My favorite sandwich/soup place in Durham!! Such character and comfort. Can't wait to go back and try out more of their excellent tasties!!

A nice cafe in Durham, hidden but cosy and well located. Great patio for summer days and nice upstairs room too. They do good coffee and have lovely cakes (carrot cake, tea cake, walnut or lemon cake, scones, pavlova...) and quiches. I had a cappucino and a slice of carrot cake (which was delicious) for about £4. A great place for a break while visiting Durham ! read more

Vennels Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Durham, DUR

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You can't not think this place is lovely. Of course as a tailor I love the treadle tables, but there's tea and cake to boot too. It does of course as a Durham institution get busy around meal times, but there are quiet patches where it's great for a cuppa and a catchup. I've been here a few time, always for at least a scone, and things are trad tasty, and the staff are wonderful. read more

Went there for breakfast and found out all they don't really have a breakfast menu, no eggs at all. People are all talking about their scones, but they are not even served warm... Their jam was really good tho. read more

Vennels Cafe - Scone and tea - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Durham, DUR

Voted best cafe in Durham this year Vennels is run by dedicated and passionate staff. They bake their own bread and have coffee from the North East's premier coffee supplier, Pumphreys Coffee. A really nice relaxing cafe in the centre of the city of Durham. A little hard to spot to start with but once you find it you'll never forget it! A must if your visiting the sights of Durham. read more

Vennels Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Durham, DUR

Our regular cafe when we go to Durham; it always has seats, the location and atmosphere are great and the food is top notch. The upstairs seating is simple but hugely atmospheric and reminiscent of an 18thC coffee house. The limited but lovely views of Durham rooftops from the windows are great - you can see the Castle if you crane your neck! The food is great and has all you could wish for from soup to sandwiches and quiche and awesome cakes! Their banoffi pie is legendary. read more

There is no reason not to fall in love with this quaint little cafe. Vennels is situated down a little alley, away from the hustle and bustle of the main high street. It has a great selection of cakes and drinks. However, it does fall short on the availability of vegan options. Mainly, the only dairy alternative hot drinks you can have are coffee to add soy milk to, or tea. As to be expected, it does also get busy around meal times, but it is still a wonderful little cafe you can just escape to. read more

I was recommended this cafe by a good friend who lived in Durham for 4 years. She said that they had the best cakes she'd ever had. I was not disappointed. The cakes I have tried here have all been amazing. The sandwiches, tea, coffees, etc are all also good, but the reason to go is definitely the homemade cakes. Vennels has outdoor seating and a lovely upstairs room, so don't feel that you have to sit near the counter, which can be crowded. The upstairs room is even more charming than the downstairs. read more

Im not sure there is anything not to like about Vennels. The atmosphere is quaint, but there are multiple-stories (including one with a lovely fireplace) and an outdoor patio. The service was very helpful and friendly. The building and interior are adorable. The food... ... great! Today I had the homemade mushroom soup which was creamy without being pasty, deep, earthy mushroom flavor with nice chunks of mushroom and parsley. Came with a huge homemade roll which was perfect, crusty on the outside, soft and yeasty on the inside. Also had a great piece of ginger bread. Rich, spicy, flavorful, dense, ginger-y without being overpowering. Love this place! read more

Every little piece of Vennels is planned with love and it sure as hell tastes like it. They have perfected the art of cafe, from tea and divine cakes to a 10-star cappucino frothed at the world's most beautiful machine to homemade bread baked fresh daily. Choose a nook or a cranny (upstairs, downstairs, outside) and hunker down with some serious sustenance. And, the people that pour their heart and soul into this place are as delicious as every lovingly created item on their menu, so you can feel good about supporting your local business. read more

Vennels is a lovely cafe situated in the centre of Durham but it is suprisingly secluded and peaceful - away from the hustle and bustle of the shops. There is sometimes quite a long queue once you get inside but staff are always quick and food and drinks are efficiently served - they take food and drink orders separately so it your order gets done twice as fast. They have a good selection of food ranging from sandwiches to cakes to desserts. Theire pavolva and banoffee pir are simply delicious and well worth the money! Go on.. have a change from Starbucks of Cafe Nero and you're in for a real treat. read more

Lovely little place, off the Main Street. Lovely staff. Cakes are lovely - although the carrot cake was more a fruit loaf cake. read more

Amazing café with really tasty lunches and good selection of cakes. Food is always very fresh and service is fantastic -- the staff are very friendly. Can be busy, but it is worth it! read more

If you're in Durham and wondering where to have lunch, take the tiny side alley next to Scorpio shoes (there may be some access issues for people in wheelchairs, epsecially as both doors, up different alleys, are up a small step). The food is of excellent quality, while the drinks, including hot drinks, are pretty standard fare, slightly more reasonably priced than some of the big coffee shop chains. The atmosphere, and the location, up higgildy-piggildy side alleys, really reminds you that Durham was one of the locations used in the first two Harry Potter films. It is slightly of another world (as much of Durham is). But ask any student or local about Vennals and they will tell you about the cake. The portions, especially the pavlova, are simply impossible to finish, and again, pretty reasonably priced. Try it and love it. read more

