Mill Yard Restaurant at Cromford Mill in Derbyshire Dales - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

We were hoping to get some lunch before viewing the pop up photo exhibition. Arrived around 1pm. Only one lady serving so service very slow. I had chosen carrot and coriander soup from the menu board on the wall but by the time I eventually placed my order there was none left. The baguettes in the chiller display looked like huge lumps of bread with hardly any filling so I opted for a scone. It was very dry so clearly not fresh. Went in later for a cup of tea before leaving and asked for a toasted tea cake. The place was virtually empty by then but tea cake never materialised . I asked for a refund but was offered a take away teacake. When I opened it there was no butter on it. Such a shame as this should be a lovely spot but the management is clearly lacking.

Never again, miserable staff. Old ladies that are rude and just can't be bothered to serve you would sooner stand in the back talking and just ignoring customers. The staff need a lesson in customer service as this they all lack. Scones like rock cakes and nothing nice on the menu. Will never go again. Don't waste your money parking I had soup which was like water and tasteless my partner had a rock hard over cooked panini which was like a massive chunk of bread,

poor service... as though staff could not be bothered had ciabattas... grossly over toasted... no side salad came across COULDN'T CARE LESS a customer is your lifeblood... at least be pleasant

The service is just incredibly slow only one person on the counter - queue out of the door. Took me 40 minutes when 5th in the queue to get coffee. Never seen staff so slow, so disengaged - three wandering arround out the back oblivious to the queue growing. Watched 10 or so people just give up and leave, my wife was about to file a missing person report. If you pass by and see one person in the queue budget a 20 minute wait incase they ordered more than a drink. If you’re the owner look at the time on the toll roll between transactions and think how much money you are loosing.

Arkwrights Cafe at Cromford Mill boasts an appalling blend of incompetence and disregard for quality, leaving a sour taste that eclipses even the sunniest Easter weekend. Amidst the bustling tourist scene, this establishment faltered at every turn, offering nothing short of dismal fare at exorbitant prices. Upon arrival, the scene was chaotic, with a queue stretching for miles, reminiscent of a scene from a dystopian cafeteria. Dirty tables, piled high with abandoned plates, painted a picture of neglect and disarray. The typically embarrassing "British side salad" was a pitiful concoction lacking any semblance of care or flavour, resembling a haphazard mishmash of tasteless tomato and cucumber, bereft of dressing or coherence. The pork baguette, drowning in a sea of Bisto gravy, was a testament to culinary negligence. Its poor quality mirrored the overall lack of attention to detail evident in every aspect of the cafe's offerings. Even the cakes, purportedly sweet delights, failed to evoke any semblance of flavour, leaving patrons wondering if they had accidentally ingested cardboard. The staff, seemingly devoid of training or competence, stumbled through their duties with an air of cluelessness. Their inability to manage the chaos only exacerbated the sense of dismay among patrons. The absence of background music left a void, amplifying the cacophony of discontent echoing within the walls. Speaking of which, the vast expanses of wall space remained barren, devoid of any artwork or adornment, reflecting the barrenness of the cafe's ambiance. The display fridges, equally uninspired and barren, served as a stark reminder of the establishment's lack of professionalism and pride. In addition to the litany of failures, Arkwrights Cafe at Cromford Mill is a testament to the absence of imagination and creativity in the culinary world. It squanders the potential of its location, nestled within the historic Cromford Mill, where it could have flourished as a destination venue for tourists and locals alike. Instead, it languishes in mediocrity, content to serve up uninspired dishes devoid of innovation or passion. The sheer disappointment of witnessing such wasted potential leaves patrons reeling with indignation. This establishment deserves not a single star, as even one would be a gross overestimation of its merit. It's disheartening to contemplate what could be achieved with the captive audience of eager tourists and curious locals, only to be met with such a dismal display of incompetence and apathy. In summary, Arkwrights Cafe at Cromford Mill falls far short of its potential, failing to deliver even the most basic elements of a satisfactory dining experience. Lacking in quality, creativity, and professionalism, it stands as a monument to disappointment and a cautionary tale for culinary establishments everywhere. In conclusion, Arkwrights Cafe at Cromford Mill is a blight on the culinary landscape, an embarrassment to British dining. Its dismal offerings, coupled with abysmal service and lackluster ambiance, make it a destination to be avoided at all costs. Save your appetite, your money, your dignity and steer clear of this catastrophe.

