Shibden Mereside Cafe in Calderdale

Ordered a ‘special’ panini £7.95. Brie cheese and cranberry. It was like cardboard with hardly any filling. What a rip off

Ordered the cheddar omelette, chips and coleslaw. All tasted fine, but I would say this was a plain omelette as we could not taste any cheese. Drinks were great, but the cakes were a little expensive....

Lovely spot near the lake. Food was ok but nothing amazing. I was really disappointed with the children’s sandwich box. They contained a sandwich which was more butter than ham, a bag of salted crisps (very unhealthy for a child’s option), a small yogurt and a capri sun. In my opinion the children’s meal should at least offer a piece of fruit and maybe the option to swap a sugary drink for a bottle of water. Staff were unhelpful and thought I was crazy for wanting a healthier option

Disappointing visit , considering the very pleasant surroundings. Lots of tables inside and out. Inside the cafe was cool ( it was a hot day). Menu had a good variety of hot and cold dishes. Tuna Salad was well presented. The toasted cranberry ,Brie a d bacon ciabatta was dry and looked unappetising .

Visited after coming down from Shibden Hall. Very pleasant large indoor and outdoor tables. As the weather was ok, we sat outside by the gardens. Good selection of food and drinks and warm and friendly staff.

Visited here a few days running in February, Ethan provided us with a warm welcome and great customer service. Thank you Ethan

Went to Shibden Mereside Cafe today with The Mrs and decided to have a light lunch. This was the second time in about three weeks. The last time we were a bit later and we were sat in the extended area of the cafe as it was fairly busy. The food at the Cafe is mostly ok and most of the staff are as well but my issue was when we were half way through our food some of the staff started clearing up and then lifted the chairs up on to the unoccupied tables which I found to be rather rude, given that we were still eating and it made us feel quite unwelcome. So today we went earlier and sat in the extended area again with a few other tables being occupied by people dining or having coffee, cakes etc. then lo and behold at 2.15pm one of the staff came in and again the chairs went up on the tables and this time I heard one of two ladies sat at another table (obviously disturbed by this) ask the staff member what time they were closing to which she was told 4.30pm and then she turned away and started sweeping the floor. I hope the Manager gets to read this and consider how rude and unwelcoming it really is. I will have to consider going back but won't be in any kind of rush, I think it's unacceptable, shame really.

After a lovely walk around the park we decided to have an ice cream. I went back to our car for my purse. I was surprised to see the price of a one scoop ice cream cone, £3.95, so I paid nearly £8 for 2 cones, I thought it would be good quality ice cream so went ahead with the purchase, but sadly when I got back to the car and tried the cone it was tasteless and had pieces of ice in it. For obvious reasons I didn’t go back (it was melting) but with hindsight I should have done. I felt sorry for a young mum behind me with 3 children as she had promised them an ice cream as a treat. Most expensive ice cream I’ve ever had and probably the worst, avoid!

I had a gluten free chicken sandwich for my lunch, i was very pleased i could eat there, they have soya milk ,again very pleased as not many independent cafes have., staff were very helpful. They sell gluten free cones if you fancied an ice cream . The cafe is a very good size with plenty of seating, even sit outside if you wish. So pleased they cater for Celiacs with a choice..

Visited the cafe after a visit to the park and playground on a sunny sunday afternoon. It was 3.30pm and the cafe closing time was 4.30pm but even though the park was busy and the queue was out of the door, over half of the seating area was closed off and chairs on tables so staff could mop the floor. I found this made it feel really unwelcoming like they didnt want you in there even though there was an hour left until they closed. Lots of people took chairs down again to sit at the tables. It was also very expensive, with a coffee, 2 soft drinks and 3 traybakes coming to £17!

Great service and food. Between us we had pannini, omelette, sausage bagel and a sausage, chéese and onion toastie, all made well and deliecious. Drinks good too.

