The Pancake Cafe in County Durham

WOW! I've been hearing rave reviews about this place for ages and finally made it down and it exceeded all expectations. We had the smoked salmon with Avo pancake & asparagus and both were flawless. I used to run a brunch service in a restaurant and so i appreciate the perfect cooking, timing, seasoning and presentation of everything. The smoked salmon was incredible quality, avo perfectly seasoned and asparagus cooked perfectly. Generous portions all round, flavour combos and the pancakes were delicious. 11/10! Can't wait to go back already. Beautiful interior, and the owners and staff are just a delight, so friendly - cannot recommend highly enough. Looking at the sweet pancakes that were coming out of the kitchen i'll be back to try the whole menu. :) Great coffee too. New fav in Durham. An absolute gem of a place. So cute. x

What a beautiful place, I haven't tried the food yet, but I have booked a table for tomorrow to try the pancakes as they look out of this world! The owner of the cafe is so lovely, she will stand and have a chat the rest of the staff are equally as nice, there is a great selections of warm and cold drinks available at a very reasonable price. UPDATE the food here is stunning! Pics will follow. We have been several times now, and the pancakes are amazing. My favourite is the bacon egg and mushroom!

Had Chorizo & Avocado pancake - it was huge for lunch and absolutely delicious! Took half of it home. Service was also first class

Lovely experience. A little bit on the pricey side especially for students but the portion size felt appropriate. Also lovely to see plenty of vegetarian friendly options. The waiting staff was lovely as well. Would recommend to anyone who loves pancakes!

Fantastic cute cafe that I had a delicious savoury pancake at and a try of the biscotti pancake ( amazing but very rich! ). My only small niggle was that it’s tight on space in general but other than that it’s amazing and now I know what to expect I would go again.

Excellent pancakes, and just the right amount. I'm greedy and didn't leave hungry. This is a great little spot.

Great breakfast at a really lovely place, with very friendly staff.

Excellent place and great experience Old authentic British cafe The staff is really friendly and the pancakes were heavenly

Sat outside in the sun had a fab pancake with bacon and maple syrup. Good service great choice of sweet and savory pancakes.

Love this place. I've been able to sit outside three days in a row and enjoy three different delicious savoury pancakes. My absolute favourite so far is the Roasted Mediterranean Veg with feta and pine nuts, though the smoked salmon and scrambled egg was a great brunch. The original flat white was too milky for me but with an additional shot it was perfect. My only issue is that the savoury pancakes are so filling, I haven't had the room to try the amazing looking sweet ones!

This is a hidden gem in Durham. The food is excellent quality with generous portions and the customer service is second to none. The decor is lovely, especially the hidden paintings of mice to find while you look around. I can't wait to visit again

Fantastic gluten free pancakes, really friendly and helpful staff. Good size portions. Nice oat milk late. Fabulous strawberry milkshakes which are like a desert in themselves.

Lovely little independent cafe, quite small inside though!

Really cute building, food was delicious and generous portions. Staff were friendly and helpful

Absolutely lovely in all respects

Lovely food, warm atmosphere, speedy service! I had the Banana, Honey, and Cinnamon pancake and it was delicious 🤩 Definitely coming here again!

Amazing place with delicious sweet and savory pancakes. Its small, quiet, and has a cozy and homely vibe. The pancakes are large but you can also easily split them.

Thank you for your amazing kindness today.. helping me with my parking ticket! Such a beautiful place to eat and chat! Thank you so much! ❤️

Always welcoming, delicious and provide for gluten-free. What more could you ask?

Awesome pancakes, both the savory and sweet are delicious. The menu is nicely varied, with vegetarian and vegan options. The portion sizes are very generous too. Our server Kate was charming and brought water for our dog too. Will definitely recommend to friends.

Very friendly, attentive staff and great food. We tried both a dessert and a savoury pancake, both of them were excellent. Really good portion sizes for the price. Will happily come again.

Loved the pancakes, nice coffee, v friendly and not too busy as a bit away from the crowded popular tourist area

Very good pancakes! Gluten free option available. Great portion size.

Beautiful food beautiful cafe and the staff are wonderful... .....5 Star all round..... Remember to tip well as the staff love shoes ❤❤

Wow Wow Wow What a beautiful breakfast pancake.. not easy to please 2 fussy kids as well as me but 3 empty plates said it all...The staff are full of smiles with a lively banter and very speedy service ... and yes we found the hidden 8th one (if you know you know)

Amazing food and amazing staff, everyone was very polite and fun to talk to. Would definitely recommend giving them a try.

