California Gardens in East Riding of Yorkshire

We were meeting up with relatives that we had not seen for many years and at our suggestion met at the garden centre as a halfway point between our houses. We had last stopped for quick refreshments a couple of years ago when it has just re-opened and we quite satisfied then but not this time. We arrived late morning and staff told us that the breakfast menu was still available. Service was very slow; the men's order eventually arrived at least 3 minutes before what the ladies had ordered and then when those arrived they were dire. Both orders were wrong in some way; presentation could have been a great deal better and hot food should be served on warm plates As our relations had said they would pay I felt very embarrassed that meeting up at the garden centre had been our suggestion.

6 people. We arrived at 12.37, there was a limited menu. In my opinion it was over priced for what was on the plate. Just like the last time we were there we had a very long wait for our food, on this occasion it was over an hour. My meal was the Ploughman's pork pie, a salad with no chips. I feel the pork pie should not have gone out, but thrown away. The cheese was bland but the slice of pork would have been nice if there had not been so much waste. We were all given cake as our meal had taken so long, but I feel the only reason for giving us it was to save room in the food waste bin. It's a shame as our friends who live in the area say they have had many a nice meal there.

Absolutely first class service and top quality food. The club sandwich I had was excellent and great value for the money.

Come here quite regularly but was very disappointed today with the service. Firstly we had to send the paninis back as they were cold (meant to be melted cheese but it was solid, cold chunks of cheese) and then we asked for another drink and it took forever to receive this! It wasnt even busy and there was plenty of staff stood around the counter! We will come back but hope the service is better!

Got to give the BLT sandwiches that we ordered the cold shoulder……expecting thin, hot crispy bacon but served cold, congealed slabs of bacon on the sandwich that looked totally unappealling. We raised the issue, since nowhere on the menu did it state that the bacon would be served cold, to be informed that we were not the first customers to raise this. Unfortunately despite being informed that we could order something different off the menu, we were then, in my opinion, pressurised to accept the same sandwich with hot bacon. When questioned, the waitress confirmed that the bacon would be hot & crispy. On this basis, we agreed. Big Mistake! What came back appeared to be an insipid microwaved piece of bacon in amongst the lettuce & tomato on the sandwich. In fact a high percentage of the bacon consisted on unrendered fat. At no point , given our initial complaint, did any member of staff come back & ask if everything was okay. We will definitely not be returning.

We were shown to a table very promptly. It was lunchtime, but there were plenty of tables free. The staff were busy, but very pleasant. If you like mild, milky coffee, this is the place for you. Examples from the menu are: Jacket potato - £9.95, plain sausage roll - £3.95, sausage roll with salad garnish & crisps - £8.25. Typical atmosphere and offering to many other garden centres.

We have used this garden centre for nearly 25 years. It has recently changed hands. We visited to purchase two six-foot Christmas trees - one for ourselves, and one for All Saints Church in Holme-on-Spalding Moor. The latter is displayed in the church every year and is especially enjoyed by the children at the Christingle service. We are normally given a small discount on the second tree as it is destined for the Church. This year, no discount was offered. The staff cited the new owners as the reason why. We spent over £100 on these trees. We shall buy our trees elsewhere next Christmas. We have already ascertained that similar trees are less expensive at other outlets, before any discount is applied.

We queued for ages only to be told they couldn’t seat 6 it had to be 8, absolutely ridiculous we will not be returning or recommending.

Had festive afternoon tea here today, it was simply amazing. We have had many afternoon teas and this is in our top 3. Lovely selection of sandwiches including turkey/stuffing, quiche, pork pie and pigs in blankets. Fresh scones and good selection of cakes including Christmas cake and mince pies. All cheerfully presented, nothing too much trouble, even the Chef came to chat to us. Very attentive service, what more can you ask for. Top marks.

