Ruswarp Riverside Cafe in Scarborough

As ever the cafe was really busy and food was delicious even fed the ducks, the odd Swan, and also the geese

Negatives. Sandwiches £9.50. Very little choice. Only had the option of prawn,crab or sausage. Not even ham on the menu. Took quite some time for our drinks to arrive. I wouldn’t say the sandwich was worth the money at all. Also the wait to be served was a long time. They need more staff. In comparison for the area and price I would have expected more. Positives. The location is lovely and nice to be able to feed the ducks.

Excellent homemade quiche salad for lunch. Large portions. Dog friendly garden. Friendly staff. Will definitely be back.

Awful staff, rudest people, ignored our reasonable requests made for our own safety. Barred for life when we tried to raise the issue; no freedom of speech, shouting us out. STAY AWAY!

Quick service, with a wonderful view. We went rowing along the river and decided to come here for lunch afterwards! The food was fresh and warm, with great portion sizes. I will definitely return in future

This place is not wheelchair friendly. There’s no quick access from garden to cafe for toilets because it’s blocked off. Lots of grass and gravel too. Also ordered pots of tea, very basic order but they forgot to bring us milk of all things.

Great cafe. Food was great value & delicious. All 7 of us served perfectly - ate outside by the river. Great location. Would highly recommend. Service was superb too.

Recently visited this lovely cafe in a beautiful setting. The food was second to none, service was excellent and would highly recommend to anyone! We will most definitely be back!

What can I say about our vist. Firstly the surroundings are beautiful. The staff are first class nothing is to much trouble for them and are well mannered and friendly. On to the food We had a afternoon tea.The sandwiches was so nice and full of fillings.The homemade cakes was delicious.The coffee just finished it off. A perfect afternoon was had by all. As the saying goes you get what you pay for.I don't believe any the prices to be overpriced. We will certainly be returning for a longer stay at the beautiful cottages on site very soon.

Came here for a quick drink whilst passing on our bikes. I joined the queue to order our drinks. After waiting 10 mins till we got served because the young lad who was serving had literally no clue whatsoever of what he was doing. He clearly didn’t know how to search for items on his pad/till and really struggled working out change. Finally after we got seated and waited for the drinks to be served (which was very expensive!!) It’s a lovely spot on the river I have to say but there was a man with a lovely dog who was chucking the stick in the water for her and she fetching it and bringing it back and everybody nearby was actually enjoying and commenting on this lovely dog (very well behaved) one waitress asked if the dog could be put on a lead to which the lad replied “she just swimming in the water” and she said that’s ok if she stays in the water. Anyway another waitress came over and said the dog HAS to be on a lead as she seen the dog near another table. The lad said “I’ll leave then” to which the miserable waitress replied “ok then” Talk about miserable hostile and pedantic !!!! No one complained about the lovely dog who was just climbing out of the water to fetch its stick back!!!!!! I felt embarrassed for the lad I really did and so did everyone else. Sorry would not recommend this place AVOID !!

Live local , walked over on a Sunday morning for a Coffee and a Bacon Buttie .. 2 Coffes and 2 Bacon Sandwiches £18.00 . Have contacted the owner as we thought we may have been accidentally overcharged . His response was" we did nt ask " .? ? ??? .. Enough said really

We called here on a walk from whitby, only cafe around so not much choice if you want a drink. It's a lovely spot clean tidy and nice views. Cakes were very tasty, and the children enjoyed their milk shakes ! At £6.50 each, I was expecting a bit more than a jam jar full, though, to be honest. My main issue was I ordered a shandy as yes it's licenced which is great on a hot sunny day after a walk. Sadly, flat lemonade when I said that's flat, he took it out the back and came back saying he had put fresh lemonade in clearly, not as the shandy was flat and not the best. I was then told they wisk all the bubbles out to get flat lemonade for shandy !!! It's a Shame really as all they needed to do was open a new bottle!

