How Stean Gorge Cafe in Harrogate

Beautiful location, had a fantastic weekend away in the 4 person cabin, the wood fired hot tub was lovely and hot! The cafe did an amazing breakfast and the staff were lovely. Thank you!!

Really lovely place. Lovely cafe with hot and cold food and drinks. Really scenic and plenty to do. It also has wooden lodges.

We only went to the cafe which was really nice. Good food and friendly, helpful staff

My 11yr old daughter & I undertook gorge-walking on a beautifully sunny but cold autumn morning. Connor was a fabulous guide/instructor & made the whole experience informative & very enjoyable. We enjoyed the initial abseil & the sliding through the water on the gorge floor, particularly the opportunity to swim in the deeper parts. We were blown away by the views and are definitely going to visit again. The cafe food for rebuilding energy levels afterwards was a must & really scrummy.

Really good via ferrata course and super friendly staff!

We were a family of 7 doing the gorge walk. The experience itself is incredible - the gorge is gorge-ous, as were our guides, Terry and Tom. Okay, maybe not gorgeous but professional and fun. My only gripe that has dropped the overall experience down from a 5 star to a 4 star review was the lack of information in advance of what to bring. We assumed that we'd need swimwear under the wetsuit and maybe a towel, so luckily we brought those. We didn't realise that we'd need to bring extra footwear to change into, having worn our own footwear in the gorge and given it a proper soaking. We had wetsuit boots that we could have brought, had we known. We assumed they'd be part of the kit provided, based on similar experiences we have done elsewhere (Australia and New Zealand). My suggestion is to provide guests with a "What to bring" list when they book, to avoid any issues on arrival. Cheers!

What a brilliant morning filled full of laughs and fun in this beautiful gorge. Myself and my hubby Nick thoroughly enjoyed the Abseil/gorge walking experience. .The instructor ( sorry didn't catch her name) was wonderful. Encouraging us all to get the best out of the experience. Simply awesome

We have just returned from a weekend of camping at How Stean Gorge. We absolutely loved it. The campsite is in such a beautiful location and there is so much to do nearby. The staff couldn't have been more friendly or helpful. We ate in the restaurant twice and the food was delicious. Big portions and a good selection served with a smile. We did abseiling and gorge walking with Connor and Terry who were fantastic and our boys said it was the best thing they have ever done. The fire pits and picnic benches on the campsite were a nice touch too. We have had the best weekend and we will definitely be coming back for another visit.

Great time gorge walking with 7yr old daughter. Tom the instructor was fantastic and very patient and encouraging. Heavily recommended for all ages!

I have been brought up in North Yorkshire it's one of the best places to unwind . A must visit all year round it's amazing. I had cut my finger badly, and the first aider was amazing . Thank you for putting the steri strips. The chef is awesome. Please try the pulled pork loaded fries 🍟 blt is absolutely 💯 perfect . The assistants at the till you are beautiful and catering for the disabled family thank you so kind of you we will see you soon. Missing the weather already 😪

Great staff lovely place will definitely be back for more soon.

Very accommodating due to need for cancellation. Had booked for abseiling and gorge walking for 6 of us (including 2 children) and rang the week before to say my granddaughter had broken her arm. Lovely gentleman explained that as expected she would not be able to partake in the activities. We were able to rearrange for another date with no problem at all. Thankyou to the team.

Extremely disappointed to cancel our activity trip due to illness and receive no refund at all. £140 for nothing. Felt it unfair to possibly infect other people, especially as one of our family had tested positive for Covid. Booked by phone and not told about no refunds. This is possibly grounds for a legal challenge. Your team should ensure that important details are conveyed over the phone to protect yourselves. Also, your rep did not give us his name. Not good customer relations at all.

Staying at the nearby campsite and came here Saturday night for a bite to eat with the family. Really lovely meal and could not fault it.

Howdy, we went caving with Megan (she was very nice, and knew her stuff) cave was spectacular and involved climbing, crawling, swimming and slot cavern descending. We stopped at various points to admire the scenery and Megan told us a lot of interesting facts. The clothing was very well provided and very professional and durable. At one point there was an are where the water was up to my waist and water entered my wellingtons. Splish splosh. The mid hills were muddy (as described.) the blue tubes were spooky and blue. At one point, we were in pitch black darkness. It was very relaxing. RIP Gerald the rabbit who met his untimely demise. Would highly recommend to anyone who is not claustrophobic, especially if you have Megan as the guide. The showers were nice and warm and the cafe was exceptional. The chocolate brownie and sausage sandwich were exquisite. Didn’t do the gorge walking but it looked fun. Will return to do the gorge walking. The glass floors in the cafe were innovative as you could dine above a 50ft drop. Overall, Megan was a great guide and made us feel welcome and comfortable, and the experience and the food were highly enjoyable. If you are contemplating going to how stean gorge, then I recommend you going.

