The Vine House Cafe in Ryedale

Arrived at 11.45 for a cuppa and a scone and took my place to order 2nd in the queue. There was a lady before me who had been waiting some considerable time. She asked me if she was invisible as not one member of staff had acknowledged her even though a lady was making drinks and clearly saw us waiting. Finally, after a further 20 mins our orders were taken by a surly young girl who's attitude I found very rude. So when my scones were thrust at me on 2 plates...no tray... I asked about my hot drinks, I was informed very rudely that they would be put on a table for me to collect. I asked about a tray but just got a withering look! So, my review is not based on the venue or the food which we ok I suppose but on the attitude of the staff. From being ignored to being treated very rudely. So this review is constructive criticism to please train your staff to be more customer friendly!

We called in for coffee before visiting the Walled Garden. After spending a couple of hours in the garden we returned for lunch. It was busy but we found a table outside. I had a coronation chicken open sandwich, my wife the frittata special. She particularly liked the Hendricks gin with rose lemonade, I had an iced latte. The staff were very friendly and efficient

What a fabulous find Beautiful setting Amazing fresh food Friendly staff Great menu Can’t wait to return Will be telling me friends

Visited this lovely cafe after walking round the Helmsley Walled garden. My husband and I enjoyed their coronation chicken open sandwich with generous salad - this must be the tastiest sandwich ever! Staff were very friendly and such a delightful atmosphere in their conservatory dining area with hanging vines and comfy cushions on the chairs. Definitely to be highly recommended if visiting this area. Linda & Russell Carey

Food and drink fantastic. Some is slightly pricey! Gorgeous setting quiet and gentle chatter! Definitely recommended A⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🫖🥗🥪🧊

After a most enjoyable visit to the Walled Garden on a hot day, we visited the Vinehouse Cafe, where lots of people were relaxing with drinks and food. The iced non-alcoholic cocktails were very refreshing and the cakes delicious. Unfortunately on the day the card payment system or internet had gone down and so the staff could not take hot food orders and could only take cash for drinks and snacks. Clearly stressed, the staff manage to keep smiling and doing what they could under difficult circumstances - well done.

Outstanding food and service . Excellent vegan/vegetarian options. Staff were welcoming and very friendly and food was served promptly

The weather was lovely which contributed to the pleasure of coffee outside. The seating area is well maintained and laid out.

This cafe is excellent 👌 I highly recommend the salad 🥗 bowls, packed with goodness, and available with a large choice of great toppings (2 per serving). The cafes' emphasis is to serve fresh food using quality ingredients and from the Walled Garden where possible. I absolutely love their freshly ground coffee, too ☕️ (Dancing Goat, Tockwith).

This is a lovely, unique eating place. I had coronation chicken open sandwich with homemade salad that had a lovely zest to it.......change from boring tomatoes & Cucumber. Staff were polite and friendly, and tables were clean and tidy. Although the food is delicious, I would say it is a little bit more expensive than other cafes, but to be honest the quality is second to none. The only negative I could find was that the lock on the toilet door was broken and wouldn't close properly. 😕 . Marks out of 5:- Venue. 🥗🥗🥗🥗🥗 Staff. 🥗🥗🥗🥗 Menu. 🥗🥗🥗🥗 Food 🥗🥗🥗🥗🥗 Price. 🥗🥗🥗

Being a little way out of the centre of Helmsley many visitors to the town will never know the delights of this wonderful place unless the Walled Garden is on their agenda. This is somewhere which which shows how very ordinary venues can produce great food which is just a little bit different from other places around them. The Buddha Bowls, which offer various options, are a delight to the palate and so well presented. The hummus which they use is good enough to rate alongside the best I have had in the middle-east, which puts it well above anything else I have found in the UK. Drinks like Moroccan Mint and Iced Elderflower Water are also worth mentioning. We don't do scones and cakes to can't comment but plenty of others do! It can get busy, but this does not seem to worry the staff who continue to offer polite and efficient service. We ate lunch early to beat the crowds which might be worth considering. We will be back to see the garden again if only to visit this wonderful place!