Lovely staff and amazing pancakes :)

Very lovely place. The owners are very friendly and the ambience is relax. The dishes are very well served and really good. It is a small place, but you can always ask to get a space once there is an empty table. The waiting is worth it!

homely atmosphere with lovely staff; the portions are also massive for the price so absolutely worth it! would recommend in a heartbeat x

The pancakes are amazing and all the staff is so kind and accommodating. We’ve come here twice and tried the sweet and savoury pancakes which were both delicious. They have great vegan options and I would highly recommend the savoury pancakes. Will definitely be coming back to try the lotus pancakes.

So delicious. Amazing choice considering its literally just pancakes and the staff were so incredibly friendly and accommodating

Another stunning visit to The Pancake Cafe, a new flavour to try and always a very warm welcome from Lucy & her team

This place is amazing… great food, atmosphere and staff. Cannot recommend highly enough, I was spoilt for choice so went for the Banoffee Pancake.. such good value and will certainly return soon!!

Comí allí muy delicioso, la atención excelente y la ambientación hermosa

Lovely breakfast, the staff are really warm and friendly and the portion sizes were generous. We're definitely planning to come back.

Gorgeous pancakes amazing service

Cozy small place, nicely decorated on the inside, but the tables are too close to one another and the place feels crowded. The food is good, huge portion size, it's a big meal, well seasoned and cute looking dish. The pancake isn't American style fluffy ones, it's more like a crepe, some bits were crunchy. The order came to the table quickly and very hot, that was very good. If you don't finish, they offer to put the leftovers for takeaway, which is a nice touch. They do vegan and gluten free options upon request for no additional cost! Fair price for the size of the dish.

We came here for breakfast and it was superb! The portion sizes are huge and they have great sweet and savour options. Definitely worth a visit.

This place is a little off the city centre and the hill might put you off but it’s definitely worth the trek up. The pancake portions are generous and absolutely delicious. The service was wonderful, with great care and attention to detail for allergies. It wasn’t an issue at all to cater for a dairy free and gluten free allergy.

Great food. Lovely staff a beautiful spot to go and eat with someone special.

Wow!!! Fantastic find ! Amazing food forget the queues at the cafe’s on the other side of the river, far better to walk a few minutes to get here!

What a gem this place is. Great coffee, unbelievable pancakes topped with pretty much anything you want. Not hard to find but away from the busy streets, well worth a visit

An amazing little place. Had been on my list of places to visit for a long time and finally did today. Super sweet and quirky painted decor on entering, as well as a really pretty exterior. The young waitress was very pleasant and polite, and we were seated promptly. Opted for a cherry milkshake as it's not a flavour you see often, and the lemon meringue pancake (my friend got the cheese and bacon) Drinks arrived first, with food not long after. Presented well and a good portion size. Thoroughly enjoyed the food and relaxed cosy atmosphere, with the very nice and attentive service from the waitress. Will definitely visit again.

Yummy pancakes, nice coffee, reasonable prices and lovely staff

Delicious food and well-priced. Helpful staff.

Great selection of sweet and savoury pancakes. Super friendly service

If you like small, bijoux place to eat pancakes then this should be on your short list for eating in Durham. The hand painted walls, friendly staff and very generous portions make this a beautiful pitstop whilst viewing this majestic city. Give it a shot... You won't be disappointed

A real gem! The proprietors couldn't be more accommodating, kind and genuine. Dealt with my dietary requirements with such kindness adapting their menu accordingly. As I was staying in their B&B - another 'must' if you are in Durham for a night or two - I was lucky enough to enjoy my breakfasts here and joined by my son for breaky! A huge thank you for your hospitality at every level. I will be back!!

Got lost, turned up a hill, found a parking outside this lovely little cafe on a breezy Sunday morning. First people in there dead on opening time. We were greeted and seated by a lovely lady who turned out to be on of the proprietors. Great choice of pancakes and I chose the Halloumi and Avocado with a side order of back bacon and my wife the lemon and sugar. Mine was stunning and huge I had to leave a bit and my wife enjoyed hers. A great place with wonderful owners who can’t do enough to make sure you leave satisfied.

Amazing place! The owner really can't do enough for you and the pancakes are amazing! Huge portions, delicious ingredients and lovely homely atmosphere

Lemon maringue crepe, visiting Durham for the day, best crepe I've ever had and have tried a lot in London on various pancake days

Just had THE most delicious pancake breakfast here! Definitely one to remember... well worth a visit!

