we ordered are food first it came out only just warm my burger was burnt on the bottom my friends scampi was nearly cold and are other friend wanted gammon and no egg but hey ho when it came guess what yes there was an egg on top .we sent it back they did re cook it but by this time the others had finished eating .disappointedand no apology.
X4112TCpaulh
I don’t like writing negative reviews but will try to be fair . There are a lot of “ elderly “people use this cafe and where you order your food is between steps going up or going down . While there we witnessed an elderly lady had struggled carrying her tray of hot drinks .she stumbled and the hot drinks tumbled to the floor smashing. The cafe could do with a sign offering help with carrying trays. There seems to be a lack of awareness from staff . I ordered our breakfast sandwiches, I asked for no butter, which credit due the lady taking the order typed on . Our sandwich’s came with butter on! It’s a nice space especially in summer but at the moment the customer service needs working on. I do want to mention the young man who brought our food and dealt with the “ butter situation” . His name was Andrew and his customer service skills were excellent , a credit to the cafe .
Geraldine Lee
Mainly stopped in for a bite to eat. I wasn’t sure what to expect as the menu and cafe isn’t advertised too well online. Very impressed! Very clean seating area and the menu is quite extensive. Online I saw reviews and mentions of breakfast and brunch, but there’s lots more! They also have daily specials available. Bathrooms could use a little rehab, but overall a lovely place to visit, with generous portions!
louisewP8682PG
A long wait for ordering . We had the Sunday carvery which was fine . The toilets however were so run down , tatty, the door lock broken, no soap and generally run down . Really needs updating .
Cj Scarborough
Great place to eat any time of the day,lots of choice always lovely food and the hot chocolate is a super treat. Service is very good too.
Roy S
Normaly the food is good today i had hunters chicken.the chicken was very tough i could not get the fork into it the knive wouldnt cut it all in all very disapointing.i left the chicken.
gamefamil
Been here 3 times now, each time food and service have been excellent. Pricing was about standard and the same with most places.
Shortbrain
Stopped for breakfast on the way to the coast. Good value, well cooked (sausages were proper Lincolnshire ones) and arrived promptly. It is on a three different levels, so might not be great for those with mobility issues, but there is ramp access, you just might have to go in and out again.
Kate El
Beautiful Christmas dinner, pleasant staff
Courtney Thompson-Ayerst
Although their Christmas display and decorations are great, it is a disappointment that they don’t offer customers better packaging when purchasing baubles.
I spent a fair amount of money on decorations and a fair amount on baubles but instead of being offered a box or protective packing, my goodies were placed in a 10p bag. I had not even got to the car and I had already thrown £3 down the drain as one of my baubles had completely smashed.
If you are goi to sell fragile items, at least offer customers a way to take them home.
Nice place to hang out...full to the rafters this time of year. I like a nibble on any spilled compost.
574rowana
First time back here since Wyevale sold out to British Garden centres. Wyevale was very good with fresh cooked meals. We went for Sunday Carvery but was very disappointed to be told they had run out of meat, this at 1.30pm. Was offered a casserole but found out it was sausage casserole.....not for that money. Ordered off the main menu. The order point is disorganised and having to take orders and deliver hot and cold drinks at the same time. Result a long queue. Not a long wait for the main meal to arrive but 1 was wrong first time. Then delivered the wrong meal a second time. Finally I had to remind them of a side order they had forgot. The meals have clearly been taken out of a freezer into a microwave by someone who knows nothing about cooking. The lasagne was nuked so the pasta was hard all round the edges. The smothered chicken was missing any sauce and the parmesan crumb was all crumb making it very dry. Worst meal I have had in years. The side salad and coleslaw was actually very good and a reasonable size. Having complained we were told they were very busy and had trainees in the kitchen. My take on that is that the restaurant is too big for the kitchen and the staff need better supervising. We were offered 3 desserts as compensation. This is the first time ever to put a complaint on trip advisor but as a Horncastle local we were so disappointed that standards at this restaurant had slipped so much under the new ownership.
Lorraine Booth
The meal took 40 minutes to arrive, it was also not very hot. The on investigation the mixed salad leaves should have been bined and not served. They were yellow with black spots. Only compensation offered was a coffee!!! Fairly poor I think.
165markc
Not that many cafes or restaurants are open on a Sunday morning for brunch, but the restaurant at the Horncastle Garden Centre was, and on Father's Day too. Initial experience was good - it was busy but there were tables free ... but it was almost all down hill from there. The first thing is the way you order. Due to COVID most restaurants have table service to reduce the chance of customers breaking social distancing rules ... but not the Gardner's Retreat. You have to queue with everyone else to order - and that takes some time. It is NOT a quick process. We ordered 2 eggs benedict, a veggie sausage sandwich and a breakfast loaded omelette. An hour after we entered the restaurant the food turned up ... but not exactly what we expected or ordered. The sausages were not veggie, the crumpets for the eggs benedict were not toasted and the hollandaise sauce was decidedly tasteless. To be fair the breakfast loaded omelette was fab - tasty and plenty of it. My final gripe is that the lady on the table opposite us was left to clear the previous occupant's plates and cutlery away while the "maitre de" just stood about waiting for new customers. Not good service and definitely not COVID secure.
