Lanercost Tea Room in Carlisle

The food is decent most of the time, the coffee poor and the staff amazing. I get the impression this place is struggling financially the way they chop and change between cafe and 'restaurant', with the never ending excuse of lack of staff. It seems excuse after excuse for not providing what is promised. After a massive wait for the Italian Pizzeria, that turned out to be a disappointment and disappeared without trace. The cafe menu that never changed, suddenly did with massive price increases and then shortly after without warning it's a slimmed down very basic menu with no breakfast options. Not really worth the trip out for. When there was a slim choice of meals on the menu they were overpriced and badly thought out. I have no idea how this place won a best cafe award other than it must have been a very steep entrance fee. The cakes are amazing to look at, but for that price they can stay in the cabinet.

Great spot for lunch! The gift shop has a great selection.

After waiting over an hour for our food - one part of our 5 person order arrived. 5 mins after that 2 more parts arrived but the 2 children were still waiting for their meals. When we asked the waitress about this she replied well it’s cooked fresh and I am not the chef!!!!! Eventually a full 1hr and 25 mins after we first sat down we had all the food. To be honest I wish we had left- the cheese toastie was disgusting ( cheap and nasty cheese) the “homemade “ quiche was definitely not homemade. The children’s chicken goujons were more greasy batter than chicken. The children’s sausage had a strange taste and the halloumi tasted like it had been boiled. Overall we were extremely disappointed. Eventually we did have a member of staff come over and apologise and ask what we would like her to do - By this point the children where fed up and so where we so we are the chips and left

This is a great place to visit for a coffee and some history. Unfortunately their published open times on google don’t reflect reality. They are closed Tuesdays outside of peak summer times. Check before heading out there

An excellent cafe with a comprehensive menu and friendly staff. A great place for a drink or meal before and after visiting the adjacent abbey.

Not sure when the kitchen closes but arrived at 3 and the kitchen was closed.

Delicious food prepared by a chef who loves his work, slightly different to the "ordinary" but exceedingly tasty, can't recommend highly enough.

It is a quaint little room that can get very busy and very full. When we arrived there was no tables for our sized group so we waited a few minutes. They were quick in getting our table ready as soon as people left. However ordering was a bit of a disaster. 1. after queuing for quite some time to order, we were told that our choices ( fish & chips and quiche) were not available. After another look at the Menu and having to queue up again for quite some time, there were more things we couldn’t order ( beef burger f.ex). They could have saved us a lot of time by telling us when we were seated or latest when we queued the first time, what was and what was not available from the menu. 2. once we ordered and paid we had to wait for about 45-60 minutes until we got our orders. We had to ask them to bring it out. It seemed like they had forgotten us. Once the food arrived they were apologetic but didn’t offer us anything for our inconvenience. The food was ok to good. Korean chicken burger and the pulled pork burger were nice. The Ham and eggs were a bit dry. Cake and tea came quickly, were nice but a bit pricey.

Beautiful place surrounded by nature. The food was lovely and the staff were welcoming. There is seating inside and out, with a limited seating that is dog friendly. There is a gift shop attached to the tea rooms, with stunning gifts and clothes. Just a short walk from the tea rooms is the Lanercost priory with a few other shops to view too.

Stop off here quite regularly while out on the bike. Really friendly service and lovely food. The cooked breakfast is outstanding!!There’s a gift shop attached to the tea room also.

Was visiting Hadrian’s wall and found this place by accident, we had a cooked breakfast which was great and after that we visited the gift shop and bought a few things, the lady in the gift shop was lovely and the staff in the cafe, it was all dog friendly which was a bonus, thanks for doing a great job and being so welcoming highly recommended keep up the good work.

Lovely little cafe. They had two vegan cakes available. The vegan Jaffa cake was delicious

Fabulous cafe, lovely to have a variety of salads , jacket potatoe very good baked in oven excellent all round cake homemade too

This is a beautiful location, light, airy and spacious. The staff are friendly and helpful. The menu is excellent and after 3 days of eating here I’ve tasted a number of options. Everything is home made by the owner/chef! There’s a doggy area and a really well stocked gift shop. I wish I lived closer so I could have the tea rooms as my regular haunt!

