Samuel James Deli Cafe in County Durham

Mixed experience here on Saturday. I had a bacon brie and cranberry sandwich, but for some reason they used raspberry jam? I never complained at the time because I didn't want to make a scene in front of my friend, but it was very sweet and clearly used raspberry jam. My cafetiere of coffee was the worst I've ever had. It was weak and was already pressed when brought to me, so I unpressed it and stirred it, only to see that there can't have even been a teaspoon of coffee grounds in it! I can't fault presentation or speed of food service. Also, their barista coffees were delicious. We were stood for quite a while waiting to pay despite there being a lot of staff members around and no apology was offered. I would definitely go to the other cafes in middleton before trying this one again.

We visited the cafe for tea and cake and we were blown away by how delicious both cakes were - one carrot cake and one Bakewell tart. Both home made. Both huge portions. Both superb value for money. The choice of coffees and teas was exceptional, and we ended up trying teas we had never had, served in again a huge tea pot for two, making it exceptional value. The cafe was busy, the staff were nevertheless attentive and the whole event was a real delight. So much so we returned for brunch a couple of days late and we were not disappointed then either. We had avocado on toast with poached eggs and a smoked salmon and porches egg bagel. Again, great home made food, generous sized portions, value for money, warm atmosphere, a place welcoming for both locals and visitors alike. And it is dog friendly. Not just on paper, but really welcoming. I will be returning every time I am in Middleton. This business deserves to do well. Thanks.

The coffee, sourced and roasted locally was fantastic. It was ordered with the food but, as is often the case, was served immediately and was consumed long before the food arrived. The food offering was somewhat disappointing. Not in terms of the quality but in the way it was presented and the length of time it took for a simple dish to reach the table. As far as I could ascertain there were only 4, possibly 5 tables at least one of which was empty and 2 of which had already been served. I ordered beans on toast with an extra of grated cheese. The toast came on a plate with a separate little tub of butter, a little tub of grated cheese and a bowl of baked beans. I had expected beans ON toast (as per the menu) but had to butter my own toast, pour on the beans which were only luke warm and add the cheese, not all of which was grated - some larger lumps included. Once self assembled the food was cold. My niece ordered toasted crumpets with cheese. This, like the beans on toast came 'deconstructed' toasted crumpet, cold grated cheese and jam. She had hoped for a warm crumpet with warm melting cheese but hers was also cold when put together. I understand that some people may not want butter on their toast, or their beans ON the toast, they may want their cheese cold. In my opinion, as a customer, it would be better to ask diners how they wanted their food rather than serving all the components separately.

We came in quite late in the day for coffee and cake. It was about 4.15 on a Sunday when every other cafe was closed. This place was almost full with a party of bikers. We had tea/coffee and cake. Everything was very nice and the Victoria sponge was particularly good.

What a magnificent find!! Glorious day yesterday and we were on our way to High Force from Durham City - couldn't resist a bacon bap and a large coffee and the perfect place for a treat - Really lovely staff too!

Lovely coffee, warm cheese scones to die for and a very interesting deli with a great selection of tasty cheeses. The cafe was very well patronised, not surprisingly. the soup of the day, sweet potato and squash, was highly praised.

Great food, full English breakfast was excellent and great value! great customer service, very friendly! Look forward to our next visit!

For sure the very best deli tearooms in Middleton in Teesdale-if not the entire North East! A really lovely welcome! The team of 3 guys and 2 girls were an absolute delight-they could not have been more friendly, polite and kind. The menu is extensive and having ordered a cheese platter I could not believe the huge portion nor how quickly it was prepared by the loveliest of guys (note a Londoner as I!) who was unflappable and whose attention to detail was just great. A really lovely experience-for sure you will not be disappointed! EXCELLENT!

Everything about this cafe is top drawer I went for a ride out because the weather was better after all the rains of February, I was attracted to the Cafe it looked interesting upon looking through the window I spotted good looking home made cakes.. Well these are exceptional cakes if you have good taste and also the earl grey tea was so good I had carrot cake it was also perfect and cheesy topped. The owner and the two girls serving were so sweet .. They deserve a food/cafe Oscar They are my nomination Other customers had wholesome looking homemade dishes not ordinary way above.. I am Norman owner of the Georgian Window Durham Gift Shop

On a rainy day this cafe was a ray of sunshine. All of the staff are friendly and helpful. The menu is very varied and includes a range of vegan and vegetarian meals. The cafe has a cosy and welcoming atmosphere. All of the cakes looked delicious and we were not disappointed by the lemon meringue pie. It was huge!

