The railway cafe serving reasonable food next to the Bristol to Bath cycle path | So Good News

The converted waiting room at the old Warmley railway station is a popular pit stop for cyclists and dog walkers

The Victorian-built railway station in Warmley closed to passengers 56 years ago, but there are still queues of people winding along the platform every day. The cream and burgundy wooden waiting room on the platform is now a popular cafe next to the hugely popular Bristol to Bath cycle path.

On the cold and damp morning I visited, there was still a queue throughout our stay. As well as local dog walkers, there were endless groups of cyclists stopping to refuel with hot drinks and snacks. I’ve never seen so many redheaded men in Lycra waiting for their refreshing cups of coffee and sausage sandwiches.

Warmley Waiting Room is now run by James and Kate Lindsay and is open all year round. Although many customers stop for takeaway food and drink for the onward journey, there is a cozy wooden cabin and covered outdoor seating for those who want to stay a little longer. The spotlessly clean outhouse is a replica of Dr Who’s blue Tardis. Apparently, this unique police box portal has won awards in its own right.

The former waiting room is now the kitchen where everything is made to order, from the sandwiches and baguettes to the plows and the children’s lunch boxes. The prices are kind on the wallet. A toasted teacake with butter and jam is £2.40, egg and bacon rolls are £4.50 and sandwiches will set you back £4.

There’s also a board of warming specials, from BBQ pulled pork rolls and Heinz beans on toast to cream tea and the soup of the day (lentil and spinach dahl the day I was there).

I went for the homemade chilli con carne jacket potato (£5.95) “made to the Hairy Bikers recipe” and it was fantastic. The steaming hot potato was served with a frill of dressed lettuce, soft and airy with a generous topping of rich, spicy chili con carne.

On a bitterly cold day it was the lunchtime equivalent of a cashmere jumper and I washed it down with a steaming paper cup of barley tea (£1.60). As I walked back along the platform, past the natural metal railway conductor, the queue was still growing despite the slate gray sky and drizzle.

But then the Warmley Waiting Room cafe is a unique and uplifting destination that serves affordable comfort food. The train may not stop there anymore, but it’s still well worth a detour.

Warmley Waiting Room, Bristol And Bath Railway Path, Warmley, Bristol. BS30 5JB