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.

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!

My favourite place to grab a coffee before getting on the train to work. The staff are friendly and…read morethe cappuccino is great!

Fab yoo luss dahling…read more Beef bourginon - best I've had outside of Paris. Delicious Pinot and a classy Chateau Neuf De Pape. Excellent staff and lovely interior. Just go there. You'll not be sorry.

The latest addition to the Ilkley eating scene. It would be rude not to try it. Part of the recent…read morerefurb of The Crescent there is a nice pub next door with some local real ales and a good selection of wines by the glass. Our table in the Bistrot was ready spot on 9.00pm despite it being a very busy Saturday evening. We did reject the first table on offer as it was right by the front entrance with lots of passing traffic. The table we were finally settled on was away from the main restaurant in a pokey corner - it seemed the locals/regulars had pre booked the best seats in the house. (Clearly they all read Michael Winner in the Times on a Sunday and follow his lead of selecting tables.....) Onto the food - quite a small menu and a bit dissapointing for vegetarians - if you are vegan don't even bother. I was tempted by the Baked Camembert which we all shared as a starter - make sure you order extra bread, the portion that comes with the cheese is no where near enough. Mains were Duck - devoured and thumbs up, Crayfish Risotto - another empty plate, Beouf Bourguignon - a huge thumbs down, very fatty - Goats Cheese Salad for the veggie - as nice as a Goats Cheese salad can be. Overall we had a pleasant evening out, good wine, good company, pleasant ambience - despite the corner setting of our table. I would say give it a go, just avoid the Beef.