Barnsdale Gardens Tea Room in Rutland

The Helenium Tea Room at Barnsdale Gardens is a delightful surprise, offering a cosy and welcoming space to enjoy a delicious bite and a warm drink. Nestled just inside the garden entrance, it's the ideal spot to relax and recharge without needing a full garden ticket. The friendly staff and inviting atmosphere create a pleasant ambiance. I particularly enjoyed my freshly brewed coffee paired with a delectable fruit scone. As I savoured my treat, I found myself mesmerised by the bird feeder outside the window, watching a variety of feathered friends feast on the nuts. Whether you're a garden enthusiast or simply seeking a peaceful retreat, the Helenium Tea Room is worth a visit.

Just such a lovely, calm delightful place to visit. At your own pace around the different garden ideas, a very good restaurant and the staff in the shop are friendly and accommodating. Plenty of ideas for your plot here no matter how small/large it may be and the plants to go with the planning.

Glad to use our 2 for 1 Gardener's World card otherwise it was expensive to get in and the plant sales too. Gardens were lovely even in the autumn and we got lots of ideas for our own garden.

Great little gardens easy way to kill an hour or 2. Some nice quirky features and bigger than expected. A little on the expensive side at £14 a person per entry

Beautifully relaxed atmosphere in the gardens & amazing café

Beautiful place with lovely food and gardens. Very well coming staff.

Just had a great day, despite the rain. Had a lovely lunch and rounded off with purchasing a few plants!

Lovely afternoon tea in a lovely location! Well worth a visit!

Stopped here to have a browse around the garden centre and then have a snack in the cafe / tea room. Would have also gone to the gardens but felt pricing for entry a bit high at £14/person Food at the tea room great value for money and worth going just to have a snack.

It was lovely to finally get to Geoff Hamilton’s gardens. I have a bit of a thing about roses being dead headed, apart from that it is lovely. The cafe is nice and I enjoyed my vegan burger. The waitress, Paige, is great. Worth a visit.

Gardens looked very neglected, debris in all the beds. Going this time of the year we expected to see a lot more colour where there was little or none. I think Geoff if were still alive would be appalled. It was never worth £14 admission fee. Cafeteria was nothing special or the nursery. Toilets very clean. In a few words we won’t be going again!!! We have been to many gardens that are far far better than this.

My family and I love visiting Barnsdale. We’re delighted by the variety, each miniature garden has something to offer in its planting, design and construction. A great place to come for inspiration with your own home garden project. Staff friendly & knowledgeable. Be sure to stop by their nursery and cafe!

An hidden delight in the Rutland countryside, 38 gardens of stunning design, all with a different theme. We loved Geoff Hamilton and we love his gardens, stunningly beautiful. We ate in the tearooms, food and staff great. Bought a few plants from the well stocked plant centre at a decent price . We will be back soon.

Incredible stop over on an organised cycle ride. Taken aback by a truly wonderful level of service. Attentive staff. Lovely hot breakfast and drink. This place is a gem. The staff clearly enjoyed their feork.

We stopped here for our cycling club Big Group Ride. Organisation from start to end was brilliant. Big shout out to Lauren and Thomas for excellent friendly service. 29 breakfasts and drinks served quickly. Highly recommend this cafe!

A lovely selection of food at the cafe, which we all enjoyed very much. The staff went out of their way to be very helpful and accommodating when we had a bit of an incident. A huge thanks to them.

Tired dated garden areas. Limited range of plants. Basic transport caff style tea room . Don't waste your petrol going there even with 2 for 1 voucher

I would like to thank you for the excellent quality of plants just received, the packaging provided brilliant protection. I would highly recommend Barnsdale to anyone wishing to purchase top quality plants. Many thanks to everyone. Michael Derry

It was a bit disappointing! We were on holiday from the Netherlands. Looking at the site, we’re expecting a nice cosy place, surrounded bij the gardens. But it looked more like a shed.! Because we entered the place with more people, we didn’t see the sign that said we had to wait to be seated, weren’t expecting it in a place like this either! When I took place at a table a very unfriendly waitress told me I wasn’t supposed to sit there, but I didn’t understand why, she used an unfamiliar expression ( for a Dutch person) .She was still very unfriendly, so I stood up, and then she said, I could stay there! Later we were served by a nice waitress with short, black hair and I apologized for the misunderstanding. she was very friendly though , so were the young boys who brought the cream tea. It was tasty but it didn’t look the way it was exposed online at all, with nice ‘porcelain’ teapots and cups. A very disappointing experience which we did not expect, we love the friendly English people and the nice tea shops, we’ve been in so often. It’s a pity one lady can spoil our afternoon! We shall not return here!