A lovely friendly cafe, visited a couple of weeks ago for breakfast, what a treat! Delicious bacon and sausage from local butcher, well presented breakfast! Oh and a lovely big pot of tea! Also the Deli part of the cafe was very good, nice selection of goods! All in all a great find, see you next year!

We haven't been to Middleton since this cafe opened in 2021 and we were intrigued to see what it was like as in our experience there is a shortage of great cafes locally. Unfortunately we had not long enjoyed lunch so we only had room for a coffee. I had a flat white and my wife had a cappuccino. Both were excellent. The cakes looked amazing and they do savoury food so based on our first impressions we will definitely be back.

We were on our way to the waterfalls and stopped for coffee and a bite to eat. Lovely deli and coffee shop. Lovely friendly ladies. Lovely cafetieres of coffee. Lovely breakfast roll and crumpets. And the cakes looked… lovely too, but we couldn’t manage them so early in the day. Can recommend.

My husband & I spent a couple of nights at a hotel in the village which didn't do breakfast & we were recommended to go for breakfast in the village. There were two cafes and as we were staying for 2 nights we tried both cafes for breakfast. This was by far the better cafe and our breakfast was tasty and served wth a cheery greeting and a smile. One small suggestion, could you please remove the stems from the strawberries before servng with the museli? Otherwise a filling and satsfying start to the day. Thank you

Lovely friendly, helpful and welcoming service. Great selection of delicious cakes and sandwiches. Ordered coffee and hot chocolate and a couple of cakes . Owner let me take mugs to the car as my partner struggles with walking. Thank you for that kindness. We appreciate it. Lovely selection in the deli.

Was so happy to find this cafe open til 5pm today (Wednesday) after a long hike. The chap who served me was really nice. I say outside in the sun and had a coffee and slice of Victoria sponge - it was amazing! Would def return if in the area again.

We called in this afternoon hoping for a piece of cake and a coffee. There was an empty table outside. We were looking at the menu stuck inside the window and were approached by a young man saying they were stopping serving as it was 4. It was blunt, unwelcoming and frankly off putting. We walked away, looked at our watches which said 15.57. They do not actually close officially until 5pm. We walked on the the supermarket to get some cake and on our way back passed a couple of men sitting at the previously empty table, tucking into coffee and what looked to be a meat pie. Our faces clearly didn't fit. Terrible approach to customer service.

We called here one Sunny Sunday for a cup of tea and a cup of Coffee, I had the tea and it was lovely and got almost 3 cups from the pot. My daughter had a oat milk latte and she said it was very nice.

We really enjoyed our breakfast here. The food was lovely and the coffee, too. The staff were so friendly and the place has a lovely ambiance.

We had our coffee and cake outside in the sweltering sun. The staff were welcoming and helpful. It was a very popular cafe and was busier than other cafes on the same street. The deli had a good selection of local cheeses, e.g. Cotherstone, but a limited range of charcuterie.

Called in for breakfast before driving home. We had the sausage, bacon and egg barm with a coffee and hot chocolate. It was an amazing experience. Great service and the barms were beautiful. 2 large sausages, 2 Thick rashers of bacon and a freshly cooked fried egg. It was sublime, so tasty and left us totally satisfied. All at a very reasonable price. We would thoroughly recommend visiting this little cafe when in Middleton-in-Teesdale

My husband and I stopped here for breakfast. We both had the full English. It was a huge plateful of food which was hot and delicious. We took a couple of scones with us as well which were amazing. Good coffee too. We will certainly be back next time we are in the area

We stayed locally so had the opportunity to visit. First occasion we had lunch and both had a different grazing board, we shared each others and both were wonderful. We had drinks and cakes quite a few times and always served by friendly and helpful staff. Treated ourselves to a cooked breakfast one morning and we enjoyed every mouthful. Definitely worth a visit. I am sure you won't be disappointed.

We often use this cafe when we are in Middleton in Teesdale. The food is excellent and the value is very good. The service is always excellent with a lot of younger staff learning the art of dealing with customers which is nice to see....

Love this cafe. Rarely can you find somewhere that serves good quality coffee, great atmosphere, fantastic hot food and great service. Delighted to say this place does all four. The scrambled eggs were as good as I've eaten, comparable to a top quality hotel, unlike...

Sat out on the pavement. Had a lovely pot of tea and they did a warm salmon baguette with salad. It was busy and fairly expensive. But I'd recommend this lovely friendly deli. Free parking outside. A lovely area close to walks and high force...

Fantastic home cooked cakes and their main meals are excellent. Definitely worth a visit, good value for money, excellent service. We visited twice whilst staying in Middleton in Teesdale.

