Station Buffet, Barter Books in Northumberland

Very disappointed. The staff seem very disorganised and unenthusiastic. It’s clear they don’t want to be there. Not a place I’m inspired to return to.

Popped in after trip to Castle at about 5pm. Good veggie options. It was quiet and service was friendly and quick. The bookshop is lovely and great to have somewhere to sit and rest.

Much as I love the bookshop, the building and the whole ethos, I do not love the rude and impatient staff in the cafe. This is not just a review based on one visit either, but based on several experiences of below standard service. I don't understand why they can't be more cheerful, or at the very least not speak to customers in a rude, stressy or offhand manner. It doesn't matter how nice you try to be to them either, it doesn't improve anything. The last time we were in a woman in front of me in the queue made a very reasonable request, politely, and the young woman serving actually rolled her eyes at her. There are one or two staff who are polite and helpful but sadly, most are not. None of them seem happy working there either, very little sense of camaraderie, often stressed or bored looking. I love going to buy books and it is a lovely shop and building but sadly the cafe service massively lets it down.

Staff members friendly, they sat people waiting in queue as soon tables became available, the food was just lovely worth waiting for, with gluten free options available.

We were pleasantly surprised by the standard of food here. The chip butty was full of chips and really good value. I had soup and a cheese scone and it was delicious. Great coffee too.

Really lovely location and great food. A little pricy for what it is but you are really paying for the experience. Great bookshop too!

Beef sandwich was huge, loads of meat. Lots of good chips too. Price £13.60. Far too much gravy. We were in the waiting room which was the, dog area. Seven dogs at one point.

Very suitable for lunchtime snack after browsing books. Maybe queues for seating at peak times eg weekends around 1. Significant high calorific food geared to a hard days physical work in olden days eg generously filled bacon or sausage baps, chip butties and all chips generously cut and cooked in beef dripping and plenty of very nice home made bakery, so those with high cholesterol dont forget your statin medication! Service well organised in typical Northern hard working fashion. Toilet space limited so may have to queue. All seating in original station waiting rooms with original tiled walls still in situ. A reminder of how things used to be in the early days of steam. Well worth a visit.

First time visit here , was lovely setting . We sat in the dog friendly room, staff very helpful and friendly . Both ordered full breakfast , was a bit greasy for my liking but still an ok breakfast . Not the best sausages but edible . Not bad value for money . Was nice for a one off but don’t think I’d return .

We love going to Barter Books, we are regular visitors when on holiday in Northumberland. Whatever time of day that you visit there is always a really good variety of food available that is always perfectly cooked and presented and served by lovely people. The icing on the cake is the variety and number of books available for sale, it's an amazing place!

We popped in on a rainy day for coffee. There was plenty of seating and the coffee was lovely. Went Shopping in the bookshop afterwards.

Didn’t get as far as food. We were directed to the dog friendly area by one member of staff then when we asked another if we were ok to sit at the last remaining table which was covered in last customers dirty dishes, she was abrupt and rude. Clearly we had overstepped some Alnwick cafe etiquette unbeknownst to us (not having been there but 2 minutes). Ultimately there are ways and ways of speaking to customers and hers was not the one to go for. Still a lovely welcome from the cafe next door 🙄

Fascinating place. Popped in for coffees and 3 of us opted to have bacon sandwiches too. Not the cheapest at 6.60, but the best I have ever had - 4 well cooked rashers on fairly large soft bap. Friendly staff, and nice coal fire. Planning to return before we go home!

I found it a bit of a stressful experience to be honest, having negotiated the tight carpark, inside it was super busy at lunchtime and staff and some other customers were stressed. It was hot, a bit cramped and the toilets needed a deep clean. Our food was good, perhaps a bit on the expensive side, but took 40 minutes to arrive by which time our kids were fed up. Coffee was reasonable. It's a lovely bookshop though!

Visited station buffet on our first afternoon in Alnwick, whilst browsing in Barter Books. Had to queue for a table but these became available for quickly. Staff were rushed of their feet but still pleasant. Good menu my husband had the macaroni with small portion of chips glad he went small a very generous portion, I had the rarebit with chips which was also tasty BUT the chips I’m not sure how they cook them but they were so good. We went back today again a bit calmer than previous visit this time this time was for cheese scones carrot cake and a pot of tea. All very tasty, I think a lot of people go here just for the food which is very reasonably priced.

