Cafe In The Orchard in Hertsmere

We had a lovely afternoon tea yesterday for Mother’s Day. Such a nice variety of savouries, different from the normal finger sandwich, and plenty of cakes to follow. Happy to top up tea and nothing was too much trouble. Thank you team 🥰

Terrible coffee and would not recommend any of the cakes on display. I went there with my friend yesterday. I looked at the cakes and decided that none looked appetising. My friend ordered a scone which she found pretty inedible. It was very dry. Very poor quality of coffee and cakes and pastries. Would not recommend going there for coffee and dessert.

This is the best spot for breakfast.It’s so quick and fast.The food is delicious 10/10.There are no long queues except on Sundays and there is takeaway and a playground.Best spot for kids and familys.

The wait was substantially long and there looked to be a bit of a commotion in the kitchen but the food was absolutely exquisite especially the hash browns they where very tender and tasty and I would highly recommend a trip to the cafe in the orchid.

Café in the Orchard is a great place for breakfast and lunch, with plenty of dishes and options to suit any dietary requirement, and a changing Specials Board that is worth checking out. It's very kid friendly and there's a lovely playground on site. The staff is always very helpful and engaging. They are always happy to accommodate small changes to any dish, to suit special diets. This morning I asked for changes to suit a Keto/Carnivore diet and they were more than happy to accommodate. It's rare to find a place that will make adjustments and still make the plate look plentiful. This place does.

We’re made to wait 40 minutes in a line just to place our order, for the server to take down the wrong table number so our food was delayed getting to us. Then my club sandwich which had a chicken breast half slapped in the middle of the sandwich uncut and no bacon. Then when it returned the chicken was properly sliced but tough as old boots. We have been giving this place a wide berth after many previous bad experiences but I think this will be the last time I will visit this establishment.

First time visiting the cafe and so glad we did. Took us 1/2 hour travelling so it won’t be a regular, but it was worth it. Lovely clean building and pleasant staff. Good choice on the menu, salads, wraps, bagels, burgers and daily specials. Service was quick and everything was freshly prepared. Tables were cleared and wiped very quickly so it didn’t look messy. Went for a lovely walk after. Will certainly be back.

They have just put up an enclosed/covered area around the back which you CAN now take your dog into and eat without getting wet if weather is poor! Food was exceptional as always generous portions, great quality with great daily specials.. I had the hoisin duck wrap with an amazing chai latte, was one of the best I’ve ever had.. so excited to be able to go with my dog all year round now regardless of the weather..

Friendly staff. Great food. Quick food delivery. They are always cleaning tables so you always get one.

What a super place this is , excellent food they make all their own cakes and children pizzas. It's in a lovely walk/wood with a park. We use this place every week and have our lunch there. There open all day 7 days a week. The staff are lovely polite and friendly.

Came here with my mother in law and partner, lovely little place Really disappointed with the tiniest bit of halloumi in my wrap it’s like they just gave me the scraps of what they had left when really they should have said they didn’t have enough and pick something else. Was a expensive salad wrap. Coffee is lovely though ☕️

We have just come back from a trip to our favourite breakfast place and the booster breakfast has been taken off the menu! Really disappointed.

Very rude staff, especially manageress, wanted ice cream, we were 3 minutes late and the way she spoke to us and how (not even bothered to turn around and look at us) not how you should speak to customers. Needs to learn some manners

I have visited this cafe several times now, every visit has been the same. The food has been excellent, the service has been great, even during very busy periods, and the atmosphere has been very welcoming. I couldn't recommend this cafe more highly.

Every Thursday my wife and I have met at the cafe in comfortable time for last orders for an early evening meal. This Thursday they were not taking orders, even though we were a good 10 minutes before the advertised last orders. This, we were told, was because they hadn’t had any orders in the last hour. Ok, but why then bother with advertising a time for last orders? The “apology” given was a model of perfunctory, I.e., couldn’t really be bothered. This was not the regular guy who we had seen previously, about whom I have no complaints. Very disappointing.

