Middle Earth Tavern in Scarborough

Very nice renovation in a not busy location. Staff was abrupt and not welcoming

About a ten minute walk from the main harbour -friendly service, nice fire on a cold day and good atmosphere. Table service and a little snack bowl served with your drink is a nice touch. Seating could be a little more comfortable is the only criticism.

Very odd pub. Internal decor is bland. No atmosphere due to table service. Basically stuck in the covid table service period. Lovely looking outside but lackluster inside.

What in middle earth is this?! Why was this bar recommended to us? This place has nothing to do with the Lord of the Rings theme and is clearly false advertising. We were told to sit and no drinks list was presented. It's extremely bland and very disappointing. Wasted potential.

Very disappointed. We have came to Whitby for the weekend and this bar was recommended to us as we are Lord of The Rings fans and we love an old historic pub too. We were impressed by the outside however as soon as we went in the bar staff pounced on us and asked us to take a seat when we wanted to look at what drinks they had on offer. We were so disappointed with the decor of this place. There is nothing remotely Middle Earth about it, other than the picture of Gollum outside. It's a trendy bar blasting awful music, and although it was clean it was completely soulless.

You'd think this would be an old pub with a strong LOTR theme, or an olde inn feel to it with real ales and a good atmosphere. Instead it's a trendy bar that played R'n'B and pop when I visited. No atmosphere whatsoever. It has an open fire and it's presentable, but it's soulless. I couldn't stand by the bar and was ushered to a table. Upstairs looks like a rip off version of a Revolution bar. Avoid if you want a real local experience. Drinks are limited to the usual bland Old Mout ciders, beers and typical shorts. Nothing interesting to write about. The staff are pleasant though.

This is what we call a proper pub. It's got character and charm, a good selection of drinks, and the best name. Dogs are welcome, and given the appropriate attention. The staff and landlord were incredibly friendly, even the locals welcomed us with open arms. If we lived nearby this would be our local favourite. We'll be back very soon and couldn't recommend it enough if you're in the area.

Great service, you seat yourself and you are served at your table, you don't need to go to bar.

Lovely little place. Friendly staff.

Was there for a party, a great pub good beer also friendly and staff, I'll definitely call again and in the summer its going a great outside place to watch the world go by.

Stayed for 2 nights. Absolutely fantastic. Jill and her staff made us feel very welcome and nothing was too much trouble at all. Table service is great and you are never left waiting for another drink. Spotlessly clean. Overall a fantastic trip and we will no doubt return soon.

What this place has to do with the works of Tolkien is beyond me. Didn't see anything inside connected to middle earth. Do not visit if you expect anything Tolkien related. The place is clean and tidy though, hence the 2 star rather than 1 star review.

Beautiful pub hidden gem, was Abit disappointed that there was no Lord of the rings props or anything with it being called what it was. Other than that will visit again beautiful and warm feel

Great pub..so well managed with excellent service. Nice vibe

It's a friendly pub, spacious, clean and comfortable. There's a good selection of fine ales and lagers..and food is available, but I haven't eaten there yet. There is a living coal fire, lit in the winter, giving that old world ambience. It's dog friendly too.

Lovely pub which was really good for our group of 13, they've kept the pub spaced out and you're not on top of each other so we easily sat together - which isn't possible in a lot of Whitby pubs. It's table service and they were really accommodating when we wanted to pay separately - seeing as we couldn't buy our own at the bar. Landlady is nice and friendly too, good banter.

Nice place for a beer , we didn't get to see Bilbo, maybe next time when we visit Whitby

Great place to go. Nice touch the bar staff find you a table and bring your drinks nd dog freindly

Lacked the lord of the rings decor but the guy behind the bar was amazing!! Will definitely return next time we are in Whitby!!

Just had a few drinks, the staff are friendly and helpful.

very rude staff, dismissive and blunt. Not welcoming despite the money spent there and very condensing considering they are bar staff.

Great cosy pub, table service was nice. The guy who served me was very friendly.

Here is like home been coming for 30+ years and never disappoints happy smiling bar staff and The Best pint of Old Peculiar anywhere. This place is awesome

Never have a bad word to say everytime come to whitby its always my first point as it was my dad's favourite tavern/pub in whitby and always made to feel welcome

Lovely place for a smashing pint of Guinness

A really nice cozy and friendly pub, and a lovely pint of Old Peculiar. Just walking past and took a short very welcome break from exploring.

Nice pub, love the name. Lovely and warm and very well done out.

Nice pub where they also serve tea and coffee

If your coming here because your fan of the lord of the Rings, you will be disappointed as the decor has nothing to do with middle earth. However if your planning on going for a pint at a pub with a chilled atmosphere by the harbour, this place is it. It is table service only and you can't go to the bar which took me by surprise.

