The Ugly Duckling in Harrogate

Owned by the Chef this friendly riverside tearoom offers a wide range of cakes, plus hot meals cooked to order. Parking.

We stopped off here on the way home from Pateley Bridge for some breakfast on a Sunday morning and we were so glad we did! I can’t fault a single part of our visit. The tea room was lovely and warm, prices were very good value, the wait staff were all very friendly and service was fast and efficient. The food itself was excellent. We will come back here next time we’re in the area for sure

A nice, open cafe which offers something different to the usual snack menu. Also very dog friendly. A good location next to the car park and the river.

a lovely little tearoom - staff are super kind and helpful and the coffee we had was great! nicely decorated and good atmosphere

There were five adults and two children in our group, and we went out for lunch. I ordered a salad, but later realized it had pork in it, which I don't eat. It was my mistake for not noticing, so I requested a replacement. However, the situation took a turn for the worse when the chef himself came to our table. Instead of addressing the issue calmly, he scolded us quite harshly, telling us to read the menu properly next time. He said, "It's so rude; you are insulting when you waste food." His tone was extremely rude, and he shouted at us in front of everyone. This made the entire dining experience very uncomfortable and unpleasant for us.

We ordered a Caesar salad and forgot to mention that we didn't want bacon. When it arrived with bacon, we apologized profusely and asked if they could make it without. They kindly obliged, and everything was going well until the chef came out of the kitchen and rudely shouted at us, saying, "Read the menu properly! It clearly states that the Caesar salad comes with bacon. Why did you change your order afterwards?" He berated us and then left. This was extremely rude. We also work in the restaurant industry, and no chef would ever come out to a table and scold a customer. This behaviour was utterly inappropriate and disrespectful. Thank you.

I was a little dubious when entering because it seemed a little dated, ordered the queich and it honestly was the nicest queich I've ever had! Also very dog friendly which is always a plus.

Very nice tea room. Nice staff, very welcoming, and the food was very nice. Had a really nice coffee too. Been a few times and always great.

Very disappointing. We looked at reviews as always. We wish we had not visited. Food very basic but over priced. Husband had soup and sandwich £10 no effort in preparation at all. I had a panini and paid extra for chips. Very cheap nasty coleslaw a few Doritos, cheap supermarket panini, not pleasant at all.

Decided The Ugly Duckling would be a good start to my visit to Knaresborough ahead of walking along the river. Such a friendly welcome from the two young women taking the food orders. My ham omelette with salad and amazing chips was delicious and excellent value. It doesn’t look much from outside but it’s SO worth a visit. Spotless loos too!

We came as a family of four for Mother’s Day. My wife and I had afternoon tea and our kids had a jacket potato and cheese sandwich. The food was very good and the staff were very pleasant and attentive. It’s a great spot and easy to access from the main car park. The only thing I’d perhaps suggest is having a smaller portion option to the main meals. Our youngest wanted a burger but there wasn’t one one the kids menu and the young lady who served us was honest enough to say it was a big burger so it’d be too much for him. Other than that though we’d have no issues returning.

We were just passing and decided we had not been for a while,we popped in decided just to have a light lunch,big mistake,the soup and sandwich deal was more than a lite lunch very tasty soup and excellent sandwich .

I was pleasantly surprised at the food standard, the homemade quiche was delicious and I would have gladly bought some to bring home. It’s delicious. It was one of the last places that I spent with my son before he died and sadly I will never visit again as it is too painful.

Lovely little spot. Food was gorgeous. Both myself and my partner thoroughly enjoyed our lunch. Staff were super polite too.

Great venue with a good location. Next to the public car park so ideal as a meeting point. Good menu choice, reasonable priced and great quality. Staff all seem young ( ( I guess we are getting old!) but very goodand efficient. Highly recommended.