We have visited on a number of occasions over the last few weeks and have been very pleased every time. Contrary to another review the staff are all friendly and polite. They have organised following covid regulations very well. The salads ere delicious and portions very generous. Good range of sandwiches and jacket potatoes. Wide range of ice creams.

I have previously been quite a few times prior to covid and never really had a complaint. Food is OK. However I went recently and ended up leaving as the staff were just too rude. The queuing system is not clear enough and if you don’t stand in the right place you get told off very loudly. My husband seemed to get told off twice even though other customers were also not aware of the queuing system but they were not shouted at. I think better signs are needed and staff to be more customer focused. Won’t be returning. One way system actually means people go in and out of the same entrance so it is not really one way or covid friendly.

Wonderful place with lovely food cooked as you order. The tuna & avocado salad was great, the serving was huge & very fresh. Staff are friendly & the setting is wonderful

The cafe is very family friendly, with a decent kids menu. The adult menu is exceptional for a park cafe. It is delicious and not your typical park cafe. The menu changes frequently and there is a great specials board as well. The portions are really large, food always comes quickly and there are plenty of healthy options.

First time here and just passing but its a lovely place for a coffee and a snack. Very friendly staff. Plenty of room and felt safe.Prices were reasonable and the portions were quite large. I had the ham and eggs and the ham was "real" ham, home baked i believe and plenty of it.

I’m a regular visitor to the tea rooms. The staff are really friendly and helpful, I always have great food and enjoy the relaxed atmosphere. I feel lucky to have such a great place on my doorstep and would recommend to anyone.

We had a nice tea and scone and a Bagel - here while walking with our little dog. Nice stop, pleasant garden.

Arrived at around 10am, quickly seen to a seat. Extremely impressed by the host, he was very accommodating and for personal reasons, managed to move us to a different table. Overall I have to say the staff were fantastic.The coffee was a little strong for our taste but was given additional milk. The bacon baps were nice with good quality bacon. The sausage lacked taste and was not to such quality.Sitting outside is lovely, lots of greenery, and quiet, even when it’s fairly busy as it is now while I write this review.On the COVID front, they appear to have very good procedures in place to keep both staff and clients safe.

Visited today - food very good and brought quickly to our table - no issue there but the attitude of all staff was not good - on arriving at the entrance and waiting to be seated a lá Covid regs - the staff just looked at us and carried on - no recognition - or a “be with u shortly” Nothing - then when we were finally addresses it was very brusque as were all the staff - I fully understand that there are Covid rules but we are still customers and I think a slightly cheery attitude would help enormously - all the staff appeared to have a scowl on their faces and we felt we were an inconvenience .

We popped in Sunday morning for breakfast and sat outside as we had my dog with us. We ordered 2 cooked breakfast and pancakes and they were excellent. Hot, tasty and good quality ingredients. Staff very friendly and welcoming and clearly enjoy working there. If you haven’t been before then it is definitely worth a visit. I would recommend going early though. We arrived at 10am and we got a table outside with no problems. Less than 30 mins later there was a queue of people waiting to get in. If you do have to queue don’t worry - the food is so good it will be worth the wait!

Arrived at 1 to be told to wait outside and a table would be ready in ten minutes- after 15 minutes I decided to check and there were three tables free but we were being completely ignored...I then decided it looked like weather would hold off and to order inside and eat on outside table...Went inside and as I did an older lady popped in front of me but I just took a deep breath - the ‘manager’ who was clearly harrassed then told me to go back outside and wait but allowed old lady to order inside..I left before I was rude....This place can’t cope because of poor management - he was unwelcoming, totally oblivious to where customers were in terms of waiting and out of his depth

We arrive at the cafe at 11:10 for breakfast and were told there would be a 5 minute wait. After 40 mins, despite there being many free tables, we were still waiting to be seated and overheard that they were actually closed between 11:30 and 12:00 and weren’t even sure if they were going to reopen at 12:00 due to the chance of rain. In the conversation the waiter was being dismissive and unapologetic for the way in which this was being handled. At this point we left whilst 2nd in queue, despite only being 3rd in the queue 40 minutes prior, with a queue extending into the car park. Ruined a nice morning.

