Brownlow Cafe in Dacorum

First visit to the Brownlow Cafe for a while and went to give it the benefit of the doubt post Covid but it has really gone downhill since the NT took over. Everything in disposable cardboard/plantbased cups/containers and the coffee was awful. Certainly not worth the £3.10 for a Regular cup. Food was limited and expensive. Beepers going off everywhere. They are even trying to make you pay for parking now! Won't be going back there again. Bring back the days when you could have a good breakfast on a Winters day with coffee in a warm mug!! Its not going to happen but is it progess??? NO.

Cafe is really poor now. It used to be brilliant with fresh food, scones and tray-bakes. Now the choice is poor, the tables aren’t as good and the parasols/shades have gone. This used to be a destination we looked forwards to. Now we are looking for somewhere else. We were there yesterday, really sunny, in the past it would have been full. It was almost empty. So sad.

We used to regularly pop into the former Brownlow cafe after a walk around Ashridge for a hot drink or lunch. Was very surprised when the NT opted not to renew the lease on a thriving, popular business, particularly when there was so much opposition to decision. Their promise to open a NT run, comparable cafe has not been delivered. Cafe is poorly managed, with inexperienced young staff and rude management. Recently queued for ages to be told literally no food left. Flustered but polite person on till suggested to his female manager they put up a sign or go down the huge queue to let people know, rather than waste their time. Unfortunately his initiative was met with a curt and rude response by the manager who basically said they will find out there’s no food when they get to front of queue. Very poor attitude. Range of food on offer, when available has also gone down hill. Will go elsewhere in future. Big mistake NT, huge.

Friendly staff but very limited food available due to staff shortages therefore no bacon rolls etc. Unfortunately this has happened to us before. On this occasion there were 4 staff members serving so it’s hard to understand why they say they were short. Shame to see the deterioration compared to what was there before.

Visited the cafe today , sandwhiches had run out by 12 o’clock one choice of over priced panini ! Childrens boxes were good but over priced ! The wait was huge and end product not worth the money - will be taking a picnic next time

Used to drive 25 mile round trip to walk here and use the cafe, it’s been totally ruined, currently run by clueless school children, really slow service, poor choice, what we’re the National Trust thinking? So many unhappy customers.

In the morning we were told due to heat in the kitchen they can't serve hot food. I believe there is a popular saying about working in hot kitchens.......(Heat was only 25C actually). The same new NT 'woke crowd also informed me that it really would be "dangerous" to place a child's shortbread biscuit in the same package as a Victoria Sponge for me to carry to a table. Management need to get a grip on this, get some adequate kitchen extraction and adequate staff....... .....The former Brownlow's staff handled any situation with aplomb compared to this.

We’ve always enjoyed a stop at Brownlow cafe for hot drinks or a light meal when out for a walk on Ashridge estate. However since the National Trust closed the privately run cafe earlier this year and brought in its own staff on both occasions it’s been a really disappointing visit. Last time in April we were there and at 1pmish on a Friday even though it wasn’t busy there was a very limited menu. Yesterday we had visitors staying with us and had booked the mobility vehicles during the afternoon to enable my parents to enjoy the meadow walk. We thought we’d have a late lunch and so arrived at

I can't imagine why the NT should ever have considered closing this popular cafe. One of the problems with it is its popularity - there's often a queue! It's basically an outdoor cafe with food and drinks served from an outdoor hatch. However, there is limited indoor seating but you'll be lucky to find a table free. Food is basic but generally OK except for my rather unpleasant meat pasty. Chewy meat and the taste lingered all afternoon! Coffees, etc were fine.

I noticed that the monument cafe has now re- opened. It looks disappointing. Packet sandwiches and packet gluten free cakes. The offering seems similar to a petrol station shop. Maybe the coffee will be better.

For no logical reason the national trust are forcing this cafe to close on 2nd of January. Visited this afternoon and joined long queue. Usual excellent tea and brownie served by friendly staff. Browning cafe is immensely popular and does excellent trade. Very sad at its closure and very angry with the trust at their action, which has no justification. It would appear they are following some strange agenda which takes no account of the opinion of members or cafe customers. .

With a superb location, great food and unfailingly polite, friendly and efficient staff this has always been our lunch or tea stop when walking in the area. It is a travesty that the National Trust are forcing it to close.