We came to Halifax to collect an eBay purchase and the couple suggested to come here for a meander and a coffee. We had three large cooked breakfasts which were delicious and very nice! The vegetarian breakfast was extremely tasty and full of flavour. Hot chocolate was average but tasty. Good coffee and very good cup of tea! Overall would recommend :)

Came today for lunch. Just had to say the prawn salad was amazing. We had it with smoked salmon and just had to comment how nice lunch was. We have been before lots of times and always enjoyed it. The kids had the lunchboxes and they were great. Thank you for making a super lunch

A friend and I visited Shibden Hall. We loved it: friendly staff, good information, then went down the hill to Mereside Cafe for a light lunch. What an awful disappointment and what a contrast with the hall itself and the grounds. The fillings in the toastie and the panini had been scraped in, then scraped out. The panini, especially, was inedible; my friend returned it but the "revised" version was scarcely better: she left most of it. And her bill had been over £10. Shibden Hall get a better caterer: there are lots of good local examples, serving good fresh local food. My advice is go to the Hall but DON'T GO THE MERESIDE CAFE.

Bacon cheese panini (£5.45) with chips (£1.45 extra) : absolutely awful, a rasher of bacon, scant cheese covering and 11 half cooked frozen chips! No garnish or anything nice at all. Expensive and very poor quality. The low point of a very good visit the the excellent Shibden hall. Go to the hall, don’t eat here.

Dreadful soup. I could stand my spoon up in it. Very stingy with the butter. (one piece) Service good. Panini splendid

We ordered a cheese omelette (which came with chips), a veggie sausage with caramelised onion toastie (delicious) and a turkey stuffing, yorkshire pudding wrap (lovely), along with 3 lattes. The service was excellent, the location lovely and the food brilliant as well, will definitely be back!

Sadly I'd left it too late to book the Afternoon tea for those visiting the hall, but it didn't matter. Despite it being a very warm day, and there being many people, there were lots of seats and tables for us to sit at. A range of food from sandwiches to pie and tart of the day. We had the Brie, bacon and cranberry tart with chips and salad. Generous serving but little flavour in the tart. Very quick service.

We were the last in the queue at the outdoor ice cream parlour (only one family in front who were being served) when a member of staff came out and said they were cutting off the queue (there was only us and no one else in sight) and we wouldn’t be served. I had 4 children with me who I had walked over to the park for an ice cream on a warm day after their first day back at school, and when I questioned why he had cut off right in front of us when there was no one else around I was met with a very unapologetic reply and said there was nothing they could do! I was left with 4 very upset children which was completely unnecessary. Having asked to speak to the manager about our treatment I was told they had been there all day and wanted to get home! Also unapologetic and unsympathetic to the situation. We are residents of Shibden and over the years have spent hundreds of pounds in the very overpriced cafe and ice cream parlour, which we will not do again. Incredibly poor customer service with staff having no idea of the bigger picture, you have lost not only £20 for the extortionate ice creams we would have bought, but also a long time customer. Just as a side note, we were approached afterwards by other people who had witnessed this whilst eating their ice creams saying they could not believe we were treated like that, and that it was disgraceful.

A visit on a hot summers day with a long queue to order food is not ideal. Although once ordered it was soon delivered to our table and it was most enjoyable. Would certainly recommend with its varied menu both for adults and children. Note the toilets within the cafe are unavailable due to current restrictions.

Service very slow and top price for poor lukewarm coffee tastes like cheap instant out of a paper cup Not good at all

Thought it would be a treat but distinctly average and overpriced. Flask and a packed lunch next time. Families need a good overdraught facility.

Called in here for a light lunch after visiting nearby Shibden Hall. It’s just a short walk away in a setting by a nice , scenic lake. There was lots of choice on the menu, I had Jacket potato with beans and a generous side salad, my husband had the Yorkshire pudding wrap special which for £6.95 was enormous !Everything was clean and welcoming and very good value. The young girl on the till was very efficient and extremely pleasant , a ray of sunshine on a dismal November day ! We’ll definitely visit again when in the area.

This was the first visit for my 16 year old Daughter and myself. I had to queue for a good 10 minutes just to place an order. There were 2 doors left open in the cafe and it felt uncomfortably cold. A separate large group was being catered for in the back area and we both got the impression that the staff were overstretched and lacked someone in charge to direct them. One particular waitress was wandering about constantly with hot food, looking confused and then returning it to the kitchen unclaimed.My toastie was very tasty but quite dry. It needed a salad garnish to lighten it up. Instead it was served with dry nachos which I left. Will probably not return. A shame.

