The Roaches Tea Rooms in Staffordshire Moorlands

What on earth has happened to Roaches Tea rooms?? My sister in law and I have been regulars every week there until this last visit when it was appalling. It took a total of two and a half hours to for us to get a two course lunch and the staff appeared to be all young people who did not want to be there. The food was disappointing and seemed to have been mostly microwaved. It used to be a friendly, warm and extremely pleasant atmosphere with the old staff and they made my 75th birthday in April unforgettable going the extra mile by providing balloons, cloths and napkins out of their own money. We will not be going again …..

This cafe is closed and up for sale It would be useful if the website indicated that because the road up to it is extremely narrow- single track. Why it still says on their website they are open is beyond me.

Visited The Roaches Tea Rooms at the weekend. Whilst I was there both myself and two other tables had our orders taken down incorrectly, I had the wrong drink and someone else didn’t, get the food they ordered (might have been something to do with the young waitress unable to use her pen properly owing to having unfeasibly long finger nails!) No apology given by said waitress, could have been her first day but she was rude and not a good advert for the business. Other staff were excellent, despite having twice the work!

Staff were amicable and polite, service was perfect, waiting times were low (as was the price) and the atmosphere was inscrutable! Highly recommended to anyone driving by or staying in the area.

Beautiful location and service very friendly and fast, recommend coming mid afternoon on weekdays when it is a lot quieter.

Very good selection of food for gluten free needs. I enjoyed the very filling Staffordshire oatcakes and afterwards indulged in a gluten free scone.

Beautiful views across the valley. We had a very good afternoon tea. Nice selection of sandwiches, cakes, a scone with jam and clotted cream, quiche and a bowl of chips. There was a choice of plain or fruit scones. Plus coffee or tea. Very good price compared to some of the places I've been. Very nice, friendly, welcoming staff. The only downside, is that the toilets are outside, across a courtyard, so someone with mobility issues might struggle. But we will definitely go again.

We stopped for a hot drink before going up The Roaches and seeing the specials lunch board decided to come back. Food was nicely presented and good quality, ours ranged from grilled haloumi, omelette and tuna sandwich. Staff helpful and friendly also very patient with people explaining the parking restriction along the lane! Toilets clean and well looked after.

Salmon bagel with poached egg hollandaise sauce so lovely Very friendly nice views fantastic Lovely sausage and chips Reasonably priced

A well equipped little tea room complete with handy toilets.Views from the seating area are brilliant if you get the weather. 2 stars missing due to the advertisment of "pints" of beer (£4.50) only to be served in a regular cardboard coffee cup....."we've measured it"....come on now, less than a half a pint when you take off the head.

We visited before our walk up the Roaches and had a good experience here. Even during Covid times we were served relatively quickly and our food and drink arrived soon after ordering. The social distancing measure were in place and staff were friendly and helpful. The food and drinks were great. No complaints at all :)

Sad to say we visited here after a 7 mile walk to be told sorry no dogs allowed inside, we couldn’t sit outside as it was pouring with rain, disappointed that in this great walking location you don’t cater for people with dogs

Went to the tea room after a 7 mile walk around the Roaches. Loads of gluten free and veggie options. Two lunches and two drinks only came to £15 so very reasonable. Food came really quickly and was hot and delicious. Plan to return soon. Highly recommended!

We were doing a walk from Danebridge to the roaches via lud’s church and back and this was an ideal point to break for lunch. We had Staffordshire oatcakes with sausage and egg and they were excellent, followed by a lovely bit of cake. We shared the cake as it was so big! There are great views and you can sit outside when the weather is good. Service was friendly and prices reasonable for such a prime location.

Over priced in my opinion, over£20 for ,four cakes and drinks.Asked about the eat out to help out and was told by the owner they do not do it because they would lose money at the weekend , i can't see how that would be true

So happy that I finally got to visit this tearoom! I'd heard about the amazing 360 degree views over beautiful Staffordshire. The cream tea was excellent - best scone I've had in ages - (warm!) with proper clotted cream. I will definitely return soon!

