Pilgrims' Kitchen in St Edmundsbury

My wife and I always try to have lunch here when visiting Bury St Eds but there are times when the dining area is full, yesterday we were in luck and found a vacant table. My wife ordered the quiche which was a good size and, to quote, was very nice. I had the Pilgrims rarebit thinking it would be a nice snack-sized lunch before continuing our shopping. What a surprise when it arrived; it was like a slightly reduced in size dinner main course and positively delicious in all respects. It was delivered to our table in good time by a lady waiting staff member who had a great sense of humour and, further, made us feel most welcome. Both my wife and I wondered how they could present meals of these proportions at their prices when, at least for my rarebit, I would feel it would be a few £s more in nearby cafes/restaurants.

Such a suprise to find this gem!! Will be eating here on a regular basis. Food is simply fantatsic.

Had been recommended so headed off for brunch, arrived about 11.30 only to be told the kitchen were changing from breakfast menu to lunch menu so no food available only cake! How ridiculous and how many customers did you lose. Surely the kitchen can organise itself to be able to provide at least sandwiches. Bad management, unhappy customers.

I had a lovely egg sandwich (granary bread). There was plenty of filling. It was served with a salad garnish including a generous portion of good quality coleslaw and some crisps. It was delicious! Pilgrims' Kitchen is one of my favourite cafes. Its proximity to the Cathedral and the Abbey Gardens make it ideal for visitors to the town.

Great food, great atmosphere and friendly staff. Will definitely visit again.

Sat in the garden. Lovely setting. Food great. Vegan options. Price brilliant. Staff fantastic. Been a few times now, always great. Go to destination in bury.

Lovely food and even more lovely staff! Arrived 45 mins too late for the lunch service after a journey from Hertfordshire but the kind staff offered us what they could from the kitchen to keep us three hungry travellers on our feet! My elderly mother could not have walked into town to find an alternative and I really wanted to show mum the PK following my previous visits. Delicious food but the human kindness was the best of all! Huge thanks 😊

Came in for lunch, We both had the lamb cobbler served up hot and with a smile, Followed by apple and raspberry crumble and custard again served with a smile, Everybody was very nice, The food was first class and didn't break the bank, We Will Highly Recommend Going There for A Meal and we will definatly be going there again the next time we are in town.

Very Expensive Pilgrims breakfast for quite a poor plate. I don't mind paying a price but when a poor plate is presented it's not acceptable. Terrible coffee, on par with dirty water. Certainly won't be going back.

Sadly very disappointing. Lovely location but disproportiantly expensive. Yes it's busy, it's peak summer so you expect that. £8.75 for a very cheap toastie. Not asked bread option. A simple sliced bread cheese toastie, not expensive bread, nothing fancy, should not be nearly £9 it's madness. They throw a few crisps and a heap of salad with it. The menu is perhaps too extensive. Service wasn't particularly friendly either.

Ridiculously overpriced. The inflated prices of a plain Cheese Toastie is 8.95, for which you get a bit of half melted cheese between two pieces of barely toasted seeded bread. With abit of limp salad and cheap nasty coleslaw, and handful of what can only be Walkers Ready Salted crisps. Would not recommend to anyone.

They can't serve a sandwhich before 12 midday . So if you can't eat cake There is nothing else.

Walked in to town from the railway station on a visit to the Abbey Gardens and the Cathedral. It was a hot day and I needed a proper meal before visiting the Cathedral - as breakfast had been a banana and two bottles of water. The old refectory, next to the Cathedral, now called the Pilgrim’s Kitchen offered a varied menu of savoury and sweet dishes. This menu, the professionalism of the staff, the decor and the popularity of the restaurant suggested that this was the right place for lunch. I decided to try one of the specials, a lamb cobbler - which I could eat in the covered cloisters of the Cathedral. The lamb cobbler, the potatoes and the vegetables, which filled my plate, were all cooked to perfection. Delicious! Just what I needed before spending an hour plus in and around one of the best Parish Church Cathedrals in England.

First time visiting the pilgrims kitchen, the menu was quite extensive with something for everyone, I had a tuna and cheese toastie which was very good and my friend had a Brie and cranberry one, we then had cake which was homemade and excellent. The staff are all friendly, I really like this place and will definitely be back.

A lovely cafe found partly by chance! Staff were very friendly, food was lovely and served very quickly.