What a really fab place. Beautiful setting, right on the Riverside Excellent menu, especially their GF options Will definitely return, next time we're in Ruswarp 💜

Lovely lunch, great service. A lovely place to sit by the river. The tables are nicely spaced and duck food was a nice touch

Just had a journey through food heaven. Excellent coffee. One of the best espressos I've had in this country & a perfect lemon drizzle cake. Quiet Riverside surroundings, so perfect on a sunny autumn morning. Today can't get a lot better.

It was a sunny day when we walked to the Riverside Café which has a great location by the river Esk. We ordered two beers, crab sandwiches and quiche. The food was delicious and the service was friendly. It’s a lovely and relaxing place to...

Stumbled accross this place when staying in nearby Sleights. lovely outdoor seating areas with river views. Duck frequent the water and can be fed. (Food sold at cafe). Small fish can be seen in the river from your table. We called in after spending an...

A great find! Ten of us ate here and had various things from salads, sandwiches and quiche, everyone really enjoyed their food. The location is superb right next to the river and the service was really good as well Definitely worth a visit

We discovered this lovely tea shop by the River after walking from Whitby to he little village of Ruswarp.

We stopped here one morning for a coffee and a cake and were impressed by the lovely location. Well worth a visit and the cakes are lovely

Take the train or walk from Whitby to this fabulous cafe by the river. Great menu with delicious home made cakes. Great staff too.

Loved it here. Lovely cafe in a stunning location, friendly staff and atmosphere. The afternoon tea with crab sandwiches was delicious. Highly recommended.

Walked here from Whitby on a path by the railway. Great service to our table. Hot chocolate in China cups. Sandwiches with generous fillings plus salad and coleslaw. Hot bacon sandwiches tasty and generous. Lovely tranquil setting amongst ducks, geese. River used for for rowing...

Superb little cafe with lots of outdoor tables next to the river. The food and location really are very good with great service

The only 2 gluten free choices I could see were caramel shortbread and flapjacks. Both were in cellophane packets and very small.

Had a great visit here. beautifully tranquil. easy access for the disabled. friendly service. shame not much for vegans. had fun feeding the ducks

If setting by the Riverside enjoying a light lunch with a coffee and cake is your thing then this place ticks lots of boxes. Not a massive menu consisting of mainly a choice of sandwiches and a great choice of cakes. Sit back relax and...

Visited Ruswarp and the Riverside cafe, it is a lovely place to sit in the garden area next to the River watching the rowers go by and the ducks, ordered some drinks and and had a lovely time, they sell afternoon tea and the food...

Found this cafe by accident after walking from Whitby along the beautiful riverside path. Lovely light lunch and cake right next to the river. Great service, great food, lovely peaceful spot.

The service was speedy and staff superb and welcoming. Prawn salad, and crab sandwiches ( with trimmings) and lovely cups of tea. So relaxing watching the ducks and other wildlife. Gorgeous place for either afternoon tea sandwiches, or a meal. Certainly worth visiting.EXCELLENT.

The Place is really beautiful great coffee and carrot cake was yummy the young guy that served us was lovely but have to say went inside the cafe and found the management and staff in there very ignorant which is a shame when they have such a beautiful place.

I can’t understand why there are any negative comments on here. We have been twice during our stay in Ruswarp - once for drinks (excellent hot chocolate) and then we came back for lunch. The staff were always extremely helpful and polite - the food was lovely and thanks to the sunshine we’ve had this week - the setting watching the boats and the ducks go by was gorgeous. Would definitely recommend and might even try to squeeze another visit in before we leave!

2 visits here for snacks, whilst on a 3 night stay near Sandsend.The café is located just off a minor road that links Ruswarp and Sleights and is set alongside the picturesque River Esk.There are some interesting old photos of the area and plenty of outside seating (weather too inclement for us).We had coffee and a toasted currant teacake and scone (substituted by cake on the second visit), very tasty and decent value.

The Cafe is part of the Chainside Riverside retreats but is open to the Public. Friendly staff and great views of the River as you eat. Tasty Home baking and sandwhiches and an alcohol menu. Would recommend.