Disappointing. For a bank holiday Saturday this just isn't good enough. Most of the tables inside were stacked with dirty plates and left over food. The choices were not great. Scones run out by mid day? No plans for extras over the weekend? Pork baguettes with unasked for and unimaginative salad without a dressing??? Such basic flaws with a potential captive audience.

What has happened?used to be nice for lunch, been there before. This time we ordered veggie sausage sandwiches and got a white tasteless roll with undercooked sausages- not even a garnish or a bit of salad. The staff was unfriendly and bored. It was frankly gross and insulting. You are captive at Arkwright but there is now a cafe across the street and we may head there next time!

Awful place!! Miserable staff, No ambience, no gluten free cake or sandwiches, poor menu, expensive too

We only stopped in for drinks, but the cafe was warm inside with tables a good distance apart. We had delicious hot chocolate

Covid safe visit today. Huge choise. Food beautifully presented. Best ever toasted sandwich- Cajun Chicken Melt will be back for more.

Went for lunch today Not sure which was coldest The food, the tent or the serviceCost £20 for something you would expect to pay £5 to £8 maxCouple that with car park fees and you could go for a proper lunch with good food and professional staff.Never to return Your loss not ours

Visited the cafe today and unfortunately found it very disappointing. Our bacon sandwiches were made with the dryest bread ever and not only that,we weren't given any serviettes to wipe our hands. The most worrying thing of all is that 4 couples ate out in the markees and not once before or after did we see anyone wipe down or clean any tables.

We popped in for coffee and a snack to take away. Got two coffees, a sausage roll, and a vegetable pasty. All were so awful they were thrown in the bin shortly after purchase. Tasteless watery coffee and bland stodgy savouries.When we asked the person serving what was in the vegetable pasty they shrugged and said "I don't know, vegetables and stuff". We should have known to turn around and walk out at that point.Wouldn't recommend.

Our place to call when starting a walk or visiting the area. A latte with a, cherry and walnut x one what could be better. All organised now for safety with gazebos to sit in outside.

We visited this cafe yesterday and ordered two pasta salads, I have to say it left us very hungry and disappointed with very small amount that we got. Would have been better had the tiny packaging been bigger.

Contender for the “Worlds Best Scone” Friendly service The young man was a great “Barista” Very reasonable prices. Highly recommended.

Brilliant cafe with genuine artisan food. Tasty and great to look at. Helpful staff . Lovely cafe with a comfortable feel. Would always be happy to go back anytime I was visiting the area

While visiting the Cromford Mill we decided to have lunch. Initially we found it full, there was room outside but it was a cold today so we wentfurhter round the mill and came back later. Once there I ordered the Chicken and stuffing sandwich which came with salad and crisps. It was very filling and a reasonable priced.

As part of a birthday treat for Pat we visited Cromford Mills and stopped into Arkwrigh'ts café for a coffee. Lovely and warm café on a cold morning. Excellent coffee and nice coffees. The food looked good but it was too early to eat!

We called in today for a light lunch. We had between us, a chicken and stuffing sandwich on lovely brown bread it was more like a door stop, the chicken was warm, it came with home made coleslaw, side salad and tortilla chips. Also hot drinks. Well worth a visit. The food is lovely. The only problem I had was as a mobility scooter user I found the slope outside to access the cafe to steep I had to leave my scooter outside luckily it was a fine day and I can walk a few steps. They had lots of food on offer which made it difficult to choose mostly home made!! I like the way they cater for special diets. Well done. We will visit again.

