Cavendish Restaurant at Chatsworth

We visited today with 2 friends,the food was excellent and well prepared and presented. One small comment was about the starter I had : Beetroot and Goats cheese salad : there was a good serving of lovely beetroot and 4 small 'dots' of goats cheese - I would have thought there should have been roughly equal amounts.Apart from that everything was lovely as were the staff.

Great food, stylish place. Festive experience. We have been serve by a gentleman who was very good with costumers, well spoken. The downside was that they did not have kids friendly menu.

The food was excellent! The polenta was cooked to perfection and the sea bass was tasty, especially served with samphire! The chocolate raspberry tart melted in the mouth. Divine.

My husband and I visited The Cavendish on Sunday 1st March for afternoon tea, a retirement gift from work colleagues.... What a wonderful experience this was, our hosts Jane and Adele took care of us from the moment we arrived at the door, serving fabulous food and recommending perfectly paired tea's for each course, the cakes and scones were incredibly light and fresh. The dark chocolate fancy was sublime 😍

On behalf of my Mum: My daughters and I recently went for lunch at the Cavendish restaurant during our visit to the Christmas market, house and gardens. It was the 3rd time we’d been and once again it didn’t disappoint. The quality of food and level of service are excellent and the restaurant itself is tastefully decorated and very comfortable. An outstanding member of the team was Adele who took time to help with our menu choices and was utterly charming, which made the visit all the more enjoyable.

Was lovely, only downside is the tea is served in large quantities preventing you from sampling much of their offerings available in the set menu choice.

Dinner at The Cavendish is almost as ennobling as with the Cavendish. Charming service, atmospheric decor and delicious food. I recommend especially the Ox Cheeks.

Wonderful place to recharge after a day in the gardens at Chatsworth. Courteous and friendly service, great food and a distinct feeling that "the extra mile" is normal fare for the people working there. Well worth a visit.

Lovely afternoon tea to complement Chatsworth Christmas markets

Beautiful surroundings Beautiful food and beautiful service ❤️

afternoon tea for two people, fantastic food and service. A lovely afternoon 😊

Sadly no snaps. Lovely festive menu, service and ambiance. If we go there no more frequently, we go there every Xmas and never disappointed.

This was our 10th year at Christmas for Afternoon Tea, as always we were made to feel very special. Highly recommended.

I dined at The Cavendish with my wife, our daughter and her boyfriend. Stunning restaurant great service and the food was first class, 3 courses with coffee and petit fours. I had the salmon starter followed by duck breast and then blood orange and chocolate tart. Others had the amazing pork chop. Wine was reasonably priced for location . A great meal with nice attentive service. Looking forward to dining here again. Thank you.

A very special place to go. We went for afternoon tea and were treated like royalty. The food was very good - possibly not quite enough for a big appetite, but more than enough for us. We loved the crockery and cutlery, which were very colourful

Had a brilliant lunch here today! Salmon mousse to start, perfectly pink duck breast with the best fondant potato I've ever tasted, then dark chocolate and blood orange tart. All highly delicious! The staff are warm, welcoming and friendly. Fantastic all around.

A very nicely set restaurant - we came for Mother’s Day afternoon tea and the staff were extremely accommodating with our wheelchair user in the group. The food is very generous and we were blown away by how full we were getting half way through the meal! Highly recommended!

Such a beautiful and classy restaurant. All the staff's we came across were very kind and professional. We came here for late lunch. The food was amazing, I got the ham hock terrine it was my first time having this and oh my goodness I love it, the flavour and texture was yummy! We got the sea-bass too and that was amazing!

I’d bought afternoon tea vouchers and thought I’d booked us in, but obviously I must’ve completed the booking. It was part of a surprise 21st gift for my daughter, I was quite stressed, but the staff were so wonderful they managed to fit us in and looked after us so well. I would highly recommend it for the service alone. The food was also incredible, they even did a special 21st plate for my daughter. A memorable experience for all the right reasons.

Visited for lunch today to celebrate a birthday. The friendly and helpful staff were lovely and the food was faultless. It was beautifully cooked and full of flavour. One of the nicest meals I've had in a while. We were there for two and a half hours and never felt rushed. It was a truly enjoyable experience that we will repeat soon! Thank you!