Great to be back purchased mu annual pass great value only have to visit 3 times and u have made up your money highly recommended x words can't describe this hidden gem priceless so much to see and do at your own pace x I always see something different everything i visit regardless of weather x the restaurant and garden shop brilliant x I loved Geoff Hamilton gardeners world x he started my love of gardening and to live close by is the icing on the cake x staff so friendly x well done to the while team 😀 cheers nicki t

A great place for peace and quiet, along with inspiring ideas to put to use in your own garden. We spent six hours there, including time in the tearoom and nursery. The entry to the gardens might sound a bit steep, but at just over £2.00 each per hour for the whole visit, it's good value! The quality of the food in the tearoom was very good, and the service was timely and friendly.

Lovely scones, not generous with the cream and no butter. The tea served as tea bags served in a basic canteen type tea pot and cup and saucer. Curious thing was when I paid at the counter it claimed loose tea was served! As other reviews have alluded too, the tea room is an mis match of cheap ‘tat’ set within an 80/90s time warp, resembling a scout hut or shed where the junk is stored. There is a need for a massive revamp to bring it up to the modern age. Opening up the garden side with glass so that the gardens can be viewed from the tea room, maybe. It would seem they are living off the Geoff Hamilton brand but that was for a certain generation, well represented on our visit but that will end and I fear for the future. The gardens while lovely were also in that 80/90s time warp. Maybe OK to keep the BBC film set of the garden as it was in the 80/90s but the rest needs to have contemporary garden designers. A far cry from what’s presented at Chelsea and RHS. Surprisingly the few Adam Frost designs were disappointing. These few attempts at contemporary design were underwhelming. I’m glad we visited the gardens but we’ll not be back which I suspect would be the reaction of most visitors. The tea rooms could have the potential to be a real money spinner for the gardens, however unless significant investment is made, this garden along with Geoff Hamilton’s memory will sadly fade away.

Been once before around 2016 it's was lovely despite the weather very wet had a lovely Tuna Jacket Potato and salad

Good value and very friendly staff. Fast service too!

We enjoyed our visit. Picked up quite a few ideas for the garden we can use in future. The entry at £14 each was more than we expected. As we are both pensioners, it nearly made us turn away. Memories of Geoff on Gardeners World only just tipped the balance.

Tips and inspiration for all no matter how little or how much you might think you already know. Plants are bit pricey though.

Very peaceful experience. Not noisy at all. The 38 gardens have excellent information documenting their reason for existence and contents. The afternoon tea was out of this world. The staff were very friendly and helpful. Me and my husband had a brilliant afternoon and we will be back soon. I am disabled and found that the gardens were wheelchair accessible.

I ordered a picnic when I booked our garden tickets. The waitress who I think is called Paige was fantastic and offered us a table in the garden and made sure we had everything we needed before leaving us in peace. The food was lovely and plentiful enough to provide our evening meal too. Well worth the cost.

A gem. Spent around 5 hrs here. Loads of ideas for our new build garden. Staff super helpful. Lovely tearoom. Amazing plant nursery so came away with a car load of brilliant plants.

Always a lovely place to visit. I remember Geoff creating some of these gardens when I was younger. The little cafe sells the best bacon and sausage sandwiches I’ve had. Will come here again

Been several times and yesterday for my 75th birthday and once again the food and service was excellent plenty of choice.

Stunning gardens, lovely tea room and just HAD to buy plants in the nursery!