Introduced by a friend after many years of visiting Helmsley, blown away by service, staff and food. The location, the ethos, the care and attention. More hospitality venues should be like this, cannot wait for an excuse to return and try more of the menu and dabble with the specials. Thank you Vinehouse Team and thank you Irene for showing us this treasure 🥰

A lovely friendly place in a super place and location. A variety of good food and variety at moderate prices with good service. Made a nice day.

Four of us visited Helmsley castle yesterday and called into the cafe for lunch. It was a bright sunny day so we sat outside. Three of us had the cheese/ ham toasties with salad. And a teacake. Everything on our plate was absolutely delicious even the salad. We had a mixture of drinks and the tea was served in a pot with lovely little teacups and saucers. Its not the cheapest of places but worth every penny. The lady who waited on us was helpful and friendly. Perfection! We will definitely be back.

Really disappointed in this restaurant. It has a prime position next to Helmsley walled garden, and we have eaten here before and enjoyed it. Today however my husband and I were sad to see that the prices, service and food was very much worse than we remember. We ordered two coffees and two scones and were charged £18.30. I thought this must be a mistake as it seemed far too steep, however on asking them to check they told us the scones cost £5.50 each…. This was for a scone and butter, scone was cold and not anything special. We were both shocked at this pricing as we had been in another cafe in town earlier in the day and the prices were a lot cheaper and the food actually much nicer. The two staff serving appeared grumpy and not particularly helpful. We sat at a table which had not been cleared since the previous customers had left, and their tray with dirty cups and plates remained on our table throughout our time there with nobody clearing tables, despite the restaurant not being busy. Sadly we will not be returning as there are plenty of nicer, more reasonably priced cafes in the town.

Absolutely brilliant lunch at this cafe. We both had a Buddha Bowl. Masses of fresh tasty salad with a choice of all sorts of toppings. I had chicken and lentils done in an Indian style. My wife had Korean chicken and hummus. Both were delicious. Highly recommended.

Back to the Vinehouse cafe for lunch. Still outstanding. Delicious food in a lovely setting, from a highly original menu. So good to visit a cafe that doesn't trot out the familiar dishes, but shows real inventiveness. Everything fresh and tasty. It was quite busy, but the service was still quick.

Absolutely fabulous hidden little treasure a short walk from the village square. Wife has dietary restrictions and they were so understanding and accommodating. Staff were wonderful, friendly, efficient. Food came out in great time and was so flavourful. My daughter is in a wheelchair and the staff couldn’t be more helpful, it was brilliant to feel so welcomed. Will be returning soon.

It was cold and raining outside, so we decided to seek shelter in The Vinehouse Cafe. What a friendly welcome .. followed by the most delicious warm and fruity scone and a creamy hot chocolate with shards of flake and marshmallows on top! Thank you for your hospitality today.

Awesome Christmas lunch with a fantastic twist. Great food, service and ambience. Excellent value ... Recommend a visit any time of year.

By far the best cafe in Helmsley. Amazing food, fabulous attentive staff and a gorgeous setting. Really grateful for the hot water bottles and heaters that we were given as soon as we sat down, what a thoughtful thing to do in the chilly months. I will be taken my work colleagues here for an after Christmas lunch, need to spread the news about what a fantastic place this is. Thank you so much for all the delicious food we’ve had with you over the last year. Looking forward to my next visit

Visited today. Struggled to find entrance door. Found a door, only to be met by a grim face woman who pointed down the empty vinehouse and almost snarled. "The entrance is down there, but you can come in here." She then turned her back and walked into kitchen area. The place was cold. No menu was offered. We sat for ten minutes without any sign of service. Appalling. We left. Found the Cocoa Tree in town, which was very welcoming and pleasant and had nice food. Advice. Avoid Vinehouse. Seek Cocoa tree.

The food in the Vinehouse Cafe is exceptional: far more varied and of a higher quality than you would expect. Very good value too. And the setting, in a glasshouse under ancient grapevines, is extraordinary. Dog friendly too. We had lunch after visiting Helmsley Castle and were very impressed.

