Cafe By The Lake in Horsham - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

We reserved the side room for a big family afternoon tea. We enjoyed generous portions of sausage rolls, scones, jam and cream, and huge slices of cake. The food was delicious and service great.

The cafe by the lake is beautiful and is a lovely place to go for views. There was a 20 minute wait for our drinks which wasnt a problem, however me and my boyfriend ordered 2 full english breakfasts and were given a buzzer. I was waiting in the line for so long i got my boyfriend to take the buzzer and wait for it to go off at our table. We were slightly confused with the buzzer which wasn’t the staff’s fault, however the waitress couldn’t find my boyfriend and I went up to her to say where he was sat as we didnt know the buzzer went off. She came across as annoyed and then gave my boyfriend our food. She then proceeded to come back inside the cafe and speak about my boyfriend to the other baristas in front of me explaining that she was shouting our order number and my boyfriend didnt realise it was ours and how he was glued to his phone. We can appreciate that its not the staffs fault for our confusion, however you do not bad mouth my boyfriend in front of me to other staff members. Next time, keep your opinions for after the service is over.

Great cafe situated on the fishing lake. Staff very helpful, prices not cheap but food great. I visited here for an amazing breakfast & also for drinks one evening, several choices available.

What a brilliant place for a great breakfast or brunch. Beautiful surroundings and amazing service. A must go for couples, families or just on your own.

I don't know what's happened here as previous menu and food last year was great but chose a cajun chicken open sandwich which was just a soggy mess! Unappetising and horrible to look at. I would ashamed to serve this up to anyone. The chips were great!

Have used this cafe for many years and have always had a good choice of home cooked food and good service...today (Sunday) only limited choices ham, scampi with chips or chicken thighs chips...or numerous burgers ...then waited over an hour for this to arrive ...waiters didn't seem to know what they were doing!? Has this changed hands?... very disappointing...will not be back...

Went here for Breakfast on our last day of our holiday in the area with our two Siberian Huskies, we sat outside and I went in to order two full English Breakfasts, the service was superb and as my wife had both our dogs the lady who looked after us brought everything out to us and honestly could not have been more helpful, bringing teas, plus the breakfasts with all condiments required while we sat there and even some dog treats!!! The breakfasts themselves were of a very high standard and excellent portions, wonderfully presented and great ingredients, all in all we could not have been more impressed or better taken care of!!!

It’s OK looks like a nice place for families. However there are too many signs:- Don’t this don’t that, no parking here etc etc. When people go on holiday they want to relax, al these signs are annoying and not necessary. May I suggest you remove them? Food was OK, not brilliant, but fine for families.

This was a first visit and, as we had high expectations from reviews from friends, we were hoping for a lovely breakfast to set us up for the day. We were delighted that the breakfasts were outstanding! Great service, lovely food reasonable prices and a pretty setting. We will definitely be back.

We stayed at sumners pond and the cafe was opposite our accommodation, and I wished we had used it everyday! We went for breakfast today(04-12-23) before we left to return to Essex. We were greeted by warm and friendly staff , we had a choice of tables so sat near the wood burner and a lovely view of the lake , the cafe it self was warm and cozy and looked lovely in the glow of the Christmas lights , the breakfast was excellent and good value for money , we chatted with the owner who was welcoming and very proud of her cafe and so she should be !! We will be back to sumners pond and will definitely frequent the lovely cafe by the lake !! Thank you Simon

I would have given this 3 stars due to the fact that we waited over 45 minutes for our breakfast. However the reason I gave it 4 is because the breakfast itself was really good and the place it beautiful. Clearly a popular spot as it was very busy when we went. We were staying at the campsite though and the delay meant it was a huge rush for us to them check out in time afterwards.

We have been regular visitors to the cafe & the campsite for many years now & have always found Sharon & the team very friendly, helpful & professional. Good honest food which never fails! Look forward to returning soon!

