The Old Engine House in Carlisle

Found by accident but hidden gem. Panini, soup and coffee all excellent. Nice decor, nice atmosphere, nice staff…winner.

Lovely fresh food at a very reasonable price.

As usual great service and excellent food.

Lovely gem found when I got lost the other day! I've already been back for a second visit. Friendly and helpful staff. The food was freshly made and very tasty, including a side salad & my favourite crisps. Very nice coffee and all reasonably priced! Worth a visit if you're passing through and worth a regular visit if you live here!

Lovely tuna and cheese toastie. The people who looked after us were really friendly.

Excellent service nice calm ambiance.

I'm not surprised that this place has such great reviews. Fantastic coffee and food, comfortable bucket seats and great staff.

This is an amazing place with a lovely atmosphere. I had the soup which was gorgeous. Would definitely recommend!!

Worth continuing down the unprepossessing street to find this gem of a cafe serving exquisite sandwiches and proper coffee, with a friendly smile.

Lovely little cafe, stopped here for a hot chocolate which was great. Well decorated, and friendly staff

I went here about 1-2 weeks ago and I wasn’t really hungry at the time but I did get a cookies and cream milkshake. It was really nice! I am moving into Carlisle very soon (about a week) and I might go make this my main cafe. (If I get the hang of the roads leading up to it). It’s a fairly quiet cafe and is really nice if you just want a place to have a break. The workers are really nice as well!

Really recommend this coffee/lunch bistro type business, small and friendly

Great little cafe, hidden away but loved the atmosphere and staff

Fabulous food and drinks, we will be back xx

Great homemade soup. A variety of different sandwiches sandwiches. Fairly small inside so busy at popular times. Nice staff

Lovely café, staff were really friendly and helpful, not to mention cake was delicious. Definitely worth a visit!

Good food nice atmosphere soup is always good.

The best panini I've ever tasted , highly recommended , friendly staff and nice atmosphere, 10/10

My favourite place food is amazing.

Really lovely coffee shop slightly off the beaten track. Can recommend the toasted fruit scone with Wensleydale cheese and blackcurrant jam.

Really nice food and drinks, had a coffee which was perfect.

Looking for decent coffee and saw this one sold Farrers of Kendal so thought it was a good choice. The menu was nice and something a little different, I chose the cheese scone with cheddar and chutney and my partner had the falafel wrap.... Both were freshly made and very tasty. The place has a lovely atmosphere and we really enjoyed our little visit x

Do like this place,one of the best in town

Called in today for something to eat. Really not following Covid guidelines. Tables were getting a quick wipe if at all. As we waited 20 minutes for our food we watched people come and go and tables were not being wiped between customers. Two couples came in and asked if they could share a table, they were told no as the waitress knew them and they had made it clear to everyone that they were just meeting up. The two ladies stayed and when another table came free they were joined by their husbands and then swapped tables and the staff said nothing. They sat at a table that wasn't cleaned after the last customer. The cafe supplies papers and magazines to read and these are just put back in the rack for the next person to pick up. Our tea was almost finished and cold by the time we got our food 20 minutes later. No QR code on display, though there was a rather grubby sheet where you could leave your details but we weren't asked to. Really disappointed..

Great little find just of the main busy streets, away from the mainstream chains

Called in for a hot drink and sandwich while out shopping , nice ambience, lovely toasted sandwich, very good coffee , pleasant welcoming staff , definitely will be going bac

We visited this cafe last week for the first time. The staff are very friendly, the food excellent and the place is very clean with proper spacing, cleaning down etc. It realy is a great little place for a bite to eat and/or a drink or take out. We had the soup of the day(potato and leek)a panini and salad and drinks. I had a delicious smoothie! It's located just up the steps from Town Dyke car park and just a short walk from the centre of Carlisle.

Great panini’s, hot chocolates good however they were not what we would class as hot, more warm ready to drink quick. COVID precautions in place. Staff helpful and friendly. Would visit again.

Excellent coffee and good food. Well priced.

We called in for a drink with our parents. We ordered 3 hot chocolates & an Americano. The hot chocolate with cream was priced at £3.55 each. 2 of us couldn’t drink them as it was like drinking a mug of hot milk. There was no chocolate flavour whatsoever. I sent 2 back & although the staff member apologised we were not offered a different drink in place or a refund. When you spend that much on a hot chocolate you’d at least expect it to taste like chocolate. My husband only drank his because he was so thirsty. Not a place I will revisit. Very disappointing.