We have visited many Big Gardens but found Barnsdale Gardens by far the best.The Gardens are set over 38 plots every garden had something to offer and you could see how they would fit into most average gardens. Allow a good 2 hrs to walk round Small shop and nursery,The Tearooms well worth a visit

Brabsdale Garden, nestled near Oakham, offers a picturesque setting with various themed gardens, including a captivating Japanese garden and stylish alleys along flowers and plants. Visitors can revel in ample parking space and indulge in a delightful culinary experience at the on-site restaurant, featuring local cuisine and refreshing beer. Designed by Geoff Hamilton, a renowned British gardener and former presenter on BBC 2, the garden showcases his expertise in planting and nurturing plants. For enthusiasts, video records of Geoff's gardening tutorials are available for purchase in the local gift shop. Additionally, the garden provides clean restroom facilities. Making it an ideal destination for families seeking a memorable outdoor adventure. Don't miss the opportunity to explore the nearby Rutland Water Nature Reserve for an additional dose of natural beauty and tranquillity.. Recommended.

Customer service is amazing! I made a mistake with an order and they were so quick and helpful. Thank you again

We always loved Geoff Hamiltons tv programme and eventually went to Barnsdale a couple of years ago. At last, a garden for all of us, sensibly sized, we don't all have acres, and well kept. The plants were good quality and price, and there's a handy place to eat and drink which you must try. We signed up for Nicks emails, which are truly marvelous, sensible, no twaddle, useful and down to earth. BUT what did I find the other day, a book, THE BARNSDALE HANDY GARDENER, by John Pilgrim, Sue and Nick Hamilton. As R is a superfan, I ordered it, and it's great!! Why isn't this on sale, we didn't see it when we visited, why isn't it advertised on line, Nick please talk about it in your email that you send out, it's a must to buy!! It's all about the garden and the gardening here, if you get chance to visit you must!

The afternoon tea was quite poor. Waited 20 mins to be served; even though we had pre-booked. We had booked this for a special occasion and I was left a little embarrassed and ashamed. The price was on a par with afternoon teas in fancier venues, yet the place itself resembled a ‘scouts hut’ or a mobile class room, something along those lines. No choice of teas; I presume was just bog standard English Breakfast. It was clean and the staff friendly. The China was all mismatched and chipped. I booked an experience, yet it was not one to behold. It’s a nice place to have a cup of tea or a light lunch but as an afternoon tea venue, very poor. I do not recommend.

We went to Barnsdale for afternoon tea. Very nice food. Will be going again.

Outstanding displays with many take away ideas you could easily create your self. Good autumn colour when we went though given recent winds it might not be so good! But i would think there is always something of interest. Good value food. Plant nursery had some unusual plants in stock. Not cheap but uf you cant buy them anywhere else.....

A very warm welcome as soon as you step through the door. The choice of cakes was amazing including a gluten free option. I have a gluten intolerance so was delighted to see a large cinnamon gluten free cake, so I ordered a slice. My husband had a slice of their chocolate fudge cake. We enjoyed our cake with a pot of tea. The staff were very friendly. Gluten free options may be a trivial matter to some but for people like me it is very difficult to go out for tea and cake. I was informed that they usually have a gluten free cake for sale. I will definitely be back. Thank you for a delicious cake experience.

This is a magnificent place to visit. The gardens, though not exquisitely manicured, are a delight and give you that sense of "I could do this with my garden" as opposed to "I'd have to pay a contractor a fortune to have my garden looking like this". It was particularly poignant entering the gardens of the late, great Geoff Hamilton and seeing some of the ideas he created on Gardeners' World still very much in evidence (check out some of the [fake] rocks and the trellis with the old toilet cistern float on top painted to blend in; whilst seeing what has been changed to bring Geoff's work into the 21st century. To top the day off, treat yourself to dinner there, the food is delicious. Finally, visit the plant nursery as you'll be sure to pick up something special or be surprised to find Geoff's son, Nick tending the plants, something which I found quite moving. All-in-all, it was worth every penny spent. Oh and the staff are really great too!

It was about 2015 when my wife and i visited. I unlike my wife am not into gardening, but Barnsdale is something else. It's a wonderful display of beautiful plants, I can't pronounce any of them but my wife explained them to me. We went to the cafe and I can explain everything in there. I had a bacon sandwich and I must say I've never had so much bacon on a sandwich ever. It was cooked just how I like it (well done). We keep saying we will go back there from Poulton-le-Fylde Blackpool, so my wife can have another look around the gardens and I can have another bacon sandwich. Fantastic day was had by both.