First time back today after 5 months .... very safe, food 1st class as always. No pancake eatery comes close to this one (& we've been to a lot) 5⭐service from Lucy as always & the top Chef

Stopped in for a quick coffee before continuing the drive north and was greeted by the friendliest owner, who chatted with us about the area and her business. We didn't get a chance to sample the pancakes, but will definitely be back.

Loveeely staff and salmon, asparagus and hollandaise is crazy good

Very cosy and amazing pancakes!!!

Everything here are realllyy good, might be a bit pricey but it's worth it as the portion is also quite big. Just remember to bring some cash as they are cash only.

Great food and perfect service.

Delicious food paired with absolutely lovely staff make for a wonderful experience at this quaint little cafe

Suuuper small and cozy cafe with a variety of different pancake selection and multiple toppings. We were served by a very kind woman who was helpful and patient. The pancakes were cooked wonderfully, the coffee was tasty and the ice-cream combines perfectly with the meal. Would definitely recommend.

Hidden gem in Durham's heart. This must be one of the smaller restaurant's in the city. It sits halfway up a hill like I mentioned it's in Durham right? The service was very friendly and the place is popular with students and locals alike. There is a good selection of sweet and savory pancakes made in the continent style, that is wide, flat and thin. The decoration is English cottage style with playful painted murals that the kids enjoyed exploring. The portion sizes were hearty so go if you want a good size breakfast or a filling lunch.

Great food and good portion sizes

I was in a bad mood when I found the Pancake Cafe but it brightened my day considerably. The staff were very friendly and my pancake was fantastic. I chose the spinach, mushroom and feta one and it was gob-smackingly good. The cafe is very small but that's part of its charm. They don't take card but they do allow payment by bank transfer. Thank you, Pancake Cafe, for making me smile on a rather grey day. I will be back and recommending you to others!

I really loved my visit to this little cafe. The pancakes were excellent - I am a complete pig, but I actually couldn't fit a second one in which was disappointing - and the service friendly. They don't take card, but do accept bank transfers which you can do over your phone. Next time I come back to Durham I will make a beeline for this place. fantastic!

The food, however, was great. Really comforting soul food that I did enjoy. Really HUGE portions for what you pay - I ended up getting a little over 2 meals from one serving portion. Of particular note was the chipotle grits: the little bit of spice really lifted the often bland or over-buttery grits

Stumbled across this place whilst looking for a cafe for a drink and a snack. We got al lot more than that from this very friendly place. Large portions, fresh and tasty

Food great. Scones are the best we've ever tasted and we've tasted many!! Staff are very friendly. Lovely little cafe. Always has been. We don't get in enough. They've extended the menu to include some breakfast brunch choices. A change from the usual cafes but they do more than pancakes! Totally recommended!!

Nice cafe, although rather small inside. It's easy to miss as it isn't located in the centre of town, but it is worth the walk up the hill to visit. The pancakes are very tasty, but they are also very big - you so t need seconds!

This is honestly one of the best cafes in all of County Durham. Brilliant gluten free dairy free pancakes. Wonderful service. Wonderful environment.

Nice place but Staff (one person really) has a screw loose

You know that thing when you've lived somewhere all your life known that something is there and that it's one of your favourite things in the world and yet you can't explain why you've never been there...yep Took the kids for a nice walk along the river and surprised them with a trip to the pancake cafe a big hit with everyone especially the boy who had more treats on his than I should have allowed oh but I wish they did waffles too

Lovely small cafe. Massive good quality portions for your money and good service. Will be back next time we're in Durham.

I ate here with my wife and daughter whilst on holiday in Durham. The cafe is quite small, but don't let that put you of as it's a great place to eat. We went for a late breakfast, and really enjoyed our pancakes. My wife and I had bacon and maple syrup pancakes whilst my daughter had a banoffe pure pancake. All were very well cooked and tasted great. Our lattes were also very good. Service was very friendly and whilst relaxed it was efficient. I'd happily recommend this place if your in Durham and want to try something different to the chain restaurants and cafes.

Delicious pancakes with excellent choice if filling. You'll not be hungry afterwards. I've never finished one!

Best pancakes anywhere. Excellent service. Lovely staff. Highly reccomend

Brilliant pancakes -great for brunch. Friendly staff, and a lovely little suntrap of a garden hidden away at the back.

An amazon team, headed by Lucy, we are lost for words to thank her for helping in the making our daughter's graduation a perfect day! Great food and stunning garden, location... We will be definitely back !!

Wonderful freshly cooked food great service.and lovely setting

Small and dainty restaurant with amazing pancakes. Would definitely come again.