Wow that’s probably the best veggie breakfast I’ve ever had and £8.20 is a reasonable price…although if courgette and aubergine aren’t your thing then you may not like it but mushrooms, egg, toast, beans, tomato and a potato rosti were welcome and yummy❤️

Lovely little tea room and gift shop next to the priory Nice well made simple food and some pretty stunning cakes Can sit in or out weather permitting and even couches if your just relaxing with a brew

Really nice staff and tasty food will definitely come back. Good gift shop and pet friendly too.

Found out that this tea room operates as a restaurant in the evenings with an Italian-style menu. We had a lovely meal with great service but the atmosphere was ruined by a family with screaming and badly behaved kids eating at 8 o'clock in the evening. No blame on the restaurant, but it did kill the romance of the place.

Wonderful coffee shop. The food is a bit different and great quality. Lovely atmosphere and friendly, helpful staff.

Great place, great teas and sconosciuto. Lovely stop after visiting Adrian's wall.

Two visits in two days Service, layout food all good Special mention of the sausage bap, proper sausages I could have eaten a barrow load

An amazing breakfast with great coffee!

Lovely warm welcome from the ladies at the Tea Rooms. They're always happy and jovial. Such a pleasure to have had a birthday breakfast there today. Food is always top notch too.

Called into today for the first time,really impressed with the friendly staff and warm welcome,definitely recommend this place

Wonderful experience in this lovely cafe. The cake was delicious and very fresh.

We stumbled upon this amazing tea room on our trip to Hadrian’s wall exhibit. The food was incredible, service was amazing and the building was warm and cosy. We had the pulled pork toastie, grilled chicken and guacamole sandwich, pecan slice and the squidgy lemon cake. All amazing but we would highly recommend the squidgy Lemon cake, it was like eating a fluffy cloud and the taste was mouthwatering. The pulled pork toastie had to be the best toastie I have ever eaten, it even came with a beautiful salad and pork crackling. In all we would give it 5 stars all round.

Efficient service, nice food, and very friendly staff. Space is bright, airy, and inviting.

Very well made sandwich with a selection of side salads 👌🏼 Belly warming tea and comforting food on a wet and windy day!

Nice to come in for a hot coffee and share with dogs

Called in for cup of Tea out with friends on motorbikes looks a class place to eat tho

Just brilliant all round. Recommend!

Great place. Can't do enough for you. Really good food and drink.

I was on a visit to Hadrian's wall and stopped of here first and so glad I did. Lovely people. And I arrived as the scones came out to be severed and wow oh wow what a treat. Recommended going. And try the scones.

A regular haunt. Lovely food, good service, good value for money - well worth a visit!

Lovley place good walks nearby....good well cooked food

Had a very nice coffee, sandwich and piece of cake 😋

Only had a coffee and that took long enough. Service seemed a bit disorganised. The food served to diners looked OK, but the prices maybe a bit high.

Four of us went to the Lanercost Café & Pizzaria last night and the Food was Fantastic ! Fresh ingredients, cooked well , full of flavour and very well presented. The portion sizes were Big to say the least and the service was very good. We all had a great time and a great meal and we will certainly be back again soon 👍🏻

Great venue and lovely staff. Good menu choices and good prices. Great carpark plus a very good gift shop

Nice place, lots of choice and food options where good that we had. The carrot cake was a little dry and it seemed a little too much trouble to change the bread option on the sandwich but other than that was good.

Lovely coffee and yummy cakes, in a pleasant setting. Relaxed atmosphere on the sofa in the corner, but the cafe’ closes far too soon at 4pm especially when Lanercost Priory is holding an art exhibition which closes at 5pm!! Gift shop is very interesting with plenty to see from silk scarfs, candles and silk dressing gowns to soft toys and jewellery to China teapots etc. Well worth a visit

A lovely cafe with excellent food and service.

Lovely light filled place to eat. Excellent surroundings for walks and an attractive shop.

Very pleasant. Food and coffee good. Service quite slow, but the staff were very pleasant and chatty.

Looking forward to a Pizza evening !

