Creative Gardens, Galgorm Castle in Ballymena

Visited here a few times recently and we were very pleased with the coffee, cakes and meals on offer Slightly on the expensive side but a treat nonetheless An absolute must for gardeners with an amazing choice and amazing varieties

Wide selection for garden and home. Also a selection of more specialist jams, curds and marmalades etc. Som childrens books and games. You will also find a decent cafe here which serves large portiins.Downside is thatvit is a bit on the ecpensivevside. However worth a visit as you may get something not found elsewhere.

Just had coffee and date and wheaten scone. Delicious. My first time here and will definitely be back.

Went for breakfast and ordered the full cooked breakfast,lovely breakfast and super friendly staff, would highly recommend

Once again a delicious meal.Opted for cottage pie, mash & roast potatoes, carrots and red cabbage (sprouts were also available) and the meal was just like home cooked - fabulous. My partner opted for the chicken/broccoli bake, and again, perfect.Lovely all-round restaurant in a lovely garden centre. Very pleasant staff and prices not bad at all.Highly recommend.

Had a coffee and scone and very good service and friendly staff. Not the cheapest but everyone deserves s treat. Used a gift card so didn't seem so bad.

Lovely restaurant and beautifully cooked food. Beef Stroganoff and a very nice range of vegetables all at a very good price. When in the area always make this the place to eat. Highly recommend.

We had lunch here after spending time in the Garden Centre . The food was tasty and well presented but the service was a bit disorganised despite the fact that there were plenty of staff .

this resturant is always busy yet no trouble getting a table,/.. WE HAVE BEEN THERE A FEW TIMES, always find the service and food to a high standard, the selection is very good.

Me and my fiancee would sometimes head here on a Sunday afternoon for lunch, although it can be quite busy around noon/1pm. Food and drink selection is quite varied and the quality is quite good, serving both hot and cold. The garden centre as you head into the cafe has quite a good selection of books, candles, clothes, and other bits and bobs for both inside and outside the home.My only minor complaint came from yesterday when me and my fiancee wanted to order two paninis. We had to order at the till which was fine. When we got to the till there was a young member of staff behind it who had just finishing serving another customer. Without even speaking to or acknowledging us, excusing himself, or asking another member of staff to serve us, he just walked away and started clearing some tables. To me, this is rude and poor customer service - you don't just say nothing and walk away whenever you have two customers in front of you at a till looking to take their orders. As a result, we were left standing there (a bit embarrassed) while all other members of staff were attending to other customers at the other tills and at the hot food selection (and other customers had to navigate around us with their trays).We've been here a few times and granted, this was the first time it's ever happened to us. Otherwise, it's a lovely spot and my fiancee and I have always enjoyed dining here and browsing the shop.

We’ve been here a few times - my children love the selection of toys even though not a single one is in a good state of repair these days - they all need replacing.

This coffee shop is part of the garden centre, nice ambience and good for a quick coffee, coffee quality is on plus side of average but often scalded to death as they don’t have a thermometer to regulate temperature, a decent blend coffee is totally ruined if it’s processed at too high temperature or made with scalded milk.

Had coffee, scone and a traybake today. Very busy but great selection and good service. Useful to be a member as you get discount coupons.

My friend and I were here recently and had tea and tray bakes as this was on offer for £6.00 for two. There was a good choice of tray bakes to choose from and all looked lovely, only reason I didn’t give 5 stars is there seems to be a problemat the till. This is where you get the drinks and the queue just keeps getting bigger and bigger as there is no enough staff at this end.

Had lunch here with my partner. We had a delicious lunch. Service was friendly and the food was superb. Will definitely be back to sample more on the menu.

This garden centre is situated in the grounds of galgorm golf club and estate. The owner of the club recently built new business premises for rent and then also added this large garden centre. There is a large selection of plants and garden furniture and a very large cafe with home made products. There is also a home section for vases and ornaments and candles. Welk worth a trip !

