St Nicholas Cafe in Scarborough

What’s really interesting about this cafe is that it’s part of the now closed second funicular tram at the top. Loved the Yorkshire owner of the cafe ☕️. Great bacon rolls before we checked into The Grand next door 🚪 (which we liked ❤️ too)

Delightful clean and bright cafe with beautiful sea views. Friendly staff. Nice coffee and cakes and a limited menu of hot food. A lovely place to enjoy being in Scarborough.

This place, is a wonderful place to have a coffee, and a bite to eat, over looking the beach. What a sea view, wow. 10/10. We would highly recommend this place. Thanku, for such lovely food, and service.

Decided to stop by on my way from an appointment as I have meant to for some time now. The cafe is in what used to be a funicular beside the Grand Hotel. You couldn't ask for better views. Spotlessly clean. Very good basic menu. Very good prices. Great coffee and beautiful dessert selection. They had a large hotdog on their special board and I went for that. Efficient and friendly service. Will absolutely be back to try out more.

Staff incredibly rude and refused entry and told to leave to my family and son with autuism who has an assistance dog ,very rude and unexcepting and ,made to feel awful in front of other customers even saying its not an assistance dog even when had harness signs and assistance card shown ,son has autism and takes alot for him to be in public and this has not helped his confidence in coming out in public. Would a guide dog be refused also? Totally no need to be so unfriendly also.

Have eaten in here a couple of times & always value for money with very good portions with good service too. The menu is simple which works for us & there’s always opportunity in this cafe to have cake. We like the quirkiness of having lunch in a Victorian tram carriage which is anchored at the top of the Victorian funicular, perfectly positioned overlooking South Bay. Food with a view! Plenty of personal space to eat & some outside space too. The double glazing blocks out most of the noise from the seagulls which nest close by on the ledges of The Grand. Definitely, worth a visit if you’re passing.

The terrible review isn't for the take out tea, or the young guy who made it, but for the older man who was utterly rude. We walked in for a take out and waited by the counter.... ignored for a little while, then he took our order. He asked if we wanted milk and sugar, and we both replied 'just milk please', which he seemed to object to without any reason, then began to have a go at us implying we bit his head off and were off with him. He even said 'it's not like I said 'do you want sugar, you bitch'. I was on the verge of just leaving and wish I had. Totally offensive and out of order and we definitely won't be back!!

Ordered beans on toast for myself and friend. Toast was very underdone, very soft, could not eat. Just asked for an ordinary slice of toast each instead. Wanted to charge me £2 She told me she was not going to give toast away, the toast had been made as they would normally. How very short sighted, for the sake of 2 slices of bread she has lost the custom of 2 locals who will not be returning or recommending this place. She was very arrogant and very unapologetic. Clearly in the wrong business.

Sitting in a funicular carriage over Scarborough Bay having lunch - beautiful, Excellent value and great portions.

First time in St Nicholas popped in for coffee and hot chocolate. Place was empty. Clean, tidy and lovely views over The Spa and the seafront yet lacked atmosphere and staff were not friendly. Hubby did not enjoy his flat white as lady behind the counter did not know what it was or how to make it so a waste of money for him. Will walk past next time.

Positioned in an enviable position this cafe is well worth a visit. We popped in just as it had started raining and chatted to a gentleman who we think was the owner. Not only did we enjoy a decent hot drink but also enjoyed chatting and finding out a lot of local information. We talked about how great Scarborough was for concerts and that we were going to see Bryan Adams in the open arena that evening, he told us that despite the forcast it wouldn’t rain and it didn’t. Not only serving good coffee but also good weather reports. Pop in for a coffee and a chat, you will be welcomed.

For anyone who loves views, cakes and coffee and funicular railways then this is the stop off for you. We were having a couple of days in Scarborough to visit the cliff lift and enjoy the beach. Caught this quirky little cafe not long before it was closing but that wasn't a problem for the gent working there. We visited on a quiet off season day so were lucky enough to enjoy a great view from our table inside what was the St Nicholas cliff lift. Both cars have been brought to the top of the lift and you can now enjoy stunning views across the bay whilst tucking into delightful cake and sandwiches. Plenty of seating outside if it is busy by the Spa Bridge. Couldn’t recommend enough if you are passing, great selection for light snacks or lunch or even just a coffee. Very clean with lovely welcoming staff.

