Cathedral Café

4.6 ( 238 reviews )
Checking... 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM See Hours
£1–10
Carlisle Cathedral, Carlisle CA3 8TZ, United Kingdom
+44 1228 548151

If you're seeking a delightful café experience in the heart of Carlisle, look no further than Cathedral Café, located within the stunning Carlisle Cathedral. This charming establishment offers a welcoming ambiance, highlighted by floor-to-ceiling windows that fill the space with natural light, creating an inviting atmosphere to enjoy a meal or a cup of coffee.

Visitors rave about the delicious selection of food, from buttery croissants to decadent slices of cake. Rebecca Bamforth particularly recommends the cake, while Joyce Muir praises the superb scones and quick service. The café also excels in coffee, with patrons like Babs Babs enjoying a perfect blend with their Americano alongside rich desserts.

Many reviews highlight the café's ability to complement a serene visit to the cathedral, making it an ideal spot to relax and savor your surroundings. With friendly staff and reasonable pricing, Cathedral Café is more than just a place to grab a bite; it’s an experience that enhances your visit to this historical site. As Andrew Day eloquently puts it, this café is “well worth a visit.” Don't miss the chance to indulge in this lovely café when in Carlisle.

Amenities and More

  • Accessibility
    • Has wheelchair-accessible entrance
    • Has wheelchair-accessible seating
    • Has wheelchair-accessible toilet
  • Service options
    • Has outdoor seating
    • On-site services available
    • Offers takeaway
    • Serves dine-in
    • No delivery
  • Highlights
    • Serves great coffee
    • Serves great dessert
    • Has great tea selection
  • Popular for
    • Popular for breakfast
    • Popular for lunch
    • Good for solo dining
    • Good for working on laptop
  • Offerings
    • Serves alcohol
    • Serves coffee
    • Serves healthy options
    • Quick bite
    • Serves small plates
  • Dining options
    • Serves breakfast
    • Serves brunch
    • Serves lunch
    • Serves dessert
    • Has seating
  • Amenities
    • Has bar on site
    • Has toilet
    • Has Wi-Fi
    • Free Wi-Fi
  • Atmosphere
    • Casual
    • Cosy
    • Historic
  • Crowd
    • Good for groups
    • Popular with tourists
  • Planning
    • Doesn't accept reservations
  • Payments
    • Accepts credit cards
  • Children
    • Good for kids
    • High chairs available
    • Has kids' menu
  • Parking
    • Free of charge street parking
  • Pets
    • Dogs allowed outside

Reviews For Cathedral Café

Rebecca Bamforth
Jun 30,2025
While on the slightly expensive side I have absolutely no complaints. Probably keeps the Cathedral going and have been to a few Cathedrals now who have successful on site cafes. The food here was lovely, especially the cake, the floor to ceiling windows let in a lot of natural light and give it a wonderful open feeling. Plenty of seating, plenty of choices in food and drink, lovely staff.
Robert Urbancok
Jun 4,2025
That architecture is beautiful. Hats off to the company that manufactured and supplied windows and doors. We enjoyed our visit, excellent coffee, tasty food, nice service, reasonable prices. We will definitely come again when we are in Carlisle.
Babs Babs
May 24,2025
After a beautiful visit to the cathedral and attending the Sunday service, it was time for a well-deserved coffee break We went for a cappuccino and an Americano, paired with a buttery croissant and a rich slice of chocolate cake. A perfect way to slow down and enjoy the moment
Andrew Day
May 14,2025
Amazing cafe for lunch. Baked potatoe was delicious, beautiful surroundings and super friendly staff. Well worth a visit.
Joyce Muir
May 7,2025
Brilliant venue right beside Carlisle Cathedral. Superb scones, cakes and food all delicious. Counter service but very quick and efficient. Great place to meet up.
Stuart B
May 5,2025
Idyllic setting within Carlisle Cathedral grounds. Lots of natural light provided by stunning windows. Very clean and welcoming. Good choice on fixed menu and a daily special board too. Staff all very pleasant and helpful. Food was an excellent quality and served very promptly.
Evangeline Buxton
Apr 6,2025
Very friendly staff. The soup was very tasty and the coffee was very good too. Very good value, a lovely cafe and with good weather was great to sit outside and listen to the birds, other nature sounds and watch the world go by Will definitely be coming back!
Willow Tkw
Mar 30,2025
A wonderful cafe. Always busy. There was some controversy over this development, but I love the in-keeping architecture and those huge windows because who wouldn't want that view whilst grabbing a cuppa. You can get breakfast or lunch and snacks throughout the day. The fresh cheese scones are a favourite of mine with a pot of Earl Grey. I have also sampled some of the fabulous cakes! If you're just passing through and on the move, there are takeaway options available. For you and your four-legged friends, there's outdoor seating all year round. In the better weather, there's plenty of outdoor seating covering the square courtyard between the cathedral and the cafe, too. The facilities are well kept, and toilets include baby changing and accessible options. The whole cafe is accessible with push-button operated doors and a lift to the Fratry. There's short stay free on-street disc zone parking close by and plenty of pay parking around the city. It's also only a short walk from both the bus terminals and railway station.

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