Generally love the Creative Gardens franchise and am a regular visitor. Good selection of plants, good giftshop and usually good food. They also have a customer loyalty scheme that gives vouchers for discounts in the cafe and in store. Breakfast offerings have been limited to bagels or pancakes until recently when they started offering a fully cooked breakfast. They shouldn't have bothered. I sent mine back to the kitchen because the grease was oozing from the bread which itself was well overcooked. I suggested that it looked like the bread had been deep-fried and to my surprise was informed by the waitress that that is exactly how it was cooked! I therefore asked for my bread to be toasted but they couldn't even get that right as it was pale, soggy and limp. My advice to customers is don't order the cooked breakfast and to Creative Gardens is stop serving up this poor excuse for a breakfast if you can't get it right. There are many establishments nearby serving much better quality cooked breakfasts at half the price.

We often visit Creative Gardens for morning coffee or lunch and are usually well pleased. Today we came for lunch. I chose your new Lasagne, chips and mixed salad. we placed our order and paid at 12.56pm. The girl told us that it would take 10 mins - which is fine. At 1.25pm I still hadn't received my meal. I spoke to one of the attendants. She went to check and shortly she arrived with my meal. Evidently the Lasagne had been in the micro-wave for a long time. It was burnt to the dish and the top was rock hard. I took it back and, not wanting to wait for another 10mins!!, I decided to have the broccoli bake. This was more broccoli than chicken.

Have been here a few times for tea and scones. Nothing special about decor or service. Food is good but expensive however that is compensated by the portion sizes. N Irish style. Not too much competition so it does well. Will definitely return.

I visited with a friend for a coffee and tray bake. The total cost for 2 coffees and I slice of cake was almost £9. The prices are very high and the staff are not especially warm or friendly. I can't recommend this place very much at all.

Called on way to Portrush we each had a scone and traybake which were delicious however we dealt with 2 of the restaurant staff and neither said please or thank you at any stage . Although we enjoyed food customer service very disappointing.

I have to say this is just perfect for desserts. They do lunches as well, but I just love their desserts, and their extra large portions. One thing though, a bigger plate would be good!

Lovely place for lunch or coffee. Some lovely cakes and tarts. Plenty of amusement for children. Food is excellent and environment is calm an relaxing.

Good choice plants and other gardening things would highly recommend a visit to the cafe when visiting they do lovely dinners and desserts .

Recently visited here for Sunday lunch and ordered lasenge which appeared to be hot but got colder as I got to the middle. Asked for it to be reheated which the waiter had no issue doing but the lasenge came back burnt so much so I could lift the whole portion on my fork. Wouldn't recommend the lasenge but the rest of the food was good!

We had lunch here after doing the Galgorm castle fairy walk with the kids. The cafe had a nice variety of foods. Really buttery, huge scones, kids meals, generous portions of everything. There is lots of seating with a steady flow of people queuing for food. The menus were posted at the start of the queue so I'm not sure why a previous review said there was no clear menu. I wish I had room for dessert because it all looked lovely. There were many gluten free options as well--even scones and desserts! Breakfast is 9:30-12 and lunch is 12-2:30.

Inside the lovely Galgorm Castle Estate in Ballymena area you find a large garden centre with a very nice cafe inside it. I had a party of 15-20 individuals coming for tea and scones. I was very happy with the staff and the quick service and we had some very nice freshly made scones with a variety of flavours on offer including cherry, fruit, plain, toffee & cheese and bacon. Great place for a relaxed afternoon with friends and family.

The food is tasty but expensive for a cafe. The desserts have to be the tried if you're there. It can be very busy at peak times making it difficult to get seated.

It’s lovely to sit down with friends and family and have something casual or something more substantial...... this ticks all the boxes. From a casual tea and a scone to a more risky dessert to a full blown meal... the choice is endless.

Called today for snack, totally disorganised. There is no obvious menu, pricing or clear layout here. Scone was nice but I ordered some apple crumble, by the time it appeared on the plate it looked as if it had been chewed and dropped on plate from a great height. I had a portion of pear and almond tart, again it was stodgy and not at all nice. I had ordered 2 large coffees,if that is a large cup heaven help us. Tha staff were unhelpful, and the price is verging on extortion, definately not worth a second visit.