Nice food and comfortable. Choices were a bit limited when we visited (post new year rush?) but our sandwiches and toasties were very nice.

Visited the cafe with my family for a light bite and drinks following a visit to nearby Chatsworth House. A super little cafe with friendly staff, top quality food at competitive prices in a squeaky clean environment. Go on, give it a try, you won't be disappointed!,

We called in after arriving in Cromford by train and before starting our walk along the canal and to Black Rocks. A drink and one of the amazing fresh cherry and walnut scones sets you up well for the walk.

Menu adequate for lunch, good quality. As many walkers with dogs use this site would be good to have a dog area. Sitting on wet benches outside is not good

Great little cafe, with delicious homemade soup and a cheese scone for my lunch, which was a surprise find on a visit today to the Mill. The staff were all lovely, friendly and welcoming and I would highly recommend a visit.

Even though the sign on the door informed us NO Dogs, the waitress beckoned us in and were shown to a table by the window. Both ordered cheese and ham toastie . It came with small salad and coleslaw. Very good quality, and even more enjoyable as we were inside out of one of the many rain cloud downpours, that we have had recently. Good quality coffee as as well. I would recommended recommend .recthis cafe.

After a very nice walk down Cromford canal we decided to stop for a quick cuppa before driving home. 2 cups of tea & a rocky road later. Good service & a good price. Plenty of reasonable parking in the area & you can look round some gift shops.

We'd arrived by train as usual to Cromford Station and this is always the first stop. Coffee and scrumptious scone (cherry this time) to set us up for a day walking and bussing through Matlock and up to Bakewell.

Two hungry "breakfasteers" were very well-served with both excellent food and good prices. We've been here many times and highly reccommend for a stop at any time of day. Friendly service just puts the "icing on the cake" !

Lovely cafe with fantastic choise of food snacks and drinks. Can sit in or outside, staff happy, friendly, smiling and helpful. Sitting outside looking at the mill is a wonderful experience.

Nice cafe friendly staff, food and drinks reasonably priced Set within the mills built by Arkwright 100’s of years ago

We had done the canal trip and were looking for lunch so a visit to the Mill was perfect. Arkwrights cafe is very good offering light lunches and cakes as well as drings. Staff are helpful and we chose to eat outside which was perfect on a sunny afternoon

While attending the Big Bang event at Cromfird Mill, I visited this wonderful cafe and experienced perhaps the best toasted sausage and caramelised onion I have ever tasted. Reasonably priced in a lovely setting with a quick service.

Went to Arkwrights cafe on the 7th of August. We had 2 baked potatoes and tea.

The coffee wasn’t great and they could do with training staff how to make cappucino/latte/americano type coffees. Scones were lovely and it has outdoor seating in a peaceful courtyard.

Stopped off for a late afternoon visit. Tuna sandwich was plentiful and good value. Tea and cakes were very good and inexpensive. A lovely little cafe and worth the stop.

Three of us stopped off for a snack / light lunch.

Had spent the earlier part of the day visiting the Mills and stopped at the onsite cafe for lunch. Very pleasant environment. Food was great and reasonably priced, staff were friendly. Cafe was clean and appeared to have a steady flow of customers with enough room for everyone to either sit inside or outside. Toilets next door were spotless. Can't fault the place - wished we lived closer!

Good Coffee and a pretty good selection of pastries and cakes, cooked on the spot ! Had I been more hungry, I could quite easily have been tempted by some of the excellent cakes and buns.

As a Birdwatching group we recently used the cafe before our outing along the Cromford Canal and upon returning for lunch.

Fantastic food, eating in the birthplace of industry in the mill yard, enjoying the atmosphere of history.