Camped here. Hilly, hard to find a spot that’s not on a slope. Don’t want to sleep on a slope. Showers didn’t work very well, lights in the showers went off very quickly. Bar shut on Saturday evening, opens quite late. Couldn’t get breakfast in the morning. Booked on their 3 hour canoe trip which was expensive, booked at the campsite thinking that it would start there, didn’t know till we arrived there that it would start in ripon, a 45 minute drive away!! Had to get up early to pack up and didn’t have time for breakfast! Unnecessary travel expenses! Not enough on their website aswell, didn’t know what we needed for the canoe trip so brought everything just in case. And while we were on the canoe trip it felt more like a canoe and chat, the instructor was lovely but too chilled and it was slow, we wanted to canoe properly.

We did abseiling and gorge walking, and it was great! It's an action packed 3 hours of physical activity, wading through the water, sliding down the river and through caves and jumping into deep pools. Our guide / instructor (James) ensured everyone was safe and made the whole experience enjoyable. 100% recommended!

What a hidden gem in the center of the UK, super friendly staff, good food and amazing nature! Definitely do one of the adventures! Highly recommended!

We did abseiling and the gorge walk. It was so much fun and James our guide was friendly and made the experience even better by encouraging us to undertake various activities throughout the walk. This included jumping into the gorge, falling backwards and making a human dam which enabled us to make a water slide down the rocks. We also went through a cave halfway in total darkness! There was no pressure to join in the activities and all of them were very safe! I would highly recommend this fun but exhausting activity.

Had a fantastic afternoon doing a spot of abseiling and gorge walking with Greg - who was an enthusiastic, supportive, skilful and knowledgable guide. Besides the technical aspects of the adventure, he was also an excellent story teller and impressed us with both the history and science of How Stean Gorge. Thanks again for a lovely day out!

Excellent location, fantastic cafe. Accommodation was basic but had everything you needed and the hot tub was excellent. Staff were amazing and the cafe is fab. Even had a few pubs walking distance!

Went here on a school trip, great location and site for an adventure getaway. The cafe is great and has a glass floor looking down into the gorge. Staff are friendly and good fun. Gorge walking, an abseil, caving and hill walking all on site but my favourite was the via ferrata which is great fun and Includes a zip line too!! Lodge was cosy, clean, great shower in the lodge and plenty of toilets and showers for campers. Only downside is the flies which are unbearable on an evening and even during the day if it's damp. Lots of insect repellent needed!!!

Fantastic place in a great location with loads to do. Just stopped off for a coffee and a scone while on trip on motorbike 🏍

For a family and groups this is an amazing place to spend quality time in an outdoor setting.

Decor fantastic with glass floor sections hundreds of feet above the ravine. Great staff, brilliant soup and bacon sandwiches

I had my stag party at Howstean Gorge with 11 friends, and we did "The Big Five," which I highly recommend. We stayed for two nights, and it was fun from start to finish! The surroundings are really scenic, with our log cabins nestled among lush green hills and the gorge. It's definitely a great place for a variety of outdoor activities and fun. The instructors made everything really engaging too! Thanks again to Monty and all the staff at Howstean Gorge!

We camped at How Stean for 4 nights during half term, enjoying the owl duet after dark, camp fires and the ever present sound of the river pounding its way through the gorge. Uplifting views across Nidderdale during the day and stars at night. There is a no music policy meaning that the site was quiet except for children playing and bird song. The staff were friendly, and helpful. Highly recommend the cafe too. There are also local pubs in walking distance. We'll be back.

The cafe is a great location with excellent staff. Glass floors an experience 😳. Cakes a bit disappointing

Lost time on our course due to a couple turning up here at the wrong site so lost time waiting for them to join. Also left my boots on site but waste of time contacting them as they don’t get back. Course was ok.

My family's favourite place to visit when in Nidderdale. Warm welcome from the staff, excellent food and plenty to see and do. Took part in the abseil and gorge walk experience this weekend. Tom, the instructor, was brilliant and made us all feel at ease. Aside from a decent pair of sturdy shoes (trainers are fine), everything else is provided for you including wetsuit and safety gear. If you're not a decent swimmer, don't let that put you off. The wetsuit makes you boyant enough and there are only a couple of parts where it's deep but you can just float over them. A genuinely brilliant day out for all the family.

