Rusty Shears

Someone from this business manages this listing.

1,583 reviews

#10 of 151 Restaurants in Whitby££ - £££, Cafe, British, Beer restaurants

+44 1947 825111+ Add website

Hours

Sun

9:30 - 16:00

Mon

9:30 - 15:00

Tue

9:00 - 15:00

Wed

9:00 - 15:00

Thu

9:00 - 15:00

Fri

9:00 - 15:00

Sat

9:30 - 18:00

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What is Travellers’ Choice?

Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

Ratings and reviews

4.5

1,583 reviews

#10 of 151 Restaurants in Whitby

Travellers' Choice 2023

RATINGS

Food

Service

Value

Atmosphere

Details

Someone from this business manages this listing.

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PRICE RANGE

£2.00 – £11.00

CUISINES

Cafe, British, Beer restaurants

Special Diets

Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options

meals, features

Location and contact

3 Silver Street, Whitby YO21 3BU England

+44 1947 825111

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Does this restaurant serve Romagna food?

Yes

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About

Rusty Shears has become a must visit venue when coming to Whitby. It boasts home made cakes and pastries, speciality teas, coffees and over 150 gins. Rusty Shears is slightly off the beaten track being located below and behind a GII listed building on Silver Street. The interior is quirky with lots of Victoriana and interesting curios. We also have a superb sheltered courtyard where guests can while away the hours chatting and people watching.

PRICE RANGE

£2.00 – £11.00

CUISINES

Cafe, British, Beer restaurants

Special Diets

Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, Brunch, Drinks

FEATURES

Reservations, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Wine and Beer, Free Wifi, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service, Dog Friendly

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4.5

1,583 reviews

Excellent

1,280

Very good

197

Average

Poor

Terrible

Ttowl

Sheffield32 contributions

Perfect

Jul 2020 • family

Beautiful meal for a family of four all adults in our party so sampled some Gins too, vast choice on offer. All safety measures in place, the staff were very assertive and welcoming adhering to all current guidelines in a friendly atmosphere to help customers feel relaxed enough to enjoy a meal and drinks out very rare at the moment to feel safe enough to relax anywhere out. Pre booking is advised to make sure not too busy for current guidelines, we had the best experience in these current times. Thank you to all staff.

Written 5 July 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

robwZ7520IO

You have left us a very kind review which is appreciated by all the staff. We have worked hard over the last months to make Rusty Shears as safe and welcoming as possible and we are pleased to hear that we have succeeded. Please come and see us again! Rob, Sue, Lee, Sally and the Rusty Shears team.

Written 7 July 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Mark T

Holymoorside558 contributions

Real Hidden Gem

Mar 2020 • couples

Never disappoints. Always fabulously ecclectic with an engagingly helpful team. This is somewhere we make a point of going whenever in Whitby. No visit is complete without a visit to the Shears! Even in early March we were able to enjoy a chilled out coffee & Vegan 'Death by Chocolate' cake. Simply awesome! We'll be back!

Written 11 March 2020

robwZ7520IO

Lovely comments Mark. We are here all year round for you!

Written 12 March 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Wendywoo672808

Derby52 contributions

Exceeded Expectations

Jul 2021 • couples

What a lovely place to eat. Found this on trip advisor and it didn't disappoint. Great menu, not your usual offerings which was lovely for a change. We sat outside in the courtyard, it was steampunk weekend so a few interesting characters! Food was delicious, sandwiches and scotch eggs were so nice. One of our nicest meals of the week, four of us had lunch and two drinks each the bill was under £80 which we thought was very reasonable. My husband thought he recognised the guy that served us. Turns out after a bit of detective work he's from Derby too. Will definitely visit again !

Written 31 July 2021

James

Doncaster2 contributions

All Style No Substance

Aug 2020 • friends

It's clear that aesthetic is more important than quality at this establishment, and at this price point that is disappointing. It would be nice to have things like simple condiments and sugar etc. more readily available or at least offered. I felt like I was being a pest having to call out a waiter on multiple occasions for these simple things. With regard to the food quality, I had the eggs benedict, which was generally nice if I ignored the fact that the poached eggs were essentially hard boiled. The vibe was somewhat diminished by the fact we were situated near the kitchen. This in and of itself isn't a problem but the staff need to keep in mind what customers can hear when they are shouting back and forth at each other! Overall I think the rusty shears has a lot of potential if they just made some small refinements here and there.