I understand businesses are facing challenges right now, I really do, but every one I've visited so far is managing better than these guys...We popped in for a takeaway bite before a Roaches walk, and I was perturbed to be asked for test and trace contact info to be written in an unattended book next to the front door. As this data is not currently required for test and trace for takeaway customers, I asked to see the GDPR statement just to check that the name and phone number I'd be leaving in full view of all subsequent visitors would be handled properly and safely, as I was not confident of this. The lady on the counter didn't seem to know how to answer, so I nipped out to check whether my partner was happy to have his name written down given the lax nature of the data management.When I came back in, a gentleman I presumed to be the owner had appeared and began berating me, informing me that I could choose not to leave my details and he could choose not to serve me. I said I would leave my details if necessary, apologised that they're evidently struggling with the current state of affairs, but didn't feel it had been unreasonable to enquire about their GDPR statement, which should be there for that exact reason. The (by this point quite irate) gentleman responded that they don't have a GDPR statement, he would 'take the book away' and I 'couldn't write my details in it'. I seemed at this point to be dismissed, so I left and had a panic attack. Rare day out with my keyworker partner ruined, cheers Roaches Tearoom.

Stopped for a cuppa and a scone before climbing the Roaches. Girls behind the counter were friendly enough but felt like the guy was in a bad mood. But it was all worth it for the scones which melted in your mouth and crumbled in your hands. Served with butter, clotted cream and jam, what more could you want...

Great coffee, great views and friendly service. The toilets were also very clean. £2 to park in the car park (next field along) but you can park there all day.

Quite a big group of us popped into the cafe after a great 5mile walk at Roaches and Hen cloud. The menu was fab & good value despite what the noaners say on these reviews we saw some great meals served. The scone & drinks great value £4.50, it was more like an afternoon cream tea! There where great nibble tasters of cake by til till and lots of drink choices. It was a bit busy in the car park but so was the whole whole area today. Loved the fact they serve beers, wine etc also, fabulous big cake portions too. The staff are courteous, polite and very neat. It's a welcoming venue and perfect treat after a huge walk. Great variety if scones!! Couldn't taste the ginger in mine tho but lively nevertheless

very over priced and not that good quality£4.50 for a cheese Oatcake over £6 if you have bacon with it thought it was a miss print but no. Would not recommend toilets in a shed didnt look like the cleaners were at work that day

Every time we visit there is always items missing from our breakfast. The view is very nice but the service and food is poor.

Really disappointed as heard good things. Order 3 of there breakfasts with two of them missing food. Wasn’t busy when we went so there is no excuse.

Perfect spot to swing by after climbing the roaches. Nice friendly host and massive and I massive pieces of cake which were delicious. Nice smooth coffee all overlooking a lovely area of the peaks!

Came here for lunch after a morning horseriding before walking up the roaches. Set in a very pretty location with stunning views. We tried the Staffordshire oatcakes with bacon and tomatoes which were gorgeous. Very reasonably priced. Can park next door which makes it very easy to access the roaches walks.

Called in here for a cuppa as found the cafe by chance. Ended up having lovely coffees and sandwiches, but wished we'd gone for the scampi and chips after we saw it being served to the nearby table! Wonderful views from the cafe of the hills and reservoirs.Friendly and helpful staff. Will definitely be returning.

Despite being well off the beaten track, this place always seems busy. I stopped by for a quick drink whilst on route to Buxton. No problem parking and the welcome was very friendly. I didn't eat here, but the food looked amazing, will visit again.

Visited Sunday lunchtime, but only 3 tables were occupied. Ordered 2x coffee and 2x teacakes eventually! Our order was taken after people who arrived after us, we were ignored while the girls cleaned the tables and rubbed "shepherds pie" off the specials board. It would have been nice to have been recognised with a" we'll be with you in a minute" but no such luck. We were not asked if everything was alright when we paid. We had been sat there for over 5 minutes and were just getting reay to leave and go to Pooles Cavern where the staff are friendlier, the coffee nicer and so are the tea cakes. Will we visit again? NO

So we were in luck, it was lucnhtime and finding a table was easy; I imagine that normally the teashop would be packed.The staff were pleasant and helpful, the menu was full of typical british fare, and offered the local delicacy, Staffordshire Oatcakes.I wanted a light lunch and made the mistake of asking for a double oatcake - I couldn't finish two, luckily my wife was on hand to eat the second one! Delicious and satisfying

Been twice now. Once for drinks, the other for breakfast. Lovely service and delicious food. Location is perfect.