Got here at 2:45 on a Tuesday afternoon hungry after a long chilly autumn walk but there wasn’t much left to choose from. The waitress was impatient and unhelpful and my sausage bap was barely warm. I drank my tea (you help yourself to milk from a machine on the table next to the serving hatch) and decided against trying to order a scone. Perhaps I’ll be luckier another time but I won’t be coming back at the weekend when I’m sure the service would be entirely unable to cope with demand.

Very welcome after Forest Walk (3 miles, 75 minutes). Excellent Brie & Cranberry Sandwich and Baguette. Really fresh ingredients. Top class Macciato Super helpful Staff. Really grateful when we returned with a modest Gratuity after our Lunch. With contact less often tricky to reward the hard working Staff. Great spot. Very near Car Park. Hayling Seagoon

Well worth the hour and 20 minute drive to have a walk to Ashridge Estate (!) unfortunately our visit was consumed by waiting in a queue as long as the Great Wall of China. For a simple, easy menu as burgers and baps in that time to just place an order, I could have gone to the shops and cooked it myself. Was looking forward to having a quick snack before commencing our walk around the estate but got to closing in that time and started our journey back home. Inefficient ordering, staff who had no concept of a long queue to clear down and would’ve liked a burger to fit my giant soggy tomato bun.

Two of us cycled 15 miles to try this cafe after seeing good reviews. The setting in the courtyard was pleasant enough, but it was taking ages to get served so we left. Only one person seemed to be taking the orders and she was then preparing coffees, cakes and toasted sandwiches. On such a nice Sunday it was baffling that they hadn't enough staff working. No way we'd organise a cycling club run with a group of 10 riders.

So: if you like the great outdoors, insane scones (see pictures) and decent grub, this is an excellent choice. There is NO indoor seating, however, and very little under cover, so be aware. Often there are long queues, and a bit of a wait as...

Had lunch at Brownlow’s cafe after walking around Ashridge Estate today. I had the special of bagel with cream cheese and smoked salmon. My son and partner had the breakfast bap. All three were will filled. Definitely no scrimping on the fillings. Freshly made and...

Would really benefit from better coffee. Hot sandwiches were very welcome after a long ride in the cold. Erratic opening hours at times. I really hope this place stays open longer-term.

We ordered bacon rolls this morning and they were very poor. It was in an enormous bread roll with 2 small and very hard, obviously been sitting around for a long time, pieces of bacon. The coffee was ok.

Busy went we arrived but well organised queue soon went down, we had coffees but food looked good. toilets in complex were open

A friend and I enjoyed a hot take-away coffee and a bacon sarnie here yesterday. It was great to be able to sit on a random log and eat our sarnies; they’re doing a great job under the circumstances. Only not 5 stars because their...

Great food and great value. Baguettes were freshly baked, and the cake portions generous to say the least. This place hit the spot after a long walk through the rain and the mud. The only downside was a long wait but certainly worth it.

I was very disappointed in my visit to this facility which is using Covid-19 as an excuse to become unhelpful. The great British jobsworth has truly found his/her calling. The food and snacks we had were OK but they would not provide us access to...

Good to have the cafe open again for great coffee and snacks. But I’d suggest the cafe owners do need to ask the National Trust to sort out the toilets which their customers have to use. Too few toilets are currently open to accommodate the...

This is a cafe with outdoor seating only. The food is good with daily specials during the week but not at the weekends when it can be exceptionally busy. The long queues at the counter and the fact that all hot food is cooked to...

I was looking forward to eating here (and drove for an hour to get here), having enjoyed eating at this cafe on quite a few occasions. However, when I was waiting in the queue, I saw something which really put me off eating or drinking...

Started queueing at 2.30. Arrived at the order point at 3.10, having so missed the last order for hot food (which ends at 3). Lots of customers having to make do with the mediocre choice of cold sandwiches. Queueing in the cold for 40 mins...

Great place to go after a walk in Ashridge. Great food, and service. Even a a cold morning in December is was great.

Never been to a NT cafe like this before. Open from 8 in the morning with an extensive menu incuding an all day breakfast menu. They had a dauntingly long queue but were very efficient so we were served really quickly. The food was not...

