Rowntree Park Cafe in York

I have been visiting Roundtree Park since I was a child. Brings back great memories of family life. There's a very good diverse amount of things to do here with a good skate park, boating lake used by modelling clubs and the cafe is lovely and not expensive really either.

Great place to meet up and have coffee and eats.

We started and finished the Night Shine Walk-research cancer charity walk

Friendly staff, clean premises and very welcoming. Update: Nice to see updates to the park with new additions!

Nice play area for kids good cafe shame the overall appearance isn't what it used to be

Toilets were disgusting. Park and coffee shop brilliant

Beautiful park but a little far

Lovely place for kids to play or even to have a walk around, lovely green areas and café

The park is not bad overall, but the toilets in the park are terrible

I cannot fathom how beautiful and well kept this park is. As someone from Ipswich i was flabbergasted to be greeted with such perfect scenery. The ducks, geese and swans are all very friendly but remember to only feed them duck and swan food as they cant digest human food :) theres lots of benches to sit at and many different green areas with gorgeous flowers, theres play equipment, public toilets, tennis courts, a skatepark, and lots more. I highly recommend this place to everyone

Lovely area but sadly, since I last visited, some areas weedy, tired and lake needs attention! However, Readers cafe was good. Friendly staff, coffee and snacks tasty.

Disappointing lunch very long wait and expensive toasty. Food tasted ok but with a small child getting very impatient was not an enjoyable experience. We were warned of a 10-15 minute wait when we ordered the food which was fine as we had other items to pick at, however this turned into more like 30-40 minutes. I was expecting something fancy for the price too not just normal bread.

Nice park, handy for people visiting rowntree campsite , with dogs and kids , fair size, well kept, great thanks

A nice play park with a range of equipment for kids. Wood chippings are used to cushion falls, these serve their purpose but are quite rough and have splinters. Parking in the car park is easy if you have used the car park app before, however, it might take a while to set up the first time. Maximum stay is 4hrs and it is just over £1 an hour. Reasonable for York city prices. There is a nice cafe, large open area and a beautiful lake. The one thing that spoils it are the geese. Whilst the geese are lovely, their poo covers nearly everything. Multiple warnings about the risk of disease are posted clearly around the area. There is a run down toilet block, which isn't really fit for purpose. It smelled of urine and wasn't easy for children to use the urinals or the high toilet. The sink, like the urinal, was also so high that my 5 year old needed a lift to use it.

Very sad to see the terribly neglected state of a park, which, last time I visited (long ago), was a week cared for delight. Someone at the council should be lynched or at the very least sacked.

Nice Park!!, the tennis facilities are amazing.

Picnic area with gates to stop dogs coming in, allows children safely on the grassy areas

Felt bit run down, grass needed cutting, goose poop needed cleaning so you could walk around the very algae infested pond. An overall disappointing experience.

Very nice for a walk and the fenced playground is also very nice. Only all the geese and their droppings cloud the picture.

Great park nice gardens and pond with playgrounds ideal for a picnic after a walk up the river

Well maintained neet higinic park

Nice and peaceful and nice cafe

quiet and peaceful park. there are a parking lot and a playground. lots of geese (and their poop🤣)

A lovely and quiet place on this sunny morning!

A wonderful local park. Might want to avoid it when the river is up though.

Not as well maintained as it used to be but still a nice place to go for a walk

Very nice park only the pond area is need of a clean up.

Lovely park. Has suffered rather due to prolonged flooding, but looking good thanks to all the wonderful efforts of the gardening volunteers. The reading cafe is a fab place, chilled, nice staff and yummy food.

Excellent choice of gluten free cakes and great value for money. As a Coeliac I am always pleased to find places that have cake that is gluten free.

Glorious place within ten minutes walk from the town centre

Enjoyed the visit with my dog. The gardens are over grown but maybe there isn't funding to pay for it's upkeep.

Lovely local park, shame it's always flooded ✨ Whilst I honestly have only ever been to use the public bathroom, the park always looks well used (when not under water) and isn't too far away from the city centre.