A lovely restaurant in the grounds of Cromford mill. It’s a good place to start your walk along Cromford canal too Scones are to die for It has an outdoor seating area

My sister and I visited with our 2 babies and little girl. It’s a sweet little place but very cramped for prams / wheelchair users etc. Almost every table had stacks of dirty plates and trays on them, which you had to move yourself to get a clean table. The queue was agonisingly slow and we almost walked out in frustration but for the heavy rain.

Always a good place for a coffee and snack before starting a walk in the area. There's the Canal opposite with a walk up to black rocks.

Cannot praise the Bakewell tarts highly enough. Unfortunately on my second visit the next day they had all gone but the scone and clotted cream was a good second best

Popped in for a quick lunch with my elderly parents. Home-made tomato & pesto soup the best ever and a cheese scone to die for. Thank you for a super meal, we will be back

A nice selection of light lunches (jacket potatoes etc). Service is quick, efficient and friendly, even at busy times. On a fine day you can sit outside on picnic benches, and admire the view of the mills. Toilets are not on the premises, but are freely accessible next door.

The choice of breakfasts is great from the full on Mill Managers breakfast to the Weavers, very reasonably priced. The service is not fast but who cares when you’re having a lovely day out.

We stopped here for a snack and coffee what a beautiful place with a good value menu I had a bacon and egg butty very nice my partner had just bacon really nicely cooked not too crispy.

We usually call in here when starting a walk in the area. The cherry and walnut scones, freshly made and still warm if you're early, are just great. Sets you up well for the day. There are other scones and cakes just as good.

Popped in here for coffee to escape the freezing rain. Very friendly atmosphere and the food being served to lunchtime diners looked so appetising that our coffees turned into us staying for lunch. We both chose the toasties which were lovely and thick and served with a decent salad and nice coleslaw.

A quick cuppa after a nice walk and a wander around the mill. The service was speedy and the Hot Chocolate was delicious

This café gives you a warm welcome and serves good food and fresh tasty tea too. Well worth visiting when you have been to the mill

A great scone, a fruit one this time, and a latte was a good way to set up for a walk along the canal and up to black rocks.

It is a nice setting beside the canal we decided to have lunch and ordered our food it took over 45 minutes to recieve our order. The food was good but beware it could take a while to get your food

Staff are lovely and the café offers service with a smile at a great price. Tale were a bit grubby but otherwise excellent.

We ordered 3 breakfasts. One arrived; it was 15 minutes before the other 2 arrived; after I went to the kitchen to remind them. All 3 were different....mine had runny tinned tomatoes on, very unpleasant and not on the menu. They were very busy but it was absolute chaos and there seemed to be no organisation. The food was OK.....we would stick to scones or cake next time, which looked better. Cappuccino was poor....too hot (milk tasted burned) and froth was more like a thin scum on top.

Stopped for a light lunch - wonderful to have very tasty and thought out vegan options! Curried parsnip soup was fabulous! We will be back :)

Popped in here for a coffee whilst visiting Cromford Mills with a friend. Inside and outside seating. Nice coffee and the homemade scones looked lovely. Only place to get refreshments at the mill complex so I would imagine it could get very busy, especially as this is a popular destination for coach trips.

Still warm from the oven - and not just the usual fruits scones either... Pleasant little place for a stop.

Stopped for a light lunch. The tea was fairly good but lacked a little punch that Yorkshire tea provides.

Lovely café enjoy the warm sausage rolls set in the Old Arkwright mills near to the Cromford canal Lovely

Visited after a long early morning journey on the way to Buxton. We decided to eat breakfast as the cafe and baked goods on display looked inviting and staff were friendly. We ordered a breakfast each, at this point being very hungry. We were irritated to wait quite a while for the food considering we were the only two customers but would have been happy if we had received a satisfying breakfast. Unfortunately, while the food quality and cooking was brilliant, it was simply not enough on the plate to justify the price in our opinions.

