The Bakewell Book Shop in Derbyshire Dales

Lovely little cafe with excellent food and good service perfect for a lovely lunch. I had the Bacon and Brie Oat cake was delicious. Will visit again next time in Bakewell

We have visited this little cafe on three successive occasions and each time we have been ignored by the staff, no welcome, no menus, no interest. So each time, after sitting ignored with staff 'frantically busy' serving a couple of tables, we left. It's such a shame. It's potentially a great venue in a great town. The management need to remind the staff that the customers are not an imposition and their job is to provide customers with a pleasant and memorable experience. And a smile and a welcome costs nothing.

After a wander round Bakewell, Pat had bought a bag for walking at a reduced price we popped into the Bakewell Bookshop and Cafe. I had a scone and cream, delicious, and Pat had a toasted tea cake. Very reasonably proced.

Nice coffee, but awful scones, one of those mass produced type that leave a baking powder taste in your mouth.

Called in on our visit to Bakewell on a Saturday afternoon Myself and my wife both had a pot of tea and cherry Bakewell cake It was huge and absolutely amazing Thoroughly enjoyed it well worth a visit with other cakes available.

The shop has a reasonable selection of remaindered books and, of course, it's not possible to know what will be on offer from one month to the next... which must encourage repeat visits.

We called in here last week after a walk to get a coffee to go and by way of a reward, a cake, they had just reopened after lock-down. Bakewell is very famous for its puddings and tarts but I went for a Brownie, it was one of the finest I have ever had, small lumps of chocolate, soft on the inside, slightly crunchy on the top and an extremely generous size. I will return to Bakewell just to buy another one. .

Stopped here for lunch on our way home from a break in the area and had a lovely time sat at one of the high tables watching the world go by. It was late lunch time and unfortunately there was no soup left so we plumped for sandwiches which were amazing. Lovely place with a little shop attached to buy lots of nice things.

I appreciate we are in difficult times but unfortunately we left as we got tired of waiting for our order to be taken. The lady who showed us to our table was perfectly polite but just did other things so we gave up. There was no one else in except a couple who were already eating.

Average service and average coffee. Seemed very pricey too. One for the tourists (of which I was one) which means that they could try harder. Also, the cafe shut at 3:30. We've found in the past that Bakewell has a habit of closing early, but this seemed a bit excessive. Still, the positive is that things can get better.

I had a lovely cream tea here served by a very helpful lady. I stayed a couple of hours to do work here and it was a very quiet and welcoming atmosphere to work, or just to relax.

The title says it all: in a very pleasant atmosphere we had an excellent cream tea. The scones tasted wonderful and the tea was very good. The two ladies who were serving were very friendly and as we were one of the last customers of the day, there was some time for a nice little chat with them. We will certainly come back again when we are in the neighbourhood!

Visited today 24th December, the place had a few spare tables so was not that busy. How difficult it is to produce 4 cups of tea and 1 Cappuccino within 30 mins is beyond me, but they failed miserably. Other potential customers got up and left in the time we were waiting. When it arrived, the drinks were at best average. The crowning glory came when the lady serving came over to tell us she was going to the ladies and would we pass it on to any other customers who came in! Needless to say, we won't be going back.

A real disappointment, 40mins for a coffee and tea and then they forgot the teabag, I felt sorry for the guy trying to get food out and apologising to everyone but the waitress needs to go, arguing with colleagues in front of customers should never happen.

Stopped for a coffee & cake. Prompt service, light & airy, attached to bookstore for browsing. Tasted Bakewell pudding & tart both very nice. Good central location.

I love coffee shops in bookshops! My 2 favourite things. It was raining & horrid on Friday ,we were looking for shelter & cake. We walked into this lovely coffee shop. We were confronted with a Scene of devastation. Every table had piles of dirty plates , cups ,cutlery. We decided to stay & cleared a table & sat down. Complete apathy from the waitress who wasn’t exactly doing anything. Coffee was good, cake was exactly the same as we had at the farm shop in Hartington so obviously bought in. We watched people come in look around & leave. So much lost business. Shame could be amazing.