Delicious food. We loved the mac and cheese and baked pototoes. Dog Friendly. Fabulous staff. Just super busy - Countryfile were filming that day and the cafe was shut for an hour and it was raining outside. I think people were keen to stay in their seats as long as possible. Not the staff's fault. We will be back.

We made a quick pitstop for lunch and ordered topped baked potatoes with salad. Meal was served quickly and was tasty and did not disappoint.

Grumpy staff (except the man) and really unimaginative and poorly done food. Just such a disappointment. Not one member of staff cracked a smile despite my best efforts to be polite and charming. Everything was too much trouble and honestly the food was like being back at school.

Can't fault it. A couple of breakfast baps and a couple of coffee's, the baps were very generous. Superb bookshop, could spend hours in there and we never leave without a purchase.

This place never fails me. Staff warm and welcoming, I count myself as a regular. MAC N CHEESE ...with bacon bits. YUMMO

A great venue. The food was really tasty and the portions were generous. The macaroni and cheese was a hit. it was incredibly busy the day we went - a TV crew with Matt Baker had taken over half the cafe, so we had to wait a while. The kids browsed whilst I waited with the dog. Yes, another Northumbrian establishment that is brilliantly dog friendly. totally recommend the cheese scones and carrot cake. Oh and the chips are ace. i haven't seen chip butty on a menu in a while. We will be back.

I love Barter Books and the environment for the Cafe is excellent. Layout is good and the ambiance is fitting. Regarding food and service - staff are friendly but service is mixed. Self order at the counter, food is expensive and although flavours are generally good value to price/quantity/presentation needs works IMO. I had breakfast & coffee which at those prices is top end and needs to be better with coffee top-ups.

What an amazing place to have a cafe. The service here is outstanding and the organisation of the work is exceptional. Although the cafe was very, dry busy we soon got our drinks and snacks which were very reasonably priced. Highly recommended.

Half an hour wait for two rolls and sausage and two coffees. Food was Ok but at £7 for two sausages and a roll is far too much. Nice place to visit but won’t eat there again. Walk into Alnwick and eat the same at...

The location is lovely and we have been here many times before. This time we visited we decided to have cheese omelette breakfast. It certainly wasn't value for money £8.50 for a cheese omelette which was very small in itself. It was served with a...

We come here two or three times a week when visiting Alnwick, we don’t mind paying for anything that we want but today, I ordered two cheese omelets together with 2 slices of bacon 1 coffee and 1 tea lady asked what toast would you...

Lovely cafe within Barter Books’ station premises. Seating is in what look like some of the original buffet and waiting areas. Real fire in the Red Room, possibly in other rooms. Queue to be assigned a table, take a seat, note your table number, order...

I’ve been here a few times and I’m pleased to say that, after my last visit in September 2021 when I’d been disappointed to find that the quality of food and service had gone downhill, things have improved! This time, we arrived early afternoon hoping...

This is a nice way to break up your book browsing. The cafe is located in converted sections of the station. There’s a queuing system for a table but it’s well managed and you shouldn’t have to wait long. There’s a separate room for the...

bit expensive,but ex.portions and very tasty wife enjoyed looking round the books.not easy getting parked place was very busy

Tables are across five rooms of the former station with some nice cakes and varied teas and coffees. We didn't venture into the hot food but that looked to be popular and makes the location more than just a second hand bookshop - albeit one...

Great service, very helpful staff. A bit short on vegan options but the avocado toast was tasty and a good sized portion, with two slices of granary bread toast and a generous covering of avocado and chilli flakes. Also had one vegan cake option. (Would...

We popped in as a couple to enjoy a nice full English breakfast. The setting is always pleasant and roaring fire is a big attraction. However, in these times of austerity I cannot get away from the fact that the price of the breakfast and...

On a 2 day trip for the book festival this past weekend, enjoyed breakfast here on both mornings. Friendly helpful staff, excellent bacon roll (huge) one day and superb avocado on toast with a poached egg the 2nd day. An especially busy weekend for the...

What a delight to have a coffee and cake, expertly made surrounded by books and set in the most amasing building. If in Barter books, buy a brew and take the weight off.