We have just enjoyed a weekend in a 6person lodge. The location at How Stean Gorge is stunning with activities on site and a great cafe serving lovely local produce. The service was faultless, the lodge was clean and well prepared and the wood fired hot tub a great novelty!

Called in for a coffee and a cake before setting off on a 5 mile walk up the dale and back and then a cup of tea on our return. Coffee, cake and tea were excellent. The two staff members were extremely friendly and helpful, especially the young lady with the Jack Russells. Our JR was very grateful for the treat. 🐾 Highly recommended and we will be back next time we are in this beautiful place. Thank you.

Only called in for a nosey, stayed for lunch in the cafe enjoying the views of the gorge. Rather spectacular.

A great place to have a hike, right along the gorge. Took around an hour to walk the route which takes in the wooden lion statue & cave. You need to wear a hard hat given to you at the start as there’s overhanging rock as you walk along the gorge which I did bang my head on so was glad of the protection. A little slippy in places but wasn’t too strenuous a walk. There’s a lovely cafe hanging slightly over the gorge where you can get food & drink & has glass floor in places to view the gorge below.

Went gorge walking for the first time over the weekend and everything about the experience was first class. Gaz the instructor made it fun and pushed us a little but not too much. Would highly recommend and I am sure we will be back

Have visited the cafe on several occasions when staying in the area. Food has always been good - especially soup and chunky chips! Served in great room with glass floor in some areas to enable a good view of the Gorge below. Also a small shop selling some basic provisions, gifts etc. Look forward to my next visit.

Bobbed in expecting a simple, forgettable sandwich and ended up having a spectacular two course feast. Gorgeous surroundings, fab value and very grateful for the takeaway boxes as we couldn't finish. Will be back for sure.

A great place for adventure & also a nice feed! A glass floor in the cafe over the Gorge is defo worth a look too

Great couple of days staying at the Gorge in a log cabin over New Year. Hot tub, breakfast and meals all made at the onsite cafe so no messing about around the days out walking the surrounding countryside. Local pub , The Crown in Lofthouse, providing a cracking New Year’s Eve place for celebrating and food thrown in. Staff at How Stean looked after us without fault. Thank You.

Fantastic day, elliot the instructor was brilliant, really made you feel at ease, helpful

Enjoyed a lovely meal and enjoyed looking around the gift shop. Lots of activities to do if your brave enough. Ideal place for team building or a weekend break away with a lodge and hot tub

Just home after a great weekend with my son, grandchildren and other family members. The cabins, whilst basic, are very comfortable. Some with kitchenette and hot tub. The cafe is a great place for full breakfast to kickstart your day. The staff are all lovely and very friendly. Will be back I'm sure

Dont say your going to go.. Go.. and before you leave book some more activities... Looking forward to the canoeing under the stars and pizza night..

This is an awesome campsite, tucked away but with brilliant facilities. We're not usually found on a campsite but I'd go back here without hesitation.

Only popped in for coffee but lovely surroundings and friendly staff

Great afternoon, highly recommended.

Went with a group of friends Gorge walking. Enthusiastic instructor, walked through the gorge before walking back again. Quite physically demanding and we are all relatively fit and active people. Limited cafe but a good day out and well run business. Would say all our wetsuits had holes in and had seen better days.

Dave our instructor was superb. It’s a great set up and I’d encourage anyone looking to push their boundaries to book in on the big 5 event. It’s a full day and one sure to make you sleep well but it offers just a great mix and loads of core memories for our group !! Especially loved the gorge walking - thank you guys. Loved every minute.

This was an awesome experience and so amazingly guided by the guide Adam. We abseiled off the bridge first and gorge walked for a few hours. This is an experience not to miss and worth every penny! A great little cafe there too.

Good value attraction, fascinating, beautiful location and the cafe serves very nice food with a view into the gorge.

Another great visit to this beautiful place, this time staying in one of the new lodges with a hot tub - wow! Friendly staff, great facilities and a memorable time once again! Thanks to all who make it such a special place to visit!

Jess was an amazing guide. My family and I had such a good time with her. She kept the energy and fun high throughout the day. Definitely would recommend an excursion with her.

This is a must visit for anyone staying in the area. We did gorge walking which was really fun (involved swimming, jumping and sliding I'm, not just walking). Instructor Jess was great, very friendly and knowledgeable. Hot showers and an affordable café for lunch afterwards are good too. Highly recommend.

