Saltwater Cafe Bar & Bistro

Someone from this business manages this listing.

804 reviews

#1 of 6 Restaurants in Beadnell££ - £££, Cafe, Seafood, British

+44 1665 720333+ Add website

Hours

Sun

8:30 - 16:00

Tue

8:30 - 21:00

Wed

8:30 - 21:00

Thu

8:30 - 21:00

Fri

8:30 - 21:00

Sat

8:30 - 21:00

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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

804 reviews

#1 of 6 Restaurants in Beadnell

Travellers' Choice 2024

RATINGS

Food

Service

Value

Atmosphere

Food and ambience

Local cuisine, Cafe, Seafood, British, Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options

“Amazing soup and sandwiches and under no pressure to leave on completion.”

“I had a hot chocolate and a cod tail sandwich for my lunch and a cake for my...”

“... tea which looked sumptuous with overflowing stand of sandwiches and fancies.”

“Scallops, mussels as starters and chicken and cod as main courses.”

Location and contact

The Wynding, Beadnell NE67 5AS England

+44 1665 720333

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Can a gluten free person get a good meal at this restaurant?

Yes

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Details

Manage this business?

About

A café by day and an intimate bistro by night. We serve breakfasts, lunch and dinner alongside a range of coffees, pastries, cakes and savoury snacks

CUISINES

Cafe, Seafood, British

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Brunch, Drinks

FEATURES

Takeout, Reservations, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Free Wifi, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service

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4.5

804 reviews

Excellent

544

Very good

123

Average

Poor

Terrible

johnwarren

Ripon35 contributions

Good, but could be better

Oct 2020 • none

Visited here a couple of times during recent short holiday stay. Whilst the staff were very good, friendly and efficient we felt that the food was mediocre and not particularly cheap either. Scrambled egg for breakfast was lukewarm and tasteless although bacon sandwich was alright, nothing more. Interestingly we were never asked by the staff whether everything was OK. With a bit more effort on food quality and presentation the Salt Water Cafe could be brilliant.

Written 23 October 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.

Nigel P

Leeds18 contributions

Magnificent food

Jan 2020 • none

The Salt Water doesn't have the most extensive menu which is good because it means what is does do it does very well. We booked at short notice and there was no problem getting a table as we like to eat early evening, as we left it was getting full. The scallop starter was served with the most delightful black pudding and my main of braised beef was so soft it cut without a knife. My wife had sea bass beautifully cooked with new potatoes - again excellent.

Written 30 January 2020

crasterarms

Many thanks for the lovely review Nigel, it's fantastic to hear that you enjoyed your meal with us and we look forward to seeing you again very soon

Written 31 January 2020

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

Dredwitch

Sheffield28 contributions

Excellent food great staff

Jun 2021 • couples

After booking in April to secure a place here we were not disappointed and so glad we had booked. The menu is tapas style fish/ seafood and it was well presented and good portion sizes . All very tasty. Zoe one of the waitresses was a great hostess and had us laughing, excellent customer service. Thanks to the other waitress, chef and pot washer too. We tried breakfast out the previous morning which was great value for money 2 locally produced sausages, 2 pieces of bacon, beans,tomato, hash brown, scrambled egg, mushrooms and toast A gem of a place in this beautiful village ❤️

Written 16 June 2021

The Craster Arms

We are thrilled you were able to join us on two occasions and sample some of our different menus. We hope to welcome you back again soon! Tom (Marketing/PR)

Written 19 July 2021

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

Charlie H

118 contributions

Overpriced, cold, mediocre

Aug 2020 • none

Booked for lunch, all staff were friendly, adherence to social distancing and safety was good. Here is where the good news ended. Over a 40 minute wait for two cheap muffins with a small portion of unseasoned scrambled egg and tablespoon of chorizo for £9. Potato skins (no chips on offer) were £5.50 I think. The special of lobster (we would have gone for this) was not mentioned or on the blackboard inside only on a board outside which we saw on leaving. No pesto on the second muffin. Chef had to ring the bell three times to get our food carried over, was sat on the pass for about 5 minutes, barely lukewarm. Couldn’t understand the delay with food, they had loads of staff and only 8 tables to deal with. The day menu is basically a brunch menu, not sure would risk the evening menu if they can’t cook the basics. Don’t like leaving bad reviews but very disappointed.