We stopped off in the cafe for breakfast after leaving our holiday accommodation. To be honest I didn't feel particularly welcomed by the young lady who showed us to a table. Left us with menus but it took her 15 mins to come back and it was a quiet day, in fact hubby went to look for her. Food was ok, some of our drinks order was forgotten but time was getting on by now so didn't bother to go looking for her again. Tables cleared but not cleaned while we were sitting there. I think ok if you're a local and known but no effort made really to welcome strangers. Sorry even when booking holidays again in the area we'll give this one a miss.

A absolutely fantastic place with some absolutely stunning gardens, well worth a visit

The food was fine but it doesn’t admit dogs and nor do the gardens or garden centre. This was disappointing given that we had travelled over 30 miles. Most places admit dogs these days.

Booked afternoon tea for 3. When we were served initially we were only served for 2 people and had to tell them that I had ordered and paid for 3 (given there were 3 of us at the table you would have thought they might have clarified this when serving us). When they checked and then brought the 3rd afternoon tea over there was an item missing and I had to go and find a waitress to get this resolved. The tea was weak, we had to ask for additional tea-bags. The cake was dry and only 1 small pot of cream for 2 people wasn’t enough. Felt it wasn’t really great value for money as the red letter day afternoon for 2 with garden entry was £54.95 plus £18.95 extra for the 3rd person. What was served was not what was indicative in the picture on the website either

My cousin and I had been given a birthday present: afternoon tea at Barnsadale Gardens Tea Rooms. We went as a party of 4 for a Vegan Afternoon Tea. The scones & cakes & sandwiches were delicious. The service was absolutely amazing. All the staff were very friendly & attentive and made sure we had a super experience. Barnsadale Garden Staff were equally wonderful and supportive. I would highly recommend this experience

Hellenium is a pleasant tearoom attached to the gardens here. Quite large occupying two separate rooms but well-organised, friendly and efficient service. Fabulous scones and cakes, plus good tea & coffee. Not too pricey either.

We were staying nearby and my wife fancied a trip to the gardens. I rolled my eyes. While she looked in the shop my son and I went to the Helenium tea rooms. I think it might be named after someone called Helen, rather than anything Hellenic. Very nice but no visible Greekness. We sat and ordered bacon rolls - sadly, too late, they stop at 11ish. Friendly lady suggested bacon in the panini, so we went for that. It was bacon, brie and cranberry, an odd mixture I thought, but nice, plus salad and coleslaw. My wife returned early. Apparently the place belongs to a famous tv gardener, whose name meant nothing to me (I have little interest in either tv or gardening). Geoff something. So she wanted to come back next day and spend hours wandering around looking at vegetation. I left her to it. Garden fans will probably enjoy it more than me

Visited on Saturday 11th June 2022 Convoluted route to get here and the lack of signage on the way and the small car park/shop and cafe made us think there may not be much to see but as there were 38 show gardens it blew us away. Started at the tearoom and it had a 1980's honey glaze pine overload theme going on which made it feel like you were inside a big shed. Service was average and the cooked veggy breakfast wasn't great. No condiments were available on the table which I presume was COVID related but when I asked for salt I was given 1 tiny sachet which was funny tbh. Returned to have more tea and a slice of cake in the garden area and that was lovely. It really is a stunning setting, but don't expect much in terms of quality etc from your dinning experience beyond the setting.

We just had a horrible drive up from London, so popped in for lunch before going around the Gardens. The staff were really nice and friendly, and the service was quick and food and drink really great quality. Exactly what we needed to get our weekend on track after a rubbish journey.

We only popped in for a cup of tea and a cake after visiting the gardens. Staff all friendly and helpful and a nice selection of home made cakes, so overall very good.

We had pre-booked and visited the gardens first. It was a really hot day, so although the staff had reserved us a table inside, they were more than happy for us to sit outside in the shade. The service was really good, confirming our sandwiches preferences and bringing everything to our table. The food was delicious and filling. You had a choice of cakes and we were not disappointed with the victoria sandwich. Each scone had its own pot of jam and cream and they brought us a pot of hot water to top up our teapots.