Visited here for lunch yesterday with my mum who is in a wheelchair. Food was good. I had soup and mum had mushroom lasagne. Customer service was even better. One of the staff went out of her way to help us. I am very sorry I didn’t get her name. It was wonderful to be assisted and to see proper customer care demonstrated. To the lady in question many, many thanks your assistance was very much appreciated. If only all establishments had employees like you!

You queue and order hot food at the till and waiters bring it down to you. If you are getting traybakes or hot drinks you bring them down yourselves. There is a help your self area to cutlery, condiments and water which I thought was very good.

yes, definitely worth a snack if you're in the area - good desserts, tasty mains - yeah, would recommend

Easy parking,clean and spacious. Good sized portions, a good variety menu, pleasant staff,meal was hot , fresh and enjoyable at a reasonable price. We will be back.

Love most things about this garden centre from the lovely selection of plants, pots, gifts to the cafe/restaurant. Have visited often mostly for breakfast or coffee. Limited breakfast choice but good quality. Served until midday which is a bonus. Traybakes and desserts are amazing. Can recommend the almond slices, coffee biscuits, apple pie and lemon meringue is to die for. Desserts are expensive but large enough to share. Coffee quality is a bit disappointing as it can be bitter and often not hot enough. I recommend ordering a pot of hot water to warm it up. Opens late Thursday and Friday evening during the summer months. Evening meals used to be lovely and great value for money but the quality of food has gone steeply down hill over the past few months. I give the evening meals a miss now to be honest. Despite some flaws it is still one of my go to places. Christmas display is always worth a visit.

Food is good enough, but the queue and food serving setup is a bit complicated. Some people were is one spot to get hot food, others were just getting pastries, others just tea, so I was back forward a bit. So one of us sat down with our food, and one of us had to wait until it was brought down. Gluten free scones and other dishes available, which is good. Guess it might run smoother if but quieter.

Meall was fresh, hoy and very tasty. Desserts to die for. Great variety of plants, shrubs, etc for anyone with a a small o or large garden.Great choice in store for gifts or to treat yourself.

A very busy Friday in this popular coffee shop. Large pieces of lemon meringue and rhubarb tart served with cream. Large portions. Lovely lattes. What’s not to like.😘🌸

Always a great place to call and keep a slice of lemon meringue pie or a bowl of strew well priced , gets busy around lunch time.

When in this area wouldn't even consider looking elsewhere for a meal. The choice is very good, the value is excellent and the service if first class.

Having retires some time ago, garden centres are the place to be. This one, just outside Ballymena does not disappoint. The range and quality of the plants and trees is second to none. Garden accessories abound but you do need deep pockets. It's not cheap. However, you get your money's worth and there is an excellent cafe to relax after you shopping

Really outstanding garden centre - would find it difficult to say I have ever been to a better one - outstanding choice of plants, and not just the popular ones, and although some appeared to be a little on the expensive side, they certainly did seem of outstanding quality. Well laid out with a lot of creative ideas by the management/staff.

Nice garden centre, but plants very expensive. Restaurant seems very popular, so maybe it was just us – we both chose the very nice-looking “steak, mushroom, & red wine pie”. The garlic potatoes we had with it were nice, and that cabbage and carrots not bad, though the cabbage very overcooked.

Came with my family today to enjoy some lunch but we had to leave as there was not one vegan option on the menu. Not one. You are literally turning away business. What was worse was that the staff just said sorry we don't have any and walked away. While I appreciate that not everyone is vegan it is disheartening to come all the way somewhere for lunch and then have to leave. Most places have vegan options and there's no excuse for your garden centre not to.

This garden centre is really the best sort of place to visit to have a relaxing cuppa in. Everything here is perfect with the best type of people. Definitely worth a visit if you haven’t.

Have been here few times now. The garden centre is set in the grounds of Galgorm castle, golf course and various other small businesses. There is some lovely walks to do also within the grounds.

Always very busy service excellent and food excellent very good selection of plants and gardening equipment out doors great place to visit also gift vouchers are available for regular customers

Very busy Restaurant, especially around evening meal time, but nevertheless we were served and seated in a reasonable time and found the food to be very tasty and the deserts are excellent, if a little on the expensive side, but probably based on portion size, not bad value for money. We will return often as we live locally.