Lovely quirky setting, friendly staff. Please don’t order granola for breakfast with yogurt, with cherry 🍒 on top naff. Like eating sawdust and glue the yogurt too thick. Difficultly swallowing. We both left it. No one came to ask if we were happy with everything, such a shame. A poor food experience, we probably just thought it would come with fresh fruit or even banana like we make at home. Wrong choice, personally I would remove it from the menu. Do not order this!

Uninterested staff, slow at receiving drinks, more interested at talking amongst themselves than serving, bland food, shame for such a lovely setting

Our daughter took us to celebrate my husband's birthday. We enjoyed the breakfast (although the bacon was rather hard) and the staff were all very pleasant and helpful. Will come again to enjoy the fountains and flowers.

We popped down to Sumners Ponds for a mid week outing and leg stretch, after not having visited fir a year or so. Theres some works going on at the front of the site with a digger, so there was a constant building site type hum which was a shame, but the view of the lake from the terrace was lovely. My husband when in to order our food and drinks and took ages - gather there was just one lady taking orders and it was slow going. Food once ordered came quicker than the queuing time! Hubby enjoyed ham eggs and chips and I loved my fish goujons ciabatta - lovely light flavoursome bread, accompanied by salad and coleslaw and crisps. We then did a walk around the 5 lakes on various footpaths through woods etc which we hadn't done before, watching all the anglers, and walked for about 40mins, so a very nice outing. There's a site map by the main car park at the entrance, if you want to do the same and explore (suggest taking a photo or you can print a copy from the Sumners Ponds website).

Lovely place, superb settings and incredible views. Really enjoyed my ham egg and chips. Really thick cut ham, good portion sizes and tasty food. Friendly staff and plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. If you really want to get away from the hustle and bustle then this is the place. Fair prices but quality food.

Good food, decent prices and great staff. We needed disabled access and the staff were so helpful, there is a specific entrance with parking next to it (not overly clear). In a lovely location, cold day so was inside by the fire but can imagine it’s amazing in the summer next to the pond and sitting outside. Had a lovely lunch with elderly aunt. Really nice experience.

Had a lovely lunch with four people and our dog. Good-sized portions which were outstandingly presented on each plate. The chef was even willing to alter one of the meat options to a vegetarian-friendly dish, which was well-received. Good range of cakes on display, although we didn't try one as the meals filled us up! Lovely waitresses served us throughout our stay and attended to our every need. We will definitely be back in the near future.

We arrived on a cold day with heaters on thought it looked nice and cosy. Ordered our breakfast ,seemed expensive . Without warning the manager just opened the sliding doors behind us and we froze . Everyone put there coats on and thought What a waste of the heat. Breakfast came and drinks ,wouldn’t do scrambled eggs instead of fried eggs but unfair considering the very expensive price. It was ok quality but without doubt will not be going back . The manager in person in charge attitude done it for me . Unless you happy with the rudeness and the high cost go elsewhere .

Spent a lovely afternoon here sat by the lake with a friend for a few hours. Very peaceful and good food. My issue is with the menu not making clear what is in each dish - dairy, gluten etc The staff member took a while to work out each choice I tried to make (blind) and were not clear about if something could be swapped or left out of a particular dish. This made choosing what to eat very difficult and awkward. It wouldn't be hard to label the menu with allergens in each dish and would make a massive improvement to customer visits.

A cafe tucked away by a lake, within an area of holiday lets and accommodation. There was a wide range of food, (including onion bhaji toaster sandwiches), which we had and enjoyed.

We visited yesterday for lunch on our first visit, the surrounding of the cafe by the lake are beautiful and seeing the selection of food and cakes we were really excited to eat especially my 4 year old who Was very hungry. so we asked...

Nice ciabatta but the cake was stale which is unacceptable . Location is nice by a lake, would deserve a better quality of food

We visited for my dads birthday today for breakfast. I was surprised at the price of the breakfasts which if included a hot drink and toast would have been ok but this was additional money on top. It cost nearly £60 for 5 people -...

2 minutes past 3 I really tried to support small businesses during covid but I do wish they would work on their customer service. We arrived at this cafe 2 minutes past 3. Lunch service stopped at 3. So no, we couldn’t have a panini....