Gardens were lovely 10/10 We visited as were gifted a buy a gift voucher so used it for the gardens and afternoon tea. The afternoon tea was so underwhelming, I’m not sure if we got less as used a voucher instead of paying? 1 small ham and mustard triangle sandwich, 2 small egg (no Cress), 2 cheese and pickle, and 2 bacon, lettuce and tomato. Bread seemed stale and not freshly made. Fillings were not very full. Small pork pie which was lovely. Sandwiches 4/10 Cakes were fresh and nice. 2 lovely big scones and then a small jar of jam and half a tiny filled pot of cream to fill the 2 scones was poor, not even enough for one. 3/10 because not having enough jam and cream made the scones dry and hard work to eat. The drinks were also a massive let down. Got offered tea or coffee which is fine but not enough of it . Small tea pot for one and then the smallest (egg cup size) bone china cup of coffee that was gone in 2 mouthfuls. That was it for drinks, with all that dry food you at least need a drink to wash it down with. Also very bland and weak tea 3/10 We ate inside but the whole place seemed dated and uninviting. It’s like the gardens and the tearooms are a different place. Wouldn’t recommend and wouldn’t return. Tearoom staff were attentive but food and building a let down 3/10

We enjoyed a latte and cake sitting outside in the sun, bordering on the gardens themselves. - nice ambience and a very pleasant and relaxing setting. You can have a snack or meal here without paying to go in the gardens. Toilets nearby could probably do with an upgrade.

Was going to visit the Gardens and decided we'd have something to eat first. There was a queue at the door and a sign saying please wait here to be shown to a table inside or outside. Looking through the window I could see a minimum of 4 tables vacant, mentioning this to others in the queue, one lady said it is always like this, ther was 4 staff milling around the counter but none seemed interested in the queue at the door so we decided to go elsewhere. Very ignorant would not recommend

We visited to have lunch, and arrived just as heavy rain was starting, which had been forecast for days. There was a queue outside the tearoom even thought we could see all the indoor tables were empty and not in use. There were tables in use outside but as far as we could see no shelter from the rain. We waited a good few minutes getting wetter but the queue did not move. Other people in the queue thought that they were only letting people use the outside tables, but no staff available to say what was happening. Surely it would have been simple enough to set a few inside! We gave up and went elsewhere so the restaurant has lost our custom now and for the future.

We decided to have breakfast early before visiting the gardens - the breakfast was very tasty and gluten free option was available. They did not have a gluten free sausage but offered other alternatives including mushrooms. Good outside seating too. Inside seating was good but...

Beautiful! So much to see. Very nice tea rooms.

A tranquil place, lots of interesting garden designs and plants to inspire visitors.

Loved so much we bought an annual pass. Beautiful.

A superb place to get real world garden ideas. Well worth visiting throughout the gardening year. Excellent tearoom.

Excellent place with glorious gardens and efficient nice tea room.

We went on Tuesday what a great place friendly helpful staff from the first moment we arrived to when we left. As for the afternoon tea excellent value one of the best we have had keep up with the good work We will be back

We stopped here around lunchtime for a much needed cuppa and slice of cake, as we had had a large breakfast we didn't want a full meal. The staff were very friendly and the food coming from the kitchen to the tables around us looked...

Our first visit, and were really looking forward to going but we were a little disappointed with it .The entrance fee is rather expensive for what is there . The little cafe was very nice and the food good and reasonably priced .The garden centre for selling the plants were very expensive.

This was my first visit to Barnsdale Gardens, and it wont be my last! Full of beautiful gardens, and heaps of inspiration for my outdoor living spaces at home, this collection of gardens has so many stunning ideas. We also enjoyed having our lunch in the cafe, and I cant wait to visit again!

Beautiful, charming, inspirational. A lovely place for a wander and a cup of tea.

Lovely food and friendly staff

Not much to see in late March and still costs £12.

A lovely place to spend your Sunday…. Such inspiration for our gardens, I particularly love the kitchen garden… and both the Japanese and Mediterranean influences brought into the design of some of the spaces, love it!!!!!! Café is excellent and also the plant shop 👍🏻👍🏻

Lovely place for lunch. Good variety of foods & snacks. Great service and lovely location. Added bonus of garden shop across the car park!

My sister and and I have just visited and thought the food from the tea rooms was lovely. Unfortunately we were stung by the very high entrance fee to get into the gardens which were dormant this time of year. True the snow drops were lovely but at £9.50 per head in winter entrance fee, the price in is very overpriced and as we had travelled a long way we felt obligated to pay it.

