St John Street Gallery & Cafe in Derbyshire Dales

Light and airey cafe which is a lovely place to enjoy a very good cup of coffee, or two, with excellent service from the friendly staff.

Navigate the stairs in the Gallery and you will come to this little gem of a cafe sited over two levels. Well laid out dining with large windows and artwork dotted on the walls. Menu is light bites, including all day breakfast, sandwiches, salads and cakes with hot/cold drinks and if you fancy it you can have a tipple or two. Staff are very polite and friendly and provide excellent service.

This is a beautiful building with a wonderful atmosphere. Staff were helpful and friendly. The coffee was the best I’ve had in Ashbourne. Have tried a few local cafes in the town and this place is by far the best. Will be back. 10/10!

Lovely food and staff were friendly, I had the breakfast and coffee and cake and it was yummy! Definitely return in the near future!

Lovely food and a great selection of cakes. Extremely laid back with great atmosphere and very helpful staff. Didn’t feel rushed while catching up with friends.

This is now called courtney gallery. It is very friendly and has a nice lot of art to see as well as good honest healthy food and not so healthy cake 🎂

I have visited this cafe several times recently. We’ve always been made very welcome and enjoyed good food and drinks in pleasant surroundings. Special mention for the tea, which is proper loose leaf and strong enough- quite unusual, as so often it’s weak and not very hot.

Lovely coffee (we chose the Kenyan) and wonderful cakes. A really good choice of vegan, gluten-free etc. We recommend the flapjack and the apricot and cashew cake.

Great cake. Comfy well spaced seating. Surrounded by lovely original pictures. Free WiFi. Nice people.

This cafe is on the first (and second) floor above an art gallery on the north-eastern fringe of the town centre so for the most part is only visited by people who know it's there (ie locals, word of mouth recomendations and those who do their homework on Trip Advisor...). As one would expect the menu is limited, but what they offer is good quality - I had a ploughmans (which came with ham, cheese and a wedge of pork pie) and my wife had a pear & blue cheese salad. The staff are very friendly and there's no pressure, so it's a great place for a leisurely rendezvous with family or friends.

Often pop into this cafe for coffee and cake - venue is clean, staff unfailingly polite and helpful, the coffee and cake are always excellent - a joy to visit.

Nice quiet coffee shop above the gallery. Not a place for children or the infirm as there are steep stairs to climb. exellent cakes.

Lovely location and factories- though are up steep steps ice inside the shop. Staff very helpful- food very good- and well presented. Have always found this cafe excellent as we found it again today. Loyalty card scheme in operation.

Four of us have just had an excellent lunch here today - lovely unusual bowls of salad and delicious open sandwiches.

The food and staff were impeccable and we were made to feel very welcome. Chef chatted enthusiastically, prompted by our questions about ingredients. Would highly recommend and can't wait to visit again.

The food is home made and tasty; the staff are very friendly. We even left with a free gift of loose leaf tea after saying how much we liked it. A great find.

We visited for lunch on our way up to Chatsworth. We got a warm welcome and warm cafe on what was a freezing day.Food was excellent, a brilliant cuppa which is refillable, and wonderful cake.most of all it really is dog friendly. stairs a bit steep but dh managed them, but could be a problem to some.

Wonderful proper food made on the premises. Lots of imagination used in preparation and serving. Homemade soup is fabulous and so are the lunches.

Had a lovely coffee and cake at the St John Street Gallery and Café. Also really liked the items on display/ for sale. The pot of tea was bottomless (with refills available all day!).

Had lunch here while on holiday. We all agreed that our meal was excellent. I had a beetroot salad. Sounds ordinary but it wasn't! So often salad is limp, not fresh, too soaked in dressing or the opposite, or a pathetic portion like they don't know the difference between one of those annoying garnishes and an actual salad. Here they do! Everything on all our plates was great, salmon quiche was lovely, the halloumi salad was fantastic - I would drive back just for that. Good vegetarian options. The coffee is really great too. And the cake...gorgeous, wonderful!The staff are friendly and helpful, the surroundings lovely, the gallery is well worth loitering in, prices are really reasonable. As someone with mobility issues I didn't ask if there were a lift as I could manage the stairs, just. I didn't notice any adapted facilities so best to ring and check if you need them.It's too long since I last ate here. I really hope the next time will be sooner rather than later.