Nice pub staff very friendly..found it a bit strange to ask for a pint they tell you to find a seat then bring the pint to you ..

What a super excellent place to chill or chat It's always a very welcoming to be

As others have said the name has no bearing on the decor. It's an ok pub, beer was ok, atmosphere was ok. The staff were really nice and serve from your table. They have a video juke box controlled by the staff that was playing 70's pop music. We only had a couple of drinks here so can't comment on the food but I reckon it would be ok. We would go again if all the cosier, older pubs in Whitby are full as they were during our visit.

Always made to feel so welcome. Table service outside is great too.

Tenía un ambiente muy desagradable. No se admiten perros. No se ofrece un recibo de bebidas, rápido para tomar dinero, rápido para presionarlo para comprar más bebidas. Raro e incómodo, contento de salir!

Clean, friendly, could do with a bit of decorating on the middle earth front to make it special.

The waitress was not that happy to see the customers, kind of spoilt the atmosphere a little. It was nice that you didn't have to queue at the bar. I rather enjoyed the table service.

Great little pub, gorgeous female bar staff.... what's not to love

Only in here for drink, clearly a fav if visiting Whitby for the folk festival, very busy but enjoyed listening to the singing and music 😊

Immaculately clean and welcoming pub just that little further off the tourist trail but truly worth seeking out. The beer is well kept. Terrace on the front. Go find this gem. UPDATE: 28.08.24. Another visit and I've added the well deserved 5th star because this place is faultless! We sat outside as the weather was glorious. The staff here know what they're doing and told us to find a seat and they would take our order. Not only that, when it was obvious we were nearing the end of our drinks, they politely asked if we would like another. And of course, we did. (I cannot understand why other bars and pubs don't do this.) The Theakston Old Peculier (I had two) was superb, the company of others was great and once again, the whole experience was absolutely spot on. Well done, Tavern!!👌👏👏🍻🍺

The atmosphere has changed, it's now table service, the waitresses were friendly and efficient. Beer was good

Nice atmosphere, nice decor. Friendly staff.

The pub was bought out by new owners. The Lord of the Rings Reference now has nothing to do with what the pub is. Weirdly they want to seat and then bring your drink to you rather than just you taking your drink from the bar. They aren't very open to the Folk singers and the annual folk feastival, and have a disdain for them. The one staff member seemed to have disdain for people overall... Why run or work in a pub? It feels like the pub was bought out by owners from London that want to bring the big city to the North East. The chap was friendly enough to talk to. But definitely doesn't understand what Northern UK pubs are about. Just more southern gentrification and loss of traditional and regional culture. Goes without saying that it was definitely a quiet atmosphere, and plenty of seats available for you to be seated whilst your pint is brought to you. If you're a bit of a soft wuss and don't like genuine pubs, drink with your little finger in the air, and are scared of humanity. Then this is the pub for you. A Middle Earth Tavern it is not. More what a pub would be like if Sauron ran one: Empty and just for him. Far better pubs in Whitby, this one no longer fits the vibe of what otherwise is a very lively and quirky English coastal town.

First experience of Middle Earth, folk festival with music and good company. Even performed myself!

Great pub. Lovely atmosphere and the kids love it.

Visited Whitby recently and spotted this pub. As a Tolkien fan, I thought it might be fun for the family. It was then that I noticed huge Reform Party signs in the windows. Why would a landlord do this? Suffice to say, I didn't go in because I don't give money to racist bigots.

Poor service. 2 children on the bar serving.... too busy being clingy to pay attention to serve. Personality of wet lettuce.. this has to be the most sad place I've had the miss fortune to have a drink in. 🤣 piss poor.

As a pub with a sign of gollum outside and being called Middle Earth tavern I thought yeah get in this is going to be a great place but unfortunately that's where the theme stops outside as inside is modern with absolutely nothing else to suggest middle earth with no creativity whatsoever such a shame really a huge chance missed I think 😮..

Almost seemed like we were a burden. Told us to take a seat and they would take our order but when we asked what wine they have, they sent us to the bar

We didn't eat, but the service was good, and the beer refreshing 😋

Se le dijo dónde sentarse y no fue capaz de ir al bar para ver siquiera qué bebidas se ofrecían. No hay ambiente aparte de uno bastante intimidante debido a la promoción de extrema derecha de algunos de los habituales. Este solía ser un espacio relajado muy divertido, pero no es lo mismo. La declaración de que acogen con orgullo las reuniones del Partido Reformista puede explicar la desaparición

Used to love this locals regular but it’s now run by right wing extremists, with gay couples being abused by the owners. Avoid.