This is a charming, friendly little tearoom who provide a lovely variety of sandwiches, hot meals, afternoon tea selection and drinks. Absolutely delicious! We sat enjoying time together as a family while looking out over the river. Thank you

Best Christmas lunch ever! Great options for all tastes, 3 of us had turkey and the portion was very generous. One had fish which was superb. Or I think there was beef, there was definitely a vegan / vegetarian option. I had salmon to start and the best dessert I’ve ever had, which was a creamy brûlée type thing, to die for. My friends said the Christmas pud was fab. Good selection of soft and alcoholic drinks, great price too I thought, especially given the quantity, all the veg, trimmings and roasties. Nom nom nom!!

Absolutely fantastic place to eat. Perfectly located. Parking is not a problem as it's next to the car park but doesn't distract from the views from the restaurant that looks out onto the river. They accommodated 9 of us for lunch no problem and the staff are brilliant there. The food choice is fantastic and great prices They also allow dogs. Our pooches just lay down and chilled out as they'd been out all morning. Overall I cannot recommend this tearoom/ cafe enough. A must to visit if you go to Knaresborough!

Decided to review after reading a few unfair ones on here, staff were lovely and it felt very welcoming in here. Coffee was genuinely top notch and the food was very fresh and tasty, especially for the price, lot of salmon in the bagel! Great value and we would return :)

We had the yummiest lunch today, with our sweet dog Bella, in Knaresborough's Ugly Duckling Tearoom. I had a delicious bacon & brie panini, with gourmet chips 😋. My wife had a fab smoked salmon & cream cheese bagel, with lashings of smoked salmon 😊 (see pics). For pudding I had the most sublime home-made sticky toffee pudding - surely the best in Yorkshire, with a beautiful rich and creamy sauce!👌The friendly staff made us and our dog really welcome (including treats & a water bowl for Bella the pug). Bella gives five woofs for the ice-cream she got a lick of! The Ugly Duckling is the best dog-friendly cafe in Knaresborugh. Paw-sitively perfect! 🐾🐾

Sorry Ugly Duckling, your omelette was lovely as was the service. However how you got a 5 food hygiene rating I'll have to guess. The sauce bottles were caked with ground in residue. There were white plastic tubs at the side of us for storage, these were filthy and the stair carpet was a disgrace. Beautiful place and food, but really needs a good clean

Went here today to meet with family. After looking at lunchtime options, this got the best TripAdvisor reviews. We were not disappointed. Next to a massive municipal car park, with plenty of Blue badge spaces. Entrance ramp a bit bumpy for relatives wheelchair, but staff very helpful opening an extra door. Nice and bright inside (it's a conservatory), and very clean. Well set out, with plenty of space for wheelchairs, prams etc. Staff attentive without being overbearing, very friendly and welcoming. Straightforward menu should mean most will be happy. Prices very reasonable. Food absolutely excellent, well cooked, very tasty. So good we had a dessert. A very pleasant experience all round. Well done to all concerned.

Called in for a quick lunch. Lovely little find! Plenty of choice on the menu. Very helpful and friendly staff. Superb food. Will definitely go here again if we’re in the area.

Amazing food, great value and wonderful staff. My sister was missing something from her lunch and they quickly got to the bottom of it and fixed it for her 🥰 I’ll definitely be back!!

Stopped by here on the way to Harrogate, the breakfast was delicious. Friendly staff and good home cooked food. Will be back to try a cream tea special!

Food was excellent and the staff were friendly and efficient. Would have given them 4 stars but when we went to the toilets we noticed the entrance area and toilets were in desperate need of good clean. The stairs needed hoovering and there were cobwebs all over the place. Also, the toilet was in need of decoration (big rip in the wallpaper). We entered through the back door and wouldn’t have stayed if we’d have arrived through the front entrance. Shame because the food is so good. Assume the kitchen is clean as they have a 5 food hygiene rating.

Had meet up with friends to see the newborn one of them has had. Booked a table and they kindly gave us one in the corner to make sure we didn't get in the way with the pram. Lovely atmosphere, perfect place for a quick bite while perusing Knaresborough or a longer stay to catch up over coffee and lunch like we did. Gorgeous batter on the fish goujon sandwich. Very polite and helpful staff.