Polestar46
No eye contact from staff and not a huge choice of cakes/snacks. Coffee ok but not the hottest; scone also ok but served on such a tiny plate that I had to place half on a napkin when I cut it. As I am disabled I asked if someone could carry my tray - the girl said "Well, I'm on my own so I'll have to". Not enough staff and grudging attitude - they didn't look bothered and I won't bother again, either.
we ordered are food first it came out only just warm my burger was burnt on the bottom my friends scampi was nearly cold and are other friend wanted gammon and no egg but hey ho when it came guess what yes there was an egg on top .we sent it back they did re cook it but by this time the others had finished eating .disappointedand no apology.
I don’t like writing negative reviews but will try to be fair . There are a lot of “ elderly “people use this cafe and where you order your food is between steps going up or going down . While there we witnessed an elderly lady had struggled carrying her tray of hot drinks .she stumbled and the hot drinks tumbled to the floor smashing. The cafe could do with a sign offering help with carrying trays. There seems to be a lack of awareness from staff . I ordered our breakfast sandwiches, I asked for no butter, which credit due the lady taking the order typed on . Our sandwich’s came with butter on! It’s a nice space especially in summer but at the moment the customer service needs working on. I do want to mention the young man who brought our food and dealt with the “ butter situation” . His name was Andrew and his customer service skills were excellent , a credit to the cafe .
Mainly stopped in for a bite to eat. I wasn’t sure what to expect as the menu and cafe isn’t advertised too well online. Very impressed! Very clean seating area and the menu is quite extensive. Online I saw reviews and mentions of breakfast and brunch, but there’s lots more! They also have daily specials available. Bathrooms could use a little rehab, but overall a lovely place to visit, with generous portions!
A long wait for ordering . We had the Sunday carvery which was fine . The toilets however were so run down , tatty, the door lock broken, no soap and generally run down . Really needs updating .
Great place to eat any time of the day,lots of choice always lovely food and the hot chocolate is a super treat. Service is very good too.
Normaly the food is good today i had hunters chicken.the chicken was very tough i could not get the fork into it the knive wouldnt cut it all in all very disapointing.i left the chicken.
Been here 3 times now, each time food and service have been excellent. Pricing was about standard and the same with most places.
Stopped for breakfast on the way to the coast. Good value, well cooked (sausages were proper Lincolnshire ones) and arrived promptly. It is on a three different levels, so might not be great for those with mobility issues, but there is ramp access, you just might have to go in and out again.
Beautiful Christmas dinner, pleasant staff
Although their Christmas display and decorations are great, it is a disappointment that they don’t offer customers better packaging when purchasing baubles. I spent a fair amount of money on decorations and a fair amount on baubles but instead of being offered a box or protective packing, my goodies were placed in a 10p bag. I had not even got to the car and I had already thrown £3 down the drain as one of my baubles had completely smashed. If you are goi to sell fragile items, at least offer customers a way to take them home.
Restaurantji Recommends
Nice place to hang out...full to the rafters this time of year. I like a nibble on any spilled compost.
First time back here since Wyevale sold out to British Garden centres. Wyevale was very good with fresh cooked meals. We went for Sunday Carvery but was very disappointed to be told they had run out of meat, this at 1.30pm. Was offered a casserole but found out it was sausage casserole.....not for that money. Ordered off the main menu. The order point is disorganised and having to take orders and deliver hot and cold drinks at the same time. Result a long queue. Not a long wait for the main meal to arrive but 1 was wrong first time. Then delivered the wrong meal a second time. Finally I had to remind them of a side order they had forgot. The meals have clearly been taken out of a freezer into a microwave by someone who knows nothing about cooking. The lasagne was nuked so the pasta was hard all round the edges. The smothered chicken was missing any sauce and the parmesan crumb was all crumb making it very dry. Worst meal I have had in years. The side salad and coleslaw was actually very good and a reasonable size. Having complained we were told they were very busy and had trainees in the kitchen. My take on that is that the restaurant is too big for the kitchen and the staff need better supervising. We were offered 3 desserts as compensation. This is the first time ever to put a complaint on trip advisor but as a Horncastle local we were so disappointed that standards at this restaurant had slipped so much under the new ownership.
The meal took 40 minutes to arrive, it was also not very hot. The on investigation the mixed salad leaves should have been bined and not served. They were yellow with black spots. Only compensation offered was a coffee!!! Fairly poor I think.
Not that many cafes or restaurants are open on a Sunday morning for brunch, but the restaurant at the Horncastle Garden Centre was, and on Father's Day too. Initial experience was good - it was busy but there were tables free ... but it was almost all down hill from there. The first thing is the way you order. Due to COVID most restaurants have table service to reduce the chance of customers breaking social distancing rules ... but not the Gardner's Retreat. You have to queue with everyone else to order - and that takes some time. It is NOT a quick process. We ordered 2 eggs benedict, a veggie sausage sandwich and a breakfast loaded omelette. An hour after we entered the restaurant the food turned up ... but not exactly what we expected or ordered. The sausages were not veggie, the crumpets for the eggs benedict were not toasted and the hollandaise sauce was decidedly tasteless. To be fair the breakfast loaded omelette was fab - tasty and plenty of it. My final gripe is that the lady on the table opposite us was left to clear the previous occupant's plates and cutlery away while the "maitre de" just stood about waiting for new customers. Not good service and definitely not COVID secure.
No eye contact from staff and not a huge choice of cakes/snacks. Coffee ok but not the hottest; scone also ok but served on such a tiny plate that I had to place half on a napkin when I cut it. As I am disabled I asked if someone could carry my tray - the girl said "Well, I'm on my own so I'll have to". Not enough staff and grudging attitude - they didn't look bothered and I won't bother again, either.