Lovely area to stop on our bike trip.Enjoyed good coffee.Friendly helpful staff.Inside and outside seating.Parking near by.

Enticed in by the cute window displays and in need of a breakfast we visited Samuel James Cafe. Friendly staff greeted us and took our order. We had coffee, juice and sausage and egg sandwiches. The best sausages ever (I think they were from the...

An unexpected find! What a lovely friendly local business. The frittata and salad was fresh and tasty, the chilli con carne was tasty too. Cakes looked fantastic and can recommend the lemon meringue pie - all home made. Service was quick and very attentive, lovely...

Our first visit not a good one😞 we placed our order for food and drinks, we had to wait a while it was quite busy so give them the benefit of the doubt, we got our food first 🤔 no drinks yet 😞 we had...

Lunch was lovely. Nice staff. The ploughman’s lunch was delicious especially the chutney. Huge portion. Cheese scone and cake also very yummy and freshly made. Would definitely recommend and visit again if I lived in the North East.

If you go to Middleton you must go to this cafe and try the ploughmans lunch .Very pleasant, efficient staff with reasonably priced food and as I've said the ploghmans is delicious and plentiful.

Lovely food but the service was a bit discombobulated. The lady on the till seems to be doing everything bless her which makes proceedings quite slow. Lots of staff floating round not doing much whilst the poor lady on the till is left looking harassed.

We dropped in for a late lunch. The menu was varied and interesting. We ordered a fairly basic meal which took 30 minutes to arrive. Very tasty and generous portions. The price was reasonable and we sat outside as they only have a few tables...

We attended this cafe today as a group of 6. The cafe only has tables for 4 but we were happy to have some extra chairs around the table to accommodate. Drinks and food arrived promptly and were of a decent quality. The atmosphere in...

Lovely cafe, great coffee and tasty food. Deli style atmosphere with friendly service. I had ham and blue cheese tart and salad with new potatoes. Next going to have the cheese platter.

Love this place and especially their chilli con carne. Make sure that you buy some of their excellent cheese from the deli before leaving. Hoping to return when I visit the area in June.

Fantastic quality breakfast, would definitely recommend. Beautiful scrambled eggs! We visited with our two dogs and they enjoyed the sausages! Very accommodating for the dogs. We will definitely be returning. Good coffee too and great value for money.

Visited here this afternoon. We were pleased to find a cafe open until 6 on a Sunday. It was bustling with customers inside and out. There is a deli serving local cheeses and an array of lovely cakes on display, they also offer soups, light...

Friendly staff. Lovely coffee and cakes. Good selection of cheeses including local makes and a small but quality selection of other deli products.

Lovely meal after 2pm yesterday. Soup and baguettes very tasty and friendly personable service. We enjoyed the Love hearts and chocolates (in a bowl on each table) as it was Valentines day. Well done to the team. The deli and shop side is well stocked...

We had an amazing breakfast, everything was freshly cooked, just to our liking. This cafe also looks great, creates a lovely ambience and lots of little temptation’s that you want to take home with you. The staff are all welcoming, friendly and helpful. It’s becoming...

A great find in Middleton. Lovely atmosphere, pleasant staff, great coffee. Can't wait to visit again.

Really nice cafe. Enjoyed a lovely breakfast here. Friendly staff, lots of nice menu options to choose from.

allways friendly staff and fab food if you go to middleton in teesdale dont miss it most enjoyable place to chill out on a nice or cold day

Lovely tea room in a lovely village, lovely staff and lovely food. Yes, you’ve guessed it…….lovely. Don’t hesitate to give it a visit.

Looking for a cafe that doesn’t close at 4pm and found this lovely place. Excellent food and drinks and very friendly service. An absolute gem!!

We have called at Samuel James twice in as many weeks. Both times had beautifully baked fruit scones and a teapot so big we had endless top ups. The staff are so friendly and the fact that it stays open until 6pm is a bonus....

Had a takeout of the Quiche, both, Quiche Lorraine & Cheese & Leek… beautiful short crispy pastry & gorgeous fillings, will definitely return!! Delicious ❤️

My Granddaughter and I visited this cage She had the pate and I had the ploughman's platter All served fresh Great tasting This is our second visit we love it. And The Deli an added bonus

Delightful light lunch having walked from Baldersdale. The salad, coffee and cakes were all nicely prepared and served. We sat outside enjoying the quiet buzz of this small town. Recommended.

Great little cafe with such friendly staff. Apparently it's only been open a couple of weeks but in the lovely weather we experience while in Middleton the pavement seating (and indoors) was always busy. I really hope this cafe does well as the food was...