A changed menu but good service for the most part - well meaning, if a little forgetful. Still lovely cakes 😋

Great cheese scone - delicious. Good service.

Went for a date night with my wife. I had spicy chicken fillets as a starter, penne and meatballs for main and sticky toffee pudding for dessert. My wife had garlic mushrooms, bolognese, and finished with panacotta. The food was excellent, the best I can remember eating for a long time and the portions were generous. The waitresses were really pleasant and service was lovely, with each course Arrington in good time. Nice ambience and we will definitely go again!

Great menu which accommodated all ages. Food was delicious. Staff very helpful.

Lovely lunches and cakes. Pizzas good too.

Well worth a visit. Friendly service, biggest problem with the cakes is decided what to by, very nice location.

A welcome spot to shelter from the rain, tasty food and great service, I would recommend!!

Too noisy initially cafe but did enjoy the relaxing atmosphere in the bot next to shop where you can sit with a dog if you have one. Hot chocolate is excellent

Ótimo local com boas opções para um café da manhã, comida muito bem preparada. O local fica próximo a atrações turísticas como a Lanercost Priory.

It was closed (Monday) although some tourist web sites stated otherwise. Wasted journey and highly unlikely to go back.

We love the Lanercost tearoom. Great cakes. Child and dog friendly. Definitely worth a visit.

Very slow Cake not as good as it was.

Stopped for afternoon tea and cake, great range of produce, all looked home baked and the ones we chose were both delicious. Came back for lunch a few weeks later, just as enjoyable. Such a nice atmosphere

Superb cafe! Clean smart and dog friendly. Excellent staff and perfectly made food from the chef with quality products. Also a beautiful giftshop. Outside area with tables and chairs too plenty of free parking can accommodate large vehicles.

Only had the GF sticky orange sponge today from here but oh my, one of the nicest GF sponges I think I’ve ever had. So fresh and tasty. Staff were also lovely. Highly recommend a visit.

Lovely friendly staff. Freshly made food

Had some lovely grub here today, very nice Cafe next to the priory which is a must see.

Love it here such a nice area. Food was delicious! Lovely outside area to sit in.

We had a beautiful lunch and the service was very good. Set in such a beautiful location I would highly recommend a visit. I had the chickpea salad.

Great food great service. Nice chairs.

Set in a beautiful location. Food is excellent and cooked to order.

Excellent place to stop for lunch. Peaceful with great choice of food

Delicioso!!! De lo mejor que he probado en camino a Escocia!!! Todo buenísimo!!!! Imperdible en la visita de Hadrian's Wall.

Lovely old priory grounds to wander if, if you want to pay to see them. Otherwise public route to walk by river and over old bridge, which is very quaint. Lovely cafe, gift shop too.

Takeaway food very good, in compostable containers. No drinks menu or prices displayed!

Very disorganised waited 20 + minutes for a cup of coffee and a cold drink. Warned there would be a delay, so assumed just a slow drinks machine, but staff seem unable to process simple orders out of turn so each order is processed in turn and a drink only order is stuck behind a food order.

Ceasar salad. A little salad, a few cheese flakes and dressing. No egg as the recipe describes; "we don't serve it that way, £8 please, thank you"

On this visit, I finally got to try to Tea Rooms and look around the gift shop and Priory Church. The tea room has been refurbished, its light and airey with a lovely selection of food and drinks. The cake was superb, and the flavoured black teas did not disappoint. The facilities are very good. Ample parking, level access, clean and spacious toilets, well spaced tables. Coaches accommodated, and reservations can be made in advance. The owners/staff are friendly and super helpful. They actively seek feedback from their customers, several of whom were quite obviously regulars.

Great little cafe with friendly staff. The sausages were to die for. Very relaxing.

We went here as a party of 6 with a dog. Great that there's a dedicated area where you can sit inside with the dog. Our order was muddled up somehow so one couple had finished their food before the other 2 couples food arrived. The manageress was very apologetic but it took the edge of our experience slightly. Would still return though as there was a good selection on menu and the cakes were delicious. Carrot cake especially was well received!!