Had the vegetarian breakfast which was delicious but the other food looked good too. A really nice restaurant with parking. Felt very Covid friendly (actually 1 of the best restaurants I’ve experienced) My only ‘problem’ was that the outdoors was full of screaming kids so deffo not for a romantic lunch!

I visited the tea room on Thursday 23rd July with my daughter who is Autistic and has severe learning disabilities. I had spoken to a staff member the day before about visiting with my daughter and her problems. When we arrived the next day the staff had been told about us. I cannot praise the staff enough for the service and care they gave to my daughter and I , they were outstanding. Nothing was too much trouble . So many places should take note of the care and understanding of special needs that the staff there have. A great place.

Very well adapted for the COVID situation. Having visited all staff had masks and some even visors. Tables cleaned after each visit. Not to mention the delicious ice cream on offer. Always a great experience and will certainly be back.

Enjoyed a great lunch in a safe environment at the tea rooms in Shenley Park today. Met at the gate by masked staff (having been shopping and to a coffee shop where no one was masked this was nice) , disposal menus which is a good idea and then the food and cutlery brought to table. Food was wonderful, salads really fresh , burgers and sweet potato fries nicely cooked and even noticed some daily specials too. All tables were set apart and everyone was keeping their distance. Then on way out - it’s a one way - picked up an ice cream for a walk through the park!

A lovely place to meet up. But the toasted club Sandwich was so hard we could not eat it. The bread was rock hard, avocado unrecognisable under an overcooked crumb coating. Didn't want to spoil a sunny day long awaited meeting with relatives to complain. Few masks in evidence, even for the man serving from the open ice-cream display! And the waiter reached across us rather than walk around. We are from 2 households and over 70, and felt too close on the bench and table. The are round tables that should be for people social distancing. No details taken for COVID contact.

I have coming here since it opened and have always loved bring the family, especially as it has a play area right next to it. We haven't been going out much since lockdown and knew it one of the places we had to visit. Entrance was through the large gate round the side where we waited to be greeted by a polite boy wearing a mask. We had to give a point of contact details and shown to a table. Only outside seating at present, spoke to the owner who told us should the weather change there would be limited seating inside. Menu was on plain paper and thrown away after use, bit of a shame but needs must. I had a breakfast, wife a salad and thankfully nuggets are still available kids were happy. Food was good as ever. No playground open which isn't ideal but made the atmosphere slightly more relaxed. Not all tables full as I noticed staff washing tops and seats before the next arrivals. Toilets have been updated and were really spacious, hand sanitiser everywhere. Glad to see they survived during these unprecedented times and we will definitely be back

The veggie club is just superb, worth to pop in for a quick lunch.....reasonably priced food, lovely surroundings.

Reasonably priced food, very nice. Can get very busy at times but staff are always friendly. Can’t fault it

Two of us had the same lunch, a duck salad. The meal was huge and the duck and sauce it was coated in was superb. One of the best salads I have ever had

Average. Had poached egg on toast. No butter on toast so was very dry. I went there about a year ago and they still seem to have a problem with buttering the toast. However I thought the staff were lovely. And the sausages were really tasty.

Beautiful setting in Shenley park. Brilliant friendly staff and great service. Lovely food. Dog friendly. Would recommend this cafe to anyone who wants a delicious meal and great coffee.

After a walk around the park we visited for coffee and ice cream for the children. Pleasant staff and despite outside being wet and muddy the cafe was warm,clean and tidy

Great place for breakfast or a lunch. The menu is not vast but the daily specials are varied and interesting. A good selection of breakfast meals. The cafe has a good feel to it and nice staff. I am a regular and happy customer.

Having spent a week visiting my sister in London, I joined her on her weekend cycle group to outer London we stopped off at different cafes for coffee and cake but this one was the one that stood out the most. The place was busy, and we had to queue, but the food came out very quickly my sister ordered for me and I have a breakfast. I could not finish everything that was on the plate, all very tasty. The price was great having spent the last week paying over £10 per meal it was great to find something less than £10.