With stunning views, this tearoom could be spectacular in both location and quality. Unfortunately, today it let itself down. Dirty, uncleaned tables, wasps everywhere crawling over the tables, and poor quality food. My ham sandwich was bone dry, not even an offer of any butter, and the teaspoon of coleslaw it came with was somewhat insufficient. My wife’s scone was likewise, stone dry. The canned drinks were not chilled, which was very disappointing on this hot Saturday. So overall we spent half an hour with warm drinks, dry food, and being pestered by wasps. Maybe it’s better when it’s not so busy, and as I say the location is wonderful, but it’s not somewhere we would return to. Shame.

Lovely tea room with outstanding views, well worth a visit. Only downside would be the amount of wasps around the outside tables.

Lovely tea room, lovely location, lovely coffee and even more lovely gluten free cake. The tea room has lots of gluten free options.

Stopped off for lunch on beautiful Sunday. Food and service was excellent good varried choice on the specials board and the setting is amazing. Nice walk down from the roaches and very welcoming to hikers as well as those arriving by car or indeed bicycle

The Tea rooms are close to the line of cliffs on the Roaches and Hen Cloud and as such also provide camping for an outward bound school.

On an uncharacteristically wet and windy June day we felt quite comfy inside the small, warm conservatory looking out at the view, albeit it a little misty. We opted for paninis and salads which were nicely garnished and a welcome cup of tea. We were planning to leave it at that but seeing other visitors with their home-made scones we gave in and ordered a cherry scone and apple crumble for my other half. The staff were friendly and helpful. If you aren’t a walker it is worth driving up the narrow, windy lane to get here for the panoramic views and there is ample parking.

Called in on our way past. Nice sandwiches and cake, Coffee was lovel as well. There is a ramp fr access as well as steps. The only problem is the loo is across the courtyard.

Good spot post walk over the Roaches. Great views, scrumptious selection of cakes, parking, loos, seating in or out.

We have visited here for many years but it seems to have gone downhill. It used to be really fresh nice food. Today we were shown to a dirty table. Uninspiring food arrived, tepid coffee, rubbery oatcake and complete with hair (not on menu).

We wanted a light afternoon tea and got enough to feed 6 hungry people. Sandwiches were very fresh, with hand carved meats, quiche, cheese oatcakes and loads of fresh baked cakes and huge scones. Service was friendly and attentive and the price surprisingly small considering the amount of food. Still eating 2 days later.

Knowing I had a long tough weekend in the Peaks I wanted a good breakfast to start things off. I had a 2hr drive to get there so needed to eat in the area around 8am. I phoned the day before and although they don't normally serve till 9am they were happy to receive me earlier.

Heading out for a walk on the roaches and saw the tea rooms. They looked too good to just walk past so called in for a quick cuppa. Great value, friendly staff, clean, food available if required , and brilliant views over the reservoir , well worth making the effort

Dropped in for coffee and cake after a walk. Wasnt expecting much, especially given the lack of other customers. Pleasantly surprised by tasty cakes and good coffee. Lunch menu looked good too. Will be back

Didn’t expect much but was really pleasantly surprised. Lovely views from the back (we sat outside on an unexpectedly beautiful day). Great selection of food and superb cakes, nice drinks too including. I’m happy to say, gin and tonic which I’d wanted but didn’t expect to get. Lovely helpful staff. Would revisit like a shot.

Visited Roaches Tea Rooms twice over a couple of weeks, and on both occasions it has been very busy,.

Scrummy double oatcake loaded with filling, fab cake and a hot drink - just what was needed after a long walk. New girl served us. She was pleasant and chatty. I would recommend this cafe.

Visited The Roaches Tea Room with my wife when we went for our usual trip out for Saturday lunch. The tea room is in a lovely spot near the Roaches with commanding views of Tittesworth reservoir and the surrounding hills. The tea room is quite compact, and the best views are from the conservatory in the winter (top tip ask for a table in the conservatory if reserving) and in summer from the outside tables. We ordered an all day breakfast and meat and potato pie for mains. The breakfast was very generous with a cheese filled oatcake as well as the usual bacon, beans, mushrooms and sausage. The meat and potato pie had a high proportion of meat and the chips were home made. The desserts a rice pudding with almonds and toffee and a sticky toffee pudding were good too. The young ladies who served us were very pleasant and the service was quite quick. All in all we enjoyed the experience and the value for money was excellent.