Written 3 August 2020

crasterarms

we can only apologise for your disappointment and that we did not live up to your expectations, as you can see from many of our other reviews, this seems to be a one off

Written 6 August 2020

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

JonnyRiley1965

Leicester63 contributions

Unprepared and unfriendly

Aug 2020 • none

We booked for breakfast at 8.30 and arrived in plenty of time. Our first interaction with a staff member was “you’re going to have to wait!” There were quite a few people mingling outside waiting as we were. Staff were arriving after customers. The lady then asked if we had a booking and showed us to our table. It’s a small cafe with only 4 tables inside and 4 outside. Overheard from the kitchen “the ovens aren’t ready” so lack of preparation for opening. We sat and watched as smaller orders than ours came out first, our family is 6, it took about an hour for our breakfast which was ok. It was spoiled by attitude and unfriendly staff who seemed unhappy. If you don’t want to work 16 hours then employ more staff, be ready for service, or don’t run a cafe! Fortunately the government Eat Out to Help Out scheme made the bill acceptable as I would not been happy paying full price for the services received.

Written 12 August 2020

crasterarms

This particular morning we had approximately 40 people waiting outside! All our staff arrived at 8am and the manager had been there since 7am. We can only apologise if you felt our staff were unfriendly or unhappy, if you take a moment to read our other reviews, you will see that is not the case at all.

Written 13 August 2020

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

Millie

1 contribution

Don’t bother with takeout

Aug 2020 • family

Chose this as the family wanted fish and chips, arrived and the two queues where a mess, servers were ignorant when asked for a menu. When we did finally order we waited outside as instructed only for the waiter to inform us after waiting for half an hour that no fish was available, wouldn’t have minded if this was mentioned when they gladly accepted our money. We were offered a refund as expected, however no apology for the time wasted. I honestly wouldn’t bother unless been messed about, ignored and ripped off is your thing

Written 6 August 2020

crasterarms

Hi Millie, Im not sure you have the correct restaurant, we are Salt Water Cafe in Beadnell and Fish & Chips is not on our menu ???

Written 11 August 2020

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

Dan H

Clayton25 contributions

Not Like I Remember

Oct 2020 • couples

I have dined at the Salt Water Cafe several times in the past and have always been impressed with the whole experience. However, my wife and I had lunch there at the beginning of October and were sadly disappointed with this particular visit. The staff were very efficient at applying the COVID regulations and we were handed the menu in double quick time...but there was something just not quite right. The interior now appears tired and warn and somehow seems to have lost its sparkle. The chicken in my 'Chicken and Stuffing' sandwich was tough and both mine and my wife's bread was dry and stale. The shared pot of tea was extremely weak and couldn't be fully finished. I have always raved to friends and family about this establishment but it saddens me to say that it could be quite some time before I make another visit.

Written 6 October 2020

Lesley H

Lincolnshire9 contributions

Expensive mistake

Jul 2020 • couples

We arrived at Salt water cafe early and were shown to a very small table in the middle with the door wide open and wind blowing through. The young waitress was dressed in Jean's and t shirt and when we asked about the wine list, she had no idea about any of them on the menu. We were interested in the £65 fish platter and asked her what fish it contained. She again had no idea!!!!. The bread that was served to mop up the fish was so heavy and dense ...it was inedible. The whole experience was uninspiring and overpriced and we are pleased it is called a cafe because it certainly isn't a restaurant. We weren't asked at any time during the meal if everything was ok. However, when we paid the bill we complained about the size of the table and the fact that we were paying £65 for a special meal that wasnt special and we really didn't feel that they were bothered. The only positive was the Spanish wine at £18 a bottle but the waitress just put it on the table and didn't ask if we wanted to try it. Oh dear 🥺

Written 30 July 2020

crasterarms

You would be allocated a small table as there was only two of you, which would be a distance from other tables due to the restrictions we have to adhere to due to Covid 19. Another restriction is that any windows or doors must be left open so the room is ventilated at all times, as the Salt Water Cafe has no windows, our only option is to have the door open. Following opening on 4th July we have been overwhelmed with customers, we have taken on a number of new staff, who are still very new and learning the ropes. Since reopening we have tried our best to adhere to the restrictions along with keeping our customers happy and if you read our other reviews you will see that 99% of people only had great things to say. We can only apologise that you did not enjoy your time with us.