We live in Bridlington and arranged to meet our son here for lunch. My husband ordered to cranberry pork pie salad, the pie was very dry but we didn’t complain. I didn’t fancy a lot to eat so I ordered a scone with jam and cream when I cut into the scone it just crumbled 😞 My son ordered Tuna Jacket potato with salad, he couldn’t cut into the jacket potato it was so hard, we had to take it back, they asked if we would like anything else but we declined. Sorry to say we will not be returning.

Three of us went for lunch. Two had quiche and salad and one had a sandwich. All of the food was good, and we were served pretty quickly. It was busy, but the way it is laid out means that it doesn't feel like you're in anyone's way, which is good. It would have been better if the menu was a bit more varied. Although we all found things we wanted, a bit more choice would have been nice.

Unimpressed. Quick stop turned into 30min wait for a coffee and a cake. The waitresses however polite then told me they could not make my coffee as the machine does not accommodate oat milk but she had already prepared me a Americano with oat milk. That’s fine I said, although we have to get off soon so can’t wait too much longer. 10 mins later she came back with a cup of tea so that went back and with 2 mins to drink it I got my Americano. Not the relaxing coffee stop we expected. Prices seemed very high for food (nearly £10 for a small plated jacket potato) so we just had a piece of cake which was nice and home made. The garden centre looked nice but didn’t have much time to look at the plants

The sandwiches were not as ordered and had very little filling had to send back. The number of dogs allowed in means almost continuous barking so you can't relax.

We were re-routed due to Leeds fest and so called in for breakfast en-route to the coast. Staff were wonderful, friendly and attentive. Everything arrived in good time and was exceptional! I had bacon sandwich, oh my goodness, it was soooo good! I would consider making this my regular route!! Also garden centre is lovely. Definitely worth the stop!

The member of staff that showed us to a table eventually was very rude and quite abrupt. She demanded to take our drink order but we hadn’t even had chance to look at the drinks menu. The price of the food was extremely expensive. Is this because you have to wait to be seated?! We left without ordering anything

Average would be being kind! We ordered a cheese, tomato panini, and a tuna melt - about 15 mins after being there they came back and said they didn’t have the ingredients for the cheese, onion and Tom panini - this wasn’t an issue and then one of us chose a beef sandwich instead, this was ‘ok’, but this is when it began. As you can see from the pictures, the tuna panini was hardly toasted, it was exceedingly greasy and hard to eat, the beef sandwhich came with the ingredients to make the original panini. When we complained about the tuna melt, no one seemed bothered. We also highlighted about an onion intolerance twice…this was clearly ignored as it came with onions. When we complained, we where told that we would have some money knocked off…when we payed no money was knocked off. An awful awful cafe with rude and incompetent staff…will not be back (which is a shame as I am local) and I would advise no one else to go until it improves dramatically…awful!

I took my mum here a few weeks ago we had afternoon tea it was superb. I couldn't fault it. You got 5 sandwiches each 2 pork pie 2 sausage rolls crisps coleslaw and another dip. A large cream and jam scones each and cream and jam and 3 cakes. It was fantastic would definitely go back. Anne walker

We have eaten here a few times and the food and service is fantastic. For a mothers day treat we had the afternoon tea. I can thoroughly recommend this as amazing value for money and everything was gorgeous. Can also recommend the Sunday lunch.

Asked for a latte but received a cup of warm milk .Bacon sandwich for £5.50, could have bought a breakfast for less in Bridlington. We usually use Langlands on the way to Bridlington and we will not be returning to Calafornian Lodge.

Only call here once a year could not afford to go more often easy parking good facilities a lovely shop but very expensive plants very reasonable lovely staff in the cafe nicely presented food but would have liked my latte in a glass instead of the beaker it came in had a jacket potatoe and a sandwhich with two drinks and the bill was £23.80p! ! ! as i said very expensive..

Outstanding! Food delicious. Service excellent. Team couldn’t do enough for us. Garden Centre has a good selection of plants with very helpful staff.

