Carnaby’s in Northumberland

Lovely lunch stop on the A1, delicious fresh food.

My son prefers this to the Chilli in Otley as it has a large play area as well as parking and excellent food.

If you are looking for somehere to stop off on the A1 between Newcastle and Edinburgh you might be struggling. This place is great. A nice cafe with a small gift and ladies clothes shop with parking and toilets. Good coffee. Excellent breakfasts. Clean and friendly.

2nd time we've been. We stopped for breakfast on our way to Scotland.. Excellent freshly cooked food at good prices.. Will be back.

Lovely cafe to sit in. We were in the faraway room with the stove so nice and warm. Good breakfast menu - lots of choice. Daughter had the pancakes and bacon which she enjoyed. I ordered the 'mini-veggie' breakfast which was good in parts. The poached eggs were a bit overdone and tasted a bit of vinegar, but the spinach,tomatoes and mushrooms were good. Coffee was nice too. I'd go back next time we pass and try the cakes which looked lovely

Dirty cutlery, dirty cup, asked for a fresh orange juice-got a bottle of juice from concentrate, waited for our food for a long time, service wasn’t friendly.

An absolutely wonderful place to stop and have lunch. The food is all home cooked , beautifully presented and delicious. Friendly helpful staff. Can't wait to return!!!

A perfect place for a meal at any time of the day. We tend to go for a late breakfast or early lunch. The food is all homemade and freshly cooked to order, there is also a chill cabinet with a good selection of sausage rolls, Frittata, and quiche, together with bowls of amazing salads to choose from. My husband does the protein plus 3. I love the smashed avocado with poached eggs and salmon, with a flat grilled mushroom as a extra. An amazing place of you have food intolerances, they take to make sure everything is ok for you.

Best place to stop on A1 and a lovely cafe for just a trip out for breakfast or lunch. Fantastic coffee. Awesome brunch menu and fancy sausage rolls etc. Lovely salad lunch options too. Kid friendly with toy table and outdoor play area. Dogs outside only sadly but understandable. Good disabled toilet and baby change facilities. Lots of seating, lots of parking. (Easy to miss it when southbound - follow Brownieside signpost).

What a lovely place, not only delicious food, but a shop selling pretty things.

Great food and customer service!

Fantastic salads and sausage rolls!

Best cafe ever! Ok, that’s a big statement but it’s the best I’ve been to. Down to one simple thing. The food is amazing. Salads were amazing (cauliflower and chickpea 5⭐️). Curried chicken wrap was beyond all expectations. Shame it’s a 5 hour drive away.

A fantastic cafe beside the A1, serving home made food and great coffee. Staff very friendly and provide excellent service. Always try to stop here when travelling on the A1 as far better than a service station. Toilets are spotless

Wonderful place to stop on the A1 between Alnwick and Berwick but the entrance isn't as well marked as it might be. We stopped here on our way south; you have to turn across the northbound carriageway but it's not very obvious. But the food is sensational - all of it home-baked or home-made, and a wide range of options, mostly from the buffet counter. Great soups and lots of seating space - long tables and benches as well as standard tables. It looks as if there is a fabulous selection of toys to keep children amused - huge toy tractors and diggers were piled up just inside the door to the courtyard. Highly recommended. It's better signed when you're driving north, as we discovered on our return journey.

Relaxed, cafe/restaurant with excellent light meals, cakes and a very good cup of coffee

Excellent place. Loads of staff so you don't have to wait forever and plenty of free parking. Large and airy place with seating and tables that are spaced apart so you don't feel cramped. Very relaxing atmosphere and the selection and range of foods were excellent. The staff in the back are doing a good job here coming up good quality cafe style food. Would definitely return.

A great place to stop on the A1. Food was delicious. Have a shop too

Had a lovely lunch the only thing was it could of been a bit warmer

Lovely airy cafe. We visited here for coffee which was perfect on the cold morning.

Really enjoyed our breakfast here as we headed north. Full breakfast for him, Eggs Benedict with Smoked Salmon for me. Two minor 'niggles' - the teapot could have been filled a lot more and given my husband at least one more cup of tea, and the 3 large bones in my salmon should have been spotted in the kitchen, but other than that it's a great place and one we will visit again.

Very pleasant surroundings,lovely food but the service was very slow.A lot of staff standing around doing nothing.They need to be better trained and more lively.

Our first visit came across it by chance. Lovely coffee. Promised ourselves we will come back for breakfast while we are here for a week.

