White Wells Spa Cafe in Bradford

What a lovely spot, while walking the dales highway, we nipped in here for a hot chocolate and cup of tea . The man who served us was polite and friendly, and the drinks were hot and tasty, great place

Individual running the cafe is incredibly rude. Don’t entertain asking them any questions or even entering. Dark, dingy, filthy and unwelcoming. Save your money and try the Cow and Calf rock cafe- much friendlier and willing to help.

A lovely place run by lovely people who couldn’t do anymore for us and made us feel soo welcome (considering this is their home and place they live) My friend and I dipped in the well as she’s doing a dip a day for crisis. The male owner was so lovely telling us about the history of the place etc too which he didn’t need to do at all They put on the heating for us to warm up in the cafe afterwards whilst we drank our hot chocolates. It’s not Costa it’s a lovely piece of history and you sit where people in yesteryear did before you Please don’t be put off by negative posts on here we could of been but glad we went now and will be returning definitely

New Years dip, we loved it. Starting the year with a slightly scary dip in inky black freezing water, must be a metaphor in there somewhere. Thank you White Wells, off to smudge my house with sage and salute a couple of magpies now xx

We decided to drive 1 hour 20 mins for a nice, free day out with my 11 year old daughter, dog and freind. We had made a packed lunch and knew there was no admission fee to go into the Spa which is why we chose to go there as money is tight right now. To cut a long story short (I am going into the full details though a complaint with Bradford Council of how unreasonable, nasty and Malfeasance the people were) I was told we couldn’t get into the spa unless I gave the man money. I explained, stood in my swim suit & towel, I didn’t have any money on me but had some in the car back at the car park so asked if we could go in now and I would pop back up after given it was getting very hot and I needed to get the dog out the sun shortly and my little girl was stood waiting in her swimsuit. He said NO - I had to go and get the money from the car or we couldn’t go in!! No empathy or understanding to the child or dog whatsoever. This is not only wrong but the way the woman & man approached the whole situation was terrible, not at all what I want my child to whiteness and ruined what we hoped to be a nice day out. After looking on trip advisor I see their rudeness and unhelpfulness was not a one off! If you go to this FREE public place - make sure you take money or you may face a long walk back to the car!!

The cafe is located in the White Wells cottage and is open at the weekends and when the flag is flying. After walking up the stairs on the hill and investigating the spa pool room next door we purchased an ice-cream from here to enjoy while we sat on a table outside admiring the views. The cafe has an indoor seating area too with hot/cold drinks also available

Have been here a couple of times. Should have learnt my lesson after the first visit. Good points amazing location Great view A couple of benches outside offer a wonderful place to rest up after a walk Bad points Damp and dingy inside Not very clean Tired decor Very poor quality food and drinks Expensive food bearing in mind the quality of it Staff give off an unpleasant vibe Advice Make your own cheese and pickle sandwiches and flask of tea and sit outside on the benches. Even if it's raining you will probably have a better time than eating inside. Probably needs fresh management

We’re in the middle of the Corona Virus outbreak and I now have 2 children (preschool and school age) at home for the foreseeable future. As a family, we decided to go on a walk with our 1 month old baby and the dog as a nice family outing on a pleasant day for a Mother’s Day treat for me. We’d booked meals out in Ilkley and both were cancelled with the changing government announcements. It was to our surprise that the cafe at white wells was open when all other cafe’s in the area had been told to close but as we had bought a picnic with us we had no use for the facilities or to buy anything. My 4 year old daughter had done a decent walk from our home near the Craiglands Hotel and the limited supply of tissue in my bag unfortunately wasn’t enough for her constantly streaming nose. Finding that the cafe was open came as a welcome surprise to a mother requiring just one napkin to blow my poor daughters nose. However, the surly fellow behind the counter had other ideas. When I enquires about a napkin for the 4 year old, he invited me to buy an overpriced pack of tissues (talk about cashing in in a crisis - I doubt they sell tissues the rest of the year). However, having brought our own picnic, we had no need for cash so I had not taken any. I reiterated that I only wanted one napkin for my daughters nose to which he said I could have one if I just bought some “bits and bobs”! I pointed out I had no money so this wasn’t possible. At this, he told me to go to the public toilet to get tissue. There was no tissue in the public toilet - which is also in quite a state. Now, at the moment, the advice from medical professionals and the government is to catch coughs and sneezes in a tissue and then put the tissue in the bin. It’s quite exasperating that the man who I presume is the owner of white wells was thinking of a sale over the kind gesture of just letting me have a single napkin for my young daughter. Especially at a time when many people do appear to be making kind gestures to their fellow humans in need. My husband and my daughters have previously visited the white wells cafe. My daughters had hot chocolate while my husband had coffee. By all accounts the hot chocolate was badly made and contained huge lumps of chocolate powder at the bottom so neither child would finish their drink. My husbands coffee order was then delivered incorrectly. White Wells is a council owned building which is rented to the proprietors at a vastly reduced rate so that they can live in and operate the business within the building. Looking at the state of the place and how it’s run, it seems it could be so much more to the local community if it were given a new lease of life by some new inhabitants who could inject some life and soul into both the cafe and the building. It could be a small hotel and more could be made of the plunge pool which is a huge draw for people at new year. I will not be giving my money to the white wells cafe based on my husbands experience and my own and would implore the council to make more of this feature on a very busy, popular Moor - more than what the current owners seem to be willing to.