Never been here before but went for short walk with grandparents and needed a coffee. Thought we'd try it but it's always a lottery with allergies because you don't know if places cater or are aware. We hit the jackpot here. Not only did they cater but all the team seemed really well trained and aware of what did and didn't have allergens in. And they had a choice of five gluten free cakes ( not Brownies either!) So we had a nice warm piece of carrot cake and soya milk coffee down by the river. I do think if team members have such good awareness the training must be first class. They were also very cheerful and helpful on a busy bank holiday. The coffee was good too! We've agreed we will be back. Thank you for a lovely stress free visit.

Lovely servers and delicious food. Very enjoyable visit. Garlic mushrooms were yummy 😋 and my husband loved the cheeseburger!

All the girls serving were really polite so no issue with the service at all. However I ordered a Prosecco and a coronation chicken baguette, and my mother a coke and coronation chicken jacket. The coke was brought straightaway and the girl said they were chilling the Prosecco - I thought this a little odd as shouldn’t it already have been chilled, like in the fridge? When it came it had a slight chill to it, but generally speaking it was room temp. A lady behind us ordered a bulmers and I noticed the girl put it on the counter for the staff behind - i presume to chill it? If you are going to offer alcohol you need to have a fridge to store them in as some (like Prosecco and bulmers) need to be served cold (I did notice the fridge upstairs where the ice cream is kept had cans of carling in, and there was space for other drinks). I was extremely disappointed when my baguette came to discover that it was made with a part baked baguette!!!! You can pick 2 of them up for 50p, and I imagine even less at a wholesalers. There is a reason they are so cheap - we keep them in the cupboard for emergencies. I certainly didn’t expect to be served one when I am out for lunch - it should 100% always be a proper baguette. If you insist on part baked, which I find odd for a cafe, this should be made clear on the menu. If I had known it would be part baked I wouldn’t have ordered it. I didn’t want to make a fuss so started to eat it. The coronation chicken filling, which again like the drinks should be cold, like you should be able to tell it has been stored in a fridge, was room temp as was the salad garnish. I am wondering if they don’t have fridges here, or if they do, are they having issues? It was a really disappointing experience. I did pass the feedback on to the girl to give to the cook but unsure if she did. I personally wouldn’t return and would rather pay a bit more to eat somewhere with higher quality produce/a fridge.

Everyone here is so welcoming and friendly. Great staff and lovely food and drink will definitely come again, had a great time!

Disappointing as they didn't have half the menu available due to no food stock. No eggs, bread etc. not good. The delivery arrived 1330z.

We called in today for a spot of lunch, and wasn’t disappointed. Lots of choice for us all, and served quite quickly once we had ordered. The staff are lovely and welcoming too. Thank you so much.

Absolutely outstanding service very polite staff and the food was amazing thank you 😊 it is, Barbara and Sue x

Popped in for tea and toasted tea cake, the staff were lovely, could not do enough to make your visit a pleasure. So attentive and pleasant, a credit to the Ugly Duckling.

Lovely tearooms, light and airy, seating inside or outside weather permitting. Really polite and attentive staff. Varied menu, and the food is really good. Wish it was closer to home I would be a regular.

We were treating ourselves to a day trip to beautiful Knaresborough so looked up where to have lunch. The other half found this place online and liked the reviews so we decided to give it a try. So glad we did. Fabulous tearooms. I had...

Visited this lovely tearoom yesterday with a group of friends, the staff made us very welcome & accommodated us despite the fact they were already busy, they could not have been nicer, lovely waitresses & delicious food, first time here but it will not be...

Service from the staff and full English breakfast excellent would have given five stars but let down by a very untidy entrance especially behind the ice cream counter and stair carpet needed hoovering .

Came here for lunch with hubby.Walked in and young girl was not friendly to the point we didn't bother staying for lunch because I saw her whispering to another girl behind the counter Went to The Black Mulberry instead where the waitresses were very pleasant...

Great coffee and friendly staff. Easy to find as it’s on the entrance to the main car park in Knaresborough.