Called in this morning for coffees, ignored by the woman serving initially ( she was preparing another tray) didn’t even say “I’ll be with you soon” Eventually took the order which was £6, I gave £10 then was asked for a pound to save change, I had just paid all my change into car park machine so had none, at which point the woman at the counter just waited so I felt obliged to go over to my husband for change. No thanks given.Waited ages for the coffees, when they were brought over, the tray was plonked down on the table, nothing said, and tray just left on the table......no customer service at all !!Disappointing......

Called in once again for coffee and cake. Such a delight with great cakes and welcoming staff a real must.

after walking from Hassop Station to Bakewell we stopped at the Bakewll Bookshop for a coffee. Very nice drinks. We even bought a couple of books!

This is still a great venue, but sadly we can stay for coffee no more as it is no longer dog friendly inside. A shame that a minority has ruined it for the rest of us.

Went in on a busy Market Day for elevenses Our Toasted T Cakes were sublime.....served with an excellent Cup of Tea Served quietly and politely.....by a very reserved "YOUNG MSAN" he was younger than me anyway

The cafe in the bookshop is amazing. The staff are friendly and helpful. The cafe is dog friendly too. We had coffee and cake. The Victoria sponge light as air and Ginger sponge spicy and light. Highly recommended

A coffee shop selling books or a book shop selling coffee. Either way you describe it, you would think it a winning combination. They have worked well for me and hubby in the past. Yesterday, we called in here and bought a book each. We chose coffee and cakes and thought we would pass a relaxing half hour or so while reading the first couple of chapters of our books. Unbeknown to us, there was a dog sitting under the table next to us. During our stay, it barked for a whole forty minutes. After ten minutes another dog entered the cafe. Between the two of them it was an absolute nightmare. Neither of us got the first page of our book read, couldn’t enjoy our coffee, in fact, we couldn’t hear ourselves speak. We left our coffee and went elsewhere. Dogs in bookshops do NOT work, would you allow a dog in a library? We recently witnessed a dog taking a pee in a cafe. Imagine having a book display ruined by such behaviour. There were tables and chairs outside if the cafe wanted to be dog friendly but please leave the inside for book lovers wanting to enjoy their coffee!

Crumpets with cheese and bacon 😋 with hot chocolate on a very cold wet day 💞 just chill and watch every body go by ⌚👀

Rather than just heading to a national chain, we looked for something local and found this lovely coffee and book shop. Very family friendly, and great with the kids, the coffee and snacks were delicious! Would definitely come back here!

Really nice coffee and cake, situated right in the centre of Bakewell. Could sit for hours people watching on the high street, very comfortable surroundings and friendly service. Would recommend to both tourists and locals! Will definitely be back :)

Having spent the day walking around the area, as I love a good book, we headed for the Bakewell Bookstore, I wasn’t disappointed amazing coffee, service and cake what more could a girl want

Popped in here on Good Friday to rest my feet having walked round Bakewell and entertained my nephews on the park whilst their mum was working.

Came here this weekend and was over the moon with the serve to say it was a bank holiday weekend. Although was very busy the staff stayed calm and was understanding all the customer needs! Will definitely return!!

Personally I really prefer places with a bit of character like this. Had a look at the books during the short wait for my freshly prepared food and was really impressed, the friendly guy in there was really helpful and said he could order in anything they didn't have in stock.

Had a lovely cup of coffee and amazing piece of cake in the afternoon. Fabulous bookshop, lots of interesting stuff! Would definitely call again. Was busy but nothing was too much trouble for the staff.

How happy was I to browse through the books and meet my friends for coffee, double whammy. Lovely place to stop for a rest & catch up with friends. Friendly staff who were helpful with my book choices.

Just had the best experience with helpful and friendly service. Great you can browse the gifts & books or just relax with a hot drink and cake. Would recommend to anyone 😙

Female member of staff was curt and unfriendly, to both me and my partner as well as the poor soul on shift with her. My partner asked for a soy flat white twice, and i also said the same once after she hadnt written it down, when her co worker started making a soy flat white e heard her muttering about how "she didnt say that to me" and at the end of the meal, my partner thanked her and she came off cold. Utterly misserable person.