As part of the Barter bookshop, which is in the old Victorian station, they've gradually changed the {I think} 5 waiting rooms {ladies 1st class and 2nd class, same for the gentlemen} into small eating rooms with a real fire. You order at the counter...

Amazing place. Such a wide selection of books, including first editions. Great railway buffet. Parking a little limited at busy times

Visited today. Food and service were great. Sandwiches, toasties and chip butty were all tasty and brought to our table quickly. We had coffees and teas, but noticed Fentimans drinks in the fridge. Cakes and scones looked great, but we were too full as portions...

The food on offer was good but expensive but as the portions are huge, it would be ok to share dishes.

A café with a difference! Set alongside, within Barters Books, this café is located in the old waiting room(s) of what used to be Alnwick railway station. Having grabbed a book from the extensive shelves, you can relax here and enjoy a snack, a meal...

Pre-covid this was a favourite place. Cracking breakfast and breakfast rolls. Used to pitch up on a quiet weekday for a breakfast meeting with a colleague and an hour of work. Visited this week when in Alnwick and found breakfast is now £11.60 and a...

Visited 3 weeks ago and had bacon butty at a cost of £5.60 which we thought pricey but it had 4 rashers of bacon in large bread bun BUT today that same bacon butty was £6.60 which is certainly overpriced so we will not be...

. . . a welcome break, timed beautifully as we arrived as the crowds were leaving! We had time and space to appreciate.

We have been visiting a couple of times a year for the past few years when visiting family in the area, but our latest visit could be our last. We had purposely not taken our dog with us and were surprised to see other dogs...

We had been recommended this cafe, and experience, by 2 different people. The fire was roaring, but the atmosphere was not as cosy as expected. Minimal choice of cake, but what we had was good.

Not sure what has happened here since our last visit, pre-Covid, when I was waxing lyrical about the place, but the food and service have both seriously gone downhill. We’d spent a fair amount of time in the shop, as we usually do, immersed in...

Popped in for quick lunch whilst visiting the bookshop. The place does need a good clean but the food was alright. At least the chicken noodle soup was. Hubby had a scone and it was alright. You can’t really go wrong with those two. The...

Called in for something to eat Ordered the food then sat at the table. Firstly the place needs a good scrubbing, the walls are absolutely filthy dirty and so are the ladies toilets. Food arrived which was 2 breakfasts 1 tea and 1 cappuccino £26.00....

Lovely setting in the old railway station. Fabulous and friendly staff. Coffee was perfect and the lemon cake sublime.

Stopped off at this book shop with friends for coffee and cake. Pleasantly surprised to see an open fire with lovely comfortable chairs . Great coffee and cakes available. Friendly staff and a huge amount of books to choose from. Well worth a visit

lovely food here but there are too many people with dogs and on my last visit i felt very uncomfortable. not to prudish but i dont think Dogs ought to be allowed in eating areas

The charming Station Buffet has been made to look like exactly that - a buffet in an old-fashioned railway station. I ate what I had planned to be a snack lunch here but actually, the portions are very generous considering the price. The food was...

Stopped over for brunch on our way up to Scotland for a wedding. What an absolute delight. Very unique experience (pleasant one) - had the breakfast bap which was enormous and tasty. Highly recommend if you are in or passing by Alnwick. Big thumbs up...

Such an enjoyable experience with literally thousands of books to browse and sit and read. There is also a restaurant that we took advantage of and enjoyed our luncheon very much with great food and excellent service. We bought some books too.

If you have any nostalgia for the age of steam, the setting for the café won't disappoint, set as it is in a series of rooms from the old station. The tea and coffee were fine, but the fruitcake and the fruit scone had been...

A long awaited treat it was a great opportunity to browse so many books and with a great deal of temptation to buy. To discover so many books that I owned as a young person, remembering how I used to save my pocket money to...

Menu has a nicely varied selection. Ordered the hot roast beef sandwich with chips. It was not only huge, but tasted great as well. Didn't even need to have dinner as it was that filling!

This is the wonderful cafe attached to Barter Books. The cafe is housed across several different rooms, including the old railway station waiting room. If you think bookshop cafes offer little more than coffee and some shortbread, then you will be pleasantly surprised here -...