Ashbourne has recently acquired many new cafes. This is one of the better ones. Above an art gallery, but also incorporating some interesting art, this place is a good place to rest, take some lunch, or merely take a coffee or a tea. Pleasant service and reasonable prices too.

I usually call here when I’m shopping in town . We love the freshly baked pies and the tasty cheese . Love the homemade oatcakes . Also delicious takeaway menu .

Because all the seating is on the second and third floors, passers by are not always aware of the spacious well ordered layout that is available. Prices are not the cheapest but all is good quality. Recommended.

dropped in for a spot of lunch, had a ploughman's sharing platter.Very fresh, lots of different ingredients, (Peruvian bell peppers and miniature onions) lovely meats and pork pie all local Coffee and tea very nice,Good value, very polite and attentive staff.

We popped in for lunch and were impressed with the experience. As soon as we arrived, we were greeted by a very welcoming young girl and asked if we were eating. We were given the menus and left for a few minutes to decide. We both didn't need long as we had both decided that we would like to have a burger! The young girl came back and promptly took our order for food and drinks. In less than three minutes, the drinks arrived - nice cold milk shakes, which was just right for the hot day. The food, cooked fresh, was delivered within ten minutes and we thought that the presentation was good. The burgers were very tasty and the accompanying salad also tasty, with some unusual ingredients. During the meal we were asked by the chef if everything was OK with our meal, which it was. Afterwards we indicated that we were not having any desert, although the cakes looked very nice, and we paid our bill. All in all we thought the experience to be very pleasant. The environment was clean, light and airy and the staff were all very pleasant and helpful. It is certainly another cafe on our list to visit again.

Was looking for somewhere for a much needed cuppa and popped into here.

Very friendly and helpful service. Best salad I've eaten anywhere, varied, plentiful and variable according to individual wishes. Good coffee too!

We stopped off at Ashbourne on our way to our hotel near Derby at the start of a weekend break. We had researched the café on Trip Advisor and decided to try it for lunch. They were able to accommodate a party of six although they were quite busy. Service was very friendly and efficient. Three of us selected sausage sandwiches while the others decided on choosing from a good selection of cakes and scones. There was also a good range of teas on offer. This was a very pleasant lunch break and good value for money.

Visited here again last week with my dog and once again was very impressed with the friendly service and lovely home cooked food. The salads are beautiful and everything is freshly cooked using local ingredients. Lots of gluten free choices as well as sugar free and dairy free.

Return visit to this venue. Access is via the downstairs gallery- in winter this can be cold and off putting, but the cafe is up the stairs and is warm and cosy. Do not be deterred.

We popped in for a quick drink on a cold winters afternoon, the service was efficent and welcoming, the coffee was good and the prices reasonable. My wife who studied art enjoyed examining the pieces on display. I didnt get a chance to sample the food but may do one day.

Stumbled across this Gallery and Cafe while wandering around Ashbourne. Lovely gallery, with an exceptional cafe upstairs. Very attentive staff, nice surroundings and excellent food. We had the Ploughman’s sharing platter, the best ploughmans I have ever had. Highly recommend

i had the best service here and was treated very well by staff. The food was also delicious as i had a fig and goats cheese salad which i 100% recommend. All their cakes are gluten free which is perfect for my daughter so will be returning.

Nice atmosphere with good service and freindly staff. The food is well prepared, beautifully presented and tastes great. Will definately visit again.and they accomadated to all my allergy needs

Had a brilliant lunch here - halloumi salad that was beautifully displayed and such a large portion that I didn't need dinner! The staff were lovely and very sweet with our 4year old and happily did a child's portion from the grown up menu. Could not have been more helpful with such good quality food, cannot recommend enough! The cakes looked yummy but we were too full so will definitely try them next time!

Habiendo visto el café en un perro - Sitio web de amable aparecimos para café y pan tostado y recibimos un gran teacake bienvenido. Obviamente son populares entre los lugareños y turistas por igual, y podemos entender por qué!

Voy aquí como el pastel bastante a menudo es precioso. personal amable. hay una galería de arte de abajo y de arriba, que es interesante.

Sucedió en esta joya en un deambular Ashbourne y qué gran descubrimiento! Desde la teteras sin límite de los más encantadores bollos que hemos tenido en mucho tiempo y el personal es realmente simpático. Vale la pena una visita por los tés y comidas y el gran arte.