Lovely setting and buildings, and the food was excellent. We had super fish and chips, very reasonably priced, and the people on the next table said their meals were delicious too. The staff were very polite and friendly but they did appear to need organising, as they were walking around but not being at all proactive with taking orders or checking up on tables. The ordering system was also unclear! Do sort this out before you get really busy, but it didn't spoil our meal!

We had a terrible experience! The waitress came over before we’d even taken our coats off to take our order, we asked for two minutes then 15 minutes later I had to remind her we were there.Ordered a drink and two meals, drink came and then the wait... 45minutes later still nothing! I went up to ask and the waitress denied ever even taking our order!! The drink had arrived though and we ordered the food at the same time. We’d also had, had a conversation and the place wasn’t even that busy!She hadn’t put the food order through and the gentleman apologised while she continued to protest it hadn’t been her If you make a mistake please accept it. We’re all human, no one is perfect. Accept your mistakes!!Anyway if you fancy a long wait ending in no food and you leaving this is the place to go.

The whole experience was easy and a delight. The coffee was delicious and the food wholesome.I have read other comments on here about paper cups and food, but I have been to any establishment that does not use take away cups at the present time and they had to change their menu due to the restrictions. I wish people were a little more tolerant in these difficult times.However, we will definitely be back and supporting them on reopening and looking forward to them getting back into full swing.

Having seen some of the responses to critical reviews, it has taken me a couple of weeks to draft this review. The good things: lovely building, lovely setting, delicious cakes. The poor things; a cup of tea which is a teabag in a paper cup. I am presuming the tearoom has cups and a dishwasher, and PPE. Therefore I do think, like other businesses, that tea and coffee could be served in cups. Hopefully this will be the case when it reopens, The queues. There was one person taking orders and making drinks, this led to a slightly chaotic atmosphere and an unnecessarily long wait.The wrap - this was one of the most meanly filled sandwiches I have had, I really had to search for it.It has been raised a couple of times - Why didn’t you raise this with us at the time? The answer is twofold: after quite a wait for food etc, we couldn’t hang around to raise it. Secondly, there were not many staff around, and those we saw were rushing around, I wish the business well when it comes back - hopefully renewed and energised - in 2021.

I know these are difficult times but I am not prepared to pay over £5 for two coffees in small paper cups. Also had scones which were fine. I live not too far away and I have heard friends make a similar comment. Plenty of visitors to the cafe at the moment, which I suppose helps them, but I will not be returning until theycan offer me a coffee in a cup. (Other cafes seem to manage to use cups.)

There is a lovely tea room, plus tourist information and shop here.Well worth a visit here after your visit to the priority. We had tea and coffees, and slices of red velvet cake.They are using paper cups and plates at the moment due to covid restrictions, so be careful to hang on tightly to everything in a high wind!

It’s incredibly difficult to write a review in the current slightly weird post-coronavirus world. Allowances must be made for the unusual situation that restaurants find themselves in, but even so, it’s important to be honest and open.First of all: the good. The restaurant has been well set up with clear signage to direct customers. I would argue that potentially some of the tables near the door and the walkway to the toilet should be moved as it is very hard to allow for social distancing, however otherwise it is clear and well signposted. The signs do ask that only one person queues to order food and that people do not lean on or touch the counter, however that was routinely ignored by the customers, although not challenged (I appreciate this can be difficult to do.)The staff were friendly and helpful, but not nearly enough of them. As a result each order took well in excess of 5 minutes. I queued for 25 minutes just to reach the till. There was a further 20 minute wait to for food to come out. Again, that isn’t a problem, however when a menu is reduced and only contains sandwiches, it’s a shame that it does take so long.The sandwiches themselves were tasty, but woefully under-filled. My partner had to hunt for his tuna mayonnaise. Also, not served with any garnish or crisps - considering the price this was a disappointment. The cakes were lovely, however. I can recommend the tray bakes heartily.Another small matter is the hot drinks. I find it bizarre that for all the crockery, they now only use takeaway cups. I ordered a tea and was given a teabag, a paper cup of hot water and two UHT milk sachets. Not good for the price. Also, disposable crockery is really not environmentally sound and there is no reason not to use proper crockery, as detergent kills covid.I applaud any business that is operating in these difficult times, and I really hope Lanercost Tea Rooms continues to do well, but on a few things at the moment they are slightly missing the mark. I would definitely visit again, however mainly for the cakes.

