Waterstone's Cafe in Harrogate

Harrogate Waterstones is over three floors with the coffee shop on the second along with children's books. An ideal place to scan through your new books over a coffee

A visit to Betty's Tea Rooms Imperial Suit was an experience. A lovely young man who attended to us was full of charm & charisma. Afternoon team was gorgeous with the beautiful colours & presentation. A very relaxed atmosphere. Though a second pianist did not arrive, and therefore, we feel we missed out a little. But the whole experience was memorable.

Arrived for breakfast, waited for around five minutes no staff around. Ask staff on the ground floor (all stood chatting) to be told the cafe didn't open until 9:30. About 4 tables still had cups plates cutlery and rubbish, most probably from the day before. Not impressed, on a three day break to Harrogate. So sad

Cafe was fine. A bookseller was rude though and marred my experience. Snapped when I offered to put a book back for him. They need to lose that bookseller.

Dropped by for coffee and a bite. Friendly efficient staff. Relaxed environment with good atmosphere. Coffee and desserts tasted good, very good

I go here at least once a week, I just have to as the coffee they do are so nice. And as they have a lovely cosy place to have a drink and a little nibble whilst you read a book you bought or think about buying a book. It just feels very welcoming. And I would recommend this place to anyone. The service are incredible and are very kind to you.

Nice cafe that we often visit but I really wish they'd clear the tables more regularly and wipe the tables. Even when they're not busy, ie there aren't any customers waiting to be served, they don't seem to notice cluttered tables. Not very pleasant to sit down at a crumb covered table.

We almost gave up on trying to find a cafe that would be okay for pram/baby and dog and then we came across this one. Everyone was so friendly, the cake was tasty, and the dog got lots of cuddles, water, and biscuits. Will definitely be back!

When this cafe first opened it was a real gem but how things have changed. The amazing cakes have disappeared , the Americano had no crema of top because it had been topped up with boiling water and the cheese straw was uncooked in the centre. Altogether a big disappointment.

Excellent coffee shop with a variety of snacks, light meals and great cakes. Becoming more vegan friendly. The staff are efficient and always very welcoming. Dogs are well catered for too and there is a small children’s activity area. The quality/freshness of the food is always reliable. The cheese straws are AMAZING. Regular visitors are recognised and welcomed back which is much appreciated. Seating is a little limited at peak times but customers are usually happy to table share. Well worth a visit and the book shop itself is super. In an excellent location on James Street in the centre of town. Street parking usually available fairly easily. Lift access to the cafe for prams/wheelchairs

Waterstones Cafe is one of our favourites We always order extra hot Lattes and cakes.The Lattes are Very tasty and hot.The cakes have that unique home made taste.Great to see well behaved dogs and kids welcomed here and the cafe has many repeat loyal customers who help clear tables.Shame the toilet is on the floor above but there is a lift.Dont be put off by some reviews mentioning dirty seats! The staff are all lovely especially Ida and Ian.

Staff and her team do a brilliant job making this cosy cafe the beating heart of Harrogate. They work darn hard, over above and beyond the call of duty, to make everyone feel welcome so it's no surprise it's where many locals hang out, though all are welcome including first-timers, tourists and mutts. The flat white is fantastic, like a cuddle in a cup, there are free newspapers, book recommends, a lively noticeboard, a book club, nice cakes, a cheery hello, seriously, what more do you want? My top tip is, if you buy one of their 'Books of the Month' you get a free cup of coffee, so it's kind of half-price, if you want to just sit there and read. What other cafe does that? It's not just a cafe, it's a warm welcome on a chilly day, but it's the staff that make it feel homey. Go. Worth buying a dog for.

I regularly visit Cafe W to meet friends or with family. The staff are super friendly and the cafe welcomes dogs. We don’t often take ours into town but I enjoy seeing other people’s dogs in there and there are treats for them too. The coffee is always good as are the cakes and biscuits. It’s upstairs and sometimes gets rather busy but it’s well worth a visit.