Visited on a Sunday, the food is always good here, but this time they surpassed themselves. We had the Korean chicken skewers. Wow!!!! I really hope they’re on the menu next time we visit! Beautifully cooked, great flavours, amazing salads, super fresh healthy ingredients. The service is friendly and efficient. Cakes are delicious too. Would highly recommend a trip for lunch.

What a lovely place. Made welcome from the start, a very nice team. Looked after the ladies, hot water bottles and blankets on a Autumn day. A lovely touch that made our day. Food was fantastic, all made in the cafe. Highly recommended at any time of the year.

I can't recommend this place highly enough. 25 of us (mainly elderly) arrived en masse at lunchtime on a Tuesday when only 2 staff were 'on'. They sorted us out with food and drink really well, which was quite a feat when there were many other customers eating or ordering already. The staff were friendly and unflappable , which was amazing in the circumstances! The food was wonderful - fresh, delicious and well-presented. Great coffee too. The cafe is in a large, old, lean-to Victorian greenhouse, and has a large vine growing at one end. It's a very relaxing place to have a meal in lovely surroundings. I will definitely be back when passing through Helmsley en route to Whitby. It is close to the main car park near the castle, and worth finding. A good experience all round.

We went late afternoon for coffee and cake, all the pastries and cakes looked homemade style and a look through the menu was enticing . The scones and vegetarian style sausage roll we had were superb, the coffee was possibly the best we’ve had in Helmsley . It was an unusual but delightful place in the glass house to enjoy your lunch underneath grape vines and the staff were pleasant

On a scorching hot day the Vinehouse Café was just what we needed. We sat outside under a large parasol, surrounded by beautiful flowers and started with iced elderflower in an enormous glass with lots of ice and a slice of cucumber; just the thing to cool us down. The open sandwiches were delicious served with interesting salads and the choice made it nearly impossible to decide. Despite being extremely busy, the staff were friendly and welcoming. I highly recommend this place.

Went on BH Monday late in the afternoon and it was busy. Stood at the counter waiting to order the cling film was off the cakes, wasps crawling about. The gluten free cake under cling film looked like it was melting as just sat in very hot place, sweating. The counter top was covered in bits. Decided to just have a drink. The toilets were pretty grim too. Overall a poor impression. Appreciate it was a busy day but won't return

Had lunch here after a wander around the beautiful gardens. We sat outside under one of the capacious parasols which was great protection from the odd shower! I had the Buddha bowl with hummus and chicken. It came with warm flatbread and was delicious and filling, more than enough. My partner really enjoyed his cheese and ham toasted sandwich which again was generous in size and came with a lovely red cabbage coleslaw and couscous. A lovely relaxed lunch much appreciated!

Pleasent surroundings and staff, but £3.80 for a fruit scone and butter is quite expensive. This seems to be the price for being in Helmsley. If had been writing a review for the surroundings and staff it would have been a 5.

Why is it you find the best place on your last day of visit. Lovely surroundings, great food. An excellent selection of vegetarian meals, lovely cakes all served with a smile. Definitely recommend.

Very nice customer experience for a leisurely cream tea - 2nd time this week. We also had a nice sandwich: light lunch after a swim in the nearby pool.

Visited yesterday and this place is incredible. Really well thought out decor. Food was delicious and arrived quickly. We absolutely loved it and we’re planning our return which will include a visit here for sure.

Lovely place to come regardless of the weather. We've been before and you can sit outside under shade if it's warm or inside the vine house if it's cold or wet outside. Food is always freshly prepared and very tasty - the "Buddha bowls" and...

My husband wrote review of this place and I need to correct the inaccurate feedback it was given. The owner has confused our party with another group who has also clearly questioned their attitude to food allergies recently. I approached the till to ask for...

Our son has a severe peanut allergy. When we asked about allergens, a young man with a hairband couldn’t muster the effort to engage with our query. The fact that this place does not seem to know or care about how their food is made,...

This is a gorgeous cafe for lunch in the sun. The Buddha bowls, frittata and Dahl were all exceptional. Came here with friends (we are all vegetarian) and were spoilt for choice.

