What a lovely local spot. As the name implies, the main attraction is toast from various breads…read moreand lots of spreads (toppings) to put on it. Pastries are also on offer, and full meals can be had. Excellent coffee as well. Good atmosphere, and the waitstaff are very attentive. Well worth the time to skip the chains and enjoy something unique to Ilkley.

Pre-booking is recommended, simple and excellent online service. For a basic afternoon tea service,…read morethis one checks all the standard categories of decent fare, lovely service, and quaint surroundings, complete with live music. The sandwiches and scones during the service are all you can order. Their tea sandwich selection are actually quite nice. The scones are really good and not too rich or too dry. The sweets are either excellent or overpowering. And definitely visit the tea shop to determine your tea favorites prior to visiting the tea room to best assess the quality of the tea. The Assam and black teas we're very good. The floral variety on the mild side. And the green and white teas, very mild necessitating lots of extra steeping time.

My love for Betty's just seems to grow even more each time I visit…read more This time, I was drawn in by a wonderfully temping window display of.........Ganache Starfish and Marzipan Crabs! I swear, I really am 23 and not 2. I just HAD to go in and buy one...or two....nah I'm lying I bought four! Not all for me (sadly) the boyfriend, Mum & Dad all got treated to a delicious smiley starfish. Even my boyfriend (who likes to be a man's man...bless him) bought 4 baby strawberry cheesecake cakes to impress his parents at dinner that evening. The cakes were divine and as always, the service was faultless. The polite, efficient and friendly staff really are a credit to this charming tea room.

Costa or Starbucks? Costa or Starbucks? Costa or Starbucks, normally it's Starbucks every time, but…read moreas there isn't a Starbucks yet in picturesque Ilkley, Costa had to do. Welcomely surprised with this little beauty. Managing not to sit too awkwardly amongst the posh streets of Ilkley, Costa has a nice location mid town centre buzz, it's got great views for people watching, tourists and locals trying to live in harmony and all that, and dare I say it, one of the nicest coffee venues I've been to. Seriously, that whole, once you've had one Costa or one Starbucks you've had them all is really a load of crap. Both me and my barista friend agree on this, and we both agreed that where iced latte's are concerned, Costa of Ilkley kicks the bootay!! This is normally the breakfast prior to taking the walk up Ilkley Moor, so it's been well tested and well, quite frankly we approve. Even the hit and miss Frescatos taste better here, offering a creamy blend of sharp and sweet icy texture. If you're unsure of where to get a caffeine hit and want to avoid the pensioner tea rooms, this is definitely a spot to head for.

We're really rocking now. I must admit I'm loving some Ilkley action and there are so many nice…read moreeateries I'm finding it hard to actually move. The Wells café and Bistro is yet another one. It's a family run restaurant and all they use are locally sourced ingredients for an ever changing menu. Now for lunch this is a real stomach buster. It doesn't have to be but if you are hungry and want a salad that isn't actually two leaves and a cucumber you have to try the Wells Ploughman. This is how salads should be. Try this bad boy for size and you'll get home roast ham, Wensleydale cheese, plum tomato and apple, homemade chutney, coleslaw, chips and granary bread. Now we're talking. If you want something lighter the muffins are nice and they've got omelettes, sandwiches and jacket potatoes too. The bistro menu is small but stunning. Two courses will set you back £16 but the herb crusted local trout fillet with warm plum tomato, potato and olive salad is excellent. Yet another corking place to dine.

My first encounter with this vegetarian cafe was whilst sitting in a traffic jam on a sunny…read moreafternoon, the window wide open and the car stopped right outside the cafe. As we were in Ilkley we decided to sing the old folk song 'On Ilkley moor bar tat' and a Yorkshire family (mostly a loud old lady) joined in with the verses we didn't quite remember! We had a nice chat about how good her food was and I had a long time to get a good look of the cafe inside. I decided to come back and try it out for myself on a later date and I'm very glad I did too. Vegetarian food, especially in this instance, is so much more imaginative than the meat-based meal. Where else could you find koftas with almond and tomato sauce? Or celeriac, split pea and thyme soup? All the food is fresh and organic and you can certainly taste the difference. There are also vegan options and I noticed one of the deserts is gluten free! On Friday nights they have a special menu where you can get 2 courses for £15 and bring your own wine. There is a selection of organic and fair trade things for sale such as tea and chocolates. By YUM! This is by far the cutest cafe in Ilkley.