We met a friend here for a coffee around 11:30. No loose leaf tea in a teapot - throwaway cups and teabags. ‘No teapots because of covid’ Seems a pity as covid killed by detergent and good washing up, but the home baked scone was good, also the chocolate orange slice. We liked it enough to plan to return after our walk in the rain. Door sign and Facebook gave 4pm closing. We returned from our walk at 3:35 and were told that they closed at 3:30. They pointed to some very smallhandwriting on a single board saying last orders at 3:30. We were quite cold and a little damp (not anti-socially so) and really disappointed that they didn’t want to serve us. I would have been much less upset if the staff had been friendly or apologetic with it - But they really were hostile and unhelpful. It is miles from there to any other place (and we had each travelled an hour to meet dear friends half way between our locations). They eventually very grudgingly sold us some warm water In paper cups, with teabags in sachets and milk. We were out by 4 of course. This was a huge contrast to the the many other places we visited in our week’s holiday, where people were careful and safe but friendly and welcoming. Would not go back.

This beautiful tea room is everything a tea room should be. It offers teas and coffees, a gorgeous array of cakes and biscuits, and a lovely gift shop. The toffee cake was to die for. My girlfriend and I particularly liked the Bark and Brew dog cafe attached to it and the mesmerising display of dogs on the wall of fame. I also love that they took our details for Track and Trace. It's such a tedious thing to do but in these times, its necessary. I felt safe, with everything being visibly sanitized. The staff really take care of the venue and the customers.

Popped in after our visit to the Priory and really enjoyed it. Sadly the kitchen had just closed so I could not get a panini, however the cakes were delicious. The team room was spotless and really good social distancing measures in place

I visited here with my mum for a mid-week lunch. I had never been before but my mum has. There is dedicated parking. The car park is large and we had no trouble getting parked. The venue is large, light and airy. The decor is lovely and it was very nicely laid out. You order at the till and pay before your food is brought. I ordered a halloumi toastie and my mum ordered the ploughman's lunch. The food didn't take too long to come out. My toastie was okay. The 'slaw wasn't very nice but the toastie was nice enough. I didn't taste any of the sticky jam that was meant to be in there though. My mum's ploughman's was tiny. There as barely any selection on the plate and it wasn't a 'meal', more like a side dish.Nothing tasted unpleasant. At all. But the prices for what you get are ridiculous. If the price of the ploughman's was because you got a selection of local artisan cheeses and breads or something then it'd be a bit more understandable. But she got a bit of standard cheddar and a slice of brie!We were both still hungry but refused to pay the cake prices (also extortionate) on top of what we had already paid for basic cafe food. The toilets are small but clean and tidy. There is a small gift shop that had a variety of things with a good range of prices for all budgets. I wouldn't rule out revisiting. But it won't be top of my list for those prices!

My daughter and I had lunch here yesterday ! Could not fault the service and friendliness of staff . I gad the sweet potato and beetroot soup A large bowlful with fresh brown bread my daughter enjoyed her falafel wrap with fries ! We fished with a large pot of tea and carrot cake to share which was lovely !? I also appreciate being able to help myself to water to drink too ! No complaints will return soon

Lovely coffee and homemade cakes and scones. Set in the picturesque village of Lanercost near Brampton, Cumbria alongside the river and in the shadow of the world famous heritage site Lanercost priory, the tea room is well placed and nicely done out. It is spacious yet has a cosy feeling to it. It has a relaxed atmosphere and is in a prime position for locals and tourists alike. There is a dog cafe adjoining the main area, where you are welcome to bring your furry friends! There's also a good gift shop selling lovely, local crafts and cards. Well worth a visit

Very busy around peak hours but the food was still very good, excellent Leek and potato soup with fresh seeded whole meal bread. Dog area very good although keeping chocolate and displayed items above nose height would be good. However provided your dog is well behaved it should pose no problems. Very good Tea served here.It is definitely one to remember when visiting the north west.

