Vennels Café

Featured reviews

• N

  Nilay K

  ·3 months ago

  “I mean, this café is truly lovely, both in terms of its location and its charm. We really liked it. The scone I had was quite good, and the Americano was nice too. However, to be honest, I expected this place to be a bit cleaner. It is quite important in terms of hygiene that the tabletops and the cutlery are a step cleaner. I’d deduct at most one point, and only for that reason. Aside from that, it’s a really nice place with a great atmosphere and a perfect central location. I think it’s a great social hub.”

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• C

  Carolyn Brocklesby

  ·3 months ago

  “A hidden gem in the centre of Durham city. It has good seating area inside and out plus an upstairs area too. Staff are friendly and helpful, the cakes look delicious but we opted for a bacon buns and a pot of tea and a latte. Plenty of bacon in the buns and the buns were really fresh and yummy.The decor inside is quirky but not so keen on the mustard yellow walls and ceiling. Will definitely recommend this cafe to family and friends and hopefully visit again to try their cakes.”

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• A

  andrew richardson

  ·4 months ago

  “To be fair, the staff were genuinely lovely super friendly, attentive, and probably the best thing on the menu. Unfortunately, the food didn’t quite match the hospitality. The guacamole arrived suspiciously cold with that unmistakable slimy ‘fresh from the fridge five minutes ago’ texture, and my poached egg came with a surprise crunch courtesy of a piece of eggshell. Also, whoever plated the dish clearly believes garnish should qualify as a side salad. I ordered brunch, not a small indoor meadow. Beneath the mountain of pea shoots there was actually food trying its best to survive. And the toast… I was dreaming of a thick-cut, crunchy slab of fresh sourdough worthy of a brunch menu charging those prices. Instead, it arrived thin, limp, and soggy basically bread that had given up on life. For the price, I expected a bit more care and a bit less excavation work. Lovely staff, disappointing food, and a brunch experience that was more ‘artisan scavenger hunt’ than indulgent café treat.””

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• B

  Bitsy Pout

  ·5 months ago

  “This was probably the best veggie breakfast I have had, the mushroom was amazing, the tomatos were excellent. The toasties were great too”

• K

  Kirk Tree

  ·6 months ago

  “Tucked away and given the fact I’ve been in and out of Durham for 40 years or so and never been hear it’s very easily missed. I can’t even say it’s a relatively new establishment and maybe that’s why I have never been before, it’s been around since 1720 and associated with Mrs Clements, the creator of English Mustard, so a little before my time. Amazing value for money, fantastic food and service and well worth a visit.”

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• H

  Hilton Riddex

  ·7 months ago

  “Quaint little coffee shop. The manager was great and makes a great latte. I didn't have time for food but it smelt amazing. If you passing through Durham, call in here for a coffee.”

• T

  TST-Susie

  ·8 months ago

  “It’s a cozy place that I would love to relax here for the whole afternoon for a cup of tea and a scone with clotted cream. The only area I loved to be seated was the upper floor with historic style architecture, windows, furniture and decorations. The scenery from the windows also amazed me. The highlight was that a top part of Durham Castle could be viewed from one side of the windows. Their scones were flavourful with an additional touch of clotted cream. 😋😋😋 The staff were polite and friendly. However, please bear in mind that usually starting from 4:10pm, another cleaning team would arrive for their last cleanup for the day. That would be a rough access to the tables and carpet vacuuming.”

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• K

  kath

  ·10 months ago

  “friend took me here for a late breakfast ! there was a queue when we arrived so it’s clear this place is popular! and for good reason :D despite only getting a light bite the cheddar scone was extremely good especially paired with the lurpak! my friend when asked about her soup said “good soup” so think that’s a good sign overall very cute location with attentive friendly staff ! also was decorated for the festive season which was sweet!! ☕️⭐️”

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• A

  Andy Savage

  ·10 months ago

  “Thought I would give this cafe a go as wanted breakfast and glad I did as it was excellent. The cafe is located up an alleyway and then you go left and left again which brings you into an outdoor area (with heaters). Very friendly welcome, I went for the full English and an Earl Grey tea. The breakfast was : THE FULL ENGLISH (GFO) £13.50 Porky sausage slice, sow bacon, dippy hen's egg, hash nuggets, burst tomato, Heinz beans, flat-cap mushroom, mandatory toast The teapot seemed to be never ending which was excellent value. Hash browns for me are worst item on a breakfast but here they do Hash Nuggets and omg they are amazing, I could eat a plateful of those! I have added some pics or the breakfast, the cafe and the menu. They even had free very fast wifi too at 148Mbps down/25Mbps up. Highly recommended if you want a nice breakfast.”

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• R

  Rich284

  ·1 year ago

  “What a treat this cafe is! So good that I’m reviewing it whilst still sat here! The friendliness is off the scale, very welcoming and the food is amazing! Every interaction is with a genuine smile. You get what you pay for here and it’s quality! Lovely indoor seating area, and an outdoor area that has around a dozen tables. The breakfast meals we had were excellent but one of us couldn’t resist the huge slabs of corned beef pie and bought 2 of these to take home with us (back to Yorkshire)”

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