I love visiting this cafe. The staff are always friendly and helpful, portions are huge. I always have the baked sweet potato with tuna and cheese, it’s to die for. My partner changes between the chicken, bacon, avocado and blue cheese salad, which is huge as well, and the cajun chicken burger. What we love most is that the food is always fresh. They’re very flexible and are happy to make changes if we don’t want something, like my partner sometimes changing the blue cheese for halloumi. It’s dog friendly and child friendly as they have a great playground in the back. All together i’d definitely recommend it!

My family and i always have difficulty choosing what to have here as everything looks so good. Huge portions with what you can tell is good quality produce, whenever i eat here i am always full for the rest of the day.Staff are so friendly and accomodating even when tested by very demanding customers!! Its so lovely for the children to be able to play when the adults want to have a good catch up once everyone has eaten. Then there is the amazing ice cream,the salted caramel and cookies and cream are amazing.. I cant understand any of the bad reviews go and try it for yourselves you wont be disappointed..

Ordered smoked salmon open sandwich and was given small piece of toast (approx 4 bites) barely covered with bits of very brown smoked salmon! I looked at the waitress in amazement and said "you have got to be kidding me!" She replied. ok I'll give you a bit more salmon. She came back with barely anything added and when I pointed out the salmon was all brown she replied "that's how smoked salmon comes!". I paid £ 5.95 for this, hugely disappointing and shameful how they can get away with serving such poor quality food. Will not be returning anytime soon. Disgusting!

lovele food and hard working staff friendly and helpful. staftting great for a pleasant rondayvue at lunch time or an afternoon tea

This was a family get together, had heard how wonderful the place, the food and the surrounds were, very disappointed the food. Plates over filled with lettuce, food was cold, too many wasps round your food (not the restaurant fault time of year).

I used to come here a lot and the food was good. Haven’t been for couple of years and disappointed to find it wasn’t good. The table was dirty, I cleaned it myself with an antibacterial wipe, the children’s fish and chips was awful, don’t know if it was batter or breadcrumbs (yes that bad I couldn’t tell) was hard and fish inside horrid, I don’t think it was cooked. Children’s chicken nuggets, coating ridiculously hard and they tasted of fish. (Both fish and nuggets cooked at same time in same fat?)

This cannot be bettered if you have an appetite and children! So much on the menu to satisfy all taste buds. Came for late breakfast - meals excellently cooked, service prompt and such good value. Lucky enough to avoid the rain showers and eat outside.

Lovely place open every day. Breakfasts rolls sandwiches lunch’s high tea cakes beautiful. Large menu. Nice to eat in or out. All food freshly cooked and prepared in premises . Would recommend .Children’s park and play area . Walks close by. Very clean .

I love this place. The food is first class, with local produce featuring heavily.

A really good place to go for breakfast. We were lucky enough to sit outside on a beautiful sunny morning.

We had a tasty and filling breakfast on a Sunday morning. Found it a little pricey though. Arrived at 9.30am - there was lots of space - this was the best thing to do. By 10.30 there was a queue.

great place to meet dog overs and kids. staff friendly food portions are huge. fairly priced. they have several playgrounds aimed for little people 2 under and older kids

Food here is delicious and it's a great spot to come with the children. However, one member of staff has a terrible attitude - I saw her throw change at people, openly roll her eyes when someone asked for their empty glasses to be changed for others because they were dirty, no please or thank you. It's a shame because it's a great place otherwise, and the other staff were really friendly and nice.

This is in such a nice setting with plenty of walks and playing spaces for kids and dogs but we do not have either, yet we came here as was a sunny day and we needed a break from chores.

I found this place by chance and ended up having a really good breakfast.

Visited the cafe with my family and was very impressed with the breakfasts. 2 people in our party ordered the Full breakfast and they struggled to finish them as they are so big! I had the Eggs California and the eggs were cooked perfectly.

nice food, nice staff lovely park. Great selection of teas and my food was absolutely amazing. i will recommend this place to all my friends.

