Grindleford Station Cafe in Derbyshire Dales

Just out for a drive, called in for a chip butty, absolutely hit the right spot. Proper open fire burning took me back to my childhood.

Cheap and delicious food in a beautiful setting.

After a torrential nights sleep and a strenuously long hike, this was not the place for an enjoyable meal. Albeit it’s only a few minutes walk from Padley Gorge hiking areas, that remains to be the only redeeming factor to this cafe. Upon entrance, I could see the cafe was manned with 2 staff. One woman at the counter, and one male as the chef. Initially, I didn’t feel welcomed, the woman wasn’t necessarily rude, but seemed uninterested, on her phone, and blunt when asked about certain meal items. The most alarming event so far, was whilst I was ordering, my friend alerted to me that he saw the chef scrape some of the leftover baked beans from a customers plate back into the pan to cook/re-heat. This was utterly appalling to hear and must break several health and safety regs. Unfortunately our food had already been ordered and we couldn’t turn around now. I ordered a veggie burger, chips and a can of coke. This came to 9£. The food came within 5-7 minutes, however it was served on a nearby server table in which the chef places it there. The chef calls out your number and you collect yourself. This is not the only thing you collect either, cutlery, condiments, salt etc. The vegetarian burger was very hard and tasteless. My friend’s order was incorrect. So far, not so good. Then to my displeasure, I found out we had to take our plates down the hallway, and leave on a table, right next to the toilets, for the chef to collect and clean. This being the chefs source of baked beans! By the end of our meal, there were around 10 plates and several mugs awaiting to be cleaned. It was not busy either. For 9£, there is no value. Tasteless, just edible food. Blunt, uninterested and generally poor customer service. Outrageous hygiene health + safety concerns also. I will not be returning, and I do not recommend to anyone! I’ve given this 1 star, but if I could give 0, I would. Happy Hiking.

Lovely food. Not overpriced. Nice when the fires on in winter too

Well cooked breakfast, fantastic value! Had to pop back the following day for more. Great way to start a beautiful walk in padley gorge. Thank you

One of our favourite venues for a pre hike meal. One again fantastic value, good choice of hearty food to stock up on the calories ready for your challenging walk. Highly recommended and will be returning again when in the Peaks.

Came across this cafe next to padley gorge, don't let looks deceive , First class location food is to die for, I had the stew, crazy portions first class food and portion a chips,enough to feed 4, certainly going back, highly

Excellent greasy spoon cafe from 50 years ago dog friendly hits the spot after a nice walk .

A quirky and excellent experience. Great food and drinks in the café

Extremely disappointing. Greasy spoon level of food and drink quality, less than friendly staff and not open at time advertised (40 minutes later). The open fire was nice.

Lovely cafe to stop by when in Grindleford but me and my partner both found much of the vegan breakfast totally inedible: lots of low quality carbs, very greasy, fried bread and white bread were soggy from tinned tomato water they were swimming in. Veggie burger is quite plain beans squashed into a patty and fried. Plus you get baked beans. So that's double beans, double wet bread, unseasoned heated up wet tinned tomato. The hash browns were nice. It was great to get a pint of tea after a cold, wet day's walking and the log fire made the place really warm and cozy. The staff are friendly. Everything comes quickly. The sausage sandwiches and chip butties looked great. The portions are massive. It's inexpensive. We know it's a caf, not fine dining. We just didn't enjoy the meal we ordered at all.

Parked outside Cafe for free as were we calling after our walk. Asked if this was ok and if we needed to leave our car reg....looked at me confused/put out, so we just left for our walk. Ordered a coffee and tea and a chip butty when returned. We shared the chip butty as it was massive 😋😋 Toilets now out of order! Put a sign up so people dont stand queing!! Staff seem so miserable and like they dont want to be there. Food and drinks were fine for us this visit. Not sure how clean kitchen is or if we would stray onto other food. Plenty of outdoor seats and Dog friendly inside too👍

Who ever owns this place needs a wake up call, get Gordon Ramsey or something because wow! I was unfortunate enough to eat at this place where the chefs struggle to cook a fried egg. The pitbull behind the till needs some training in customer service and maybe learn how to smile. It's a shame as it's in a lovely location, they could make a killing if they put the work in. Oh - don't sit by the fireplace, the kitchen looks horrendous!

Great breakfasts, a cosy fire, and with a friendly atmosphere. Pay cash and fill up on tasty treats! Plenty to take away too, including the largest sausage rolls you've ever seen!

Always good chips here after a long walk down the valley.

Had a good full English here, would go back

A fantastic place. Excellent menu and delicious food.

Full veggie breakfast really hit the spot generous portions. Friendly staff, amazing open fire was great to sit by on a cold January morning. Also fantastic selection of walking books on sale! And dog friendly 😊

Massive coal fire, lots of walkers and the biggest breakfast!