We called in one lovely morning for coffee and snacks and was not dissapointed. Unlike some other reviewers we had no issue ordering at the van and the drinks and cakes came very quickly. The coffee was also the best I had during our stay around Whitby. Not sure if other reviewers were unlucky but our visit was perfect and the location is great too!

Called in for the first time for a scone and tea. When asked if the scones were freshly made that day, the young lady informed that the cheese scones were not but the fruit scones were. Two fruit scones were ordered. At £2.50 each, very very disappointing. More like cake with four pieces of fruit in. First and last visit.

We have been here on 2 consecutive lunchtimes. I can't praise the staff and service enough. The food was lovely, well presented and reasonably priced. We were made more than welcome with our 3 dogs which was a refreshing change. Water bowls filled for them or supplied.Thank you so much.

Decided to stop at this nice setting after walking from Whitby. An impromptu stop. We waited at the van outside where it said to order, however no one was serving in the van. We went inside instead and found an empty table to sit at. There inside a sign said order at the van outside. I went back out and again no one was in the van. I asked a man who was cleaning tables how I order. He replied at the van, I said there’s no one in it to which he replied and I quote give us a bloody minute! Taken a back at being sworn at I questioned his attitude and customer service standards. However rather than apologising he continued his stance and told the young lad who eventually appeared in the van to refuse to serve me. Which the lad duly agreed to do albeit looking totally embarrassed by the affair. Another lady then appeared and asked what was going on and told me I shouldn’t be rude. Pot Kettle and black springs to mind when an owner or employee swears at a customer. We promptly left and never to return. I would advise anyone to give this place a wide birth as after reading other people’s previous reviews it’s not a one off occurrence. They have form!! Be warned. People like this don’t deserve to stay in business. If I could have given a minus figure I would have done

Visited with the family to enjoy a drink, some lunch and watch the boating activities on the river. Very well organised in these times with orders taken and seating arranged, lunch was fresh and tasty and overall a nice experience.

Usually one of my favourite places to visit and recommend to my friends. However, on this particular occasion I had arranged to meet my friend there. Unfortunately I needed to contact her urgently. Having no phone signal, I asked one of the staff for the WiFi password, to be told,”we don’t have internet”. I explained my predicament to him, his response was to laugh. I can’t believe in this day and age an establishment does not have internet access for customers, particularly one in a rural location where the telephone signal is intermittent at best. Not much more to say really, other than given my reception today I won’t be going back in a hurry.

A very nice setting by the river. Indoors was closed due to Covid restrictions so it was outdoor seating only, fortunately weather was good. Excellent hot chocolate.

What a lovely Café - gorgeous setting on the river bank with wide ranging menu for lunch or just a nice pot of tea. We had the cream tea and was delightful (albeit not sure the lemon peel was needed in the scone!)The boys grabbed a rowing boat on the river whilst mum and grandma enjoyed their tea. Very well set up as Covid-secure which made the stop off all the better.

Came in here for my first ever visit,3rd October 2019. We went in, nobody inside but a couple of people outside.We decided we only wanted a pot of tea each, but rather than take our order where we were, the not so polite woman behind the counter, made us get a table number and go around to the ice cream bit. There was nobody else in and for the sake of 10 feet she could have served us on the side we were on, as it was it took her 30 seconds to walk the 10 feet.. Another lady came in while we were there and she got the same treatment.As a first time visitor, id think twice before i went back, which is a shame as its in a lovely setting by the river

Stopped here whilst on a hike for a snack and coffee. A lovely cafe on the riverbank, with a relaxed atmosphere. Will go here again

Lovely cafe by the river for a snack or main meal. Dog friendly outside and inside in the building by the garden at the left hand side so during inclement weather, you can get out of the rain. Dogs are not allowed In the right hand side of the cafe. Excellent choice of food and drink, very friendly and very reasonable prices as well. And thank you for looking after our dogs water bowl which we left! Definitely worth a visit.