Must to go too coffee and a book shop 📚☕️ Check the books out that are wrapped up for £5 amazing ' don't judge a book by its cover🙂

Very friendly service in the bookshop, but for some reason, as the only customers in the cafe we seemed to be nothing but an annoyance getting in the way. Service without a smile....

The Bakewell book shop could so easily be a lovely location for coffee, cake and a natter.

Very pleasant experience. Absolutely yummy Bakewell tart, served by a very pleasant lady with a friendly outgoing manner. Hot chocolate was a little sickly, but the whole experience was fun.

This is bookshop/teashop is set in honeypot town of Bakewell. However seems one member of the two staff needs better customer training. Which is the main reason for low review stars. Eg

Ordered a cappuccino (£3) waited untill no one was at the till to say my cappuccino didn't taste right (served in a tea mug) only to be to be told it's a cappuccino so if I make another it will taste same. The women was very standoffish I was polite enough to wait so other customers could not hear. Luckily enough another ladie stepped in and offered to make another. Shame as its attached to a cosy little bookshop, but will not return.

Went today, looked on website that said shop open at 9, I went at 9.30 someone was in shop but very off hand when I went in through open door, apparently not open until 10.30 despite what website said. Update your website it doesn’t take long and save potential customers feeling unwelcome

I’m really shocked to have read some bad reviews.

A well located Café and bookshop. Requested extra hot coffee and it certainly was. Was early so rather quiet.

We visited Bakewell for the afternoon and went in for a warm drink. I seen some rather nice cheese scones on the counter and was offered it with cheese and onion chutney. The drinks, flat white coffee and pot of tea (two and a half cups), were ready promptly and the scone and cake followed shortly after. It is a lovely airy cafe with some lovely children's books for sale, there are daily papers available to read. The cafe was fairly busy and everyone was served promptly. The bill was less than £12 which we thought very reasonable as drinks were hot and food delicious and well presented. Can't believe there are negative reviews.

£2.75 for a single pot of tea described as 'loose leaf' but in fact containing a tea bag

The corner location provides a really attractive location- well lit with large windows, and attractively laid out with round tables and bar stools.

We ordered a jacket potato, a soup and some drinks. I’ve never sent food back to the kitchen when out for a meal before, but the jacket potato was stone cold as if it had come straight out of the fridge so felt I had to. The waitress then told us that the potato was still failing to heating up in the oven so offered an alternative which I declined as I didn’t feel like eating anything else and was given a refund. The bread that came with the soup was nothing like sourdough as it stated on the menu. It was soft and a bit dry, like a stale white bloomer. We were told it was in fact sourdough which we accepted but it was completely opposite to any sourdough we’ve had before so dissapointing. On a slightly more positive note, the minestrone soup wasn’t bad, tomato’ey’ and peppery. The waitress did deal with the complaints well and gave a heartfelt apology. The food was poor but the staff and drinks were good. Therefore, I would possibly return again for drinks, just not for food.

Visited in the run up to xmas when the town is busy. As a family we don't get involved in Xmas and just wanted a stroll in the pretty town of Bakewell. We stopped in her for a slight lunch. The service was calm - a delightful contrast to the world outside. The service was also very friendly with personal attention to our family. Hot chocolate in a small cup for my son and daughter was offered with cream and marshmallow. Chocolate brownie cut in half and shared on 2 plates to avoid any arguments. All service was with a smile and could not be faulted.

Attempted on two occasions over the space of 25 minutes to order drinks and food from the counter only to be ignored and then refused as “they were very busy”. Busy amounted to two tables each with two customers waiting on orders.

My husband and I went into this cafe and ordered 2 lattes and toast. Eventually we were given our lattes but no toast. The young waters said she was trying to serve all the drinks she was apologetic. We wanted to have our toast with our coffee had only parked for a short stay so we decided to cancel our order. Another young lady gave us a refund and also 2 pieces of Bakewell tart by way of an apology.

I thought it was really expensive at £7.50 for two coffees, 1 x latte 1 x ordinary coffee. This is the reason I gave the score, the café and coffee was okay, just not the cost.