Overall this is a good well run restaurant in an excellent garden centre. While food is good it is inconsistent and much depends on staff serving. Coffee can range from luke warm to scalded or cups filled to brimming and the coffee is too weak. Why some people want extra hot coffee beats me, serve it above the optimum temperature and the taste is ruined. Mostly staff make coffee just right but on a bad day it’s scalded, weak or cold!

It’s with some sadness that I write this review. We’ve been eating in Creative Gardens (Galgorm & Donaghadee) for years, and have got through at least a couple of hundred meals there. The food has always been first-class; as good as you'd get in any pub, and better than many. It’s been totally consistent too.

Called in to buy a few plants and could smell the baked bread from coffee shop. Enjoyed a coffee and tray bake in beautiful surroundings. Would love o call again.

Great garden centre, if a tad pricy here and there, with lots of themes and choice. Cafe well stocked and...

Went out for a family meal at lunchtime lovely setting for having a meal ad plenty of room and tables...

Very difficult, if not impossible, to find good food in a garden centre but this was the exception. Nice choice...

Extremely annoyed when I was overcharged for the fourth time!, Have purchased christmas presents of Books and toys with reduced...

Standing in long lunch queue waiting for a coffee. Not ideal as too time consuming. Good variety of hot food...

The garden centre is well laid out and we'll stocked the Christmas displays in the shop area are lovely and the range of goods very good if a bit expensive

I have visited this centre many times

Ideal location for an afternoon cup of coffee, shopping and walk about.

I called here to meet a friend for a coffee. Impressed with this garden centre and the range of other items in a quaint shopping area ranging from garden tools to household items and quaint nick nacks. Only downside I would say is some of the items are expensive so best to shop around but all in all nice spot to relax in and good parking.

Creative Gardens is a great place to go for a browse and catch up with friends. This is a garden/ lifestyle centre with a lovely restaurant. They have a great range of food ranging from hot dishes, sandwiches and snacks . They also havea fab range of home bakery items like scones and tray bakes. On my visit in August we had tray bakes and scones which were very tasty. Definitely would recommend a visit to Creatve Gardens

Here today 1st Sept at lunchtime approx 1pm so yes a busy time service not so good, at the till the staff were talking about tables I had asked sorry are there no tables? Staff replied it's busy but you should get a table ok.. Fair enough I went on to find a table past about 3 tables full of dirty dishes having not being cleared I had to clear up a table myself and wipe it with my napkin sat down to lunch with tray of dishes at end of my table twice staff members walked by third time I had to say excuse me could you take the tray of dirty dishes away please.. The girl lifted the tray I thought perhaps she'll come back give my table a wipe.. Nope, at busy periods they should have staff to clear tables, nevertheless soup was delish. I have been good few times food always very good, just disappointed today.

I have been to Creative Gardens restaurant a few times and I do find it over rated. There are certain dishes which are nicer than others. They do do a lovely Sunday dinner. The most disappointing thing which I have had is a panini containing chicken. The chicken is very black and not nice at all. I have had this experience more than once and was unable to finish my lunch. The desserts and tray bakes are delicious! I would recommend coming here for coffee and cake or buns instead of a full lunch. The staff in the restaurant are lovely and very friendly.

Garden Centre well laid out with a good selection of plants. Staff member when I found one was very informative and helpful with my choice of plants. The restaurant was busy - not cheap. Desserts are so large I recommend one between two people.

This really was a find as I had not been here before.The centre is in a wonderful setting and the inside matches it to a tee!Very clean and bright, well laid out and a very good selection of plants. Prices are competitive although we were fortunate that many were in the sale and got them for half price.Visited cafe and it is also very nice indeed. Nice choice of food (not a huge choice) and the prices once again appeared to be about the same as at other similar establishments. The only difference, and a huge difference, is that this food was EXCELLENT. My stew was beautifully cooked and my partners scone/coffee was very good indeed.Will certainly be back and would highly recommend.

we had a nice enough meal but it was very dear--my husband had to queue as i am unable to stand due to pains.the staff are not very friendly. no-one ever comes near you to ask if all was ok. i don't know if i would go back again--- it is handy and surroundings and decor are nice enough if they could just improve on the staff

Visited here recently and I was absolutely shocked at this café in the garden centre which is good enough. The tables in this café aren't clean whatsoever, the staff don't have much care about what they're doing. Would not return to the café.