I have been to the garden centre and cafe many times over the years. The staff are nice, the garden section is very good and the parking is ideal. However, I was rather hoping that the new owners would overhaul and improve the cafe. The food is pretty good, but the coffee is pretty bad. I did comment about the lack of a proper espresso machine and the staff seemed to be keen on the same. There are some very good garden centres in the general area and the cafe sections are way superior to this one.

A very well stocked Garden Centre. We went for some hedging plants and were given plenty of advice from Anthony on location, spread hight and suitability. Very well layed out for Roses, Shrubs and nicely presented seasonal bedding plants etc. Good stock of fencing, gardening accessories and a pet section. Did not go in the cafe so unfortunately unable to review it. Plenty of parking just off the main road with lots of space to maneuver. Overall I thought the prices were very reasonable, compared to some other centers.

We had not visited the garden centre for a couple of years. Happily our next door neighbour had given us an Afternoon Tea Voucher - we had to notify the restaurant 24 hrs before we arrived that we were going to use the voucher. We were warmly welcomed and shown to a reserved table. Tea and coffee arrived first and then the superb sandwiches, pork pies and sausage rolls accompanied by coleslaw, pickle crisps etc were delightfully served on a miniature trestle table. The savoury element was followed by small but very tasty cakes and 2 very large scones with cream and strawberry jam. The latter scones were taken away in a doggy bag - too much. Offered more tea and coffee but was not needed. The food was excellent and beautifully served by very attentive and friendly staff.

Had been given a voucher for afternoon tea It was very very good friendly and helpful staff .sandwiches were really fresh no curling up and nice selection. Quiche massive I got a shock when they came out with scones and cakes .had to bring them home .would recommend it now wanting to fall asleep so full

Cafe, The staff where extremely friendly and nice. The good was amazing and homemade. The layout of the cafe was amazing.

Garden centre is really lovely, staff very welcoming and made an extra effort with our little boy, showing him Christmas things and generally being really friendly. We all had lunch too, lovely food and absolutely lovely staff. Went way above and beyond for us, didnt...

Having visited this establishment 3 times ,each time we were forgotten....Ordered but it never came ....complained the first 2 times & eventually got our food but walked out the 3rd time as only ordered 2 drinks Will not go there again

Visited Monday before a long drive home. Greeted in the cafe by a lovely lady who was very friendly and accommodating. Was given a pot of hot water with my tea which is most unusual nowadays, it’s usually just a mug, or a small pot...

Visited for food at 3:15 on 13th Sept. Waited and waited to be seated and were eventually told somebody would attend to us. We were, after another waited shown to a table and left with a menu. After a further long wait with 9 staff...

It was the first time I've eaten here today, and I was pleasantly surprised. Firstly, the staff were extremely friendly and efficient. We were taken to our table by a very polite young lady, who returned to take our order. Our food was delivered quickly,...

I don't think I have been anywhere that doesn't include a fried egg with a full English Breakfast especially when the website menu promises one but oh no when you get there its scrambled egg only which is a sign of a lazy kitchen because...

My partner and I called for breakfast on our way to Bridlington. We have been many times before and have always enjoyed the food. This time however, the full breakfast was not what we expected. We were unaware that the Garden centre had changed hands....

Great help in the garden centre found what we needed and went to the cafe, ten members of staff behind the bar with 8 customers. We ordered a few savoury items and drinks they got it all wrong had no customer experience looked into thin...

Called for lunch on a weekday the restaurant was quiet with well spaced tables. To my surprise there was no code for the Covid app and we had to fill in details which we found on the front of the menu. We decided on salads...

Visited for first time and food in restaurant was delicious,desserts appeared to be home baked and were gorgeous.lovely clean well spaced out tables and friendly pleasant staff.Didnt purchase anything in garden centre but visit was worth it just for food.well done to all staff!

Best sausage sandwich hubby ever tasted. Bacon sandwiches great too. Excellent venue, great friendly staff. Bought some small cakes to take home. Garden is great too..