Great stop after a walk along the river. Fresh cooked food to order and great service.

This cafe is not what you normally come across at a railway station. I have been going here for many many years and in most ways it hasn't changed. It's perfect for walkers and for large groups,children and families. There is indoor and outdoor seating and dogs are welcome. Food isn't fancy but it is very hearty. Tea and coffee are served in mugs which is greatly appreciated after a good walk. Tables aren't cleared very well outside which when busy can let this facility down. However I would recommend this cafe.

Place very busy, but managed to find a table. Just had a cup of tea, which was OK. A lovely warm log fire though, just the thing after a cold walk in Padley gorge.

Parked here for a lovely walk great place didnt have chance to nip into the cafe but it smelt good.

Stopped here on our way through to the Hope Valley. A bit of a pilgrimage as I used to frequent the café in my younger days while on holiday in the Peak District. Thankfully not much has changed! Food and drink are ordered from the counter and is brought to the hatch where cutlery and sauces are kept. There are two seating areas, both with a lot of original station decor, and both with lovely roaring fires. We ordered a full breakfast each, a hot chocolate and a coffee. The drinks were made immediately and were piping hot. The food was a little while after and was quite the plate full, for £8.80 including the drink was very good value for money. Don’t forget to bring cash and make sure you take your dirties to the wash up counter!

£5 minimum spend on card, like it's the 1990s, all I wanted was a coffee to take on the train

Food was ok but would say it's not as good as it has been when we have been in the past.. Cash only on this particular day and the cafe was running out of change. They were also out of a lot of the items on the menu. Parking is an issue as you have to use an app to pay and there was no signal at all on my phone to use the app or call the number to pay for parking! Eventually sorted it but it took a while now there is no pay and display machine.

Foods always hot, pretty well presented but quality of ingredients could be improved. Needs to sort out a card reader though, 2024 and still operates cash only or bank transfer (in a dead reception area)

Excellent cafe to visit after a hike around Grindleford. I would highly recommend a visit!

Lovely little cafe, does drinks and lunch (and an excellent cookie), dog friendly, baby changing, nice and warm inside. Only shame is they are cash only which was a shock as only one of us could pay for anything, even though they had wifi.

Great Cafe been coming for years, really enjoyed it, & was nice to sit in, out of the cold.

A lovely place to have some traditional greasy spoon grub. Service is a bit brusque but efficient and on a late autumn day, with a bacon butty in your hand or a plate of chips, life seems good.

Sadly this is a cafe that seems to live off its location and ambience of the building. The food is very low quality. I ordered the full breakfast and it arrived suspiciously quickly and even then the beans were luke warm. The 2 sausages in particular are something out of a 1970s builders cafe, the bacon was chewy and the bread was bottom shelf supermarket sliced white bread. Service wasn’t great either, from initially being ignored, then being cursorily told there were no meat pies (the first thing on the menu) and pretty rudely told it was cash only despite a prominent sign saying cards accepted over £5. When the food was ready the lad serving then left it on the counter, shouted out my order, and walked past me to go and sit by the fire instead of just bringing it to me as he passed right by! The breakfast including coffee was £8.80. Disappointing. Don’t make a special trip and if in the area there are much better options

Great food, wide variety of choices and good portion sizes. Eat in or out. Lovely place with fantastic surroundings. Can get very busy at times but we'll worth the wait. Ideal after a nice walk and you don't get ripped off like the National Trust do at the other end of the trail.

A cosy spot offering exactly what you need to keep you fueled on your adventures!

Always enjoy a welcome pit stop on a repeat walk we do occasionally with friends and family. Setting is picturesque and reminds me of something from the railway children era - today there was smoke coming from the chimney and a roaring fire inside on a cold day to welcome you in. The cafe itself is a bit rough and ready and would benefit from being cleaner but always seems to be busy with walkers and bikers. Food is reasonably priced and portions are generous. Varied typical british menu - breakfasts/breakfast baps, chip butties, burgers, a variety of yorkshire pudding meals, toasties, jackets, etc. Order at the till, find a seat inside or out, grab your cutlery and condiments and your order number is shouted when it's ready for collection from the hatch. Always seems to be a number of people working in the kitchen getting orders out as quick as they can. Toilets available on the ground floor which are handy. The only fly in the ointment today was the person that served us on the till and then served our food, rather abrupt and lacking in customer service skills but this is not always the case when we have been.

We stopped at the Grindleford Cafe for coffee and a scone after completing the Padley Gorge trail. It’s a small, cozy cafe that was quite crowded, but we managed to find a table.

Really well looked after cafe , nice setting. Excellent food large portions

Friendly staff on the counter but the quality of the food was rank. Just pure grease and the cheapest lowest quality possible ingredients.

