THE VELVETEEN RABBIT LUNCHEON CLUB, Great Ayton - Updated 2024 Restaurant Reviews, Photos & Phone Number

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CUISINES

Cafe, British

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

FEATURES

Takeout, Reservations, Seating, Highchairs Available, Table Service

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4.5

147 reviews

Excellent

106

Very good

15

Average

8

Poor

14

Terrible

4

S G

11 contributions

Good after hiking Roseberry Topping

Sept 2020 • couples

Went here after climbing Roseberry Topping! They didn’t serve hot food when we came but the pastry and cake selection were excellent. We had a latte, americano, sticky toffee cake and the sausage roll, all of which was really good. They offer alternative milk (oat milk) and also have freshly baked bread. We got a loaf of wholemeal bread in addition and everything in total was £16.80 which I thought was quite reasonable. It appears to be dog friendly (had a cute dog there) and from what I could see has four tables for sitting in the counter area, two outside. There’s good views of the bridge and river, which can make for entertaining viewing as trucks get stuck in the tight corners quite often. Overall, great ambiance and food, highly recommend it.

Written 5 September 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.

Daniel F

Leeds128 contributions

Captain Cook Approved

Feb 2020 • none

Okay, well he might not be alive today to give his own endorsement: so with great confidence I am taking the liberty of doing it for him. The Velveteen Rabbit Luncheon Club is more than just a polished name, leaping at you like a grandiose establishment from a Hemingway story. The Rabbit, for short, is a quaint cafe at the gate of most peoples' adventure to Roseberry Topping. The perfect way to start or end your trip. A surprisingly large capacity, The Rabbit is suited to walk-ins and we easily found room. The staff were attentive and prompt with requests. The speed they turned the food and drinks round were commendable, without oneself feeling rushed. The Little English was the perfect size for my breakfast, with the one sausage being as large as two together in other cafes. The stand-outs were the beans and the sausage, I took a lot of pleasure in sampling both. I would love to return one day and try the cakes. I imagine there are already a dozen rave reviews of these. Make The Rabbit your cherry for your next walk up the Topping.

Written 23 February 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.

320holiday

Middlesbrough4 contributions

Delivery of produce to an isolator

Mar 2020 • none

Just wanted to say how absolutely wonderful the Velveteen Rabbit have been in organising a delivery of delicious fresh bread, hot cross buns, fruit, pies and beautiful fresh eggs. All this at a time when we were really beginning to worry how we would get food through the door while we are isolating. Thank you so much to all the team, you are doing a wonderful job and we really, really appreciate it!

Written 28 March 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.

mindboggler13

291 contributions

Great style, excellent cakes

Oct 2020 • none

Attracted by the name and the welcoming red soft chairs in the window, we loved the atmosphere, friendly helpful staff and interesting food options. The coffee is wonderful and the cakes we bought to take home turned ut to be very special - jam & cocnut slice and pear & Amaretto tart. We were intrigued by the Parmo Scotch Eggs, a nice twist on the famous Boro dish, chicken and cheese mix providing the coating instead of the usual sausage meat. The eggs were nicely runny, but the coating was very bland lacking any seasoning. The accompanying potato wedges were very well seasoned but surprisingly served cold, which made sense for speed out of the kitchen I guess. These slight reservations were minor and did not datract from the overall very agreeable experience. Loved the style and feel of the enterprise and look forward to an early return.

Written 15 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.

Katrina

Darlington3 contributions

Terrible service and food quality - avoid.

Jul 2022 • none

I've been multiple times to Velveteen Rabbit over the years and always had excellent customer service but more so excellent food and a superb choice for gluten free, vegan and vegetarian options. This time the full vegan breakfast had been swapped on the menu to a small vegan breakfast and when queried about the reason it was explained that not many asked for it. Let's face it, if you are out for a Saturday or Sunday breakfast/brunch you'll want a big breakfast not a kids meal and most kids will have the small English instead. So if you have it all on the meny, why not make it big? I asked if I could have avocado, tomato, spinach or even halloumi added even for a fee but the response I got 'we don't do that here'. Right. The portion (and I wish now I'd taken a picture) includen 2 gluten free/vegan sausages, some potatoes, 1 mushroom and beans. No spinach, tomatoe or avocado. My friend gave me some of his tomatoe as he felt sorry for me. When we had nearly finished our breakfast the young girl whisked away my friend's plate and asked (whilst I was holding the cutlery) whether she could take my plate - no, I'm still eating. Rude and unprofessional! My friend's full English was of rubbish quality compared to the numerous previous times he's had it: bacon streakers instead of bacon sides and undercooked sausages. At paying I gave them honest feedback about the options suggesting they offer tomatoes, spinach or whatever vegetables they use in other dishes for a fee to bulk up the vegan breakfast and also about the rude service of taking plates off customers who are clearly still eating. The girl at the till didn't seem interested in this and in the end I asked are you at all interested receiving this feedback, to which she replied of course. Ok, not convinced. No need to return for me and I'm sorry to say you have now missed out on several locals from the area who used to come to the restaurant regularly. The power of word of mouth.

Written 20 August 2022

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.

bigbikey5555

Stokesley33 contributions

Best Café in Ayton

Jan 2020 • couples

Since opening the Rabbit has been the place to go for breakfasts, snacks and f light lunches. I'm never dissapointed, the staff are friendly and the food is delightful. It's quirky decor adds to the experience. Not to be missed.