Good food and reasonably priced

Nice little place hidden away excellent coffee👍

A very friendly welcoming establishment serving high-quality food I would highly recommend it. Staff were lovely and helpful even when we forgot part of our order!!

Came in to this quaint cafe today for some food and a drink, lovely atmosphere on arrival, ordered two paninis a coffee and a coke, food was lovely and the coffee was beautiful, bottled coke (the best kind) just a generally nice uplifting visit, will be back!

We had lunch here just after it opened following lockdown. We'd seen the reviews and were not disappointed - the food was so fresh and tasty

Popped in for lunch on our visit to Carlisle. Situated next to West Walls car park. Excellent chicken tikka flat bread, served warm: perfect for a cold day! Hubs really enjoyed a cheese and chutney sandwich with a beef goulash soup saying it was beautiful. What a lovely coffee shop and cafe.

What a little gem of a coffee house. Cosy, friendly and food to die for. Love it in here, try it I’m sure you will too.

Always a lovely place to meet friends for coffee and delicious bakes.

Absolutely brilliant. We had flatbreads filled with delicious ingredients, great coffee and a yummy cake. Will go again.

Enjoyed a quick break here. Tea and toasted cheese scone, lovely! Staff friendly and helpful. Will certainly revisit and recommend to friends.

This is a really lovely small cafe located at the top of the viaduct steps. Overall the cafe is clean. The staff were friendly.

Arrived in Carlisle later than planned, so needed something to eat.Had parked near to the railway, went up some steps and there it was. It looked nice from outside, so wandered in. Nice choice of food and drinks. The soup was tasty (and tasted home made), and the sandwich fillings generous. Reasonably priced. No complaints at all and set us up nicely for a wander round the city. Well worth a stop off.

Excellent coffee and tea. There's a selection of light snacks and nice cakes.

Visited today with 2 friends and bought a cup of tea straight away. We were chatting away about university and our coursework. After constantly looking over at us, an older lady came and asked if we would like to order food (which was strange as it said on the menu to order at the counter). The manner in which she asked sounded like she wanted us to eat (we were planning on having some cake at some point) or hurry up and leave. I ordered a scone (not fresh and with squirty cream) and one of my friends ordered a cheese scone. My other friend (who had a coffee) left the table momentarily and whilst she was gone the same older lady basically offered up her seat to an elderly couple and asked us to move her laptop if we "are not eating". The younger members of staff were helpful in locating plugs but I dont think we will be returning as we didnt feel very welcomed.

Really lovely little coffee house. They serve really good quality soup, cake and coffee. Espresso is always accompanied by a glass of water (often overlooked in other coffee house). Always spotless and a warm welcome.

Great little tea room tucked away at the top of the viaduct steps, great lunchtime food attenion to detail, great range of teas and coffees nice range of tray bakes and scones very good quality and thats from a baker myself,and personal service have gone many times downside is it is not big enough its so popular you have to wait for a table but then quaility is worth waiting for if you have the time, lunchtime is busy because of business people going for takeaway lunches.

What a lovely cafe! We made an unscheduled stop in Carlisle on the road to Glasgow and we were lucky to find this place through Trip Advisor. Cute and clean premises. Professional and friendly staff. I had the cheese scone (amazing) and a good mocha. My partner had the tomato and basil soup with a toastie, and he loved both. Lovely food. Highly recommended.

We saw the other reviews before our trip to Carlisle so we decided to drop in for a late lunch and we were so glad we did. I had a panini, which came with hand cooked crisps and a lovely little dressed salad garnish- delicious! My boyfriend had soup of the day, which was chunky vegetable and came with a lovely thick slice of seeded bread. We also had tea for two. The staff were happy and friendly and the service was quick. I would definitely come back here for a light bite if we go to Carlisle again!

Lovely place for a coffee stop, great atmosphere and lovely staff, will definitely be coming back. 😊

What a darling place! The servers were so sweet, the drinks were delicious, the sweet potato pakora wrap was tasty, and the chocolate orange cake was divine. (The gf cake was only ok to my taste but everything else was really good.) So glad we stumbled on this place and would highly recommend it! They have free WiFi if you ask for the code.