Superb cafe. Quality of food is amazing,good restaurant quality in such an unassuming place. Prices cheap, service fast and staff incredibly helpful. Wish we lived nearby as this would be a regular haunt. Amazing!!

Lovely breakfast of poached eggs with avocado, hollandaise and sunflower seeds on a toasted muffin! Delicious coffee too!

Amazing quality, presentation and taste of food. Very helpful and friendly staff. Generous portions. Would come back again soon..if we didn't live 200 miles away...😂

This cafe is great for drinks, breakfasts and lunches. It has a friendly atmosphere, good parking, is reasonably-priced and the food is great. My baked potato and salad was enormous and tasty. A real community venue for everyone. Top notch.

I loved my visit to the Cafe in the Orchard today. It is a fantastic venue for breakfasts and lunches with the portions being really generous and the food quality being of a very high standard. Whether meeting friends, taking your dog for a walk, or going with the family, this is an ideal spot for refreshments and food with a real community feel to it. The owner, Alex, takes his time to get to know his patrons, and his staff are friendly and efficient. I especially loved the all-day breakfast and definitely plan to go again.

i have been eating here quite a lot and need to say that I'm always happy with performance. food is great service nice and friendly.

Ok for a local place to eat during day. Not elaborate but good value and easy to reach . Great for children

Good place for family visit, lovely veggie English breakfast, nice playground for the kids. There is some kind of ferry trail you can walk with kids and enjoy nature. Highly recommended

My daughter has the Californian with sweet potatoes and loved it. My brunch with wilted spinach and mushroom and poached egg was really good. Perfectly poached eggs. Only downside was fairly poor coffee.

Easy parking beside this restaurant in the park. Immediately adjacent to the restaurant is a large children's play area. So the children play happily while waiting for their food. The food was tasty and the portions large. I had the all-day vegetarian breakfast which was very tasty and cost £8 including coffee. Amazing value.

Come here often, great value, excellent if you have kids as play area, swings, etc right next door. Right on Shenley Park, outside and inside seating. Only downside its noisy when full inside.

Very nice place to eat or drink or both . Nice atmosphere . Plenty of room and table outside park for children . Nice all round . Gets very crowded sometimes . The device is good to.

Altogether a pretty nice restaurant, the food and overall service quality is quite good, but there are not enough vegetarian options. We had an ice cream at the end which tasted too artificial and sweet. My friend’s ice cream fell out of the cone and even though the woman serving the ice cream said ‘you’d be surprised as to how much this happens’, (saying a lot) she did not offer a refund or another scoop saying that this needs to be fixed.

Such a wonderful place which serves amazing homemade food, drinks, cakes and ice creams.

Lovely place to walk the dogs, nice walk through the orchards and mini woods. Well worth a visit for locals. Stop for brunch lovely outside eating areas, very dog friendly and decent breakfast.

Lovely visit with friends and great food as always. The attention given to our party by Alex (the owner) given some specific and serious allergy issues by two of our party was exceptional and not only showed that this establishment cared about such issues but also gave us an insight into how much Alex knew about the sourcing and preparation of his food surely to the benefit of all his customers. The food itself was excellent.

What a brilliant place. It’s dog friendly, child friendly and adult friendly. The outdoor seating was perfect in the dry weather with the play park for the children and the park for the dog. The park catered for two ages of children which was also fantastic.

The owner was allergy aware and had a book with all the relevant information regarding allergens. This happens rarely in a cafe and we really appreciated the attention our son’s food preparation was given.

Food is great and very reasonable. Great for anyone with kids as there is a gated park next door. Will definitely be revisiting!

Lovely,Lovely! Locally sourced food,Friendly staff and very well prepared & cooked. The prices are reasonable and they cater for everyone’s needs and wants..A must visit if your in the area

What more can I say! Ignored by miserable owner/manager, then served expansive, stale food with a frown. This place is dire. Most of all rude.