Food is ok but it takes hours to arrive. Not a a good as it used to be and the whole place is looking very tired

Popular stop for the padley gorge trail. Food is ok, wish they'd had proper tomato sauce and HP

Great food, take cash and make it easier for everyone else. Order food and eat it, it's delicious. Take your plates away and don't be a scruff they've asked you to do it, so do it.

It's all about the location. A famous place with a even more famous erstwhile proprietor. His idiosyncratic presence still overshadows the place. Do they now do mushrooms, I wonder...?

Great food. Great atmosphere. Love it!!

Nice cosy cafe great stop off when out hiking

Good location, not too bad food.

Huge portions and proper mugs of tea. Chip butties are enormous!

Been coming here for over 20 years but not as great as it used to be sadly. Very messy and feels unkempt. Food quality is not as good as it used to be either. Chips soggy. I’m doing this review in the hope that the owners see it and can improve things please.

Great cafe next to Grindleford station, very good value and generous helping, sitting outside in the sun

Very basic, but the food was ok with fresh bread and good portions. Didn't look that clean.

A lovely cafe in the peaks! Cheap and good food and quick service. Great connections to go and explore Padley Gorge and Longshaw Estate. Also a useful spot to wait for the next train!

Fast service depending how busy they are. you can eat inside or outside. good food very welcoming staff. parking is on the street or a small car park opposite chargeable.Toilets were very clean,all on the ground floor. open fire on a cold day, Well worth calling in.

Super duper service. Tiddly widdly prices. Yummy tummy food. Fandabadozee.

Absolutely amazing café foods fantastic. Regular visitor

Little lovely cafe. Great location, good food and nice staff. It was busy and they coped really well. Its the only cafe near to the station.

We call for drink and snack after we've been walking in the area nice area for a walk

We had all day breakfast and it was nice. But I don't like smoked bacon and they not ask was we want.. Plus the egg wasn't running..

Whackingly good, a feast for the senses, stunning scenery close to the railway station. Take the train, bring the dog, drink the tea 🐕

It would have been better if it was open! They close quite early (15:30?)

We stopped here after a great walk around Padley Gorge, the portions are very generous and the prices are very reasonable.

Massive portions, very tasty, We revisit

Order the chip butty. Super. Great history.

Worth the wait for coffee and bacon sandwich. Wonderful, would keep a shepherd and dog going all day. Plus laughing about the clientele 🤣

Great place to call in for a breakfast when out on my motorbike, plenty of choice on the menu and lovely coffee. Always service with a smile wether on my own or with a group.

We had a fantastic breakfast here over the bank holiday,the staff were very helpful and polite, we all filled our motorhome water tank from there spring water tap

Nice food, friendly staff, nice cafe

Great food, friendly staff & very reasonable prices. Large menu with a lot of variety.

I love this cafe! Great, inexpensive food and a nice set of staff. It was busy and the coped really well with getting food out in a short time.

Lovely location, lovely staff and lovely food. Three lovelies in a row 😎👍

2 ice lollies, 2 drinks.. just over £11 pound. Women behind counter was more interested in her phone call than serving us..

Smashing Cleared the plate Excellent tea

Outside was filthy. All the tables were dirty and hadn’t been cleared. The woman who served us was very rude and had no customer service skills. Woman was probably in her 30s. Quite short.

I come here every 2 years when I visit from New Zealand. Best breakfast in the UK.

The food is delicious and that's where the positive qualities end. The toilet is very narrow. The girl at the checkout doesn't know where to run or what to grab. The room is stuffy and you can’t breathe. There are tables outside, but no one cleans them on time. There is also garbage lying around the tables (napkins, pieces of paper, empty cans), no one cleans it up and it is clear that it has been there for a long time. Another advantage of WiFi. It's free and has good speed.

Great selection of food, indoor and outdoor eating areas.

Great breakfast I would say 2nd best in the area

Decent food, cash only, nice area.

This is without question the best cafe in the whole wide world. It does the biggest portions at retro prices, nearly everything comes with chips (proper chips like you got in the 80s), and also does the most delicious homemade cakes. A chip cob is about £4 and is big enough to feed two people! There are plenty of tables outside so summer days are divine, and to top it off it’s conveniently located right by Padley Gorge so you can pair a trip here with some glorious hiking. What’s not to like? Oh - cash only though so don’t forget your purse!

This morning was my first visit at gringleford cafe... and it will definitely be my last. Upon entering there was noone on the counter serving... Fair enough. Cafes are busy places. When the lady arrived to serve I wish she hadn't... We were greeted with "what do you want?" We ordered two sandwiches. She tried making us pay before we even ordered a drink. We sat down and waited... Randomly number 7 was called and two sandwiches appeared on the service counter (we were never given a number). We collected them. The sandwiches were edible but low quality produce was used. The drinks were fine. The cafe itself wasn't very clean. Cutlery was still covered in old food. There was rubbish all over the floor. We ate and exited quickly due to the god awful atmosphere. Such a shame.