Been there several times since it changed hands , food was a touch salty and the dressing is already on the salad instead of on the side the dressing wasn't very nice

This cafe is just outside the main city shopping area (like 2 minutes walk). We enjoyed a great vegetable and red lentil soup which was their special for the day. A quaint little cafe, the food is quickly prepared, fresh and hot. And there is convenient (per for use) parking right next door.

I love this place. Put it on your 'must go to' list if you're visiting the city- it's fab!

I had searched Trip Advisor for a tea room before arriving in Carlisle and liked the look of this one. You will not stumble upon it as it’s off the beaten track in the older part of the city, but is definitely worth a go. Out of the railway station and turn left.

We'd just arrived in Carlisle for a day's shopping and spotted the cafe as we were walking to the shops. The decor looked nice so we went in and were not disappointed. The staff were friendly, service was good, the food was delicious and the place was clean. We had hot drinks, scones and tea cakes. Really happy with the food. We went back at the end of our trip for drinks and cakes and were really impressed again! Would definitely recommend and we'll definitely be back!

Only popped in to get out the rain and what a treat. It’s a hidden gem with great food, friendly staff and spotless facilities I would recommend the toasted fruit scone with clotted cream and jam (all locally produced).

Wonderful food in a great setting. Very friendly and helpful. Excellent vegetarian choices. Cakes are divine!

Nice food and good service No soup available on the day visited

Looks good from outside and by pictures

Really average. Coffee weak, and unappealing.

The good reviews from trip advisor tempted me to go and have a visit!!

Went for a quiet drink n read me paper Staff very polite n great service by all

Good service & quality food and coffee at a reasonable price, definitely another spot to visit !

Small cafe with a reasonable menu of fresh food. Quick service.

Question not a review. Yet, hopefully. Do you cater for gluten free by any chance? Thank you

Another 5 star review Marco but this is my second attempt at drawing your attention to the frustration of regular customers who can only choose from the same menu that hasn't changed in the last year. Surely you can offer a daily/weekly/monthly 'special' ? The soup varies each day/weeks do why can't the sandwiches? Also, I would love the menu to be be influenced by your Italian background to introduce new flavours/ingredients/cheeses. Hope you can respond positively as our custom may go elsewhere.

Since finding this gem I not only regularly visit with my husband but also with my sister and friends.

Me and my friend thought we would give this place a go on wednesday after reading the review in the cumberland news.

A hidden gem of Carlisle. It's decor is very good, the product variety is good and the staff are really helpful. I can recommend this coffee house.

Staff are wonderful, food is lovely! We come here all the time :)

We went here for lunch when we were in Carlisle for a day. We chose here based on the positive reviews it has here and we were not disappointed. It’s a charming place with lovely staff. The menu is great and we all (2 adults, 2 teens and one smaller child) got a really nice feed. I had the goats cheese and pepper panini and it was delicious, I really recommend it. There are lots of tempting things on the menu and I rather wish I lived close so I could go here often. The coffees were good and they had a good selection. The prices here were very reasonable and the portions generous. Really I have nothing negative to say about this at all. It’s lovely.

We popped in today with our three young children for lunch for the first time. It had been recommended to us by friends and we had a lovely visit. The grown ups loved the coffee and the kids loved their kid-sized portion of sandwiches especially made for them.

This was the first place I saw coming from car park, I ended up stopping on way back as nowhere else tempted me. Quite small and friendly, moderate prices and not very busy as it's out of the way. The raspberry and lemon crumble was very good with a pot of tea, service was quick and attentive.

Great little cafe tucked away down a side street. Good coffee and tasty food - crumpet with Camembert and apricot jam was an unusual but nice combination. Staff were friendly and helpful and the prices were very reasonable.

No wonder this small eating place is always full and that people are prepared to stand and wait for tables! The toasted sandwich I ordered ( cheese and tomato) was delicious with substantial bread and fillings. It comes accompanied with salad and crisps and is beautifully served by cheerful staff. The coffee was good too and I never got the feeling that we were being rushed to finish to let others take our place. I paid the bill for myself and my friend and at well under fifteen pounds I thought it excellent value. I would heartily recommend, even if you have to wait to be seated.

I’ve not eaten here so can’t comment on the food. The coffee and cappuccino in particular is the best! Huge quirky cups, thick foam, delicious:( service is good and the little place offers a cosy and welcoming atmosphere.

Excellent food good service lovely surroundings give it a go and you can book a table, although on check the booking we were sat at a high table with bar stools. Asked to be moved and was taken to a normal dinning table.