York Rowntrees Park Scarecrow Trail I thought I would do the Scarecrow Trail in Rowntrees Park today which was put on by the volunteers of the park who do such great work at the park. There was a small charge to do the trail which goes to the volunteers work at the park. Rowntrees Park was created in 1921 to commemorate the Rowntrees employees killed in the 1st World War. The first thing that hits you are the beautiful 18th century gates given by the company as a memorial to the people of York that died in the 2nd World War. When we first came to York in 1961, Rowntrees Park was the first park that I visited. I can also remember swimming in the Rowntrees open air swimming pool which was closed in the 1980's and which was such a pity as it was popular. It was also the park that I took our sons many many times when they were young as also grandchildren on a Sunday afternoon. And one visit which still stands out is with Robin when he was about 2 years old to sail his small motorised boat in the lake when he got excited and literally fell/dived into the lake. I was not popular with his mum when we got back. I started from Walmgate Bar and walked along the Bar Walls to Rowntrees Park. It promised to be an interesting afternoon, as on the Walls was a pretty young Chinese girl and her fiancé who got engaged on the Bar Walls and they wanted some photos taken, so I duly obliged. I picked up the trail sheet from the Cafe and my first scarecrow was to the "Tussock Caterpillar "which munches on oak, Birch and other trees and hedges. I then visited a few in the park, but many of them scattered all over the streets of South Bank near the park, also one in Trafalgar Street, our first house in England. I remember passing the house that my friend Derek lived in Bishy Road in 1961.9 Spoke to numerous people on my 5 mile walk picking out over 25 scarecrows, including a volunteer who works in the park and telling me about the flooding in the park this winter. There was also a retired policeman who was stationed in Whitby and was asking me about my Leki sticks, and I said it was great and helped me not to fall. When he then said to me that in all the sudden deaths that he was called out to, that over 50% were from falls. I finished off with tea and sausage rolls in the Angel on the Green cafe on the popular Bishy Road.

Really nice food and very delicious thanks salt and pepper ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

Well worth a visit, spacious and suited to all visitors

Large park to walk around. The stretches of water were interesting. Lots of geese, ducks and a variety of other birds. There was a basketball court and skate park. There are different group activities you could attend: details were on the display boards.

Beautiful area with lots of walks, ideal for all the family

Lovely park great reading cafe!

Me and the boyfriend had an oat latte which was reasonably priced, and shared a rolo blondie, which was very nice indeed. I will note that the 'small' sized coffee was definitely aptly named. There were a wide range of baked goods including both sweet and savory options as well as a small brunch menu, which did look quite tempting. The outdoor seating was appreciated since it was a nice sunny day and the cafe overlooks Rowntree park, which makes for a very pleasant sight. The barista that served us was quite terse, but service was quick, so I can't complain too much. Overall, good for a nice coffee and a sweet treat.

Lovely park with gardens, large pond, play park, skate park and tennis courts. Wonderful to see the swans. Unfortunately there is a lot of bird poop on the paths surrounding the pond and also the rubbish bins were overflowing when we visited. Still, we enjoyed a peaceful walk and enjoyed seeing the magnificent gates.

Use it as part of my early morning walking route. Good facilities for all ages, plus the addition of the reading cafe

Lovely park. We'll definitely visit again.

Excellent site great staff always clean

Rowntree Park is a real gem, just off the beaten track in York. Anyone who leaves the hustle and bustle of the city and walks out along the river bank and over the bridge is in for a real treat. It has something for everyone: play areas, water feature, statues, beautiful planting and a reading cafe, benches, toilets and there's even an icecream van just outside one of the gates. It is well set out and with the exception of entry to the cafe everything is on the level. Children have lots to see and do with open areas, play areas and of course all of the ducks etc to watch. I have never driven to this park but there is a small parking area. It really is a beautiful park; well worth a visit and the best thing of all, it's free!

Nice place, bowling greens no longer.

Such a beautiful place. Always need to be mindful of the geese, geese poo, and flooding!

Nice park with a mix of facilities for children of all ages.

Awesome views from the Café balcony, and a great spot to relax and take in the sites and sounds of all the surrounding nature.

Enjoyed Christmas wreath making and a lovely coffee in the cafe. Whatever the weather the cafe is always cosy. xx

One of my favourite parks, lots of good sculptures and walks.

A bit soggy and muddy due to recent flooding but kids enjoyed he equipment they could safely use. Nice stroll around the park and chat to the ducks and swans. A coffee in the library cafe and back to the carpark

A Fantastic place to spend the day, especially on a dry summers day. Plenty of space to play and have a picnic, lovely little walks, a great play area (It does get busy!) and a cute little cafe. The pond is nice to walk around also. Lots of activities happen at the park that are run by the Friends of Rowntree park so keep an eye on their social media pages for event news.