Luckily we only wanted a snack, as anything more e.g. sandwiches didn't appear to be on the menu. We enjoyed Bakewell pudding with clotted cream and scone, jam and cream. Nice, quiet cafe.

I've read a few negative reviews of the cafe, not the case when we visited.

The problem with this cafe appears to be lack of training. I had a painful experience of trying to order a simple Americanos with cold milk (the coffe I received contained coffee grains). The lady didn’t appear to understand how to operate the coffee machine correctly - rather than making two coffees simultaneously, she made each one separately, meaning my wait to order was very long. Running a cafe isn’t easy I appreciate that, but with the correct training things could improve dramatically. I don’t think a simple courteous greeting/eye contact isn’t too much to expect but it’s unlikely you’ll get this here. There’s a jar of complimentary bites on the counter to accompany drinks - whether or not you get one is purely random. Teaspoons are placed directly onto trays which need going through the dishwasher. Staff wear gloves, but handle food and money with the same gloves! I’ve been in several times now because I like to support independent businesses, but probably won’t go back. Please help yourselves, by improving the customer experience.

We were looking round the bookshop and noticed the cafe which was quiet and had plenty of empty tables, so decided to stay for lunch. A pleasant assistant was taking orders, preparing and serving food and drinks and periodically disappearing into the kitchen to wash the pots during which time, potential customers walked in then left as there was nobody to serve them.The unfortunate woman was then sent to fetch more provisions from a neighbouring shop. I don't know what happened to the cafe whilst she was missing, as we left at this point. The cafe is nicely presented and the food was fine but I couldn't relax whilst watching the poor assistant juggling so many tasks single handed. Hopefully, it's not always like that.

Looks like a lovely local cafe. We chose it rather than Costa around the corner but cappuccino, espresso and unchilled coke cost us 7.75 pounds, daylight robbery!! Sorry but we won't be going again.

The bookshop is great. Use the shop but steer clear of the cafe. The cafe room is very attractive but unless you see what you are planning to eat, it is very hit and miss. We went in for tea and sandwiches. Tea was provided in a good sized teapot but with just one bag - result? Colourless tea. They need to upgrade the quality of their teabags if they intend to continue with using one bag. I looked around and saw insipid mugs of ‘tea’ on other diners tables too so it wasn’t just mine.

Came to Bakewell to 'enjoy' the market etc, first Monday in June and this small town wa s overwhelmed, everywhere was full to bursting inc this lovely bookshop and cafe.Such a great array of eclectic books we couldn't leave without buying a couple and trying the cafe. Coffee was superb and the pecan brownie and Bakewell Pudding from here was amazing.Both ladies was helpful and super friendly wish i lived in the area would be my local.

Lovely book shop with wide variety of books. Decided to get a coffee. The coffee was not only cold but it would appear the barrista had no idea how to use the machine at all. As well as this i felt that the barrista was very rude and didn't want to be there. Wont be coming back. Shame.

A lovely bookshop with an excellent coffee shop in store . Very relaxing , set on the corner of the high street so you can watch the world go by. It serves snacks as well

This is a lovely book shop with a good selection of recent publications and gift items. Half is now given over to a cafe which is bright clean and has good cakes including the famous Bakewell tart!

Cold damp day. Needed a hot drink. Had coffee and a hot chocolate. Chocolate had cream and Marsh mallows. Just the job. Followed by a look around the book shop. Lady who served us was very nice. Will go again.

We walked from Hassop station to Bakewell. After a look round the town we decided to pop into the Bakewell Bookshop café. We had a pot of tea and shared a Panini, more than enough for two. We sat in the window and had a good view of the traffic coming into town. It was busy in the café and the bookshop. A very pleasant good value lunch.

The book shop is lovely and the staff are very good. We ordered an Earl Grey tea, a cappuccino, a cheese scone and a bakewell pudding and paid a mighty £14.00!!!!! An awful lot I thought but would wait to see what we got once the order had been prepared and unfortunately we were both disappointed; both drinks were served in mugs; the food was only okay and so over priced especially compared to the other cafes we've stopped at over the last few days, all of which were independent, and where, for more or less the same items have paid £8 - £9 maximum. The prices here are unrealistic and not justified by the actual food and drink.