This is one of the most dog friendly cafes I have been to. The two young ladies were so obviously dog lovers. Treats and water supplied. The coffee was of a high calibre and there is a great selection of snacks available. Through the store and upstairs. There is a lift. I was in waiting for my wife who had an a meeting just across the street. We will be back. It is so refreshing to find a truly dog 'FRIENDLY' cafe. Well done Waterstones!

Very Popular cafe which gets better in my opinion.I dont mind the stained seats as they are comfortable.Latte is lovely we ask for it to be extra hot.Cakes are yummy and decent portions too.Free water is on the counter which is always a good touch.Ida,Ian and Lucy plus others including the lovely tattooed girl will look after you they work hard and theyre friendly and chatty too.Free wifi which is easy to connect to plus no pressure to leave your seats.Cafe is especially busy on a day with poorer weather.Great cafe.

Visited yesterday with my mother.Consistently good cafe lovely latte great staff including lovely Ida and Ian and all staff here work very hard.Some customers reviews mention torn or dirty seats,so what?they should go to Bettys if they want the Ritz!

Pleasant to be able to get a nice cup of tea/coffee or soft drink whilst mooching through the books and gift areas and this is a pleasant space to enjoy for customers. The bookshop is also a pleasant place with a reasonable selection of books, gifts, cards and paper. The cafe also has a selection of sandwiches (hot and cold), snacks etc. and as you would expect a reasonable range of cold as well as hot drinks. There is a small area for youngsters to play/colour. The staff are helpful and efficient.

Excellent coffee and very pleasant service, good brownies . Plenty of space and newspaper to read ...

A lovely bookshop, friendly personel and a lovely coffee and scone. A great place to take some rest before going on in York.

Ever since the financial crash of 2008 the only businesses that seem to be doing well are coffee shops. Waterstones seems to of taken this to heart and has opened a cafe on its first floor. Good! It's a small area with various tables and chairs: sofas and dinning tables, take your pick. There were plenty of family's and one dog which livened it up a bit. We had tea served in really large teapots but then given tiny shallow grey cups and saucers. The tea was welcome after a tireing morning. They also serve various sandwiches and savouries and I will return one day to try them.

I love this place and keep coming back for more. It serves great coffee and thankfully some delicious home made cakes and my new favourite lemon drizzle cake with poppy seeds on... mouth wateringly good! It's a great spot and I think the best café in Harrogate.

Lovely little cafe, with some nice extras - coffee good. The best thing about it, is that it is near the children's book section and you can sit quietly with your little-uns and enjoy a book. I have never seen children causing problems. People mostly friendly around, but one or two snotty people who can't tolerate children (or presumably human beings in general) occasionally glare. They need to get a life and go elsewhere.

The kids complained of hunger while we were shopping, so why not try the Waterstones cafe since we're here? Super friendly service, lovely fresh sandwiches, crisp chilled vegetable sticks with nice coarse houmous, free iced water on the counter. OK not a huge range to choose from but then this is a bookshop cafe and what they served us today was excellent. My son's verdict on the double choc cookie? It's not good ... it's superfandoubledozee!

I’ve been enjoying this little cafe for some time now, liking the fact that it’s hidden away in a bookstore serving reasonably priced coffee & cakes.

Thank goodness the brilliant manager at this cafe has brought back the delicious cakes and FANTASTIC BROWNIES, simply the best, better than all the rest ! We'll be back for more again and again.

Not sure where the others on this page visited but I thought the cakes were fab at this Waterstones Cafe! The girl behind the counter seemed a bit rushed but it was busy and she was apologetic and nice, so maybe getting her another pair of hands would be my only feedback - I know how it is to be understaffed in hospitality. All in all the place is very lovely, the staff are friendly, and very chilled out. Drinks are tasty and the cakes are spot on! Definitely visit over the other (and more overpriced) cafes in Harrogate is my recommendation.

Extremely disappointed that my favourite Pecan shortbread has gone as has my friends granola slice. This was our regular haunt to meet up. There used to be a super selection of slices and unusual cake here, the counter now is full of lesser quality generic brownie etc. When you have a little cafe in a shop surely the idea is to fill it with things to make people want to come back? The woman behind the counter said other customers had complained too. Will go elsewhere, nothing here to come back for now, There are plenty of other cafes in Harrogate.

