The Drift Cafe in Northumberland

Had to wait quite a while to get our food delivered. However, when it came, the quality of everything was superb, and the cakes are some of the best ever.

What a lovely place! Food excellent, fresh and hot. Imaginative menu. Love the little bits and pieces for sale also. It was buzzing when we arrived just before 2pm. After a good walk along the stunning beach. Most people settling for a good lunch. Staff very friendly. Easy parking over the road in the Cresswell beach car park.

After a great walk along the coast came across this cafe. What a gem. Good food from cakes, snacks and full meals and drinks. Does get busy. But runs very smoothly. Hard working staff a credit to u all. Dog friendly. Seating inside and out.

We’ve just had another fortnight at Druridge Bay and so visiting The Drift Cafe was a regular activity. As usual it was fantastic, the food is excellent, the staff so warm and friendly we can’t fault it. To the people giving bad reviews based on the price, you really need to get out more as their prices are normal and reasonable. To the people giving bad reviews based on surly and unfriendly staff, I’m afraid that says more about you than it does about them. You get what you project perhaps if you go in there a little less demanding and entitled people would be friendlier to you, think about it.

Super cafe. V dog friendly. Really handy for the beach

Lovely cafe not far from Cresswell Beach. Organised and friendly, good selection of food and drink and dog friendly.

Always friendly, plus great food. Sometimes too busy though - need to pick times carefully

Excellent place at the beach. Parking can be limited but plenty seats and tables inside. Food was way above what I was expecting and service from the lady was above and beyond what you normally get at most places. Food was perfectly cooked and quality of ingredients was high. They also have a toilet here as well. Would definitely come back again. Well run and clean place.

Busy but didn't have to wait long

Not a very pleasant experience the table next to us had 6 dogs and another 2 on next table Would suggest you cordon off a section of your cafe for people with dogs.

Very good certainly recommend for food & drink. Staff very helpful and friendly.

A really nice cafe not far from the beach. They have decent food, hearty portions and a very nice vibe!

Great full English, but could not change anything on the plate, not a big fan of black pudding.

Quite Expensive for what it is but very friendly staff, great location. Right on the beach and popular with campers/caravans and them nuisance cycle rider types in lycra

Great place to visit and the key lime pie is second to none

A lovely dog friendly cafe close to Cresswell beach.

Excellent full Northumbrian breakfast. Other choices available also cakes and snacks. I would thoroughly recomend a visit but it is very popular and extremely busy due to good food and service so dont let that put you off. I will definitley be going back.

A great beach front cafe. Dog friendly with treats for both humans and canines! Lovely selection for morning coffee, lunch or afternoon tea. Great place to warm up after a braving walk on the beach.

This was a great cafe to visit after a walk along the beach with the dog. Quiet beach. The food was very good and great coffee. There is a Greek restaurant too that is open Friday Saturday and Sunday. Dog friendly.

Lovely little spot for food that seems to have grown in size over the years. Ideal location for cyclists and walkers!

Really enjoyable brunch splitting a 10k walk.

Getting very expensive Had a disappointingly dry sausage roll told staff member who didn’t really see too bothered Won’t hurry back

Planning on spending the day at the beach we thought we'd pop in for some breakfast as we parked up. We were astonished at how expensive some items were: £2.50 for a can of Fanta, £10.50 for a toastie. In total it cost us £37 for 3 sausage sandwiches, a toastie and 2 cans of pop. Such a shame.

Had a full English, think it was around £13 with a slice of toast and a pot of tea. Was ok. Nothing special but had worse. Sat outside, had to ask for salt/ sauce as was fetched breakfast without but nothing bad. Location nice to walk the dog afterwards on the beach

Had a first date here on Friday 23 August. Eating was last thing on my mind. I had a cheese and onion toastie. Then an espresso and a slice of cherry and almond cake. The only disappointment was I couldn't taste any almond in the cake. The cafe is in a fabulous location and very popular. Lots of seating either indoors or outside. Good toilets (apart from only two of them) & as my date paid for everything I've no idea if it was good value for money.

Quick service, pleasant staff, kids loved the carrot cake.