Stumbled across this little gem whilst shopping in Carlisle with our grown up daughters. We all had a light lunch. Delicious paninis and amazing flatbread wrap. Friendly service from people who obviously care about what they are doing. Will definitely be back.

I was browsing for somewhere to go for lunch with my dad & I came across this on trip advisor.

The food is amazing and the staff are friendly. I really like the drinks especially the smoothie. :)

A great discovery 😋delicious soup scrummy pannini - cake out of this world and hot coffee too❤️AND the staff were lovely too😍 We’ll be back😋

Visited the old engine house today. I ordered a cappuccino which when it came was served with a small biscuit and the coffee was lovely and akso hot. Served by a friendly young girl.

Lovely little cafe just up the steps from the car park where the arches are down from the railway station in Carlisle

We loved Marco and the staff. Food was excellent and we felt like home

I'm really happy I discovered this place as I've been trying to find a really nice cafe in Carlisle for a while. The menu has a good variety of food and drinks. I was pleasantly surprised to find that they not only sell chai lattes but that they sell chai milkshakes too! The food here is very nice and is reasonably priced. I've been there 3 times in the last two weeks as i love it so much. Staff are friendly and welcoming.

Lovely cafe with home cooked food

We visit at least once a week and love the food and coffee but are running out of options as the food menu never changes. What about having a couple of weekly 'specials' so we are not ordering the same vegetarian options every time we visit. We would love the menu to have a more Italian flavour that could include 'Italian sandwich of the week'.

Came here with my girlfriend and two kids for a coffee/soup and light lunch. Very friendly staff and the food was sooo tastefully made, especially the parsnip and chili soup. Definitely recommend, would come again if we weren't just passing through from the South of England to Edinburgh. Keep it up!

Family friendly, welcoming, clean cafe.

My first visit in this lovely coffee house surely won’t be the last one! Very tasty good quality coffee, friendly service together with a cozy atmosphere and beautiful interior, definitely the place you coming back into. I would highly recommend it!

Visited this small cafe twice on our visit to Carlisle. Service was quick,the food fresh,and tasty and very reasonably priced.

Well I’ve never had crumpets with butter Camembert cheese and apricot jam but it’s a must. Great coffee too lovely big cappuccino Spotless very clean and fresh cafe. Well done staff great too

Always have good food and good coffee.

Love this little cafe, off the beaten track near the West Walls in Carlisle. The decor is welcoming, the food good and the prices very reasonable. Popped in with two friends today for a cheese and onion toastie and the only problem was in trying to find a table. This little gem of a cafe is becoming better known and it's now very popular. Worth waiting for a table, though....

After a marathon shopping trip we decided to have a bite to eat for lunch. I suggested the old engine cafe as it had been taken over a few years ago and we had wanted to try it for ages but never got the chance. It is lovely and cosy. The owner is Italian and his wife is local They were so very friendly and helpful. The lovely aroma of coffee hits your senses the minute you walk through the door. There is a vast array of sandwiches, panini and flat bread sandwiches to choose from with quiet a few vegetarian options. Soup was avaliable as well as light bites and a small selection of tray bakes and scones. The service was extremely quick. They sell so many coffee; teas and juices too mention also milkshake which my daughter thoroughly enjoyed. It even has there story at the back of the menu which I thought was a lovely touch. You order your food at the counter and then it is brought to your table. The toilet is level which is good for disabled. Can't fault this little place. Will deffinately be back for another visit soon.

Lovely little cafe , plenty of choice, friendly staff. If you are having a day shopping in Carlisle, it is nice to park the car on the lower viaduct and walk up the steps to have breakfast at this cafe. We love it

The Old Engine House is a lovely, friendly non-chain coffee shop. We popped in on a cold day and received a warm welcome from the owners.

What a fantastic Cafe a Jewel in the crown in Carlisle serving superb food with excellent service in fantastic surroundings. So looking foreword to a return visit. Thanks to everyone at The Old Engine House. In my opinion a 5 Star venue.

Excellent little refreshment stop , really good coffee, particularly their daily special blend, good service, good tea, scones, limited snacks, all good value, much much better than your high street brands.

Popular coffee shop close to the centre of Carlisle. Well furnished with comfortable seating and toilet facilities. They serve a range of freshly made teas and coffees and a good selection of light meals and snacks.