The Stables at Carlton Vineyard in Selby

We came across this tea room by chance and were pleasantly surprised. The service was very welcoming and efficient and we sat outside in the courtyard of Carlton Tower. We hope to return again.

Went along with a friend for morning coffee and teacake. Have to see it was beautiful presented and was equally as tasty. Lovely relaxing surroundings and our gentleman waiter was very friendly and welcoming. Will be returning.

I expected a lovely Afternoon Tea in The Stables at Carton Towers but I was sooo disappointed with the 'experience', from the Hygiene Standards to the Afternoon Tea itself. The Stables with it's pleasant surroundings was in keeping with Afternoon Tea, but it soon began to disappoint. We were seated at a large table and shortly after a lady came to place the cutlery down, not on the plates that were already laid, but on the rough wooden (not easy to Sanitise) table itself as well as 2 of the much handled Menus which aren't Sanitised between each customer. I am shocked that you think this is acceptable! Afternoon Tea was disappointing also, except for the scone, macaroon and chocolate brownie and the Tea (Bag) resembled 'dirty dish water' and probably tasted about the same! The finger sandwiches were served in rather bland tasting (white) bread, instead of a mixture of different tastier breads, the beef only sandwich tasted so bland it shouldn't have been on the cake stand and the patisseries would have tasted nicer had they not have been so dry, apart from the 3 I have mentioned. I perhaps should have complained at the time, but as it was to Celebrate a belated Mother's Day, I didn't want to spoil the occasion further.

We booked for afternoon tea for a small family celebration. We did not book a separate room but were given one in a cosy annex to the main tearoom. The food was excellent and the best selection of sandwiches and cakes I have experienced for an afternoon tea. One of the party has food allergies and was provided with their own set of treats, which also had an extensive range of things and was not just the foods we had minus the allergenic foods. The service was excellent with friendly and helpful staff. Would strongly recommend a visit and intend returning.

We used a prepaid voucher for afternoon tea for two which costs £39.90. It tasted ok but was shockingly small portion and very overpriced

Very surprised to read such poor reviews, I can only assume The Stables has made significant improvements since these reviews were written. We have visited a number of times now, yes the menu is limited, but we have tried most items now and none have disappointed. I personally would rather this than an extensive, poor quality menu. We booked an afternoon tea for Mother’s Day but had to reschedule as we caught covid. My son was then poorly on our rescheduled date so, as the teas had already been prepared, we were happy to have them boxed up to collect and eat at home. The staff were extremely helpful and adjusted one of the orders to fit in with a specific dietary requirement. The food itself was faultless. Five different sandwich fillings (the beef was perfectly rare and the smoked salmon was lovely), delicious blueberry scones with all the trimmings and a fantastic selection of small cakes, beautifully presented with fresh fruit and edible flowers. The lemon tart, macarons, and brownie get a special mention, however the carrot cake, millionaires shortbread and banana and walnut cake were also lovely. Their gluten free cakes are also very good, which is a rare thing! Thank you so much for giving us a lovely experience to cheer up what could have been a very disappointing day!

The setting is lovely, we sat on the terrace overlooking gorgeous vineyard surrounded by roses. Unfortunately, the food quality did not reflect the setting very poor menu choice (2 sandwiches on offer), machine coffee, and the saddest cheese and pickle roll we have ever seen (frozen bread and cheap, pre grated cheese for £5). Staff lovely but poorly trained and inexperienced. Saving grace was nice cake. A Lidl experience for Waitrose prices! We wouldn't return though, such a shame because of the lovely garden and staff. Suggest getting a proper coffee machine, some nice toasties and nice salads and wraps. Kitchen, the sandwich shop in Snaith is down the road - get them to supply you!

We rang for a table for afternoon tea and were delighted to be given a booking. On arrival we signed in and were asked if we wanted to sit in or out. We chose outside on the very small terrace in the shade but could have sat in the sun in the vineyard. All tables were socially distanced and we felt very safe. The staff were very friendly and polite. When our afternoon tea arrived we were delighted. There were plenty of sandwiches, 2 large scones and 6 different tiny cakes. All the food was delicious especially the brownie, we couldn't fault any if it. To pay half price as it was on a eat out to help day was amazing and we would happily have paid full price.

The afternoon tea in the vineyard sounds perfect- it’s very far from perfect. Have I missed something but why are we drinking tea/coffee from a cardboard mug and eating with wooden cutlery? The food arrives in cardboard boxes. An important part of the afternoon tea experience are China plates and teapots. The sandwiches were lovely as were the scones but the box of little cakes were very average and easily left. We sat at a Tibet metal table and chairs- no cushions and no white table cloth. Completely underwhelming and disappointing especially as it was for my mum’s birthday treat. Wish I’d gone to Wentbridge House Hotel as usual.

The long wait but much anticipated cafe that Carlton Towers decided to "put together" is honestly very poor. The menu is nothing special even the old favourites (afternoon tea, sandwiches) lack presentation, taste and are ridiculously expensive for what you get. Whoever decided that this would work has not done their market research. It feels as though, whoever is in charge thought 'Carlton Towers is grand, popular and a gem of Yorkshire with its beautiful architecture, landscape, countryside etc, so let's put a cafe in, some nice looking blinds, wooden furniture and dimmed lighting - no, scrap that, let's keep it dark! - and with a sense of high status in mind, let's give it a regal-sounding name "The Stables", that has got to work right?". Wrong. It is honestly a real shame and should drastically improve in service quality and food/menu quality and variety, as I fear it will not last. My one positive...the chocolate brownies are lovely!

Our first choice - The Kitchen in Snaith had run out of bread, so we decided to give The Stables a chance. It’s very unassuming and the entrance is nothing to draw you in. The menu is poor. Very limited and lacking imagination. Our food was mediocre at best. It could have potential - maybe turning a few lights on would help? Very disappointing and we won’t be back, unless we hear of radical changes.

So much potential but fails to deliver. The Stables are situated at the rear of Carlton Towers, one of the most beautiful buildings in Yorkshire and one that is frequently used as a film and TV set, yet the route in is via the trades entrance and all you get to see of this amazing place is its workman like rear elevation with nothing of interest. Great shame and an opportunity lost to justify in some small way the high prices charged for not very much. The menu is limited to say the least and although it has a section that refers to “Brunch”, you’ll recognise nothing worthy of the title. My wife sent her toasted bagel back because it wasn’t and you just get the impression nothing is working as it should, staff don’t know the menu, portions are small, it’s over priced with a general lack of imagination. Such a shame. The fix is to bring guests in via the main drive through those imposing gates so they get to see the glorious Carlton Towers, adjust the menu in terms of price, increase the range of products you offer, educate staff and create some atmosphere. We’re unlikely to return until you do.

Visited the second week after opening and can only describe as unorganised chaos. My daughter and I visited for my birthday and we would have liked afternoon tea, was told they had run out of scones but could cobble something together for us!. We decided against and ordered a Sandwhich each and a pot of tea. Was really shocked when the sandwich arrived in view of the price. Came with some chopped cucumber and tomato on the side. We asked about cutlery and was told to go to the counter. Also when the tea arrived we asked for milk and was told to help our selves from a large glass dispenser on the counter. There were no milk jugs to put the milk in, you were expected to take your cup up every time you wanted milk. Being disabled there was no way this was possible for me and there was no offer of assistance from staff. Also the furniture (chairs) were extremely rickety and unsafe. I had to change chairs as mine had come apart and was an accident waiting to happen. The menu was very limited and pricey and I do hope that some of these issues have already been addressed, but I will not be hurrying back anytime soon.