Wow this park is huge with friendly folk and only 15 mins walk into York centre

Playground is great. My 11 month old had a great time, and so did his Mummy and Nana! I didn't mind wiping off goose poo from the pram when we got home...well worth the muck! The toilets are not very nice, smelly and no baby changing. Thankfully we went to the cafe to use theirs which were very clean and accessible.

Lovely park, great place for kids.

History of York's confectionery past, all in this park.

Great place to go especially in the summer, decent amount of swings etc for children, good car park, lakes with ducks, geese and swans and a cafe as well.

Great place for kids to go lots of play areas and tennis courts and a skateboarding area. Refreshments can be bought in the cafe and there is a car park with low parking costs

Lovely walk rnd the gardens. Cafe very busy as was a lovely day...

Love this local park. So beautiful for a morning walk.

A lovely little park to escape the bustle of Central York... Nice walk next to the river to get there too. Recommend if you (like us) have young kids to run off some steam! Great playground equipment but also a pretty park in itself to wander around.

Absolutely beautiful place to visit. Very quiet and tranquil and reccommend this place for a family or couple visit. Plenty of things to do for the family.

Been going here since I was a child and still enjoy it.

Great place for kids to let off steam

Visited years ago and remember it been a lovely place , well what a disappointment today on a return visit . Very untidy , goose poo every where , stinking toilet , lake full of weed and indeed of some garden maintenance with weeds everywhere

A great place to relax. Very good coffee shop too

Its a great place for family picnics as well as walking and playing

Beautiful and well kept lake and gardens

Charming place, but needs cleaning.

A lovely park that looks like it should be kept better. The re wilding look doesn't do it any favours., important as the pollinators are. Sadly the park is looking run down. The toilets were disgusting . Play areas had lots of interest for the kids of all ages. The pond/ lake was covered in litter stuck in the bright green weed. Amazingly lots of fish in this shallow area. This park has lots of facilities and lots of users not many carers.

Beautiful little park with a great cafe. Service very friendly and food good.

Really nice place to relax and read a book, have a picnic with family, kids can play.

Standard park for the kids just don't take them in the public toilet. It's disgusting. The lake/pond is full of cans and other rubbish.

Unfortunately we were unable to enjoy as much as we would have as it was closed because of flooding

Just a walk from York city centre this park is an ideal place to escape. Good open walking area. Ponds and children's area. Cafe and walk along river towards Millennium Bridge

Great place to come with the kids

Lovely, very well kept and relaxing park found just off the riverside walk into York from the north. Just a pity the opening hours aren't a little longer as it doesn't open until lunchtime.

Lovely picturesque park in York. Quite the hidden gem I found. Lost of amenities, toilets, park for the kids, pond, and kiosk to purchase snacks and drinks.

Quite pleasant small park with a cafe.

Lovely park. Very clean, great place

Quite disappointed at how Rowntree Park is looking more neglected by the year. Having visited for many years on and off from bringing my children to see the pond and play in the park when they were little to now visiting with our dogs and also incorporating a walk down by the river too. This once manicured park seems to now be left to the elements with no attention to detail. Whilst still a grand space with lots to do, it now looks like it craves it's sparkle back. I'm sure people on a 'one off visit' wouldn't realise but this review is from a person local to York.

Went along for the tropica day event. Great to see something fun for both parents and kids. Great music! No toilets sadly but everything else was great!

We've been looking for somewhere this great in York for a while! Eclectic tea room, books, warm scones, duck food and delicious coffee milkshake. Just right on the hottest day of the year. Looking forwards to returning for quiche 😁

Lovely setting on the balcony overlooking the park. Good value cafe with an array of books to read should you wish.

Purchased 3 items: all disgustingly dry and inedible. A sausage roll that resembles a Jurassic bone, filled with some kind of vile jelly type fat / animal mucus (I'm pulling this face as I type 🤢), and two buns that could have caused major damage if they hit you at impact. I'm presuming these were baked (or dug up) days ago, and served as stale remnants, which is pretty shameful considering the rip off prices. I'll stick to eating a bucket of sand next time, it has more moisture.