Nice food , friendly staff and very clean. Seems a lot of locals visit for a bite to eat which is always a good sign. Plenty of parking and the place is well spaced out. Only down side is that have had Xmas decorations on...

Amazing bacon sandwich, packed full and tasted amazing. Normally add tomatoe sauce but not needed. However, they have Christmas decorations out for sale 😳

Food very good, service very slow especially paying and receiving change. My meal (jacket potato with chilli) crammed into an inadequately small dish causing an overflow and running down the sides. Messy! Lovely food, but service needs to improve 1

On the Howden junction of the M62 sits 'California Gardens' an enjoyable place to spend an hour or so.It is privately owned by the Hall family since 1879, always a good sign of reputation.As is the norm for Garden Centres now-a-days they don't just sell plants and garden sundries.They have a pleasant cafe and offer clothes, local food, gifts ,ornate pots and even the latest 'Goole Times' !Their selection of freshly grown plants and shrubs are of the highest quality and I have never been disappointed with any of my purchases over the years.They also have a good selection of the relevant composts and planting materials specific to your chosen plant. They also have an excellent Christmas display and as we were here this week, August 2019, they were unpacking the display items.Gets earlier every year!So in conclusion a worthwhile stop-over for food.gifts or their mainstay-'GO GARDENING AT CALIFORNIA'

me and my husband called in today, we had a lovely look around the garden centre, enjoyed all the lovely flowers they have to offer. some beautiful gift ideas too. we then went into the cafe for a bite to eat. all the cakes looked amazing, hard to choose one. we both had a jacket potato. i had the chilli, it was one of the most tasty jackets i have had, came with a lovely side salad and coleslaw. the only quibble i have is the lady who served us. she was polite enough but i wasnt sure if she really was a member of staff there. the outfit she had chosen looked like she was going to some rave in the local park. the tightest, shortest grey skirt, the tightest, shortest grey top and no apron. the other ladies working all looked smart in all black and a black apron with the the logo of the garden centre. i have to say we did enjoy the garden centre and the food we had, but i really think the lady in grey needs to try and make a little bit of an effort and look like she is actually at work.

If ever we are passing, we also call in to have a cuppa and a bite to eat. Pleasant surroundings, cheerful staff and good food. The nursery also sells some lovely plants, we've bought many over the years!

Today I made a very successful visit to one of my local plant centres California Gardens. A very helpful and knowledge gentleman directed me to a scrub I heard about on Gardener's World. I am eager to plant for bees. I got some very helpful information, the scrub Forest Pansy and some Borrage seeds. I am very appreciative of the interest taken in my little home gardening project.

Called in here whilst passing for quick cup of tea. The cafe is clean, the food was lovely and the staff are friendly (especially the lady serving behind the counter with the blue hair). A cheese sandwich, a cheese toasty (with extra filling), a pot of tea and a Latte came to £12.60. Both were served with a side salad.The sandwich and the toasty were really nice. The garden centre section has some unusual greetings cards.

Had a nice meal here on Saturday I had jacket potatoe and my husband had a breakfast only complaint I have would be maybe could do with doing some meals eg pie and peas

Called into the cafe after looking around the garden centre. Nice and spacious. Had an English breakfast which was tasty. Staff friendly. Prices reasonable.

We stopped for a toilet break and a quick snack at 11am on a Saturday. We ordered one full English and a sausage sandwich and x2 teas.....£11.50. Quality of the food was excellent and service was quick. A bit plain surroundings but a great stop off point.

We only required a light snack so each chose a toastie.

You get a very good breakfast with tea bread and butter. The staff are friendly and helpful. There is a large car park.

Asked for a sausage roll was given it cold no one offered to warm it a mug of ordinary coffee was two pounds fifty and was not offered any cream had to ask for it also ordered a tea which came with no cup. think the staff need some training, Bought a couple of plants which were reasonable priced.