Food was superb, you could tell it was all produced on site with fresh ingredients. Reasonably priced as well. I highly recommend the Buddha bowl it was delicious

A friend and I popped in for a coffee and we had the best scones we've EVER had!, not sure what else was on the menu but other people's food looked yummy. Lots of seating choice in beautiful surroundings. They were short staffed so had...

A return visit to the vinehouse cafe for lunch with my partner after our holiday on a gorgeous day. The staff were amazing given the heat and volume of customers. I had a bacon turnover and a Korean chicken Buddha bowl which were spot on...

Nice surroundings with good service but very over priced. Nearly £5 for a scone with cream and jam, £7 soup with standard bread loaf and £13+ for a salad bowl with less than half a chicken breast that I’d pay £8 max. Won’t be revisiting.

We came for lunch and were greeted with really friendly staff who were very knowledgeable about the menu. Lots of choice on the menu with some unique drinks. I had the elderflower cordial which was refreshingly delicious. I loved how it came in a gin...

Me and my partner regularly dine here. I had the coronation chicken which was lovely and comes with various salads and fresh fruit and my partner had the ploughman’s board and we shared the soup which is always amazing! Highly recommend for fresh tasting and...

Wonderful cafe! Open now after the winter shut down! Friendly staff.great food and even offered hot water bottles on cold winter days!

What a fab and caring place this is. Food, service location all delightful for an afternoon out. Top marks for the extra special service of a hot water bottle for my elderly mum.

We had lunch at The Vinehouse today, expecting it to be adequate, but finding it quite outstanding. The menu, all homemade, was quite varied with a strong bias towards tasty but healthy, and we settled for the homemade butternut squash and goats cheese quiche with...

We visited the Vinehouse Cafe today for the first time but not the last. It is situated in lovely and relaxed surroundings. We had the toasted sandwiches and scones which were fabulous, you probably won't find better anywhere. The food, atmosphere, and pleasant service made...

Extensive vegan menu, beautifully presented. Absolutely delicious food. Friendly staff and an idyllic setting in Helmsley walled garden.

Lovely place to sit and look at the garden. Great vegetarian/vegan food, hard to choose what to have. Young men serving were very courteous. Hope they use veg from the gardens and return waste to their compost.

What a lovely find! Indoors under picturesque greenhouses or outside under umbrellas in the sunshine… Lovely coffee, scones and savouries… Would be a perfect lunch stop to sit and enjoy the setting and your chosen company… We’d be back gain and again if we lived...

Lovely atmosphere, delicious fresh salads and sandwiches for lunch, very friendly staff. We sat outside in the walled garden.

Meeting up with both our sons and families for lunch needed a bit of thought especially when a six year old, a baby, a buggy and a dog were also involved! We found the vineyard cafe to be perfect, from the smiling lady who took...

Best to avoid at wasp time. Pretty well impossible to eat outside without being bombarded, and inside is therefore very full. Would be helpful also to display the ingredients of the various salads in case of possible allergies.

Such a beautiful outdoor area, plenty of parasols for shade if wanted. Lots of lovely plants can be seen in the walled garden. It’s very relaxed so you don’t feel rushed. Order at the till and the food is brought to your table. Fabulous food

My husband and I found this cafe on Google, en route on a long car journey from N to S. We thought a diversion from the A19 through the N Yorkshire Moors would be nice and I looked for somewhere to stop for lunch. This...

The Vinehouse Cafe is an absolute treat for an afternoons lunch break. The setting is very nice, the service is extremely friendly, efficient and genuine. Without doubt the jewel in the crown is the food. Fresh ingrediants, brilliantly prepared in some gorgeous recipes. The Frittata...

Good, adventurous food in a lovely setting. Just a shame that everything was served in disposable plates and cups. It doesn’t really matter if they’re recyclable or compostable, it’s still an environmental waste and feels a bit lazy when non-disposable tableware could easily be used...

Delicious lunch for 6 people including 2 children. Great service, food arrived promptly, at the same time and orders were all as expected. Enjoyed tea and cake after a lovely walk around the gardens. Pretty, fresh flowers on the table, beautiful setting and relaxed atmosphere....

