Rustic Cup - Whitley Bay

This was a nice little spot with a few vegan options. Coffee was excellent

Rustic Cup is aesthetically appealing and their Ethiopian coffee is outstanding. They use the same company as Boatyard (Cullercoats) which is one of my favourite coffees. They have gone through a lot of changes of staff and menu since we started going in 2020. It was erratic in its opening times but always worth popping in for a coffee and cake when it was open. The discomfort began when the owner started to open up (during a pandemic lockdown) about his belief that Covid is a hoax/conspiracy. We stopped going for a while after that until we ended up there with some of our friends acquaintances. The experience was embarrassing for us. We were made to feel unwelcome for asking if certain items on the menu contained milk or dairy as their menu was unclear on this. We find that their food is usually unclear in its suitability for vegans. When we have asked members of staff, we have received differing responses. It turns out that several options we have been told were vegan in the past are made using dairy. Several times we have been misled; although I 'm sure it was an error and not intentional, for it to happen several different times, we find that we can no longer trust what they claim. We were made to feel like an inconvenience. I was embarrassed when a member of staff passed on a message from the kitchen that we shouldn 't ask or expect accommodations for vegans in future visits and said we should have called ahead to check (we did call ahead to check what was suitable; we were given conflicting information when we asked in person). I felt conflicted about staying despite already ordering; if I was on my own, I would have walked out. The owner is rather rude and just a bit 'off ' with people. They would greatly benefit from letting other staff learn the menus and run the café; it is a lovely looking place but we felt out of place there. I would be concerned if I had any allergies as their knowledge was erratic and those in charge seemed rather erratic themselves. It 's all rather erratic beneath the polished surface with a feeling of discontent for those that simply want to know if what they are eating or drinking has dairy in it or not. I find it unnecessarily uncomfortable. Updated from previous review on 2023 05 31

There were quite a few vegan options, for example I had the plant-based breakfast and vegan red velvet cake which were both very good. There were lots of other options too and the cafe is really comfortable and cosy. It’s also convenient as it’s on the main street in Whitley Bay, and the staff were lovely too. Updated from previous review on 2022-02-03

Very impressed with this cafe. Soon as I opened up the door I was greeted by the welcoming staff and you could sense the positive vibes and atmosphere. On my visit I ordered a slice of chocolate cake and an almond and granola flapjack to takeaway. The chocolate cake was divine and one of the best I have had for a long while. The flapjack was delicious too. Well worth a visit if you're in the area.

Great venue, lovely atmosphere, friendly staff, wonderful food, lots of vegan options, some really different dishes and sides, like firecracker broccoli, chilli beets. Many of the non vegan dishes can be made vegan, eg Greek salad wrap. Only uses vegan mayo to avoid any confusion. See [hidden link] for brunch menu. See [hidden link] for evening menu. Also a range of daily cake options, all clearly marked. Chef very knowledgeable. Would thoroughly recommend.