Written 26 January 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.

mark_embery

Meols1214 contributions

Quirky, dog friendly restaurant, offering excellent food provided by friendly staff - well worth a visit.

Apr 2023 • family

We called in around two’ish as walk-in guests to The Velveteen Rabbit as most of the pubs in Great Ayton were busy as it was Easter Friday and what a delightful find it was. We were given the “Red chairs” table in the window adjacent to the display counter showing off some very tasty looking cakes. There are further tables upstairs on the first floor where the toilets are located. The staff were friendly and humorous. We chose a full English breakfast, scrambled egg on toast with sausage and a toasted ham & Brie sandwich with salad and crisps. All the meals were excellent, especially the homemade baked beans with the breakfast. To accompany the meal we had a glass of Merlot, a Pinot Grigio & Soda and two large latte coffees. The bill came to £45 which was very good value for money and so £5 tip went into their jar. The restaurant had a steady string of visitors and is dog, baby and cyclist friendly. Well worth a visit if you are in the area. They have music evenings too - the next one features George Boomsma on April 7th 2023.

Written 8 April 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.

JoEm

1 contribution

Meh, bad/rude service

Sept 2022 • couples

I came with a friend a couple months ago and the service was ok. This time was very different. Ordered a vegan breakfast which was £7.50 and must of cost around £2 to make, 1 piece of everything. Considering there is a “big breakfast” option for “normal” breakfasts why just have a little option for vegans? Food was average but when we went to pay the server (middle aged woman with glasses) was extremely rude, no greeting and didn’t look at us when we went to pay/when she was talking to us, she made me and my partner feel very uncomfortable, we felt like we were being looked down on! Really not on, left feeling very upset and have told friends to avoid.

Written 15 September 2022

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.

AliceT

Durham32 contributions

The yellow front door and ornamental knocker are the best things about this place.

Jan 2023 • friends

I pass here a lot and always admire the yellow front door. Ordered coffee and cake to take away, the coffee is good but I’ve tasted much nicer cake from a cheap market. I also found the staff quite miserable and generally bored out of their tree. Definitely not a service with a smile. This has rather put me off going again. I always support small businesses but this one, I will definitely think twice about it. I wouldnt be happy if it was my business.

Written 6 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.

bigbikey5555

Stokesley33 contributions

Wow.

Dec 2020 • couples

Fantastic. Having eaten in high end restaurants across Europe and the USA, I must say the food tonight along with acoustic music was fabulou and comparative to most. Complements to the Chef and the whole team. Sublime pork belly, the best roast spuds and a fine cheese soufflé starter. Delicious.

Written 19 December 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.

Ellcee

6 contributions

Our luck was in today

Mar 2022 • family

In Great Ayton with mam for a last minute run out. She didn't know whether she wanted to go out today for mother's day so we hadn't booked anywhere. We took a chance asking if they had a table and they did have a lower coffee table set up with 2 sofas which was perfectly fine and we could still eat from the table easily enough. Our food and drinks were tasty and we didn't wait too long for our order. The staff were friendly and had time for a chat. Will definitely be back.

Written 27 March 2022

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.

Will P

Great Ayton96 contributions

On our doorstep

Mar 2020 • couples

So lucky to have this amazing place just five minutes walk from home. The food is second to none. The service is exemplary. Particularly favorites are the Little Breakfast(2 fried eggs, sausage, bacon, beans in a homemade tomato sauce and toast), Gypsy Eggs (2 poached eggs, black pudding, chorizo, sautéed potatoes and toast). Fantastic selection or breads, cakes and pastries too, of particular note are the Cannolis - truly wonderful!

Written 8 March 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.

Andy

31 contributions

Great place, great staff

Aug 2020 • none

Visited today with my girlfriend after a walk around the nearby Roseberry topping. Staff were very welcoming and friendly on arrival. We had a hot coffee and a iced coffee, as well as two cheese scones. Both were delicious and would highly recommend. Also catered for dairy free coffee - with oat milk. Decor was great too. The company is also participating in the "Eat out to help out" scheme which was a bonus to get 50% off our bill! Definitely recommend.

Written 5 August 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.

PoggyGang

Barnsley623 contributions

Fantastic Little Restaurant

Nov 2022 • couples

Had a lovely lunch here. The staff were attentive and very friendly. The fresh scones with clotted crean were delicious and the large coffees were definitely large and nice and hot. Would definitely recommend a visit here if you are visiting Great Ayton.

Written 14 November 2022

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.

Leslie P

9 contributions

Nice place, disappointing food.

Jul 2024 • couples

Visited this very interesting looking venue and was impressed with the surroundings, but unfortunately the food was a real let down, my wife had an avocado on toast selection which she said was very disappointing, the avocado was mush which in turn made the today very soggy and the toast was cold. I had a bacon sandwich and when it came the bacon was literally black, i tried to bite through it and couldn't get me teeth through it, to be fair when i complained they made my sandwich again and in the second attempt it was OK, but the point is good should never be sent out to customers in that state in the first place. We had a black americano and a cafe latte, my latte was OK but my wifes americano was lacking any crema on the top and weak, we are both batista trained and i think they have had the coffee beans in the hopper for far too long because they dry out and this results in a weak coffee with no crema on top. Overhaul a disappointing visit and for the price they charge not a visit we will be repeating.

Written 3 July 2024

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.

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