Written 30 July 2020

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

DaveandJane40

Barnsley53 contributions

Poor service, cold food.

Jul 2020 • couples

We visited the Saltwater cafe for a late breakfast and had to queue (understandably due to restrictions) from 11.10am to 11.30am but when we got to order, we were told breakfasts had finished at 11.30. After a bit of a discussion, we were allowed to place our order because of the waiting time. Looking back, we should have walked away because we then had to wait another 40 minutes before the order arrived. The weather had turned to rain by this time and we were sat outside because of our dogs. Just after ordering we had asked a waitress if we could sit inside if it did rain, she said that she didn't know but would ask. That was the last we saw of her until she brought us our food with no cutlery. Sat outside in the rain, we waited for ages before she returned with two sets of very dirty knives and forks, we asked for them to be changed, so my wife followed her back to try and speed things up. At this point we were told it was ok to take dogs inside but by now the place was full, so now it was pointless. Having wasted ages waiting for the cutlery, our food was stone cold and getting rained on. We were going to complain but there was a queue and no waitress in sight, so we finished up leaving half of our food and walked away. It was a terrible experience from start to finish and unfortunately we will never return because of it. Also, considering the need for sanitisation during the current situation, in over an hour of our visit, not one of the tables that had been used outside was wiped down, which we find very disturbing.

Written 18 July 2020

crasterarms

We serve breakfast until 4pm everyday except a Sunday which is 3pm and have done since 2019. We’ve always allowed dogs inside until 5pm so you wouldn’t have been refused an inside table on this basis, we take bookings and only have 4 indoor tables so if we were fully booked we would t have been able to offer you an indoor table. We are taking COVID guidelines very seriously, our tables are cleaned thoroughly between sittings- both inside and out- all chair backs cleaned and tables sprayed with sanitizer which we leave on for 5mins before wiping with blue roll to stop any contamination. We do not allow customers to sit down on a table that isn’t clean, weather that be booking or walk in, If we see a customer go to sit on a dirty table outside we won’t let them sit down until that table has been sanitized. Our cutlery is washed in a dishwasher and then polished with boiling water before being wrapped, dirty cutlery wouldn’t make the cut and would be send back for re washing. A 20minute queue in these circumstances isn’t abnormal, we ask all guests to pre book tables to save any disappointment or long waits. I find it very disturbing that you would write things that simply aren’t true.

Written 3 August 2020

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

CharlieJa

Rossendale13 contributions

Really disappointing

Sept 2020 • couples

We came for lunch on a friend's recommendation and left feeling ripped off to be honest. The staff were disinterested, the place wasn't overly clean, and our lunch of a panini, sandwich, 2 soft drinks and a cup of tea racked up a bill of £25! Fair enough if it was high quality, stylishly presented artisan food etc but it was bog standard to say the least! It wasn't until we were paying at the counter that someone asked if everything was OK - at which point there didn't seem any point in complaining. So disappointed unfortunately and couldn't recommend in good conscience 😔

Written 6 September 2020

muchmoochinginthemarsh

Ramsbottom73 contributions

Cute and comfy

Aug 2020 • couples

We booked for breakfast on Tuesday and Wednesday, the cafe is in a lovely location and is very warm and welcoming. The food was ok not spectacular. One or 2 things were forgotten but remedied straight away. Why oh why is toast always presented like warm bread! Not disappointed but also not thrilled.

Written 4 August 2020

crasterarms

We are pleased to here the staff and setting made a good impression, we can only apologise for your disappointment is some of the dishes, we really hope you will come back and give us another go in the near future.

