Let’s talk about the Great Places To Eat & Drink On the Yorkshire Lancashire Border.

You may have seen my recent blog post and social media posts about visiting many attractions in Lancashire. As a family, we always look for cost-effective places to grab lunch or a drink. Much needed whilst we are out on our adventures.

In this post, I share my favourite places we’ve visited and my very balanced review of what we thought of the price, service and general experience.

PLEASE NOTE – all of these experiences were places we visited and paid to eat as a family, none of the experiences were gifted. I will be updating this post frequently so be sure to follow me on Instagram to keep up to date with new review posts

Let’s dive in…

Primark cafe Trafford Pallazo, Manchester

LOCATION – 📍Trafford Palazzo, Manchester, M17 8AS

When we visited The SeaLife Centre at Trafford Palazzo, we were looking for a down-to-earth cafe near the centre. While Trafford Palazzo is a very regal building, with many trendy cafes I would visit as an adult, none of it was suitable for my little one and her legs were tired.

Given this context, we were so happy to find The Simpsons cafe in Primark. The menu was simple but effective. We ordered a toastie to share, a big slice of cake and some drinks.

I must also say that the view is stunning and if you can get a seat by the window, you will have a lovely, relaxing sit down (all tables allow you to see out of the huge windows, so you won’t be disappointed).

There are toilets just outside the cafe area and they were really spacious and kid-friendly.

You can check out the Primark website here. Check out the full menu here.

The Spread Eagle, Sawley

LOCATION – 📍 Sawley, Clitheroe BB7 4NH

As we now spend a lot of time in Lancashire, we have visited Sawley Abbey many times, mainly because there is a really great playground next to it and amazing views.

When we called in recently, we ordered a prosecco (I must say it was one of the best proseccos I had ever drank!), a Coke, a J20, and a slice of cake and it was £17 in total.

The pub is a full wedding venue, with luxury rooms to stay over. The atmosphere feels lovely & cosy when you visit for a drink. But due to prices and having to entertain a 5-year-old in such a quiet, relaxing environment, it wouldn’t be the place for us to stay and have food.

We absolutely will be calling in for a drink soon and they have outside tables right next to the river, which I imagine will be lovely in summer.

Check out the website here.

Bowland Food Hall, Clitheroe

LOCATION – 📍Holmes Mill, Greenacre St, Clitheroe BB7 1BE

We’ve spent around 5-10 days in Clitheroe recently. And we were excited to visit Bowland Food Hall. We finally carved out some time during the half-term week to visit and we were not disappointed!

Parking was a bit difficult and there were no empty spaces when we arrived. However, Sainsbury’s is just over the road. Because we needed to do some Sainsbury’s shopping and there was a time limit, we decided to park in the paid car park just across the road. We wanted to be free to enjoy everything Bowland Food Hall had to offer

And did it impress us! Again, due to the prices (around £10-15 per lunch bite, sandwiches, wraps, sharers etc) we decided to share a meal for lunch, order the little one some chips and all have a nice drink.

The tables are dotted around the farm shop, but you honestly don’t feel like people are in your way. The atmosphere is amazing and I could have stayed there a while, enjoying myself.

I will just say that there was nothing on the menu for the little one. So for our family, we wouldn’t be able to have a full lunch there. However, Clitheroe is now somewhere my hubby and I would look at for an adults-only night away, simply because we would love to visit the Food Hall and the Brewery. Read on for more about the brewery.

Bowland Brewery, Clitheroe

LOCATION – 📍Holmes Mill, Greenacre St, Clitheroe BB7 1BE

Whilst we were sitting at our lunch table in the Bowland Farm Shop eating lunch, many families were going into the brewery right next door and we had to check it out.

We were met with an amazing bar, surrounded by tables and a lovely, relaxed atmosphere. We found a table where the little one felt comfortable and all enjoyed a drink!

The food menu in the brewery also looked more down to earth and there is a kids menu! We would definitely all return as a family for a few drinks and some food.

My hubby also said he spotted a bowling alley, which would explain why all the kids were so excited to visit.

Book your table here.

The main menu can be found here. And of course, we all need to see the dessert menu.

The Talbot Arms, Settle

LOCATION – 📍High St, Settle BD24 9EX

Our extended family first visited The Talbot Arms for a meal when I was working away and they were over in Lancashire. The sole reason they checked it out was the low price of food, compared with seemingly everything else in the area. You may or may not know that Settle is a huge tourist town and therefore I don’t begrudge the higher price tag, it’s just that for my family and I, we need something more down to earth, with a friendly atmosphere, and cheaper. To save the pennies for our next adventure with the little one.

Anyway, the aim was always for me to visit The Talbot Arms along with family and we have been meaning to return. We decided to do this one evening when we needed petrol and the nearest petrol station was Settle.

Some of the tables were booked up, but we were lucky to sit on one 45 minutes before someone had it booked. It’s a small and friendly pub, so if you want to eat, I would advise booking your table in advance.