I didn’t have any water for my dog and they are a dog friendly cafe (or do they claim ) so when I gave my pooch a drink of milk on a plate we had our tea cake on the old man came storming out and started shouting at us … he then carried on verbally abusing us to the point both my friend and I got very upset. He called us f…king scum and said he would have to disinfect the area we were sat in. I would not recommend this place to anyone and I will not be frequenting the establishment in the future. For someone who claims to be a dedicated dog owner I feel very sorry for the dog.

friendly family welcoming to strangers and holiday makers . you made me laugh so much . lovely settings over looking the sea .

We had a cup of coffee here and found it ‘disgusting’ tasting it was extremely watery and one of the worst cups of coffee we have ever had.

Visited with my disabled son who is a wheelchair. There is a wheelchair ramp, but we were shouted at not to use it as his wheelchair would broken the ramp. But why have an unusable wheelchair ramp? My son was left feeling embarrassed, I quietly seething. However we were all thirsty so sat outside and ordered a drink. They got my sons order wrong and when I asked to change it, I was related with what borders on contempt, they did change the drink. I noted bird muck on a few of the chairs understandable with the location but this looked like it had been there a while. This is a place I will avoid at all costs in the future.

Popped in here whilst visiting Scarborough. Didn't eat here so not able to comment on food but decent coffee and my children really enjoyed their milkshakes. Pleasant staff and really gorgeous views of the Bay.

Absolutely shocking. I've never tasted anything like it. Honestly, don't waste your money. Not interested even if you complain.

It was a very cold day when we visited, but everything inside was warm, the welcome, the atmosphere and the cafe, really good views and a Jackdaw with an injured wing lives outside the cafe, we snuck him a few crusts, the sandwiches were big portions and the deluxe hot chocolate was delicious. Will go there again.

We had two cream teas and thoroughly enjoyed them! Really lovely view and the cream was delicious 😍 Very reasonably priced as well.

We dropped in for a pot of tea and cake after a long walk, and were delighted with the views from the part of the cafe converted from the old cliff railway chassis. Service was friendly and efficient and the coffee and walnut cake lovely...

Love love love this cafe, we stumbled onto it while we were walking and my husband loves funiculars so this was definitely a place we had to stop for a cuppa and a cake. We found a table in the converted cars with awesome views...

Nice little place at the end of the promenade bridge. Good selection of drinks, sandwiches and cakes. Good position for a refreshment before the climb up to South Bay. Good service, hand sanitizers on each table.

Little coffee shop eat in or tables outside. Guy serving was very friendly.Only bought drinks but the cakes looked delicious. Toilets were very clean and plenty of hand sanitiser. Would highly recommend.

very polite staff,lovely teacakes ..nice and clean..all covid guidelines covered..with great veiws..

We dropped in for a coffee and teacake. You can sit outside but we went inside and sat in one of the converted cable cars. The staff were friendly and the view was amazing. We had a cappuccino which can be somewhat lukewarm. This cafe's...

Went for lunch with friends from Scotland, as a local I have walked past many times. I chose it as I thought it would be quieter than venues in town. Very clean and fab views. Very limited menu, which suited us, would recommend the Coronation...

Enjoyed a light lunch here after arrival in Scarborough. Good social distancing inside and out. Good service.

My daughter and I visited the cafe this afternoon. A few tables and chairs outside, luckily we managed to get one. Staff very friendly and service is excellent. Absolutely spotless and staff were very quick to sanitise tables/chairs etc once customers left. Coffee and hot...

Stopped here every day (3 times) when walking back from the beach or town. Decent coffee or milkshakes, the ginger cake and the cherry bakewell cakes were exceptional. Great friendly service all with COVID-19 precautions.

Great food and service. Great view of the beach. Lovely area to sit and have afternoon tea or milkshakes

Cute little caff, converted from a former cliff lift. Had a lovely table at the front of one of the now stationary cars. Superb views, couple of nice americanos and a flapjack. Very pleasant pitshop as we explored Scarborough.

Called in for a cup of tea, not a very large cafe, but excellent staff and service. Very reasonable prices.

We checked into the travel lodge and then went here for some lunch, very friendly and good service. We sat in the extension part which used to be part of the cliff lift. The food was very nice amd i would recommend a visit. Also...

Coffee and a scone with cream and jam. Not haute cuisine but not a greasy spoon. Somewhere nicely in the middle for a buttie. Very clean.Quick service if there are no queues.My husband ate earlier in the day and really enjoyed his cheese and onion buttie.The view is exceptional.

Very quick service, great menu for a snack or breakfast and very reasonably priced. Staff cant do enough for you. Great little café and worth a visit.

