By Alex Stewart
Published: Aug 22, 2022More by Alex
By Alex Stewart
Published: Aug 22, 2022More by Alex
You’ll doubtless work up an appetite as you walk Coast to Coast along Alfred Wainwright’s epic 192-mile trail. Passing through the Lake District and Yorkshire’s Dales and Moors, you’ll encounter warm welcomes and generous hospitality when you stop to refuel for the next stage.
We’ve rounded up a list of the best tearooms, cafes and restaurants along the coast to coast route to try, whether you’re stopping for a cream tea and proper cuppa, a fish and chip supper or a hearty meal. Since many of your meals are likely to be in that other great institution, the pub, look out too for our separate guide to the best pubs to eat and drink in on the Coast to Coast walk.
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Lottery-funded and volunteer-run, this cafe at the heart of the community serves coffee, specialist teas and hot chocolates with sweet treats, homemade soups and sandwiches. Book ahead for afternoon tea of scones and cake, or just pick up locally-made ice cream. There’s also a shop selling locally-produced gifts and handicrafts as well as walking essentials.
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Opposite the Yew Tree Farm, there is a charming tea room. Food is homemade, and many of the dishes use ingredients from the farm, including their award-winning Herdwick lamb, which crops up in pasties and stews. Sit in the cosy tea room or stop in the garden to soak up views of the Borrowdale valley.
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The restaurant at the award-winning Hazel Bank Country House Hotel is a smart bet if you want a change from hearty pub grub while walking the Coast to Coast path. The set four-course evening meal cooked by the lady of the house uses freshly sourced or foraged Cumbrian produce and changes daily. Booking is essential for non-residents.
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A traditional tea room with vintage styling, Baldy’s has been serving walkers and day trippers for more than 25 years, with people popping in for breakfast, lunch or just a brew. Fresh bread and cakes are baked on-site each morning, although it’s reputed to be the lemon meringue pie that draws lots of people back.
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With a prime location overlooking the River Rothay and the 13th-century church, St Oswald’s, where the poet William Wordsworth is buried, the outdoor terrace of this tearoom is a charming spot to relax and take a break from the bustling streets outside.
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Set in the heart of Grasmere, you’ll find this licensed creperie. Cakes and scones are baked fresh every day, but you’re here for the buckwheat pancakes and fantastic fillings, really. Try the savoury Cumbrian sausage crepe with red onion marmalade or a classic sweet version with locally made ice cream.
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Take your tastebuds on a gastronomic tour at this eccentric, colourful spot. The ever-changing menu includes dishes inspired by the four corners of the globe and uses organic, locally sourced ingredients. From Sinhalese curry to Calabrian chicken or Lebanese lamb, the result is casual, quality dining with soul.
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With superb views, this spectacularly sited, simple cafe at the foot of Helvellyn and on the edge of Ullswater serves up great cake and a varied lunchtime menu to fuel Coast-to-Coast walkers or people who have come to bag England’s third highest peak.
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With a warm welcome and good location, this cafe is perfect for a snack before you set off to explore the fells or some lunch during a day out walking with burgers, Welsh rarebit and loaded fries to fuel you.
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The Black Bull in the market town of Kirkby Stephen is a smart, family-friendly inn. Food is
honest and among the typical pub classics, you’ll also find more adventurous offerings.
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Elaine’s Farmhouse Kitchen is just off the trail as you wind from Marrick to Marske at Nun Cote Nook Farm. The tearoom is tucked behind the farmhouse but is worth seeking out for freshly baked snacks and drinks, award-winning scones and a decent brew with views over the fields and surrounding hills. In the evening, there’s a hearty two-course menu available too.
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This French-themed bistro might sit in Yorkshire, but the interior styling and menu of French classics will transport you to the streets of Paris, whether you opt for a set menu or order a la carte. Alongside the moules and garlic snails, there’s a carefully selected wine list.
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For fine-dining while you walk the Coast to Coast trail, treat yourself to the seasonal menu at this smart Grade II-listed former Georgian gentleman’s home. Settle into the elegant dining room and bag a table by the original fireplace to feast on Swaledale lamb, locally shot pheasant or Yorkshire beef, then retire to the well-stocked bar for a nightcap afterwards.
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In the dramatic, less-visited section of the moors at Clay Bank is this set up with glamping and dining facilities in a solid stone building with a grass roof. The cafe has an airy internal dining room with oak tables. There’s a log burner for colder days, and a large sun terrace for when it’s warmer, where you can refuel on breakfast baps and light bites. ‘The Beltie’ bar and grill restaurant cooks up local game birds, Yorkshire lamb and its speciality Belted Galloway steaks using its impressive, imported Josper charcoal oven.
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Once the village primary school but now a contemporary cafe with nods to its Victorian heritage, this gem is ideal for walkers, even those with muddy boots. Sit at the old school desks or sink into a sofa by the wood burner, wolf down terrific cake and coffee while watching the North York Moors Railway steam trains, and take advantage of the flask-filling service before heading onwards.
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Grab a table at this rustic, rather magical cafe hidden in the heart of an ancient forest. Set near the top of Falling Foss, a 20m tall waterfall, the tumbling cascade can be heard from the garden. Fresh scones, cakes and savoury pastries are on offer, along with barista coffees, loose leaf teas and real dairy ice cream.
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The Victoria Hotel is located incredibly picturesquely up on the hill from the water and boasts spectacular views of the bay. People don’t just come here for the beautiful setting. The Victoria Hotel is also known for its fantastic food and generous portion sizes. The restaurant has two menus, one which serves the two interior dining lounges, and the bistro menu which serves the bar and the clifftop garden patio. There’s something to suit every taste and occasion.
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The North Yorkshire coast is synonymous with great seafood. As you enter Robin Hood’s Bay at the end of your walk, seek out this third-generation chippie for the freshest battered fish and chips. When the north wind is gusting, eat in a cheerful blue and white wooden cabin; dine on the elevated deck with superb views over the sea on a good day. Alternatively, tumble down the hill with a takeaway box to eat on the beach by the slipway at the end of the Coast to Coast walk.
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