This is the best park cafe I've ever visited. Fantastic choice for breakfast after a walk in the park.

you can't beat this place! honestly, been there easily over 30 times and NEVER had a bad meal! i do feel there could maybe get a better system other than calling out numbers for peoples food as all you can hear is staff shouting out numbers constantly, maybe giving each table a number would work better but doesn't stop me from wanting to go back!

Been here for years and is always busy and consistently great food and great outdoor space, perfect for a sunny day.

The “Café in the Orchard” is situated in Shenley Park right next to the car park and the children’s play area. We found here a selection of newspapers; food and drinks at sensible prices and a good selection of cakes – so good normally sold out by mid-afternoon.

Had a really delicious gluten free sweet potato rosti breakfast off the muffin menu with the family. Although very busy the service was quick and the foot hot!

Delicious brunch with family and friends. The eggs were sublime, I would recommend them to anyone! Fantastic staff, perfectly attentive, prompt and polite. A spot on Sunday brunch!

Great choice, the food came quickly and was delicious. Plus the young staff are very professional. A great place!

This is the second time we have tried this place and the second abject failure. This time we brought our elderly aunt. We arrived at 3.30pm so you'd have thought perfect time for tea. But no cake left. No scones left. Only one slice of really manky tasteless warm cheesecake left to share. One miserable dry as a stick tea cake.

My husband and I eat here quite regularly as the menu is great, service is good and wonderful atmosphere.

On a Bank Holiday weekend the tea room and garden was packed, but we still managed to be served within 10 minutes - well done to all the staff. The walks around the park are stunning with lovely views over Hertfordshire countryside. Our walk was a little challenging as the way markers petered out three quarters of the way round - turning a 4 mile walk into a 5 mile walk, but we enjoyed it nonetheless. Would definitely recommend.

We were walking around the Shelley trail walks and were thirsty and enjoyed an excellent cup of tea and they did have soya milk. Too late for a meal but the food looked as delicious now as on our visit early in the year.

Very nice cafe in the park with a playground next door. A great selection of ice creams, cakes, brunch and lunch. The scones are exquisite and the ice creams are very cheap. Very dog friendly and there is always a bowl of water out for them. Lots of tables outside as well.

This cafe is situated within Shenley park which offers plenty of free parking plus overflow car park.The cafe offers both indoor and outdoor seating.Great menu , food is freshly cooked and portion sizes are very generous Veggie breakfast consists of two fried eggs , two veggie sausages, hash brown, tomatoes , mushrooms and beans plus toast and either fresh orange juice or tea or coffee.Always a great way to spend a warm Sunday morning or a lazy afternoon followed by a walk around the park.This cafe never disappoints - good food and great service .Give it a try !!

We went late on Saturday afternoon. Kids had the best nuggets ever, home made proper pieces of chicken. I had the Cajun chicken burger with avocado which was tasty and juicy - not always a fan of Cajun but took the advice of other reviews and was not disappointed - probably the best chicken burger I have had. Lovely brioche bun and no batter or breadcrumbs just lovely chicken with tasty spices and salad. Chips were thin with skins and very nice. My wife had a halloumi salad which she really enjoyed. Chose to sit outside as a bit noisy inside. The owner notice us being bothered by a single annoying wasp and came over and try to assist returning seconds later with I assume a glass of surgery water placed on another empty table to attract the wasp away. Great service noticing and then trying to help. All in all a very pleasant meal with excellent food and service for a very decent price. Highly recommended.

Situated in Shenley Park Radlett, Ample parking on site. Tables available in and outside. Play area adjacent to keep kids occupied Food was delicious and well presented..... ordered and paid for inside at the counter, and delivered to your table. Ideal for breakfast. brunch and lunch etc.etc. Very reasonably priced. Would definitely revisitCannesdid ...... surfingsyd

This lovely, clean and old fashioned tea room type restaurant is a delight. Queue at the counter and give your order, pay and you'll be given a number which is called out, a bit like the fish counter at the supermarket. I ordered a chicken, bacon, avocado & blue cheese salad with balsamic glaze. A large & delicious meal which I thoroughly enjoyed. My friend had a jacket potato with cheese and said it was excellent. There are a number of tables both inside and outside on the patio area which is next to a children's climbing frame.