Went 4 times in 3 days fantastic bookshop and the history that goes with it could have spent hours in there . But still could not get the 3 books i have been after for years as archaeology section small.staff very wellcoming and helpfull.defo worth...

We popped in here on the way back from Seahouses to Wolverhampton, having escaped to Northumberland the second Johnson declared lock-down over and the pubs open again. It was hotly recommended. The breakfasts whilst not cheap were delicious, with great local produce and home-made hash...

Can’t fault the food. Excellent hygiene and excellent service. Really tasty and generous portions. The bookshop itself is fascinating

Covid compliant. Check. Sausage Sandwich. Check. Triple cooked chips. BLOODY MARVELLOUS. Friends from the south who didn't know what to expect? Blown away. Barter Books is still the best in town. Thanks to staff as always.

Cold and wet when we arrived here, but the service was excellent and the food very good value for money.

We stopped for lunch to look inside the bookshop after spending the morning in Alnwick Gardens. I felt immediately at ease in the way in which they are keeping the cafe as safe as possible (pencils on fresh menus to show the table is clean...

I know this is only a small thing, but today I went to the book shop to buy an old Beano for my grandson. The buffet called and I went in for a coffee and a bacon butty.Sometimes you can just be in the mood...

Heard about it and could have easily spent the day! Lovely selection of cakes almost of a size just need one between two. Staff very knowledgeable and definitely coming back

Besides being an amazing bookstore (maybe the best in the world!), the book store also features good hearty food. You need to order at the counter, but that is okay. The food is not fine cuisine, but it will fill you up. The soups and...

Having browsed the 1000s of books on our first visit we left it too late to eat so returned the following evening for fish cakes and hot roast sandwich both with amazing chips. Both dishes were delicious, hot and served by cheerful staff. We finished off with coffee and hot chocolate served as we asked - HOT! With these we tried Selkirk Bannock for the first time - delicious toasted fruity bread.Such great surroundings, ideal for a chilly evening with coal fires and plenty of good books :)

If I lived in Alnwick I would move in. Excellent food and service. Roaring fires in the winter and you are in the biggest second hand bookshop I have seen. All set in the old railway station.

On a cold winters day we were in the best place for lunch, warm and cozy with coal fires. Great food in excellent facilities and friendly staff. Can recommend the fish cakes and cream scones.

The open fire was a good idea on the cold day we visited in February. There are hot dishes and toasted sandwiches. Basic but filling.

Brilliant breakfast. Big portions of tasty well cooked food. Lovely fire to warm up on a rainy morning and nice surroundings. Great service.

We love Barter Books, but had never eaten there. The shop was busy, we had to wait for a table, but did not mind, it was not possible to reserve one. When we got a table, we shared it with others who were also waiting. The menu was varied, I had the avocado on toast, which was lovely.

Called for lunch on a cold sunday, it was very busy but we were lucky and managed to grab a table in the waiting room. Pot of tea, cappucino, apple juice, water and 2 Northumbrian rarebits and a bacon bap. All were delicious.

Great location, a truely British book store. The smell of old parchment, dust and a coal fire is amazing. Good drinks and nice flapjack.

Visited in Nov 2019 whilst down from Scotland visiting family in Northumberland. Came to the incredible book store for the morning (see other review) and ate in the lovely café attached inside. Had to settle for eggs on toast as there was no veggie sausages available, feel this is something that other people in todays world must have mentioned before...a real veggie option would go far. The food itself, eggs on toast, were perfectly cooked, staff all friendly and best atmosphere of a café ive experienced in a long time.

As a local, amazing venue, roaring fires, dogs welcome, books galore and great food to boot! Particularly recommend the fruit cake and the scones. It’s such an enjoyable and relaxing space; I’ve even been known to work all day in there. Great!

This is a lovely place to eat. There is a real nice ambience and there is a choice of eating rooms. We had third class because we had a dog, which was fine, but the others looked more interesting although the tables were closer together. The food and tea were Ok.....nothing to write home about, a pleasant half hour

my wife wanted to look for some books in the book shop and then we decided to have some lunch in the station buffet and we were not disappointed it was busy but staff found us a table straight away the food was excellent I had the hot roast beef sandwich which was enormous and my wife hah creamed mushrooms on toast which she really enjoyed will return if in area again

Barter Books is a real find - though many people have found it! It can be difficult to find a space in the cafe, and as many people choose to sit there and read, there's not a large turn over of tables.