We received a very warm welcome on arrival at the tea rooms on this, our first visit to Knaresborough. The service was friendly and fast , the setting lovely and the cake absolutely delicious. Although we only stopped for cake the extensive lunch menu was...

We called in the Ugly Duckling during a visit to Knaresborough and it was well worth the visit. Enjoyed the Welsh rarebit and a piece of carrot cake. Lovely location and very friendly service.

Cannot recommend enough. Delicious food, all freshly prepared and homemade. Service was very friendly. Couldn't resist having something sweet after a very filling lunch. Just so nice and very tempting. Will definitely return when in the area.

Lovely little cafe with friendly and efficient staff. Really enjoyed our coffee and "scallywags". Would definitely recommend a visit.

Family outing ,haven't been for a while breakfast as good as it always was,my girls who have never been were impressed with th e offering .

Amazing food - creamy garlic mushrooms were to die for, and a lovely setting. Food and drink for less than £10. Nice, smiley staff and a clean cafe

Great little tea room. Booked for a Saturday afternoon we were seated near the window and was served by a young waitress who was so accommodating, recommending the thing’s to try, they served delicious ice creams coffee ☕️ all kinds of homemade food, very busy...

Just had a lovely lunch here with husband and friend.I had mushroom soup and a ham sandwich.Delicious. Lovely atmosphere and staff. Would recommend and will be back!

An adorable little tea room with lovely staff and yummy food! Definitely a nice place to stop by when you're out for a walk in Knaresborough!

We came to shelter from the rain and found a lovely warm friendly cafe that also served lots of gluten free cakes. Is also got friendly

Our favourite afterlife tea room - after walking the dog beside the Nidd, and then back trough the town. Lovely scones and cake. Friendly staff.

Always a pleasant experience. The food is excellent, with a good selection available and decent portions sizes. The staff are so friendly and happy to take requests. Also lovely, warm and spacious inside. A family favourite.

My wife and I visit this lovely cafe every week after a walk. We get a wonderful greeting every time from the staff. Down by the river and next to a large car park, the cafe offers excellent food in a lovely setting. Whether for...

The Ugly Duckling is great for a good lunch at any time of year. Today my friends and I sampled their Christmas lunch, on from now until Christmas. It was excellent, food was piping hot, and there was time between courses to chat. Service was...

Owned by Sue and Paul, who made sure my gluten free afternoon tea was amazing. Cakes baked by Paul and there was an amazing choice. I couldn’t eat it all and came away with a cake box, as did my partner. Staff very friendly and...

My son and I had lunch at The Ugly Duckling today and I have to say it was excellent. The staff were fabulous, nothing was too much trouble, and they were really friendly and helpful. The menu has something for everybody and while my son...

Friendly staff, served our food & then checked that everything was ok. Lovely food. I like weak tea & it was nice to get a pot of hot water to go with the pot of tea, nice touch.

I was a little taken back as I've never had to choose all the separate elements for afternoon tea before but was pleasant suprised when it arrived all was fresh and tasty i would have likes more than 2 sandwich selection (normally expect 4 different...

Lovely lunch - we’d parked in the car park and seen how bright and open it was in the restaurant when getting a take away coffee. So after a walk around Knaresborough decided to go back there for lunch. Good choice for lunch and i...

Excellent food and staff! Have visited here twice this week and both visits were excellent. Seating outside was great as we had the dog and the weather has been great (you can also take the dog indoors) Staff friendly and the food was lovely, they...

Absolutely amazing place for our afternoon tea … good choice of sandwiches… plus cake tray bake. scone and jam:cream crisps and because it was the Queens platinum jubilee bank holiday the lady had made individual lemon and orange trifle which were unexpected and delish!!! Staff...

Four of us went here for coffee yesterday morning and decided to stay for lunch. Lovely setting by the river with car park adjacent. Seating both indoors and outside, there is an extensive menu which is well priced. I had an omelette and chips which...

Lovely for a quick lunch sat outside on a sunny day ! Great choice of hot and cold food. Lovely cream teas too !