Great looking cafe. Manager asked our family group to leave before we'd even sat down as he misunderstood an innocent remark. He accused me of being rude, but wouldn't accept that he'd misunderstood. I was actually trying to help him at the time by standing out of his way whilst he cleared the table. I'm afraid I then lost my temper and was rude as he was so unreasonable - apologies to anyone who was there! We went and spent our money elsewhere instead.

Schlicht, einfach und sehr gut. Wunderschöne Aussicht. Auswahl an kleinen Speisen und Getränken mit einem sehr guten Preis-Leistungs-Verhältnis.

Ideally situated at the bottom end of St Nicholas square, just passed the Grand Hote and at the approach to Valley Bridge, you will find the Tram cafe converted from what once was the cliff tramway. The two trams have been anchored at the top of the incline and the adjoining ticket office and trams have been rebuilt as a very clean and spotless cafe with excellent views of the South Bay. The trams are an integral part of the cafe design and are part of the seating area. The menu provides light snacks, salads etc, ideal for a light lunch and service is very good. Toilet is also available. Prices are good and premises are very clean and well lit. A good place to recover from a walk from the South Bay and Spa or from the centre of the town going the other way. Well worth a visit.

Stunning views! The cafe is constructed on the site of the old cliff lift so has lovely uninterrupted, elevated views of Scarborough. Because of it being the old cliff lift, it is very small & I assume would get very busy in high season. The food is excellent but choice is limited (mainly paninis & cakes) but if you're just wanting a light lunch with superb sea views this place is perfect. I will definitely eat here again next time I'm in Scarborough.

Accidentally spilt a coffee over the table and a half eaten cake.Owner gave us a free coffee and another cake.Wouldnt take any money.Cake was delicious,service was fantastic,views are awesome.Great little place.Very clean.

Great value for money, very clean and super views of the sea. A super place for a quick bite to eat and drink. Simple wholesome food, you can't go wrong.

We were enticed in here by the scones and jam advert but noticed alot of the counter food was out of packets kind of food. So we had pancakes instead. Which although basic was very nice.

Called in today for a cream tea. We had lovely seats outside. Scones were delicious and staff very helpful. We will be back again. Many thanks

I went here recently with a friend. We both ordered cheese sandwiches. The bread was stale, with a slice of cheese on a plate full of crisps. There was no dressing or salad. Really disappointing. The only redeeming feature was the view.

Stayed in Scarborough and when to this lovely cafe that was a life up from the beach that’s been renovated excellent coffee & service will defo return

A simple cafe, spotlessly clean, serving a good brew and a slice of great homemade cake. The old funicular railway station is an interesting setting and it naturally has great views the length of the sea front.

What an excellent cafe just in front of the Grand Hotel. The vews were superb from all the tables, the furnishing was very clean and the food was very reasonable in price and quality.

Great little cafe lovely views friendly staff good service very good menu good atmosphere very nice cakes and scones.

NB: They don’t do card/ cash only.

It is a lovely cafe great views. Food is minimal coffee good. Staff need training in customer care. Ask for anything beyond owners boundaries and you can have your money back and leave. No customer care skills whatsoever won't even give you a tissue unless you buy something. I for one will never set foot in the place again.

Having been to the Spa for some of the Coastival activities we all wanted a drink and I suggested this cafe as we walked past on way back to car.

We called in over the new year holiday for a cuppa..which was quite lucky as thats all they were doing..reluctantly. On entering the cafe. two young guys were playing rock paper scissors behind the counter i think and we were informed "we aren't doing food" he looked extremely disappointed when we just wanted tea. Tea was fine,excellent views,however place was empty apart from a sprinkling of loud children/babies.Staff look like they couldn't wait to lock the door and get out of there..Why open in the first place??

missed potential! a totally average place, although such a lovely view of the harbour and sea, and lovely (potential) space! upon entering I just wanted the £5 sandwich and soup. menu isn't extensive, incredibly basic as is the decor. two lads that gave off the impression of surly schoolboys were stood chatting when I came in and didn't seem too eager to please a paying customer, I sort of felt like I was intruding? I ordered a tuna sandwich and soup. when it arrived (pretty quick) it was clearly tinned Heinz tomato soup and the sandwich was super lack lustre, brown bread slapped with margarine with a tin of (not very well drained) canned tuna, sandwich was wilting and look pretty sad. tasted alright when dipped in soup and i was so hungry and cold I would've eaten anything. Just generally not the best place? ultimately, needs to have more choice, friendlier staff, warmer surroundings and better food. upon exploring I discovered much better places and felt sort of bitter that I'd eaten here instead of further into town

We called on a Saturday lunchtime and have been several times before for a snack and always found it very good (apart from not having a high chair). On this visit I enquired what the soup of the day was and was told it was vegetable, which I ordered. When it arrived with one slice of bread from a sliced loaf, it was clearly Heinz vegetable from a tin. As we were leaving I queried why it was tinned soup and was told it's always out of a tin on Saturdays. I found this very disappointing. Home made soup is quick, cheap and tasty. Serving up Heinz tinned soup is unacceptable in my opinion.