We were having a great day and this cafe let us down , what happened here as we had great fish and chips on our last visit and now there is an over priced Greek restaurant that was empty and With no children's menu we then tried the cafe with what could only be described as bland food at unrealistic prices we left feeling truly ripped off ! This place was once great and someone needs to get Thier act together pretty quick ! Sorry to the owner for the harsh message !

We visited previously at Easter 23 and were looking forward to returning but were very disappointed. The meat and potato pie was served with potatoes and tinned peas instead of fresh veg. We requested sausages instead of chicken nuggets for the kids meal, but they refused, despite serving all day breakfasts. The wrap was acceptable but that’s about all, and the whole experience cost £39 for 2 adults and 1 child for lunch. Last time we had some great fish and chips, which they don’t even serve now. We won’t be back.

Great outdoor seating area. Plenty bike parking. Good well priced food.

Right on the beach, with the drift theme throughout, the food was fabulous enjoyed by all, we can understand why it was given a gold award this year.

Visited for breakfast, had 2 large cappuccino’s, Bacon Sandwich and Toasted Teacake, £17.50 which is about right compared to other places around the country that we have visited. Staff were helpful and friendly and order arrived very quickly indeed. Bacon was from a butchers and perfectly cooked. The place was busy and although there were a few dogs (including ours) all were very well behaved. I think some entitled people with the poor reviews need to have a reality check. If you’re nice to others, they’ll be nice to you. We will definitely come back here again, fantastic place to eat.

Always seems busy but a first class venue and location

Absolute gem friendly staff spot on grub 👍👍

Gorgeous cakes and a lovely bug pot of tea just for me!!

Good food and drink, pricey but after a day at the beach it's welcome, staff are a bit !!!! Like they don't want to be there but they are young, plenty of seating in and outside.

Went on a weekday lunchtime in August. It was busy! Consequently, it took about ten minutes to order and then about 20 minutes wait until the food arrived. However, they were doing their best under the circumstances. There was a good choice of food and the bacon rolls we had were very good. They serve good quality coffee. The cafe is just beyond Cresswell and at the start of the lovely druridge bay. As such, this is the only d3cent cafe available. Prices were average for the area.

We drive from West Yorkshire for a beach walk followed by coffee and cakes here. It's that good!

A favourite place to eat. Great menu choices prices very reasonable. Always busy so sometimes a wait for food.

2 x English breakfast with coffee = £30 Warmed cheap tinned beans, tinned cheap tomatoes & cheap sausage. Not what I expected for £30. Happily paid more for grilled fresh tomatoes, a proper farm sausage & properly cooked beans. Made to feel unwelcome by 1 female member of staff when ordering. Rest of staff were lovely.

Lovely beach side cafe lovely food dog friendly nice clean toilets the staff worked hard and were all good at their jobs can get busy on sunny days

Food looks lovely but quite expensive for café

Love this place, staff super friendly. Beach is beautiful. I had cheese scones and they were delicious 😋

I had the scone and broth deal with a cappuccino. Very goo service and amazing food.

Prices are shocking!! £6.50 for beans on toast and £12.50 for a below average full English with tinned tomatoes! Had to wait for the member of staff behind the counter to finish their conversation before they came to serve us!

Lovely food, friendly staff, and good service. Why 4 stars, though ? It was an English summers day of horizontal rain and temperature struggling to make 13 degrees C. Everyone was getting in there to get out of the rain. There were 6 dogs in there, including ours, and a young child who was tired and hungry. Every time someone came in, it was a surprise for the dogs. One would give a bark which another dog would respond to. That's what dogs do. Owners would then settle the dogs back down. The young child would start screaming loudly. Yeah, that's what kids do. Mum did what we did with our kids. You reassure them and settle them down. Other customers, without children or dogs, would watch with a smile and nod sagely. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt. The manager came out of the kitchen and got staff to tell us that if our dog barked again, we'd be asked to leave. Nobody else was approached with this request, the member of staff seemed embarrassed to have to make the request. I guess it was a tetchy, pi55 pour day for everyone.