This is a really pleasant place for a snack and coffee. It is very central in the town and the book shop is great too.

Shockingly overpriced! Cappuccino £3.00 I asked for the Cream Tea for £7.00 (shown the blackboard) and was told it was no longer available, but if I did want it then I would have to pay for each item individually. There are plenty more cafes in Bakewell, and I would definitely suggest you try one of those. I will not be returning here - I hate being ripped off. I also suggest that you read the reviews, but more importantly take more note of the defensive responses from the owners, who appear to have learned nothing...No wonder there was hardly anyone in - the atmosphere was miserable

We were looking for a coffee and a possible early lunch and decided to try the Bookshop, as there were plenty of seats available. Firstly we thought the prices were on the top side and looking at the menu, the sandwiches were expensive,andt there was no explanation of what fillings were available. We decided against having a sandwich and quite glad we did, as we saw that these were brought in from outside, wrapped in clingfilm. Would probably not return.

Went here on Friday 17th November 2017. Looks a lovely cafe from the outside. Ordered soup and a cheese scone. The girl serving told us that we had just had the last of the soup. (This was the start of service, so must not be todays soup). Our soup arrived and we had half a bowl each, served with a cheese scone. The parsnip soup was lovely (just not enough of it), the cheese scone was awful, very dry, and obviously not fresh, no taste. We were hungry so ate it. The girl never asked if our food was okay, she kept saying out loud she was ready for her lunch, sat down at a table and ate her food, without a concern for the customers. My mother, who usually finds a positive comment for even awful lunches - commented “what an awful lunch, I am never going there again.” Nothing else to say really is there......

Can't understand some of the recent negative reviews - maybe beware of reviewers who have only done one or two reviews I have been to this cafe a number of times since it opened and I am very impressed - with the friendly, chatty service, the quality of the coffee, the cakes (massive!), the day's newspapers, magazines about books, the bookshop atmosphere in general. Can't fault it - I travel throughout Europe as part of my work and this is a great local effort. I despair of people that use these reviews to threaten going to Costa - OK, but don't then complain when Bakewell looks like everywhere else.

When in Derbyshire, Bakewell has to be on your list and Monday is market day (thou i had forgotten it was also school holidays and it was very busy). Had a wander round and saw the Bookshop cafe, so decided to have a peek inside.The bookshop seemed very well stocked for what is quite a small space the lady serving was friendly and helpful we bought a couple of books and then went into the cafe side.It was very busy with only one person serving however we were greeted with a lovely smile and a warm welcome ( the lady has the most gorgeous grey hair colour all natural as well she told me)anyway we ordered Bacon and Cheese panini and some Quiche both were presented well with a lovely salad a coleslaw, we than had our coffee after, now most little coffee shops struggle to make a decent coffee not this one even thou its served in mugs my latte was perfect and my husband said the crema on his americano was creamy and thick (well done). So all in all a nice lunch and reasonably priced for the portion size and area, just a small point thou lot of pots on all the tables maybe some extra help is needed but it didn't detract from our visit.

Nice location, only had pot of tea which we thought was expensive even for Bakewell. It came with large mugs with spoons. At £2.25 per person, for a Pot of tea no hot water. Good selection of cakes, they were a tad expensive.

I visited here at the weekend with a friend and noticed as well as the bookshop there is a small cafe attached which was great as we were starting to get peckish.

Nice friendly cafe/bookshop, good coffee and very helpful staff good place to stop and watch the world go by (and very fast wi-fi)

Popped in for tea and scones I what on first glance looked to be a nice little tea shop albeit connected to the bookshop. It may well be somewhere a little more homely than the familiar chains but something is lacking. The service was fine but the prices are a little bit high in my view but I suppose that being in a tourist area I shouldn't be overly surprised. A pot of tea was OK but £3.75 or so for a cheese scone ( may have been a little stale), a small pot of onion chutney and a piece of 'local' cheese wrapped in cling wrap. Why couldn't they unwrap it? It mad the whole thing look like 'it'll do'. Sadly disappointed and potential unfulfilled.