We’ve haven’t been to sumners pond for a while and they have made some nice changes to the layout. We was greeted by friendly staff who told us to find a seat anywhere we want, And to have a look at the menu then come...

Not really very friendly asked for a ciabatta with ham but no cheese (not everyone can eat cheese! For health reasons) was told they are already prepared and this time they would take out the cheese but not to expect it next time! I was...

I've been here a few times now and it's a lovely place to have a catch up with old friends or the family. It's got a lovely position overlooking the lake with plenty of parking. the food they serve here is very good with a...

Absolutely lovely cafe Right next to our lodge. We had early dinner here ( it closes at 4 ):on the Friday when we arrived. 2 of us had ham, egg and chips and 2 of us had scampi and chips. Really good portions with lots...

We visited the cafe for afternoon coffee and cake after a walk in the area. We were disappointed. The service wasn't great to begin with and then we were served luke warm, extremely milky coffee in paper cups and cake in cardboard containers. When eating-in...

I really don’t know what’s happened here!? I’ve been coming here for many years camping and enjoying the Cafe on the Lake, which was improving every year. On this last visit the cafe closes at 4pm. This used to enjoy an evening of great food...

We usually enjoy the food at Cafe at the Lake but today it was poor, the toasted sandwich was burned and the scones were dry

Well, the meal we received was nothing like the pictures, served in a cardboard box, the burger was ok, chips were unappetising, soggy and tasted funny, made a complaint and was told they would feed it back to the kitchen. The reason we came for...

We recently came after telling my sister how nice it was. I’d been before lockdown before. We arrived at a bad time I acknowledge but bought some cold food before the main meals were starting and it was so disappointing. Fridge cold sausage rolls which...

Headed out with my sister and puppy just as they had shut the doors for the day. They ooened up straight away and got us our coffees (they did a great cappuccino) and a bonus two gravy treats for the puppy. Super friendly service, really...

The cafe has a great setting and the cake is very nice. Yes it appears you have staff issues around washing plates so paper cups are used. It’s a bit poor that you find the need to present a piece of cake in a fish...

We have never visited here before and to be honest weren’t even aware of the place but we stopped off after a walk for a quick lunch and have to say we were pleasantly surprised! Good service and good food, all in a lovely setting...

Hadn’t visited for a while but went for lunch on a Sunday. If we’d been told how long the food would take, we probably would have gone somewhere else but we weren’t told, so sat waiting for over an hour. When it did arrive it...

We had their breakfast rolls which were fantastic, their coffee cake which was so big it lasted for a couple of days and their burgers. Their cleanliness and care during this time with Covid was very reassuring.

We visited this cafe for a breakfast with my husband. Of course we couldn’t get a table so we decided to wait. We’ve been waiting over half an hour when two women’s just walked in and taken our table. When we told them that we...

Very pleasant lunch in cafe housed in Sailing Club premises. Signage not very clear (opposite side of lake from boat hire place)but we were definitely pleased to have found it! Friendly owner and staff, good food and great view!

I had a cheese burger which was cooked just how I like it and the burger itself was delicious you could tell they had used quality meat. The chips were also superb proper hearty chips crispy on the outside and fluffy in the inside! It’s...

Food is amazing and staff are fabulous - the social distancing is fantastic with cleaning station etc

I have been here before but didn't review but today the staff were so lovely, chatty, cheery and helpful I had to give them a mention, tasty burger and hot fresh chips all served with smiles and chat, thank you.

A nice place to visit, very cosy with the wood burner on and a nice ambience. Staff were mixed some really nice and some seemed just miserable to be there which was a shame. The food came out barely warm first time around but this...

Came for afternoon tea. Food was great and the service was warm and friendly. I would definitely recommend

Lovely cafe just as the title says, by the lake. Log burner so nice and warm. Rustic decor. Friendly staff. Good value for money.

We went here for lunch and despite being a miserable day in mid January it was quite busy. We last stayed at Sumners Ponds and ate in the Cafe about eighteen months ago and at that time we were rather disappointed with the quality of...

The service does seem to be a bit hit and miss but the food has always been pretty good until this last visit. Had breakfast but the sausage was very obviously not fresh (reheated from the day before by the looks of it and dried...

