The Moat Buttery in Harrogate

This place has changed its name now and I can’t remember what it’s called. I went in for a sandwich which was lovely but the place…. Oh goodness! It really needs a rethink. It’s tiny and full of heavy tables and bulky old furniture that makes it really difficult to get around. It’s not shabby chic unfortunately, it’s missing the chic!! Outside looks ok but the new owners need to have a rethink of the interior. Also, when people leave it’s a good idea to clean the tables! Its not inviting to come in and see that tables haven’t been cleaned and there’s no excuse when the place is so quiet.

Popped in for a cuppa and a bite to eat, during our quick visit to town. Lovely pot of tea and toasted sandwich. We had service with a smile.

We were visiting Knaresborough Castle and Court house and found this lovely coffee shop. It's dog friendly too. We had two greyhounds and always ask if it's acceptable to bring our well behaved hounds in due to their size. There was no hesitation in the owners response and we were made to feel very welcome. There is a wide variety of coffee to choose from as well as delightful cake; the coffee and walnut is particularly nice. I'd certainly make a return visit.

Had a lovely visit today. I know a Sunday itv was open. Had a bacon and tomato sandwich it was so nice I ordered a second, nice coffee for Mrs P. (she had two) and we had a coconut cake. Home made and delicious. Good price. Fantastic staff / owner and dog friendly. Go I'd my recommendation. Thanks very much.

Stopped by for a drink and a bite to eat after a walk with a number of friends around Knaresborough. Lovely little cafe, we sat out on the pavement opposite the castle. Really impressed with the young waitress who took our order perfectly despite the complications of an order for 8 people, checking through at every stage to make sure it was right and offered alternatives where appropriate. We had scones and cream and jam which was really enjoyable. To summarise, good location, lovely food, excellent service.

Popped into this Cafe with our Son, Daughter in law & grandson for lunch, very accommodating (having to dig out the Highchair for us), service was swift and food was delicious.

Good food and friendly staff. Only one drawback, cash only so remember to visit the cashpoint.

We joined a few other people, taking shelter from the torrential downpour- just as we were exploring the town! The young lady, Lizzie, coped very well with the sudden influx of customers- she was pleasant and polite and extremely efficient. Social distancing in the teashop was strictly adhered to and hand sanitiser was offered as we came in. We enjoyed a cuppa and a delicious scone before venturing back out into the driving rain and making our way to our hotel

Brilliant!! Great food And a lovely waitress who made our stop great! Especially for the dogs!!

Stopped for a coffee at the little tea shop whilst visiting Knaresborough. Lovely little tearooms 1 cappuccinos 1 pot of tea with fruit scone cream and jam all for just over £4 on the dineout scheme. The only let down is no toilets but public ones across the road.

We stopped off at The Moat Buttery on Monday whilst waking round Knaresborough. We took a seat outside as the weather was good and was greeted by a nice young lady to take our order. We ordered 4 drinks, coffee, can of coke, milkshake and a bottle of water drinks took a few minutes to be brought over to us and we where asked for a total of £8.90, not badly priced. Luckily I had cash on me, but I asked to pay contsctless and was told it was cshs only, which was a little surprising due to the current pandemic. I do wonder what a waste of drink it could of been had I not of had cash as they where made and brought to the table and we where then asked for cash. Nice little cafe but can only really comment on the drinks and service which was good.

Lovely hot chocolate and cake. Lovely staff and very reasonable too.

Good value but sadly no toilet. Public toilets and parking across road

Great coffee and gorgeous scone with jam & cream overlooking Castle. Will visit again.

Better than average food. I had soup and a toastie deal. It looked fresh and home made. Looked like they served yummy looking cakes too. Staff were friendly. The only negative thing i saw was they didnt offer payment via card. Im not sure if this was normal or if it was just broken. I saw 3 couples come into the cafe and then leave when they read the sign. It was a shame. Wouldn't hesitate to visit again.

My husband and I rode over from York we sat outside as we had our bikes. The staff gave table service outside, very friendly. We had fruit scones & tea very reasonably priced and the scones tasted heavenly, so light. It is a cash only business but to me this is not a negative. My husband and I will call again.