We stopped by on the way home from the coast so our main reason was the coffee shop. This turned out to be good. Great cakes and the coffee was large and tasty.

I recently visited as part of a coach trip on mid afternoon Monday. I had a lovely warm welcome by the young girl on the till in the main shop. She was very nice and helped to direct us to where we all wanted to go. We then went to the coffee shop and was greeted in a much more unpleasant manner by the young girl on the till. The young girl with no makeup was rushing people through and then shouting demands at other staff. All of the girls were very clearly rushed of there feet with the cooking and cleaning. The bacon sandwich was lovely and I was very impressed. When it came to leaving the girl on the washing up was nice enough to lean round the corner and say thank you and bye. While the same girl shouting demands was stood looking at the room and telling other staff to clear tables when it was very clear she was the only one doing nothing. It would be nice to see the customers service skills in both areas of the shop and the girl could do with some training.

In the cafe we did not get the usual warm welcome by all of the staff or at least a smile except for the young lady who served us which was a shame as we are regulars. The cake selection was very limited but it was a Monday at 3.pm. Usually enjoy a nice lunch though . More customer service training needed including on the garden centre til too. It is a family business which we support and we used to feel part of that but unfortunately this is waning.

I call here about 5 times a year, and I must say I have been very disappointed on my last couple of visits.

A Smokey atmosphere greeted us, open a window perhaps.Place rather untidy,staff pleasant and food was ok, quite expensive for the venue and the smallest coffee cup ever,all in all no reason to recommend or revisit, must try harder as my teacher used to say.

Decided to visit the garden centre with the view to have a meal. As always the food was excellent and was very enjoyable. You are not waiting long before it is served at your table by very friendly staff. We visit regular and are always satisfied.

i have visited the garden centre on lots of occasions in the past and the coffee shop has always been good.Im sorry to say it just didn’t seem the same when i went monday.The staff don’t seem to care ,they leave tables dirty and seem to be standing around. I appreciate that they do not need to work every second but maybe a little initiative is needed.It was pretty close to christmas so the usual staff may have been on holiday.I will call again and hopefully the usual high standards will return .

What a find! We drove past accidentally on a different route and were a little undecided as to whether to go in as it didn't look very inviting from the outside, we were so glad we went in. Beautifully laid out inside with so many interesting things to see, beautiful Christmas displays and really unusual, quality items to purchase as gifts. Loved the atmosphere, staff are really nice and friendly and helpful. Last time we met we met a lovely black Labrador helping staff. So much choice here, we haven't shopped for plants yet. Cafe is lovely, coffee is good and lunch was lovely, nice choices and good choices for vegetarians. Nice peaceful place to visit. We've been back three times already and each time we have spent money on items as there are just so many lovely things to buy. We will certainly be regular customers and are telling friends and family to visit.

We called into this garden centre for something to eat as we were passing through. The staff were very friendly and helpful and the food was good. We had two fried breakfasts which came with two pieces of toast each and two teas which came to £13.50. Cannot comment on the garden centre part as we didn't really look round but I did see that they had a good selection of birthday cards etc. They had a container outside which was full of used plant pots for people to help themselves and make a deposit into the charity box which I thought was a good idea.

I am a regular vistor and over the years have seen the selection of house plants go from excellent to terrible.. While once having a tropical paradise the house plant section has been gradually reduced to now offering what I can only describe as a miserable selection.. they say that you pay your money and you make your choice ... but in this case there is such little choice you can easily leave without spending any.

I go to California for plants and garden stuff. I never bother with the 'destination' features. So no cafe, no general shopping.

Vine a jardín con mi esposa el sábado 1 de julio, la calle era nuestra primera vez en el centro de California Garden y tengo que decir que me impresionó mi esposa y yo mucho, nos será hacer volver pronto! Había una amplia selección de pasteles para elegir y el aroma y la presentación de la comida lo hizo muy difícil decidir lo que tenía para el almuerzo. Finalmente decidimos quedarnos en el Panini especial y la jardineros bacon, brie y arándano sugeridos por la camarera en el hasta que me pueden agregar era absolutamente divino. El personal también era muy agradable y amable.

