Cafe on the Water in Chelmsford - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

When we asked for a menu at 15:20 we were told they stopped doing food at 15:30! We pointed out that it was not yet that time, but they were adamant that the kitchen is closed now. So ordered a Capuchino coffee and a pot of tea for one, the coffee was weak and luke warm. Managed to get a look at the menu and to be honest it was surprising the need a kitchen to prepare the food on offer!

I can’t believe some of the reviews on here, I just want to say, go and see for yourself what lovely little piece of paradise in Essex, the cafe has friendly staff and no way overpriced, and what a fabulous decking area to enjoy lunch with the family, it’s so beautiful and peaceful, with all the ducks and geese around and not a road in sight, the secure play area is a must for the children, we have been twice already this month and will be going again on Friday with family. Please do go and judge for yourself, you will not be disappointed.

The Cafe on the Water looks okay. However, it is served by rude staff who do not care or have no idea about food hygiene. The staff definitely needs food hygiene training, or the owner needs competition around. While I had ordered tea, my spoon was placed unhygienically, directly on the counters where cash was also placed. They did not offer me any clean tray. So I asked for a tissue for the spoon, and the staff told me I should take it myself from the place behind me. They didn't see the point and didn't understand that I needed a clean spoon placed at least on a clean tissue and not on an unhygienic counter. The staff also commented that they had no idea what I was talking about and that if I wasn't satisfied, I shouldn't come back to the cafe. I recommend all potential customers avoid the Cafe on the Water as a precaution to prevent infections and stress and bring a Picknik, as West Hanningfield Reservoir is beautiful.

Rude bad service - the food was expensive small portions and cold I complained but no apology- I will not go there again - I previously had a bad experience there and hoped that they had improved but not so. I definitely do not recommend this cafe

I ordered breakfast for 3 - it was served all items on the plate were cold and the sausages smelt off - clearly it was not freshly cooked! I complained and asked for them to take it back. The male cook came out of the kitchen with an aggressive non apologetic attitude. I would never use again or recommend this cafe, especially to families. Another customer next to us said that he shouted at a family whom left before we arrived -they had complained about the food. Clearly needs new management !

A lovely spot for breakfast or lunch , great views and very pleasant staff . Reasonable prices for tasty cafe style food .

Poor selection of healthy food. Mostly bread or potato based stodge. I ordered a cheeseburger and chips….big mistake. The chips were Luke warm(serving in a pretentious basket doesn’t improve them) The burger was dry, hard and full of gristle….£10.25 …..London prices for “greasy spoon cafe quality.

If you need a disabled parking space or have a food allergy then stay well clear. As most of the parking is on a slope we had to stop in front of the occupied disabled parking so that my 83 year old mother could get out of the car and into her wheelchair. I then had to park elsewhere. I wanted a dairy free meal and asked if sausage panini was suitable. After a couple of minutes they told me they didn’t know because the wrappers had all been thrown away and they hadn’t noted the allergens!! I was told that a ham baguette would be dairy free if I didn’t have the spread. So I did. It turned out that it wasn’t as later that evening I noticed the first symptoms of having eaten dairy. I took the necessary medication and have survived.

If you have a dog don't go there. They do not allow dogs except guide dogs. So you can take a large golden retriever but not a small very well behaved Chihuahua. But if you have children that run around screaming and shouting they are allowed on site.

Very surprised at the average reviews. staff are lovely, especially the little server who was very nice. Had a full breakfast, was cooked fresh with good-quality ingredients. Prices were what you would pay anywhere else. Will be returning for sure.

We visited a couple of weeks ago for coffee and cake. The cakes were good but the cappuccinos were not. The steam blown through the milk had not made any froth and just watered down the milk. There had been a sign saying they were closing slightly early for 'staff training' so we went back again, this time for lunch, hoping the training might have included how to make cappuccino coffee. We ordered two cappuccinos and two toasted paninis. The paninis were fine but the cappuccinos were awful. No froth at all and scalding watery coffee. Sadly either the machine should be replaced or more training given to staff on how to use it. Such a shame as the staff were pleasant and the view is great.