Written 6 August 2020

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

Happy Traveller

Gloucestershire63 contributions

Not as good as we expected

Jun 2021 • none

We went to this cafe for breakfast, choosing it from reading the reviews and we were disappointed by pretty much everything. The table was sticky, and when our drinks arrived, the teaspoon my husband was given was very mucky. He asked for a clean one and the waitress just grunted and got a for a new one. No apology. The food was not as advertised on their website - the kippers did not come with dill butter and the cooked breakfast - the bacon was fatty and of poor quality, the field mushrooms were button mushrooms, the black pudding was the quality you get in a supermarket, the egg was over cooked and hard, and the grilled plum tomato? That was an ordinary tomato. At £9.50, this was pretty disappointing and we wish we had gone somewhere else for our breakfast treat.

Written 14 June 2021

Gretchen Z

150 contributions

Not a good example of Norumbrian hospitality

Jul 2021 • couples

I have been following this cafe on social media as I'm retiring up to the coast in a couple of years and want to try and support all of the small businesses in the area. I have been visiting this coast for 15 years. I greeted the staff at the cafe and explained I was vegetarian as I know they specialise in sea food but was told that they cater for everyone, even vegans. We were seated. The drinks order came out after 30 mins which I thought was rather slow. Then our food arrived another 15 mins later. My sandwich had ham on it. The meat dish for my partner was lovely but the attitude of the staff when I explained was "that's how we do it around here". I was offered a replacement but it was a piece of dried cheese that barely covered a quarter of the sandwich with the ham taken off. I went back in and was greeted with a young girl shouting, "she's back at the counter again". I explained I wasn't paying £8 for a cheese sandwich without any cheese on it and was told by the lady that in Northumberland that's how we serve our dishes, it's how locals have it! I cancelled the order after she was rude to me (again!) with her xenophobic comments. We paid and left without any staff speaking to us. This is the first bad service I've had in cafes and restaurants in the local area in 15 years and I'm really shocked at the poor hospitality and disregard for customers. I would not recommend visiting the cafe whilst the quality and attitude of the staff is so poor.

Written 14 August 2021

Atkinsons

Lancaster13 contributions

Poor service and poor attitude

Jul 2021 • couples

This had been recommended by friends. We tried to eat here a couple of times. As follows.. 1. Tried to book a table, but no one replied to emails or returned calls left on the answer phone. Someone then emailed the day after we’d tried to book to say they had closed early. 2. Did a walk In for breakfast. Their Instagram post that morning featured a Northumberland full breakfast - yet as the chef was isolating this dish, nor any egg dishes were on the menu, I understand menus have to be changed in the current climate, but why post you are serving them? Ordered fresh orange (which is actually concentrate in a bottle) and a bagel which was average and not worth the cost. 3. Thought we’d try breakfast again as cafes in Beadnell are very limited. Arrived as church bells were striking 11 and was told we couldn’t order from the breakfast menu as they stopped serving at 11. We could just have drinks and cake. We asked what type of cakes were available and were told cheesecake or cake!! I give up! Go to Beadnell Towers instead, the staff there are amazing and go out of their way to make you feel welcome and offer the best service. It’s only the beginning of the holiday season, I suggest the owner invests in some customer service training.

Written 23 July 2021

bapoll

Harrogate11 contributions

Great Afternoon Tea

Aug 2020 • couples

My wife and I had the afternoon tea with prosecco, which is worth it for the sweet plate alone. With now reservations, Salt Water Cafe was able to seat us outside for lunch and the tea included the prosecco, plate of sandwiches, plate of sweets, and two scones. The sweets included one of the richest (and tastiest) chocolate cakes I've ever had, a passionfruit tarte, a cheesecake, and a dessert that my wife considered her favorite without either of us knowing quite what fruit was in it (apple, apricot?). We got a tea and a vanilla latte for takeaway and were grateful to have found the Salt Water Cafe.

Written 6 August 2020

crasterarms

Thank you so much for your lovely review. It's so nice to hear that you enjoyed your time with us, thank you :). We hope to see you very soon !

Written 6 August 2020

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

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