Can't praise the Cavendish enough. The service today by Courtney and the team was 1st class. Courtney honestly couldn't have been more helpful, nothing was too much trouble. The food was delicious, presented beautifully and perfect portions. Very, very impressed and would highly recommend.

We had dinner after visiting the Christmas market. The food and service were excellent and we would definitely return when we visit Chatsworth again.

We spent the day in the Chatsworth House gardens to celebrate our daughter's birthday. We had lunch at the Cavendish Restaurant. It was an extremely pleasant experience. The food was absolutely brilliant. Service was first class. We were assisted by Adam. He was extremely polite, well spoken and efficient. The restaurant was clean. The atmosphere was very calming. We all had a great time. Our daughter said she had a memorable time. I have no hesitation in recommending the restaurant.

Came to the long queu for super delicious ice cream. I got the Bakewell tart flavour which is died for. However, service was very slow, short of staffs for a bank holiday weekend.

Had lunch there before heading into Chatsworth. Food was decent and the services were attentive. The prawn linguine was delicious but would like the pasta more al dente. Overall lovely dish. Love their tea sets too.

Delicious sea bass, great service, and pleasant ambience. Wonderful wine, coffee and puddings. Not sure anyone in charge of the restaurant read's this, but a couple of comments: if these were sorted out this restaurant could be 5star. 1. Why add salt to a side order of green garden vegetables? - can't we do that. 2. Fennel starter chewy and totally undercooked - nice marinade but needed more attention from the chef. 3. Background rock festival style music (poor speakers so could only hear the top end anyway) blaring out from the kitchen area unsuitable for a 2.30pm higher end 3x course meal - is it needed? It is thoughtless, in bad taste and spoils the spirit of the place trying to sell to a higher end market. Really enjoyed the meal overall though, but wanted to mention these points as I genuinely believe this place has the potential to be really top notch.

+3

During our recent visit to the restaurant, we had the afternoon tea for three individuals. However, upon arrival, we discovered that we had inadvertently forgotten our vouchers. Despite presenting an email and photographic evidence of the tickets, we were told to pay the full amount and subsequently incur additional expenses for recorded delivery to return the vouchers, thereby seeking a full refund. In comparison to our previous visit, the tea selection this time was significantly less than half. Notably, we were provided with standard white teapots, last time being more decorative, identical to the cups. While these observations may be considered minor, the culinary offerings were exceptional, and we found no aspect of the afternoon tea that we would wish to alter. Nevertheless, we acknowledge that the restaurant has room for improvement in certain areas.

This was our first time dining here as we normally have our dogs with us. What a lovely place to have lunch. Nice views out into the courtyard. Value for money was very good. Food was well presented and very tasty. Our server was polite and courteous. It does seem that most of daytime food is for the High Tea. There was a good age range of people dining who’s is always nice to see. Would I recommend The Cavendish, yes, definitely for the lunch. The only thing that did not please me was when I called in to make a reservation, I was out walking my dogs, the lady taking the booking looked at me and there was a definite pause before she looked at booking schedule, almost as if to insinuate I couldn’t afford to eat there.

+2

I ordered the chicken, was absolutely beautiful and the black forest was also delicious. Our servers were very sweet and bathrooms were clean. Relatively pricy but that’s expected.

My daughter and I treated ourselves to lunch here following our visit to Chatsworth House & the Gardens and the service was excellent. The food was very good too.

The Cavendish takes its name from the illustrious family that has occupied Chatsworth. It's located in the former stables--there were a lot of horses back in the day! I thought my arancini appetizer was delicious even though the tomato sauce was not made with fresh tomatoes. I was disillusioned when I saw the same arancini at the Farm Shop deli. The vegetable garniture for the lamb had been sautéed too much and had a charred taste. Parboiling and a quick sauté in butter or olive oil would have been better. While service was up to par for such elegant surroundings it could be improved by more attention to detail such as uncorking the water decanter, moving the sugar bowl within reach of the guest, and never leaving the reception area unattended at any time. Actually I got the impression that they were understaffed. I couldn't see the rest of the dining room and perhaps they were swamped. That would explain things. I assume Chatsworth will not find these comments too fussy as the follow up visit questionnaire is quite long and detailed.