Este es un hotel encantador, tranquilo, Cafe, situado entre una galería de arte, así que tienes un montón de fotografías un aspecto bonito como comer y beber. Está arriba, así que no es bueno para sillas de ruedas.

We visited this cafe for lunch and thoroughly enjoyed the Goats cheese and fig salad ! Super service too, we will return

A group of 11 of us (with a dog) booked a table at this cafe on May Day bank holiday Monday and were so pleased we did! The welcome we received was so warm and friendly and this was true for all members of staff - nothing was too much trouble and they went out of their way to make sure we had everything we needed. Even the dog was treated to his very own water bowl, which was a lovely touch. The food was beautiful, well presented, very tasty and plentiful - we all left feeling very happy and satisfied. It really felt like good value for money. If you're ever in Ashbourne and need somewhere to go - we couldn't recommend this cafe highly enough. We can totally see why it's award winning!

We found this place via some previous reviews. Nicely located just out-side the main shopping area but very different to the usual cafes around. The art gallery is a wonderful feature and provides an excellent entrance. The café upstairs is smartly furnished in a way that I felt compliments the building. The lunch menu provided some excellent choices but we opted for sandwiches. It was a surprise to find a smoked salmon sandwich served open, with a salad, but the quality was not in doubt. A sandwich for three people, plus tea (additional top-ups of tea were provided without charge) came to £31. A bit on the pricey side but it was filling and delightful. The service was polite, efficient but not intrusive. We were glad we called and it won't be long before we return. I recommend it to you.

We found our way to the gallery as many of the other cafes were full. This turned out to be a great blessing. The prices seemed to be on the expensive side but when we received our dishes we realised they were well worth it. Between us we had sandwiches, a croque monsieur, and the cheese plowmans. The portions were large and the food and presentation excellent. We were on the second floor and appreciated the space and the paintings. Much better than the poky cafes situated elsewhere. The service was also of a high standard. We will definitely return.

This forgotten end of town has a lovely cafe and art gallery.Light airy rooms with a large cafe over two floors, dogs welcome, the coffee is very good and a good range of foods on the menu all healthy and most gluten free.A great find if your in Ashbourne.

Spoilt for choice here, with a select menu. Best way to get half of your 10 a day, with the lovely salads. Great coffee choice, too. Love the relaxed ambience and spacious layout. Only drawback is the stairs to get up there!

I have been to this cafe several times and have felt confident to recommend. After my experience this week I will not be using the cafe again. This is a sad decision as the venue as a gallery is perfect, exhibiting first class works at affordable prices.Back to the Cafe! Presentation of our soup was delightful. Sadly one portion was only tepid and had to be changed, even then the flavour was very watery. The soup was very thick, more like boiled butternut squash & sweet potato puree with a good dose of salt. I was most disappointed to be served white bread! The alternative was brown: no problem when requested! Why not ask customer's preference when ordering? However even the brown bread was disappointing!! The butter didn't help my enjoyment; a very mean portion with an odd flavour. There is a beautiful bakery in the Market Place in Ashbourne. We brought a selection home, wow, it's proper bread. Why don't you come to an arrangement with the baker, good business for both?

Steep stairway to seated cafe areas on the middle and top floors- but well worth it. Beautiful light areas. Variety of chairs and sofas, spacious excellently laid out rooms, creating helpful areas. Very friendly helpful service and welcome.Look forward to further visit.

Well curated gallery with regular shows of mainly local(ish) artists. Nice airy, well-lit first floor cafe/gallery and second floor mezzanine area with tables and soft furnishings. Friendly staff. Good choice of teas including loose leaf options, good coffee, small selection of cakes - all high quality. Also good for light lunch. Refreshment prices are very fair but price tags on some of the artworks are fairly high end!.

Came for lunch with my dog on a wet misty day. Given a warm welcome from owner. The two youngsters who served us were very helpful and really looked after me.Delicious soup and sandwich. Would really recommend , will come again when in the area.

What a find. Killing time in Ashbourne on a miserable day we found this warm oasis. Bright and cheerful, warm, friendly & helpful staff and great food. The dog was made most welcome and we ended up leaving well fed, warm and our feelings for our fellow man restored. The artwork looked most interesting but sadly we did ot have time to give it more attention. Well worth a visit.