Absolutely fantastic food and very friendly service, will definitely be going back and would recommend to anyone.

What a place to eat, at the base of the "Roaches". It has its own car park so no need to park on the road side, which a lot lot of people seem to do. The menu is vast and the staff are great. So go for that walk and get back for a well earned meal.

We have had afternoon tea here many times, but this time we tried their lunch menu - very good. Notable are the good quality apple juices on offer - we did not go for alcohol this time.

I enjoy walking on the Roaches, and always visit this tea shop. It makes a welcome stop either before or after (or both), the walk. The views are really incredible. I particularly enjoy the sandwiches, which are always extremely well filled and accompanied by a nice salad, with a bowl of chips and pot of tea.

We had a delicious full Christmas meal here yesterday. Our table of 6 met for lunch and sat at a table looking out over the beautiful views over Tittesworth reservoir towards Lee, in the hazy winter sunshine.

Food good honest fayre of good sized portions . Pie was really tasty and served with plenty of vegetables and chips. lasagne also hit the mark with my wife. Great views over Staffordshire moorlands. Friendly welcoming service. Off the beaten track so you have to go off main road to find this place which also has self catering accommodation

We popped in after a quick 8.5 mile jaunt over the Roaches.

Sadly dogs not allowed in cafe. Such a shame lost customers because of this. Surely out in wilds as this place is you would have thought pets would have been made welcome!

Great lunch here, super portions, fresh and very tasty. Staff very friendly and polite. Sat outside with amazing view of the Roaches.

After a relaxing walk up in the roaches nothing beats a nice cup of tea and a home made scone from the tea rooms. Sit in or out.

We booked a table and were treated wonderfully. Has an old fashioned feel, not too sophisticated but top quality food. We tooked an aged aunt from Sheffield as a treat. Everyone was happy and we'll be returning. Good parking and some good walks nearby. Beautiful views to Rudyard Lake.

We stopped by for a rest stop as we were driving nearby. It was quite difficult to find and there were lots of bendy roads.

Big shout out for this place! We (a group of 4/5 cyclists) have been there three times over the last few weeks. The service has been excellent - very helpful and friendly staff, really can't fault their attitude! The food is served promptly and the food is exactly what we hoped for.

On a bike trip stop for lunch. Great value and good food but above all it was made by the friendly and super efficient whirlwind Manager. Thank you and very happy we dropped in.

This was a really nice place to enjoy a drink and chips after a sunny bank holiday walk.

We hadn’t visited for a while but were pleasantly surprised that nothing much had changed and the range of food on offer still good. Maybe an updating of the seating wouldn’t go amiss but we had come for the tea and the delicious scones and on that point we weren’t disappointed.

Great views from the conservatory part, although it is a small tea room. Good points - quiche was excellent, chips, baked potatoes and kids meals good. Coffee, chilli and lemon cake average. Chocolate cake and Victoria sponge were awful - both were very dry and were left un-eaten ( think they had been in display cabinet for a while as the lemon cake that was ok had been a full cake not yet cut into) so as some things were excellent and some poor only fair to give an average score.

Menu was for wholesome food, generous portions, friendly service, and lovely views over the countryside and reservoir.

Just dropped in by chance having delivered to a nearby engineering company......lovely place and friendly service well worth a second visit next time with my wife to sample the food

Beautiful rea room, gorgeous views and delicious scones. I highly recommend a visit and either a walk or a drive around the near areas. Great service too!

We received a warm welcome from the two ladies running the tea room who explained what cakes were available - quite a choice and very excellent. Tea and cake for myself and my husband complimented by stunning views over Staffordshire Moorlands and Tittesworth reservoir. There was quite an extensive menu and a specials board. A great place to visit - we'll be going back before too long.