Thoroughly enjoyed sitting here with my elderly in laws and enjoyed the great variety of ice cream on offer. The views down to the sea were amazing and the staff were jolly, helpful and courteous.

A great little cafe to sit and take in the stunning views across Scarborough, the cafe is clean and tidy and the staff are friendly and helpful. The drinks were of good quality, I only wish that I had been hungry as the cakes looked delicious, will certainly go again if only to sit and look out of the window!!!

Well priced very pleasant wonderful views could t fault had panini and pancakes more reasonably priced than comparable outlets

I think if you read the majority of reviews you will get the idea of how bad mannered and unwelcoming the staff are at this café. I honestly believe they are working on the premise that people will only want to go out of curiosity or to witness someone who is determined to lose all customers and close down.

When faced with a bad experience its important to be factual and objective! So here goes. I came here with a group of 6 friends who I certainly don't consider the group to be rude or offensive.

Like the pregnant woman, we received an equally mean reaction.When a 72yr old politely asks for a glass of water to take medication one hardly expects such a retort of "Only for customers!" I didn't want to sit down or obstruct their space.

Very good food and not that expensive eat in or out good views of the beach and front of scarborough.

Due to not being a paying customer I was unable to use their toilet despite being desperate and heavily pregnant. Disgusting!

After reading some of the reviews on here I was a little put off although I decided to find out for myself and was pleasantly surprised the food and drinks where reasonably priced and the scones were gorgeous (I would highly recommend), the staff were lovely which did somewhat shock me after reading some people’s experiences and the views were to die for. A five star experience would happily come back.

Called in for a cup of tea and cake. good, efficient service, nice to have a teapot that doesn't dribble. cheery and almond cake was good

Terrible visit to this cafe ! took my disabled 91 year old mum , it was really hot and sunny so moved the table outside less than a metre into the shade was then told by owner we were rude and should have asked permission to move table we thought he was joking but no he proceeded to tell us we were in the wrong town ??? my mum was extremely upset as you can appreciate we did retaliate , the cafe was empty other than one other couple who were disgusted, there was 6 of us we left and went to a lovely cafe up the road who couldn’t do enough for my mum who is wheelchair bound please don’t go to the st Nicholas cafe in Scarborough

A nice little cafe with great views. Although the choice of food is limited, it's okay and the pancakes were nice. Good service.

Came here and had a fantastic Cream tea. It was reasonably priced. 1 fruit scone lashings of clotted cream and a small pot of strawberry jam. Tea was in a pot, with enough tea for three cups. The table and chairs are in a disused cliff cable car. It has been out of use for 13 years Highly recommended.

Nice, friendly little cafe. Food was good value. Panini for less than £5. My only slightly negative comment is that is like to have a choice of having a side salad rather than crisps, but that’s a minor gripe.

We visited this cafe twice during our stay and although the menu is quite limited with just a few breakfast choices, me and my partner really enjoyed it! The view from the back of the cafe is stunning and I would definitely recommend this cafe just to see the view!

Have been here twice for lunch now. Simple menu but the quality is very good and very reasonably priced. One day had sandwich and the second visit had panini, both veggie, with a pot of tea and orange juice. Good, friendly, quick service, fresh ingredients. Am surprised by the reports on other reviews saying staff weren't welcoming. Would highly recommended this cafe for straightforward industry but tasty lunches. And the view over the bay Is great

This is a nice looking unusual place, clean and well presented. The tea we ordered arrived promptly BUT the lady serving could only be described as surly. When our tea arrived my wife got out some sweets, a packet of chocolate buttons to be precise, the lady came over and said “you are not allowed to bring your own food into the premises” if we had got sandwiches out I could have had some sympathy but offering sweets round, that’s just picky and rude, we won’t be going back!

This place should be great – a converted funicular coach with brilliant views. Sadly, the man running it appears to hate customers.

