Yarborough House Cafe in Shropshire

Wonderful second-hand bookshop, plus Cds and huge selection of cards by local artists and a cafe with excellent coffee and cakes

Nice bookshop, range of books to suit all and some music, with a relaxed coffee and range of cakes from the attached cafe.

Great coffee and cake stop during a recent Bishop's Castle Visit, good look around books and CD's too

Thursday 19th May 2022, my husband and I woke up to a hot and sunny day, so we decided to go out for the day to visit Yarborough House Books in the Shropshire town of Bishops Castle. My husband and I strolled round this pretty town taking lots of photographs of it its interesting buildings. We worked out way up the High Street to the top where we went to visit Yarborough House Books. My husband and I entered within and we mooched round the bookshelves. I did not find anything but my husband found another volume to his Oxford History of England Series, he purchased the book on ‘The Earlier Tudors’ By J.D. Mackie for the bargain price of six pounds, so he was very pleased. Yarborough House Bookshop also has a large stock of second hand classical recordings, which comprises around 4,000 CDs, with a particular emphasis on unusual repertoire, British and 20th century music including opera. The bookshop also has a small café attached, so after mooching round my husband and I indulged in a pot of tea and a latte coffee and a flapjack for my husband. Whilst I was there I found inspiration as I wrote a poem called ‘Home of The Fairy’. My husband and I also had the luxury to meet the owner Carol who moved from London over 40 years ago to start her bookshop in Bishops Castle, she was a very pleasant and warm lady. I read her the poem I had written and she asked me to send her a copy for the Bishops Castle website, I was very touched and honoured by this. If you like books and cakes then this is a nice place to visit if you are in the area.

Popped in for coffee and was surprised to discovered it's also a rather large bookshop all in one package. The coffee and cake were lovely and the chance to amble about the attached bookshop was also a joy.

Excellent food, tasty and well presented. Great service, very professional, friendly and quick! I will be back.

We visited on a Sunday evening in mid January. There were very few diners. The staff were attentive and friendly. We thought the menu was very limited with little choice. As there were few people there was very little atmosphere but should have considered this when booking.

What a fantastic find. The menu selection was just the right amount, all sounded amazing, and we were not disappointed. I started with the Crab, my husband had the Sea Bream Ceviche, and daughter the Baby Veg salad - wow, what a great start. Then the mains we chose were Duck, Rack of lamb and Pork fillet. The combinations of taste, flavour and texture were perfect, everything married together perfectly. To finish we chose Toffee Apple Mille Feuille, salted caramel tart and the Strawberry & White Chocolate Cheesecake. All I can say is the salted caramel, well i've died and gone to heaven, it was just the best. The service, the presentation, relaxed atmosphere they were all just perfect. Fine dining without the pompousness.

Had a meal on a Sunday evening which many restaurants don’t offer - this was excellent and we’ll definitely come again.

Good coffee and cakes. But what makes this place different is the attached second hand bookshop which also has a large range of CDs, mostly classical music.

Bad service, all the beers were bottled and all vegan or Gluten free, none of you usual Peroni or bud, no on tap beer at all, the beer we were served was luke warm Would definitely not recommend

Incredible food and fantastic service. Couldn't recommend it enough even if I tried. 10/10

We came in the middel of a wedding, but we got well taken care of, but stil a bit aquard to crash the wedding party outside with a drink on our anevercery

Good service and excellent food.

Nice looking restaurant. It was a little understaffed when we went, so service wasn't as smooth as I would have preferred. The food itself was well presented and tasty, although normally sides come out either with the meal, or very quickly after, we had to wait for ours, and were asked what we had actually ordered...! Which was unfortunate. Also, my food was different temperatures. The large piece of chicken was quite tepid, The mash was tepid at the edges and got hotter towards the middle. I could have had it changed, but I wanted to eat with my guest not after them. Starter was ok. Pudding was good. I would return.

Delicious food, lovely service, very nice in general. I particularly loved the blueberry cheesecake, best I've ever had.

Decent coffee and cakes, and 1000s of classical CDs and books. Halfway to heaven. Plenty of time to browse and enjoy the bookish atmosphere.

This is a coffee place that does the expected range of coffee, with the standard coffee. They have to try to cater for the majority of their clientele after all. The cakes are excellent, and good value. The books are wide ranging in subject, and generic for the most part, but there were some hidden gems as far as i could see. Certainly worth popping in to look around.

Excellent food and great service. Really liked the food. Good wine selection

Fantastic food. Fantastic service. The Arancini was a personal highlight and is highly recommended. The service was attentive but not pushy. We had a lovely evening and really enjoyed our meal. We wouldn't hesitate to go back or recommend the restaurant.