Good pub.friendly staff clean and comfy

Covered in far-right Reform posters, and they host their odious little events here too, proclaiming 'Everyone Welcome' - unless you happen to be non-white, non-British, gay, trans, or disabled, presumably. JRR Tolkien must be turning in his grave. Foul.

Great table service from pleasant staff, good choice of beer.

We were visiting Whitby for the weekend without our little ones. This place is next to the harbour so you get a nice view sat outside. It's also away from the main bit of the town so we found it to be a quieter escape from the young families that swarm to the beach this time of year. Lovely staff and our order was taken at the table. We didn't order food, but we did sink several pints and each time they were brought to us within a minute of ordering. Very fast efficient service. We love LOTR so we enjoyed the name of the pub, but I felt they could have ran with that theme a little more as there wasn't much reference to LOTR other than the taverns name. They also have their political views on show as supporters of Reform. We weren't too bothered about this but thought it was worth a mention.

We like Lord of the Rings so we walked up to this place. We saw they have far-right political posters in all the windows, and the clientele seemed to be elderly tattooed chain-smokers. Whatever the opposite of "a nice pub" is, this place is it. Avoid like dysentery

We're a family of Lord of the Rings fans so we walked up to this place. The first thing we noticed were the far-right political posters in the windows. The second thing we noticed were all the customers sitting outside were over 65. Then we realised that this is the pub for the elderly racists of Whitby. If you're an elderly racist, you'll probably think it's great. For everyone else, avoid like typhoid. There are plenty of nice, welcoming pubs in Whitby. This is not one of them.

Nice half cider, but a bit odd to be told to sit and it's table service only. Reform are supported here and they have their banner in the window. That put me off.

Really nice place to have a drink. Really good selection, lovely atmosphere, staff were superb. Really enjoyed it, next time in Whitby I will be going back

Great place, warm welcome and gorgeous beer..

Lord of the Rings themed in name only. Shame. Friendly staff and table service though. Typical pub.

Visited this pub recently and it was a very uncomfortable experience. The staff, made up of young girls, were more interested in chatting amongst themselves than providing good service. It felt like they were discussing our party as we arrived, which was very off-putting. In contrast, other pubs in the area offer warm welcomes and a much better atmosphere. On top of that, the Guinness was poured terribly – the head was full of gas bubbles. I would not recommend this pub to anyone looking for a friendly and inviting experience.

Nunca he experimentado un servicio al cliente como este en mis 18 años. Como yo mismo trabajo en servicio al cliente sé exactamente lo que se espera. Entré anoche sábado 13 de julio, y había 3 adolescentes sirviendo detrás de la barra alrededor de las 6 y media , yo diría que una edad similar a mí mismo e inmediatamente me sentí incómodo en cuanto pasé, tan pronto como me senté comenzaron a susurrar entre sí y me miraban y se reían durante todo el turno. Fue una experiencia extremadamente desagradable, ya que estaban haciendo extremadamente obvio que hablaban de mí de una manera no muy agradable. Tan pronto como me senté, ni siquiera quería pedir una bebida porque estaba tan disgustada con la experiencia que tenía y no quería proporcionar y dinero para el pub con personal del bar como ese, así que mi familia ordenó antes de que se dieran cuenta de lo que había pasado y tan pronto como se dieron cuenta al verlo por sí mismos, tomaron su bebida y se fueron lo antes posible. Nunca volverá a este bar, lo cual es una verdadera lástima porque es un lugar hermoso, solo una lástima que el personal del bar sea tan repugnante.

Estaba muy decepcionado con el servicio al cliente que se proporcionó en este pub. Entramos como una familia de 6 y había 3 adolescentes de pie sirviendo en el bar de arriba alrededor de las 18: 30 anoche. Mientras mi novia pasaba, todos la miraban y sus ojos la seguían a través de la habitación y mientras se sentaba, una de las chicas le susurró a otra chica y todas miraron y comenzaron a reírse durante todo su turno. Mi novia estaba muy consciente todo el tiempo sentada allí porque estaban constantemente mirándola y riéndose entre ellos, y ni siquiera terminamos nuestras bebidas y decidimos irnos, no recomendaría cuando niñas inmaduras como esa están trabajando allí con un servicio al cliente impactante, nunca había visto a mi novia tan incómoda. 2 chicas de pelo castaño y 1 rubia También añadiré que no pueden empobrecer una pinta correctamente, especialmente Guinness. Asqueroso No recomendaría este pub a nadie y he visto una mano llena de comentarios sobre las mismas chicas jóvenes, algo hay que hacer al respecto lo antes posible

Visité este pub con una familia de 6 adultos con la esperanza de pasar la noche allí, sin embargo, fue más una experiencia de chica mala. Había chicas adolescentes sirviendo detrás de la barra que hicieron que mi hermana se sintiera muy desagradable. Dejaron muy claro que estaban hablando de ella. Esto hizo que la fiesta fuera demasiado incómoda para quedarse, así que nos fuimos. Fue una pena realmente porque el pub era agradable, solo una pena sobre el personal.