The food here was lovely, we had the chicken in tarragon sauce and it did not disappoint. Plenty of seating inside and out,a beautiful setting right next to the cathedral

Awful experience! We were on a birthday treat day and went for lunch. We chose the chorizo and chicken pasty with salad and asked for coleslaw. The pasty came tasteless and soggy from the microwave with two pieces of chicken in one three in the other. The filling was chilli hot, so hot in fact my daughter had to scrape all the chorizo out as it was burning her mouth and even I was struggling. The salad was two small pieces of cucumber and tomato a couple of squares of iceberg and a dash of dressing. Of course we were too English and ate all that we could , and although I did tell the waitress no one came over to see us. I asked my daughter several times if I could get her something else but she doesn’t want a fuss so I didn’t take it further. It is advertised as homemade food but they looked very much commercially made and the service after the complaint was non existent.

Went there today and the food was delicious. The staff were very polite and efficient. The variety of food was fantastic from hot and cold sandwiches to lamb hotpot. A must place to visit if your in Bury St Edmunds

We had a nice breakfast on the patio at the Pilgrim's Kitchen, located at the Abbey Gardens in Bury St. Edmunds. The atmosphere was relaxed, the staff was friendly, and the food was great!

Loved it last year. Gone downhill a bit this year. Somewhat sullen cashier. Vegetarian quiche varies in quality.

A beautiful setting to meet and catch up with old friends, service was quick and efficient and the sandwich was delicious too. It was very busy, but we never felt rushed once we had finished our lunch.

No allergy information displayed, would benefit from a children's menu.

What a lovely little gem 💎 service was great, tea and cake was lovely

Nice place to have breakfast in beautiful historic surroundings. Food good. Service good.

It was somewhere to go for a drink and something to eat. There was no obvious notification of any food that was allergy free and one didn't feel inclined to ask. The toilets left much to be desired. The actual 'lavatory' was clean, the sink/radiator area was not. I believe there were disabled facilities. If you're visiting the cathedral and need a break, go. It could be that it was unusually busy on my visit.

Lovely calm place, people in there knew how to control their children ,… which was nice, good food good prices what’s not to like!

We go here most times when in Bury. A great atmosphere & food choice of lunch options. Clean, warm & friendly.

10 of us rocked up, we were served with a smile. Nothing was to much trouble. Lovely setting, great food and super friendly staff. Thank you for making us so welcome.

Good value and excellent food.

Nice and quiet, pleasant surroundings. Seems mostly locals visit here. Have been back on the occasions we have visited BSE.

Awesome little find, scones are so yummy

Went in for a cooked breakfast for two with drinks. Good quality, nice atmosphere and efficient staff.

First visit, it was really nice.

Only had a cake and tea. Cake good. Nice surroundings and staff polite. So much nicer than a national high street coffee shop chain.

Very good fresh food and excellent service.

Good, convenient place for morning coffee, lunch, afternoon tea based within the Cathedral grounds.

Stopped here for a quick lunch, and were very impressed by the sandwiches - well filled and with a generous salad and crisps. Staff were pleasant and service was quick. Would recommend.

Good fare in a superb location. Spotless toilets

My friends surprised me with afternoon tea yesterday 23rd August 2023,and I can highly recommend it,plenty to eat,lovely food,the staff could not do enough for us and very friendly,plus boxes to take rest of the food home,so thank you all will definitely be back,well done to all,

Tasty 😋 chocolate cake and cold drinks on a Sunny day

Great place ,great homemade food, comfortable,good value

I felt really rushed when I was ordering and the lady made me feel uncomfortable. The coffee was not to my taste, it was really bitter. We were going to order food but decided we would try somewhere else instead.

Nice open space with comfy sofas in the corner. Also plenty of choice of food on the menu (although you'd better be a quick reader and even quicker at making decisions if you want to order anything!). Unfortunately let down by certain staff members who were incredibly rude, making members of our party feel very uncomfortable. The coffee was also very bitter and difficult to finish, not worth the money. You'd definitely be better off taking the short walk to one of the many other better options down the road.

Great place for a bite and a cuppa at very good prices in Bury St Edmunds Food is freshly made and of high standard

We were visiting the area and had been looking round the cathedral which is dog grand then realised the cafe is also dog friendly. We chose to sit outside and just had a quick snack of scones, jam and butter with teas and coffees. The staff were so friendly and helpful and what we had was delicious. The food we saw being served to other visitors all looked delicious too so will definitely go back with a bigger appetite next time!