Wonderful cafe in the forest. Amazing cakes, cookies and slices. Yummy hot chocolate and generous babychinos. Even though it was freezing the ambience of the outdoor cafe is great. Staff are friendly and very efficient. Fantastic for a start of a great forest walk or...

Really good lunch here today. Pulled pork bap was excellent, as was the quiche. Hot teas and coffees too. Not cheap but reasonable value, they just need to sort out the queuing system, it does take a long time to get served. Person who takes your order also serves the drinks, eventually... . Could be done more efficiently.

Enjoyed lunch here on a thankfully fairly pleasant day. The food was really good, the menu quite extensive and the prices reasonable. The staff were friendly and the service pretty quick. The location is great, with easy parking and access to the Ashridge Estate. The unusual feature is that there is no indoor or even covered eating area, so that one is at the mercy of the elements. Probably not unconnected, the other downside, for non-dog lovers, is the number of dogs, some better behaved and controlled than others, which seem to frequent the place. But , for us on the day, neither weather nor dogs greatly spoilt our enjoyment.

A beautiful cafe set in the heart of Ashridge where you can enjoy simple, good quality, fresh dishes all made from locally sourced produce.Have tried everything from burgers to breakfasts, baguettes to cake n coffee and have always been so impressed. The service with a smile just adds to the pleasue of eating in this fine cafe.

2nd time we have visited in 3 weeks for a hot meal at 3:30and they have a sign up advertising kitchen closed. After a half hour walk through the woods to get there on both occasions, obviously not impressed. An hour round trip wasted on each occasion and a disappointed hungry child.

Great place to have lunch if you are in ashridge. Outdoor seating, great selection of food, great value. Cream teas are fabulous! Best around.Lots of parking, gift shop and toilets plus a great base for walking, cycling etc.Expect queues at busy times but worth the wait.

The grounds surrounding this café are stunning. It’s got a lovely vibe and of course there is the beautiful stately home on the doorstep.

My friends and I are meeting here regularly, because the food quality and value is just so good.

Stale bagels, £6.00 for a teaspoon of scrambled egg, a rotten sausage and a slice of brown bread .. topped with an egg mayonnaise sandwich that was made the week before I ordered it .. Another tourism trap .. ( Same old attitude... never mind they won’t come back .. the only saving grace was the polite staff .. Get rid of the fool cooking and then it’ll be safe to go back

Been for breakfast here a couple of times now. Gets VERY busy on sunny days, but plenty of shelter if the weather is inclement. Good selection of food and not too expensive. Recommend coming early!

This is an amazing cafe, it has an extensive menu and the quality of food is amazing. The service is brilliant too. The cream and jam scone was a delight too. Highly recommend this cafe. Its no ordinary place.

I’ve been to this cafe before and it’s always been busy - the queues are always long(therefore have avoided weekends) but never thought the food was anything other than average. 4 of us went on a Monday afternoon including my 3 year old and again the queue was really long. I stood queuing for about 20 mins - when I got to order I asked for the smoked salmon and scrambled eggs on toast, I was told there was no smoked salmon and then no bread ?? ! OK — so I then tried to order jacket potatoes to then be told there’s none left ? By this point I was frustrated I had a hungry 3 year old and my mother who is very frail and ill who both need to eat something. This is not ok, I didn’t want to cause a scene and there was a huge line of people behind me waiting to order. Would it not make sense to either put a board up writing what is left and communicate to customers ? You have amazing boards detailing your menus, you could just cross the items off ... If this was the case we would have gone home and would be eating in less than the time it took to queue. I was then told a jacket potato was left. I quickly ordered this with beans along with 2 white baguettes and some jam and cheese

Our recent visit was on an overcast day, and there weren't many visitors. As a result we were served quite quickly, but it has been slow on previous occasions when there were more visitors. It is very convenient if you are with children or grandchildren, and the menu is quite family friendly, with simple cooked meals, cakes etc. There is limited cover if it rains. It was too windy for the large umbrellas to be put up.

