Circa 2006, I was in Middlesbrough on a video training course.
Our tutors sent us into the town centre to film a short documentary on our chosen topic. A fellow student went into a cafe to make a documentary about the decline of the traditional British caff.
The gauche lad marched in – expensive loan camera and tripod in hand – and asked loudly: “Hi. I’m making a documentary about greasy spoons – can I film in here?”
“Get out!” came the reply from the chap behind the counter, probably the owner. My comrade-in-training left with a flea in his ear and zero footage. He hadn’t intended to be rude but the cafe chap was understandably tired by the expression ‘greasy spoons’.
In turns out the humble cafe didn’t die out in the intervening 18 years. It just evolved to offer a wider, more imaginative menu – and cleaner cutlery.
Here’s a selection – in alphabetical order – of decent, non-greasy spoons to try out in Yorkshire in 2025. Get in.
1. Audrey’s Coffee House
Audrey’s Coffee House, Doncaster Road, Darfield, near Barnsley
(Image: Dave Himelfield)
This Alice in Wonderland-themed cafe on the edge of Barnsley is slightly bonkers. Thankfully it takes its food seriously. The menu is less adventurous than the décor – there’s a butcher’s bike on the ceiling, for example – but made with care from good ingredients.
Audrey’s Coffee House, Doncaster Rd, Darfield, Barnsley S71 5EZ
2. Balloon Tree
While we found the food at this farm shop cafe pricey and a bit staid, we’re including it because of its outdoor area. It’s almost like eating lunch in the grounds of stately home.
There’s a sheltered decked area and a flagged dining area with picnic tables protected by parasols and separated by hedges. Past the hedges is an unusually large play garden with features for children to climb on.
If the sun is out and you’re in the company of children it’s worth a stop.
Stamford Bridge Rd, Gate Helmsley, York YO41 1NB
3. Blue Teapot
The Blue Teapot, Mytholmroyd
(Image: Dave Himelfield)
This upbeat, cosy cafe set back from the main road through Mytholmroyd is a wise choice for vegetarians and vegans. My veggie full English was good-ish but the cakes were better and some of the specials – brioche French toast and huevos rancheros – looked particularly appetising.
Grange Dene, Mytholmroyd, HX7 5LL
4. Freddie’s Fowlers
Freddie’s is more of US-style diner than a cafe in the strictest sense. But it has cafe vibes; it’s so small you can chat to genial owner Bruce while he cooks some of the best burgers we’ve tried in a long time. Besides, the diner is the US equivalent of the British cafe so it counts.
Borough Market, Albion St, Halifax HX1 1DU
5. Johnny Baghdad’s Cafe on the Square
Cosy vibes, quirky décor and a fun specials board make Johnny Baghdad’s the ‘Shah of Shawarma’
(Image: David Himelfield)
Well, well, well. Who’d have thought the best shawarma (Middle-Eastern spiced slices of chicken or lamb) could be found in the corner of a square in bucolic Masham? Well, it can be. Quirky, cosy and convivial, Johnny Baghdad’s is a winner all-round.
52 Market Place, Masham, North Yorkshire HG4 4ED
6. Leila’s Kitchen
Inside the funkiest looking building in Hebden Bridge is this cool, little Persian cafe . Arrive before noon and try the Persian breakfast with flatbread, feta, walnuts, fried eggs, salad and fresh herbs. Arrive after and give one of the vegetarian Persian stews a whirl. And make sure it’s accompanied by a traditional pot of cardamom tea.
Oxford House, Albert St, Hebden Bridge HX7 8AH
7. Molly’s Cafe
Molly’s Cafe and Deli, Middlewood Road, Hillsborough, Sheffield
In Sheffield’s gentrifying Hillsborough is this deli and cafe that serves outstanding sandwiches. My Polish sausage and scrambled egg ciabatta required no condiment; it was that good. And for a cost of living-friendly £5 it tastes twice as good.
And if you’re not up for a toasted sandwich try one of the cafe’s signature charcuterie boards or its homemade pies. Aid their ingestion with something from Molly’s extensive hot beverage and milkshake menu.
Molly’s Cafe and Deli, Middlewood Road, Hillsborough, Sheffield S6 4GX
8. Old Fire Station Cafe
If this traditional caff looks familiar it’s because you’ve seen it on the BBC smash crime drama Happy Valley . Food and decor-wise, it’s a bit ‘old school’ but the portions are generous and the prices ludicrously low. The cafe is a bit of an Elland institution and rightfully so.
Elizabeth St, Elland HX5 0JH
9. Pavé
Pavé (pah-vay) is French for paving stone which we’re guessing refers to the Yorkshire stone cobbles that pave Haworth’s famous Main Street. At the top of what is Yorkshire’s most famous street is this bistro and deli with a menu inspired by God’s Own Country and continental Europe. There’s a wide selection of soups, continental cheeses and meats, freshly baked baguettes and patisserie cakes.
98B Main St, Haworth BD22 8DP
10. Silver Spice
Silver Spice in Wakefield
This low-key halal cafe serves wraps, panini and burgers but what really gets customers salivating are its daily, homemade curries. For £9 you can have three curries, rice and a can of pop. All three chicken curries we tried – jalfrezi, bhuna and spinach – were pretty decent and excellent value. The service was quick and friendly too.
14 Silver Street, Wakefield WF1 1UY
11. Wild Goose
This larger cafe in moderately upmarket Ripponden is a great spot to people watch through its large front windows overlooking the village high street. It’s also a decent place for a gourmet sandwich or a stand of cakes so pretty you’ll feel guilty about eating them.
244 Halifax Rd, Ripponden HX6 4BG
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