I have stopped here for a coffee several times when shopping at the nearby market place and found the staff helpful, prices cheap and the seating inside and out comfy. Outside is the castle and the most magnificent views of this lovely town. Visit.

Visit after pleasant afternoon on river. Ordered 2 coffees, 1 tea and 3 cakes. Drinks brought out and at this point was surprised at being asked to pay. Apparently it is their policy to stop people from running off! Cakes and tea were ok, coffee tasted very weak. Upon leaving we asked to use the toilet facilities and was told “oh, we just use the public conveniences over the road”.Will not go back. There are so many nice places to choose from in Knaresborough!

We went and visited today and it was terrible service and clearly trying to dodge the tax man too as cash only. They only told us no cards after we ordered

We called on a day when Knaresborough, and this cafe, was very busy but this does not excuse the total lack of service we encountered. We sat at an inside table for 20 mins without our order being taken, despite, after the first 10 minutes, politely asking the waitress if we could order. She scuttled away into the back corners of the shop, never to be seen again! The only reason we waited as long as we did was due to the heavy rain outside which, incidentally, also meant that all the outside tables were empty. We cannot imagine how anyone gets any food when those tables are full as well as the inside ones! We are unable to rate the food as we eventually left without being served, but would agree with the previous reviews! Unless you have a couple of hours to spare, don’t even think about going here. No way to run a business! If you can’t cope with the number of tables then get rid of some of them, or better still, employ some efficient staff who are capable of making eye contact with the customers!

sat outside to rest our legs after a steep climb we all had tea and coffee promply served and the girl gave the 2 dogs a biscuit top marks

A very nice place really handy for the castle. However as with other reviews don’t stop if you’re in a rush or have only paid for 2 hrs at the car park. Prices reasonable tea nice and hot, coffee could’ve have been warmer.

We called in here after we visited the castle on our way home. The service was good and the food was reasonable value for money and really tasty. I had the Toasted bacon and brie sandwich and a lovely asparagus soup all for around £6. The tea room is small and was fairly quiet when we called in (around 2.15 pm on a Monday). The only awkward bit is that the staff have to poke their heads around the corner to see if you need attending which is a bit strange. If back in Knaresborough we would definitely call in again.

Well priced sandwich shop what we had was very good

We stopped at this tea room after visiting the castle. On a windy grey Tuesday. we were looking for a homemade scone and tea - a guilty pleasure ! We found this cosy looking little tea room and stepped in - small inside but clean. No background music - the place just lacked atmosphere and we felt like we were interrupting their day by being there. service was okay from the young lady that took our order. noticed the lack of uniform from all staff - personal choice perhaps and some might find welcoming but a uniform policy might not go a miss ! Even if it’s just plain black top and jeans. Our drinks came fairly quickly generous sized pot of tea with extra water - followed by our scones which to be honest were just dumped on our table by the second waitress. No smile no there you go enjoy - In fact she said no words at all - Maybe because we are in our early 20s and were a bit out of place? Not the usual type of customers or maybe because we were not local . peherps she was having a just bad day so almost feel bad about writing this - but a ‘ here are your scones enjoy ‘ wouldn’t have been to much to ask - and would have made a world of difference we felt a bit uncomfortable with the whole experience which is a shame because the scones were lovey and in an enviable location!

Nice cup of coffee friendly staff

Lovely place highly recommended

A brew and a piece of cake nowt better

Cash only!!!! Coffee and cakes good.

Lovely little café. The carrot & sweet potato soup was delicious. Very clean and the waitress was helpful and cheerful.

Nice little cafe of you arnt in a hurry. 2 coffees and a tea cake ordered and 20 mins later coffee arrived 10 minutes after that tea cake arrived coffee cold and drunk before the tea cake came. If you have a couple of hours to spare this will be ideal

As the weather was good and there was outdoor seating we stopped by chance. The seating is kerbside at the edge of the castle car park. Some cars coming into the car park but mostly pedestrians wandering past.We had the fresh soup - cauli and cheddar. Piping hot and delicious. I had a ham sandwich as well. Nice thick old fashioned slices of ham. Tasty.The 2 servers were a little rushed as they were busy, but friendly and pleasant. I thought we might have to wait some time but everything arrived fairly promptly.Enjoyable

Very friendly staff and good value too

Use this cafe almost ever week .