Lovely environment, ifyou like books, The cafes are fantastic and affordable. If you cant find a book, stick to ereaders.

I ordered hot beef sandwich and chips. The chips were red hot but the beef and gravy were cold. It was very busy and I was on the way to a hospital visit so couldn't hang around otherwise I would have asked for it to be changed. It was tasty but spoiled by the fact it was cold

Having spend a couple of hours browsing for books earlier in the afternoon we decided to come back to the buffet for our tea. The fishcakes were delicious (plenty of fish!). Good sized portions and delicious tea. The coffee and ginger cake i had earlier were equally good. We'll worth a visit.

Food ordered at the cafe is brought to tables in (inter alia) the old waiting room with log fire. Great 'pub-style' food at reasonable prices. Fish cakes, with salad and chips, strongly recommended.

Great atmosphere in this large converted railway station. Huge selection of second hand books. Some rare. Free coffee and tea at entrance and a café where you pay.

pick a table, look at the number and order and pay for your food mentioning the number at the bar. I opted for the fish cakes, fries, salad, tartare sauce. after about 15 minutes they were served and my they were delicious! together with a pot of tea it set me back £ 10.10 which I think is really great value. Different style tables and chairs available all very comfy.

We have visited here twice in the last 6 months. The food quality is excellent however the service is very slow. Both visits we had to go back and buy more coffee as the food comes out quite some time after your drinks are finished or gone cold. The surroundings are great and a little quirky but could really do with a good clean.

We love the old waiting rooms that form the Station Buffet within Barter Books. There are several different rooms to choose from and a menu with a good variety of largely lighter meals. Portions are generous and sensibly priced. Local beer is available too. Consistently good.

We enjoyed eating here as they have a nice varied menu. The setting in the old railway station is a delight. It is spotlessly clean and the staff were excellent. They are also licenced to sell alcohol.

Recommend when in barter books. The drinks are good but it is quite pricey but it is expensive in the shop too.

Great place to visit, lots of atmosphere. We went for lunch and it was excellent and very good value. The staff were so helpful in finding us a table with space for Waffle, guide dog, to tuck under. This was at a time when the rooms were very crowded with people having lunch so a big thank you for this kindness. I will go there again if ever in Alnwick.

Perfect place to have coffee and cake while pouring over potential purchases from Barter books. A lovely relaxed atmosphere with attentive but not intrusive staff.

Lovely pot of Earl Gay tea and cakes. good service very clean good prices Staff very helpful. Lovely place

Whilst staying at the Castle Gate Guest House, eating at the Barter Books Café was a personal recommendation from the owner. Being only 5 mins walk it was an ideal opportunity to try this place out. Really quirky setting since it was primarily a second-hand book shop, but as an aside they had a café whose menu specialised in home-made comfort food utilising locally-sourced produce. Scones were delicious, and the menu included a wide range of hot options including toasted sandwiches, omelettes, jacket potatoes as well as having a specials board. Other customers really seemed to be enjoying the food. A hidden gem, and will definitely make a return visit next time I’m staying in Alnwick. Open daily 9.30 -17.00 hrs.

Full of character, where you'll sit in old waiting rooms when eating. Don't think it's drafty like current station waiting rooms! It's not! The food was excellent, surrounding superb. The second hand book shop that you walk through to access the cafeteria is very good.

I was delighted to be at Barter Books to begin with - what a splendid bookshop.

We stayed in Alnwick for a week and visited the buffet for breakfast three times. The food was delicious - especially the hash browns. Breakfast and books - what more can you ask for? Perfect!

Arriving in time for a late lunch - we still had to wait for a table. All I can say is - it is worth the wait. The food was delicious; the service friendly, and the Selkirk Bannock was simply to die for.

We had breakfast in here. Great place as it’s made like a buffet building on the railway station. Breakfast was recommended but sadly didn’t quite live up to expectations. Bacon was burnt to a crisp and somewhat oily tasting which was odd seeing how crispy it was. Not cheap either. We would go again but try something different. They have a good choice.

Lovely selection of breakfast choices. Food freshly cooked to order and all of great quality. Service is very friendly and the breakfast sets you up for the day, as well as the chance to wander around the greatest bookshop. Just wonderful.