Wow!!! 😳😣🤑 Just been assured the cake is good - haven’t tried it yet - but £4.50 for one slice to take out!!!!! Where I’m from - not far, just Whitley Bay - you can get a meal for that! No matter how good it is my bank account won’t sustain it and it just seems wrong 😑

Five of us popped in for light lunch. Really impressed with the quality of the food -- particularly the scones. We will be back.

Four of us out for lunch. First visit for me. I ordered quiche (leek, cheese, mushroom ham) with new potatoes, bulghur wheat salad, coleslaw and salad. Food was delicious, quite possibly the nicest quiche I've ever had. Staff friendly and helpful. Will definitely be back

Visited for the first time recently. We ordered 2 breakfasts which included tea or coffee for £12.50. Tea was a teapot and the Americano was decent . Had asked for hot milk for the coffee but came with cold. Drinks arrived quite a bit before the food . Main gripe was too many dogs. My partner doesn't like dogs. We were surrounded by them and the tables were quite close together. It would be nicer if there was a dog free zone.

Dog friendly inside and outside Delicious cakes and drinks. Haven't had the hot food from here yet but will be back. Ideal location. With free car park nearby then straight onto the beach

Although this place was extremely busy. I thought the prices were a bit expensive. But there is no where near anything else.

Stunning place, great food and amazing coffee. No, there's nothing else around but for good reason as it wouldn't be able to compete.

Service good, friendly and quick. However the food was not great. Partner had vegetarian wrap, large portion but stogie. Wraps are normally something you could pick up and eat but this would have been impossible, the filling more like a veg. stew. I had a pulled pork/stuffing stotie ok but the side (new) potatoes inedible. Obviously boiled and then microwaved. Hot, but with the consistency of a soft boiled egg. I rarely leave anything, so quite disappointed considering the consensus of reviews.

Food was disappointing today. Won't be hurrying back.

Delicious cakes, serves plant- based alternatives to milk, very dog friendly :)

This is a sad review to write. I always loved and recommended this place. However, food is now really expensive and excessive wait times. Quality of food has reduced. Very disappointed.

Always stop off here on the way up the coast for breakfast

The food and drink were excellent.

Overpriced food and drink. Very busy and slow service at peak times.

Absolutely a little gem having lunch on the old vintage double decker bus at Cresswell

Lovely cafe and a must visit in the area. The food is tremendous. There’s lots of choice on the menu and you will find something you fancy. There is also a big selection of cakes to eat in or take away. Plenty of seating too. We will be back!

Lovely cafe with gorgeous scones and coffee ! Pleasant atmosphere, lots of cyclists in and families.

Really nice food on the coast. Have a cafe/restaurantwith indoor seating for when it's abit windy or you can take away. Great place for food if you fancy good food. The service is fantastic, really polite and friendly. The chippy has now gone and it's become a Greek restaurant.

Helpful location for those walking on the beach. Very friendly staff. Soup was delicious but cakes are quite sweet. Overall a great place with lots of choice for a full lunch or just a snack.

the gammon broth is sooo good, cakes are always fluffy and moist. lush place to stop after a long beach walk (although if you're paying for yourself and your three daughters I hear it can get a bit pricey 🤪)

We have visited Drift Cafe on a number of occasions and it is okay but the price has now become ridiculous - £20 for 2 coffees and 2 scones !

Been here many times and never again after today, I was in the queue and next to be served (the people in front getting hot food and taking forever) the clock ticks 4pm and I'm told sorry we have just closed with no one behind me absolutely disgusting service.

Love it here. 1st time. 2 latte's and a fruit scone £11. Sitting outside and table service 😁

Great place for breakfast and lunch and it's sister Greek restaurant, Mikanos, next door is fab too.

