Vennel's Cafe

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#3 of 59 Quick Bites in DurhamQuick Bites, Cafe, ££ - £££

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Vennel's Cafe

Review

At a glance

Closed now

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Website

+44 191 375 9635Improve this listing

About

Features

CUISINES

Cafe, British

Meal types

Breakfast, Lunch, Brunch

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

FEATURES

Highchairs Available

Outdoor Seating

Seating

Takeout

Location

71 Saddler Street, Durham DH1 3NP England

Is this restaurant good for lunch?

Yes

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Hours

Suggest an edit

Closed now

• Opens at 9:30 AM

Sunday

10:30 - 16:30

Monday

9:30 - 16:30

Tuesday

9:30 - 16:30

Wednesday

9:30 - 16:30

Thursday

9:30 - 16:30

Friday

9:30 - 16:30

Saturday

9:30 - 16:30

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4.3

841 reviews

Excellent

466

Very good

272

Average

Poor

Terrible

Stephen H

60 contributions

Vennels Cafe great place.

Feb 2023 • couples

Excellent food great choice. Hidden up an alley this is a gem. The best cafe in Durham. Food served piping hot at a really good price. Don'y queue for Flat White cafe walk a short distance to Vennels you will not being disappointed.

Written 13 February 2023

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.

Harvey

Washington6 contributions

Quaint cozy café in Durham centre. Away from the hustle and bustle.

Apr 2024 • solo

Spacious yet cozy. Fantastic selection of savoury dishes and a mouthwatering choice of sweet cakes, pastries and more. I ordered a flat white and carrot cake. The cake was soft, sweet and delicious. The coffee also hit the spot. It was warm enough to sit outside as I was layered up nicely. I appreciate the extra touch of grey blankets on the outside seating in case it gets nippy. The women who served me even offered to turn the heat lamps on if I was cold, which was above and beyond. An excellent Café!

Written 23 April 2024

HerbiePaisley

135 contributions

Hidden gem and dog friendly

Jul 2023 • family

Great dog friendly cafe off the beaton track, up a wee alley and you find a courtyard with seating and plenty of seating inside and upstairs. Varied menu, we enjoyed soup, a toastie and quiche of the day which was so light. Drinks too. Only thing I would have preferred table service, you ordered at the till and had to carry everything to your table, I needed two trays for three people then they bring out any hot items when ready. Would not stop me from revisiting though.

Written 17 July 2023

debbie W

1 contribution

Overpriced

Feb 2025 • couples

Quaint place, but very overpriced for what you get . We got the full English on quite a small plate , with tea and I asked if I could get mushrooms on toast, as I’m veggie . Was advised could have beans on toast with mushrooms on the side . It arrived with your dry triangles of toast, with small pot of beans and one flat mushroom , that cost me an extra £1.25! Americano was very sludgy also. We paid over £27!! Back to our usual , Chapters , next week !

Written 2 February 2025

Traveller1999

Durham308 contributions

Overpriced, slow, small portions

Aug 2024 • family

We thought we'd give Vennel's another chance. A mistake! First, a breakfast, cost £12.50, for a bog standard English breakfast. Nothing special, just grossly overpriced. Second, a beef stottie, cost £9.50, again grossly overpriced. The beef was tender, but lacking in flavour, although the gravy was thick and rich and partly compensated. But the roll it was served in was most definitely not a stottie, not by a million miles. A traditional stottie is flat, has a crisp outer, a fluffy centre full of air pockets and has some body. This roll was round, domed, no air pockets, and was more like a brioche. To call it a stottie is a joke. There were a few leaves(?) served with it, which added nothing to the experience. Thirdly, a tuna panini, tiny, barely warm, with a small portion of salad. Once again grossly overpriced. Lastly, but I should have put it first, was the lengthy wait in the queue despite there only being three people in it. There was only one person taking orders, and she was very slow and seemed to make everything rather complicated. It was very frustrating. There are places to eat in Durham which are cheaper, serve decent food in better surroundings and who are quicker. Vennel's heyday is long past.

Written 5 August 2024

Lyn B

32 contributions

Not the same

Oct 2023 • couples

We have visited this cafe quite a few times as we have always enjoyed it, but must comment we found a difference today,I had the Hamover pressed panini which is supposed to have ham cheese and caramelised onions. When the waitress brought it over to me I was shocked to see just the two triangles of panini ( that was debatable if it was a panini) on a oblong plate and that was it no salad garnish like in the past( it’s the little things) and I dont know if they had forgot to put the onions in it but there was none in, at £7.50 I think this was really expensive for a ham and cheese toastie because that’s what it was, my partner got a slice of corned beef pie he said it was nice but he got coleslaw and a salad garnish on the plate, I don’t know if we paid extra for that? We also had a latte each and a piece of carrot cake to share,we wanted a sultana scone but they had none left at 12:45, the bill was £26.50. Don’t think we will be back as like I said it’s the little things that make a place stand out from the others, we were very disappointed on our visit today.