Had an amazing walk round and the afternoon tea was so nice thank you will defo go again

Love this place. You could go once a season and it would look different every time.

We only went to the cafe here....it was lovely, warm and clean with a good basic menu, food was delivered in good time and larger than expected portion size left me happy and full.

Really good meal.Excellant service,very clean an smart.We make it a weekly venue to eat.

My son took me here for afternoon tea and I wasn't disappointed, we were greeted by very friendly staff who couldn't do enough for us. Food was of good quality and very delicious, more than enough for two people, also offered a doggy bag for left overs, which wasn't much ! All served in bone china cups etc. We had walk round the gardens which was pleasant even for this time of year, I will go back in summer as I can imagine it will look beautiful. Definitely recommend this place.

Beautiful gardens. Such rich variety and diversity has been skilfully packed into them. Give yourself time to appreciate each area and to sit and enjoy the tranquility. Barnsdale Gardens is the perfect place to enjoy the seasons and watch them change. Quite simply one of my favourite places.

Very informative,great tea room too

Wanted to visit fir so long Geoff Hamilton was, and still is, my gardening hero. He inspired me to make a water feature of a stream in our garden and to see the original today meant everything to me

We would have loved an outside table, but the weather was so lovely it was fully booked, however we had a table by the window, covid process was clearly in place with clean and widely spaced out tables. Our waitress was extremely friendly and was...

Only stopped to use cafe while out cycling. The staff were friendly and helpful, the tea and the bacon sandwich was very nice

Brilliant had a wonderful time Cafe open & great cakes.

Took my elderly parents and son for lunch. Couldn't fault, lovely food, reasonably priced. Hardworking and friendly staff. Will definitely visit again.

Very well laid out with practical ideas for plots. Interesting plots throughout and all are manageable sizes. Food very good in the tea rooms with very reasonable prices and pleasant staff.

Had breakfast before our tour of the wonderful gardens. Both the meat and vegan breakfasts were excellent. Healthy portions. Well cooked and presented. Very tasty and great value for money. Eating in the outside area was a real bonus Very enjoyable and a good start...

It was amazing I didn't know this please until one afternoon we went for a drive and saw this beautiful garden we have to pay for the entrance pay but it was worth it. I fully recommended.

Planned to have lunch at the cafe before viewing the gardens. After an hours drive the welcome on arrival was initially friendly & we were sat at our table following a clean. Menu was basic but adequate & the food looked reasonable as the price....

Just a brilliantly inspiring place.

Beautiful gardens and a very tasty afternoon tea. Something new for beginners and experienced gardeners alike

We drove a long way and arrived for breakfast, we both had the full English and it was absolutely amazing. Nice and hot and very tasty with excellent service. Sadly for us the breakfast was that huge that we couldn't eat lunch, but we did...

This is a wonderful day out. Plenty of seating in each individually designed garden, even a few seats which are covered to shelter from the rain. The gardens give you lots of ideas for your own gardens. What an inspiration! Lovely tea garden with outdoor seating. Very helpful service. Not Covid safe indoors in the café as none of the windows were open, rather oddly. Be aware that if you order the chicken and bacon jacket potato it comes smothered in a sickly honey and mustard sauce. OK for those who like this but not mentioned on the menu. No loos in the gardens themselves, they are located outside, near the car park and nursery. They are quite small but more or less adequate. Small shop with some local food, 3D greetings cards. The nursery has a wide variety of rose bushes on sale and there are some beautifully scented ones. Overall a wonderful day out. Can't wait to visit again next year

Great food, the breakfast here is the best we have ever had. Fresh and local produce all cooked perfectly. Good service from friendly staff.

Very interesting group of gardens

Just needs tidying. The detail makes a garden The little thing have been forgotten by the look of it.

Lovely food served in beautiful surroundings. Absolutely first class.

What a fabulous place for a meander around the garden rooms and fill your photo gallery with lots of ideas for your garden

Very nice, well worth a visit and the cream tea was lovely. Would recommend a visit

Lovely gardens...fresh air....cafe friendly with good food also do vegetarian and vegan breakfast till 12. Enough room not to feel overcrowded even though quite a lot of people...clean loos...can eat outside...relaxing...quiet...friendly staff.