First of all the food was absolutely delicious but I found the system of ordering rather frustrating. I queued for almost half an hour to order my food in a hot glasshouse. We then waited another 15 minutes for the food. I’m not sure why...

This is one place that you need to visit when you come to Helmsley. Ticked away behind the castle . The Vinehouse cafe is one of the best places to eat, Fantastic Buddha bowls especially the Dahl and the herby mushrooms. The staff go out...

We met with a group of friends for lunch prior to exploring the 5 acres of gardens. Orders are placed at a small servery window which makes it a bit slow at busy times, that's why I've scored only 4/5*. Excellent friendly and helpful service...

A great ranged of choices on the menu - almost too much. We had Buddha Salad Bowl and a salad with Humous and Flat Breads. There were also lots of interesting soft drinks which we enjoyed. Overall the service was friendly and efficient and it...

Delicious lunch in beautiful and eclectic surroundings . Enjoyed a budda bowl and humus platter. Fresh delicious and just what we needed after a wander round the beautiful garden. Such a lovely community run venture , thank you

This is our favourite place for lunch for miles around. Something for all tastes and all choices galore for those who don’t eat various things. The Buddha bowls and the Hummus bowls are just super delicious with choices for everyone. Excellent coffee and the whole...

The menu is quite fancy and I struggled to find anything that didn't include nuts, seafood, cheese or sesame (due to my allergies). Unfortunately I cannot rate this cafe, as when I made my order I asked for no cheese on the meatballs. We sat...

What a pretty setting just inside the Walled Garden at Helmsley next to the Castle. Lots of seating outside and lots under the Vinery glasshouse. We ordered the "house special" Hommous.with a grand variety of interesting sounding garnishes. Sadly the Hommous.with was the most sloppy...

Great food and great service in a beautiful setting. Some hopefully constructive feedback for the owner - I admire you for pushing back on negative reviews as the public can be downright awful and it always looks odd when venues are obsequious in their responses...

We visited on Tuesday this week, there were 5 of us altogether, 2 teenagers, 3 adults and our dog. We had cheese and herb scones which were fresh out of the oven and absolutely delicious. We have visited Helmsley lots of times but didn’t realise...

Even on a cold day it was nice and warm inside. Quick and efficient service and very generous servings. My wife had an open chicken sandwich which was enormous and I had a soup which was pretty substantial. Good quality food and a pleasant place...

This is a little gem in Helmsley away from the bustle of the town square. The coffee and cakes are fresh with a very 'homemade' flavour. It was a nice day to eat in or out but we ate in the vinehouse itself and it...

Always a friendly warm welcome food good and our dog loves the walk through the picnic aarea.Today we popped in for a cold drink and a rest after walking around Hemsley. Yet again we were served our drinks in beautiful tumblers ,with gold rims and...

Had a grand lunch here. I thought it might be chilly in the greenhouse on a rainy November day - but it was toasty. The food was great, the coffee was fab and the puds were a custardy treat. Prices seemed more than fair Thank...

We had the Buddha Bowls. My wife is vegetarian, and she said this was one of the best meals she's had. I had one with Smoked Mackerel and Yorkshire Ham, it was superb, both accompanied by a glass of very good wine. Good service and...

Very quiet. Steak pies excellent and the smoked mackerel copious. Range of cakes etc for dessert. Good service and company.

While the setting is interesting and there is much for garden historians in the well-preserved lean to greenhouses, prices are high. I don't mind paying a little more for quality, however, all of us found our cakes on the dry side and not of a...

This cafe is beautifully located and offers the perfect setting for a relaxing meal. The gardens are stunning with the added bonus of a wonderful view of the castle. It is particularly nice to sit outside weather permitting. The staff were professional and tables clean....

Relaxed gentile cafe (always a good start when there's no smell of cooked breakfast stuck to everything) amongst the greenhouses and gardens with excellent food esp amazing salads and cakes. Friendly staff and atmosphere.

We all really enjoyed the food, I have a Buddha bowl and my partner the soup, it was fresh and delicious , in wonderful surrounding with carefully planted perennial gardens , staff were freindly. One of those menus where you could eat everything on it...