This is a lovely lakeside café. It is modern and boasts a varied menu for kids and adults at very reasonable prices. There are vegetarian/ vegan option too. The staff are particularly helpful and efficient.If you are old enough for a bus pass you are entitled to a discount.Don’t forget to buy a packet of duck/swan pellets to feed the ducks and swans just nearby on the lake.The adjoining park is well maintained and is worth a walk around.

Most delicious gluten free cake I've ever tasted, and lovely coffee We sat outside on the picnic benches and enjoyed the sunshine Perfect!

Pleased with the selection of food and specials. Friendly staff and although the cafe was busy, we didn't wait long for food and was surprised at the size of the portions. Each main was accompanied with salad and chips. Vegan meatballs was a bonus plus the option of soy milk. Would go again.

Really nice cafe by the lake with indoor and outdoor seating. Lovely cakes and hot and cold food. Great value. Can get a road train too between the cafe and shibden hall above!

Sunday morning cycle. Cafe open at 9. Room for bikes outside. Staff lovely, very polite and friendly. Cooked breakfast arrived quickly. Parking available if in car. Weather has an impact on how busy cafe is so expect it to be busy on sunny days. Seating outside if you have a dog with you.

Always visit this lovely cafe when visiting Shibden park, all staff are friendly happy and smiley, nothing too much trouble, wide range of food and snacks on offer, cater for children with themed lunch boxes. Lots of seating both inside and outside. Well worth a visit when at the Park

Big shout out to the lovely staff who happily served us breakfast when we turned up spot on the cut off time of 11.30 (we got a little lost on the way in) Food was good, ice cream even better and the setting overlooking the park and lake charming and relaxing. We were lucky with the weather so sat outside but the inside looked very comfortable and clean

We popped in for drinks but ended up getting ice creams instead. Amazed at how much ice cream you can get on one cone. There must have been about ten different flavours. We went for salted caramel and lemon crunch. Both were delicious.

Popped in after a stroll around the park and hall visit.

We recently had lunch here while visiting Shibden Hall. It was very busy on the day we visited but we managed to find a table. Staff were quick to clear tables and rearrange tables to accommodate different party sizes. We thoroughly enjoyed the Ploughman's lunches that we had. Great value for the large portion they are! Lovely café with great views. Would definitely visit again if we are at Shibden.

This is a lovely cafe with views of the lake and the gardens through huge windows. A lovely range of food and drink on the menu and homemade cakes, some gluten free. There is outdoor seating for warmer weather. The gentleman behind the counter was a really lovely, friendly person. Order, seat yourself and your food and drink is brought to you. Really clean and a delicious meal.

This is a fairly large cafe with a good range of food and drink which is good. The ice cream is excellent (cash if you pay at the stand or go to the main till to pay by card). It’s reasonably comfortable. There seem to be plenty of staff clearing tables, bring out orders etc but the queue for food and drink was very long, menus were not displayed until almost at the point of order so you can feel rushed, although some tables had menus not all did so you would end up going not very prepared to order which is a shame because there is a good variety of food. I’m sure regulars don’t think anything of this and are used to the system but for the occasional visitor it comes across as badly organised. It would be easy to display a menu at the start of the queuing line (by the chill-food display) or better still have a pile of menus there so that you can be deciding as you queue. If you can order everything together otherwise you’ll be having to join the queue every time you want something.

We walked to the park and called in here for a coffee. That's all we wanted, no food, so I sat on a bench by the lake while my companion went inside. He waited 25 minutes to be served two coffees to take out, despite there being three members of staff behind the counter.

We use this cafe regularly and food is excellent so we decided to book a party for my mother’s 90th birthday.

Came here for a coffee, really good. Came back for lunch which was very good, Yorkshire pudding wrap with beef and gravy, beetroot wrap with roasted veg, hummus and more including sweet potato fries, lovely. Ploughman’s was good as was the cheese and tomato panini and the tuna roll. The cakes were pure joy, millionaires shortbread, scones, flapjacks and carrot cake which were all lovely. Tea was good too.