What an amazing location, even had a walk in the Abbey.

I wish that I could have known about the food before .

Been using here for meals sometimes. Very good food although the menu doesn't vary much from day to day. The ladies have been really nice to me as the know I lost my wife earlier this year.

Even when busy it is a nice relaxing place to eat and have a coffee at affordable prices.

After my last five star review I was so disappointed on my return. Signage told us it opened at 9am but didn't open until 10am. We waited for twenty minutes for it to open. We weren't the only ones to be caught out at least five other groups tried to get in whilst we were waiting. When they opened I went in to order and was informed that they weren't doing any hot food and we then tried to order a sandwich and we were told they weren't doing sandwich's either. So long story short if you want yesterday's left over cake this is the place for you unfortunately for us it was a wasted pilgrimage.

The whole outdoor area smelled of freshly roasted coffee and had a lovely vibe. Our coffees were great and the espresso cake was excellent!

Wonderful place to eat the great food which is served here.

Stopped for brunch. Eggs Benedict was very good.

Must try the sausage roll so delicious and quick service ... The staff are so nice 🙂. Will definitely come back again.

A good selection and well presented food . Helpful and courteous staff. Relaxing atmosphere.

Lovely setting. Cream tea disappointing! Cheap jam and not nearly enough.. Scone mediocre. Excellent clotted cream though. Pot of tea was weak as not quality tea bag, seemed like a bog standard catering bag. Would rather pay more and have a Tea Pigs bag and Tiptree jam.

Went to or lunch Saturday. Had brie and cranberry. Wow they didn't skin on the filling. Definitely going again.

Such yummy food (we had risotto, lamb hotpot and crumble for dessert) and very friendly staff! The brownies look delicious but I will have to try one next time.

The cafe was packed but we did not have to wait too long to place our order: good soup with delicious rye bread then well-filled sandwiches with a generous garnish. A good place to be with the lovely cathedral building to visit.

We visited in February, there was 7 of us (3 generations) for my daughters birthday and had lovely food. It was not pre planned, we had a mixture of various plates that all of us enjoyed. Big shout out to the staff, we could see they were busy but still managed to serve you with a smile and was very attentive and had lots of patience, especially when our youngest grandchild did not want to sit still! Visited before on a few occasions and will return again in the future! Well done management and staff and again thank you!

Lovely place for coffee but very busy.

Friendly helpful staff and a comfortable atmosphere all within an interesting setting.

Very efficient and friendly staff. Excellent choice of food. Good range of seating. Value for money.

Beautiful cafe. Great food and excellent service. Many thanks 😊

Not bad, but nothing special either. Will go again but for the convenience rather than the quality of the food/drink.

Lovely location, building and garden but the food could be better. Best to stick to the cakes and coffees. I should mention that we go there all the time because the garden is so nice, close to the park and it's good for kids! It's good to know the profits go to the Cathedral and that the tea/coffee is Fairtrade too.

We visited this cafe over a year ago and e mailed about problems. I visited again recently and the problems have yet to be solved. I asked the lad serving ( who looked like he had just got out of bed) for hot milk with an americano. 3 times ! and still ended up with cold milk. At least 7 tables had yet to be cleared, we had to ask for cutlery and serviettes, the coffee was luke warm and the queue was enormous, as the teenage staff all seem to move at a snails pace. This cafe needs an appropriate adult to crack the whip and get things sorted out. It is a pity I live 23 miles away, or I could show them how it's done !

What a gem! We went to tour the ruins and the cathedral and popped in for a bite. The lamb cobbler is the best thing I've ever tasted. My husband had a bite, finished his sandwich, and went back to order one for himself. Cosy atmosphere and friendly service.

Pleasant atmosphere, spacious and good place to meet up.

Great food and excellent service at a very fair price not to mention the great coffee, one of bury st Edmund's hidden gems. We have visited here on several occasions and have never been dissapointed with the food or the service

A regular stopping place for us when we're in Bury. Very convenient for the town centre. Really good cheese scones .... mine was still warm 😁. Hot chocolate was welcome in the freezing conditions - but it could have done with being a little hotter.