The food was incredible; well presented and tasted great too. The service was also very good, friendly staff.

I’d read mixed reviews on this restaurant before booking, but overall we had a very lovely dinner here. Our table was nice by the window and the service was excellent. I knocked off a star for the food, not because it wasn’t tasty, but I hardly had any beef to speak of with my beef carpaccio to start, so value for money wise I wasn’t that impressed. Other than that we had an enjoyable time.

While reviewing my collection of Classical CD's I came across one with a Yarborough House sticker on it and remembered what a good selection they had 15years ago. Well it is better now and the bookshop offers a range of different types from Antique collecting to Biography's and Modern fiction .We were delighted with our purchases and having a lovely cup of coffee as well made it a very pleasant morning !! I nearly forgot they have an excellent range of greetings cards as well .Perfect for us !!

We have been coming to Yarbourough House for YEARS and always enjoy the visit, often coming after a local hill walk or similar, when the coffee is always welcome! There is always an excellent selection of classical CDs (and we always buy some!!) and a wide range of books on all subjects - though, as you may expect, you cannot always find what you want, depending on stock. But it is always worth a visit and is highly recommended.

As far as I am concerned, a bookshop that also sells classical CDs and has a cafe providing decent coffee and cake ticks all the boxes.

From arrival to getting the bill the standard of service was excellent. Friendly yet unobtrusive. Well cooked interesting food in very pleasant uncrowded surroundings. We thoroughly enjoyed our evening... thank you.

From the pre dinner Kir Royals to the end, the service was top drawer. Food excellent with good choices for each course. Restaurant in a central location

It was my birthday - but no acknowledgement was made... or checking which of us was celiac. The atmosphere was very flat... and service was very slow. Food I couldn’t fault.

Absolutely delicious food. Excellent, very attentive service and a lovely atmosphere.

A 100% percent review on trip advisor was good enough for me....and we weren’t disappointed. Our wedding anniversary was a special occasion because due to operational reasons my Husband and I had been apart for the past four and half months. Our meal brought us together with an unexpected harmony. Firstly the Duck Wellington, put simply was a “wow”. My seafood special, Hake on a base of tasty risotto was also a delight. A shared cheese board finished our meal, with our only requirement being a couple of extra biscuits. I don’t do ‘noise’ when I eat, and the restaurant’s ambience was perfect. Roomy with excellent service at a very reasonable price. Regretfully this restaurant is quite a way from where we live in Buckinghamshire otherwise, there would be a serious temptation to work our way through the menu. Our advice is just go...

It was not as good as previous meals we have enjoyed there. The service and food just missed somehow. One starter was cold and the other over cooked(the hens egg). The Main course of duck was dry and a disappointment. The service started well but as the evening went on not at all attentive. Indeed as we left the restaurant despite walking past several members of staff, we were totally ignored.

The service was great and the food just amazing! Had a really good experience at the Arbor, highly recommend it!

Fantastic starters, more standard mains with the pork a bit undercooked. I would definitely recommend, keep up the good work!

Fantastic food and wonderful service we had the set menu with our two children (4&8) would definitely recommend.

This is a very good restaurant in a very good hotel. The decor is tasteful and the room is light and bright with plenty of room between tables to ensure privacy. Service is friendly and attentive and the menu is interesting with copious use of fresh local produce. We chose our mains from the specials menu, one a simple grilled fish and the other a more elaborate fish stew. Both were excellent.

Met on arrival with a very warm welcome. Restaurant is very light and spacious. Service is attentive, courteous and professional. The roast lamb was perfectly cooked and exceptionally tender accompanied by a plentiful assortment of vegetables served as a side dish. The sea bass was delicious too. A wonderful experience and with the Sunday Lunch fixed price menu at £20 for three courses, it is amazing value for money. Highly recommended.

We had an excellent meal and experience here. They had wonderful gluten-free options for my wife, and we had extremely good food here. I would highly recommend this place to anyone. The service was very good, we were treated wonderfully. The prices were fair.

Excellent Sunday lunch and very good value. Will definitely return.

we attended the Arbour Restaurant for my partners Birthday, we found the staff very attentive and friendly, the atmosphere was very relaxed and comfortable, the food was very well presented and tasteful. I would most certainly recommend a visit , I will most certainly be returning if I'm in the area again.

service : excellent / food: excellent

I have been coming here for a very long time - well before the days of TripAdvisor ! You always get a warm welcome. Have a look at the Books, Cd's, Records, followed by some refreshment. Always worth a visit.