I booked in for afternoon tea as a surprise for my husbands birthday. It was absolutely amazing!! It came presented on a beautiful miniature picnic table and there was a lovely choice of sandwiches and cakes with gluten free options available. I spoke to the...

Brilliant food very dog friendly ,lovely atmosphere and the staff are very friendly and helpful, Good choice of food and drink ,the afternoon tea looks fabulous. A must when visiting .

Called in for a coffee and spotted the "scallywags" cake - a nice copy of a "Fat Rascal". Staffing a bit slow but had a pleasant half hour before we set off on our walk

Lovely day so we stopped off in Knaresborough for lunch. Parked up and at the entrance to the car park we saw the Ugly Duckling Tearoom. Nice outside seating area. Sandwiches were fresh and the scone was warmed. Everything was as you would wish.

We went for a family lunch. The food was excellent as was the service. A very nice little tea room. I would recommend this place.

Gorgeous little tea rooms with pleasant staff and a lovely view. I had the fish and chips which were amazing and mum was more than happy with the amount of goats cheese in her panini! 10/10 recommend when you’re out in knaresbrough for the day!

Stopped for a hot drink and tried the Knarsborough Scallywags which were excellent. Great place to stop but best to book a table if you want a river view. Very helpful staff and reasonably priced.

Any gluten intolerant cake lover will know the nightmare of finding a cafe with a proper choice of gluten free cakes. In most places you may get one or two. The Ugly Duckling has a PROPER choice of 4 to 6 cakes. The scone to...

The cafe is well run and the service excellent but the best news is the tea and coffee and cake are excellent. the only issue is the rooms are very hot due to a lot of glass in the building.

Such lovely staff, friendly and welcoming and great from start to finish! We only stopped for a quick lunch of a bacon and Brie panini and a cup of tea, and it was great! Well priced, fresh good food and a clean environment - what...

The Ugly duckling tea rooms have a very basic concept. We came in after parking up in the public car park outside. They have a simple menu but there are plenty of options. Food came out quickly and was very tasty. You couldn’t fault the...

First visit, really enjoyed it!! Had soup of the day which was a very tasty cream of cauliflower cheese, absolutely delicious. Staff very friendly, good value for money.

We were walking past at lunchtime and popped in for a drink. Staff very friendly and helpful. An excellent flat white coffee and pot of tea with scone and Knaresborough Skallywag. The Knaresborough Skallywag is similar to the Yorkshire Fat Rascal but in my opinion...

We ordered 2 full English one no egg she was offered an extra sausage instead.The sausage were very good ,the bacon was a good thickness,the scrambled eggs were very creamy tomato was grilled , mushroom just cooked .all in all the best breakfast for a...

Had a lovely afternoon tea. Plenty of choice, all very fresh and tasty. Service was great and nice place.

A warm December day, honest, warm enough to sit outside with dog, tea and a bacon sandwich. Dog could have gone in but we don't trust him! After a long walk this was a lovely find. Girls serving were totally delightful. Bacon sarnie was delicious....

Just had one of the best Christmas meals ever! Prawn cocktail delicious - large juicy prawns and tasty sauce, followed by really beautiful turkey - two large breast slices with excellent accompaniments - finishing with pear flan and cinnamon ice-cream. Lovely ambiance with friendly, efficient...

Have left positive reviews for this establishment before, however after visiting today I felt I had to write in defence of the management whilst witnessing a complete & utter idiot. The service was polite & friendly as usual & the food & drink really nice...

Had lunch here for first time. Most impressed and would thoroughly recommend it and visit again. Portions impressive and excellent value for money. Staff lovely.

We visited this cafe back in July when in the area and really enjoyed our meal but accidentally left my little boys teddy which the lovely owner has posted back to me in Wales , really helpful and went out of their way to help

Really enjoyed our food today. Great value for money served by pleasant and accommodating staff. We will return.