On a nice day this place is a real treat. There is a pleasant indoor area and a very nice terrace outside, overlooking the water. The range of food is really goo from snacks to full meals. We enjoyed a panini and a sandwich this time but the full meals looked good too. Pleasantly served.

Can’t believe 2 black coffees & 1 slice of fruit cake (not very big) cost £10.20 Not good value compared to other cafes in my opinion

Few of us met here for breakfast only had a sandwich and cold drink a tad expensive for what I had but tidy and good view with chance to have a wander round

Service was ok, menu choices limited No jacket potatoes available so opted for ham salad, this consisted of two slices ham, some lettuce, sliced tomato and grated carrot, very overpriced at 7.95!!!!! The food arrived with o cutlery or condiments, won’t be hurrying back,

Popped in for a business meeting . What an absolutely stunning location. I’ve lived in Essex nearly 60 years and had never been before. The cafe compliments the location perfectly. The staff were all very friendly and efficient. Will definitely go again

I had a burger and chips ..there was about 10 chips and a tiny bit of salad ..and it was £9 The cappuccino was flat with no froth .. My mum had a tiny bit of quich and a tiny bit of salad which was also £9 . Lovely views but very expensive. Won't be going back ..

Great setting.Good food lovely helpful staff. Had lunch and breakfast there and both could not fault. We will be back.

We liked the idea of eating by the reservoir and were happy enough with our rather average meal. There were lots of geese outside the cafe and rather a lot of their poo, which ponged a bit.

Lovely place in the summer to sit by the lake & have a nice meal & relax then you go for a nice through the Forest

My last visit was disappointing as there were 5 of us and we had to be split as they had let 2 persons sit an a table of 6. I asked the staff if they could sort this problem as the people had only just...

1 very poor service Breakfast very slow Tea with no real milk Toast came after I finished Large breakfast that was small with cheap products Lovely view of the lake

Popped along spur of the moment for breakfast one wet Sunday morning - did take a while to be acknowledged but then they asked a family who were not eating from there restaurant to vacate an Uber giver table so we could order breakfast -...

Poor service and poor quality. Ordered panini and baked potato with cheese, panini was so squashed down it was like a board, baked potato might have been originally oven baked but it seem that might have been sometime ago as the inside was black. Above...

i went there to have lunch with my wife toke a long time to get someone to take use to a table while we where having lunch i could see into the kitchen and the female chef had no face mask on or gloves while...

I must have gone to a totally different place to previous reviewer. I found the breakfast to be tasty and delicious. All fresh produce that’s why tomatoes were hard, they were fresh not tinned. Ordered individual items for one child and a light option for...

I was very disappointed on our recent visit. Walking around the edge of the reservoir it was a shame to see so much garbage, even old rusting pipes laying in the shallow water. In need of a good clean. The biggest disappointment was the breakfast,...

Had panini lunch here yesterday, 22nd October. Food and service were both good Great views over the reservoir Small gift shop

Since changing their menu and not serving the salmon trout or their tasty pies this is more like a cafe than the restaurant it used to be. We don't go there now due to this.

To afternoon tea and toast person Cafe on the water do not have toast on their menu in the afternoon so the waitress should not have sent the order through to the kitchen...

We arrived at around 14:30 in the afternoon & the cafe was quiet with very few customers. However, after ordering, our tea was given to us immediately. We then waited patiently for a further 20mins for the toast to appear, by which time our tea...

Great breakfast after early start to miss the Datrford tunnel queue. Into Essex - only a little and within 15 mins of motorway. Happy friendly staff serving a good breakfast. Plus great view over reservoir.

The lady needs to work in a busy kitchen & to adhere to food cut off times especially at weekends!!!