Tables are at a premium during the festivities but the helpful lovely staff deal with this issue with minimum fuss and ensure you are seated comfortably in order for you to enjoy your visit. Please be aware that breakfast finishes at 11.15 so only pastries...

We had a lovely time over the weekend. We went for breakfast. They’re open till 11 for breakfast so you can get more sleep before. No rush and relaxed. Our 2 year old was also happy

Beautiful location, friendly staff and delicious afternoon tea (for a reasonable price!) will go again in summer so we can sit outside!

My friends and I meet in a different location for breakfast every month. We really enjoyed the location, decor & atmosphere. The service was very friendly and efficient. The food was good, tasty, hot, well presented breakfast classics. We also sampled the cakes which were excellent and good value for money. Will definitely be returning to try the lunch menu.

We were staying at the campsite and booked a meal here on the Saturday evening.I ordered the Fragrant Thai curry with noodles and Potato. When it arrived it was 50% peas which weren’t mentioned on the menu. Neither was the sweet potato, just potato. I’m not a fan of either of these and felt the menu had been misleading. When I flagged this with staff I got a disappointing response from a junior member of the team. They don’t have to note all ingredients because these don’t cause an allergic reaction. Hence my reason for this review. I didn’t want to make a fuss as we were with friends so I left it at that. Next time we will book a table at the local pub up the road and the customer service we received was pretty poor. The plates too an age to be cleared despite their being numerous staff and asking several times.

We stayed at Sumners pond and went to the Cafe by the Lake for a late breakfast. We sat out on the wooden decking by the lakeside and it was so wonderfully relaxed. The staff were all friendly and welcoming and the food was very nice and considering the location, the price wasn't bad at all. Until our stay here we weren't aware of this place, and now that we are, we will be sure to revisit.

We booked a table for lunch on Sunday afternoon for 6 people. The restaurant itself is very pretty, set in beautiful surroundings and has a good ambience, the menu isn’t particularly limited but we still struggled to all find something we liked - the kids menu however is excellent!

Stayed on site booked for meal , staff lovely, food great , silly little touches that were sweet like little bottle with flowers on table with my name on, thank you guys xx im so sorry I took the bottle and flowers but will send it back if need me to x

We first ate here whilst staying at Sumners Pond Campsite last year, and having popped by to see some relatives thus year we went for dinner with them. We weren't disappointed! The food is the perfect combination of great home cooking and high end dining.

Enjoyed two wonderful breakfasts here by the lake. The location is beautiful & you can relax & enjoy your surroundings. There was a happy team of staff on duty when we first arrived but we found the service slow - we had to chase up our pot of tea after a reasonable time for service. Service at breakfast was much sharper & staff genuinely interested in where we’d visited & what

Thank you for making us so welcome - food was excellent and service was good too. Nice not to feel rushed and have time to chat and eat. Thank you

As this is a campsite and fishery there are a lot of people using this cafe. Unfortunately it is not set up to cope. We were told there was a half hour wait for food. So we just asked for coffee and cake. The coffee was very weak and tasteless. I asked for this to be replaced; the second cup was better. Not sure why they couldn't get this right in the first place.

We went to the cafe for birthday lunch. The cafe is beautiful and we sat in the "tent" area with fairy lights, lovely tables and a view of the lake. The food was really fantastic! The 2 vegans in our party were impressed with their meal and the waitress/manager was incredibly attentive. The kid's meal was huge and all the food was very fresh and tasty. They even popped a candle in the birthday girl's pudding and sang happy birthday to her, which was a lovely touch. During the end of food service (3pm) the waiting staff took their eye of the ball a bit and we had to ask for the table to be cleared, but having worked in restaurants in the past this is not an unusual occurrence at that time of the day. We will be returning for more lovely food and friendly service.

Our first visit here and very pleased with what we found. The cafe is tucked away on a farm that has diversified, with large camping area's and fishing lakes. The cafe has a good menu with vegetarian and vegan options. Our meals arrived quickly and the staff were very attentive to the diners. The food quality was very good and we were surprised by the size of the portions.