A great, surprise find straight off A1. Delicious looking homemade food, and vege mini breakfast was lovely.

A nice cafe, just off the A1. Plenty of parking, and a small gift shop area as you enter. It feels like a brunch place, however the burgers and baguettes are big, and come with plenty of chips, enough to fill up anyone. Also with checking out the salad bar for more options that are not listed in the menu.

Ideal spot to stop for lunch on the way north to Dunbar. Modern, clean and helpful staff. Great choice of food. Nice little shop on site.

Quick pit stop for a spot of brunch! Always a great choice of freshly prepared food and drink. Super fast service from staff

Great food, fab device, wonderful atmosphere

Delightful cafe, with an excellent choice of lovely salads.

I had coffee and a brownie. You order & pay at the till, and your order is brought to you. But. But! you then have to get up again to collect your cutlery! You're either a self service or you offer the whole service. The place is bland, little if any atmosphere, the staff more interested in catching up with their lives. The double expresso was OK, tho smaller even than usual, so I used a bit of the extra hot water I often ask for. The brownie was delicious, and a good size. The 'shop' is dark, possibly to obscure the ridiculous prices. I can't imagine there's much turnover of stock. Not somewhere I'd bother with again.

Really nice! The breakfast(s) are a cut-above and, though the prices reflect that, you won't be disappointed. Friendly and helpful staff. Clean and airy indoor shop and restaurant area. Didn't use the outside play area but looked great for children and those immune to North of England weather vagaries.

Wow, what a great space. Popped in for breakfast with my little boy, Staff were lovely very welcoming. Coffee was great and breakfast was perfect!! Definitely returning, child friendly, great all rounder- on the pricier side but well worth it.

It's a great place but can be very noisy in the back area. Not the place to go with anyone with a hearing difficulty!

Lovely cafe to drop into whilst travelling up A1, food lovely and reasonable prices

We were looking for a stop on the A1 and Carnabys came along. They accommodated us even thought they were ready to close. Lovely food. Excellent service and a lovely clean establishment. Thanks very much

My wife and I stopped here last week for lunch. Just off the A1 with plenty of parking and easy access, the food and service were both excellent. Good choice of food and reasonable prices make this a very pleasant stop as opposed to the normal motorway services. Highly recommended.

In spite of reading a bad review dated August this morning we decided to go for lunch as we like it and they always have good gluten free choices for my celiac husband. How pleased we were we went, an excellent lunch served by pleasant staff that also was brilliant value for money.

Stopped here by chance on our journey and we got lucky! We had the spiced brisket with crushed avocado and chips and it was heavenly! We had been pondering what we would be having for dinner but we don't need to worry about it! Lovely chips as well. Very good sized portions, extremely tasty, delish coffee and very friendly service at a very reasonable price. Can't fault anything at all! Will perhaps be stopping again on our long trek home! :) A year later and we were back! This time for pulled pork in a brioche bun and chips, and also a cheeky falafel wrap. Still wonderful and still no need for dinner!!

One of our favourite stops. All the food is very good quality and it’s a nice change to be able to get healthy food whilst travelling.

Great location and food was delicious! Also a lovely little gift shop and play area. Would highly recommend

Lovely food. Sheltered warm sunny outdoor seating for those that want it. Plenty of room indoor space. Lovely service - quick and efficient. Menu is interesting and food excellent quality. What more can you ask for…. Ok then they a lovely shopping area too!

We’ve been coming here for years and it’s always been very good but the new menu change is dire. They’ve clearly got rid of anything complicated for the kitchen to make (think basic sandwiches and chips only now), which is so disappointing.

Had a superb lunch here. The lunchtime sandwiches are delicious. The staff are polite and friendly. There's a good outdoor play area for younger children so parents can relax with a paper and a brew.

First time visiting for me on the recommendation of my cousin who had been before. She was with me and we took our children and nephew (ages 2,3,4 and 7). All was well until, we ate our food. Big portions and enjoyed what we got....

We’ve been going to Carnaby’s for quite a while , we have always looked forward visiting for breakfast on our way to Berwick on Tweed and enjoyed it , standard were good and staff oopleasant , this morning we stopped as usual for breakfast and...

I needed lunch that I could eat while driving and the frittata sounded good. There was a choice of four or five and I picked the tomato, mozzarella and basil. The friendly ladies heated it up for me and I headed back to the car,...

"It had butter on the bread, it was nice"

Best pulled pork bun I’ve ever had, at a great location with friendly service. Couldn’t recommend more.