Just nipped into garden centre with my two daughters for greenfly spray. Ended up getting breakfast too!! As usual it was delicious. Pancakes, bacon, maple syrup and hot chocolate!!

Firstly this is an excellent Garden Centre with a restaurant/coffee shop.They do cooked evening meals for some of the year and not every evening so best to check in advance if you plan to eat as part of your visit.Food is very reasonably priced where two can eat well for £30-40. Food is served school canteen style where you queue and select from dishes on display, there isn't a menu as such to choose from. Quality of the food is good but this depends on how long it's sat and turnover. Meat dishes are generally at a good temperature but veg can often be on the cool side. It can get quite busy early evening as NI people have a habit of having their evening meal at tea time, arrive around seven and they're beginning to close up with little choice left.Overall it's worth a visit and I think you will be satisfied for the price.

Loved this great coffee shop /cafe in the excellent Creative Garden centre at Galgorm Castle. Service was fast and we enjoyed lovely coffee and scones. The whole place is so bright, clean and welcoming even the area with sugars milks etc is laid our perfectly with no rubbish or spills anywhere. There is an interesting gift shop next to the cafe and the garden centre is one of the best I've been too with well cared for healthy plants reasonable priced. Loved it all.

Always nice to visit this attractive and well kept garden centre which is a credit to the area. The highly popular café/ restaurant is a big draw serving a range of wholesome food.

Have had lunch here a few times and have not been disappointed. Food was delicious and portions were big. Good variety. Staff were pleasant and helpful. Definitely worth a visit.

I noticed this cafe charged the same prices as a restaurant prices. Food not to the standard of a restaurant. The staff who supervise the workers seem to do a lot of standing around chatting while the workers run about. Not a very good look from the outside. Been here twice now think this will be my last visit.

Nice efficient staff always helpful. Recently they have introduced home made gluten free scones for customers like me who are coeliacs and those who choose to eat gluten free for personal reasons. There are plain, cherry and fruit scones that are gluten free. They have improved since they were first introduced and are very pleasant to eat. Best of all is that they are priced the same as normal ones, a rarity as so often gluten free options attract a hefty premium added to the price.

Firm favourite of mine for a cheeky scone and coffee before I pick the kids up from school! Lovely staff too

My girlfriend had the Caesar Salad and the sweet potato fries. I had the homemade individual Chicken pie with cabbage and bacon, and creamy mashed potato.My food was served pipping hot. My only grumble was that the server was a bit mean with both the cabbage and bacon, but also the mash potato. What I did get of it was beautiful. The Chicken Pie itself was packed full of gammon and chicken pieces, no cheating there. It also had a nice crisp golden brown crust topping it.My girlfriend had the Caesar Salad, and freshly made Sweet Potato Fries. She described the salad as luxurious, and the fries were served lovely and hot and were evidently freshly made too.To wash our food down, I had a lovely bottle of Cox Pips apple juice which was yummy, and she had a bottle of coke. The bill came in at around £20.There were enough tables despite it being so busy, and it was pretty clean too. It was a lovely sunny day so you had the choice to eat in or outside.

Creative, Galgorm is a large garden centre. After walking round half of it I was in need of refreshment. The restaurant has plenty of seating and is well decorated, bright and airy.In mid-morning, there is a good selection of scones and tray bakes. one of the specialties is the pancakes, bacon and maple syrup - delicious.Service was friendly, though the queues can build up at peak times.we saw the food being out out for lunch and there seemed to be a good selection of appetizing choices.

Visited the Restaurant for the first time and I can say that if food of this quality is maintained we will be back often. The two meals were cooked to perfection and the sweet of lemon meringue and cream was to die for.

Nice place to stop and visit to look at the flowers and things displayed for sale. There are a lot of different preserves and bon bons that are also nice.

Went to garden centre and popped into cafe. Lunches looked beautiful with generous portions being served. Had coffee and tray bake. All lovely and very reasonable priced. Staff friendly and helpful. A must if you are at garden centre .