What a great place.! Called in afier walking the roaches for a cuppa and a slice of cake. Surprised and please to see they had a seperate menu of gluten free food including "chocolate cake" . Excallent service and would recomend to anyone.

Haven't visited here for a few months, nothing has changed the furniture is terrible and badly needs updating, the outside...

Despite its name, this is far more than a tea room offering a great range of good quality meals and...

A group of friends with cameras started our day with breakfast here. Excellent service, freshly cooked food and amazing views....

We called here after a long walk on the roaches, which was a trek in itself and was looking forward to a well deserved drink and some food. Much to my disappointment we found that dogs are not welcome (apart from assistance dogs) here. I find it hard to believe that such a place, being situated in dog walking country do not allow dogs. I find it staggering that in this day and age that this is still the rule.

Stopped here, after ending a walk locally. They have good range of food, ranging from a wide variety of cakes...

Really nice home made food, licensed bar. Friendly and helpful staff. Lovely visit this Monday. Only just got a table,...

We parked on the road but there is a little car park. The toilets are separate from the café and on a flat level. There are steps in but also a walkway if people cannot manage the steps. It was really popular so we had to eat outside. A good pot of tea and a nice ham sandwich. Great views of the reservoir down below.

A lovely place to meet friends. Good choice of cakes and lunch is available too. Outstanding views of tittesworth reservoir and surrounding areas to enjoy whilst eating and drinking

A really nice place too chill out.However the tea rooms is not that big so you may need too wait a bit for a table.However if the weather is good you won't mind because you can sit outside and enjoy the marvelous views .

It is some years since our cycling group visited this restaurant/cafe as it went up market and walkers and cyclists were not made welcome. I do not know when it changed hands but I do know it now ticks all the boxes for our group. . There is a wide choice of food from snacks to main meals. We had a variety of light lunches and everybody enjoyed them. The food was reasonably priced, promptly served by friendly staff and the restaurant is in a lovely location.We shall certainly be returning in the future, the only problem is that there is a hard climb whichever way we approach it.

We went for breakfast at The Roaches tea rooms today before our walk. Great views. And it was that good we returned for lunch afterwards. Excellent food, but what made it sure a nice visit was the lovely staff. Very welcoming and helpful. Would recommend a visit if walking at The Roaches.

Nothing much to look at from the outside, and the interior looks 'well worn' but what a menu! It's vast, and yet everything that appeared from the kitchen looked fresh and tasty. The place was filled with happy diners and we were no exception. Wife had "the best scones ever" and my cheese filled oatcakes were brilliant (and very filling).An ideal place to stop after a walk – sit on the terrace in the sun and take in the view!

Expected more from this place. It's difficult to spot the signs to it, but when you find it the first thing to strike you is the lovely position it has with some smashing views. Sadly this is the best thing about it. Food was mediocre, and the place needed a total overhaul. Tables and chairs are shabby and the carpet looked like it needed ripping out. I'm assuming it's dog friendly judging by the state of it. It's a shame because it could be so much better with a bit of attention to the interior. Tables outside looked in need of replacing too. Only other positive was the pleasant waitress.

Stopped here for lunch with friends after a walk in the Roaches. This place is a short walk down the road from the paths up to the rocks, it's set in a lovely location and there are beautiful views from the tea rooms. We were greeted warmly and the service was very friendly and prompt throughout, even though it was a busy Sunday lunchtime and full of tourists who were visiting on holiday. I really enjoyed the Staffordshire oatcakes filled with cheese, sausage and bacon. Although I didn't have any of the cakes, there was a great selection and my friends really enjoyed theirs - the Roaches is a regular haunt of mine so I'll be back to try them!!

went there last week. It is a lovely place in a lovely part of the world. But the kitchen staff are so clearly not up to the job. Vegetables for a cooked meal served cold! Lots of stuff on menu not available! The serving staff were really nice and helpful, but try as they might, they couldn't hide their embarrassment about what was happening. Just such a pity as it has such potential

Called for lunch after visiting some gardens. Difficult to find off the A53 the Tea Pot sign is not easy to see if you are not going slow. Turning off the main road you go up a hill to the small village bare left and keep going 1/2mile. It`s worth it when you find it with a magnificent view. Food very good and staff very friendly and reasonably priced.