Been out for the day with a friend & chose this cafe , it was quiet but more people arrived as we were there . Both the staff were friendly & helpful . We ordered a tea , latte & 2 cakes which came to £10.50 which I think is reasonable & what you'd pay elsewhere . The cakes were generous slices and lovely . Nice big tables to fit families & space for buggies etc . A handy toilet is also in the shop for customers.

The book shop was great the lady was so helpful and actually ordered a book for us on the Friday which we were able to collect before we left on the Sunday and she was so nice and if the rating was just for the book shop it would be much higher.

We had 2 scones and 2 coffees which came to £13! More expensive than my visit toHarvey Nichols restaurant in Leeds the previous day! The scones were very dry and virtually inedible and why would I want a jar of onion chutney and a slice of cheese wrapped in cling film with it?? The fruit scone was not much better. The coffee was in non descript mugs not like the lovely cups and saucers befitting with the hefty £3.00 price tag and no little chocolate or biscuit like you get in a decent coffee shop. Very poor value for money. Won't be going there again!!

So friendly and great atmosphere. Thoroughly enjoyable. If you fancy a cuppa and some cake, this is the place. Not often you get offered a taste of cake for free.

Gorgeous independent book shop and coffee shop which is always so welcoming, staff are lovely with our children, food is reasonably priced and fresh and seating area is modern and comfortable...well worth a visit

The bookshop itself is fine, but the café leaves a lot to be desired. The menu looked ok but we didn't eat so can't comment. The drinks were ok but expensive considering they were brought in mugs, no saucers, no napkins, no pleasant service. With so many nice coffee shops in Bakewell, this one needs to make a lot more effort. I like to try different places, but I wouldn't visit this one again unless it seriously upped its game. Sorry.

The shop/cafe is quite nice, but small. The coffee was good, but it took a long time for the single staff member to make it, and it was so hot that I couldn't drink if for at least 15min (however, when we asked for additional milk to cool it down, they offered it to us). The Bakewell Pudding was okay, although over-priced. Yet, staff was friendly, no problem at all. As everything is overpriced in Bakewell, don't be suprised.

It's awful when you go to a place and you see them treating other customers in a polite respectful way and then not smiling at you, giving you filthy looks and not bringing drinks to table. Special treatment of receiving smiles and drinks at your table is reserved for other people and visitors apparently. I think I'll go to Costas next time - it made me really sad, as the bookshop had a great community feel before, but it might just be the one lady that is bringing it down :( My advice would be: treat all customers with the same respect and not just a few.

We were going to buy two books, but changed our minds when we saw the price. Also, we ordered coffee (which was fine) and one Bakewell Pudding to try. We were charged £5 for the pudding! It was served hot with squirty cream and a jam sauce, but hadn't expected it to be served hot. We were astounded at the price as it was so small and a lot cheaper at other coffee shops in Bakewell.

Went for coffee and cake, could not ask for better service lovely friendly lady. Facilities were spot on.

We stopped for a coffee and a cake (avoiding the chain over the road), most pleasant atmosphere. We only had a coffee and cake but would go back for a lunch.

Unfriendly staff with a Take to leave it attitude. Sticky table. No prices displayed. Latte nothing special and cost £3. No atmosphere except the grumpiness of the woman behind the counter.

My wife and I visited Bakewell recently and wanted just a light snack at lunchtime. We chose a cheese scone with cheese and pickle with a cup of tea - despite just one lady serving - we didn't have to wait long and the snack was delicious. The fact it is also a bookshop gave it a nice atmosphere and there was a toilet in there too - very useful. Would definitely recommend.

Big windows and views across the busy main roundabout of Bakewell make this a nice little oasis to eat cake and people watch. We had a couple of soft drinks and a piece of, what else, Bakewell tray bake. The staff were friendly, the tables were clean and the cake was to die for. If you are looking for a nice little coffee shop you won't go wrong here.

Range of home made cake and drinks at reasonable prices. Spacious and great views for people watching.