Lovely garden centre, small, and tea shop by the edge of the river. Very relaxed atmosphere, took my elderly parents here and they loved pottering about and sitting in garden on a sunny day.

Called here as looked an idyllic setting for a break and sure enough on that front it won’t disappoint.We sat down on a lovely table right next to the river, looked at what was on offer, made a note of table number and was directed to the conservatory area to place our order.This was the problem as despite several staff milling about there was just one lady behind the counter, which in fact doubles up as an ice cream display, where not only was she trying to serve ice cream but take food/tea orders as well.There were 2 other customers in front of me, one ordering 9 cones for her family well that was it, I’d been waiting 15 minutes already so we left.Shame is it is a nice place just we never got the chance to try the food due to the lack of deploying staff in the correct areas.

Called in today while we were doing the Ruswarp circular from Whitby, we had prawn sandwiches, scones and coffee. All were very good and very fresh, we sat outside looking over the river, even though it was raining we had the shelter of big umbrellas over the tables. It is a very peaceful spot, we will definitely call again.

called in 23rd july, mid afternoon, me and my partner had the same, home made quiche, was really tasty and filling, small mixed salad and crisps, and a lovely cool lager by the riverside.

We stopped here for dinner and a drink. Really nice food and in a lovely location. Staff very friendly.

My family and i ate here several times the food was excellent and the staff were lovely and extremely helpful. Highly recommend It

We stopped at the cafe for a snack, 2 of us ordered cheese scones. Warm and straight from the oven, 1 was fine, 1 wasn’t cooked. When I mentioned this to our server, a fairly angry lady appeared from the kitchen to tell me “actually it was cooked, it’s just the amount of cheese that makes it heavy. But here, have another fresh one anyway”... which was perfectly cooked. There is a well known saying the customer is always right. In this case I was.. and you disagreed with me instead of a simple apology. The cafe Setting is lovely, the replacement scone was nice. But, the lady from the kitchen made me feel embarrassed and may as well have just called me a liar.

We came across this place by accident, and very glad we did.

In my youth i dated the daughter of the owners and as an "honoured" guest was able to devour delicious home-made sandwiches, salads, cheesecakes and chocolate cake after my stint working on the nearby boats which were owned by the same family.

This is a great place to bring the family it’s on the river with lots of ducks swimming around.

Always a great stop here. Love watching the people go by in the boats as we enjoy a coffee and a sandwich. Perfect little place to get away from the busy streets of Whitby

There is nothing really special about the cafe. The food I saw didn't look great. The drinks are not over expensive. But the views of the river on a nice day are good and you can watch the boaters come past.

basic but very nice food , low priced , relaxing place , recommend a visit ,easy to find , ideal for familys

We came across this lovely riverside cafe by chance while staying in Sleights just outside Whitby, and it was so relaxing to stop off there for a glass of Wine after a days touring around the Yorkshire Moors before retiring to our guest house for the night. it was so nice sitting on the bank of the River Esk with a glass of wine watching the Ducks and Swans and the occasional steam train go by on the NYMR to and from Whitby and pickering. What more could you want on Holiday.

We called in while doing a coast tour, fantastic place with great friendly staff, you can even see the trains from NYMR for free!

Awesome Hamburgers, friendly staff. Just the right place for some refreshment after an exhausting rowing trip up the River Esk

We walk from Whitby to Ruswarp via the path that runs alongside the steam railway. It’s a lovely walk to a lovely village. Once in the village we have a look around and end up at the Riverside Cafe for lunch. We immediate noticed the changes this year and where impressed - more tables and the lovely van in the garden. It’s still the same highly enjoyable food though!!

