Nice selection of cafes there! Totally agree about Whiteways, only ever have coffee there now after a particularly unpleasant burger. I do enjoy going there, as the ride down from Winchester via the A272 is a good one and the number of bikes you get makes it worthwhile. After coffee I now head down to eat at the Waterside Cafe in Arundel. http://www.arundel.org.uk/detail Will definitely be trying the one at Amberley next time I'm down that way!
Went to Whiteways last week, had a very nice sausage, egg and bacon bap and the toilets seemed reasonably ok if a bit small for a popular spot. BUT, I did go there on a Monday lunchtime, so it was quiet. I did get the impression that it wouldn't take much to overwhelm the speed of service or toilets, so it seems it's ok if quiet but avoid at weekends/holidays..... Went to Loomies the day before, on Sunday, it was heaving. Didn't bother parking and went back to the Departure Lounge instead.
A good run for me passes Seaways in the Yorkshire Wolds (already mentioned) and on to Squires near Sherburn in Elmet, some great roads & good grub!
You are quite right, a week day or otherwise quiet day makes Whiteways far more tolerable I was being a little too harsh.
The FOOD STOP CAFE, A442 Quatford, near Bridgnorth, WV15 6QJ Popular bikers' cafe with a good, basic menu at great prices. Always bike or daily newspapers to read, plenty of room inside and a few tables on the 'patio' outside which overlooks a reasonable sized car park, though this can get VERY crowded on sunny days! The staff are incredibly friendly and helpful, the atmosphere is great (the Michelin Guide mentions "an ambience of genuine rustic charm inspired by arcadian views over the Severn Valley"); almost always a variety of bike/biker 'types' here but never seems in any way intimidating and open every day of the week, I think. On a good summer's day you might catch a glimpse of a locomotive on the Severn Valley railway line a half mile or so away to the west. If it's too busy to park, there is a cafe a few hundred yards north (Tony's) but I haven't been in the place since it changed from a Little Thief/Chef. P.S. Plus one on the recommendation of Lillie Langtry's in Stockbridge. Not a biker's place but a really nice cafe in a great location - and they provide bread/scraps for feeding the ducks on the stream. P.P.S. I was, of course, 'pulling the collective plonker' about the Michelin Guide thing! Soooorrreeeee!
Correct - Lillie's is definitely NOT a biker's cafe - actually many of the ones I mentioned don't fall into the classic definition of a "biker's cafe" but are nonetheless nice places, and have been tolerant of 5 or 6 blokes in body armour popping in for a nice cuppa or breakfast. Just remember to hold your 'pinkie' out straight when sipping tea from the porcelain cups and to tuck your napkin in your top button hole... Oh, and have a bath first.
That's Stockbridge for you! Never actually stopped here as Stockbridge is only 10 minutes away from where I live - but I pass through it a lot!
Has Apache Cafe been mentioned yet? https://www.armyflying.com/café Not a bad breakfast and you can watch the aircraft as well, seen anything from training flights to Apache helicopters when I've been there. There's also a museum although it's apparently closed until April currently for refurbishment.
Wow - never knew that was there! It's just a jolly jaunt (50 miles) so will definitely suggest it to the fellow muppets I ride out with as a destination - a quick look around the museum (when open) would be great! Cheers!
The Ponderosa Cafe & BB situated on the A542 at the top of the Horseshoe Pass near Llangollen North Wales. Good selection of food. Seating inside and out. Plenty of good parking. Can be very popular and you get the occasional coach party. Very handy for North Wales twisties. Watch out for the camera vans and static speed cameras on the A roads (That’s why my riding buddy and I use a lot of ‘B’ roads) http://horseshoepass.jigsy.com/
Strawberry Fields Cafe at Crockey Hill on the A19 just south of the junction with A64. Good breakfast and a convenient leg stretch for me from Yorkie Towers when I go to Whitby etc via Buttercrambe.
No, but I was going to - been there many times and food is good - can sit outside on the roof terrace and watch the aircraft in good weather.
How about "Ooh Nice Baps" at Milborne St Andrew, Dorset on the A354? www.facebook.com/pages/Ooh-Nice-Baps/627492480777473