We visted on new years eve. Ashridge itself was good as ever. Brownlows however was poor. There was a 30 min queue, ok fair enough but when we finally good served we were told there is no baguettes, panini, jackett potatoes or special of the day. This was at 1pm in the afternoon. We had no choice but to go with a sandwich. Sandwichs arrives fairly quickly but was just standard hovis bread with fillings for £3.50, No salad or crisps. I would expect at least fresh bread I.e bakery type! £29 for 6 sandwiches and 4 hots drinks to sit outside in the cold with a very poor sandwich. We will bring our own next time!

Wow, what an excellent cafe!! I was here early (8:45am) as I was attending the geocaching event later that day and I decided that breakfast would be a good idea. There was only a short queue, and I didn't have to wait long before the 'Breakfast Bap' I'd ordered was brought to my table. Sausage, egg and bacon in a large bap - and everything was perfectly cooked and absolutely delicious!! Very reasonably priced too. All the staff were cheerful and friendly. It's a shame I live 1.5 hours away - I could easily become a regular here!

Stopped here today after a walk. There were 18 people in the queue! One person serving behind the small counter taking orders, making the drinks, serving the cakes etc. She needed help! They really need a better system and at least 2 people serving on a lovely warm sunny busy day. There was NO sense or urgency or acknowledgement that the queue wait time was taking 25 minutes. It was forecast to be a nice day. Plan for it and manage the crowds more efficiently. Ridiculous. No comment about the food as we gave up waiting after 25 mins.

Large seating area and just as well as always busy. Staff never lose their smile and pride in their work even on the most crowded of Summer afternoons. Thoroughly recommend the breakfast and cakes, generous and perfect every time. None of your pale sausages, watery tomatoes and limp bacon here; just sweet and tangy tomatoes, just-charrred, chunky sausages with a crisping skin and thick back bacon with a caramelised sheen. Just the thing to set you up for a long walk or fill you up afterwards.

Great outdoor cafe with excellent cakes ... the scones are massive so good to share. Breakfast is also good .... bacon sarnies are delicious

We went to Brownlow Cafe after a long walk in Asheridge. We had a very nice snack and coffee. We will definately be back again. All the food they serve there is reasonably priced

There is only one service point, and the café struggles on busy days. We had to queue first of all for our mid-morning drinks, and then even longer for lunch. The menu is basic, and not surprisingly child orientated. It was however adequate for lunch on a day out with the grandchildren.

Had a late lunch here before a walk through the Ashridge Forest. After the rush - easier to get a seat but always a queue. Food lovely as always and the obligatory cream tea delicious. Great service, great food, great value.

Enjoyed breakfast here, last weekend live local so know that it's best to get in early, food has always been great on the many visits we have had

Most boring tuna baguette I have had in years. Nothing in the way of even a garnish with it and a pale tasteless baguette.

Had a lovely walk in Ashridge in the hot weather and headed to the cafe for lunch. I asked if they did iced coffee, the cashier then proceeded to tell me no they did not have ice cream. I then asked again if they had iced coffee, not ice cream and she very rudely scoffed and exclaimed “no we do not do ice cream!!”. I was only asking... maybe she thought iced coffee is made with ice cream?! She then proceeded to try and hurry me up when I was deciding what to order. Usually great service at the cafe, but this time it wasn’t so friendly

Visited here while taking a walk in Ashridge. The best cream teas for miles around (and big enough to share). Great sandwiches too - friendly staff and great value. Plenty of parking but does get very busy - sunny days equals big queues - but worth it!

Una piccola caffetteria dove gustare il vero English Cream Tea a Berkhamsted. Atmosfera medievale in una località da favola!

Had coffee and other drinks and later lunch. Service was excellent and the food all very clean tasting. I had egg mayo and cress baguette, others had jacket potato, sausage sandwich and English (or Brownlow) breakfast. Will definitely go back. Perfect for a stop while out for a walk at Ashridge.

Walked to and from the Ashridge Estate. Sufficient calories burnt off for homemade afternoon tea. Outdoor seating on benches. Incredibly popular which is always a good sign with families, friends, walkers, cyclists and dog walkers. Homemade cakes and tea £3.50. How good is that?

Had lunch here when visiting Ashridge for a walk. The scones with cream and jam are delicious - worth visiting just for that. Normally quite crowded so expect a queue for food and a table! Great value and friendly staff

We had just completed the guided bluebell walk and then went to the café for a spot of lunch. They offer all day breakfasts as well as jacket potatoes, baguettes, cakes etc.