We kept passing signs for the cafe and miniature railway so we decided to visit. It's situated on the bank of the river esk. A very pretty place with tables inside and out. You could imagine the yester year gentry residing here. We loved it. I ordered a cheese and ham panini and my fiance ordered crab mayonaise sandwich. Both meals came with side salad, crisps, and coleslaw. They looked very inviting and tasted fabulous. Everything is freshly made. They even pick the strawberries from their garden!. We sat inside as it was a warm day.. but the tables outside all had parassols and a lovely view of the river. As familues rowed past on their canoes it really was an idealistic place to have a light lunch. A very clean and tidy place. The staff where very polite and friendly and young a credit to the owners. Well done!.. looking forward to returning here soon.

called at this cafe for lunch today. I had egg mayo sandwich & my partner had tuna salad. Both were very fresh & extremely tasty. All the food looked amazing. Staff very friendly & great location at the side of the river . Burgers sold from 4pm from a quirky van ....we will return!

Lovely garden centre and cafe, location is perfect for all. We come here for coffee morning with our service users and they love it every time. Staff are excellent and very polite and accommodating... This is why we come back. Great job

What a beautiful location Sun was shining food & drink was very good Staff were friendly On the banks of the river with steam trains going past Plenty of people out on rowing boats It’s a good place for a catch up with friends

Amazing food at good prices in a lovely setting... particularly in the evening by the river. Run by great staff. The burgers are sold from 4pm onwards and are delicious... make sure you go for the pulled pork.

A beautiful venue by the river. Excellent food. Crab salad being a speciality. Friendly staff. Quick service

Lovely crab sandwiches and coffee. Tranquil setting in the pretty village of Ruswarp. If you are lucky you will see a steam train go past.

This gem off the beaten track a little but well worth the find, nice walk from Whitby along the river to ruswick

Really tasty sandwiches, quick service and a lovely location. Fresh prawns in my sandwich, and a great kids lunchbox for our little one. Well worth a visit.

Cafe is in a lovely spot next to the river - we escaped the bustle of Whitby by walking over the fields and working up a thirst. Very nice pot of tea & coffee between us with a toasted teacake. Just the ticket to prepare us for the walk back. Great place - will be back

I've been coming to Whitby and the area for well over 50 years and now live over here and I've never been to this little gem since today. Beautiful setting by the river and we were served the best scones I've had for a long time plus good tea and coffee. Very helpful and courteous staff too. I need to make up for lost time.

Called in on the way back from Whitby and sat outside with the dogs and had afternoon tea, it was delicious and price good, but couldn't finish it all so wrapped some cakes up in napkins and finished them later. Lovely to see the ducks and boats on the river and catch a glimpse of the steam train through the trees. Also have a small putting green and croquet lawn for a small fee, plus nice to look at everything in the garden centre.

Coffee and tea brought out for table 25 we were table 28 so didn't take it grumpy waitress came back and asked if we had ordered tea and coffee we said yes."Why didn't you take it " we explained we were 28 she said it was the way it was written, looked like 25 but was ours.Then she came back with chicken sandwich and bit. We had ordered chicken sandwich and pulled pork baguette, she insisted it was ours eventually went back to kitchen only to come back to our table with an order slip saying she had proof it was our order, placed the food down and was ready to leave it when one of the young waiters ran out to tell her where the order was really for. We got our order eventually no apology just a grumpy face. Lol food was OK but bit expensive

Came across the cafe by accident and loved how peaceful it was. It was so serene Sat by the river watching the bird life and boats come up and down. Service was good and ate a tasty panini followed by scone and cream. Hidden gem and will definitely visit again.

We called in here on our mini break to Whitby and liked it so much,we called again on our trip back home.

we visted this cafe very much while on holiday as our cottage was a coupleof miles up road also great to catch the train for day out

I have pretty much said it all in the title but we visited this lovely little cafe whilst on a family day out on our holiday. We had coffee, tea and 4 different cakes between us. The service was very quick, staff were lovely and friendly. The cakes we had were absolutely gorgeous; each and every one of them! The coffee was exceptionally nice, for me it was better than you’d see at the high street stores and a lot better priced! Would highly recommend, we’ll worth a visit!

Called in for lunch and had panini and tea. Good choice of fillings and they came with salad and some crisps. Lovely views over the river and we watched people canoeing and also the ducks while we ate.