Lovely traditional cafe with nice food and friendly staff

Clean, quick, tasty. Friendly staff😊

Called in as knew this place from previous visits didn't fail to disappoint. Staff were friendly and helpful and homemade soup was fab, lovely little place highly recommend

Nipped in with our 15m old daughter yesterday for a spot of lunch. The staff were ever so friendly, quickly offering a high chair and helping us position the tables. We had 2X cream tea specials, priced £7.50 each which consisting of delicious egg mayonnaise sandwiches, side salad, scone, ham and clotted cream plus filter coffee. All the food was fantastically presented and tasted wonderful.

We had an enjoyable visit on a very warm day. Can't comment on the inside as we were sitting outside but the service was fine and the food and drink reasonably priced. Happy to recommend the tea loaf which was very moist and came with plenty of butter on the side.

Only had coffee and water here the two small bottles of water added £4.00 to the bill though nicely chilled and needed on a hot day - we thought overpriced! Coffee was very nice. would visit again but maybe ask for tap water to accompany our coffee?

Wonderful little tea room at the top of the hill with friendly attentive staff and fast service. The soup was very nice and filling on a chilly day.

Clean and presentable Cafe. Varied selection of cake etc as well as more substantial food. Friendly staff.

Lovely atmosphere, tasty cake & friendly service

Great milkshake and tea. Bring cash no cards accepted!

Good little tearoom. Had tea for two & cake. All good, especially my wholemeal and date scone with cream & jam. Nice venue with homely feel just felt the upstairs floor was a little 'tired' in terms of decoration. Staff were friendly & though we were the last customers at the end of the afternoon we were not made to feel that we had to hurry up and finish.

Lovely cafe pleasant staff well worth a visit

Visited today 25th Oct, lovely to sit outside in the sun looking out on the castle. The staff are very friendly and welcoming and the prices are very reasonable, well worth a visit if in Knaresborough

We came here for a light lunch. They say they have gluten free bread (and crumpets). My son asked for a gluten free toasted sandwich. The waitress said they only had one toaster which they would use, thus contaminating the bread so it was no longer gluten free. My son then asked if he could just have a sandwich with the gluten free bread. No, that wasn't possible as the bread was frozen. We did wonder why a couple of slices couldn't be defrosted in the microwave. He ended up with a jacket potato. His partner ordered beans on toast which turned out to be a bowl of beans with two slices of toast balanced on top. Very odd. I had the soup which was good and my husband had a prawn sandwich which was very well filled. Friendly staff, but they really need to understand just what constitutes gluten free.

I had a nice light lunch here with a lovely pot of tea. The staff was very nice and it is adjacent to the castle. Note: They only take cash.

I thought there would be dozens of cafes in Knaresborough, a place heaving with tourists, but we struggled to find anywhere in the town centre.

The soup of the day was indeed very enjoyable and the service was very prompt. Only issue was the bell that rang every time people walked in was incredibly loud!

Great coffee wonderful scone jam and clotted cream. Service was excellent. Local parking and a lovely castle and park just...

Friendly, helpful staff. Wonderful home made food, very tasty and good portions. The cream and jam scones are delicious with...

Four of us came across this cafe when exploring Knaresborough. Good prices, service good and decent choice of cakes! Small...

Encontramos este lugar por accidente. Parece ser el más cercano a la cafetería Vastle. El servicio era estupendo, las tartas y bollos caseros estaban deliciosos. Los precios eran muy razonables. No pago por tarjeta o sólo en efectivo. Sin duda llamar de nuevo cuando en knaresborough.

Wide selection of cakes, light bites and drinks. Very reasonably priced. Super convenient for town centre, market and castle. Not far from riverside and other attractions. On edge if short stay car park opposite public conveniences.

Have visited this cafe a couple of times while wandering around lovely Knaresborough. The service has been good, polite and efficient and the menu is varied and well priced.Their homemade cakes and scones are wonderful !Savoury food and soups are very good too. Well priced in a great area of the town. Would strongly recommend and looking forward to returning.