En la mañana del jueves 8 de junio de 2017 visitamos el centro California Garden en Howden. Después de comprar y consumir refrigerios a media mañana, de una manera amable y educado, mi esposa preguntó la factura, ya que no se corresponden con los elementos que habíamos comprado. El asistente no explicar la discrepancia a mi satisfacción.

Solo tuvimos un salto en cosas de jardinería y pensamos pop en la cafetería para tomar algo rápido y picar. Bacon bocata rápido fue justo y dio en el clavo, junto con una taza de té y un sandwichera en pan sin gluten para él....

Fuimos a California Gardens y comimos después de todo el jardín. El lugar está limpio y las mesas bien equipadas, no apretadas en como otros. El menú es variado y no caro, nos quedamos con patatas chaqueta con un abundante y ensalada y algunos Earl Grey 2. Las raciones eran lo suficientemente abundantes y tuve en 3 tazas de té, podría haber tenido más, ya que se obtiene una gran jarra de agua caliente para rellenar. Todo por sólo £15 no te puedes equivocar. El personal es eficiente en aclarar las mesas y agradable cuando ordene. Recomiendo encarecidamente probar este restaurante si en la zona.

when we visit here we do eat after all the walking around, good products to look at, just a bit expensive on some items.

Enjoyed meeting friends and had lunch here. Nice selection and sevice good .Nice coffee and cakes t choose from.

Have visited California Gardens on several occasions. The father in-law is a keen gardener and we always come here for his supply of compost, seeds and plants etc.The garden centre is well laid out and also stocked with household items, bakery, footwear and clothes. The only problem we encounter are the toilets which is quite a walk to get there and also we feel they are in need of an update.The coffee shop is great and offers a good selection of cakes, drinks and meals all of which are reasonably priced.All the staff are friendly, helpful and courteous at all times.

Good lunchtime food served by friendly staff at a reasonable price. Great vanilla slices and a selection for my wife who is gluten free.Will call again.

Together with my wife we Visited California Gardens Coffee lounge. This report has nothing to do with the actual garden centre just the coffee lounge.The menu offered was ok for what it is, Proper cooked lunches are not on offer but if your ok with panninis, toasted sandwiches cakes and similar then this is fine. The prices charged seem fair enough and the place appears to be clean.Unlike other premises I've visited it made a pleasant change to know the heating was on. On the downside I visited the toilets and was shocked at the tired and uncleanness of them.In the last ten years I've been visiting them they haven't had a decent coat of paint.The urinals are grubby and the toilets themselves also seem like a good clean with some agent wouldn't do any harm.

good food not bad prices just had a light lunch ham salad with coffee good service and fresh food nice shop to look round after lunch easy parking often all as passing

Called in today for lunch which was ok but nothing special. I was horrified to look up and see the absolutely filthy ceiling fan it was covered in dirt grease and dust. This had actually put us of returning

We have tried this establishment a couple of times, it is located as part of a Garden Centre, toilets are located at the back of the garden centre. Staff are friendly. I cannot rate this as more than average, on our last visit the cakes we were served were very dry, coffee we were served tasted quite harsh. I know it gets lots of visits but likely because of large parking area.

Call here when on our way to Bridlington. Usually only have a coffee and maybe a bun but the service is always good and the staff are polite. Would recommend.

Fantastic English breakfast, a large coffee & two slices of toast, great value, well mannered staff always attentive, but not waiting for you to finish & then whisk your plate away whilst your still eating, (yes it does happen). I like to relax whilst I'm eating & the surroundings certainly help. I'll be back next week.

Passing by and feeling peckish, we called in partly because of the nursery and my wifes interest in plants. Our meal was adequate, promptly served and tasty if a little dry. OK fro the price, we wouldn't make a special trip for a repeat

Because this is a Garden centreToilets miles from resterauntAlso don't serve too latePrices inStaff reasonableWouldn't go unless visiting GardenCentre.