Celebrating my daughters graduation, we were well looked after from the start. Two of the five seated are vegetarians and one gluten free and all catered for with good food choices. Slightly noisy ambience from general chatter of other customers but tolerable. Max looked after all our needs and we all enjoyed the excellent food and wine at our leisure. Would definitely recommend and when next in Bournemouth I would book again.

The food was pleasant and well presented, but somewhat uninspiring. The staff were attentive, but not overbearing.

Excellent ham Hock starter and slow cooked lamb but streaks were only average. Excellent cheese board. For hotel restaurant it was above average with excellent service. Probably needs more choice especially if one was staying at hotel.

Great food and service in a relaxed atmosphere. Great vegetarian options too.

Always a pleasure to eat at Arbor. Lovely cheerful staff and great food.

Food was amazing would definitely go again

Nicecake and pot of tea for 2 . Good place to stop off whilst browsing in Bishops Castle Plenty of books here !!😀

Nice coffee and tasty cake to be had while ones husband buys the records. Friendly service. Just what was required.

We really enjoyed our evening meal. All the courses were really nice and the service was attentive but not intrusive

Made our anniversary special, attentive and courteous service and surprised with a complimentary glass of champagne!

We were a party of 4 and booked for Sunday Lunch for a late Fathers Day. We arrived at 1.20pm and when we sat down the menu looked great with the choice of roast Beef, Chicken or Lamb. You can imagine how disappointed we were to be told that there was only Pork and there was only 2 portions left! We all wanted roast dinner but had to order a burger and also the vegetarian option. When the pork arrived it was two big thick dried up slices which were tasteless. Also, there was no yorkshire pudding, the roast potatoes were dried up and the only veg was broccoli. Overall the meal was a complete disaster. The staff were polite but not very apologetic about the lack of choice. If you offer Sunday lunch then you need to actually serve it. We would definitely not go back or recommend to anyone.

We went for an evening meal. It was a lovely calm environment with an interesting menu. The service was quick and friendly. I would definitely recommend!

A nice setting, good service and tasty food.

Great place for dinner. Service was quite fast for me...felt a little bit rushed as no sooner had we finished starters, dinner was served. Food was great..fresh flavours but a later booking would be better if ambience/ atmosphere was a requirement. Children catered for nicely from what we witnessed.

I chose this restaurant based solely on the reviews and I was not disappointed. Arbor has a great, relaxed feel but the food was the stand-out star. Everything was presented beautifully and the flavours were superb. There is something for everyone - meat, fish, vegetarian. Perfect for our family Easter get together. My only very small criticism is that the accompanying sauces could have been slightly hotter but overall a great meal. Quite expensive but the quality of the food justifies it.

Lovely venue great cocktails. Exquisite food. <br />Would definitely go again.

Pleasant atmosphere. Lovely staff and service. All loved our choice of starter but slightly disappointed as only just warm. Mains were delicious as was dessert. Wines affordable. Lovely glass of champagne and a fabulous expression martini!!

The food was fantastic, a real bonus to get a hotel that serves top end food that, while not cheap, is reflected in its quality. Service was attentive but not intrusive.

It was amazing. My boyfriend took me here for Valentine&#039;s Day and I have to say, I couldn&#039;t fault it in the slightest. We both got the steak (which was amazing) and for dessert we shared a banana cake with peanut butter ice cream. Definitely a lovely night!!

Excellent visit to Arbor. The service was excellent, the food delicious and the atmosphere pleasant. When I booked I mentioned that it was my dad&#039;s birthday and they brought out a special treat for him, which was really thoughtful! I hope to return again in the future.

A lovely dinner with an interesting menu. food was very good and the staff friendly

Yarborough House is a great concept: books and records one side, coffee and cake the other. What could possibly go wrong? Not much, but not much went right either. Indifferent service, dull machine-coffee and some baked slices that lacked lustre. Next time we're in Bishops Castle we will try somewhere else...

Chosen for my mother&#039;s 85th birthday celebration. excellent food and interesting menu. We wanted somewhere quiet as my mother is partially deaf and cannot deal with background music. The staff were accommodating and turned down the music to a very quiet level which added to the enjoyment of our evening. Lovely staff and service. Would recommend the lamb main course. plenty to eat.