Lovely café spoiled by quite the worst Latte coffee I have ever had .why? Any coffee has to actually taste of coffee. This dosnt its just warm milk. Could be the machine or the fact they don't take enough care making it...

About 15 mins walk from the centre along the river. Nice park with a lake and gardens and a café. Worth a visit.

Great cafe, amazing views over the park. We had some lovely breakfasts there, also remarkably cheap. The power breakfast cookie provided my friend with the energy he needed to navigate us back to London! Would definitely recommend.

We have never visited here before and wanted to support small local businesses as new residents of York. However, we were welcomed with absolutely horrendous customer service. We came to the cafe at 3:45pm, with plenty of time to be served. The man straight away was funny with us, saying ‘we cash up at 4’, so we offered to pay all together to help them out which he didn’t seem to appreciate. There were other customers still behind us and he didn’t seem to mention this to them. We have never visited here before so we were unsure where to collect our drinks. My friend asked the man who’s reply was ‘well we have to make them obviously’. While waiting for the drinks the girl making them seemed very clueless. Making all 3 of our drinks wrong. When we corrected her on the drinks it took her another 10 minutes to make them, for the man to then say ‘in future if you’re wanting these types of drinks you need to come in earlier’. Followed by him requesting us not to return again, as if we would! As we were leaving he watched us from the door to ensure that we were leaving which came across as threatening and uncomfortable, as the only customers in the shop at the time. I can safely say we will never return here, no wonder small businesses can’t survive when they offer service like this. I’ll stick to my Starbucks who can make drinks properly and offer better customer service thanks.

Maybe the best cafe view in York. A beautiful sanctuary and vantage point of a park worthy of Paris. The prices are very reasonable unlike the city centre or Bishy Rd although top quality is not their selling point. A place to read and chat for solos and families is their reason of being and that’s the reason you should come. Enjoy!

Just managed to get an inside table (much reduced seating due to Covid!) and had a delicious chai latte and equally delicious pancakes with honey and fruit

Firstly, great location and nice to have a cafe at the park. However, the food really lets the place down. Just isn't tasty at all. Tried scones, croissants, quiches. Definitely need to up their game on this front. Plus, I had a glass of water from the jug at the counter and it was lukewarm, so had perhaps come from a mixer tap that had just poured hot water. Yuk!

Love this place and regularly visit with my Granddaughters. Afraid this morning the cheese scone was dry and no taste of cheese very unappetising. Don't know if This is the norm. But a dry scone no.... Bit picky this review but they did have a very good write up in the paper...

Just a note to all dog owners - this cafe is not dog friendly as some reviews will suggest. Dogs are only allowed outside.

Once again we come for lunch, as usual was very busy but so worth the wait! Great food good service,lovely chef. Do wish the cafe would bring back the tea pots

I don't often write negative reviews, but this place deserves one. The young girl at the counter (Sunday job?) was an exercise in cluelessness, and was only on planet Earth by the skin of her teeth. Her attempt to overcharge us by over 50% was barely acknowledged by her, let alone apologised for. And, frankly, the sandwiches were, in two words, expensive and revolting. We both felt we had ingested a vat of mayonnaise, and the nausea took some hours to recede. This place has the potential to be so very good, and yet it seems to delight in having capricious food-serving times, and generally a rubbish attitude towards customers. Can it be THAT hard to get it right, in such a potentially perfect location?

On a lovely sunny day the cafe in the park looked particularly tempting, with lots of people sitting on the balcony enjoying the views over the lake and park, and there is no doubt that this tearoom enjoys a splendid and very scenic location. We found a table inside and enjoyed good coffee, tea and scones. Service seemed a bit haphazard however and you have to order at one counter and collect your food etc from another counter. This may well be the best use of the tight space, but having to help yourself to milk from a communal jug on the counter and take the teabag out of your mug and wonder where on earth to put it, is more transport caff than tearoom and I think there is scope to improve some aspects of the service.

Nice place to stop for lunch, large sandwiches had a salads. Standard drinks offerings, tea, coffee and soft drinks

Had lunch here with my cousin and the vegetarian platter was great. Location on a sunny day hard to beat and being in a park makes it a lovely place to walk to. Coffee was good and menu has lots of choice for a small place. The only thing that let it down was the toilet was dirty and the toilet seat was broken. The rest of the venue was beautiful and clean so hopefully the toilet was a blip. Would go back.