Delicious food, friendly staff. A relief from motorway services!

What a lovely find! Gorgeous food. Plenty of tables inside. Small outside area with tables and play equipment for kids. Spacious cark park. Few gifts - but quite pricey!

Perfect on every level. Plenty of big toy trucks for my two year old son to to sit on & play park area was a nice addition .

Stopped here for some food on the way back from a long beach walk. We've eaten here a few times previously over the last few years and always enjoyed their food. Today I had the halloumi and red pepper hummous sandwich which was really really...

Nice place to stop, called a few times now, food is good, cannot help thinking a less chic menu in parts would work in their favour,

Good food but poor service. Why when there are four waiting staff standing behind the counter seemingly unoccupied are you asked to take your own cutlery and condiments to the table? The waiting staff seem disengaged and uninterested in their customers, in an area where...

Stopped off here for breakfast after a wedding nearby. There were lots of tables available and we ordered quickly at the counter. We were told our two Carnaby’s breakfasts would be 15-20 minutes. After 35 minutes we went and politely queried how long our food...

Pleasant staff, airy, good play area for children, eat inside or out, fast service!

My husband and I have just been to this cafe as we are staying not far from there for few nights . He had the worse BLT he has ever had . The two slices of bacon were so dry and overdone it almost broke...

Great place to stop off and have refreshments

Very busy, weekday lunch but service quick. Food lovely.

Saw good reviews so stopped here looked nice but having to return dirty cup which was replaced but not with milk or tea to replace then posh fish finger sandwich was oil soaked thick batter with a hint of fish half sweet potato fries burned....

A lovely stop-off for travelling if you are on the A1. Great ambience, quick service and plenty of space. Excellent and unusual salads are a highlight. Also has a rather unusual gift shop section, a few clothes, a few shoes, linens, kitchenware, cards and notelets....

Been several times to eat here, good food ,nice staff quick service. One of us had a bacon sandwich, it was mostly fat, very disappointing ,surely given the other food is of such a good standard the owners can source lean bacon? Will still return...

Being gluten intolerant finding places to eat can be difficult and on our way Bamburgh we thought we would see if we could grab a snack. On arrival the place looked pleasant and was clean and quite busy but the staff were polite and attentive....

. . . coupled with some retail therapy. We enjoyed delicious salads with a falafel wrap and a sour dough bread with avocado. Warm and welcoming. Highly recommended.

Visited here for lunch. Plenty of food to choose from and fresh. Food was tasty and you get a good portion. Will definitely visit again.

This seems like a nice place just off the side of the A1. We came for breakfast as we were staying close by. The breakfasts and lunches both sounded really nice and reasonably priced. The place looks quite newly done and is very open. There’s...

Came here for coffee two days ago and it was so nice we stayed for lunch and have come back again for cooked breakfast again this morning. The restaurant is spacious inside and lots of room outside too for children to play. ( small play...

As other reviewers with dogs have said, this place is most definitely not dog friendly. God forbid you even step foot through the door with a dog, you are stopped and pointed to walk outside to find a seat. It is a shame as looks...

Returned for the first time in a few years and wasn't disappointed. Lunch on way back north with my 8y old daughter. Delicious food, excellent speedy service. Perfect poached eggs. Daughter enjoyed the outdoor play area. No complaints at all.

Excellent in every way. Best hot chocolate I’ve had in ages; splendid home made frittata and quiche to take away for lunch. Friendly, helpful staff and lovely loos!

Great position directly off A1 so stopped off for a break on our way North. First impressions were good, very tidy outside with a good size car park and kids play area. Nice shop inside but very expensive, can't imagine many people calling in for...

We popped in here yesterday on our way to Kelso. I was able to enjoy a Gluten Free meal, Dairy Free was also available. My muggle husband thoroughly enjoyed his meal, all accompanied by a large pot of tea. The waitress was very attentive, I...

Having traveled to Berwick in the morning we were on our way home mid afternoon and Between the 4 of us we decided on stopping off here for a light lunch. We found a table without any problems and checked what we wanted and orders...

We visit every week, enjoying the ever changing array of salads. The menu also has a lovely range of foods and my daughter (6) loves picking one to try new foods and flavours. It’s great for the children to play in the park while the...

Love this place. Frequently visit with my young children as it’s perfect for families without being too child-centric. My son loves the little play park and tractors outside. The food is always beautiful and they make really good coffee!