So often cafes attached to galleries can be a real disappointment. Not so here....we had a lovely lunch after perusing some cracking art. Really well presented, good size portions of very tasty food - and the coffee was excellent! The two youngsters serving us were very pleasant too.

Had 2 friends from London come up for the weekend. After a disappointing experience of Ashbourne's christmas market, we went for a cup of tea/coffee. Service was excellent! The waiter brought my 3 dogs water (great touch) before us humans got our drinks. Will visit again (and maybe next time buy some artwork too...)

I love it here, go all the time with friends and family. They love kids here too, from babies all the way up and are very helpful with warming bottles etc

Interesting re-use of an old building. The Gallery on the ground floor has a good selection of local artists' work and the cafe is upstairs. It was very busy on a Wednesday lunchtime so there was a certain amount of waiting time but as we were on holiday that wasn't important and others seemed just as relaxed about the waiting time.We visited in early November so assumed most of the other customers would be locals and that it must have a good reputation locally. The choice within the set menu that we chose was adequate and the food was tasty and nicely presented. There are two flights of stairs to reach the balcony cafe so this is not suitable for anyone with mobility problems.

We have very fond memories of our coffee break here whilst holidaying and shopping in Ashbourne: we enjoyed a lovely Blue Mountain cafetiere and scone whilst our dog lapped up some water from the bowl provided and enjoyed a break from her owners' shopping experiences. The young man who served us was delightful, as was another gentleman who said that they will cater for most dietary requirements; I did overhear that all the cakes were gluten-free.

Always like to stop off here for a drink and something to eat on the way through Derbyshire. Great food and friendly service. Relaxing atmosphere too.

A small but bright gallery with artwork with may media origins. Small to large, many pieces would be stand alone exhibits in a room. A must see to really appreciate. Food available upstairs, all freshly provided at reasonable prices.

Utifrån ser det inte mycket ut för världen men det är rent, fräscht och trevligt. Vi åt en god sandwish och drack te, som också smakade gott. Mycket vänligt bemötande!

Called in for lunch with family. Fabulous service, wonderful locally sourced food. Good portion sizes and reasonably priced. The tearoom has recently undergone a facelift and is much more welcoming. We will be back. Well done.

Next time your in or around Ashbourne take time to call in her for a tea and a bun and watch the world go madly by. Try the local made cake as well.

I found St John's four years ago and have been a regular participant on Lewis Noble's Art Workshops ever since.During his three day workshops Lewis effectively demonstrates his sketching and painting techniques both outdoors in the Peak District and back in the studio. His work (for sale in the Gallery) depicts the landscape in a manner that seems to capture the essence of the places it depicts. He encourages participants to "loosen up" in their own work and is always attentive to individual needs.There is no pressure here only constant encouragement. Mark and Petra, who own the Gallery, have created a marvellous, welcoming atmosphere on all three floors of the building. The paintings, prints and sculptures are varied and will suit all tastes, prices are varied as well. The Café is integral to the relaxed and inspirational atmosphere, the food is fresh, wholesome and well presented. If you enjoy looking at good art, eating good food and enjoy good company then this is the place to visit.Peter Robertson

Great little cafe for either coffee/tea and cake or a light lunch .I had the carrot and coriander soup which was a good sized helping with plenty of bread .. Very tasty .. My husband had the salad with figs and goats cheese which he said was excellent ! The salad was imaginative and well presented. Great friendly service, nice light environment . Fabulous Art .. Just wish I could afford it ! I'll just have to stick to having lunch and looking !

Ashbourne should really get a by pass, it's a pleasant little town ruined by huge juggernaut lorries skimming its sidewalks. If you go and need lunch, a sandwich, or just cake and coffee try the Gallery Cafe in St. John Street, it's a cracker. Clean, comfortable, good food and pleasant staff. We were served by a pleasant South African lady, we had cake and tea and we enjoyed it immensely. A simple stop but worth stopping for.

Hardyspopuprestaurants.com turn this amazing gallery & cafe into a restaurant for those who enjoy good food and fine wine. Check out the website for forth coming events and menus, book early to avoid disappointment as place are limited.

