Vennels Café in County Durham

Used to love going to vennels with my family but over the last few months it has gone downhill, had a couple of panini’s which came out cold and ordered a baguette which they didn’t say they had run out of baguettes at the time, so I was left waiting whilst my family had nearly finished they’re lunch, not happy with the service at all for what I’d paid and I have to say £43 was extortionate for what we had!!

One of the best breakfasts we've ever had. Quirky place, friendly staff, quality food. The veggie sausages are amazing

Nice place to have coffee with friends. Lunches look good too but haven't tried yet!

Popped in for a quite bite after the Cathedral tour and I was not disappointed. Tucked away behind the shops it almost felt like I was walking into someone's service area. As you round the alley you are greeted by a cozy courtyard with covered seating. I found myself a table and surveyed the menu, all sounded tempting and all very reasonably priced. (Probably because I'm used to London prices). In the end I went for a hot beef stottie which was slow cooked pulled beef in a delicious toasted roll slathered in a yummy gravy. In line with a somellier I paired this with a lemon iced tea which was made by a Lipton and Co. Crisp and refreshing and was a nice paring. The stottie was delicious, meat was tender and flavourful and the extra pot of gravy was delicious and a nice addition. It was clear to see that it was made from the cooking liquid from the meat as it had chunks of beef in it. Totally delicious and served with pea shoots. All for a bargain price of 13 pounds. A couple of lightly fried or even thinly sliced raw onions may have been a nice addition however certainly not needed. 10/10 good British comfort food

The food was fine, the service was good and the café has a nice old-world charm.

Fresh scones and moist orange and almond cake. Beautiful experience. Lucky Durhamites.

A very welcoming and familiar cafe. I ate a delicious scone there

Amazing little cafe with great food and the best employees. Perfect for a little break.

My favorite Caprese panini The coffee is roasted just right, not sour or bitter

My favourite café in Durham, definitely one of the best. It's a lovely family-run café serving delicious foods from sandwiches, jackets, quiches to cakes, and not to mention flavoursome ham broth. They also serve the local Durham "hummus"! Lovely comfort foods - very accommodating to allergens.

Coffee is dreadful. Not even palatable.

Stopped for coffee and a cake with my wife and dog and ended up staying for lunch too! Nice food friendly service lovely quiet courtyard location

What a lovely historical cafe ! The cafe is located inside a narrow lane between two shops. Had a good time and a nice cup of tea here ! I also like their banoffee pie very much !

I had 'The Poaching Pot' and it was absolutely amazing. The eggs were cooked to perfection and the bread was amazingly toasted. Toasties and sandwiches were high quality. The staff were incredibly friendly and welcoming. The atmosphere is nice and cosy. Would return but it's a 5 hour drive so I think I'll pass.

Dog friendly, fantastic food and service.

Very cozy and nice cafe with everything homemade. Really recommend pulled orange-almond cake!

My friend and I stopped by for tea and cake on a Saturday afternoon. Friendly staff, delicious tea loaf with butter, a good cuppa and a pleasant outdoor seating area all made this an enjoyable visit.

A rather dry and heavy Victoria Sponge. Tea was fine. Nice courtyard

Little confusion over our order but the wonderful staff went above and beyond so that we had a wonderful experience, even making a special dish for us and complimentary tea. Thanks so much!

You know, I’m the biggest Venels fan. That’s what they call me. The biggest. The other day, I walked in and I say, 'What would happen if you’re in Venels, but you have a big coffee machine? What would happen if the cafe sank from its weight, and you're in the cafe, and you have this tremendously powerful coffee machine, and the machine’s now underwater, and there's a shark that's approximately 10 yards over there? Would you stay in the cafe and drink nice coffee, or risk it with the shark? #KeepVenelsGreatAgain

Closed, must be intimidated by Greggs being open. #UTG

We waited for half an hour and the food didn’t even taste as good as normal not worth the wait 😭 Katie Scott

In the heart of Durham Town, this family-run cafe proudly boasts its claim to fame: inventing mustard. With a legacy as rich as its flavors, this cozy spot infuses every dish with the happiness of its signature creation. It's more than just a cafe—it's a timeless retreat where family and mustard history blend seamlessly.

We loved this spot, the decor and layout were beautiful and the staff were friendly. Good was great and in great portions too.

outstanding food, service and prices. Top notch quality and value for money. I have been visiting for years and love this place for brunch in Durham

Lovely atmosphere; nice garden in the sun. Average espresso and cappuccino. Not the most aromatic but moderately palatable. Would visit again, especially in good weather.

Quirky little cafe. Access is by a little side alley. Great value for money.

