It’s always a special experience visiting Bettys Café Tea Rooms. Even though we are fairly regular customers, each season brings its own range of treats and innovative touches to the menu and the bakery. October means that the window displays entice you in with Autumn and Halloween goodies.
We joined the queue and were soon given a menu and shown to our table by the welcoming, professional staff. I think it’s good that you can’t book a table as this ensures that the system is fair for everyone. You can reserve a table for afternoon tea in the Belmont Room on Saturdays and Sundays if you plan to choose that option.
You can sit on the ground floor and watch the world go by or you can just enjoy the Art Deco features of the tea room. The interior of the café was inspired by the Queen Mary ocean liner. Downstairs you can enjoy the beautiful marquetry in the Oak Room and don’t forget to check out the signatures on the mirror. The Oak Room was a favourite haunt of Airmen during the Second World War and they left their signatures on the mirror with a diamond-tipped pen. Very romantic!
For our lunch, we chose two of the Swiss-Yorkshire delicacies, Swiss Alpine Macaroni and Bacon and Raclette Rösti. They never disappoint. Undoubtedly the Swiss heritage adds to the uniqueness and appeal of many of the dishes.
You are never rushed to leave your table which means there is always time for dessert. The only problem is choosing which one!
The whole experience is quintessentially stylish and classy, a very English Tea room. Shopping at Bettys even featured in Downton Abbey!
I am looking forward to trips to Betty’s in 2019 which marks the centenary of the opening of the first Bettys café in Harrogate. Inspired by a leaflet in 2009, their ninetieth year, we had a fabulous day out visiting all six branches of Bettys in one day! This was surely one of the most enjoyable and delicious endurance feats I will ever undertake! We had breakfast in Northallerton, coffee in Ilkley, the main course of our lunch in Harrogate, followed by dessert at Harlow Carr, just a couple of miles outside Harrogate. We enjoyed a small afternoon tea at Bettys in Stonegate York and our final stop was Bettys flagship branch in St Helen’s Square York for an evening meal. They are open until 9pm which meant that we could space our treats out well. The centenary might be a good excuse for a similar adventure!
To find out more about Bettys, click here