Waterstones - what an excellent vibe - all those books and in a beautiful town such as Harrogate. Seems the perfect coffee stop. Wrong! I was in town on a short break and stopped here for a coffee. Was greeted with a miserable guy that gave me such a DIRTY look! I felt awful! The lady doing the drinks was no better hardly said a word not even a smile. I felt so uncomfortable at this I will not return or recommend. This should have been nice. Dreadful customer service and so unwelcoming.

Great home made cakes and a proper pot of proper tea. A great little spot with lovely seating, encouraging a relaxed area to just sit and chatter or even better, to sup over a book.

We returned to Waterstones Cafe a favourite haunt of ours because of their delicious hand made cakes. Sadly on our latest visit we were bitterly disappointed.My wife was gutted as her favourite granola had been replaced by an imposter a very 'seedy' flapjack which is nothing like their previous offering. These taste(less) cakes seem very much like they've been made with cheap ingredients, come on Waterstones this is Harrogate so lets have some decent quality cakes back.If you like the look of the chocolate torte with maltesers above you can forget it as thats been discontinued as well! Bah humbug.

Dog friendly which is great and the staff have always been really nice. This is where the nice words end though! The previous review said the cake is great which it was, until now. The gluten free brownies have gone and the granola slice and the huge cakes. Poor offerings have replaced them, the staff now look glum and the people on the next table said that things have gone downhill quickly and that they wouldn’t be back. Me neither! Run of the mill food, warm coffee and miserable staff, what on earth has happened here. Won’t be returning.

The produce from Bond Street Bakery and The Harrogate Cake Lady are the stars here. The atmosphere is relaxed and friendly. This cafe has the feel of a small independent rather than a chain which is great. The only fault? The hot chocolate is never hot-more luke warm!

Found this cafe by accident and have been back quite a few times. The menu is not large but the food is very good Also they have a loyalty card which when the coffee is so good is a bonus. The staff are always happy and cheerful with a warm welcome.

This is a really nice place to come for a coffee and cake. This visit I had the really nice honeycomb hot chocolate. Very pleasant and suited to a cold winter day. And surrounded by books.....what could be better!

I often go here for a quick cuppa but am always disappointed when I have to clear a table before a can sit down. This happens a lot, even when it's not particularly busy. The tables don't appear to get wiped down at all and they are usually sticky or wet. I have seen dogs putting their paws on the tables and once witnessed a large dog licking the sugar lumps in the bowl! Needless to say I told a member of staff when I left but didn't see her wiping the table. The other day there was just one other couple in and two staff; six tables needed clearing and all the time we were there they remained as they were. Such a shame as it is a very pleasant area to sit with a drink.

Have visited many times and always a good experience. Very reasonably priced, nice coffees and toast/teacakes. Can be busy and sometimes a bit of a wait but service always friendly and efficient. Newspapers available. Last visited with a dog and was made to feel very welcome. They even have a jar of dog treats and a bowl of water.

First visit to this cafe and Very impressed.Bit Surprised that Latelady the first reviewer mentioned stained upholstry! Bit Snobbish! Im Glad the cafe is dog friendly! And it seems to be Popular with Parents with Toddlers.We had a latte and toasted teacake,Latte was quite big and teacake was very big and plenty of butter and a small jar of jam with each for £1.50 so excellent value and tasty.If you go to other cafes you pay 60 pence extra for the jam!

Upholstered furniture is very badly stained. Although it make a point of being dog friendly surprised to see them sitting on the sofas. Consequently will not return. Cup of tea and toasted tea cake fine and good value.

Visited here with other mummy friends after recently having a baby. The staff were lovely and gave a free hot drink to breastfeeding mothers. Delicious food and drink, lovely decor and atmosphere, really comfortable place to go if you are a new mum. Good changing facilities too..... rare in Harrogate!

This is a wonderful little café on the first floor of Waterstone's. Its compact and well set in the corner of the store. The staff are pleasant, friendly and helpful. The coffee is good and the bacon sandwich is also good quality. Both much better than a trendy little café I'd tried the day before. And, of course, there are the books to browse.