Visited for 1st time today. Wonderful cafe with exceptional food. We went for soup & cheese scone, then cake with coffee. All 2nd to none. Emmy who served us at order stage was very welcoming, friendly & helpful. All staff were efficient and gave excellent service. Chrissy B cleared our table and gave us fantastic friendly advice on the coast and the Drift Cafe’s gorgeous menu. He even helped us look for our car key when we ‘thought’ we had lost it! We will definitely be back to try the toasties & omelettes. Would not hesitate to recommend to friends, family and anyone visiting the area. Thank you for our lovely experience today :)) David & Dawn 🥰

We have used the drift since it first opened but the prices are ridiculous now. £10.50 for a toasted sandwich a bit too pricey. I appreciate cost of living is increasing but that’s a bit over the top for a cheese and onion toastie. We won’t be rushing back

I'm sure this place doesn't need anymore publicity because everyone in a 30 mile radius knows its great. Busy from midday but the food came quickly and with a smile 😃. We sit outside because we bring our dog. There's a dog at almost every table. If your weird and don't like dogs there's plenty of seets inside. Yet to try the Greek but that also looks amazing!

Excellent friendly cafe, just behind Druridge Bay. Good for coffee and cake and light meals. Outdoor seating for nice days.

Beautiful food as always , staff super helpful and friendly. It's always a treat

Just called for morning coffee, place full ,food looked lovely,dog friendly

Overpriced ordered breakfast for 8.00 then had to pay extra for black pudding will stick to White House cafe in Newbiggin for half the price and larger portions

This is cafe is an absolute rip off. £6.50 for a sausage sarnie… that is 2 cheap sausages cut in half in a cheap roll…. for £6.50! Not to mention £10.50 for a baked potato!!!! I get it… cool location and no competition but howay! There’s a cost of living crisis and this place takes the biscuit. Bring a picnic and go sit on the beach - that’s what I’ll be doing next time.

Lovely Barbecue pulled pork wrap,Fab

First time hear great place food very nice and friendly place and staff very friendly

As good as always, every time we come back

Good starting point for a walk on the beach. Really good cafe. Lots of tables. Can be busy. Large range of food. Still a great place.

Lovely food and staff Very busy on a wet cold day

The farm view of this environment its lovely. You want to be away from home, please visit this environment. Do not forget to buy a cup of coffee from Drift cafe.

Always visit here whenever we visit Cresswell! Great little cafe with plenty to offer

Food was brilliant, all of our plates were totally cleared. The service was great, we will certainly be back very soon!

Always good food and friendly staff. (Also really popular and gets very busy)

Had a nice lunch here. They serve an all day breakfast until 4pm and there was enough choice for our kids who had a light lunch. Sat outside as it was just about warm enough and we had a dog. There's an old bus outside which the kids enjoyed playing in. Just over the road from the beach car park so nice place to stop off before or after a dog walk.

We often come here for a cuppa and cake after a beach walk. Lovely spot, great food, friendly staff. Gets very busy so go early if you can!

Great place to have breakfast before a walk on the beautiful beach

A great location for Cresswell Beach. Nice food, lots of parking and good food.

This is the most enchanting cafe in the world. The staff are so lovely. The environment is great and the food is fabulous. I can't get enough of Drift cafe and can't wait to bring my lovely mum! Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who makes this such a special place. ❤️ 😍 💖 ❣️ 💕 💚

Wonderful large cafe with a Greek Restaurant and Ice cream parlor. Friendly and welcoming, parking too and only a short walk to the beach across the sand dunes.

Stopped for coffee. Nice and hot. Friendly service.

amazing food with brilliant service, a hidden gem

This is an amazing cafe. Excellent service, very friendly staff and customers. Dog friendly and a wonderful outside seating area absolutely highly recommend

Good food . Quick service with extra friendly staff

Always a great cafe with fantastic food at good prices. Often go after a walk on the beach for a cake or some lunch. On this occasion the kids had some fatastic cheese toasties and I had a fab cup of coffee. One of the best cafes in Northumberland.

Great service, friendly smiley staff. Now the not quite so good, £6.50 is top end for a bacon and egg sandwich, and sandwiches are made not with a cheap bread roll, cob, stottie etc but with slices from a loaf, secondly the bright yellow muck spread over the cob had melted and pooled in the bacon use butter or don't bother. The bacon tasted ok but one rasher was well done and the other was flacid and unpleasant. Not good enough. The cake looked lovely and my coffee was superb. Won't be back.

A really lovely family cafe. Lots of both younger and older people, a friendly place.

A very popular cafe, good food and close by the beautiful beach at Cresswell. Dogs are welcome, we sat outside in the spring sunshine.