Written 12 October 2023

Nigel O

Leeds1 contribution

Cold, Overrated & overpriced

Dec 2023 • family

Very average food at far too high prices, made worse by hidden charges. Self service from counter, too few staff cleaning tables & cold. Our friends went to other places very nearby & ate much better for a much lower price. Keep looking elsewhere

Written 11 November 2024

Platty2017

24 contributions

SAD TO SEE IT HAD BEEN TAKEN OVER

Sept 2022 • none

For years and years we’ve been visiting this cafe , then after covid we went to visit but it was closed for renovations but when we finally got back to visit we were so disappointed. The quiche was always the best but the portion has got smaller and you now have to pay an extra 1.50 for the coleslaw which makes a light brunch expensive to £ 8.50 for a smaller piece of quiche a small bowl of coleslaw and a few leafs of lettuce, then we wanted the banoffee pie and they had shrunk too when we used to get them they were huge pieces and irregular shape but now they are so much smaller and are round but they are more money. Overall just sad we could not go back in time…..it’s such a shame

Written 9 October 2022

Elizabeth Collins

Liverpool49 contributions

Sunday stroll

Jan 2022 • none

We called in here because it has outside seating where you can take your dog. I thought it was very expensive. I ordered a burger, I didn't take too much notice of what it was served with. When it came out it was served with a lettuce leaf and a little tomato and carrot no coleslaw or chips, this was £8.50 for a burger on a bun so expensive. I agree with the previous reviewer who said the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing. You have to queue to give your order and then carry your drinks out through the queue, they bring out your hot food when it's cooked. They would be far better having waitress service so you are not having to push through people, Tables were left cluttered. Not a great place.

Written 31 January 2022

Jane L

3 contributions

Overpriced standard grub imo

Apr 2023 • none

3.75 for a bottle of lipton iced tea 😳😳😳 Very overpriced in my opinion a sausage sandwich slice of quiche (no salad etc), brie and bacon sandwich with "wedges that looked like half a baked potato cut into strips nothing like wedges... Single person pot of tea, Oh and a bottle of water for £30?!?! Been before and loved it but can't help but think even with the price increases that's ripping people's eyes out.

Written 13 April 2023

Katie-Louise A

Heath Charnock582 contributions

Lovely little cafe that accepts dogs

Nov 2022 • couples

We took our little dog here for a spot of lunch and had such a lovely time. The staff are so friendly and accommodating and the setting is beautiful, like something straight out of a Harry Potter book. Our little dog got a big bowl of sausage and biscuits and so she loved every minute, and we had soup and a cheese toastie which was really tasty.

Written 26 November 2022

Esther M

23 contributions

Delicious food , drinks not as nice

Jan 2025 • friends

I’ve visited this place multiple times throughout my time as a student. Always been impressed with the tasty cakes. A highlight is the “pigs in quilts” being the sausage and bacon sandwich. Really delicious! Very nice atmosphere and aesthetic. My only gripe is that the tea doesn’t quite hit the spot for me. As an avid English breakfast tea drinker , the tea just has an odd taste to it. I mean I still drink it each time I go to vennels , but take this in mind if you’re a tea fan like me! Some friends have also voiced how the drinks aren’t as nice as they might be.

Written 25 January 2025

Mark London

London48 contributions

The Hot Beef Scottie is a triumph

Oct 2024 • family

Traditional regional treats skilfully made with ingredients of high quality. The Hot Beef Scottie is a triumph and almost worth the university fees and the drive up from London. The soups are excellent and satisfying. The black pudding options are also marvellous.

Written 3 October 2024

Eoin N

Durham16 contributions

Too expensive but good food if willing to pay eye watering prices

Sept 2022 • family

Been lots of times in my life in Durham, over about 15 years it has been my family's go-to place for lunch. Sadly, possibly due to cost of living or rent the prices have sky-rocketed. A sandwich with no salad or sides was £6.50 ish on my last visit and a slice of cake about £4.50. The food has always been lovely, just the prices have outstretched most people's pockets. Hoping that in the future it'll cost less so I'll come back.

Written 11 October 2022

kh1354

Staindrop372 contributions

Back to try breakfast

Jun 2024 • couples

Visited whilst in the city. Been before and really enjoyed our previous visit at lunch time. Today we decided to sample the full english breakfast. You go to the counter and order and pay and get what drinks you want and then they serve you at your table with your food. All staff we met were professional and really nice. The cafe is clean. Can't comment on the toilets as we didn't need to use them. Our breakfast arrived in good time it was beautifully presented and tasted really good. Good quality bacon and sausage used. Came with plenty of toast and butter. Would definitely recommend and come back.