We visited the Moat Buttery when recently visitng Knaresborough Castle. It is situated about 25m away from the castle and right on the edge of the pay and display car park. The photo provided is quite accurate because it is a sun trap and even in April was extremely warm on what was a sunny but chilly day.Service is provided at the table and the café offers hot and cold drinks and some fine Yorkshire fayre. Well worth a visit if you're going to Knaresborough

Was in Knaresborough with time for lunch and a look around, until we went in this cafe. Let me say the food was good but it took 50 minutes for toasties, baked potatoes and soup to appear, hardly a goumet meal. There was no apologies or warning of a delay. There is plenty of choice in this town so I would recommend you try somewhere else

The curried parsnip soup is the best soup I have tasted in a long time, sandwiches are filled beautifully and prices are very competative. Quaint and rustic little cafe with excellent service and perfect setting right by the castle. Seating outdoors which is lovely for summer months. Lovely and polite service.

Thank you to the staff...we just could nit have received better and friendly staff...food very good.quickly arrived and very reasonable

After visiting Mother Shipton's Cave and Well we happened upon this little gem and decided to have some lunch there.It's a small place but has two storeys and as there were 17 of us they accommodated us upstairs, which gave us a nice view from the windows.The food is lovely and reasonable priced too. There are seating areas outside for when the weather is good, so could accommodate wheelchair users there.We would recommend this lovely little cafe as we really enjoyed our lunch there.

Right next to the castle and your coffee and cake is a steal at £7 for two people :) lovely stuff!! Everything from scones to fresh cream meringues. Also does savoury lunch options too.

Lovely staff. Lovely food.. lovely location. Soup and a sarnie deal was fab soup was beautiful.

Lovely little kirb side cafe under the shadow of the castle. Stop for a cream tea before a trip to the castle for a game of pitch and putt.

Nice cosy little tea room, situated by the side of. The castle grounds and just off the market place served a range off sandwiches and light bites and good cup tea, bare in mind this is waitress service.

Called in for an early lunch time drink on a very sunny day in Knaresborough. Having sat at the only free outside table we waited and waited and waited for just a menu to arrive. Never mind the fact that the table was full of plates ect from the last customers.I was ready to leave but Mrs STW wanted to stay a bit longer. When someone did arrive even cleaner the table the women was unable to clean things away in one go so more time went by before we even had chance to order. I stopped checking the time it was taking after 20 mins had gone by.Why the order was not taken as she clean the table for the second time i don't know. She did apologise for the wait but it more of excuses as they had been busy. No one seam to be running front of house and the two staff seamed like headless chickens. The to top it all off the drinks had only just arrived before we had to pay not even had chance to try them.My milk jug was fair from clean I did not bother asking for another for fear it my get dark 1st before another arrived. Go to the Black Mulberry much better

Lovely little coffee shop in great position opposite the castle with really pleasant staff as well as that you get hot water served with your tea which you do not see often now and also I got a large expresso and both at a reasonable price well worth a visit

was in knaresborough on a day trip. after walking around the castle and grounds and the market, i was ready for a drink. there was a table available indoors and the girl cleared this for us without delay. we had a meal booked elsewhere so we only required drinks. these were served nice and hot and very promptly by the same friendly girl.whilst we were not eating, the meals being served looked very appetising. would recommend.

After walking round the town and the Castle grounds we were ready for a drink especially as it had started to rain . There was a table free in side and the waitress was there immediately to clear and clean it for us.We only wanted drinks as we had a meal booked for later and again these were served very promptly to the table. The price for three teas and two lattes was just over £8 very reasonable indeed. The waitress was very pleasant and friendly. Whilst we did not eat some of the dishes they had on offer looked very appetising. Would recommend

After disappointment from a cafe in Harrogate we came down to The Moat Buttery in Knaresbrough near the castle.Could not fault anything,we had a lovely sandwich and drink .Staff very welcoming and food good.Thanks for making our morning.

Just felt I had to write a review I come here regularly to the side window to buy a delicious take away filter coffee I am usually served by a lovely friendly smiley lady !It makes my day!i then take my coffee and sit in the castle grounds and admire the view!bliss!would recommend if you would like a take away drink

Stopped for tea and cake. The staff were pleasant, not particularly well dressed for serving food. Food and drink were fine.