Took my 92 year old grandmother who is suffering from the onset of dementia out for lunch yesterday. A little break from the care home. I say lunch, because she has no idea of time any more. The time was 11.40, 10 minutes after the breakfast cut off of 11.30. Unfortunately nan, still with remarkable eyesight, spotted a sausage sandwich on the menu. I politely asked the lady behind the till if such a thing was possible, that I understood it was past 11.30 but explained why I was asking. The answer was no. The sausages had been put away and could not be gotten out again. REALLY?REALLY?Do they get locked in a vault that does not open before breakfast the following day?Shame on you. This was potentially the last time I will see my grandmother, I live a long way away, and for the want of 10 minutes I could not give her what she wanted. We settled on a perfectly acceptable fish finger sandwich, but nothing can remove the bad taste left in my mouth.

It is a lovely place Plenty if seating outside and nice cosy atmosphere inside Good service and nice ambiance

Just wanted to go somewhere out of the ratrace for a little while and chose Cafe on the Water. We thoroughly enjoyed our coffee and light lunch as well as the peaceful surroundings and the view. It was worth the drive from Southend.

Nice cafe with views over the reservoir and good to sit outside on the decking as it was a nice day. Food good but usual cafe menu - nothing very exciting !

We've been here a few times and enjoyed the view of the resevoir.

Amongst the best views in Essex from the decking outside the cafe with decent food to boot.... Whether the weather is good or bad this remains one of my favourite haunts in the county...

Had friends visiting from New Zealand. The weather was showery so decided to visit as we knew there were bird hides, lots of walks through trees so we wouldn't get too wet if rained. To top it all the cafe was warm and the coffee, cakes and scones we're delicious at such a reasonable price. If the weather was dry there were outside tables with views over the reservoir. We all enjoyed our visit.

Cafe so much better than last time we visited - more space between tables, larger shop, and service appears to have improved. My husband and I had breakfast (scrambled egg on toast) and were joined by our son and 5 year old grandson who often call in for tea / water and toast.

Had a good walk and stopped for a coffee and some toast for my daughter. Was a nice day so sat outside with a great overview of the lake. Plenty of tables but the weather meant it was packed.

We were pleasantly surprised to see the cafe has been enlarged and refurbished to accommodate more customers.

My Mum and I decided, as today was promised to be the a great day before a glorious Easter 2019, that we would go for a walk from the visitor centre to the fishing lodge (where this gem of a Cafe is found) the walk is just over a mile and covers wood and a look at the wild life along the reservoir (with hides), and when we arrived we found out that the Bluebells were in bloom and where to see them. Although you can drive straight there and park outside the Cafe.

Enjoyed a light lunch here yesterday. Had to wait a few minutes for a table as it is a very popular venue. Despite being busy, the food arrived quickly and was obviously freshly prepared.

This is a great little café to visit especially if you like wild life!

Good place to sit and chat and good lunchtime snacks. And excellent views across haningfield reservoir.

Met friends here for a coffee and stayed for lunch. Sunny day so sat outside very nice even if water level in reservoir was low. Staff were efficient but not over friendly or chatty so no atmosphere. Nice place to visit and have a stroll afterwards. Plenty of parking and clean loos.

We hadn't visited this cafe at Hanningfield in some time but popped in for breakfast and a lovely walk around the reservoir.

My husband and I visited today for coffee and cake. The setting and atmosphere were lovely, the service was excellent and friendly but my one gripe would be the price of a slice of cake. I am not in the habit of moaning about prices but found the price of £3.95 for a slice of cake albeit a sliver was very much on the expensive side, not even a generous portion !!

Another cycle stop for tea and breakfast. Plenty of room and pleasant service with stunning views of the Reservoir. Outside tables for the nice weather .

The cafe overlooks a large expanse of the Hanningfield Reservoir, where one can observe a wealth of birds, migratory and native.

