Jet Black Jewel Cafe Bar

Tucked away on Skinner Street, below one of the quirkiest hotels in Whitby, is the Jet Black Jewel Cafe Bar. You only have to peep through the windows at the fabulous interior to know that this venue promises far more than the average cafe.

Find yourself a table (or a comfy spot on the sofa if you’re lucky) and you’re in for a very special treat. This cafe bar has a laid back vibe that rivals my favourite coffee and cake destination a little closer to home. But I have to say, the eclectic décor at the Jet Black Jewel Cafe Bar really takes the biscuit.

First there’s the Hand of Glory (a magical charm made from the severed hand of a man hanged for stealing), and the neon sign that announces ‘Keep Whitby Weird’. Not forgetting the giant wicker rabbit in the window, the brilliant mural illustrating Whitby’s tales of the peculiar, and other delights too numerous to mention. There’s something to capture your imagination everywhere you look – and that includes the mouth-watering menu.

Blood thirsty breakfasts

The Jet Black Jewel Cafe Bar serves a delicious range of breakfasts and brunches between 9am, and 2pm. Each dish takes its inspiration from Whitby folklore and legend with names like Penny Hedge Pancakes, St Hilda’s Veggie Hash, and Scoresby Salmon Sourdough. For smaller appetites there are breakfast butties, toasted tea cakes, croissants or pain au chocolate.

For blood thirsty diners, there’s the B.A.T. to sink your teeth into…dripping with Bloody Mary sauce!

Lunchtime guests are in for a treat too with a tasty selection of dishes like the vegetarian Whitby Rarebit, Loaded Nachos and a Rueben Sandwich Stack. For blood thirsty diners, there’s the B.A.T. to sink your teeth into – a frighteningly good crispy bacon, sliced avocado and tomato on sourdough combo dripping with Bloody Mary sauce! You can check out the others dishes on a sample menu here.

Yes chef!

As a guest at the Jet Black Jewel hotel, the cafe bar was the perfect place to relax and my activities for the weekend while enjoying a frothy late and a huge slice of cake. I can recommend both. I also made it my final destination for breakfast before checking out of the hotel.

I opted for the Hand of Glory Breakfast Hash to fill my belly for the three and a half hour journey home. Described on the menu as a ‘fiendishly delish dish’ it was an absolutely phenomenal choice. Piled high in a large white bowl, the combination of fried diced potatoes, with salty smoked bacon pieces, flavoursome pork sausages and peppery black pudding was exceptional; the dish was steaming hot, the seasoning faultless. A perfectly poached egg sat atop the savoury sensation with a side of glossy, Bloody Mary sauce to complete the dish. I polished off the lot. In fact, I can say with absolute conviction that I have not enjoyed a breakfast quite so much in a long time. Compliments to the chef!

Drink in the atmosphere

On Friday and Saturday evening, the cafe bar delights guests with a selection of bar-style loaded burgers with fries on the side. Drinks are served until 9pm including the decadent Jet Black cocktail of black vodka, blackcurrant liqueur and pomegranate with a twist of lime, and a saintly St Hilda Spritz of botanical-infused vodka with rose wine and a splash of soda.

Breakfasts, brunches and delicious lunches. Coffees, cakes and cocktails. The Jet Black Jewel Cafe Bar has it all. Why not check into the Jet Black Jewel hotel for a day or two. That way you can enjoy the perfect Bed and Breakfast combination that Whitby has to offer – with a few weird and wonderful bedtime stories thrown in for good measure.