Menu

Food is served daily

Monday to Saturday

12 noon to 8pm

Sunday 12noon to 4pm

Daily Specials Board

The Plough Inn, Wigglesworth

LOCATION – 📍 Jack Ln, Wigglesworth, Skipton BD23 4RJ

I will be honest here and say what I initially thought before we visited, that the setting isn’t all that suitable for children to have a sit-down meal. I will explain. When we visit somewhere it is of utmost importance that the setting is appropriate for children and that my little one feels comfortable, especially as she has some additional needs.

During our recent evening meal of 12 people, at 6 pm on a Saturday, we sat in the conservatory overlooking the beer garden. There were several children present. This was fine for most of the meal as we were alone in that area. However, due to the formality of the meal, we had to work extra hard to keep the kids entertained (tablets, phone games etc which isn’t ideal). We did have a great time for most of the meal and it was easier when it was still light outside and the children were able to run around outside.

Balanced feedback on our experience

This was for a birthday celebration and I don’t mind attending a formal meal like this on a one-off, and entertaining my child for a short time, to ensure we can all enjoy a meal! But what unfortunately completely turned me off the place was the fact that part way through the meal, diners were seated at the tables surrounding our long table which was in the middle of the room, the desserts were taking a while and there were comments from those diners to the effect of not being able to sit in the area, because of children.

Now I completely understand that when you want an adult night out, you do not want children running around you. We recently stayed at Village Hotels for a child-free getaway and I wouldn’t have wanted to be in a setting with loads of kids (by the way we were consistently telling the children to sit down, which was a task in itself – I would never let my little one run around annoying people).

A potential suggestion/solution

I think the solution here is for The Plough to decide on whether they are actually child-friendly or not. If they are, please sit tables with children (especially several children that you have witnessed playing outside and being told by adults for a meal of an hour plus already) away from those diners who want an adult night out. To avoid this hostility.

In all honestly, I would return during the day to the beer garden and for a spot of lunch, where children can run free outside. I probably wouldn’t put myself through another sit-down meal unless it was just me and my husband for a quiet meal. But the likelihood of that happening is slim.

Given the price tag for meals and drinks and the luxury feel of the place, I do feel like the above issue needs to be ironed out.

Moor cafe, Clitheroe

LOCATION – 📍 – 5 Moor Ln, Clitheroe BB7 1BE

This is a lovely little cafe on the high street in Clitheroe. We visited twice and I will say, the food is very down to earth and cheaper than most other places we found to eat.

The cafe can get very busy and the last time we visited we had to pop in a second time to get a table. There are lots of shops around the cafe, so you can easily pop back in 10 minutes to see if someone might have moved.

The kitchen is also very small and there can be long wait times to just order food if the cafe is full. Be prepared to have a few drinks and spend time entertaining kids whilst you wait to order. Which wasn’t a problem for us, just plan ahead!

I will say I like how the tables are set out near the window is relaxing and you feel far enough away from people. The addition of blankets over the chairs is also a great touch, especially when you have kids.

The Vicarage, Tosside

We first visited The Vicarage during the summer when my parents first purchased their caravan. There are some lovely outdoor tables and a garden for the little ones to run around.

Over winter we mainly visited for breakfast and the food is amazing for very reasonable prices. We have also received great recommendations for an evening meal and Sunday lunch, which we intend to do.

Ye Old Naked Man Cafe, Settle

LOCATION – 📍- 2 Market Pl, Settle BD24 9ED

This cafe is a hot spot for tourists and it does get very full. We took our little one here for breakfast, which was amazing but the cafe was a little busy for the little one. When my parents take her, they tend to ask for a table at the back.

I will say the prices are costly for us and a breakfast for a family of three is £40, which is a bit too much for us a family.

3 Peaks Cycles | Bike Shop & Cafe

LOCATION – 📍 – 24 Market Pl, Settle BD24 9EJ

We visited the cafe at the cycle shop during a quiet period, the food was amazing and the little one loved how the tables were set out and sat on the tall tables by herself. The cafe is usually jam-packed and we wouldn’t allow her to do this when it was.

Due to its popularity, I don’t think we will be able to return anytime soon. But if you get a chance at a quieter time of year (term time) maybe pop in for a drink. They also have some lovely cakes on offer.

Watershed Mill

LOCATION – 📍 – 7 Langcliffe Rd, Settle BD24 9LR

We visited Watershed Mill when the Settle Flowerpot Festival was on and they had all the wonderful creations on display.

The shop is great if you need to pick up a few things. I will say the breakfast is lacking in quality, but I would visit again for a coffee and a cake.

Community Cafe, Settle

Miss Victoria’s refreshment cafe is a great outdoor space which has been adapted for all sorts of community events. It’s weather-dependent as to what times of year you could visit, but there are some undercover areas, toys for the children and lots of space for them to be free and run around, something we love as a family.

Summary

I hope you enjoyed reading about all the places we recently visited to eat and drink.

Have you visited any of these places and what are your thoughts?