Just had 2 days staying in a rustic lodge with my family and dog. Will definitely be returning lodge was better than expected we didn't need anything but food. It was so relaxing and all the staff were very helpful would definitely recommend . If you want some quiet time this is the place. Thank you 😊

We visited here to camp for a few nights and take part in the big 5 activity bundle offered by the centre. This is great value and certainly delivers a full day of fun! Our guide, Elliot, was really helpful, chilled and patient, even when I had a bit of a wobble on the via ferrata! He always made us feel safe and confident. The site itself is spacious, clean and tidy. The gorge is a beautiful place to spend time and the surroundings areas offer plenty of sights and things to do. The cafe offers lovely food does seem a little pricey, £3.10 for a pot of tea (!), however aren't most food outlets lately? We've visited before and will always return, the staff are so friendly and pleasant, they really make the visit great.

The cafe is great inside with a glass floor so you can view the gorge. Some of the staff were good but one of the young servers was extremely rude. I had a burger and the meat quality was very poor. Tables waiting to be cleared everywhere and young staff just chatting behind the counter. Will go back to the gorge but not to the cafe.

A super place to explore, 'dangerous' enough for the kids to enjoy and remember. Nice cafe as well.

Interesting little gorge and cave

Spectacular gorge, be brave and walk over the glass floor in the Cafe! Coffee was great BTW!

We came Gorge walking for my sisters hen do and it absolutely did not disappoint. We had Elliot as our instructor and he was enthusiastic and encouraging from the off. We had a mix of people from outdoorsy to doesn't really venture outside and they catered for everyone. Elliot managed to persuade even the most anxious of participants to join in with jumps, slides and abseils! 100% recommend to anyone looking for a fun filled action packed activity!!

Great place ,staff and range of activities. But don't forget that the weather can alter your activities . Highly recommended.

We have just got back from our weekend stay in one of the rustic lodges with the Hot tubs, Absolutely fantastic!!!! Location, accomodation and service all 5 star! We met the owners Tony and Becca, they and all the staff couldnt do enough for us. Dan was very welcoming on the front desk and was very knowledgeable with regards activities that would be great for the kids, he even made the kids a rope swing on the tree outside our lodge that was a big hit! Also we can highly recommend the breakfasts in the cafe, they were very good, as too where the staff in there! All in all an absolutely fantastic weekend! Thankyou to you all and hopefully see you again soon, we will be back!

Fantastic adventurous family getaway

We didn't stay on sight but the cabin's and camping facilities looked excellent.

We’ve had an amazing time! Our guide Elliot was an absolute star: he accommodated to each of our teammates’ needs, made us feel safe but equally allowed us to have lots of fun. We would definitely do it again ☺️

Fantastic spot with cracking cafe

My dad booked us onto the How Stean Experience which included Via Ferrata (clipping into ropes and walking via the rocks around the gorge), abseiling into the gorge and then gorge walking. Jess was our guide, and was brilliant. She was thoughtful, friendly and informative (e.g showing us fossils during the gorge walk). While we didn't stay in the lodges, they have built some nice wooden lodges nearby (with hot tubs) that looked great. Cafe served good food too, with great vegetarian options. Everything you need for a day out! Would strongly recommend for someone looking for something a bit different. You can also just walk alongside and around the gorge for something gentler.

Recently had a weekend away at How Stean Gorge. We stopped in one of the rustic lodges. It had everything you needed and was very comfortable. The staff were great, everyone was welcoming and extremely helpful. The weather wasn't forecast to be great so we were given the option to switch to the following day and allowed to stay in the lodge for a extra few hours to allow us to do the gorge walking, which by the way was excellent and the guide first rate. Thoroughly enjoyed our time there.

Beautiful location only let down by the long slow roads in and out of the site and to many external attractions the Dales offer! Spectacular gorge with a fab array of activities. The staff were helpful and proactive in amending a mistake. Whilst the main activities were ruled out of our trip due to weather (safety comes first!), we were offered alternative activity and a partial refund on the activities we couldn't do. Connor was very helpful and experienced as instructor for the activity, and had insightful knowledge to the geography and geology of the gorge. Absolutely would recommend!

Can't recommend highly enough, Fantastic guys very welcoming and helpful, good information, sorted us out some emergency pasta when we were short

Nice little cafe with lots of windows (including in the floor) overlooking the gorge. I only stopped for a mid morning coffee which was good, the meals I saw being served looked very good too. I’ll be going back soon to do the activities and will make sure I leave time for food too.

Been to How Stean Gorge before. WOW, how things have changed since my last visit. The whole site has been improved quite a lot. The cafe has also undergone a bit of a revamp, and looks brilliant. The food is excellent and nothing is too much trouble for the cafe staff. A really good morning outing.