Mixed review, I would have given it 3.5 stars overall if I could. <br /><br />When we arrived we ordered a bottle of LPR to kick off the evening. My expectation when you order a £90 bottle of champagne is that it is served cold which it was not, so we waited 15min for the ice bucket to work its magic! <br /><br />The food was a game of 2 halfs the starter was amazing and one of the best scallop dishes I have had. The main dish was so so! I had the fillet which had no seasoning on it along with a pot of pepper corn source which was a 1/4 full! Also I was not given a steak knife (I know What you are thinking :-) but when you pay top prices you expect top service). The service as a whole was not up to the standard it should have been and the food was ok not amazing. At no point during the meal did our glasses get refilled when empty and we did not get offered more drinks once we finished our drinks.

Bought a couple of good books and also had a drink and cake, both of which were very nice. The shopkeeper was very helpful and friendly and gave us lots of information about local walks. Would recommend.

This was a great experience. I had scallops, pork, and coconut parfait and every dish was well thought out and delicious. My partner had mackerel, lamb Wellington (very creative thinking by the chef) and chocolate and all these dishes were perfect. Highly recommended.

They changed their menu every two-three weeks so really depends on the menu. Service is great.

We had dinner at the restaurant during the week so we found the place quite empty. <br />The staff was pleasant and the waitress/ waiter were wonderful.<br />The starters and main courses were very good, however we found the menu a little bit too pretentious and sometimes keeping it simple it’s best. Also on the same note we would have preferred straight forward good quality butter with warm bread rather than margarine blended with herbs ( for flavor) and a huge tray of bread ( tomato and herbs)!

My partner and I dined here on Saturday evening and from the moment we arrived we were extremely impressed with the professional service and ambiance of this establishment.<br />All the dishes were beautifully presented and the flavors were sensational on the palate.<br />I highly recommend the pork cheeks.<br /><br />The staff were very attentive to our needs and were very accommodating to my allergies.<br /><br />I will most certainly be returning and recommending this establishment to friends and family.

Arbor is a great restaurant for a special occasion or just a quiet meal out. The menu is comprehensive and well presented and good quality. I took my son after his graduation and we really enjoyed the experience.

Lovely service from friendly staff and great food too

Could spend hours browsing the second hand books, but just called in for a very welcome pot of tea. Also has nice cakes on offer but little else other than tea and coffee.

One of the worst restaurants I have ever been to. I ended up with no food at all. We were left in the bar area for 30 mins. Then directed to our table. I ordered a cesar salad and the hot salad arrived which was uneadable. There was no mention on the menu of the salad being hot and I was not offered a cold cesar salad. I then asked for a cheese board and asked what cheese it was the manager did not know..not good very product knowledge. There was a specials menu which was not explained to us. All in all a complete disarster. Staff need to know how to handle customers. The man that left us sitting was only interested in serving cocktails. Would not recommend it or ever go there again. A pity because they have spent a lot of money on the building.

Great service and fabulous value for our 2 course Sunday lunch. Will definitely return.

Excellent food. Staff were very nice and meals available I had not tried before.

Evening meal for four at Arbor. All having different meals all raving how good the dishes were once finished. Service could of been a bit more knowledgable regarding dishes and wine but still a great dinning experience

We took our daughter out for her birthday celebrations from university. As we had travelled 4hrs to get to Bournemouth, we stayed at the Green House Hotel too! The Restuarant was full and the ambiance perfect. The food was very special and a treat for a Uni student! The service was perfect, timing and attentive without being obtrusive to the enjoyment of our evening.

we had the pre theatre menu. It was excellent value for money, the food was delightful and the staff very friendly.

A fantastic Sunday lunch at an extraordinarily reasonable price. Well worth a visit and be sure to try all of the desserts, absolutely to die for!

We found this restaurant through a comparison website and were very pleasantly surprised with what we stumbled across. The staff were fantastic. The decor was also fantastic &amp; the food didn&#039;t let us down. Make sure you try the sharing cheese board.

The food and service were amazing! Try the parsnip pudding - it&#039;s to die for!!

Service was efficient and friendly and food was very nice - if not on the small side so if you have a big appetite order 3 courses!

La librería estaba muy bien equipada, con una variedad de títulos y categorías. También había un montón de registros para la venta. Fue agradable para examinar las/los artículos que están a la venta, a pesar de que siento algunos de los libros eran demasiado caros de segunda mano.

Myself and fiancé dined at Arbor on Saturday night having high expectations from positive reviews online, it exceeded these and more. The starter we shared was delicious, pulled pork tortillas, both mains, steak and chicken were spot on and we were so glad we opted to have dessert as these were also flawless.<br /><br />Excellent wine and if you arrive early like we did then definitely take advantage of the cocktail selection, I loved the Earl Grey gin offering.<br /><br />I&#039;m planning our next trip to Bournemouth just so we can go back to Arbor!