We spent a couple of hours here a few weeks ago. Great little cafe next to miniature railway and boat hire. Fed the ducks, watched the proper Steam locos pass by on the opposite bank and generally chilled out in the sunshine.

Have been to Whitby loads but just found this Lovely riverside cafe while rowing by on the river Esk on The Ruswarp Pleasure Board.In Ruswsrp is where the cafe is and could have stayed all day buy some duck good from the cafe and the ducks will come.Staff great as well and food Delicious well worth a visit

Gorgeous place to stop not only is there the most lovely garden centre but the cafe is devine set right on the river with inside and outside tables. Food was fantastic staff are all lovely. Highly recommend a visit

The children's lunchbox costs £4. It had a ribena, sugary cookie, walkers crisps & half a sandwich. Literally 2 small squares & a toy. It took almost 10 minutes to "make" this and the cafe was quiet. ..

we went in here for drinks it is not the poshest of places but very nice with great views looking out over the river. The drinks were ok .

This little café is situated inside the ground of the garden centre and is a great little place. It looks like it is inside a large garden shed but is very clean and has amazing views of the river. The coffee was lovely and the staff very friendly

Brought my 91 year old father for excellent value afternoon tea.

This is the 3rd time we have stopped here for a bite to eat. The cafe is right by the riverside, with wonderful views of the river, the rowers and the wildlife. The service is excellent and the staff polite and friendly. The food is brilliant and very tasty, it's made to order so very fresh. We walk to Ruswarp from Whitby along the footpath next to the railway, it's a lovely flat walk, takes about 40mins, and at the end you can have a lovely meal and drink before the walk back. Definitely recommend a visit. We'll be back next time we're in Whitby.

poor staff did not no what they was doing overwhelmed by the experience we was not the only one that came away

Really good light refreshments served quickly and by friendly staff. As well as sandwiches there is quiche then cakes and ice creams.

stopped off for coffee and scone. we all really enjoyed our drinks but the best was the scones with clotted cream and jam. really lovely. friendly attentative staff.

great cafe adjoining the holiday cottages. relaxing on the riverside with steam trains passing by. great food and afternoon tea while you feed the ducks and swans

We had coffee and cake here on a nice sunny afternoon. The location is great - we had a lovely relaxing sit by the river. We purchased some Duck / Swan feed which they sell for £1. I was very pleased with the coffee, the cake and the service. The toilets were very clean indeed.

Helpful friendly staff a pure joy and pleasant afternoon tea well worth a visit ample parking and being a riverside cafe wildlife to see and remember to bring your camera

called in on a visit to whitby for a look arround , very nice cafe near the river with nice views. had a coffe and a prawn and crab sandwhich beast i have ever eaten

Good option for a coffee or sandwich if visiting the miniature railway or boating lake. We dropped in after using the railway and enjoyed a round of cappuccinos and milkshakes. The hot food looked good too.

This is a lovely setting by the water with plenty of seating inside and out and dogs are welcome. We shared a crab sandwich and a chicken melt panini. A nice little stop before heading back to Whitby

After taking my granddaughter on the little train ride next to this café we went in for refreshments. Nicely located with both inside and outside seating. However we did find the drinks were a little expensive and somewhat on the cold side and a small piece of pre packed cake well over priced. Nice location and views over the river but not in a great hurry to return

Second time we visited here lovely place for afternoon coffee or glass of wine they do afternoon sandwiches and light bites parking limited you have to park on side of the road no car park so if you lucky to find a space you can enjoy snack or drink by river downside can have to wait while if you need toilet as only one communal toilet and if place busy be prepared for long wait

Stopped here just by chance. What a great location beside the River Esk. No regrets at all. Service was excellent, as were the coffee and sandwiches. Could have sat here for hours. Toilet was immaculate which is a good sign. The adjacent riverside cottages looked fantastic and would consider them if I wanted a quiet location near whitby and the Moors.