We called into Carnaby’s on the way back to our property in Bamburgh for lunch. It was lovely, all fresh produce. There is a shop where you can browse gifts. They did some different menu choices. I would say that I will call again.

Sat outside with friends, and their dog....dogs have to stay inside. Had breakfast.....very slow service. Breakfast was OK......if you want black pudding, beans, mushroom or beans...you have to pay £1:00 extra for these individually. It makes the breakfast very expensive, and frankly its overpriced for...

If you are lucky enough to be a dog owner I would spend your money at one of the very very Dog Friendly Cafes and not Carnabys. The assistant spoke to us like we were the enemy not a paying customer. Try The excellent Potted...

Advertised as dog friendly, they are not. Cold miserable day and we were expected to sit outside even with a disabled person in our party. There is plenty of room inside which would be an ideal dog area. Their lose was going to have full...

First visit to Carnaby’s as we were on our way to Edinburgh…it won’t be our last. It is literally off the A1 so saved us diverting into a town for something to eat. As vegetarians, it was nice to find something other than the bog...

We stopped here for a coffee on our way north. Purely by chance, and what a find! One of the best cappuccinos I've had, and a super pot of tea for my husband. Hard to resist the array of delicious frittata and what looked to...

Beautiful food, the salads are amazing. Had breakfast on this occasion which was equally delightful as the lunches here. The kids enjoyed lovely looking pancakes and me and my friend had a full breakfast, one veggie one not, both fantastic. Coffee also very good with...

Visited on Sunday with parents, managed to secure a table by the window. The array of salads always looks so appealing, there was a bit of a wait at the till as it was quite busy, managed to order everything in one go & the...

Blown away by the variety and quality of salads, frittatas, sausage rolls and cakes, and the friendly service. If you are travelling on the A1 north of Alnwick, this delightful gem is really convenient. I need an excuse to visit again soon.

Popped into Carnabys, located around 8m north of Alnwick just off the A1 (N). Good car parking space and upon entry there is a small retail clothes offering that looks nice. Food was tasty and well presented at a reasonable price. However the service was not engaging at all. 4 Staff congregated behind the service counter and spent a lot of the time using their mobile phones - not a great look for the public tbh when it’s meant to be a hospitality sector. Left me feeling a bit of an inconvenience to their day…lower score purely because service didn’t feel great. Otherwise would have been a really nice visit

On a family holiday to Northumberland and Carnarby's was recommended by brother who had visited it several times previously and talked about how good it ones.Very good food and as a bonus a nice gift shop area showcasing some local wares . The club sandwich is particularly good but you won't be disappointed whatever you choose.

Stopped here for a breakfast as we needed to out of our holiday accommodation by 9am. Carnabys opens at 9.30am and by the time the staff opened the gates just after this time there were already 4 cars queuing. Food was good but the pancakes a little on the small side so can only give it 4 stars. Scrambled eggs were lovely and a good big pot of tea. Apple juice also a very generous portion. Great location with a nice big car park.

This was by no means the first time I had visited Carnaby's and it won't be the last. Each time we've had a lovely meal, always something a little bit different. This time I chose the lamb on flatbread; it was delicious, as always and just enough for a lunch-time. There were plenty of choices and the salads always look tempting. I wish other eateries were as good as this.

This cafe sets new standards. Everything is homemade with some very different offerings and exciting salads (difficult to get excited about a salad, but you can here). Warm and welcoming staff, nothing too much trouble, take your dog into the garden, plenty of room and a play area for the kiddies.As you go in, there is a shop section with a cross-section of items from cards, placemats, toiletries, jewellery, clothes and shoes. All tastefully selected with a touch of class. I'm just sorry we don't live near enough to go there regularly!

The food, service and atmosphere was excellent. Do not know why the mardy bum who reviewed it a week ago is banging on about. The women were working really hard and were lovely and efficient. The food was tasty and there was excellent choice. Mardy bum may need to reset their gratitude meter.

Came here with a party of friends and we had a lovely relaxed lunch and were not hassled to hurry. The salad bar is excellent and most of us chose a selection of three salads - all delicious and full of interesting flavours. There is a menu other than salads, frittatas, pies etc if you wish something different. Prices are very fair for the quality of the food. Service can be very slow, in part because people are standing staring at the salads and wondering which to select. The rustic atmosphere of the place is very pleasant but acoustics are not good. So if the place is busy with lots of people talking, it is hard to hold a peaceful conversation.