Came here with family for a late breakfast. Perfectly poached eggs with avocado and sweet potato rosti. Good value for money & great outside play area for kidsHighly recommend

I went on Sunday with my other half and its a nice little cabin with a dream play area for kids. The food portions was generous but the menu is quite limited which is expected being in such a secluded area and it not being the biggest establishment. The food was standardly presented and my other half really enjoyed the smoothie. I can see them running out of stock on busy days as a few options weren't available on request. (It was Sunday so i won't hold it against them!) The only downside was the place was extremely animal friendly which i don't mind, but seeing owners having their dogs walking and feeding off tables outside where people eat completely put me off eating outside. (I doubt i will if i go back!)Overall the food was enjoyable and the portions was filling, the dog situation is what lost full marks, sorry!

What can I say about this complete 5 star gem of a cafe. If you're looking for a daytime place to eat with a beautiful, relaxed, friendly atmosphere then this is your place. I have visited this cafe with my family (including the pooch) many times now, for breakfast and lunch and it is, Simply the Best! The food is always outstanding, (particularly the chicken and avocado burger which is my favourite)and the service from the lovely welcoming staff is always first class. The menu is wide and varied and there is always a different specials board. The homemade cakes are to die for and well worth breaking the diet for. The only problem with eating at The Cafe is chosing what to order as everything on the menu sounds and looks delicious. This is definitely my favourite place and would highly recommend it! Can't wait for my next visit.

I've had a few meals at the Cafe in the Orchard, breakfast and lunch and thought it was time I left a review.The cafe has a relaxed atmosphere and is really family friendly. Parking is generally easy (keep in mind the cafe is very popular especially on a sunny weekend) and the garden is large with lots of tables; alternatively, you could sit picnic-style on the grass on a nice day. There is a large play area for kids next to the cafe, that is safe and secure. In fact, the location really couldn't be much better situated as it is in a lovely park and of course an Orchard, which makes for a wonderful stroll after eating.On the breakfast visit, I had the eggs benedict with smoked salmon (eggs royale?), which was a real treat, with a perfectly cooked egg. For the lunchtime visits... well I have had the Chicken Burger with Avocado on both occasions as it is just gorgeous and I gather something of a favourite amongst their customers. I've tried recreating it at home but cannot get it as good, so I guess i'll just have to keep going back! Amongst the drinks they serve are a range of smoothies all freshly made, which are delicious.On the dessert side, there always seems to be a truly beautiful selection of hand-made cakes on offer. They look amazing sitting on display and taste even better and I seriously recommend taking some home with you... they have got to be the loveliest cakes I have tasted, perfect light sponge and just the right sweetness... perfect!Being situated next to an Orchard obviously has its benefits... come harvest season they make their own range of chutneys, which I have to say are delicious and made for more than a few wonderful cheese evenings.The staff are very friendly and efficient, dealing expertly with the huge number of customers they get. On one visit they were rushed off their feet but never lost their smiles and had everything in control. I was surprised to read one reviewer describe the staff as "glum looking" as I found them to be the exact opposite. Ah well, you can't please everyone...I would heartily recommend the Cafe in the Orchard as it has become one of my favourite places to eat. I was saddened to read a recent reviewer leave a measly 2 star review, with criticism I frankly found very hard to believe, that said the same person has written 13 reviews for Radlett cafes and restaurants and only a curry house and kebab shop seemed to live up to his particular standards... if I were a cynic I would suggest he is related to the owners of those two lucky eateries... thank goodness I am not.

i imagine the staff have changed in the kitchen since my last visit. ihad the breakfast usually the best around by far but this time the beans were cold the plate was not warm .in fact everything was luke warm .it seems it may have been sitting in the hatch for a few minutes.maybe it was just a off day because usually it is easily the best around