The location here is most definitely the best thing about it. Of a nice day, sitting outside overlooking the reservoir is just bliss. This was the first time I had visited since the refurbishment and the change in menu and I am disappointed to say the menu is now very very basic and lacking the delicious options they used to offer, which I find to be a shame as I was more than happy to visit year round previously due to the vast selection of hearty meals, however I feel they have limited their offerings to a light summer lunch and nothing more. Very disappointing but only to their detriment. The food itself was very nice - but how wrong can you really go with a microwave jacket potato? Overall it was enjoyable but not how it used to be. There is also a distinct lack of service or effort from the staff which again is a contrast to how it used to be. I should hope that they bring back their varied menu that they had previously and restore the former appeal of this place.

As my teacher always used to say, ‘could do better’. Limited menu even at the best of times to visit, but staff are friendly and polite. Used to be a favourite place to eat and watch the waters of the reservoir, but that was when the menu and chef had a greater variety of dishes. Excellent place to have a quiet coffee/tea and contemplate nature, alone or with others. Quiet, peaceful, in its favour.

The cafe gets very busy and hence very noisy so not the best choice for a quiet catch up with friends. Staff are polite but generally very preoccupied. Decent but not wide ranging menu.

With wife for an afternoon walk just after the hot spell finished. Came upon this cafe but immediately changed thoughts on choice of food as they seemed rather disorganised. So, to go with our teas we had a delicious, albeit rather expensive piece of cake. Sat outside to pleasant views although the water level had dropped somewhat after the hot weather but still plenty of species of birds to observe. All very nice but.....

The beautiful location with views across the reservoir and even better on a good weather day when you can sit outside, gives them licence to charge extortionate prices for what amounts to poor quality food.

Located on the edge of Hanningfield reservoir this place has a nice view. We only stopped here for a quick coffee, and plan to return for a breakfast or lunch.

We arrived yesterday looking forward to an enjoyable visit because my friend is very disabled and had not been out for a considerable amount of time.due to illness. When we arrived we asked if the table we were sitting at could have a parasol added to it as some of the others had parasols. Our table was very convenient and practical because of the wheelchair and we did not want to move. We were told no we could not have a parasol at our table. OK. We then asked how we were to order and told very abruptly that we had to order indoors. OK. I went and asked for fish and chips for my friend. I was told no adult dinners were being cooked as there was a chef problem. but I could have two childrens portions of fish & chips instead. These would be I was told much more expensive than one adult portion of fish & chips! We decided to leave. The customer service is appalling and very disappointing considering the setting is so beautiful. We will not return.

Lovely setting, fantastic weather; service shocking! We ordered lunch to be told that it was not available only sausage paninis - so we ordered those! Everyone else after we were served appeared to Have the food we had been told wasn’t available! Discusting!

Second time to visit. We will return as this cafe has such a lovely setting looking over the reservoir. Comfortable wooden chairs outside. A perfect place for a cup of coffee. Great to see the wild geese in the field. Free parking.

The change to the restaurant is great, we really liked it... but the customer service was pretty shoddy. Without being to quick to tar all young staff with the same brush, but there is a distinct coloration between some young staff and the lack of WOW customer service. We've eaten here many times before, but today was just not their day. The staff were polite but 'appeared' uninterested, meal was served with little more than who's eating what and off she went; no smile, no enjoy your meal or is there anything else I can get you... all of these things are so small, but speak volumes to the customers.

What a beautiful place. Lovely cafe by the reservoir. Prompt service and excellent food and drinks. We had a bacon sandwich each and a coffee and both were served quickly and were warm and delicious. Lovely place to sit and watch the boats and fishermen. We then had a lovely walk through the woodlands and heard lots of bird call and saw lovely wild flowers. A real oasis and will definitely be back soon.