Pancakes any way you can think of and more! Fantastic atmosphere and lovely staff. Didn't eat the rest of the day !

Great friendly customer service and amazing food

Their room is very small but the pancakes are good. I like the fact that it is a special menu, different than typical breakfast/brunch menus.

If you enjoy physically occupying a large fraction of the volume of a room then the pancake cafe is for you.

Best pancakes in Durham. Quirky vibes. Must visit.

Doesn't take card (🤨) and if you order the scone with jam and cream you get creme fraiche 🤮 (they claim you can't get clotted cream in the North but I saw it around the town) other people said the pancakes were nice though. Just a big stingy with the portions. Like how the menu says pancakes (plural) but you only get one.

Small and cosy but a good range of pancakes, I'll be coming again to try something different!

Delicious food in lovely if small surroundings serves by very friendly owner. Although no children's menu she made my young Grandaughter a lovely pancake with lemon sugar and nutella on the side She loved it . My feta mushroom and spinach pancake served with a bowl of salad was very tasty and very filling Recommend a visit which is not far from the shopping area in Durham.

Pancakes don’t have to be exciting to be good — but the crèpe-like delicacies served here were eye-popping when they landed on our table. Small premises but packed with a youngish crowd; friendly and family-run by Robert and Jane with Cordon Bleu-trained daughter Lucy. Lon & Lorrie Wood Duncan BC CANADA

The last time I was here, was on a date with my Beloved. We've been here a handful of times before, and it never ceases to always draw me in. The atmosphere is welcoming and friendly, the staff are always attentive and smiling, and the food is absolutely delicious. Highly recommended.

Small quirky cafe, friendly staff serving very good coffee. Will try the pancakes next time we visit.

An excellent place to stop for a yummy treat. Although the cafe is small it offers a homely appeal and staff can't do enough for you. We had two sweet pancakes with ice cream which were delicious. The potion sizes are generous and well presented. The cafe only accepts cash but the staff were more than happy to keep the table for us and point us in direction of a the nearest cash point. A great little find. We will be back.

We stayed in the bed and breakfast last weekend. The room was stunning, decorated in a Georgian style, with fabulous views to the iconic viaduct. Very affordable and comfortable, it was a blissful stay. We thought we would be leaving too early for breakfast, so we didn't book that, but when our plans changed Lucy very kindly offered us the breakfast at the lower rate anyway, which was a really nice touch. I'm so glad we could stay for the famous pancakes - wow! The options were fantastic, presentation was awesome, and most importantly the food left me incredibly sad that I couldn't finish it... so full up, and so so tasty! Lucy uses an espresso machine for all you coffee lovers out there. Very much hope it will be possible to stay again in the future if at all possible in this gem of a place in the heart of Durham City Centre.

Went there to celebrate the end of my mocks, the pancakes were delicious and very fairly priced! Would highly recommend for light bite, but meals too.

This place will bring to life ALL of your brunch dreams! Small, cozy, unbelievable selection of pancake toppings and a scenic walk up make this place the star of my Sunday mornings.

I had the Big Brunch which consisted of a large pancake filled with smoked bacon, mushrooms and two fried eggs, it was utterly amazing! Everyone else's looked great too...chocolate spread with marshmallows and ice-cream; smoked salmon and asparagus; bacon, scrambled egg and maple syrup.

I've been here three times now and the pancakes are delicious! Being a coeliac I love that they offer gluten free pancakes and there are a range of savoury and sweet toppings. Love it!

Well-established but funky little cafe, open during the day only, and serving a nice range of savoury and sweet / fruit pancakes. Much recommended. Large portions too.

Casi se puede decir que la calidad de un lugar por lo lleno que hace - los mejores lugares son a menudo difíciles de encontrar un asiento. El Pancake Cafe, en la cima de Neville Street (que es bastante empinado y angosto) es un lugar encantador que no podría ser descrito como "desconocido". Muy popular entre los estudiantes, y muy merecidamente

Visitamos el domingo pasado para el brunch y qué delicia! Nos encontramos con una cálida y amable bienvenida menús, sentado y dado. Nuestras bebidas llegó rápidamente mientras tratamos de escoger el panqueque de la extensa selección de deliciosos y probar. Finalmente nos acomodamos en el gran desayuno y no nos decepcionó, un festín! ! Sin duda volveremos, probablemente bastante, ya que la intención de trabajar por el menú! Y luego, por supuesto, volver a tener nuestros favoritos!

Muy ricos panqueques, tanto salados como dulces. Me gustó mucho la atención, la gente es muy amable y todo rico.