I was working with the Shibden Park Society and had lunch at Mereside. I only had sandwiches and a cake to finish. The sandwiches were generously filled. The service was very good with very pleasant staff. John H

We held a birthday lunch at the Mereside Centre for 45 people including several with dietary issues. The staff could not have been more helpful, the food was excellent and they made everyone feel very special. It turned out to be a perfect event with excellent advise and communications throughout the process of arranging the event. We cannot recommend this venue more highly if you are thinking of holding a celebration lunch or meal in this area.

Called in here for a coffee after our first visit to the park in ten years.

Very expensive for what it was. Soggy bagels from over cooked scrambled eggs. Large chunks of egg shell in the egg . Staff were the only saving grace. Very friendly and helpful.

Set in wonderful Shibden Park, this is a great stop for a morning / afternoon snack or lunch. Mainly panini, jacket potatoes, nachos, cakes etc, but tasty and reasonably priced. Catered for gluten free and was happy to check their products for gluten.

Very average offering of foods, specials were distinctly lacking. The place is dirty, there was vomit on the bathroom floor and the changing rooms were disgusting. Complained to staff and were told they were too busy to take care of it. The attitude of the staff was rude and brusque. Not a relaxing, park cafe experience at all; they clearly cannot cope with the footfall on a nice day. Take sandwiches and eat in the park, but do get an ice cream.

We had a splendid evening at the Mereside. We had booked out of curiosity as this was the first time this event has been held, but we were not prepared for just how good the experience would be. The room and tables were decorated well and the lighting provided a romantic atmosphere. The food was excellent, the service was friendly and efficient. Nothing was too much trouble. The real surprise was the live music from a brilliant duo, The Oyster and the Walrus.

Went today with family from 3 to 70 years old. We all ate, had the pasties, hot dogs, chilli and scones. All tasted freshly cooked. Really good prices. Children's food we had was very nice pasta, good size and great price. Not very fast service but then everything seemed freshly cooked so that was fine. Very pleased overall. No complaint from me.

I visited today and bought sandwiches and drinks at the cafe. The bread was stale and the fillings were dried up worst sandwiches I have ever had even the ducks did not eat them! The tables were dirty and had not been cleared. I would not eat there again and definitely would not recommend it to others

Would be a good place to go for a quick snack in a nice setting, but service is slow, and during the school holidays not enough seats outside, so make sure to get a take away and sit on the grass

Visited Shibden Park 18th June, Once we had parked up we checked the cafe times so we could have a drink before leaving Times stated Food finished at 3pm, hot drinks served till 5pm. So after spending a few hours walking and playing in the park we got to the cafe at 4.35pm in hope of some coffee's and juice for the kids.We were told they had turned of the coffee machine so could not serve us coffee, when we mentioned the serving times on the door we were told sorry but we have shut it down early !!! (No reason as to why) It was still busy in the park and I know we wern't the only ones who were left disappointed.

Excellent café with a top quality meals at modest prices. Very clean unlike some other cafes in public parks. The ploughmans was excellent with cheese, pork pie, salad, crusty bread and a massive portion of ham.

After chasing our 4 year old grandson around the park refreshments were needed. He had juice and fruit and both me and my wife had cappuccino coffee's, which were probably the hottest coffee we had ever had, do not order if you are in a hurry ! A great ending to a very enjoyable afternoon.

Last weekend I had my joint 60th birthday / retirement party at the Mearside Centre. Booking and planning of the party along the actual event was hassle free and well organised. The venue is in a lovely setting in Shibden Park near the boating lake with ample car parking available.

Excellent food at reasonable prices. Their Blueberry Flapjack is to die for. I am neither a fan of blueberries nor flapjacks but these really are 'something else' I have eaten there for pleasure, with family, and also as part of business meetings and never been disappointed..

I was taken here for a surprise party. What a great place,plenty of room, the children could go play in the park, the food was first class afternoon tea, sandwitches, cakes, cream scones and buns all yummy {so the kids said}. The staff where very good and couldnt do enough for us. Iwould recomend this cafe to anyone.

This is a good cafe situated within Shibden Park, near the main car park entrance. Offering a sit down or takeaway service there are a good number of seats including some outdoors with lovely views of the park. We found the food and drinks to be reasonanably priced and of a good quality. The staff were friendly although service was a little slow when we visited (it didn't seem to be very busy so I'm not sure why yjis was the case).