What do you expect on the top of the moor? It’s great. And just what you need after (or before) a walk on the moor. Great pie and peas with mint sauce (what do you expect them to offer?) available if the flags are flying - a Vietnamese one today as it was their national day - . The sort of place you would really mourn if it disappeared.

This place is out of the way and is a wonderful little bit of local history. The cafe has outdoor and indoor tables. It has a very small menu, however great for a pit stop. Great mugs of tea , coffee and hot chocolate. Hot small meals/ snacks, great in winter . Cold drinks and ice lollies for hot days. It's not posh, however it's wonderful that this place still open to the public. I love the views, Wonderful will a good cuppa. Must see if in the area and enjoy the out doors.

Lovely walk on the moor with a welcome hot drink stop at the cafe. Fascinating history, and a great location.

We visited the White Wells Spa Cafe to buy a hot chocolate and certificate after taking the plunge in the historic cold water plunge pool, that traditionally opens on New Year’s Day. If the cafe area is anything like the plunge pool area there isn’t any room to make more of the cafe as people suggest, the cafe counter area is tiny. The takeaway chocolate was tasty and served by a pleasant gentleman who I assumed was the owner. We were asked to sign the register for attendance of plungers so they can keep a record of numbers. I have previously been to the cafe in the summer for a welcome ice lolly.

Ideal location at the start of the moor, overlooking Ilkley, only suitable for walkers due to the lack of access, up a badly made path. Looks like it could be perfect for a haunted house movie . Dark inside, very strange awkward staff, cobwebs, rickety chairs and tables, okay for a hot drink but nothing else. It’s a Shame as this place has masses of potential but no thought has gone into the customer experience.

We took a walk up onto the Moors while we were staying in Ilkley and followed a path up across the Moor. We spotted a while building which turned out to be an old spa and café. We walked around to take a look and read the information on the side of the building. There are benches at the front that give a wonderful view over the moors. We didn't get a chance to go into the café as it wasn't open when we visited but a very interesting place to visit.

Visited today with a 5 year old and 2 year old asthmatic who was in a pushchair. Asked if we could bring the pushchair in and it was a no, ask if we folded it down could we bring it in as pouring with rain - again a big fat no! Very rude man behind the counter. Will not be visiting him again and will go to Cow and Calf’s where they are much nicer and know what customer service is!

I don't think anyone comes to this cafe because of the recommendations on TripAdvisor, which I think largely sum up the place. It's in a stunning location, and if you are walking from Ilkley up onto the Moor you might be tempted to stop here. The hot chocolate was OK but the coffee-drinker wasn't that keen. It's a pity because this could be a destination in Ilkley for someone with a lot of enthusiasm.

Una ubicación estupenda y un sitio histórico.Dentro está sucia y el propietario parecía reacio a servir a la gente. El té, una bebida que no es difícil de hacer bien, era bastante pobre con leche muy poco. Sólo un par de bares de chocolate, etc. disponible para comer.Aseos - entiendo que es probable que sean "principales" y así tener un tanque séptico/Valencia de herradura, pero eso no es excusa un cubículo sucio en una habitación más grande donde las luces no funcionan

Este café simple hace un buen lugar para tomar un té y un tentempié si quieres explorar las colinas adyacentes a la ciudad de Ilkley. Es históricamente interesante y bien conservado edificio de piedra vuela una bandera cuando está abierta al público. La bandera puede ser visto desde la calle de abajo.