Me and my husband come here very often and today we decided to get some breakfast!!! I'm not impressed at all!! So greasy food and costs £19 for 2 breakfasts...for 1 sausage 1 egg 2 bacon 1 tomato, mushrooms!!! All cheap taste and expensive buy!! Next time....ah no it wont be a next time.

After 15 minutes of queuing to order we were told as we were half way down the queue that they had run out of full English breakfasts. Ordered two sausage sandwiches, one bean and scrambled egg on toast and a scrambled egg on toast.

Whilst this cafe has a pleasant location, all this was spoilt by the high price charged for refreshments, a piece of sponge cake, £3.95 and it was stale!! We were with a group of walkers so didn't make a fuss but will not visit this venue again or recommend it to others. Which is a shame as it would be a lovely place for refreshments at the end of a walk.

My wife and I have visited this premises in the summer. This was the first time in the winter. We were pleasantly surprised. Staff were welcoming, the food was served hot and portions were generous. On this occasion we had tea and a portion of chips, I had potatoes chips and my wife had sweet potatoes chips. They were very well cooked, dry and crisp and good value at £2.20 per portion. Overall this was a very nice experience.

Went for lunch today and had a panini - it was cold. I specifically asked if it was served warm and was told yes. When i complained there was no offer to heat it up, replace or refund.

Have to speak as you find and it was really nice, arrived about 11.30 lunch service from noon so rather than have a same switch we had coffee a n d admired the view till noon. My Jackie went for the quiche and the Scampi. Could not fault service or the food well presented cooked to perfection w I th a nice salad, ideal will b back with friends I ends soon. So relaxing sitting by the reservoir on a sunny day.

Visited with kids and grandparents for a light bite midweek. The menu is pretty expensive, we requested a scone with tea - to be told they only serve scones after 2.30pm so we couldn't have one. I asked for a toasted tea cake for the kids to share - to be told that we were 30mins late for the breakfast menu and they couldn't do that as someone would need to watch the toaster?!

Visited this cafe recently and have been here before. Pleasant enough staff and quite good food. The coffee is good too. Beautiful views out across the reservoir and plenty of wild life.

We have been here several times in the past, but not very recently. Since our last visit, they seem to have increased the size of the café, but reduced the variety of the menu.

Essex and Suffolk water are not being fair to their staff by running this place using such a low number of people. It was a hot sunny day, but the number of staff was way too small, although they were trying they couldn't clear tables, had a backlog of orders and couldn't serve afternoon tea.

A lovely lunch with friends sitting outside on the decking area. Not an extensive menu, but enough choice for lunch. Beautiful setting and if you go I guaruntee you ll return for a breakfast too!

We had a lovely visit here last week. There were 9 of us, 5 adults and 4 small children. The children loved feeding the geese and ducks before we went in the cafe to eat. We had to push a couple of tables together so luckily it wasn't busy as you can't pre book. High chairs were available for the little ones, everything was clean and although the menu isn't extensive we all found something we liked to order. We were served pretty quickly by a helpful gentleman. The food was well presented and value for money as well as very tasty. The total bill was around £53

This really was exploring, as not that well signposted but luckily I can read a map!! Easy parking . But the cafe is far to rigid with what can and cannot be eaten. 11.30 request for sausage sandwich we were told too late and a request for toasted tea cake Too Early. The reason for all this specific times is that " we have a small kitchen". There was hardly anyone there, with staff who were pleasant enough were just standing around. We travel around lots of Tea rooms and cafe's and feel, for a small business they are being far too rigid. I expect these rigid times in London but not from what should be a leisurely cafe. I have spoken to a few friends and all said they felt disappointed with the strictness of the cafe.

Hot chocolate a disappointment. Breakfast menu finished early so had a mediocre sandwich and baked potatoe. Nice views but that's about it. Note you can feed ducks here but dogs aren't allowed at cafe or on the walk next door.