I always go to California Gardens before christmas to see all the decorations, then again in the spring to buy all my bedding plants, the cafe is always busy, the staff helpful and it is great to be able to sit down and have a quick bite and a drink

The cafe is basic, bare, blank walls, large windows looking out onto a tarmac car park with views to a tarmac road. To call what I ate today food would be a lie, it wasn't. The slice of cake with luminous yellow filling and industrial sponge like texture was wholly unpleasant, the oily cream on top melted into nothing and tasted artificial. No-one with any respect for their customers would serve this factory made filth, nor would they charge £2.10 for a small mug of hot chocolate made with boiling water. Hopefully freshly prepared food is not made to this appalling standard. This place is stuck in the past, plant prices are out of touch, displays are exactly as they were years ago, the whole place needs to move on and catch up with what is happening in the world of gardening and food trends. I'm not sorry to say I won't be going back in-spite of the staff being attentive - I hope other readers have a better experience.

We visited the Garden centre on the way from the East Coast and had a coffee and snack. Friendly service and the centre was stocked with quality plants, luxury items and superb cakes which we bought as presents for friends. Will certainly visit again.

this not ony has plants etc, it sells gifts of all types. the food is good clean and basic, just what you need as a snack or a meal

Amazing coffee - they have obviously invested in a good coffee machine. Good choice of cakes and the added bonus of being able to browse in the garden centre too.

Visiting the garden centre has become more than just a shopping trip for a few garden needs.Today it is more of an overall shopping and light dining experience. The garden centre is pretty well stocked and the staff quite helpful and knowledgeable. However it is on the pricey side. We found the offerings in the cafe very disappointing and way over priced for what is on offer. The food was very much any place any time food. The menu was boring and offered little to excite the palate. I know this is primarily a garden centre with a cafe and doesn't pretend to be a fine dining establishment. However it could do a lot better than the same old, same old. The atmosphere was poor, the staff seemed little bored to be there and there were quite a lot of dirty pots, and tables loaded with litter which people had moved to make room to sit on vacant tables. Would we call again? Possibly. Would we eat there again? only if the food on offer were of a better standard for the prices being charged and the menu was brought into this century.

This has always been a good little cafe but the food has got better lately. Excellent for a snack or a sandwich and watch everyone rush by heading for the motorway. Highly recommended

It's been a long time since we've been here and can see the developments over the years. There is loads of variety of good quality plants here and everything else you need for your garden. We spent quite a long time here. There is also a cafe attached. If you would like a sauna, we recommend the area in the far corner - it was stifling and needed ventilation. -plant pot area. Staff very helpful and friendly too.

Great food and service and the garden centre itself is amazing.I had a cup of coffee accidentally knocked over my lap by the waitress while carrying my breakfast, she was very apologetic, replaced my coffee and toast and moved us to a clean table and gave my wife and I a free cake each and a hot chocolate as her way of saying sorry, which I thought was extremely nice of her and showed excellent customer service which made up for the wet lap.Accidents do happen and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the cafe and the garden centre it's all really nice and well set out and the staff are lovely.

A good choice of plants, .......knowledgeable staff............ But expensive. Cheaper places nearby....

we usually call here on the way to the coast good stopping point.We noticed the menu has changed slightly lovely home made coleslaw and we found our salad to be very good dressing croutons included not old fashioned at all .yes the carpet needs changing and maybe prints need to be added to the walls but this does not put us off as the service is always good and the staff are very efficient and friendly.The garden centre very good too fantastic selection of plants .

This is a pleasant cafe with lovely, hardworking staff. The food offered is a "light bite" style but is always tasty and there are plenty of options to choose from.Every time I visit this cafe it is full and has many regulars which I believe is down to the lovely staff and the manager who is friendly and caring.I would definitely recommend this for a nice lunch with friends.