Unwelcoming cold robot type staff upon first entering premises. Happened to ask if the milkshakes were made with ice cream for my youngest of seven years old (there was just the two of us)

Nice little cafe. We went in and ordered two hazelnut lattes that when they came were only slightly warm. The waitress was lovely, apologised made us two fresh hot drinks which were wonderful. This cafe is well worth a visit. The views from some of the windows are breathtaking. We will be back again this week.

We travelled from newcastle to Scarborough and popped in here with our family of 8.

When we were there, it was before lunch time so it was quite. Nice little place to hang out. The view is outstanding.

Escaped pre Xmas madness for a few days in Scarborough. Great idea - v quiet and the sun shone. I love this little cafe. It has the best view ever over the South bay. Warm & cosy with decent, reasonably priced snacks - toast, cakes,...

Called in for a tea and cream scone after walking along the Cleveland way and had a fantastic tea and...

This small but lovely cafe site above the beach overlooking the sea. It was a respite from the very cold...

Great breakfast, nice staff, magnificent view – all very reasonable priced, what is there not to like

Late Sunday afternoon and we were desperate for a drink without more walking and came across this place. Odd looking...

We enjoyed great views over the spa, castle, fun fair and lighthouse while enjoying a cuppa and slice of cake. We will be back.

my wife and i came up the tram lift from the beach to get to our hotel the not so grand we ordered a couple of coffees to sit outside service was good and price ok many thanks.

Nice place to stop for a brew and cake. Nice quick service and good value. The staff could have been a bit friendlier

Should have provided fantastic views over the beach however we arrived in between downpours. Weather was shocking and we couldn't actually see the beach. Tea was good and the food was very good. Two of the tables are almost on a viewing platform.

Lovely view over South Bay. Nice relaxed location with extension sitting giving great views. Clean and neat. Well above average for a Scarborough cafe.

this is a good spot to eat or have a drink before you go down to the front and beach once inside you can sit down and look out over they bay while you are eating or having a drink

Small cafe built on top of a former funicular. Fantastic views! Immaculately clean. Small menu but perfect for lunch. Had a panini and a cup of tea.

After visiting the Rotunda Museum and walking up the hill needed to quench the thirst and stopped at this unassuming cafe. What a surprise didn't register it was the old lift until sitting admiring the views and what a view. Some reviews are not complimentary about the lack of staff smiling but we had courteous efficient service. Cream tea was lovely. Pancakes hot and tasty.

we went in for a drink my husband had a cuppa I had pop lovely place could see the sea from the window they also had tables&chairs outside the staff were pleasant,friendly

The view over Scarborough's South Beach from this cafe is amazing. We called in for no other reason than because it was the first tea and coffee shop we came to after crossing the pedestrian bridge from the south cliffs and because of the view. There is plenty of seating outside for when the weather permits and we found the inside to be clean and tidy. The windows stretch the whole length of the building so ever table benefits from a sea view.The food on offer is the standard cafe type. Nothing fancy or out of the ordinary, but the prices were low enough to reflect this. My coffee and scone were absolutely fine. I could have stayed a lot longer gazing out of the window but we had more exploring to do. Tip: the cafe is only about 50 yards from the upper station of the funicular coming from the beach. It is worth the ride just for the views.

NOT in this place. We have a holiday home near by and keep giving this cafe a chance when our usual is busy. After a dozen times of trying, I'm giving in. No smiles anywhere from any of the staff. Even the manager / owner looks at you as though you shouldn't be there, god for bid, you ask for something.They should try having the laughing yoga class there, might make them smile a little

this is lovely and clean and really nice food and right at top of the cliff with lovely views you can get a sandwich and a nice cuppa .they don,t do big meals but this is a good snack bar to go to staff are nice and friendly

Nice little cafe with fantastic views over Scarborough South Bay!...lovely cakes and drinks...staff were lovely and prices were very good

Very clean with outside dining also, service with a smile offering everything from a breakfast to afternoon tea , a great selection of cakes

Call in on way up hillVery clean eating areaGood priceExtra water for tea when having a potService very goodWould call again

it is a nice clean and tidy place with great views, there menu is very basic with limited choice but is a nice place to rest your legs.

Lovely warm and helpful people with home baked cakes, freshly made snacks, hot and cold.The indoor sitting areas are fantastic with awesome views of the entire bay.

First visit, saw couple leaving sea view table . Told we couldn't sit there as they wanted to sweep floor. We explained we wanted that particular table. We were willing to wait. Young woman said we would have to leave. Older man serving was very rude, threatening and offensive to us! Incredibly shocked at our treatment, can't believe any business would treat customers in such an offensive manner!Avoid at all costs!!!!