Eating Out review: Lunch at The Coffee Shop in Osmotherley

With that in mind, while waiting for a group of friends cycling from the west to east coasts in a day to reach us, we called at The Coffee Shop in Osmotherley for lunch.

Having previously stopped off there for cake, we – my sister Claire and two friends – were well aware that the recently expanded premises are much more than "just" a coffee shop, offering some really interesting, seasonal specials alongside the more standard fare of breakfast buns, sandwiches and toasties.

The cafe is opposite the cross in the centre of the village, and our outdoor table provided an excellent vantage point to watch the scores of day-trippers heading out towards Cod Beck Reservoir, and cheer on the early front-runners in the C2C.

On Saturday the specials were a selection of tartines – open sandwiches served on sourdough toast (all £10.50). I went for one with English asparagus, new potatoes, peas, prosciutto crudo and raclette, while our friend Bettina had ham hock with pease pudding, pickled cabbage and mustard.

Her son went for a bacon and sausage ciabatta (£6.90), and Claire chose a toasted club sandwich (£9.25).

All were clearly freshly prepared and arrived beautifully presented. My tartine was pretty much a perfect summer lunch – light but satisfying, with the cheese not overpowering the potatoes and greenery, and the sturdy sourdough providing a perfect base. Wonderful.

Likewise the ham hock version, which was pretty as a picture and tasted just as good, with a fabulous combination of flavours.

Claire's turkey club sandwich was slightly on the heavier side, and the toasted bread was a little tough to eat, but it was packed with filling and went down a treat. Similarly, the bacon and sausage ciabatta was not shy with its contents, and the bacon was nicely crispy.

We still had an hour to kill before our cyclists were due, and, thinking of the long, afternoon ahead, we got a second round of hot drinks and ordered some cakes. Again, the offering is just that bit different to many other cafes, and between us, we had spiced carrot and walnut, polenta and rhubarb, raspberry and orange cakes, and millionaire shortbread.

All were absolutely delicious, with the cakes having big chunks of filling, but the standout had to be my raspberry and orange. I do not say this lightly (and the sunshine may have got to my head) but it might just be the best slice of cake I have ever had. And I've had a lot. Lighter than light, fruity and moist, it was spectacularly good.

Raspberry and orange cake at The Coffee Shop, Osmotherley - possibly the best slice of cake I've ever had

The bill for the four of us came in at £76.90 – not the cheapest, but it felt like good value for the excellence of the food and lovely surroundings. If you visit and sit outside like we did, make sure you pop in to see the colourful mural on the back wall.

Service throughout was great – efficient and friendly on a busy day with tables inside and out to manage.

Bill paid, we finished our drinks and reluctantly left The Coffee Shop behind, lest our cyclists arrive at our nearby meeting point and, 110 miles into their gruelling ride, find us not there armed with goodies and cool drinks as promised, but instead enjoying a lazy lunch elsewhere.

After seeing them at Sheepwash, we stopped to help patch up an injured C2C rider at Danby, before cheering on our group at Commondale, Egton, and then across the finish line at just after 7pm. A long day supporting so we were very glad indeed to have eaten so well in Osmotherley.

But of course, it was an even longer day for the cyclists, who'd left the Cumbrian coast just after 5am, and did amazingly through the heat and hills to complete their epic 150-mile ride.

The Coffee Shop

West End, Osmotherley, DL6 3AA

Open Wednesday to Monday, 9am to 4.30pm, closed Tuesdays

Ratings (out of ten): Food quality 9 Service 9 Surroundings 9 Value 8