We visited Willow Farm Cafe near York after hearing a lot about the play area. My toddler doesn’t exactly sit still at mealtimes, so a cafe with somewhere for him to burn energy while we ate seemed like a very good idea. If you’re searching for the Willow Farm Cafe menu or wondering if it’s worth the trip, here’s our honest account.
Our Visit to Willow Farm Cafe
Willow Farm Cafe is just outside of the York ring road, it sits off B1363 Wigginton Road in York near the Web Adventure Park. The cafe has a free car park, though it was very full when we arrived at 1 pm on Thursday afternoon. We were lucky as someone was just pulling out as we arrived.
There’s a cafe, a gift shop, and a play area for children.
It has a farm-style vibe and quiet setting. The cafe wasn’t as busy inside as the car park led us to believe. We got a seat right away. It’s a relaxed place to eat. A member of staff gave us menus and told us we could sit where we wanted. There were a few groups of mums and babies, so it’s clearly a great place for mums to meet up.
Willow Farm Cafe Menu
The Willow Farm Cafe menu covers all-day breakfast (served until around 11:30am), brunch, and lunch. There’s a good selection including omelettes, jacket potatoes, sandwiches, and hot dishes like the steak and ale pie. The afternoon tea option makes it a good stop if you fancy something a bit more special. The kids’ menu is well priced and includes the sort of things children actually eat — fish fingers, sausages, and sandwiches. The cake stand is worth a look too. When we visited, the selection looked brilliant — cheesecakes, scones, traybakes. A comment on one of my posts mentioned the toffee cheesecake specifically as being worth a trip on its own, and I believe it.
My mum and I ordered an omelette, my dad had steak and ale pie, while my toddler had fish fingers, chips and beans.
We did enjoy our food, the only criticism is that the toddler’s meal came on a tiny plastic plate. The amount of food wasn’t the issue, but a bigger plate would have been better, as his chips and fish fingers kept falling off when he was eating his food.
Play Area At Willow Farm
Now, onto the best part about Willow Farm. It has a brilliant play area! It’s one of those great places where you can sit and watch as your children play. There were tables outside, and we ended up eating outdoors so my son could play.
The adventure playground has a large wooden climbing frame with a slide, a few little bits of soft play toys, a bouncy castle and a wooden playhouse. Undercover, there’s an area for under 5s only, which has some toys, slides, busy boards on the wall and other toys for them to play with.
They even do birthday parties where you can have the play area to yourself.
We had a great experience there as my son was able to play while we waited for our food. We were there for 3 hours in total as he was having such a good time!
Willow Farm Cafe
Willow House
Wigginton Road
York
YO32 2RH
Open daily 9am – 4pm
Willow Farm Cafe is open daily 9 am – 4 pm
Final Thoughts on Willow Farm Cafe York
Willow Farm Cafe is exactly what you want from a family cafe — decent food, reasonable prices, and a play area that means you can actually sit and enjoy a coffee rather than chasing a toddler around. The farm setting is lovely, the staff were friendly, and the cake stand looked spectacular. We were there for three hours and my son would happily have stayed longer. It’s a good shout for a weekday visit when the car park is slightly less hectic. Just don’t come without double-checking the parking situation first.
FAQs About Willow Farm Cafe York
Where is Willow Farm Cafe York?
Willow Farm Cafe is just off Wigginton Road (B1363), north of York, near the Web Adventure Park. It’s about a 10–15 minute drive from York city centre. There’s a free car park on site.
What is on the Willow Farm Cafe menu?
The Willow Farm Cafe menu includes all-day breakfast, brunch, and lunch. Expect omelettes, jacket potatoes, sandwiches, hot dishes like steak and ale pie, and a kids’ menu priced at £3.95. They also do afternoon tea and have a selection of homemade cakes and ice cream. The menu changes so it’s worth checking their Facebook page for current options.
Does Willow Farm Cafe York have a play area?
Yes — this is one of the main reasons families visit. There’s a large outdoor adventure playground with a wooden climbing frame, slide, and bouncy castle, plus a covered area for under 5s with soft play, slides, and busy boards. You can eat outside and watch the children play at the same time, which makes it genuinely relaxing for parents.
Is there parking at Willow Farm Cafe?
Yes, there’s a free car park, but it fills up quickly at busy times. We arrived at 1pm on a Thursday and were lucky to get a space as someone was just leaving. If you can, arrive before midday to be safe.
Can you book a birthday party at Willow Farm Cafe?
Yes — Willow Farm Cafe offers birthday parties where you can hire the play area. Contact them directly via their Facebook page for details and availability.
What age is the play area at Willow Farm Cafe suitable for?
The outdoor adventure playground is best for children aged roughly 2 and up. There’s also a dedicated covered area for under 5s with gentler play equipment. Our son was a toddler when we visited and had a brilliant time — we ended up staying for three hours.
Related posts:
I live in skelton & have often passed willow farm cafe we decided to take a look in the cafe well I must say the food was 100%
And the toffee cheesecake was to die for we will be coming bk
The staff are very hard working & Polite xx
It’s lovely, isn’t it! The cake stand looked so good! Thank you for the comment, Angela 🙂