Regarding my recent review and your reply,your staff were absent during and after the meal, as stated they never asked if all was ok nor did they speak when we left, you have an issue with staff,food and value, just read the reviews, by the tone of your reply you are sticking your head in the sand.

called in today for a spot of lunch, if you go dont waste your money on the christmas dinner,brussels raw, roast potatoes and carrots under cooked small amount of luke warm gavy, and £12.50 we were never asked if our food was o.k not greeted on entry or exit, total waste of money.

My review is based on the coffee we had.This is such a lovely tearoom, however the last couple of times haven't been that great when eating here, so we decided to just pop in for a coffee instead. The decaf cappuccinos used to be really good! Sadly now they are utterly tasteless. It's just a complete waste of money to pay for a cup of warm watered down milk which is not enjoyable at all. We left disappointed and deflated. At this rate there is no reason to visit the tearooms anymore if the food and coffee is no longer as good as it used to be. Two stars only because of the lovely surroundings but there's not that much else to do around here apart from see the Priory. Good for cyclists and dog walkers but not sure it's worth a repeated special trip out for coffee or food anymore. Sorry. I do really hope things Improve.

Visited here last weekend with girlfriend's and 2 dogs. What a lovely welcome, service with a smile, biscuits and blankets for the dogs! Great lunch - burgers, sandwiches, salads and specials board, all sounded and looked delicious! Just wish we had had room left for homemade cake! The dogs had photos taken and were put up on the wall of fame, such a great array of four legged friends have visited!And, if you aren't doggy people there's the dog free restaurant/ cafe too, so a winner for everyone!Plenty parking and walks from the doorstep. Thank you, we will be back x

Lovely dog and wheelchair friendly cafe. Max had his photo taken to be put on the wall with the rest of the dogs that have visited, a very nice touch. Friendly welcome and lovely staff. Had 4 hot drinks and 4 rolls with side salad and red cabbage slaw for just over £30. Would definitely recommend. Also a wide range of cakes which looked delicious.

We visited today as a family, as locals we have visited since the tea room opened in 2009. We were disappointed by our visit today though.The staff are great, really friendly and happy to meet any requests but unfortunately the quality of the food seems to have deteriorated somewhat, a real shame - chicken in a basket used to be fantastic and we would visit especially for this- lovely fresh chicken strips in delightfully light batter and real homemade chips.Our offering today was somewhat different, dry overcooked chicken served with french fries!! Our overwhelming impression today was that our food was more akin to an overpriced McDonalds... at over £40 for our food and drinks it is not a cheap eat and we have been deterred from visiting again I’m afraid.It seems that the target market for Lanercost is very much tourists... those willing to fork out £££ for a quick bite and move on. A real shame for locals.

We called in here for lunch after about 3-4 hours walking the Wall trail. Lovely welcome from friendly staff and plenty of choice of both food and drink. Refuelled us in readiness for another few hours walking. Busy, popular place but we never felt rushed to leave by the staff.

Most mochas that I have drunk haven't tasted very different from hot chocolate. This wa a deliciously subtle blend of chocolate and coffee; the bitterness of the coffee lancing through the sweetness of the chocolate (or was it the other way round?). Brilliant.

We were passing through with our dog and decided to come in because we noticed it was pet friendly. The free biscuits for dogs was a nice touch. The lady who served us was very kind. The priory next door was a good place for a walkabout and a excellent English heritage site. The only reason this place didn't get a 4 or higher rating is because the drinks were a little pricey. Definitely worth a visit though if in the area, particularly if you are with a 4 legged friend. :)

We have visited this beautiful place twice now. Once for a meal, which was really nice. The second time for afternoon tea, which again, was really nice. The staff are always helpful. The decor and surroundings are amazing. We will be back.

Cake and coffee stop after visiting the church of St Mary Magdalene which was free (skipped the Priory as it was very expensive). Enjoyed our visit very much. The staff were pleasant and we were served promptly. Lovely choice of cakes, nice coffee and had we had longer, the lunches looked lovely. Reasonable value for money.