Places to eat in Buxton

Bet you didn’t think we’d begin with a curry house, but here we are, waxing lyrical about Gurkha Tingmo Palace. It serves up authentic cuisine from Nepal, Tibet, India and China in a lovely spacious restaurant on High Street. Unlike other Indian restaurants, the food’s not at all greasy; everything tastes fresh and full of flavour. Best of all, it’s just a five-minute walk from our Buxton hotel.

If that all sounds a bit exotic, you’ll be more familiar with the menu at Columbine Restaurant. It’s just opposite Buxton Town Hall. It’s a delightful Georgian town house with a kitchen dishing up a refined menu of English cuisine. Every meal feels intimate as the restaurant is split across three small dining rooms. If you’re after somewhere romantic, this is the restaurant for you. It is a little pricey, but you absolutely get what you pay for.

Ithaca is another fantastic option. It’s a beautiful Greek restaurant that brings tastes of the Mediterranean and Middle East to the Peak District. It enjoys a good location on Eagle Parade and offers an excellent pre-theatre menu. So if you’re planning on paying a visit to Buxton Opera House, which heads up your Buxton entertainment options, then Ithaca is a top choice and less than a five-minute walk away.

Staying in Europe, St Moritz is an absolute gem of a Swiss-slash-Italian restaurant on Cavendish Circus. Some people seem to think the decor is a little dated. Admittedly, it’s a little out of the ordinary, but we love it and think it only adds to St Moritz’ charm. The truth is, the restaurant could look like an absolute dive, and we’d keep coming back. That’s because the food is exceptional. You won’t find a better pizza nearby, and the ravioli is an absolute riot of flavour.

The Bar Brasserie is the most lovely French restaurant. It’s the real deal as well; make your way through the menu, and you’ll find snails and frogs legs. The French onion soup is sublime. Our top tip is to save yourself a little room for the tarte tatin. It’s a triumph. You’ll find La Brasserie de la Cour next to the Buxton Brewery Tap House, which is one of your best options in terms of Buxton nightlife.

Lastly, South 16 is a supremely cool tapas bar on the Market Street. It’s not all Spanish, though. The staff will tell you they serve “fusion tapas”. There are certainly culinary influences from South America and Mexico. The food is truly delicious and complimented by the excellent cocktail menu. South 16 is a little quirky, perhaps out of place in Buxton, but we’re glad it found its way here.

When it comes to cafes, we can only begin with Yondermann Café. It’s part of the furniture here in the Peak District. The cafe has been running for more than 60 years, and it shows no signs of slowing up. It’s the place of choice for wanderers wanting to fill up on enormous and delicious breakfasts and lunches before they take on the peaks. It doesn’t look like much from the outside, but it’s always busy, which says it all really, doesn’t it? If you want a recommendation, oatcakes are a regional delicacy and the greatest food on the planet.

The Café at The Green Pavilion is an absolute corker on Terrace Road. It faces The Slopes and the War Memorial. When the sun’s shining, there’s an al fresco seating area, while inside the café is lovely and airy. Coffee, tea, cakes, breakfasts, oatcakes … you name it, The Café at The Green Pavilion does it and does it well.

For those with a sweet tooth, you’ll find Charlotte’s Chocolates in the Cavendish Arcade on The Crescent. Downstairs, it’s an independent chocolatier with the most delicious treats and creative flavours. Upstairs, it’s a cafe with crazy good cakes and devilishly naughty sweets. Top tip: Try the chocolate cup if you want to know what heaven tastes like.

The Tradesman’s Entrance Café is a gem on Scarsdale Place. The name suggests a greasy spoon, but that doesn’t do justice to the fresh and flavoursome food on offer. It is popular with tradies, make no doubt. It also does the best English breakfast in the business.

We’ll round things off with a couple of honourable mentions. Opposite the Buxton Opera House, No. 6 The Square Tearooms is a posh place for afternoon tea. Just because it’s fancy doesn’t mean it’s not fantastic. Lastly, Eat at No. 5 is a marvellous café on London Road. It’s one of our absolute favourites in Buxton. It serves brilliant breakfasts, homemade homity pie, quiches and tasty Buddha bowls. There are only three tables inside, but you can go al fresco when it’s warmer too. Sadly, it’s not open on the weekends.