Really enjoyed our first visit to Brownlow Cafe which was part of a short break in the area including Bletchley Park - excellent sausage sandwiches - didnt have room for scone stack but looked really tasty

I love to start my morning with a Brownlow Special of scrambled eggs on toast with smoked salmon. An absolute favourite of mine here and the eggs are always cooked perfectly and just how ask them to be done. They get it spot on every time.

We are regulars coming here, to have a coffee prior to a walk in the Ashridge woods. Wonderful food and lovely staff, relaxed, ideal for dog walkers and anyone wanting to wander in nature

The cafe is very popular and rightly so. Next to the NT visitor centre and shop. Outdoor seating only on benches.

Worth getting here early on the weekends because it gets a little busy with the runners, walkers, MTB Riders and dog walkers, but a great place to stop off after and walk or run around ashridge. I recommend anything from the breakfast menu...

This is a lovely little cafe based on National Trust land at the Ashridge Estate. Unlike many National Trust offerings...

Visited on a Monday and the place was busy. I decided on the Shepherd's Pie, got the last one and...

Loved this cafe. Loved the way you had to sit outside, loved the way the cakes were home made and...

My fiends and I meet up here for lunch as we find this place the best around for quality and...

We popped in for breakfast. luckily we got there quite early. on a sunny day the queue can get a...

Este café es muy popular. Tiene sillas altas y asientos. Algunos cubierto. Genial para los niños. La comida es muy buena, recomiendo el hams panini de queso. A un precio razonable y bastante rápido. No desayuno, que parece buena, pero llega temprano, ya que parece...

Si yo estaba estudiando sólo los "scones" sería un 4 estrellas para estos enorme revisión bellezas suaves con helado y mermelada! Sin embargo, la selección general en la cafetería es un poco limitado , aunque la situación en Ashridge Estate, con vista al monumento es...

This is a regular stopping point when walking around Ashridge Estate, either half way along our walk or at the end. The staff are friendly and helpful, even putting your cappuccino in a mug instead of a cup when you are struggling with a bouncy dog and providing paper bags when you can't eat all your granola bar in one sitting. The scones will easily cater for two. The promise of a late fried breakfast here will get my teenage children out of bed on bright winter mornings. Can be very busy at weekends or during the holidays if the weather is good. Very dog friendly.

We are here every week. The dining is all outside with some tables are under the verandah , however on a cold or wet and windy day it can be difficult to enjoy your refreshments The food I find to be good and is delivered to your table promptly and at a fair price, they also offer a bar b due at weekends. I do feel the tables could do with a scrub down, and if that fails replace them.

Had lunch here on a busy Sunday. Long queue but there always is and it's worth the wait. Lovely sandwiches and a delicious scone with cream and jam (that big we shared it!) There's an excellent range of other home baked cakes too. Excellent value and we will definitely return.

We arrived in a sunny Sunday morning to meet some friends for a tea/coffee. The problem was that although the tea and cake were lovely ... the time we had to queue - 30 minutes - meant that we had very little time to chat.... and as teas are only served in mugs not pots we weren't inclined to queue up again for another cup. Obviously it was busy but I'm sure am improvement could be made to this.

Not what we expected at Ashridge but totally appropriate. We enjoyed our bacon sandwich, should have asked for a bap not up with the lingo.Beautiful sunny day with lots of mature hikers and horse riders. Great experience.

This cafe is outside seating only. Food is good, plenty of choice and a reasonable price. Can get very busy at weekends.

We have visited this cafe quite a few times over the last 6 years and usually found the homemade food to be better than average (no microwaves I believe). However, it is outside and you can quickly get quite cold sitting, waiting and eating your meal - so its best to pick warmer days and avoid when windy and freezing cold - also the seating is not that comfortable either. This time round I had smoked salmon from the specials menu - but was disappointed both in the size of the meal and in that it was lacking in enough salad. That said - what we ate was very nice and we enjoyed our meals. We followed this down with carrot cake which was quite tasty and a lot more substantive than the 'specials' lunch. In the past I have gone for a coronation chicken sandwich or baked potato and this has always been very filling so I was rather expecting the same with 'specials' option. The cafe can get quite busy around midday (especially when the weather is good and at weekends) and you can find yourself queuing and struggling to get a seat - so its best to get there before the crowds arrive and avoid Sundays and bank holidays.