Pensé que esto podría ser la gran parada para sentarse y tomar un descanso. Uso de los inodoros y tomar un café.

Welcome cups of tea, but the vegetarian option consists solely of Beans on Toast, which at £4 a shot is steeper than path taken to get here...

Entramos en los páramos ilkley por primera vez, encontramos el pequeño edificio marcados en el mapa como White Wells no sabía lo que era al principio, me sorprendí gratamente! Sólo nos preguntaron si teníamos preferencias para una taza de té, que me trajo una taza de Gray caliente líquido, me preguntó si podíamos dejar una bolsa de té para mí en lo que hacía, sentarse en los bancos con vistas al valle, y tengo que decir que fue uno de los más elegante taza de té que he tenido.

Had a couple of watery hot drinks which weren't great and overpriced. Amazingly, despite its location and very tatty decor and flooring inside they do not allow dogs in. What a waste with such a great location.

Visitamos ayer después de un paseo por los páramos de la vaca y pantorrilla rocas.

Quizá soy parcial pero creo que es un sitio precioso, con unas vistas excelentes de Ilkley y en las zonas de los alrededores en un día claro! suficientemente agradable pero empinada subida desde la ciudad, pasamos por remar piscina donde solía jugar como un niño, y pasó la enfermería,( ahora un hotel), donde yo nací, así que, en general, es mi rutas y me encantaría volver cuando puedo. Incluso el jardinero Alan Titchmarsh nació en el mismo lugar que yo!

It's a welcome oasis on the edge of the moor. Real tea and no fuss. Look for the flags. If they are flying then it's open.The information on the baths / plunge pools is fascinating. Only a short walk down into IIkley. You can even get 4G on your phone. Climb above the wells and taken in some fantastic views.

I have used the facilities here a few times while walking on the moor. The refreshments are very basic indeed, but can be exactly what you're looking for when out walking.Sat inside on one occasion recently with family, and ordered a snack with a mug of tea. The "cornish" pasty was clearly out of a packet and microwaved, so that it filled a gap and warmed us up, but that is about all you could say. The cafe inside is dingy but in a strange way charmingly retro, with the feel of being still in mid-20th century.On another occasion approaching the door when the cafe was not open resulted in an angry fist banging on the glass to warn us away. Another reviewer mentioned Basil Fawlty - I see what he means, although at least Basil Fawlty is endearingly eccentric and funny. When the cafe is open however, I have found the service to be friendly enough.

A friend and I called in for hot drinks, as the cafe seemed to have stayed open late due to a fell race going on in the area. The drinks were served in the smallest polystyrene cups I've ever seen, and the tea (£1.25) was like grey water - I'm not sure it'd seen a tea bag. The very small hot chocolate (£1.75 I think), was apparently ok, but the mini marshmallows were falling off the top, and this wasn't because there were so many of them, but that the cup was so small. The man that served us seemed to be a bit humourless and impatient, even though we were the only people in there.To summarise, I just felt ripped-off. If I'd known we'd be paying good money for such small and pathetic hot drinks, I really wouldn't have bothered. And if it's such an obvious inconvenience to open late, don't bother.

Passed through this place on a hike over Ilkley Moor with the 3 Walking Ladies. We didn't partake of any refreshments but there were a few there that had and I didn't hear any complaints. The Roman Bath was interesting with plenty of information about the history dotted around.

2 Mugs of luke warm water (he called it Tea), 3 Toasted Teacakes (Hot Cross Buns), 2 slices of Toast and a can of Coke, £10.50, who said profit is not a dirty word should visit this place. It was warmer outside than in and it had been snowing outside. If you want to know what service isn't, visit at your peril...

This was a good find on our walk along the side of Ilkley Moor above the big houses at the upper edge of the town of Ilkley. We paused for tea and a tasty enough pie. The historic spa is part of the same building. There are seats outside with good views on fine days such as the one of our visit.