Staff very pleasant and friendly, food very good.

Food was amazing, it is worth being aware that it's a self-tidied cafe, so be prepared to take your plate to the counter when you're done.

Great breakfast, cooked to perfection with proper crispy bacon, and the best fried bread on a breakfast , my go to cafe when in the peaks

It's a lovely cafe, accommodation cob and a mug of tea. Good, fast Service, what's not to love?

Great place to fuel up before the adventure. Chip butty is legendary

Popped in before and after a walk around Padley gorge! Initially I thought the food prices were expensive but then I seen the portion sizes! They were HUGE! £3.50 for a kids meal but it was huge, could have easily fed an adult. Home cooked chips too!The staff were lovely and friendly and the cakes and hot chocolate were delightful. Toilets were nice and clean. Also, they fill your water bottles up for free from a water dispenser. Brilliant

I arrived too late for hot food even though it was 10 mins before it stopped, so ended up with a chocolate bar and an average coffee. Staff were okay but they soon closed the shutters then, I assume, closed completely. I sat outside admiring strewn rubbish on the ground (around vermin traps no less) and tables left uncleared from previous people. Vinegar bottle, sauces, dirty plates etc plus there was an unfinished plate of chips too, so the rats and birds will be happy. It's a great location and a little care from the staff would make such an improvement. I'd pass this by and find somewhere else next time, but they do sell ice creams from a freezer if you're passing on a hot day. Cakes were uninspiring. Shame.

Iconic cafe. Starting point for exploring delights of Padley Gorge and walking along the Derwent with Hathersage one way and Baslow and Chatsworth the other.

Had the Yorkshire pud with homemade chilli chips and salad, simple food but the chips are fresh none of the pre-frozen rubbish, and the chilli packed with flavour and genuinely homemade. The portions are also generous too very well priced for the amount and quality of food! Staff very pleasant and efficient, will be calling in again…..got to try the full breakfast next!!!

Great cafe with lovely food, friendly service and reasonable pricing, with plenty of outdoor seating. Win win!

Lovely little cafe, making an ideal stop! Helpful staff and lovely food. Well priced and an idyllic way point.

Dirty, no service and couldn't be bothered to do anything.

Great cup of tea and outstanding chip butty, none of your oven chips properly fried potatoes.

A long-time favourite for over 45 years. Good honest, simple food at a great price. Pints of tea are de rigueur in rain, shine, hail or fog.

Brilliant cafe. Lovely full breakfast after a nice long walk in padley gorge. Shuts at 5pm and only hot food after 4 is chips or chip butties. They are massive so you won't go hungry 😋

Really strange environment. Food was edible, but my partner felt very sick after his. The place was so dirty, tables never cleared and there was just one rubbish table covered in sauce and flies. Some bins overflowing. The staff don’t seem to be that bothered either

Very average food,service and atmosphere Probably wouldn't return

Popped in for a bacon sandwich pre walk. Beautiful location but cafe hasn't been well looked after. Food was ordinary, coffee was weak and lots of litter outside. Try to make it to the Grindleford Community Shop if you can, better service and the pasties are outstanding.

We have been twice; The first time we had beef burgers which were perfect, we also ordered a large chips which was huge! Prices are good (it is cash only). The second time was slightly disappointing, we went early for breakfast. There was a group of men (stag do) who were a little rowdy much to the staffs clear dissatisfaction. We ordered 2 bacon sandwiches and a coffee. At no point was we asked if we wanted butter and I just assumed it would come with it (my mistake). The first issue was that even though I had ordered before the group of men (approx 10-12 of them) and they had ordered sandwiches just as we had, they received theirs first? Secondly the breadcake was clearly from the day before as it was starting to go stale on the edge. Making it rather dry without any butter. There’s lots of signs telling you to take your pots inside and then even more signs telling you where NOT to put them inside, surprised they don’t ask you to wash them yourself. Also the outside needs a good clean up, I understand it’s a busy and popular cafe but that’s no excuse for leaving rubbish laying around in such a nice area. Even if people use the bin, the wind can easily shift rubbish elsewhere.

To be charitable, I'll say they trade on price rather than in service

Great character, cafe with walkers portions! Convenient for railway.

Place improved since I popped in 3years ago.Keep in mind it is cash only and always handle some money with you. Staff is very friendly , and working hard. Massive portions of food. They describe themselves as typical greasy spoon cafe, but after hike it is good to loaded with food and have cup of tea.Coffee improved!