We breakfast most Wednesdays the food is always excellent apart from the sausages which contain far too much herbs, very helpful and friendly staff.

Perfect café, you don't have to be staying at the campsite to use the restaurant, which is in a really lovely country setting by the lake. Brilliant

Eight of us arranged to meet for lunch (as we have done before) for a good catch-up. The staff were very attentive and helpful, and were happy to wait for the last members of our party to arrive, but assuring that we got our drinks whilst waiting. Quite a few of us had various burgers, all of which were good. Only two of us could manage pudding! The room we were in was prettily decked out with fairy lights, and looked charming. It was no trouble for the staff to take our payments one at a time to "zero out" our bill at the end of the meal. We shall certainly meet again there quite soon.

Met brother at 1100hrs for something to eat. Only to be told no food at all being served until 1200hrs.

A delightful location and venue for a special birthday party, enjoyed by all. The staff were fantastic. I would highly recommend Sumners Ponds cafe.

Another review similar to the last. Food was pretty good but service terrible. We walked in to someone trying to get hold of the manager being told that she was not available.. This lady had made a special journey to see the manager who had not phoned her back when should have...The service here is terrible and it is such a shame as this could be fantastic with the right staff....

Would highly recommend this restaurant for a celebratory eve. We were a table of 11 celebrating my son's 18th. Staff were all very attentive , food wonderful as always at this restaurant. Price reasonable too. We will definitely return again during the evening.

T My title says it al.l this is a lovely restaurant with lovely people in a perfect setting. The range of food is good and the quality is excellent

Food was good- nice choices on the menu. Good table in the window and very smiley waitress! We enjoyed the atmosphere and all the staff were very helpful and friendly.

We dropped in for coffee and a slice of cake by the lake, and were delighted with what we had. My chocolate orange sponge was very good indeed. We'll be back.

We've been staying at Sumners this past week and we were highly recommended to try the Sumners' English breakfast and I have to say it was utterly disappointing.

Had a great 3 day break here and friends over Friday night, Saturday lunch and dinner and big family lunch on Sunday. We stayed in the safari tent which suited our needs perfectly. I can highly recommend it for a special treat. The staff in the cafe catered for us so well, we had 2 groups of 10 and then 2 groups of 22. The food was excellent and all the staff couldn't have been more helpful in making our weekend memorable.

We booked well ahead and, although we specified that we required a table to accommodate a small child/buggy, we were shown to a totally unsuitable table. Some of the order never arrived and we had to wait ages for our food, which was due to one particular dish we ordered; it would have been better if this had been explained at the time of ordering as we would have chosen an alternative. We had a young child with us so we couldn't wait over half an hour. Some of the staff were very nice but overall disappointed.

The meal that was ordered did not remotely resemble the menu. We had already paid and we were refused a refund. I found this attitude difficult to take.

We have eaten here a few times now whilst staying at Sumners pond, the food has improved but the service hasn't..... Also very very expensive drinks. But overall not bad for what it is.

We had a wonderful meal from the lunch menu . Very helpful staff, clean and tidy restaurant with a varied choice of dishes all freshly prepared. What a beautiful setting too. We had a nice walk around the lake afterwards too. Highly recommend this place for all ages.

After a walk around the ponds and area went with friends for tea and cake. Service was a bit slow and scones were inedible. Took them back and ordered cake instead which was very nice. I had Jaffa Cake cake, very unusual. Teas were good and served in individual tea pots.

The best breakfast in Sussex, excellent food and very helpful and friendly staff. Very good value for money, lovely views of the lakeside.

£9.95 for a cheese jacket potato and £14 for a leafy salad with 3 chicken strips. Had run out of cutlery and food difficult to eat with wooden cutlery. Generally starting to lack attention to detail here. Coffee served with cup saucer and a spoon so why not sugar? It’s been a favourite local place of ours for a while but think we’ll look for other options. Such a shame.

I had never been before but got taken for lunch with a friend. Had a lovely lunch, served by great, friendly staff in lovely surroundings. I imagine its beautiful in the summer. Will definitely be making a return visit.