This body of mine is fast falling apart. I'm in need of an MOT and some wholesome living. I'm…read morethinking five hours at the gym is unlikely so it is time for some cleansing inside out. On colonic irrigation for me, it's a stop at the Veggie. Now I know the name kind of gives this away but it's a vegetarian café. I know what a shocker. That doesn't mean meat eaters will be shot on entrance. Well not on my visit anyway. What you'll find is really tasty food and no Swampy in sight. If you want a lunch time snack then no problem. Personally I'd go for the tapas though. It is a selection of home made dips served with a warm pita and various salads. Delicious. You can also get vegan food and the hummus is excellent. To wash it down the freshly extracted juices are beautiful and I'm already feeling like a new woman. It's also the place to go for a Sunday breakfast to fight away any hangover. Check out the full veggie English for size. It is stuff of legends. You'll get two vegetarian sausages, fried egg, tomato, mushrooms, vegetarian black pudding, baked beans and two slices of buttered wholemeal toast served with freshly brewed filter coffee or tea. Wow. Now if that doesn't cure you, nothing will. On Friday nights they also open so if you fancy a tangy curry or something a little bit different then it is the place to go. Great find this and not a dead cow in sight.

Oh my goodness. You couldn't ask for a more delightful accidental discovery than this amazing…read morelittle cafe. I'll try to cohesively convey what this adorable cafe is all about, but it's almost as if my fingers are stuttering and talking over each other as I type in order to get it out faster! This cafe is essentially a cafe where you can go in, have coffee and/or delicious home made cake, and MAKE things at the same time! Get it yet? I shall explain. My friend and I were browsing for somewhere to lunch when we came upon Create. We wandered inside and initally thought it might be a knitting shop. They had hoards of wool, from Rowan Cashsoft to Debbie Bliss, in beautifully displayed country style units. Dotted about were pattern books of all different fashions and ages too for customers to purchase and knit their own. Hung on washing lines and hangers about this section of the shop were the most adorable and beautifully knitted garments, cardigans and jumpers etc, all of which had been knitted according to patterns that were on sale in the shop! Wonderful. After looking around for some time at the lovely knitting section we realised there was more to browse and so we moved through. Oh. My. There was more! This is where we discovered the cafe, I for one noticed the delicious looking confectionary and cakes that were on display. *Tummy rumbles* We walked through to another large room connected to the cafe till area and discovered a beautiful ceramics room with a large table in the centre. To the back wall there was a huge shelf heavily laden with ready-made ceramic items which you can pay for and decorate whilst you sit and drink your coffee! There are pots, mugs, simple fridge magnets and much more to choose from! I couldn't be more excited about this place, it's such a wonderful and imaginative idea for a shop, and it exemplifies the reasons why Ilkley and Yorkshire are the creative and thriving places that they are. This is exactly the kind of independent gem that deserves to be sung about from the rooftops, that will give people just that little bit more spark in their lives, and encourages well being all round. Painting and making is something anyone can enjoy and it's amazing to see such a lovely business whose very reason is to promote this! Fantastiche!

I have been here twice now and enjoyed myself immensely. There are lots of lovely knitting-y…read morecrochet-y things, but the real joy is the painting ceramics. You select your ceramic thing, mug, teapot, plate, whatever takes your fancy, and then you paint it! On my two visits, I painted a milk jug and a teapot. You can easily spend two hours or more here, in fact the second time we had planned to follow up the painting with a trip to Betty's only to realise we hadn't left ourselves enough time. A strange sense of perfectionism takes over and all conversation dwindles after about ten minutes to be replaced with expressions of concentration and dismay in equal measure. Generally everyone thinks they have done a dreadful job after the painting and is thrilled and surprised to see the finished article. You have to leave your item behind to be fired in the kiln, so there is a good few days of suspense in between painting and cradling. Apart from the obvious joy of creating, it can also be the way to find that elusive item you have wanted for a while. For example, a friend of mine from work asked the other day if I knew anywhere she could buy a red teapot with white spots. I didn't, but suggested she could come here and make her own which I believe she intends to do. Also it is wonderful for children. Indeed, some might say predominantly for children, but I ignore that!