I have never ever experienced customer service like this in my whole 18 years. As i work in customer service myself i know exactly what’s expected. I walked in last night Saturday 13th july, and there were 3 teenage girls serving behind the bar around half 6, i’d say a similar age to myself and i immediately felt uncomfortable as soon as i walked by, as soon as i sat down they started whispering to each other and looking over at me and giggling through out the shift. It was an extremely unwelcoming experience as they were making it extremely obvious they were speaking about me in a not very nice manner. As soon as i sat down i didn’t even want to order a drink because i was that disgusted with the experience i had and didn’t want to provide and money for the pub with bar staff like that, so my family ordered before they were aware of what had happened and as soon as they were made aware by seeing it for themselves they had their drink and left as soon as possible. Will never ever return to this bar which is a real shame because it’s a beautiful place just a shame the bar staff are so disgusting.

Waiter service, reasonably priced drinks.

Disappointed, Distinctly unmiddle earth like.

Nice pub, good beers, good location

Great little bar and a lovely view. Staff were very quick to serve and bring your drinks to the table.

Nice pub. Waiter service joth inside and out. Doesn't do food though. Definitely recommend

Be aware this is a Reform pub. Posters for the Reform political party are outside the pub and they hold meetings there.

Nice pub over looks the harbour

Nice pub good location, nice beer.was better before waitress service was introduced.

Watched England here in a lovely chilled atmosphere no drunken louts

We booked a nights stay and only have great things to say about MIddle Earth Tavern. Great seating area outside and it was a sun trap. Our room was really nice very clean and a good size. Free parking just across the road outside of the site was a bonus. Only 5 minutes walk and you’re at the centre of Whitby. We would recommend here to anyone who is thinking of staying. We will be back

Great little pub , unusually they bring the drink to you , good idea , but there weren't many in when we went , ido wonder what it's like when it's packed there were only two staff I can't see how they would cope

A nice Whitby pub, reliably good with a lively welcome. I'd give 5 stars if the wine wasn't those mini bottles of.....

A great British pub, I loved every part of it down to the decor to the personality of the staff. I will returning 100%

It is table service which is ok but if you walk to bar to look at drinks available you are asked to sit at a table to be served. Which doesn't allow you decide on your choice of drink

Great pub and hotel clean staff really nice

Great place sat in the sun out side

Had a pint of ale, as close to perfect as possible. Whoever is running the cellars must be a wizard. First class.

It's a while since we last came here, the pub has been modernised since our last visit. Good Copper Dragon, which is a plus. Very busy when we visited.

My first visit so not sure what to expect. On entering immediately greeted by a very polite, efficient and smart staff member. Shown to table and order taken on her tablet - this venue is table service only. Drinks arrived within a minute of ordering and served with complimentary snacks. My pint of Draught Guinnesss was excellent and at a good price. Would definitely visit again.

One of my favourite pubs very friendly staff

Services the best pint in whitby with fantastic service

Great beer, great views and a warm welcome.

Used this pub every evening absolutely brilliant service friendly people great pint lovely place to spend a few hours

Lovely place with lovely atmosphere, shame they don't do food

Walked in went to the bar to order drinks told very politely to sit at a table and they would take my order it’s a supposed to be a pub I want to stand at the bar and before any comments I always move out the way if some one needs to be served

Nice pint, good service, welcoming atmosphere 👍, I was there on goth weekend, so it was busy, waited about 10 mins for a seat, definitely use again

I adore this pub and the service and food are second to none, firmly recommend it

Lovely place been to Whitby manytime and only found this place will visit again next time👌👌

Popped in for a drink.Lovely place with nice views.Pleasant music playing in background and table service was very quick.Lovely touch with the free bar snacks with the drinks,I'll be back 👍

Expected something a bit thematic, but just a run of the mill pub. Music was really loud.

Found this bar whilst wandering around Whitby and sat outside for a few drinks. Nicely decorated place with open fire, and table service. Sounded like a dj was playing but it was just music with a recorded dj talking, which was a bit odd. The bar itself wasn't that busy, which was good as most of the other places in town were really packed, so we went inside for a bit when it got too cold.

Thank you Middle Earth Tavern for a great afternoon. The service, the atmosphere .... Impeccable

Lovely place, waited service. Great surroundings.

Was a little bit squashed. We were told to share a table with a couple who were already sat down. Felt she was a little bit too assertive. The couple soon left.