The Waterfront Cafe — Restaurant in Great Britain

We came here for afternoon tea for a recent celebration after hearing excellent things about it. Unfortunately, we left feeling very disappointed. On arrival, the restaurant was very busy and we were seated at a table at the back of the restaurant. It was some time before a drinks order was taken from us. The savouries on the afternoon were really nice but we felt one more savoury choice would have been a better balance when compared to the selection of sweets. We found the sweets very disappointing, whilst they looked the appetising, they were quite unpalatable. The brownie was very dense and, I would say, overcooked. The cheesecake was very cheesy and had an unusual flavour to it, the berry compote was tart and the biscuit base was just like dust. The mini jellies were difficult to eat as the cutlery didn’t fit in the glass. The pastry case of the lemon meringue tarts was rather like cardboard and the filling tasted artificial. To wash everything down a cup of tea would have been welcomed, but sadly no one returned to us to take a hot drinks order. We ended up getting up to ask. Even then, no one bothered to ask if everything was ok.

Thankfully, we had ordered a bottle of fizz (admittedly, without looking at the menu but you expect to pay say, £30 max. for a bottle) and when it arrived it was sparkling wine. Brownie points for being an English sparkling wine however, when we then checked the menu, we whinced at the £42 price tag!

Had our experience been stellar, we would not be so aggrieved but all things considered, we did not feel anything was...

Stopped in at the Waterfront Café during a gloriously sunny afternoon in York, and it turned out to be one of those gentle, quietly perfect moments by the river.

What I loved Cappuccino perfection: Silky foam with that just-right balance of robust coffee and creamy milk—exactly what you hope for when you sit down to watch boats drift past. White-raspberry millionaire shortbread:A decadent twist on a classic. The zing of raspberry kept the caramel from feeling too heavy, and the buttery base held together without crumbling. I’d come back for this alone. True York ice cream:Rich, reassuringly dairy-forward flavor with no artificial aftertaste. It felt like a scoop of local heritage in a cup. -Setting:Ducks bobbing, narrowboats gliding, sunlight dancing on the Ouse—honestly hard to beat. You can linger for ages without anyone rushing you along.

Why not five stars? Seating fills up fast; a reservation was needed to order food

Overall, though, the Waterfront Café delivers on charm, flavor, and that quintessential York riverside vibe. I’ll...

This is a very busy popular place so my review is probably not the view of the majority. We had Crayfish and Avocado starter, Belly Pork mains and Passion Fruit cheesecake for pudding. The staff are all very nice and polite and cannot do enough for you. The atmosphere is lively and you have to really speak loudly to make yourself heard when talking. We sat in the Conservatory which is the most popular area to dine. We visited Sunday Lunch time. We found the main course disappointing with roast potatoes covered in some red spice (paprika?) which gave them a strange taste, a Yorkshire pudding that was so dry it was like cardboard, and the Pork appeared to re-heated all served in a bowl plate all swimming in gravy. It most definitely wasn't awful but we didn't enjoy it and won't return. Maybe we were expecting more with our friends recommending it. The pudding was very good 👍. By the way you get a 12.5% Auto applied to the bill which...