My breakfast was lovely hubby,s was a bit on the small side but nice lovely staff very helpful and careing bit expensive specially the white coffee

Been here several times with friends. Lovely place with great views. Food always excellent and Staffordshire oatcakes are recommended

We live locally and decided to take some friends here after a trip to Tittesworth. Hadn't been for over 10years and was looking forward to lunch in the sun with a fab view. Sad to say, nothing had changed in 10years, everything looked dated and tired. We say outside where many of the tables were as shabby as those inside. We only had sandwiches but we wished we'd just stopped at Waitrose on the way home. The children's 'half' a sandwich looked very sad, no crisps or salad, poor presentation and value for money. Our adult sandwiches weren't worth the money either.Overall very disappointing and felt embarrassed having suggested it to our friends. This place needs a big make-over, could be fabulous.

We stop here often when cycling in the Peaks, mainly because we know we can always get GF food here, but also because it's such a nice place to visit. GF menu is substantial, including a wide selection of cakes. The views on a sunny day are amazing.

The chicken pie, minced beef pie, quiche and baked potato were all really very good and the chips were amazing. The staff were lovely. Someone else paid for the scone so don't know how much it was but I would pay extra for nicer jam and clotted cream. The cakes are fab and the view is amazing as well. We're looking forward to going back next time.

Sat outside in the sunshine and ordered a cream tea, oh dear..Very disappointing, the price was top end for a cream tea, we had Squirty cream of the foam variety, thin tasteless jam, no butter, very heavy scones not quite cooked properly in the middle. Probably the worst cream tea we have had. Needles to say it was the first time we did not eat all. Will not be revisiting. Only Plus we could give, the views from the patio are fab.

Delicious home cooked food and excellent service from very friendly staff. I am a fussy eater and awkward customer at the beat of times so when we turned up after they stopped serving only drinks and cake after 3:45pm and they made me a salad despite us the being the only customers there. They made me a lovely salad. I was thrilled at the qualify of the food bd presentation as well. Just what you would expect from a local family run cafe.

I visited here with my Husband and young daughter after a walk on the roaches. The food was great quality and was reasonably priced. The service was fantastic and we will definitely be returning again soon. Thank you.

we arrived on a sunny Sunday afternoon so we sat outside in the sun. 2 cream teas please. The scones were very nice and warm, cream was a whipping version and tasteless, jam in one of those small peel containers and insufficient for the size of the scone. On a plus side the tea was nice and in very attractive cups and the service quick and efficient. The prices were good but I would have preferred to pay more and received better quality.

Ideally placed for refreshments after exploring the Roaches. Good, honest local food, beers and wines, cream teas. An open terrace and a conservatory with great views.

The food is really good and the service is good. The furniture and decor is badly in need of an upgrade, it could be a really lovely welcoming place if only it was a bit brighter .Also they need to get some blinds in the conservatory area.

After a long and blustery walk on The Roaches I thought I should let my friends warm up at the tea rooms.Six year old Cai and I both went for the hot chocolate and had a marshmallow fest. His mum went for the tea...no where near as much fun! We were enjoying the warmth and chat so much that we decided to stay out and have lunch too. The food was lovely as always, the only downside being there was not enough room in my stomach for one of their delicious cakes. More training needed!If you are in the area walking or pottering in the car I would recommend dropping in.

We took friends here who were visiting us.They were completely taken over the views, drinks and cake; with excellent service from the staff.Cost for 4 adults for coffee and cake, approx 20 pounds.This far from our first visit here and certainly won't be our last!

This is a very good place to visit after a good walk. The coffee and the food are good and the views from the place especially on the patio are wonderful. Staff are very obliging.

My husband and I loved our experience at the Roaches; the food was very tasty - we ordered a lasagne, and also a chips, eggs and beans. The tea was tasty also. We were so full we didnt have space for dessert. The views from the conservatory are beautiful; on a sunny day it felt quite warm and cosy. Helpful staff. Route maps for closeby walks available from the cafe.Only one criticism (although I didnt want to reduce my rating as we had a great time!) If its really cold outside, sitting on the table close to door can feel very cold and crowded - also, its quite dark in that room. If you sit in the conservatory, its much better on a sunny day.