Decided to pop over to the café for a tea / coffee and a cake. Waited ages before a waiter came over to take our order. This is how the conversation went. Me, Hi, can we please have one tea, one latte and one toasted tea cake. Waiter, eer, is it past 12.00, Me, yes, why ? Waiter, we don't serve tea cakes after 12.00. Can you honestly believe it, what kind of place turns down paying customers. We politely told him we would not be staying, went home and saved 10 quid.

We visited here as on our way to Hyde HallWe both ordered the traditional breakfast. Very tasty and hot and fresh and plenty itThe views are great Very clean and staff friendlyI didn't see anywhere on the menu that they promoted local farms with the eggs bacon and sausage. I hope they do

I really wanted to like this place, it's close to home and overlooks the vast Hanningfield Reservoir but we attended on a day when they were very busy and had insufficient staff on duty. Desperate for a cup of tea and something to eat, we managed to grab a table which was piled high with the previous customers dirty plates and cups but i was happy to wait for a while because it is a nice spot overlooking the water and if we arrived when it was busy then that is down to us isn't it.But an hour later and still no service, we decided to leave which was a shame because i could see some lovely looking cakes in the glass display cabinets that were going begging but by now i was ready to drink the reservoir water!I would try this place again as i wanted to give my patronage to the the cafe on the water but couldn't get anyone to take my money, all i would suggest is the manager has let their staff down by not ensuring enough were working that day. Not the end of the world, just mildly annoying.

Have been here a few times over the years. It used to be reasonable in price and varied in menu. But its been done up and looks nice but the prices for things like the jacket potatoes are high. It's actually cheaper to have a dinner! Service is slow but friendly. On the menu the prices for light lunches I felt was high compared to other cafe's in the area. This is not London, charging over £8 for a jacket spud with prawns is taking the mick. We only had a latte and a teacake and that wasn't that good. Better off bringing your own picnic to enjoy the views.

Excellent service and local knowledge of the reservoir and the surroundings. The coffee was good and the hot chocolate exceptional. Great for car parking with one way system . Only problem was that the sign at the end of the road is only visible from the Runwell direction not the Stock side of the road.

This cafe has a wonderful location overlooking Hanningfield Reservoir and especially so on a warm sunny day. It has a large open air terrace which is very calming as you sit there in the summer warmth and look over the reservoir.Reasonable choices on the menu which should please most people including the kids - and there are daily specials available. We had the chicken & leek pie with new pots, ham ploughman's( which was excellent) and scampi and chips. £7.95 each which is very fair pricing. Beer band wines available as well.Service is a bit slow - that's what we found but all friendly and helpful.Prices are very good.Can't go wrong in our view.

Have visited the cafe before with positive views but this time it is difficult to write a review if you are not served. Busy day but the place was not heaving and despite staff saying be with you in a minute 3 times we were not served and so left.it may have been to a shortage of staff but looking at the way orders were being delivered i wonder if the process needs to be re-thought.It seemed as if waiting staff "waited" for one order to be filled before taking the next one.

Took our parents for a quick bite to eat. Food arrived promptly and was good. Tried to order coffees but eventually gave up after 20 mins as couldn't get anyone to make eye contact to order despite it being pretty quiet.

Whether you are with family, friends or cycling buddies this is the perfect place to sit by the reservoir and take in the beautiful views whilst enjoying a drink and a bite. If you're there before 11am have one of their breakfasts. All served by smiling helpful staff :-)

We was out for a stroll and stopped to have lunch here, haven't been for some years we both had ploughmans Presented very well and good selection We sat outside and had very pleasant timeService was very good

Arrived at a couple of minutes to noon, had no problem getting the table we wanted - outside on the decking overlooking the reservoir. Noticed on a chalkboard at the front of the building by the entrance "Chicken, Leak and Bacon Pie, vegetables and New Potatoes" £7.95.Best pie you will get for that money, anywhere, lovely freshly cooked vegetables and nice new potatoes. My sister and I both really enjoyed the meal, and despite having larger than average appetites, we were both full at the end of the meal. Well done to those that run it, I was not impressed when we went there last August, but this visit was a vast improvement. Friendly staff and not cramped for space.