Clean and efficient. A tray cafeteria type service system. The scones are really good and other sweets we've had have also been tasty.

Situated in the grounds of Galgorm Castle, Creative Gardens boasts a well stocked shop and beautifully presented Garden Centre. It also displays relaxing patio furniture, barbecue equipment and all that is required to enhance your outdoor living. A well presented restaurant with friendly staff will serve you lunch or that scone and coffee - it's up to you! Drop in and enjoy. Maureen A.

Just met with a client for lunch in the cafe. Disappointed at the service, totally disorganised delivery system, with extremely small coffee cups and tea pots. Expensive for what it is, yet surprisingly busy.

Pancakes, bacon and maple syrup. Delicious!!!! Very clean, plenty of room and very friendly helpful staff

I have used here a lot as it's a great location with loads of parking and great food.the food here is beautiful altho I find the menu on the wall rushes you to pick something but I normally wait till I see the hot food then order.the desserts are amazing and I love how the water is self service so u can go help yourself. I don't think it's over priced as the girls who serve you your lunch are not scared to give you a lot of food on your plate.the service is very good an the girls get to please so always a happy customer.the shop an garden centre is brilliant and it has loads to offer loads of different things an ideas for your garden.id say it's a must visit..

We had a coffee and a piece of apple pie. To say a piece it was more like a whole pie, you really need to be hungry to finish the portions. Food was nice but if portions were reduced prices could be reduced a bit as well

I visited here a few weeks ago with some customers for a very quick lunch. Although the queue was long, it took a very short time to get served. The food was excellent and it was very plentiful. They have an odd system with regards which till you need to pay at depending what food or drink you order but it wasn't a show stopper. This is very much on my list of favoured places for lunch from now on when I am in the area.

Lots of Soup and Stew are on the menuThe wheaten scones are healthy for youThe metal giraffes outside are like being at the zoo

Nice good food , busy place . Friendly staff . Just little overpriced... But still good experience while shopping:) will return.

Lovely restaurant/coffee shop set in the grounds of Galgorm Castle and part of the garden centre and gift shop. Home cooking with generous portions and plenty of flavour. Join their In Bloom club and you will receive quarterly vouchers for free coffee/tea for two together with various other incentives. Well worth a visit.

Two cups of coffee and a thin slice of carrot cake, which cost over £2.35 we could have bought a whole cake for the price rediclous!

Excellent food and lovely atmosphere staff friendly helpful and attentive. Bit slow but mainly due to popularity

It's all homemade, desserts look glorious, sometimes the dinners are good, sometimes not so tasty. Great little place for a browse around the garden centre and a cup of coffee

always very busy, seems a popular place for old friends to meet but the prices are rather dear for what you get, my mother and I got a drink and a bun etc and was 16 pound!

Food very well presented. Good variety on menu. Lovely vegetables. Plates warm and food hot which was a plus. Staff friendly and helpful. Desserts very big and one would satisfy two people.

The café is fabulous, a really good spot for meeting friends or family or even for bringing the kids. Food is always great and staff are friendly.

This is all about stodge! BIG portions and LOADS of cream! Food is homemade but please at least TRY to make it healthy! Hubby just had cheesy scone which was sooo heavy even he couldn't finish! I'd ham (tinned) and cheese (bout half a block) toastie. All too much! Bottled traditional lemonade and curiosity cola probably best part of the meal. Given food is homemade this place could be sooo much better with a little thought. Tables beautifully adorned with quaint meadow flowers. Totally incongruous with stodge served

Wish we'd had more time to spend here! Staff were pleasant and helpful; food was freshly prepared and a good range of options. Coffee was enjoyable and the indoor seating area was fine although very busy just before lunchtime. I'd recommend sitting outside as the buzz of conversation was quite something! Will definitely return here.

I have always enjoyed my visits to the Creative Gardens, ambling through the well stocked garden centre and enjoying a cappuccino and apple and cinnamon scone in the delightful restaurant which always seems to draw large crowds of patrons.

Lovely cafe for morning coffee lunch afternoon tea or even an early supper. Everything is made on site and fresh every day. Great cakes pastries and scones. Hot food choices are good at lunchtime and supper. Specialty coffee. Good outside sitting area.