Written 9 August 2020

Charlotte R

59 contributions

Hidden gem

Sept 2021 • none

Visited solely based on Trip Advisor reviews and very glad we did as I don't think we would have found it otherwise. Tucked down a back street you could easily miss it and that would be a shame. Beautiful courtyard location which would be good anytime but particularly important during a pandemic when we really didn't want to eat indoors. Service was good, menu had a good range of options. Feel like I want to go back a few times and try all the things I saw coming out of the kitchen. I had crab salad and husband had mackerel with new potatoes, green beans and samphire. Mackerel was exceptionally good value, large fish, generous amount of potatoes and veg and served on a beautiful antique plate. Crab was excellent and served with good slabs of bread and butter and a portion of home made chips. Staff were helpful and the interior of the restaurant is gorgeous too. Everything seemed covid safe. Will definitely revisit when back in Yorkshire.

Written 14 September 2021

rebeccabV2756HD

Durham37 contributions

Nice brunch, but had better

Aug 2020 • family

I booked brunch here for a Saturday with my fiancé and the in-laws as it is dog friendly. We ordered a range of different dishes and they were all nice, o had eggs royale and the salmon was nicer than other places. However 3 of us ordered black pudding and it was all very dry and uneatable. The atmosphere is generally nice and they are going for an old vibe with lots of old pottery etc. However the chairs and tables look and feel the part they feel a bit rickety and all chairs and our table was wobbly. The staff were fine but didn’t check on us when we got our food and didn’t take the plates. It’s dog friendly but they didn’t offer the dogs water or anything above or beyond.

Written 30 August 2020

Jo E

44 contributions

Drinks and nibbles

Jul 2020 • couples

Went on a Saturday night - had a sharing platter each (we’d worked up an appetite). We had a cheese platter and a carne platter washed down with a bottle of Rioja blanco. Platters were plentiful and tasty. Staff friendly and attentive. Lovely setting with a courtyard for warm evenings.

Written 19 July 2020

Toni3000

York14 contributions

Fab Hidden Treasure

Aug 2020 • family

Doesn’t look like much from the courtyard entrance but opens up into a lovely war time themed cafe/bar/restaurant. We stopped here for breakfast. Being vegetarian, there wasn’t a whole lot on the menu for us but the staff were happy to change out some items and we ended up with a incredibly tasty ciabatta with halloumi, avocado and roasted tomatoes which was sublime. So impressed, we stopped by a second time during our week in Whitby for tea and cake which was equally as good. Book early if you want a table for their Friday/Saturday nights though - it was all booked up when we tried.

Written 29 August 2020

Kaliakria 47

2 contributions

We only popped in to use the toilet !!

Aug 2020 • none

We had just arrived at our holiday accommodation but were not able to obtain access so looked for somewhere we could have a cup of tea and use the facilities, and this was closest !! The choice of teas was amazing and the cake delicious, we then noticed they had a breakfast menu and were participating in the Eat Out to Help Out scheme, well it would have been rude not to return. Breakfast was equally as delicious, unfortunately by the next day word had got round so there were no available tables, booking is essential. This is a small establishment but we felt Covid safe, unlike some other places in Whitby, we would recommend it to anyone but book a table or it will be cornflakes for your breakfast, nice as they are they don’t compare with the Yorkshire eggs ...

Written 12 August 2020

Em K

1 contribution

Poor food and indifferent service

Mar 2022 • couples

Ate here last year and really enjoyed it. Came back today and ordered a Reuben sandwich which I had on my last visit. This time the sandwich contained extremely tough, tasteless grey beef. I queried this with the server who checked with the kitchen and was assured they were serving it as pastrami. Sadly it was inedible so left the whole thing. I told the person on the till I had been unable to eat the sandwich and was ignored and presented with the full bill. Won’t be back! I normally let things like this go but was quite annoyed. I have never left an online review before.

Written 29 March 2022

Rob W

Hi, thanks for the feedback, we don't get many poor reviews so I have followed up on this one. We let ourselves and down on this occasion and can only apologise. I have waited to respond until now as I wanted to follow up with all staff members involved. Our Beef Pastrami is brined and then cooked which does give it a different colouration to that found in supermarkets, but it should not have been tough. Talking to the person on the checkout, it is clear to me that she misunderstood your comment 'I could not finish it' to mean you were full up and not that you were dissatisfied which we unreservedly apologise for. Please come back to Rusty's and give us another chance!

