Welcome to Carnaby's Cafe
Nestled just off the A1 in Brownieside, Carnaby's Cafe is a delightful pit stop renowned for its exceptional food and warm hospitality. This charming eatery offers a varied menu that features healthy protein options, enticing salads, and freshly baked cakes, ensuring there’s something for everyone. Families love the cozy atmosphere, complete with a play area for children, making it an ideal haven for travelers. Reviewers consistently praise the attentive staff and the high-quality ingredients, emphasizing that every visit is a memorable experience. With a lovely gift shop to browse, Carnaby's Cafe is more than just a cafe—it's a perfect retreat for food lovers.
- Brownieside, Chathill NE67 5HW, United Kingdom Hotline:
Welcome to Carnaby's Cafe, a hidden gem nestled just off the A1 in Brownieside, Chathill. This charming eatery has quickly become a beloved stop for travelers seeking a delightful respite from the road. Customers rave about the exceptional quality of food and the inviting atmosphere that balances the hustle of a roadside rest stop with a tranquil dining experience.
From the moment you step inside Carnaby's Cafe, you’re greeted by friendly staff eager to make your visit enjoyable. Reviewers like Helen Gibbinson have noted the attentive service, showing how the team goes the extra mile to ensure patrons are well-informed, even adapting when kitchen challenges arise. This dedication to customer experience shines through consistently, making it a go-to spot for many, illustrated by Daniel Chorley's long-standing patronage that spans several years.
When it comes to the menu, Carnaby's Cafe excels in offering a variety of delicious options that cater to diverse tastes. With healthy protein choices, vibrant mixed salads, and decadent homemade cakes, there’s something for everyone. From the highly praised giant Club sandwich to tempting sausage rolls that customers like Lucy Clements claim are not to be missed, every dish bursts with freshness and flavor. The coffee is noted as excellent, serving as a perfect companion to the sweet treats on offer, making it an ideal spot for a casual brunch or afternoon pick-me-up.
Families will appreciate the thoughtful additions for children, with play areas designed to keep the little ones entertained. According to Adam Dormer, this aspect allows parents to relax and enjoy their meal while their children burn off some energy, making it a family-friendly option on your journey.
The ambiance, while occasionally described as a bit echoey, is compensated by the welcoming vibe and the presence of a lovely garden where guests can dine al fresco during warmer months. Holly Edmondson captures this perfectly, highlighting the balance of delightful food with a serene environment, where the only sounds are those of laughter and chatter, and the hum of the nearby road fades away. As you browse through the charming gift shop on your way out, you'll undoubtedly find some treasures to take home, further enhancing your visit.
Whether you’re stopping for a quick coffee or a leisurely meal, Carnaby's Cafe promises a remarkable dining experience. With a menu that celebrates quality ingredients and a service-driven philosophy, this café is truly a testament to what a great roadside eatery should be. Don’t miss the chance to indulge in their delightful offerings next time your travels take you along the A1.

Very pleasant stop off the A1. Good coffee, healthy protein options, interesting salads and freshly made cakes. Much better than most roadside rest stops.

A fantastic place to stop off when travelling the A1. Accessible from both directions. Food is amazing. Lovely cafe and area for young kids to play and let off some steam before getting back on the road

The staff were very friendly, upon arrival they explained how and where to order. The food was lovely. The kitchen had a broken oven but a very clear sign on the menu explained this and saved us from ordering certain items which was very useful. The place was quite busy but we did not wait long to be served. Overall a very enjoyable experience.

What a lovely find. Just off the A1 ,but even in the garden you could hardly hear the traffic. High end gift shop, and good service to match. Food was excellent. Service was quick. Lovely small play area for children but kept my 6 year old entertained whilst waiting for his lunch. Took sausage rolls home as looked very tempting, but too much to eat as well as a sandwich.

Lovely place to visit - the food is delicious- gorgeous array of fresh salads, sausage rolls and hot food. The coffee and cake is a lovely treat. Kids love playing in the garden, and on wet days in the cosy kids corner by the fire. And what’s better than a look in the shop on the way out- where I always find things to buy - clothes and gifts.

Back in May 2025. Still awesome. Back in Mar 2024. Still awesome. Back in Jan 2023. Still awesome. -- Back in March 2022. Still as fantastic as I remember it being. Absolute pleasure stopping here. -- I've been visiting Carnaby's on and off for years - it's fantastic, to the point where I'll route myself up the east coast enroute to Scotland just to stop here. A fantastic selection of sausage rolls, quiche, salads, cakes with a lovely shop of bits and bobs, this place is a brilliant stop on the A1 north of Alnwick but just south of the border. Hasn't changed much in the last five or six years, which is fantastic because it's brilliant quality at reasonable prices.

Lovely lovely Eatery, more than a Cafe. Food is always perfect, a lovely range of delicious mixed salads, Huge Club sandwich is my go to, always impressed, staff continually attentive and the service quick and efficient. Definitely worth a visit while in the area. Well done everyone

Had two lovely meals here on a recent trip. Both very good quality ingredients and very tasty. Good value for money too. Ambience a little lacking, it's very echoey and a bit cold feeling inside and rhe hard paved garden could do with some tubs and/or hanging baskets. Just to make the surroundings a bit nicer. The most important bit though is the food and service were both great.