I have had some bad experiences here with food not being cooked and served raw. This includes my favourite treat, sausage with onion in a roll. I only stop here for cake or snacks. The food is average and overall very disappointing. I have sampled the bbq food on offer but it was tasteless. I would only bring my homemade sandwiches and have a hot cuppa here.

After a nice gentle stroll for 90 minutes it was back to Brownlow Cafe at Ashridge for a cup of tea and a great piece of cake. We have eaten here several times and the food is really good. We have had breakfast here at £5 and my daughter and a veg version which looked very good.Good service and food must not be missed, it is always busy

Not your average cafe in the woods! Wholesome home cooked food with decent selection of specials including delicious soups and broths. I asked for a coffee and was offered filter which was unexpected and good.We chose Moroccan chicken and the Chorizo stew both hot and really tasty. The bread that came with it was warm and fresh. My wife ordered hot milk which unfortunately was only luke warm. Should have gone back but there was a big queue. Would go back every time.

Brilliant breakfasts and lunches. Top quality local food. Eating great food outdoors with a great view, what more could you ask for. Very dog friendly. A fantastic place to have a meal or even a coffee during or at the end of a walk, cycle ride or horse ride. Set in the wonderful Ashridge Forest, this is a gem of place. Gets busy in the warmer months especially later in the mornings. But get up early and have a great breakfast whilst watching the forest Deer prance across the grass by the Bridgewater monument. Brilliant.

If you cant be bothered to take a picnic on your day out at Ashridge, dont miss Brownlows. Best cafe for outdoor eating in Herts.

Meeting friends for a refreshing walk in the local woods, we decided to rendezvous at the Brownlow Cafe. The standard breakfast was ordered from the counter staffed by friendly and welcoming ladies who advised all the options - choices of bread, beans or tomatoes etc. After a relatively short period of time a full plate of breakfast goodies turned up, visually appealing and very appetising. Top prize to the locally-sourced sausages, wonderfully seasoned and full of flavour, supported by crisp bacon, a nice egg, beans, coupled with well-toasted brown bread and tea. Delicious and an excellent start to a very pleasant walk through the Ashridge Estate Woods. Highly recommended and clearly (from the queues) a favourite for walkers, cyclists and other visitors. Our third visit over the space of a few years...to be repeated!

I come here several times a week. I always, always get a very warm welcome from all the staff whether it's front of house or one of the chefs.Scrambled eggs and smoked salmon are a must and I also love the vegetarian breakfast. I love to treat myself to a granola bar which is simply delicious and washed down with a cappuccino and chocolate sprinkles ☕️The cafe is very child friendly too which is especially important when there are lots of dogs and people there. This place is a must visit and reasonably priced too.Highly recommend Thank you Ian & Jensina

Tea, coffee, snack or full English, the choice is yours. You will sit outside but it is all part of the Ashridge Estate experience.

Regular visitor Saturday's/Sunday's for breakfast. Need to be early if weather good as the queues can be long. Usually dog walkers, cyclists and runners before the families turn up. Usual breakfast fare. During the week days, depending on weather, can be busy - lunches (incl. specials )are worth a try.Lovely place to spend time, fantastic walks. One of my favourite locations close to home. But worth a drive if necessary.

We love walking in Ashridge and usually treat ourselves to a cuppa and something to eat at the Brownlow Café when we are there, despite often quite lengthy queues.The ambience is very pleasant and in keeping with the "family out walking" clientele. Large umbrellas are very welcome given the British climate and there are water bowls for dogs etc. So far, so good. Where it gets a bit trickier is when it comes to the food. The menu is generally quite expensive for café-style food but the quality can vary by quite a large degree. As an example yesterday I had a warm sausage roll which was wonderful whereas my wife had a ham sandwich which was £3.50 and consisted of two limp slices of mothers pride and a couple of wafer-thin slices of shop bought ham - not exactly an artisan sandwich!I can't help but feel that the Brownlow Café is increasingly in danger of banking on a captive audience by virtue of its monopoly in the park which would be a shame. A bit more attention to some of the menu items wouldn't take a lot of effort and would mean the Café would consistently live up to the standard of its glorious surroundings.

