Chapters Tea Rooms and Restaurant

Lovely little café which we stumbled upon after a walk around the castle. It has a certain charm due to it’s wooden furniture and counters. We perched on the bar stools near the window to enjoy our afternoon tea.
The tea was rather nice and the size of the tea cakes and scones was just right. We were left full after eating our finger sandwiches which came in two or three varieties. The place was completely empty so it was a quiet meal but the wait staff was friendly and delivered our 3-​tier afternoon tea within 5 minutes, which was great as we were in dire need of the pick-​me-​up. I don’t remember being wowed by the cream or jam but the pastries were really nice. I would come back and try their lunch/​brunch menu the next time I am in that neck of the woods.

I am embarrassed to say that I have lived in Durham for over three years and never been to Chapters until the other day. True, on the the outside it looks like another boring, run of the mill café, but I was happily surprised when I went inside.
First of all, there is much more seating than there first appears. The décor is nice and it looks like there is now some kind of milkshake bar upstairs. I am happy to report that the menu has a much more interesting range than most places in Durham. Duck and orange salad, grilled chicken burgers, and cinnamon toast arent things we normally get around here. I had the chicken burger and it was great. Artisan bread, fancy lettuce, the works. Also happy to report that the service was some of the best I have had in Durham. Really friendly, helpful, and quick.
Yay for finding a new enjoyable place in Durham!

Popped in for a Saturday lunch during shopping. Although from the front of the shop it doesn’t look very big but on investigation there are plenty of seating areas. Toilets are upstairs so would be a problem for disabled persons, also lots of steps within. Staff bright & happy in their work. One minor point is, we asked for a slice of lemon for sparkling water & they didn’t have any. Overall a reasonable experiance.

Nice place for a tea or coffee and something to eat, it is a little pricey compared to similar places nearby but it didn’t take credit/​debit cards last time I was in which isn’t great. It’s a good place for people watching if you get a seat in the window