Written 14 April 2022

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Katherine E

York14 contributions

Carrot cake, divine

Aug 2020 • none

Carrot cake is my measure wherever I go in the world. This one is very, very good, with plenty of nuts and raisins, and the icing is just ace -- not too sweet. Magnificent! I'll visit for sure again next time I go to Whitby. (I wonder if I could ask them for the recipe). Oh, and I happened to visit on a Wednesday in August so my cappuccino and carrot cake cost me £3.07 :)

Written 8 August 2020

robwZ7520IO

Sorry Katherine, Rusty's recipes are a closely guarded secret! Yes folks, half price meals and soft drinks Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday through August. Your discount is automatically applied to all orders. (Max £10.00 per person discount)

Written 9 August 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Covgal610

Coventry16 contributions

Fab breakfast

Oct 2020 • family

Had a very nice breakfast here this morning. Would definitely recommend the scrambled eggs on toast and the gypsy toast served with creme fraise & fruit. Lovely place with a relaxed atmosphere. Plenty of drinks to choose from too!

Written 30 October 2020

utterlybutters

Poynton190 contributions

Kerry Gold

Jul 2021 • couples

Last night's dinner was exceptional because everything exceeded our expectations. We've visited RS on a number of occasions but Whitby's our first holiday destination anywhere in three years. The original owners are long gone but their dream lives on with many of the original team, including Kerry who is as engaging as ever. It's a short, snappy menu with three starters and five mains and all the better for that. We opted for a remarkable courgette, garden pea & mint soup, the special of pan-fried brill in a butter sauce with Jersey Royals and delicious Eton Mess created by Madeleine, garnished with the juiciest, new season strawberries. The post-Covid decor is a stylish, contemporary setting and a lot less olde worlde gifte shoppe. It's a big improvement. We're back again on Saturday. Well done, guys!

Written 23 July 2021

Terence Larkin

8 contributions

Made to feel uncomfortable from the get go

Jun 2021 • none

My partner and I booked ahead for the Rusty Shears over the phone, the gentleman phoned back to confirm our booking as well. We specifically chose this restaurant as it had been advertised with gluten free options on trip advisor and on the menu also. As we arrived, the waitress was taking a payment from a group just in the entrance and shouted across the group 'Can I help you?' whilst still being stood at the table with around 5-6 people. Taken aback we replied that we had a reservation, the waitress left us there brought back a clipboard of reservations to say ours wasn't there still in front of the group at the table. Told us they were fully booked, yet guided us to a table regardless. Up to this point we were unhappy but we were wanting to try the food as it had been recommended. We were given menus which had no dietary advice despite the restaurant advertising itself on trip advisor as having gluten free options, we decided to leave. I'd like to assume this was just a bad experience, we were made to feel as if we didn't belong there whilst we were still stood on the threshold, let alone when we explained that we'd seen a menu online for the restaurant that differed entirely in content and advisory details.

Written 7 June 2021

Lisa W

Leyburn9 contributions

An absolute must when visiting Whitby!

Apr 2021 • couples

What a fabulous gem of a place! Having just returned from a four day break in Whitby buzzing, first break in over a year, I’m still on a high and this place just topped off a great break. I have visited before, previous owners, but this time it was even better. From the moment we arrived in the great outside courtyard we were made to feel very welcome by the owners and staff. The courtyard was well spaced out even though it’s a small space and the heaters provided were a welcome addition on the dry but chilly nights. First visit was just for drinks, great selection but then they just couldn’t get rid of us. We were a group of four and we returned daily for breakfast, an evening meal and drinks, every visit was 5 star. The food quality was excellent, all four of us choosing differently but all extremely happy with everything. I personally tried three different breakfast choices from advocado on toast, to pancakes with fruit and their granola & yoghurt, all delicious. The staff just top it off really, all extremely friendly and chatty, even though they must have eventually been fed up of seeing us. The chefs never failed to leave their busy kitchen to come out and have a word with us all, goes a long way I tell you, really made a good impression. So don’t hesitate, you must go when visiting Whitby but be warned, if you want breakfast at the weekend go early, there’s always a queue before they open, it’s popular and rightly so.

Written 28 April 2021

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