We had lunch the other day and we also have breakfast there quite often we walk our dog most days and fine the whole experience very good. right know the trees are looking very nice with all the different colours.

We have eaten here numerous times on visits to Ashridge. There is a good menu with several more substantial main courses, salads and light meals such as soup, jacket potatoes or sandwiches. All are fresh with good fillings. There is a wide selection of hot and cold drinks but no alcohol. It can get very crowded. There are some tables under a canopy and some under umbrellas but many are exposed to the elements. The setting is glorious and the building reminiscent of the twenties and thirties.

All our food was super and came out really quickly. My pork bonbons I would have expected in a restaurant not an outdoors cafe. They also were accommodating of menu changes. The cakes in the afternoon were lovely too and they had a wide range. Also great new tea flavours we hadn't seen before.

We tried this place on impulse whilst showing some visitors around the area and what a little treasure it turned out to be. It is near the Bridgewater Monument.It offers a wide range of food for snacks or lunch at very reasonable prices. The food is all individually prepared so you do have to take a ticket and wait a little but it's worth it. You order at the window and when your ticket number is called out the food is brought to you.Hint: don't get your tea/coffee or other hot drink at the time you order as it'll be finished or cold by the time the food arrives. Seating is outside and at garden style benches and tables.Dogs are welcome and their presence added to the friendly atmosphere. This is way better than most cafes that you find located at attractions and we'll certainly return.

This cafe is in a wonderful location. The staff are friendly and the menu quite varied. We come here for a late breakfast. Unfortunately our favourite is a bacon sandwich with a cup of tea. At this cafe the bacon sandwich is expensive and has very little bacon. We always leave disappointed. I'm sure the other choices are very good but......

I had a young waitress whilst on my visit on Ssssunday. She was wearing beautiful faded black skinny jeans and a plain black top. She certainly looked the part. Her attitude toward the customer was sssuper and she was extremely ssssweet and friendly. She had a smile on her face at all times and she made me feel very welcome. LOVED the visit, would recommend!!!!!!

The menu looked great & I'd mentally chosen a Brie & cranberry panini & a hot chocolate but when I asked for a child-sized sandwich for the 2-year-old I had with me I had no luck. The lady serving said she didn't think they could do that & at this point I would still have ordered. However she went to ask the chef if they could do a 1-slice sandwich & his gruff & abrupt reaction made me wish I hadn't asked. I was told they wouldn't be able to "sell the other half"! I wasn't asking them to make a whole sandwich & keep the other half! I decided to go elsewhere. Sadly I know the food is lovely as I've been numerous times before but this experience has put me off visiting with children again.

Good food and a lovely location set in a National Trust woodland, but can get very busy during school holidays and at the weekends.

Came here Saturday afternoon, on a sunny day if a tad windy. Yes had to queue a bit to get served as it was busy but the food that people were eating looked great so patiently waited in the queue. Wow was lovely food, did not disappoint. The all day breakfast & the massive scones seemed to be the most popular. Coffee was great too, will definitely be back again. Lots of dogs around & plenty of water bowls to cater for them.

Very nice setting in an amazing part of the world sits this outdoor cafe. First time I've been to the cafe and I was surprised that the menu is quite substantial and they have a specials board. I had the cream & jam scone, bacon and free range egg bap and a Cornish pasty. I had been on a long walk and was hungry I ordered with a view to take the pasty home with me, buts after the scone and the bap I took one bite of the pasty and realised that I should have ordered 2. I have been to Cornwall a few time and this pasty was on par with them if not better. The pastry was light the filling was plentiful and the simple combination of potato, meat, salt and pepper took me right back to a Cornish village. It was a delight. The only drawback is queuing for the food and placing the order through the serving hatch but I enjoyed the anticipation of waiting for my number to be called out when my food was ready. I would recommend a stop off if you’re passing by… treat yourself. I will stop off again regardless of the weather.

Ideal for grabbing some simple sustenance and warming/cooling (as appropriate) drinks whilst taking in the various walking trails round the Ashridge Estate. Food quality was good. Although busy, service was quite swift. Prices pretty reasonable. Small sized tables for children is a nice touch.