Exceptional! Fresh, flavoursome food of wonderful quality provided quickly and with a smile. The Afternoon tea was wonderful (and I've tried enough to know). Really 5*

We visited at 2pm on a Friday afternoon and it was fairly busy but not full. We placed our order and waited over 35 minutes for it to arrive ( during which time we had finished our wine ). My husbands fish and chips wete...

We absolutely love the ugly duckling! So much so that we come every year when we’re visiting knaresborough. Food is very good and so are drinks. Very friendly staff too! We will be back again soon :)

Lovely cream tea and cakes on offer. Our waitress was really friendly and helpful. We will definitely return and happy that it's dog friendly. Reasonably priced too.

I brought my family who all live in Birmingham to the Ugly Duckling team room when they all came to visit us and I am so glad I did! It’s a gorgeous tearoom, in a beautiful spot with delicious food and lovely staff. Would highly...

Lovely surrounding,s good service very covid aware,a nice breakfast wonderful scrambled eggs,only spoilt by bits from the griddle or pan.

Afternoon trip for a late lunch so parked up in the large adjoining car park and found a table outside. We wanted a dog friendly cafe which this is, selling special doggy ice cream as well. You choose from the table menu then go and...

We went to the Ugly Duckling pre-our hike in Knaresborough - what a great decision! Lovely homemade quiche, delicious baguettes and yummy hot drinks & milkshakes! The little terrace is excellent for a sunny day and was very popular amongst both visitors and locals.

My husband and I visited yesterday on a trip to Knaresborough and decided to visit for lunch, with our little dog as this is a very dog friendly little place. We have been to this lovely place many times before, prior to lockdown and it is lovely to see it open again. It was busy, with a very happy atmosphere and we had a lovely table. The staff were very friendly and there was just such great service, with all measures in place. We had the Quiche Salad, and I can honestly say I have never tasted such lovely home made quiche. I cannot recommend this lovely little place enough and our visit made the whole day out in Knaresborough perfect. I will be certainly visiting again in the future. I wish the owners and the staff team all the very best on the re-opening of the tea room, after what has been a very difficult time for the hospitality sector. A must visit on a trip to Knaresborough.

Visited here today on a walk in Knaresborough for their takeaway service. It was passable, but wasn't great at all. A very generous 3.Our dog loved the ice cream, but the jacket potato was just okay. I feel that the jacket potato had been in the freezer for a few months, as it crumbled apart when cut. My wife's scone was extremely dry and literally fell apart into numerous pieces when attempted to be buttered.A very generous 3 out of 5, but came close to being a 2 out of 5.

Would highly recommend this to all ages, polite friendly staff, great quality food. Seating inside and outside and car park plus toilets. Lovely view out of the windows.

Super fish and chips today for lunch. Generous portion, great price (under £10 including tea, peas, bread and butter), lovely welcome and service. Covid procedures very good. We will be back.

We had a nice cuppa and scone here. The place was nice and covid friendly. The lady staff member was very friendly an made us feel at home. Just what you want for a quick cuppa.

We visited for lunch and will definitely returning on our next visit to Knaresborough.Covid procedures were fully in place and I felt very safe. You waited to be seated and there was hand sanitizer at the entrance as well as on the tables.Menus were conveniently situated under the glass table tops and Staff were very friendly and helpful.There was an extensive menu with a good selection of drinks and lots of choice of food.Lots of baguette, panini, sandwiches and quiche options were available and cakes, scones etc.I had a lovely cappucino , and there was also Lattes and other coffees.I had a cheese ommelette , but there were other varieties available. They have different quiches every day and today it was salmon. They were served with piping hot chips and a lovely side salad with dressing. The dressing was delicious and I suspect home made.Foods, service, quality were above what we could have expected, and the covid safety procedures in place were second to none.The location is superb, next to the main car park and close to the bridge near Mother Shiptons cave.Knaresborough itself is a fabulous location. The walks are superb and the character of the town is quaint and lovely. This time of year the walks near the river are stunning as the leaves change colour and there is an array of golden and red trees. This is an area of the country I've never been to before but I will be back

Great little cafe near the river. Had take away breakfast and coffee whilst on holiday. Would definitely recommend a visit .