Called primarily for the garden centre but feeling peckish had the bacon and egg baguette. Coffee OK but the bacon & egg butty quite satisfying! Staff friendly and attentive. Worth remembering this is affod offering at a Garden Centre

It's a real shame this cafe has become run down, the offering is almost the same as 20 years ago. Poor selection of beige looking cakes all dried up in the display cabinet, the same old scones in three varieties on the counter. Same drinks, same food, same iceberg lettuce thinly sliced...empty walls with no pictures, big windows looking onto an empty car park, but brightened by the plastic flowers nicely plonked into an old glass vase on the table complete with price tag. The most unimaginative and boring cafe on earth. The garden centre isn't much better, expensive bedding £1.25 more than the nearest competitor, empty plant benches, disorganised dispays, junk everywhere and a selection of "homemade" style biscuits where the main ingredient is vegetable fat. You can always tell when a place is becoming run down when the staff (and manager) spend more time talking and bantering amongst themselves than their customers. This place needs to shape up, the competition are doing a lot better than you are you are last on my list of garden centres whereas a few years ago you were first.

We need to remember this is a garden centre first and foremost, having said that if you are going to offer cafe facilities you should do them well - and California Gardens has a good cafe. The positives were:- The whole meal was good value for money- Super lunch which was presented well, arrived fast and cooked how we requested (we had a chicken panini and an English Breakfast) - Friendly and efficient service- Good sized cafe, with plenty of tables and very light- good facilities - large car park and clean toilets.

I have visited before usually while waiting for my car to be repaired, today was no different. I could smell the stale (meat) fat before I went in, not so pleasant, but not unexpected from non-vegetarian cafes, this was very strong though. It was very warm too.Limited choice for vegetarians but as I said I knew that having been before. I had cheese toastie which was fine small salad garnish which didn't get eaten, hot chocolate and Viennese biscuit. So far so good. On leaving I noticed there was only one set of tongs, I asked the young person if they used the same tongs for serving cakes as for the sausage rolls she said yes I advised her this was inappropriate cross contamination, not just for vegetarians either, She just looked surprised and I left. Training in basic food hygiene required. The stale fat smell on my clothes meant a full change when I got home.

Many garden centres seem to have their own food service, and California Gardens in Howden is no exception. It wouldn’t be fair to expect this to be a full service restaurant, it doesn’t claim to be. What it does do is provide a reasonable meal from a reasonable menu at a reasonable price.

A jobbing cafe with a wide selection of reasonably priced food. The choice was old fashioned and somewhat dull. If you like English salads (lettuce, raw onions and a slice of tomato) you will be happy here. The restaurant floor was dirty and kitchen a little shambolic but service was quick. I found the experience uninspiring which was a shame because the garden centre is large with a wide choice of plants and gardening equipment. For food and drink, there are some better places in the local area.

Went here for a late Sunday morning breakfast, glad we did!Had a full English it was absolutely delicious! Quality sausage and bacon and beautiful fresh golden yolk eggs. Friendly staff and immaculately clean.Well worth a visit!

The garden centre is good and there is a lot of choice and the cafe serves fresh tasty produce. Accessible to wheelchairs and a nice place for morning coffe

we found this wonderful garden centre by chance the coffee lounge is excellent the service is the best i have come across those ladies certainly work very hard more than can be said in the garden centre when i walked through a young man was sat on the counter on his mobile phone no customers seemed to be around then i walked in the cafe it was full the menu is good for a light meal and the cafe is very clean if its a full sunday roast you want then this is not the place for you but i hghly recomend it for a pleasant stop on the way to the coast

On my travels to the east coast I have been stopping at California Gardens' Penny Farthing Cafe for more years than I can remember. A lovely warm welcome awaits from the friendly staff. The drinks and light meals are excellent value for money, especially my favourite bacon sandwiches. This is a handy little oasis on a tedious journey, and one which I always look forward to!