Enjoyed an excellent elevenses here during a visit to Ashbourne. Cafe spread over more than one floor with other floors dedicated to displaying a range of art - ie sculptures as well a paintings etc. Food freshly prepared and coffee served at a high standard. Too early for lunch but espied some of the tarts being readied - they looked most tasty!

Well worth a visit if you are in Ashbourne. A good selection of art and an upstairs cafe serving delicious healthy lunches - imaginatively presented.

This place has improved very much and I would recommend a visit for lunch or brunch. Good choices on the menu and the staff go out of their way to help. Gluten free choices are excellent and properly GF. Fine coffee.

I Stumbled upon this little gem on a spontaneous trip to Ashbourne, the mezzanine area provided comfortable seating in a relaxed environment surrounded by art by local artists. The atmosphere was delightful and the staff even more so. I was made to feel very, very welcome. The gentleman working there was more than happy to accommodate various alternations to the menu and ensured that we were comfortable throughout our stay. We were advised that we could stay for as long as we liked (we were studying) and the staff checked in with us intermittently to ensure we remained comfortable. The food was delectable and worth every penny, the salad took an alternative angle providing so much more than just your average lettuce and tomatoes, all with the confidence that it had been sourced locally! If you're passing through Ashbourne or need a relaxed environment to grab a coffee or a bite to eat, I would more than recommend this establishment! We enjoyed it so much so that we returned for more the following day!

Lovely food and great service. Goats cheese and figure salad amazing and did bacon sandwiches for the kids. Staff were really friendly and very nice. Lovely seating areas

Not disabled friendly at all Cafe is up a spiral windy staircase Food is fantastic if a bit pricey Very good service and great ambience surrounded by paintings and local pottery

There are any number of cafes in Ashbourne and it's nice to find somewhere as refreshing as the Gallery.The cafe is situated on the first floor of the building and had a fabulous mezzanine area with comfortable sofas and a bright and airy feel.There is free WiFi and a relaxed and informal atmosphere which is great for getting together with friends or even a discreet business meeting.The range of food is not massive, but they focus on healthy and nutritious dishes at a fair price and all their cakes are gluten free!Well worth a visit for something a little special.

We came for lunch on a Saturday and found a table upstairs surrounded by lovely artwork.The menu did not have a lot of choice but there was soup, sandwiches, pie, salads and cakes.I chose a platter of vegetarian treats which was delicious and unusual some of the ingredients I had never tried-Amazonian Peppers. My friends had the soup which had a lovely flavour but they felt it was too thick and more like a puree. We all agreed the cakes were excellent.I really liked the relaxed atmosphere at this café, the staff were friendly and informative and we felt comfortable to sit a while without being pressured. It was a great place to catch up with old friends. It is a dog friendly place as a lady had her dog with her and the owner came with a water bowl we also noticed they catered well for children providing high chairs and helping parents with a pushchair.I would definitely go again and perhaps try the lamb pie next time as we spotted this and it looked good!!

Yes, the coffee is excellent. But the soup and bread were very poor. Both tasted vinagrey. We would have just left the food because it was poor but we eat it because it was very expensive! I have been there a number of times in the past, over the years, and it was ok but this soup was really not acceptable. However, maybe I would return for a coffee some time.

Recommended to us by family, we were pleased to find it so quiet on a Saturday lunchtime. A couple of gluten free options of cake available, nothing special but more than some places had to offer. My husband asked for a slice of Victoria Sandwich cake and was annoyed that he was corrected and told it was a Victoria Sponge! But the drinks and cakes were nice. Not sure I'd be rushing back would like to try other places first.

Ordered Croque Monsieur and Latte. Overpriced and very poor quality. Table very sticky. Would not recommend or return again.

lovely food, great choices reasonable prices in a wonderful atmosphere and great art and a friendly affable proprietor

We have become regular visitors to the gallery and we're always tempted upstairs to the café to sample their fabulous cakes. Well worth a visit - wander around the gallery with its range of paintings and sculptures and then try the lovely homemade lunches. I can recommend the pear, pistachio and cardamom tart (sublime) and the chocolate, Guinness and rhubarb cake (heavenly). The staff are really friendly and the environment relaxing; you may even get the chance to see local artist, Lewis Noble in action in his studio downstairs.Try it, you won't be disappointed.