We drove for 1 1/5 hours to be told they had stopped breakfast early and lunch would notbe available for an hour. Then, the reason we were persuaded to go, was told there were no gluten free cake so couldn't have anything and didn't want to wait for lunch. The server was non plussed about it all and left me feeling quite dussapointed.

On a barmy warm day in Feb we decided to drop in for lunch, sat outside and enjoyed the view of the lake as usual. We were told there would be a delay after ordering (frustrating) but in fact it wasn't too long. It's a favourite cafe for several visits a year for us.

Decided to pop out for breakfast as it wasn’t raining for a change!.. hadn’t been to Summers Ponds over the winter so decided to go as the sun was out.. glad we did - the service was very friendly as usual and our breakfasts were cooked perfectly to order.. taking our well behaved dog inside as well wasn’t an issue..the view over the lake was as glorious as ever.. a real gem in my opinion..

My first visit and it certainly won't be the last. Roaring log burners in the Safari tent and great coffee, could think of a better way to start my day.

My opinion - all a bit confused. Booking procedure all went well, for the afternoon tea you do have to give 48 hour notice of sandwich choice. Arrived, shown our table then that was when it stopped! 3.15 arrival, 3.30 we went to look for staff, despite being told a waitress would be with us. Cake orders then taken, four choices available but as you can see from the picture this cake was no flapjack! Waitress was very apologetic and lovely, food arrived at 4pm, tea at 4.15pm an hour after arrival! Quality of food, excellent. Bizarrely you then have to ask to pay, till staff had no idea, despite me stating I wanted to pay for 6 afternoon teas initially charged for another table. Was the establishment taken aback by lovely February weather and being very busy possibly, but because the whole venue is trying to facilitate every opportunity breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and evening and a bar, it almost feels lost in its identity and needs a staff member directing operations.

Visited for Sunday lunch, beautiful location, the cafe/restaurant has a really good atmosphere, very pleasant staff, food good too!

Took a wrong turn and ended out coming across Sumner lake & fisheries that has a great café restaurant. Pleasant walk around lake then a cup of warming coffee.

Fab range of delicious food, all freshly cooked & at reasonable price. Have visited twice in the past few weeks & pleased to say standards are back to where they were a year ago, after what was mixed experience last Spring/Summer.

Four of us went for Sunday Lunch and all had something different, from roast lamb to fish and chips. Portions were generous and we had no room for desert, but as we asked our comments too be passed on to the chef he came out to thank us and explained that the lamb was local as was most of the food they served. Service was very good and the woodturners kept us very warm.

The cafe by the lake at Sumners ponds Barns Green has great surroundings and pleasant staff. Eating outside looking over a pleasant fishing lake is great. Like many places who spray wooden to tables to clean them they end up sticky and unpleasant to sit at. The food is variable and the menu is not very exciting.

What an amazing job the staff did at Sumner ponds cafe did for our annual cricket dinner, and very helpful. The room was decorated beautifully, and looked fantastic, a great atmosphere, lovely and warm. The food was delicious, and we all had a great time!

The Cafe is set in beautiful surrounding. I went with a group of friends who went for a long walk in the area, which they all enjoyed. We all enjoyed the food and found the staff very helpful. Would certainly go back again and soon.

Well worth a visit and interesting walking on the flat. Plenty to see. Restaurant well staffed and friendly and good food, Adequate parking. No charge.

top restaurant shame it now shuts at 5pm sunday untill thursday also been modernized still a little chilly in back room at night.

Booked a table glad we did, as very popular, we sat inside with the two lovely log burners, some people sat outside with heaters, nice touch, we arrived early and had a drink before ordering our food, we went for the Halloumi winter salad, which was very tasty, staff were friendly and polite, lovely food, have already recommended it to my friends. Can’t wait to return soon.

Not the first time I have eaten here so I know they can do a lot better. Had the standard breakfast and for £6.95 I expected more than a hard egg and toast arriving after we finished our breakfast, we had to ask for it, we where asked white or brown when we placed the order so not sure what happened. Will try again.