Thoroughly enjoyed a fantastic lunch of mushroom soup with goats cheese and delicious bread, plus lovely elderflower cordials, great food and great service, everyone was so helpful. Highly recommended, we’ll be back!

Visited today stood in very hot and stuffy area for over half an hour to order, only about five people in queue, couldn't understand why it was taking so long till we got to the actual ordering point then it became apparent. One lady serving...

A fabulous garden cafe outside the Walled Garden. The most delicious fresh and imaginative menu. We had the Buddah Bowl, Nachos and homemade cakes. Mouthwatering and divine!

Discovered the cafe whilst out for a walk. Party of 4, enjoyed iced latte, gin cocktail and fresh juice. Fabulous nachos, absolutely delicious, veggie fritata also very fresh and tasty. Tomato and red pepper soup very tasty. Kids had brownies for dessert - they highly...

We visited the walled Garden today for the first time and came across the "Vine house cafe" for lunch I am so pleased we did. The atmosphere was relaxed,quirky and eating in a large greenhouse with grapes hanging obove our heads was great. We both...

Had a lovely lunch with produce from the gardens. Can recommend the Buddha bowls. Great service too, very friendly

Thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon tea for a colleague’s leaving do. Excellent service and great food. Hidden away in Helmsley the walled gardens and vine cafe are an absolute must to visit.

We visit here at least 3 or 4 times a year, would be much more if we lived closer. They seem to get better & better even though they were very, very good at the start. They are so creative with their dishes, you don't...

Our favourite place to eat in Helmsley. Such lovely views and atmosphere inside the cafe and in the outside seating area. Lovely options on the menu, something for every mood, and you can see that they use good quality ingredients. Can't wait to go back!

What a gem of a find. We stumbled on this beautiful cafe and wow! My salad was extraordinary; beautifully presented and absolutely delicious. The coffees were good too and my pal enjoyed her cheese scone. We’ll definitely be back

Seriously disappointed . The service was extremely poor. The table we chose in the shade hadn’t been cleared from the previous customer. When we finally got someone to clear it, it was wiped with a cloth that was dirty that the waitress had been carrying...

Helmsley was understandably busy with visitors on a sunny Sunday but the Walled Garden was a little oasis, with tables set outside under big umbrellas. We enjoyed the salad of the day and a proper coffee. Lots of choice (see menu on website), efficient and...

I held my 60th birthday "non-party" here recently. The staff were wonderful and we enjoyed a lunch for up to 30 in the Orchid House of the Walled Garden. The food was excellent and the service faultless I understand we were the first to use...

Being local to Helmsley, we have many friends who regularly meet here for lunch. There is ample outside seeting, it is dog friendly and the food is delicious. It is perfect for walkers who are passing on the Cleveland Way as it is just off...

This cafe is so good we went twice! On a rainy day we sat in the glasshouse and the next day outside in the garden. Excellent coffee and delicious fresh savoury and sweet scones. Just outside the main village of Helmsley over looking he beautiful...

Amazing local food served with a view to match. Placed in the heart of a busy town this cafe certainly did not disappoint. Quirky with a rustic feel serving the best Yorkshire delicacies. I couldn’t recommend enough.

Lovely surroundings and different menu. V good with prompt service. Nice to take dog into area, eating outside at moment due to covid.

Can’t recommend enough. Had the most delicious Buddha Salad which was amazing. There’s lots of outdoor sitting available and the environment is utterly magic. Because every thing is freshly prepared you may have to wait 10 mins for your food but truly, the environment is...

Two visits recently, amazing food which tastes wonderful. Excellent service, attentive staff , absolutely recommend. Will be back

So glad we happened to be at the walled gardens at lunchtime. Lots of lovely dishes on the menu to choose from. We decided on 2 of the specials; the Garden apple and brie melt with a smoky garlic and tomato chutney which came with...

Three of us had lunch at The Vine House today. On entry you are greeted with a light spacious and homely feel. There was also a lovely array of gifts including local food produce. We ordered toasted sandwiches (melts) that were to die for. Tasty...