This is a hidden gem of Durham, it's a lovely little hidden cafe which is tucked away off the main shopping streets and takes a little finding. It's off two side streets opp prince bishops and the side street runs along side waterstones. They do really nice tea coffee and have an amazing selection of cakes as well as yummy food. It's cosey inside and very welcoming and theres lots of room as they have an upstairs bit as well read more

Very nice little place just off high street onto the market square and turn left. The sign is on the right and you walk up an alley to get to it. Lovely for lunch, pies, quiche, salads, cakes, coffees and nice little courtyard. read more

this cafe is great if you're looking for a light lunch or even just a coffee and slice of cake! it's away from the main street so its a little more relaxing and atmospheric than others in the city. they have freshly baked scones everyday but you have to be there early to get them! *** read more

This little tea and coffee shop can be easily missed if you don't know it's there! It's located in between Greggs and East, and the only giveaway that it's there is an A3 board in the doorway. After a small trek up the alley we were inside the smallish cafe. As well as teas and coffees etc it seves light meals like salad, scones and a variety of differents cakes. The food was really nice and good value for money read more

I have walked past this quite a few times, my friend and I realised it was there by accident and popped in for a coffee. usual prices for a shop like this. friendly helpful staff. read more

This is one of the best places in Durham to go for a coffee and a home-made cake which are always delicious. Down a side street it is sheltered, peaceful and relaxing. The light lunches are also very nice and reasonably priced. read more

Delicious cakes and tasty rolls, combined with tables made from treadle sewing machines and a timber framed building make this a wonderful lunch or teatime treat. When I was a student our Buildings Archaeology lecturer used to take us to Vennels to show us the wooden beams complete with builder's marks. Atmospheric and cosy, this was also the place to take visiting parents during term time, and is greatly improved by the smoking ban. read more

One if our favourites Quiet little place that is great for a catch up food and drinks and veneers is great for locals like us and tourists read more

Cosy, friendly and well located. Lunch for three of us was cheese and onion quiche, corned beef and potato pie and ham and egg pie, all with beans. Yum, yum. Great pastry. Good coffee. $21 for the three, so not bad value. Nice and cosy, with tables mounted on old sewing machine bases. read more

A very quaint and hidden away gem within Durham City. Far too easy to walk past and miss if you don't know where it is. The coffee whilst nothing special, is still rather nice. However, the cake is to die for! read more

The cakes here are excellent. Not only home made but also the largest cake portion in Durham I would say. Only downside is that the alley leading up to it is very narrow. read more

Vennels is love. Quaint, stylish and a cool courtyard for summer days. A perfect place for a magical romantic date or casual coffee.

It's fantastic - what more can you say? Cake, coffee, friendly service, wonderful location with multiple floors, small courtyard - great in summer, winter, rain or shine. Scones. Oh yes. read more

I wished to find a place to meet over lunch with my youth group, whilst we worked on a community project and Vennel's was recommended by several of the group's members. I arrived at 12, secured a table upstairs then went to the counter downstairs to order. I ordered the white bean crush sandwich and had the plate almost thrown at me by the server, then was rudely shooed away from the counter whilst still struggling to put my change in my pocket. I returned to our table and embarked on the meeting, however for the duration we were spied on by various members of staff and made to feel rather uncomfortable. Then at around 12.30 we were approached by a staff member, who instructed us to leave as not everyone at the table had ordered. I explained that most of us had been eating and some intended to eat after the meeting finished, but she was insistent we leave as they needed the tables for other customers, despite there being a number of empty tables around us. I am massively disappointed at the prejudice shown towards a group of young people who were meeting briefly to review a voluntary project they undertook that was of great benefit to a particularly marginalised section of the local community; we were not loud, we don't swear and the seven of us did our best to occupy as little space as possible. Needless to say, I will not be holding future meetings for any of my youth groups at this venue and after this experience this cafe I am certain this will no longer be a favourite for this group of young people. read more

Lovely quaint little coffee shop in Durham, serving yummy cakes and lunches too. Some of the tables are made out of old sewing tables. Upstairs and downstairs seating. Worth a visit, tho' often very busy (which is a good sign!) read more

Excellent place to enjoy a coffe, tea and a marvellous quiche or Greek salad as well as some terrific cakes. Bottled beer and wine also available. The outside courtyard has heaters to keep you warm in the winter. A real quirky alternative to the national brands available elsewhere and deservedly popular. You can also get straight into Waterstone's from the courtyard. Banoffe pie is legendary and with good reason! read more

I pretty much agree with everything in these reviews. Certainly five stars for the quality of the food and ingredients. The range of food on offer was a little limited but I guess that's understandable as it was also very busy (a good sign I guess) I came back for coffee and cake later, the coffee was pretty average really and the cake good, but way too big a portion. So Five stars for sandwiches 3 stars for coffee and cake. read more

Quaint setting. Very reasonably priced. Failimg to warm the glass before dispensing espresso into it was disappointing; my drink was tepid. Recommended nonetheless. read more

The best bacon sandwiches ever, you have to queue up in the morning to get in, huge cakes too. Best cafe in Durham

Fantastic setting, fantastic sandwiches, fantastic Greek Salad, fantastic cakes. Enough said really.