Shrove Tuesday is one of our favourite times of the year. The perfect excuse to enjoy fluffy pancakes dripping with maple syrup, dusted with sugar, laden with summer berries, or smeared with chocolate spread.
Join CrossCountry as we explore the tastiest, most ingenious, and overall best pancakes in the UK.
19 Café Bar
The best-loved pancakes in Manchester are fresh, fluffy, and full of flavour. Made with a closely guarded secret recipe, 19 Café Bar serves pancakes a cut above the rest.
If you’ve got a sweet tooth, try the Kinder pancakes topped with white chocolate hazelnut sauce, chocolate sauce, Kinder Bueno, roasted hazelnuts, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Alternatively, there’s really nothing better than flooding a plate full of pancakes and crispy bacon with sweet, sticky maple syrup.
19 Café Bar is less than ten minutes' walking distance from Manchester Piccadilly.
Cherry Reds
Cherry Reds in Birmingham serves buttermilk pancakes with a jug of real maple syrup. They reject stinginess, opting to fill up their happy customers without emptying their wallets.
If you’re really ravenous, try the loaded pancake breakfast, complete with two pork sausages, two bacon rashers, scrambled eggs, and a hash brown alongside those delicious American-style pancakes. For something sweeter, the satisfying crunch of the rhubarb and pear crumble pancakes is to die for.
Cherry Reds is a three-minute walk from Birmingham New Street, perfect for a breakfast bite to eat after an early train journey.
OddShop
OddShop, found in Clifton Village in Bristol, is a trendy café born out of two friends' love of coffee. Today, their toasties, crumpets, brunch muffins, and pancakes are all a hit in the neighbourhood. Their amazing specials change weekly, but you can always rely on a hearty plate of pancakes drizzled with maple syrup.
OddShop is around twenty-five minutes from Bristol Temple Meads, just hop on a bus to Queens Avenue, and it’s a short walk from there.
Laynes
Laynes, an independent café in Leeds, has been delivering exquisite coffee and sensational food since 2011. Their menu is varied and exciting, but the gluten-free blueberry pancakes are a real standout, topped with sweet crumble, silky cheesecake cream, blueberry compôte, and, of course, an essential dollop of maple syrup.
Laynes is a five-minute walk from Leeds station, making it the perfect place to start an amazing day out in the city.
The Pig & Pastry
The Pig & Pastry has been a pillar of Bishopthorpe Road in York since 2008. Highlighted as one of the best breakfast restaurants in the UK by both National Geographic and The Guardian, you can rely on getting a great stack of pancakes here. Their spinach pancake, in particular, is a magnificent creation, made with spinach, herbs, and spices, served with lime and chilli butter, grilled halloumi, and a perfectly poached egg. A perfect start to the day for savoury aficionados.
The Pig & Pastry is a fifteen-minute walk from York station, rewarding you with views of the city wall along most of the route.
Aidan’s Kitchen
Aidan’s Kitchen is an adorable brunch café in Newcastle with cosy lighting and greenery adorning the walls. They are truly pancake virtuosos, with options like Dulce de Leche pancakes with chopped bananas, Chantilly cream, and chocolate shavings, as well as a lighter but equally indulgent stack featuring blueberry compote, vanilla crème fraîche, and maple butter.
You can catch the Tyne and Wear Metro to Jesmond from Newcastle station, then Aidan’s Kitchen is a nine-minute walk from there.
If you’re planning to visit a pancake restaurant, don’t forget to book Advance rail tickets via our website or the CrossCountry app. Before you travel, make sure to check scheduled train times to find the best journey for you. If you need more information, you can contact us here.
Info
At the time of publishing, all information given is correct. Details of events, businesses, and locations included may be subject to change by third parties. Please make sure to check any details with organisers before you travel.
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