Great choice of items in the menu, shame we were only here for morning coffee. Popular with the locals as well as holiday makers. All prices look very good value. Staff friendly and polite, a great team.

Went in for a bite to eat yesterday, have been before so we knew the excellent service we would receive. We ordered sandwiches and tea for two.The sandwiches were freshly made with brown and white bread, and there was plenty of filling in them, these were served with salad garnish homemade coleslaw and crisps.A pot of tea for 2 with a pot of water and plenty of milk, enough for more than 2 cups each. The service was first class and i would highly recommend this little gem,

Called here for a quick bite this afternoon, nice pleasant staff, very good prices considering its location adjacent to castle and well presented FRESH cakes even 1/2 hour from closing for the day. Will defiantly call again. Recommended.

I'm sure I came to this cafe with my grandma for afternoon tea over 60 years ago. It's still going strong and my elderly dad is now a regular, so while visiting Harrogate I stopped for lunch. Lovely home-made soup and very good toasted sandwiches. Lots of lovely things on the menu to try another time. Friendly helpful staff, reasonable prices.

After climbing the hill on a lovely Sunday afternoon we stumbled on this cafe & decided to stop for coffee & a scone, after our order was taken by a lovely young lady, we sat enjoying the view and sunshine, we had quite a wait for our order, there only seemed to be two members of staff. The coffee was delightful, & the scone & clotted cream a delight. Snacks for children would be a good idea, even if its just crisps & a biscuit, our granddaughter was quite bored waiting for us to finish our scones.

This is a regular stop for us - for it is sunny and warm, we always meet lovely people who enjoy chatting to foreign locals! The service here is very friendly and they produce the goods(teas and coffees). very quickly...Scones are great!

Quaint little restaurant right next to the castle. Friendly, helpful staff. Good food at very reasonable prices. Gluten free sandwiches, cakes and crumpets on offer which is amazing!

We called in to try for a snack and were pleasantly surprised. Excellent service even though it was a busy market day. The staff are really friendly and the food and coffee were lovely and not expensive, we have been 3 times now and will certainly be visiting on a regular basis now we have found this gem of a place.

Came with the I laws for some food. Fantastic serve and great staff.The soup was homemade and delicious, could have eaten it again :)

A small group of us purchased ice-creams and sat on the seats outside shop to enjoy them. We weren't there long when we were rudely asked to leave, long before we'd finished eating. We'll never visit again.

One of my fav coffee shops in Knaresborough

Visited here with my wife two children (15yrs and 11yrs) along with our two pet dogs, really nice that they have tables outside so that we could sit with our dogs for something to eat. The café was busy and we had to wait for a table outside when one became available the staff were very quick to clear and clean the table ready for our use. We all had sandwiches, drinks and cakes to eat. The portion size's are generous with plenty of filling, fresh bread and a nice little side salad. I've seen previous reviews with regards to poor service I can only speak with regards to my experiences and having visited this café a number of times I have always found the staff to be really friendly and attentive to our needs in fact having been again today(6th Sept) I over heard the waitress apologise for the delay to the table next to us who had only been seated less than a few minutes. I would certainly be happy to recommend a visit the food is very nice and not all expensive

A whole load of us went here after visiting mother shiptons cave. I was really looking forward to have a scone with jam and cream - but they announced to me that they didn't have any - annoying!My boyfriends mum and nan, were interested in having the afternoon tea deal which included finger sandwiches, tea and scones. However, there was no scones left. So we asked if we could have a slice of cake each instead, they announced that in that case it would be more expensive... But their cakes were cheaper than the scones? Doesn't make sense. We mentioned this to the waitress who stupidly replied saying "yes but it's more expensive to make the cakes" why sell them cheaper then???Our drinks came 10 minutes after ordering them, and then our food came out in drips and drabs about 10 minutes after our drinks - so we had finished our drinks and then ate our food wanting another drink to wash it down.Staff were miserable and service was terrible.Will not be returning and wouldn't recommend!

£6.50 for two lovely bacon sandwiches a filter coffee and a tea, we took them away and sat in the castle grounds , lovely staff, great location, and proper HP sauce !!!... we will return as many cafes in the area a lot more expensive and not as good quality...