Ignoring the problem with the booked time which was changed by Arbor via a &#039;phone call we had an excellent meal. The food was imaginative, perfectly cooked and well presented. The Restaurant was not busy when we arrived but the staff seemed slightly hassled. They actually seemed to get more organised as the evening progressed even though it became much busier! Overall the staff were very pleasant. We look forward to a return visit.

This was our first visit to Arbor. We pre-booked the pre-theatre menu. Although located in a hotel the restaurant does not exhibit the ambiance often associated with such venues. The food was of an exceptionally high standard and served to a high standard. The big shock was at the end of the meal on receiving the bill. We could not believe how very reasonable the whole experience had cost. Probably the best value for money I have had in many years. Highly recommended!

We booked this due to being within walking distance of our hotel and what a great find . <br />The friendliness of the staff and overall ambiance suited our romantic weekend . The food was divine , both in presentation and taste . Whilst bit having a large menu attention is paid to the quality of the food . We will be back .

Staff very friendly, choice of menu great and food superb. I would definitely book again. I was also pleased to see that eventhough it was valentines weekend they had not changed their menu just to make some extra cash.. good on you. We will be back.

we really enjoyed our lunch at The Arbor. The staff looked after us well, making sure we had everything we needed, and the food was very good. An unusual menu good value and very tasty. Obviously there is a very good chef who enjoys preparation and presentation. We decided next time we will try their afternoon tea.

Food was excellent. Service was ok. <br />Just little bit mist up with the bill on the end.

We had a lovely pre theatre meal at The Arbor. There was plenty to choose from in the special menu and it was all beautifully cooked, especially the chips which were to die for! The staff were lovely, very attentive but not OTT. Will definitely return when next in Bournemouth.

We eat out a lot with friends and family, we had a wonderful Sunday lunch, the food was amazing,the staff were great, we had absolutely No complaints! We would recommend this venue to all, we&#039;ve booked for next week to take the in laws...

Buscando un salón de té nos topamos con este/registro de librería/tarjeta de tienda/cafetería de la tienda. Pedimos unos cuantos pasteles locales y un té y un chocolate caliente. Los pasteles estaban bien, sabrosa, sin embargo el chocolate caliente era todo, pero un chocolate caliente. Y, la señora que sirve, uh, probar un poco de una sonrisa la próxima vez para los clientes, nada es tan desagradable como malhumorada cara.

Lovely venue. Staff very pleasant and attentive. The decor in the restaurant is thoughtful..and the toilets..IMPORTANTLY..very clean and attractive and tissues are provided. I had a crispy lamb starter with pancakes and seafood pasta. Less pasta and more sauce would have been good . However all dishes were extremely well presented and looked very attractive and we were given vegetables. I might go again .I have had some of the best food ever there in the past. Just needs attention to small details to improve it greatly.. Very keenly priced. ..so overall reasonable value.<br />My friend has hearing problems and the room was very quiet ..no music. Fantastic. Nowhere is quiet now.

We had a lovely meal at Arbor on a Tuesday night. The food was mostly traditional British, but with slight twists like lamb&#039;s tongue that made it that bit special. The room is beautiful and the &quot;tree&quot; is an interesting feature. Ambience was slightly flat but that was due to it being a rainy Tuesday, I think the space works well.

An enjoyable meal, would go again. Food was fresh and well presented. Service friendly and timely.

Went to celebrate a birthday and had a excellent meal off the a la carte menu. There is also a children&#039;s and pre-theatre menu too if you want a fixed price evening.

Was in Bournemouth a year ago &amp; came here, it was excellent. Now though, front of house is dire. Red wine was served in an ice bucket as he wanted to chill it down a little? Had to serve our own wine in an half busy restaurant. The signature dish for two people was off the menu on a Saturday night with no other alternative. Will not be returning I&#039;m afraid. Only saving grace was one of the bar staff &#039;Kaz&#039;. The food that was ordered was excellent if a little served too quickly. Last year the taster menu was offered, now it requires 24 hours notice. If, Chef Andy Hilton is still involved a serious overhaul in front of house is needed, which is a pity as this time last year it was the best restaurant in Bournemouth.

We were in Bournemouth last weekend and had dinner at Arbor in The Green House Hotel. On arriving we were met by friendly, cheerful staff and enjoyed a drink in the bar while we ordered our food. Every course was excellent but the Lyme Bay Scallops starter and the Dorset Cheese Plate to finish were outstanding - Great to have cheese that was just ripe and had not just been taken out of a fridge! Again very friendly and attentive staff in the restaurant and very good, reasonably priced wine choice. Will definitely go back on return trips to Bournemouth.