is amazing with the most up-to-date and clean shower and toilet area. I would thoroughly recommend this place to families and caravans.

Poor service husband finished his breakfast and I had to go looking for mine the crumpets were raw and frozen in middle when they eventually arrived drinks were also cold won’t be going back

Waited over an hour for two cooked breakfasts for them both to be wrong, sent back to kitchen and still one of them were still wrong as they missed the egg. I said just bring it out on side plate, we had finished our breakfast...

All the cakes are made on site. I had lemon drizzle which was the lightest and tastiest cake I have eaten since I became coeliac. My husband had carrot cake which he said was the best ever. They serve g/f bread, rolls or paninis and...

Sneaky Twixmas lunch for two, mother and daughter. Pancakes (2 each, one with blueberries, other with honey and lemon) served with real fruit ice cream (cherry and strawberry) and 2 hot chocolates with all the trimmings = £18. Fast service, extensive menu, choice of tables,...

What a find.. althrough we live 10 minutes away we have never visited, so been a special occasion weekend we decided we would go. The view on arrival were beautiful even on an awful december day the staff were so friendly and helpful and the...

Had the most delicious festive afternoon tea here today. Good choice of sandwiches, cheese scones, cheesy scotch eggs, bread sticks with carrots and cheese also lots of sweet treats....Christmas cake, mince pies, almond slice, chocolate eclairs scones with jam and clotted cream. With with an...