There was a smaller than normal lunch menu on when we visited, but the sandwiches and jacket potatoes were good fare, large pots of tea and some good looking cakes and fairly quick service too. A popular spot as it was almost full.

Great food in great surroundings.

Plenty of inside space on a wet and cold day. Toast took quite a while to arrive.

Very nice cafe. They cater for Coeliacs which wad brill.

Great value breakfast well cooked and tasty would recommend

Lots of space, lots of choice and lots of smiles.

My wife arranged for us to meet our daughter and three grandchildren there. Traumatised by the memory of dire Post cathedral coffee, I pulled a face. As it transpired, it was a great choice. The staff appeared completely comfortable with the children. Carbohydrates were consumed. My tea was exquisite and my guests were happy. My wife's flat white was OK and the cakes were well received.

The cakes are lovely but the lunches are very variable, however we would go back as they do some things very well. Seating indoors and out and conveniently located next to the Abbey gardens.

Very nice food, friendly service and always busy. They deserve to do well!

Cracking hot choccy here and a perfect setting to enjoy it in 😍 partner had the homemade sausage roll and consumed it in 0.87 seconds.

The sausage roll tasted like it was made by St. Edmund himself 😮‍💨

Good prices and friendly staff with nice atmosphere

Very nice atmosphere; friendly staff Could do with the option of skimmed milk .

The service provided on the day was terrible It was myself, my wife and 7 year old son who came in for something to eat My wife and I wanted jacket potato with tuna and cucumber only to be told they had ran out of jackets, We then ordered tuna and cucumber sandwiches The following person after us in the queue asked for jacket potato and was told they were just coming out of the oven, I immediately asked for a change from the sandwiches to jackets which the lady at the register tells me that she can’t reverse the transaction It’s appalling that she couldn’t ask the chef before she offered us sandwiches that we had a wait for jackets We won’t be using the cafe again Immature, inconsiderate, incompetent staff

Great selection, lovely staff and reasonable prices.

An excellent selection of hot and cold food, many gluten free options. Tea and coffee are all Fairtrade and taste good too.

Lovely place, good menu, only had a coffee and scone this time. Staff always friendly and polite.

I love to come here, I like the room a lot. It's cosy and homely and has a lovely atmosphere. The food is great and the coffee is the best in Bury IMHO. The staff are most attentive and the prices are reasonable. I really couldn't fault it.

Lovely staff and quick service but unfortunately the coffee (lattes) was incredibly poor (throw away taste) and the food came out on cold plates making our food cold before even sitting down. I would highly recommend looking elsewhere.

Busy refrectory, always an interesting selection of sandwiches and light meals.

We had just walked the 'Abbey Gardens and Meadows Reserve Circular' walk, which is a nice 3.5Km walk around the gardens and town. It was silly warm this day and we just wanted some cold drinks. Even though we did only buy some soft drinks, the staff were really nice and the food we did see looked good.

Enjoyed a great afternoon tea with the girls Excellent staff very hot day but we were cool inside lovely cafe..

Love it,staff very helpful & polite.

Cant say a bad word about Pilgrims. It's my go to place on a regular basis to meet up with family and friends. Cheese scones to die for !!

Called in midmorning for coffee & snack. Reasonably busy but efficient and friendly staff & nice atmosphere, not noisy but humming! We had cakes (excellent) and the best sausage rolls ever.

Lovely place to meet for delicious homemade food.

Beautiful, and beautifully quiet, location away from the bustle of the town. Charming service and a good range of food. The cabinet cake is good - small but packed with good things. Indoor and outdoor seating.

We went for breakfast when the place was quite quiet, maybe 3 other lots of customers there. Nevertheless, our order wasn't processed properly and about 10 minutes after ordering, the waitress came over to ask my husband what kind of eggs he wanted. We were given our coffees straight away - which were overly strong and bitter. We waited about 20-25 minutes for our food, when it came it wasn't great. My husband was given toast which was burned, and turned over to hide the burnt side. I had Eggs Benedict - or rather Egg Benedict, as there was only one egg, not well cooked. Not very much hollandaise sauce, not very good, and too much ham. This place is probably OK if you just want tea and a piece of cake, but I wouldn't trust them for much else.

Lovely. Great late lunch. Sat outside...enjoying Spring... Staff so kind and attentive...literally all a 'breath of fresh air'🙂