Reserved an outdoor table as I was in a wheelchair and had two small dogs, was informed by phone on the way to Chatsworth that afternoon tea cannot be served outdoors as it is served on wedgewood crockery which they wont use outdoors. We decided to keep the reservation and have the regular lunch, which they WILL serve outdoors. As we approached the counter to be seated, the person behind the desk was on the phone, looked at us and turned her back on us - eventually a server came to seat us - not the best customer service. We asked if they would serve us the afternoon tea on normal plates which they wouldn’t - but informed us it was because there would be “wasps and flies” attracted by the jam?! A different server came out and told us it was due to the first reason given (wedgewood). The three course lunch was nice apart from the vegan dessert - a rock hard pineapple finger and a scoop of sorbet. It was very difficult to even cut through and contained some of the tough outer part of the pineapple. This was generously taken off the bill, although when I sent it back I wasn’t offered an alternative, replacement or informed about what was going on, it was just removed from the table and the bill was brought soon after. I think a wise thing to do would be to have the vegan desserts (at least one) that are advertised with the afternoon tea - as options for the general menu - which sound really good - because no vegan / or anybody wants a single “poached” pineapple finger at that price point (or at all). I bet the crumble could be so easily veganised too with minimum prep. Service overall felt a bit clumsy / food was ok. Gnocchi was 10/10 Not sure if the outdoor ban on afternoon tea is stated on the website, if so that’s my fault - if not, add it! (I’m just moaning because nowhere does vegan afternoon tea and I was excited).

We Dined here a Few days ago and the staff are definitely the stars here. Libby & Gabby were lovely a credit to them both. The actual overall experience regarding the food was a little under whelming. All fresh but the scones were tiny, and the sweets were tiny too considering we paid a £100 for the privilege. Nice to try the different teas but the overall experience didn't match up to some other places of the same price. It didn't feel a treat or luxury at all. There was a group party who were so loud we couldn't here ourselves speak. I really wanted to give this top marks but it just doesn't have the quality. The staff are the stars not the afternoon tea unfortunately. Free parking at chatsworth if you have a reservation!!

+3

I recently visited Chatsworth House for afternoon tea and was left disappointed. For £55 per person, I expected something special, but what we received was very average. We waited around 30 minutes before even being served a drink, which set the tone for the rest of the visit. The staff themselves were lovely, but the overall service felt slow and unorganised. The food was fine, but nothing memorable — certainly not the standard you’d expect at this price point. This was my second visit, and unfortunately it will be my last. For £55, both the service and the quality should be immaculate, and neither were. A real shame.

We were served by Kath for afternoon tea and she was very nice. The atmosphere was a little off as the afternoon tea experience was mixed with the restaurant/ lunch buyers meaning it was a bit different. The food was ok, however I think it should be presented better. For £300 pounds for 6 it was too much money for an ok experience

Our restaurant experience ruined what was going to be a lovely day (celebrating our wedding anniversary). The lady serving us was being very judgmental & patronising of us ordering one afternoon tea to share between the two of us. Tried to put us off ordering 1 afternoon tea , like desperately tried probs so the company can gain more money 💰 I feel like when you order an item from the menu, you are paying for that item, not for how many of you are eating it. She spoke down to me & my husband - one of us/both of us could have had an eating disorder/body dysmorphia/recovering from obesity/on medication/mental health struggles. I feel like if this was said to the wrong person it could have adverse effects. Also the quantity of food for just under £50 was appalling... I feel like there was more quantity of food in the £3.50 ice cream cone we got after. The ice cream definitely left us feeling more full. Again, I understand it was made for 1 person, but honestly it wasn’t even enough for one person. We wouldn’t have been that bothered if the service wasn’t so terrible. I mentioned this to the manger who said he would mention it to the waitress… never got an apology or even how was your experience not even a goodbye. Not that we were expecting this but the level of respect and service was at an all time low. I’m not one to complain but this personally really ruined my day. 10/10 would NEVER recommend the afternoon tea 😂 And one last thing - they bring the afternoon tea dishes out 1 at a time with about (what felt like) 5-10mins waiting in between 💀

A while ago we went for a pre Christmas lunch, intending to enjoy a festive meal. Unfortunately, we left disappointed. The food was very average and cold, perhaps due to the long wait. But the biggest disappointment was the burnt Christmas pudding. The service was very good and the staff were lovely but regrettably, it distaise remain.

