The Magpie Cafe Reviews 55

So disappointed with our meal at the iconic cafe.
Ordered from early evening special menu - not sure if there was any saving, £20 for 2 courses.
Prawn cocktail (£7.75 on main menu) with lovely looking large prawn in shell - but it had a poo sack left in.
Soy & ginger octopus (£7.75) was very rubbery.
Fish & chips was the small portion. Not a problem apart from - not mentioned on offer that it was the small portion (£10.95) and cod was an end bit with discoloured/translucent flesh.
Tables were far too close together, could hear everyone’s conversation - including orders for medium cod, which made us realise the lack of value in the early bird menu when it arrived.
Felt quite disappointed as meal cost £56 for 2, with drinks.

Family of 3 adults 1 child. Despite short wait to gain entrance, the service and diverse range of food on offer could not be faulted. Needless to say we thoroughly enjoyed our meal.

Looked forward all week to having afternoon tea to have my dream dashed. First off you could not have a selection of sandwiches. It had to be one type. I have to say in its favour there was so much crab that it was falling out the bread. When it arrived it was NOT on a cake stand. It came on a very large plate. Side salad had fried cold onions on it, very odd. The jam for the scone I could have eaten with the straw. No small cakes just ginger cake, brownie and meringue. Odd also a lump of cheese. The worst worst was the cream which was not clotted, it was not even fresh cream it was squirty cream out of a can. Please don't ever have this. My husbands cod was very greasy as were the onion rings. Will not visit again

Had takeaway from the Magpie as had heard so much about it. Had cod and chips and was really disappointed. The batter was not cooked though which meant the fish was soggy. Really disappointed as had heard so much about this cafe.

We had dinner at Magpie last week during a nine-day hike in Yorkshire. Upon arrival in Whitby, we made the first available reservation online, which was 8:45, just before the restaurant was to close at 9:00. Unfortunately, even with use of GPS, we got lost while walking there. When we called the restaurant, the manager on duty was very nice and helpful in talking us through directions to the restaurant. Although we got there at 9:02, he told the staff to accommodate us. He greeted us warmly and directed us upstairs to enter the restaurant. That is where we encountered four female staff members who treated us more coldly than I've ever been treated in thousands of restaurants I've eaten at across the world, so much so that my nephew suggested we get our food to go. The staff clearly considered our late arrival an imposition, despite the manager directing them to serve us. All in all, it was a very unpleasant experience (the only one in two weeks in the UK). It is NEVER okay to treat customers as blatantly frosty as we were treated. The food and the atmosphere were okay, but service is a crucial element of one's dining experience, so I do not recommend this restaurant.

Family had battered sausage and chips. I had cod and chips. The battered sausage went down a treat and the gravy was out of this world. My fish was soggy and tasteless used half a pot of tartar sauce to make it edible. The chips were fantastic. The meals did not include peas which you would think is the normal with a fish supper. Although a high price 41 pounds for 3 meals and 1 tea, 2 glass bottles of coke, its cheaper than other places in Whitby.
The staff are excellent and very friendly and made the visit enjoyable.

I really can't fault this place, the food was superb and so fresh tasting and the portions were very generous also it doesn't pretend to be something it's not, a bit of advice for those wanting a great meal would be to book online before you go as it does get extremely busy with people waiting outside for a table to become available, we spent 2 hours there and had 3 courses each plus a coffee and a glass of wine each, it did cost £86 but it was superb and it was my wife's birthday, what a treat, highly recommended.

Having been really looking forward to visiting the magpie I have to say I was bitterly disappointed.

Firstly my young daughter was served the wrong meal, then I had to go searching for vinegar as there was none on our table and by the time I’d found some my food was just lukewarm.

I ordered scampi- I got 8 pieces for £13.50 and a scoop of very pale, lukewarm chips - which I ended up leaving.

The others had fish which they said was pretty tasteless and seemed like it was frozen!!!

We ordered drinks when we sat down but throughout our meal we weren’t offered anymore.

Therefore we left pretty disappointed, still rather hungry and put a bit of a downer on our first night in Whitby.

Doubt I’ll go back now to the magpie for a while and will try other places on my next visit.

Looking forward to fish and chips in whitby at the magpie,tried the Haddock, my wife and I not impressed, i have many years of experience with fish to my mind it was from frozen haddock, returned to try the Cod ,same again Wet ,not much flavour, will not be going back very disappointed.

Our first visit to the Magpie and it won’t be our last! Luscious food well presented with very good staff, brilliant situation on the harbour front, thoroughly enjoyable thank you.

Booked again for our visit to Whitby and wanted the lobster tagliatelle as it was amazing ...!!! Unfortunately it wasn't on the menu so we decided to have the hot platter main meal for 2 to share ...!!!!
OMG...!!!
It was amazing and everything was cooked to perfection ..
credit to the chef ...!!
The staff were very good and a big thanks to Pam that waited on us...!!
It was worth every penny and so sad that we could not finish the meal...!!
Thankyou for an enjoyable evening..
Terry & Karen Hollis

Take away fish and chips were excellent but I was served by the most ignorant and rude woman. She virtually threw the boxes at me! Plenty of other places in town.

Been going to Magpie for over 20 years now - always been consistently the best Fish and Chips in my mind. I have been singing their praises to anyone who likes Fish and Chips. Every visit to Whitby always go to Magpie. BUT !!!! went for 3 nights to Whitby for my Birthday this year 20th May visited Magpie. I never thought I would be saying this - VERY AVERAGE. Chips were hard and funny/greasy aftertaste with Fish. Think other eateries in Whitby have caught up and surpass the standards of Magpie now. Went to Papa's for Fish and Chips on 3rd night - better than Magpie. CosaNostra on 2nd Night - Fantastic Italian - far superior to Magpie.
I feel kinda sad admitting and typing my thoughts here as stated I have always been only too ready to tell anyone who mentioned Whitby that they have to go to Magpie - Best Fish and Chips in the World. I will try Magpie again on my next visit but if mediocre like this last visit then I don't think I will continue. Maybe not the case a few years ago but there is plenty of other quality competition for Magpie in Whitby now. Magpie you need to up your standards - bring them back to what they were.

Great for fish n chips but there are plenty of other options.
The staff are great but be warned it gets very busy!

Great coffee, food was a little average but the coffee is where its at