Came for dinner yesterday and had the vegan smokey beans and my husband had the steak and onion sandwich, they were delicious! The Staff were amazing. Had a great chat about the lodges and will certainly be returning!

Came with my mates and stopped for something to eat, the food was amazing. Lovely staff and great scenery. Will definitely be coming back

Very nice day with via ferrata and canyoning. Josh was an excellent guide. The atmosphere was relaxed and fun. Certainly recommendable!

Great morning gorge walking. Pete the instructor was ace and made the morning even better.

Very nice cafe with glass floor overlooking the beautiful gorge. Exploring the gorge afterwards was interesting.

Disappointing, not long enough as a walk, not enough to do. Seemed disorganized when you arrive more set up for youngest staying there which is fine but dont advertise to attract adults.

An amazing place. Been twice now with my son, we did the abseil & gorge walk and also the caving. Wow! What an experience. Connor & Josh were both super supportive and full of Information and facts about the activities and surroundings.

Amazing time doing via ferrata yesterday. Our instructor Josh was brilliant with our group. Great day out and looking forward to coming back to do some more activities. Camping available on site but was fully booked so stayed at a site 5 mins walk away.

Very disappointed! Ordered one pot of tea and two cups and was charged £6.20,the girl said it was because we had two cups.🙈

I went caving in Goydon pot for 4 hours. The guide was extremely professional and knowledgeable. We explored interesting caves and had a great time and explored different caves to the ones we went to before. Recommended.

Had a great weekend here staying in a Lodge with my two boys, for a Father’s Day weekend of fun activities! Everything about the whole weekend was GREAT! Food; accommodation; activities; service; staff. All top notch!!

Beautiful little trail along the gorge. Going down into the cave is fun and exciting.

Extremely good activity site with friendly instructors. Tents are pretty comfortable. The food is mostly good, but the portions are only big enough for a primary school kid. Cafe is also quite expensive, 1 lemonade and 1 tea for £7.30.

Everyone was super friendly and helpful. At no point did we feel out of place, everyone was so considerate to our requirements. Would highly reccomend staying here and doing the activities. I look forward to coming back to staying for a few extra days!

Stumbled on this visitors attraction on holiday, well worth a look and if you fancy going through the caves dress appropriately.would recommend

Great location and very helpful and friendly staff. Great cafe. Even manage to go caving in Goyden pot, thanks to Elliot who kept us safe and made it more than enjoyable. Fantastic place to visit.

Briefly stopped here for a coffee. Really good facilities in a great location!

Best sausage sandwich I've had in a Long time Gorge is worth walking through

Great walk staff helpful and friendly at the shop,and cafe

Lovely ride over to this beautiful location, warm friendly staff, great food too.

Gorge walk was amazing ,professional, friendly and knowledgeable guide (Connor) would highly recommend this experience if you like making memories

Well worth the £7 entry ticket (which lasts all year) to the gorge area, good fun and an adventure. The cafe has good food and excellent service, it has a glass floor above the Gorge too

Absolute blast, stayed here over the weekend for an adventure stag trip and loved it. Owner was super helpful and stayed late as some of the party had bit more traffic. Cabins were cosy with the log burner stove. We went abseiling and gorge walking with Pete, a group of 8 of us and he was great fun. Made the experience way more enjoyable. Breakfasts are hearty and it’s all in a really good country side location. Perfect for a get away. Facilities were a bit basic but it’s a massive step up from camping. Great time had by all and we’ll be back. Highly recommend, keep investing in the site, it’ll continue to be an absolute Gem

Not sure about this place, it looks like the staff are on one.. on edge! Hardly any eye contact, the young lad looked totally uninterested.. one lovely young member of staff who was the friendliest.. this cafe needs to chill out abit and be more attentive especially the lady that starts making your drinks whilst ordering hasn’t even finished yet, poor staff member was still serving us..calm down and focus on friendlier service instead.. it wasn’t even busy, can’t imagine what it’s like when it is.

Adventurous experience at How stean Gorge with a chance of going through a Cave along the walk. Nice cafe with plenty of sitting areas. Year around access when you purchase walking trail tickets which is fantastic. Cabins and camping sites also available.

Super tof. Goede ontvangst. Attente mensen voor de begeleiding. Vriendelijke ontvangst, we komen nog terug xx

Fantastic place with a particularly good Victoria sponge sandwich, highly recommended 👌

Fantastic place, went and did their dark skies trip, kayak on to the reservoir in the dark, awesome, would recommend.