Tourist trap. £49pp for afternoon tea and the scones tasted worse than what you may serve yourself using heated Waitrose ones. The sweet pastry plate was also over-sweet and tasted plastic, unfortunately. And I have to say their booth is also too tight to extend my legs.

After a long day of exploring chatsworth, I decided I’d like a nice warm sit-down meal so entered this establishment. The hostess appeared shocked when I asked for a table, and then proceeded to faff around with her ipad that wasn’t turning on and started rambling on about how she doesn’t think its possible and then said the kitchens were closing soon. Mind you it was 2pm, more than 2 hours before they close. She then proceeded to seat the couple who came in behind me as i was leaving. I stood there flabbergasted how brazenly she turned me away and then sat them. I read another review that said they didn’t like it when food was only ordered for one person because they’re money hungry- might be that. Or perhaps had something to do with either how I was dressed or me being a visibly non-white, non-christian person. She didnt even ask if I only wanted afternoon tea or if i wanted lunch so that was not the differentiator between me and the white couple who came in behind me and were seated. Shocking. To Chatsworth house, you have people of all cultures and backgrounds coming to visit- I advise you either fix whatever is wrong with the snobby attitude at the only restaurant in the vicinity, or provide a real alternative for a restaurant. There was nothing else for me to eat at the time. In the cafe, which i was rudely dismissed and pointed in the direction towards by the hostess, they were already taking away the lunch items and the sandwiches sitting out looked unappetising. I even ventured to bakewell for something to eat only to find nothing substantial or suitable for my diet, and proceeded to return to chatsworth house to have a couple bags of crisps and a coffee instead. Loved walking past this pretentious restaurant to see the couple that had been sat after me having their meal that clearly the kitchens were able to prepare despite supposedly already being closed.

I visited The Cavendish at Chatsworth House on Monday 25th August 2025 around 11:30 am and had one of the worst customer service experiences I have ever had. An older white lady served me and her behaviour was dismissive, rude, and completely unprofessional from start to finish. She ignored me at first, then when I ordered an iced caramel latte, she snapped “is that all?” and after I paid, she gave me a hot latte instead. When I pointed this out politely, she raised her voice in front of other customers and claimed I had asked for it that way, which simply was not true. I was left embarrassed while she stormed around and made another drink. She then made it in a sit-in glass even though I wanted takeaway, and when I said so, she became visibly irritated, banging things around. Eventually, she shoved the drink onto the counter in a takeaway cup with no lid. It spilled over my cashmere blouse, which was both upsetting and damaging. When I asked the younger blond-haired staff member for a lid, he was polite, apologised, and tried to help. The difference in professionalism between him and his colleague was night and day. I then noticed that another older white customer nearby was treated with friendliness and even given her mistaken drink for free, while I was treated with hostility and disrespect. I strongly feel that I was treated differently because I am Asian, which makes this not just bad service but discriminatory behaviour. This experience ruined what was meant to be a nice day out with my baby and family. I left feeling humiliated. Unless this is addressed properly, I will continue to share my experience so others are aware.

Save your money and go to Betty’s in York instead! We spent £165 on an afternoon tea for 3 people. It was my mum’s birthday, which I stated upon booking, and this apparently made no difference to the reservation as she never got so much as a happy birthday or was made to feel special in any way. There were barely any sandwiches, and the waitress had a hard time accepting that we wanted English breakfast tea instead of speciality teas without any milk or sugar in them. When she did brink our normal tea, we were given next to no milk. The scones were tiny without enough jam or cream for three people. Onion soup to start with was laughable - there were around three teaspoons of soup in a tiny pot - and sorbet to cleanse your palate when there’s been barely enough sandwiches to have it cleansed! Not sure what the deal is with the afternoon tea being split into courses that are brought out with ten minutes or more between them. The only part that vaguely resembled a proper afternoon tea was the sweet stand which had no variety and was incredibly hyped up and tasteless. The atmosphere was dead, just the same music on a loop. Not worth the money.

The saltiest food I have ever been served it was not good at all. Sorry, I really wanted to like this place, but it was greatly over priced and I can't recommend it.