So pleased to discover this to the North of Newcastle. Delicious food, beautiful barn conversion surroundings and relaxed atmosphere. Really enjoyed it and would thoroughly recommend a trip there if you're in the area. James & Liz Denley

We visited this venue today and with difficulty ordered four meals and four drinks. There are a lot of young girls milling about who are supposed to be serving but seemed completely clueless and vacant. One hot drink didn't arrive at the table at all and then one of the hot meals was incorrect. I was assured it wouldn't take long to replace but after waiting and asking several times I had to go to the counter for a fourth time!In the middle of the meal a waitress stretched across two people still eating, to take an empty plate from the opposite side of the table.The efficiency, politeness and speed of service is non existent. I live in the area and go to Carnaby's regularly but won't be returning. I will certainly advise friends against going.

Really friendly staff. They were all so helpful. I ordered the Breakfast Pancake but unfortunately they had run out. But no worries, as I pondered the menu for another delicious offering I was informed they would knock up some more just for me before the breakfast menu ceased. We lingered, chatting to our chums over several more coffees without ever feeling rushed. We couldn't feel rushed because we weren't.I was in a car this time but I see it will cater for hungry cyclists very well indeed. See you on two wheels next time.Peter Frampton

Amazing sandwich, deliciously moorish cake to follow and latte just right. An extremely welcome break on a long journey down from Scotland with a shop full of wonderful clothes too!

I would like to draw everyone's attention to 3 reviews in July 2021 titled "Drop in Standards" "Fabulous Food-arrogant atmosphere" "Very disappointed". I am afraid I have to add my voice to those comments.Arrived to find a note on the gate that the Kitchens close at 3.00 pm . Having checked on their website before leaving the opening hours are shown as 9.30 am to 4.00pm and their cooked menu was from 11.30 pm . We decided to have a late lunch / early dinner and arrived, after travelling 13miles, to find a makeshift sign pinned to a half closed gate saying kitchens closed at 3.00pm. We arrived at 2 minutes to 3.00 and we placed our order , after signing in for Covid, at 1 minute past 3.00. We were refused any cooked food.Very poor customer service or in our case no service. Why don't they bring your web site up to date?Shows lack of regard for customers.Went to Sunnyhills at Belford which was full of customers unlike Carnabys.

My husband and I enjoyed coffee and a delicious cake (looked home-made). All the food looked lovely with a great selection of salads. The staff were very polite and helpful and the surrounding were very clean, tidy and spacious. Lovely enclosed play area for children with outdoor tables. Will definitely visit again.

Wow, what an amazing place! Lovely light, spacious environment, friendly staff and knock-out food. My lentil dhal was absolutely perfect, and my husband’s pork burger was delicious. Oldest child defeated by the size of the very tasty sausage sandwich, and youngest found the chicken goujons just right. Thank you for a really delicious lunch!

This was our first time visiting and we were extremely pleased. The food was amazing. Once the food arrived, I asked the lady if we could order a couple of bowls of chips, and she said it was no problem. Lovely food, great service, would recommend .

Having visited frequently in the past (pre lockdown) for both breakfasts & lunch, we were looking forward to our return visit. We had always appreciated the standard & quality of the freshly prepared meals. Alas much had changed! There was still evidence of lovely looking pastries & salads in the refrigerated display, but we hoping for a lovely breakfast …………Service was slow (to say the least) with the delivery of drinks arriving far ahead of our meals, meaning that we either had to leave them for when our meals arrived (meaning they would be cold) or drink them while waiting - meaning we wouldn’t have a drink with our meal (? A business ploy to make you buy further drinks??)Eventually the breakfasts arrived, to be fair my scrambled egg on toast was lovely, but my husbands full English breakfast was unacceptable. The main problem was the bacon which had clearly been cooked in a deep fat fryer (don’t deny it!) & was burned! It was so dark & crispy as soon as it was touched, it crumbled to pieces , but genuinely - parts of it was almost black! The sausage wasn’t much better, having had the same cooking treatment. I personally would have been embarrassed to serve it. I complained at the service hatch & was told that they would replace the bacon - at no time was there an apology offered ! Poor customer service.My mother had the cheese & bacon croissant which, although she said it was tasty, it was also overdone- ??been waiting under a hot pass too long as the croissant was dry & over crumbly, the cheese was ‘set’ & the bacon not dissimilar to my husband’s overdone offering.All in all very disappointing - particularly the lack of appropriate customer service - apologising at the time would cost nothing & would have improved customer satisfaction enormously