A wonderful and friendly art space with delicious food and super service. A great find- we wanted to stay all afternoon because it was so welcoming.

We celebrated our 15 years in business recently by taking all of our team on a walking tour from Ashbourne. What a great start it was to our day by being made to feel so welcome at this cafe. There was plenty of room for the 13 of us to sit, relax and chat before we set out. There was a good selection of things to eat and drink. The cappuccino is superb and so is the selection of cakes, scones, tea cakes etc that our party enjoyed. It was good too to look around the excellent and varied art work. What a great place this would be to have a business meeting we thought. There is a mezzanine floor with a mix of sofas and dining tables that would be good for a networking meeting. We are now looking to round up some local clients for an excuse to go back again!

we went yesterday it is great lovely paintings and sculptures.We went upstairs and there are two floors to the café.We went on the top floor and sat on a comfy settee and just chilled out. The staff are lovely we had cakes and pot of tea. You can have a refill of tea no extra charge.The owner came and asked us if everything was o.k. we said it was great we will definitely go again

New discovery via Living Social voucher. I clothes shop in Ashbourne with my friend several times a year and we've struggled to find somewhere really nice for coffee or lunch. Really pleased to find this hidden gem! Gorgeous cake and scone and lovely coffee, friendly staff and they are dog friendly too (great for a walking trip). Look forward to having lunch here next time. The only niggle, one of the young waitress wore canvas shoes which were filthy, not what you want to see in a food establishment.

We have visited this Café twice now and we was Not disappointed , superb food Classical and Modern Cuisine and a very reasonable price Surrounded by great art on the walls . the café also does serve Cakes and scones .A great place to Catch up with friendsThere is lots of space, so Agree with previous review about Being useful for meeting a larger group of people .staff are Nice and friendly not over the top .I would highly recommend it.

I have visited this gallery cafe several times and have never been disappointed. There is always a very warm welcome, superb food and fabulous art!A great place for a business meeting, lunch with friends or just a quick coffee and cake.There is lots of space so useful if you're meeting a larger group and the staff work really hard to create a friendly but professional environment.I would highly recommend it.

I came here before for a private view of an art exhibition, and was surprised by the spacious and comfortable interior of both gallery and cafe sections. I decided to meet friends here for lunch which was a real treat. It is so nice to have a good variety of vegetarian options, and with the gluten free, dairy free & sugar free cakes, one doesn't even feel guilty to indulge. Service was very friendly and the wine excellent. I will definitely be back.

Absolutely fantastic place to eat. The proprietor is a great guy! He recommended a dish and said we could change it to another for free if we did' to like it. We visit regularly with our dogs and they are made utterly welcome! If you're a foodie dog lover GO!

We stumbled across this place when walking around Ashbourne with our two young children (3 and 6 years). I was worried at first because taking my children into a nice looking gallery and cafe would normally be stressful ( either due to my children nearly breaking things or tuts off other customers because i dared to bring kids to a gallery!)I was very pleasantly surprised when we were greeted by a friendly manager who took the kids to pick a book they could read. All of us were made to feel very welcome. The coffee and cakes were lovely and whilst my husband read the books i was able to stroll around the gallery downstairs. I don't often write reviews for cafe but thought this place place needed a special mention. Will go back as soon as we can.

This is a real hidden gem. People who do not know it is there may be missing a real treat! Table service, flexible staff - we were a few minutes late for the breakfast which ends at 11:30 but when asked we were told we could still order it, a rare thing these days! Friendly relaxed ambience, plenty of space if you take your dog in and excellent food. Will be making this a regular treat and will try lunch next time along with some of the tempting cakes!

We were driving through Ashbourne on our way back to Suffolk and stopped off for lunch. We looked at lots of eateries but this was the best for us as it had interesting vegetation meals (no. vegetable lasagna here!) The restaurant is over 2 floors upstairs, tastefully furnished and warm and friendly. The menu was very interesting and not pricey. My husband had Carrot and coconut soup with a huge chunk of "artisan" bread followed by sausage and mash and I had broccoli and stilton soup with warm bread as well followed by butternut squash and field mushrooms with red onion marmalade, sundried tomatoes, goats cheese and nuts. All was delicious and simply served - no naff slates or bread boards to eat from, just tasty food beautifully presented in china bowls!If anything, we ordered too much and could have shared a bowl of soup between us. I gavemy husband some of my butternut squash as I couldn't eat it all, and we were left no room for the tempting array of cakes to eat with a cup of coffee.There are lovely comfy sofas to sit on for tea, coffee and cakes if you don't want a meal, and magazines and newspapers to flick through. The toilets are clean and have baby changing facilities, but I didn't see any disabled access to the café.We visited the gallery on the lower two floors and marveled at the beautiful paintings, pottery and bronzes - and at their prices too. Not for the likes of us I'm afraid!All in all a very pleasant way to spend an hour or so before continuing our journey home. Price for this? Two 2 course meals and 2 drinks - thirty pounds well spent.