Food was shocking 2 panninis two teas £23 no salad with panini abit leaf and that was it very poor I would not recommend it at all never go back

One of the best cafés I've been to - a lot of character to the appearance and decor of the café inside and out. But most importantly the food tasted lovely, well worth the price. The only problem I came across was the hand drier in the gents was on the blink (quite literally, the light on it was constantly flashing) and didn't work.

It's really not easy to find, but worth every effort 👌🏼 An absolutely beautiful café with incredibly delicious and juicy cakes 🍰❤️ One of the highlights for me is the orange almond cake 🥧

Mixed feelings. The staff working there is very nice, the place is great. I had one day breakfast and everything was good, then I came back the following day to have lunch, and after queuing for a while they told me that they did not have what I wanted although it was on the menu. Wasted time.

Charming little cafe, can sit outside on a pleasant patio. Sandwiches with excellent, crusty house-made bread. Highly recommended.

Tricky entrance, amazing vibe lit by other customers!!! Mostly uni employees I think. Orange cake was pretty good, not too sweet.

Food good. Good service, recommended 👍

Honestly we loved it food was fine but as we were planning on getting myself a sweet treat abd my partner A sabdwhich we wete asked to leave to bahe room for others we'd been there less than 30 minutes at that point we felt hurried and unwanted by others around. We regret spending our money here. We shouldn't be rushed out or asked to vacate you should be telling people there's no room and asking them to wait especially in the midst of deciding what to get with 2 full drinks and I've only just fi ished my sandwhich.

Just had sandwiches and drinks but was nice.

Top quality food and service. Easy to miss down an old alleyway. But well worth the visit. Ham and chicken pie was chock full of meat. Delicious. Highly recommended.

I can only report on the cake, tea, interior and ambience. The cake and tea were so far above average it warrants 5 stars hands down. I also loved the quirky old building, but it was overly packed with students (I can't blame them, and it is Durham so what do you expect). It was impossible to get a table inside but we found one in the sheltered outside space which was quite comfortable too. There was a slow-moving queue at the counter but so worth the wait. Both tea bread and raspberry & white chocolate cheesecake were outstanding and tea pigs tea with a choice of Darjeeling did also go down extremely well. If I lived in Durham, I'd keep queueing and bring my noise-cancelling headphones next time.

OMG what a find! Quaint and quirky with a great atmosphere. Six of us strolled in and managed to grab a table. First we had coffees which were lovely. I then enjoyed the jacket potato with creamy mushroom sauce. I loved it so much I now make it at home. The best was the doggy bowl with biscuits and a sausage. Bella the dog loved it. So unusual and rare to find a cafe catering for dogs. The word has been passed around but unfortunately I live in Nottingham.....

This is a must visit place when coming to Durham.

Spot on great scones and dog friendly one of the few in Durham highly recommended

The atmosphere is really nice. A bit crowded but worth the visit.

Cosy little cafe with one of the Best Full English I've had in Durham. Quaint but a little cold.

It’s all a bit Harry Potter around Christmas time. If you don’t mind queueing it’s worth the wait.

Amazing cake & great coffee! Quick and friendly service. Nice atmosphere!

The only place in County Durham I am giving a five star rating. This is my favourite haunt, if I'm in the city with time to spare I like to try and pop in even if just for a cup of tea. They also serve alcohol alongside lovely cakes and handmade sandwiches. Lovely food, wonderful atmosphere in a very old (16th Century) building. The vennels are the narrow alleyways around the city which is where this cafe gets it's name. A fabulous old feel inside, like visiting a Heritage property except you're having your lunch there. Exposed beams, original fireplaces, sometimes I feels like I'm on an old ship. Wonderful place.

What a fantastic find, could be easily missed as its located off of the main street but definitely recommend seeking out this cafe. Staff are so friendly and food is wonderful, can absolutely recommend the chocolate cake too! Don't know what coffee they use but it was delicious. There was a small wait for a part of the meal but staff were really apologetic and even offered another slice of cake. The wait really wasn't an issue and we declined the cake but I was really surprised at just how attentive and thoughtful the staff were.

Delicious food, wonderful atmosphere

Had a simply lovely Sunday brunch here. The omelette was to die for and please try the avocado on toast.. Simply amazing ❤️

This is a must-visit restaurant in Durham for coffee, friendly cakes, and food. You may have to wait in line during busy dining hours, but it is a lovely space upstairs and outdoors.

Loved it here 🙂 Had been recommended because it is dog friendly. We sat outside and queue for food was worth the wait - blankets on chairs were a nice touch for those who felt cold. Quiche was lovely and the cakes looked really delicious 😋. Such a lovely old building - nicely hidden away, don't tell anyone it's there or everyone will want to eat there!! 😄

Returned to Durham 30 years after we started uni there. Good to see vennels still going strong, it was a favourite back in the day, food still good!

Great food, indoor and outdoor seating and dog friendly inside.