My mother and I are regular visitors to Knaresborough, especially on market day. Having walked around the market and castle, we thought we’d try visiting The Moat Buttery for a change. It always looks really nice outside, especially in summer.What a mistake. It was 11.30am and we thought we’d have an early lunch. We were pleased to get a table and it didn’t seem too busy. We looked at the menu and decided what to have. After 10 minutes of no one approaching us, we gave the staff the benefit of the doubt, thinking they were busy. We caught the eye of two waitresses who proceeded to ignore us. After a further 20 minutes, when we did finally catch the eye of a member of staff, she decided to serve the elderly couple at the side of us who had just sat down and started asking how they were, and how was their daughter etc. Then the penny dropped with us – this type of place is probably ok if you a more senior member of the public and visit every week; our face obviously didn’t fit. This café needs to realise it can’t survive on ‘regulars’ and should be embracing new customers, not making them feel unwelcome and a bit of an inconvenience.After this incident we proceeded to get up to leave and when I asked why we hadn’t been served, a shrug of the shoulders was the response. I certainly don’t like been ignored, but to ignore my mother the way they did was quite ignorant. We proceeded to Café Nero (something I don’t like doing as I prefer to support local businesses – ha!) where we were served by lovely staff who couldn’t do enough for us.

Sat outside the cafe on a loverly sunny Wednesday afternoon the lady that served us was so polite .customer service was fantastic.even though it was near closing time we didn't feel any pressure to drink up quickly and go.the cafe over looks the castle so the views nice.good cheap prices and great value for money.highly recommend this lovely little cafe if you visit knaresborough. Well done.

the lady who served us was so lovely and very helpful. We had cakes and drinks and the prices were so good. None of the £2.75 for a cup of coffee here!

Popped in for tea and cake while visiting the town. We were served quickly and ginger cake was nice. Being midweek it was quiet. Staff were quick but not particularly friendly. Nevertheless I would go again.

Been here many times usually on Wednesday. (market day) Food good especially the home made soup. Also recommend the fruit scones with jam and clotted cream. Can be very busy on Market day and because of this sometimes service can be a little slow but worth the wait.Sfaff feriendly and if you have coffee most times you get asked if you want topup (Free).One of the better Knaresborough cafes. Recommend a visit.

Tea and crumpets while looking over the historical ruins of Knaresborough castle. Food fine, service delightful and weather to suit. Highly recommended

Very surprised by the previous review. Am a frequent visitor to this delightful cafe and have always found the food to be excellent value for money and the staff friendly and courteous, even at busy times. I would strongly recommend a visit, especially sitting outside on a sunny day at any time of the year!

My partner and I visited briefly for a snack in the early afternoon - the food wasn't bad: I had a toasted cheese sandwich and my partner a baked potato with tuna and the price was reasonable. However, what was off putting was the atmosphere and service. When we walked in, we were stared at by a member of staff standing at the far end of the eating area. After a brief pause I said 'hello' to which I received a reply in identical terms delivered in a very cool manner coupled with another stare (we almost left then!). Service after that was very perfunctory and there was quite a wait for the bill. So - unfortunately not the happiest of experiences.

This is a delightful place to have tea, just across the road from Knaresborough Castle. I had tea and crumpets, which were delicious and good value for money. The staff were extremely polite and helpful. There is seating outside, but it was too hot for me, so I had the inside to myself for a little while until joined by another group.

The food here is really good value for money. The food is nicely prepared and the staff are so lovely and helpful. Sitting outside the cafe is really great with the castle on the other side. Quite with lots going off. Well worth a quick, light, cheap meal.

Stopped for lunch here a couple of times during our recent stay in Knaresborough. The Moat Buttery offers a simple and varied menu but the quality of food served is of a very high standard and the prices are reasonable. However, it has to be said that we were a little disappointed with the ice creams which were lacking in flavour and texture. Be aware that this is a strictly cash only establishment which nearly caught us out on our first visit.

Just happened across this place when in Knaresborough. The review title says it all - it's a great little cafe. Great food and service, pleasant outside seating area. Strongly recommend.

Soup and a toastie with a cup of tea sitting outside in the sun with views of the castle and the hubub of a little town. Just lovely.