This is a nice little cafe for lunch. The food is unfussy and quite simple. There are also lovely paintings around the cafe area which make it quite special. The cafe is licenced so you can have a glass of wine if you fancy it !

St. John Street Gallery and Café is a lovely places, spacious and cozy – a place to really relax and unwind. Friendly staff, marvelous paintings, tasty fruit teas, excellent food and drinks. Their cakes, scones and fruit smoothies are to die for – three things that I crave most since I have been back home in Africa!!! Their attention to detail is superb. You can also expect a warm welcome from the owners – they personally meet and greet their customers. Very sociable and cheerful people indeed!

We went as a family group, with two infants. We were lucky to arrive at a quiet time, and had a good table. The service was excellent, with staff very keen to make our time pleasant, with good provision for the kids.The food was very enjoyable and the service excellent.

A visit to the gallery is quite interesting then take the weight of your feet and take the stairs to the cafe, you will not be disappointed. Drinks, home made cake's and light lunches served by welcoming and friendly staff at a resonable price. Cafe is decorated with picture's for sale, cost is a little more than a drink/cake!

Popped in for a coffee and scones. Here's a friendly place. Attentive staff. Excellent scones. Choice of coffee bean. Reasonably priced. Clean. The gallery makes for an interesting visit.

been here for a coffee a couple of times when visiting Ashbourne. nice food and drink. the paintings are brill (a bit pricey). staff are attentive. you are best to sit on the lower level if going for coffee as upstairs gets a bit to warm

During a long journey home to Leicestershire from Scotland we had to divert from the M6 due to traffic problems. We found ourselves in Ashbourne at 2.30pm, faint for lack of nourishment and apprehensive about finding somewhere to serve us lunch. However, the Gallery Cafe in St John Street welcomed us and served wonderful open sandwiches (smoked salmon for me, roast beef for my husband) accompanied by delicious, substantial salad. The latter included ingredients not found in the usual garnish. Gluten-free bread and cakes are available - not always the case when I am eating out. The staff were very pleasant and helpful and we look forward to making future visits to this cafe now we have found it.

Having been to the Cafe before we were happy to go in when in Ashbourne. When we found that there were new owners we hoped that the food would be as good. It wasn't. It was better. We both ordered from the lunch menu and the food was so tasty and beautifully presented that we had to tell them how pleased we were. Definitely going back when in the town again.

A friend and I visited the Gallery Café today for tea and scones. We were impressed by how friendly the staff were and their offer to make us up some cream as their scones came with butter. We liked how spacious the café was without losing the cosy feel. We would definitely go again!

Taking an opportunity to stay in town for lunch I returned to the Gallery Cafe, I've been before. For those who like original art it's an interesting place. The food is always good and didn't disappoint on this occasion either. I had a Steak and Pear baguette with a mixed green salad. It was fabulous - very very tasty. To drink I tried the Elderflower Presse - again very very nice. A lovely quiet lunch.

Attended one of the Gallery's evening events - another tapas themed one. It was excellent value at £20 per person for 5 tapas and a glass of wine. There was a menu of 11 dishes to choose from covering fish, veggie, chicken etc and nibbles. Desserts, teas and coffee were extra but good value we thought. Service was good and friendly. Our group had plenty to eat and agreed it was a great evening and worth travelling out to Ashbourne. The current exhibition of art and sculpture is also worth a visit!

I always pop into the Cafe for lunch or cake & coffee when I am in the area. Food is delicious and menu changes often so I get to try something new every time. Slices of cake are huge and inexpensive. Bottomless tea is also a treat! Highly recommended especially because of the wonderful art & sculptures!