As part of the wonderful Arkwright's complex very nice food served and friendly local staff Sausage rolls lovely

Visited this café between a tour round the mill and a trip on the "Birdswood" canal boat across the road. A group of 17 retired people. No-one had any complaints! The food was excellent and not over priced. I choose a cream tea instead of lunch - the scones were recommended by the waitress. I think this must be the best scone I have ever had! cherry and walnut - I will be back for more. And a excellent pot of tea.

Lovely cafe collocated with the museum. Only called for coffee and cake, but service and food was very good. Plenty of indoor and outdoor seating

Our party of 6 gathered at the cafe at 1pm fpr lunch; orders were taken, and served promptly by very friendly and efficient staff. The food was absolutely delicious, freshly prepared and tasty., and amazingly good value for money. I can unreservedly recommend this venue; if you are ever in the area, you can pop in for a meal/snack etc without visiting the rest of the historic site.

A 40 minute wait for a cooked breakfast, wrong breakfast delivered, mushrooms with the consistency of rubber tyres, cold scrambled egg. To enhance the experience, sit outside in the derelict courtyard as the delivery vans churn up dust to pepper your food, it can only improve the flavour.

Located in the grounds of historic Arkwright's Mill, this cafe consistently provides the most delicious freshly prepared food you could ever hope for. Great lunches, scones, cakes, coffee and a wide choice of teas. Friendly service too and good prices, and there's indoor and outdoor seating.

Lovely food, good choice of hot or cold and latte was great, indoor or outdoor seating, staff member was friendly

Perfect cup of coffee would recommend. Observed some sandwiches being brought out they looked pretty good.

Sat outside we had 2 x hot chocolate specials 2 x scones with jam and cream though the cherry scone could do without walnuts.

Food here for a snack was very generous and tasty. Old fashioned service with a cheery smile was much appreciated and made visitors feel welcome

good coffee, pleasant service, nice location. walked from Cromford, nice easy walk alongside canal. near to working steam engine pump house

Enjoyed a return visit to the cafe with friends after a walk along the Cromford canal. A good choice of options and the portions are generous, especially the quiche. The vegetable chilli would benefit from a wider variety of vegetable ingredients.

In area and we were hungry so we called in.A large choice of hot and cold food ie , main meals and snacks, cakes etc.Staff fantastic! very efficient , very pleasant and helpful.Food came and was piping hot.We sat upstairs to eat as downstairs was busy.Great view of the canal from upstairs through a large window at the end of the building.Would recommend a visit.

The cafe is on the grounds of the Cromford Mills, part of the World Heritage Site relating to the water-produced cotton production in the age of the Industrial Revolution. The menu is limited but all options in the group were highly rated.

Well there are other cakes and snacks but it's the scones that do it for us. Large, freshly baked and taste amazing!

We have been to Cromford Mill before but returned to do the canal walk. Coffee and scones before the walk- fabulous cherry and walnut scones - I would say the best scone I have ever had!

Had to go to a workshop at Cromford Mills and the cafe provided warm croissants as we arrived and the most amazing scones for our break. I had a cherry and walnut scone that was beautifully crumbly and was very tasty.

Love this place for it's extensive vegetarian menu Excellent main courses and a limited but good cakes and scones Everything has that homemade feel Seating indoor and outside terrace Different from other cafe's in tourist areas with varied menu choice Love the Hunter's pie Healthy and tasty salad accompaniments to main meals

We had planned to have lunch in Cromford but as there was not much to see at the mill and it was raining, we went onto the cafe. We both had a drink and a scone - I had had a cheese one and my friend a fruit one. Very nice indeed and very filling. Looking at what other people were eating would recommend making this a place to go for breakfast, brunch or lunch.

Had a very nice traditional home made lunch and pudding here today, would definitely recommend and will go again 10/10 😊

We normally visit Wharf Cafe over the road but decided on a change mainly because Arkwrights cafe make cooked breakfast. I ordered a bacon & egg bap and the other half ordered fried egg on toast. The cafe is clean, staff pleasant and the food...