If you have visited Hanningfield Reservoie & walked round the nature reserve, then a good place to rest a while & have some refreshments is this lakeside cafe. There are very pleasant views across the vast expanse of water, the staff there are pleasant & they have a nice selection of food which can be purchased at a very reasonable price.

The location is great, the coffee as good as it gets and the food good quality. Combine a visit to the woods with lunch here.

Awful place, will never eat or drink at Cafe on the Water (Hanningfield reservoir) ever again! I've never been treated in such a manor by an unprofessional, rude chef called Andrew and a waitress (who had a South African accent).My Mum and I Visited Cafe on the Water today on Mothering Sunday, we chose it there as it's a special place for us as we have used it regularly over the years. Despite not having a reservation process, we still chose to take the risk and go there for breakfast.We ordered, waited for 40 minutes and then when I went to find out what was taking so long I got told that the waitress (who had started that day) had forgotten to put our breakfast order through. We asked to see a waitress to state that we were not happy with the delay they then proceeded to tell us in a rude and unhelpful manner that breakfast was now closed for service. We were given no apology despite the error being on their part and they refused to give us the breakfast we had ordered. We then asked for a manager and was told there was none available. The waitress who was very rude, then called for the chef who came marching out aggressively and shouted that he won't do our breakfast. He was extremely confrontational and aggressive making not only us, but others dining, feel very uncomfortable. I hope that somebody caught this act on camera as the restaurant was full. Unfortunately, this ruined our experience on Mother's Day for us. Please consider our experience when thinking of dining here!

Stopped here with my hubby and 1 year old for lunch.....panini's were the worst we've ever had - soggy and strange tasting cheese! Chips and kids meal average, coke was cheap cola - gross! Expensive too - 2 x panini's and chips, 1 x kids meal, 2 x cakes and drinks - £35!! Only good bit was the cake! Lovely surroundings for walks and to see the ducks but take a picnic and maybe just stop here for coffee and a slice of cake.

After walking around reservoir its a good place to sit with views over end of water and have a light snack such as potato with filling or cake and tea.

Whilst visiting the wildlife adjacent this is a great half way stop off. In summer it is good as you can get out onto the deck, but they are very strict in feeding times so if you wish meal ensure you are not there close to the end of their set times, you will get nothing cooked and towards the end the menu becomes limited.

Really tasty food, reasonable prices and good service. Nice view of the reservoir and tame black swan outside. What more could you ask for. Nice way to end a walk through the wildlife park. We will be back.

This cafe has lovely views, although the water level was a bit low when we visited. (Can't blame the cafe for that really)!! We had a very tasty veggie breakfast and a nice cup of tea. Very reasonable prices. A nice place to visit. Will defo go back.

My mum and dad are not easily pleased but they love this place for its great food,clean toilets,nice surroundings and ease for disability access. We all enjoyed our large jackets and the older gentlemen that served us had the customer care that you don't always get from younger waitresses.

Having worked for the Water Company for 39 years I used to pop in here quite regularly but have not been a for a couple of years. It is a lovely location and food is good vale. Great views .

A lovely restaurant at the half way point on a circular walk from the wildlife centre along the reservoir. This is the second time we have visited and both times the inside restaurant area has been full at about 1pm. Quite tight seating in the middle and we had a few minutes wait for a table. Food is straightforward lunchtime fair and my steak and ale pie was fine. Service was efficient and very polite. Views are great from the terrace on a summer day but you need to be lucky to get one of the two window tables inside. Otherwise you need to agree with your partner who will get the seat with the view.

Me and my husband stopped of here during a walk around Hanningfield reservoir. We were not hungry enough for a meal so we had a drink and lovely slice of cake. It was a nice atmosphere and the meals we saw brought out looked great.