Bettys is the institution in Harrogate famed for its Afternoon Teas. It is now 100 years old and is still just as popular in this market town. Bettys was founded by Frederick Belmont who wanted to a cafe which combined his Swiss treats with good old warm Yorkshire hospitality.
Although the sweet delights are not to be missed, Bettys have a full restaurant menu too. The restaurant is on the lower levels but still has plenty of light coming in. If you get a window seat, then there are plenty of the parkland views. There is also a cafe area where it is not table service.
It seemed a little late for the Bettys Afternoon Tea, so we opted for something from the main restaurant menu. The Trofie Pasta with Butternut Squash and Mushrooms was chosen. This pasta dish was enticing with its colourful vegetables. In addition to the mushrooms, there was also spinach, leek and sunflower seeds for added crunch. The pasta topped a layer of butternut squash puree. The combination of the vegetables with the twisted pasta made this tasty meal not a heavy one.
There’s something comforting about having chips with a meal. The ones at Bettys were chunky and freshly cooked. The staff served the chutneys, condiments and sauces to accompany the meal.
A Hot Mocha made with oat milk came in the Royal Doulton big cups. The decaffeinated medium-dark roasted coffee tasted a bit weak. The mocha was a milky coffee with Swiss chocolate sauce and whipped cream. The chocolate could not be tasted and so the coffee was more like a latte.
There were plenty of Bettys staff all around the restaurant. The service was good and you could see that they were doing their best to keep on top of all the many customers.
If like ourselves, you don’t have room for dessert, it’s not a problem as Bettys has a shop. The scones and other delights can be bought to take home. In addition to the regular scones and their signature Fat Rascal scones, Bettys do a scone of the day. This was date and apricot on the day we visited. It was actually wonderful to enjoy the scone without the cream and jam as you got to taste the true flavour of the scone. That’s not to say that we don’t enjoy the traditional Afternoon Tea.
Bettys, 1 Parliament Square, Harrogate, HG1 2QU
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