After a cold wander around Cromford Mill the warm welcome we had at Mill Yard was wonderful. We ordered a Spinners breakfast which was freshly cooked and piping hot. The staff were friendly and helpful and there was a great choice of teas to compliment...

Found this place by chance and not having eaten popped in for breakfast......oh my......what pure joy it was to! Staff were very friendly, nothing too much trouble for them and they served a breakfast to die for........hhhhmmmmmmm!!!!!!! Would definitely recommend and also return......

On the world heritage museum site is a small restaurant serving a variety of hot and cold meals to satisfy most tastes. Gluten free options included mushroom stroganoff and jacket potatoes. Everything looked good especially the cheese scones that were proving very popular when I...

freshly cooked bacon roll was delicious and bigger than expected. small pot of tea but the staff were happy to fill up with hot water when I needed a top up and it still tasted good.

We came in here for lunch while visiting the mill and were pleasantly surprised at the amount of choice available, though a bit limited for gluten-free options. It did get very busy so seating indoors can be limited but there are plenty of outdoor seats...

I suppose sometime we'll stay longer and have something more to eat. It's the usual stop after arriving on the train and before setting off for a walk. Scone and coffee, great. If you've not been there's lots to see on the site too.

very nice site with café just inside the entrance very clean and friendly staff very nice coffee and tea

Disappointed we just missed the cut off time for a hearty breakfast but still enjoyed our visit. there's a decent lunch time menu and a really good selection of cakes to choose from if you don't fancy a desert.

It's not often you find really good sandwich rolls that are gluten free. Nice cozy atmosphere too. Very reasonable prices.

So could on visit one for coffee and cake that we we went back on second day and this time the best home made scones with jam and cream for under £ 10 for two people.

My wife and i visit Cromford Mill at least twice a year( usually spring/autumn) and we always go in this lovely cafeteria before we start our walk alongside the canal to High Peak Junction. Yes, it can get busy( good cafes do) but we always seem to find a seat, which we did near the window on our latest visit. We'd arrived about 12.30pm, so we'd missed the breakfast menu. Opted to both have a Ham and Cheese Toastie which came in no time with a lovely side salad and homemade Coleslaw. Washed down with a pot of tea. Highly recommended.

When i visited, it was a very sunny day, and the restaurant was heaving. The experience was probably worsened by the staff seeming to be overwhelmed by the crowd, and it was difficult getting a seat. The food is nice, however, and the staff were doing their very best under the circumstances.

I have visited this restaurant for many years and I think that over the last year it has continued to improve what it offers. I am now diagnosed as a coeliac and was delighted to find that I had a choice of delicious soup, salads or a range of baked potatoes and that there were two or three gluten free cake options. Of course the proof was in the eating and I had a potato with filling one day and a cake with my coffee on another visit in August. I had no adverse effects from either visit so clearly cross contamination in the kitchen is managed. The only suggestion I would make is that the gluten free cakes need to be on the top shelf of the display cabinet if they are unwrapped as otherwise they might get the odd gluten rich crumb dropped on them.

Even if you don't visit the exhibition call in for a drink and Scone. Made with flour from local Caudwell's mill, just the best in the area. Cherry and walnut us our favourite.

Looked at online menu and found that Breakfast was available till 12.00 and Lunch started at 12.00 so we decided to stop there for something to eat, was disappointed to find out when we got there at 11.40 that breakfast finished at 11.30 and lunch didn't start till 12.00 and was told that we couldn't have it earlier so only had a hot drink. Which was a shame as the menu looked inviting. We ended up going elsewhere for our lunch so Arkwright's Cafe lost out!

I was disappointed with this cafe. It could and should have been better, being in such a lovely historic location. I had tea and a scone. The scone was very heavy and dry. My husband had a toastie served with a scant serving of miserable looking salad. The toastie was wafer thin.