Dearnford Lake Cafe in Shropshire

We stopped for lunch on Sunday, extremely hungry! The menu is a little limited but I'm ok with that. Do a few things but do them well. Had a couple of burgers (double cheeseburger and a halloumi burger). Both good size portions and delicious. What stood out for me was service. Really responsive and food came out without much delay at all. It didn't feel rushed though. Room was two thirds full and they had a party on, but it didn't impact on service otherwise, very impressive.

We went for a lovely breakfast which we really enjoyed, even managed to sit outside as it was sunny. Then went for a walk round the lake which then cost us a extra £7 which I really struggle to understand why. I totally understand charging people that are only coming for a walk as the business has got the make money somewhere. But for us to spend over £40 on breakfast then additional £7 for a walk round a lake that isn’t actually that big of a walk I think maybe needs a rethink. Maybe if spend over a certain amount in the cafe then you can walk for free?

Daughter and I spent £37 on lunch then additional £5 to walk round lake. Think it’s greed for money, prohibits my return!

We hit a good day based on some reviews. Great welcoming staff, log burner roaring and great food. We had the full breakfast and poached eggs on sourdough. Every. Single. Mouthfull. Was. A. Delight. Absolutely would recommend…

Has an amazing Mother's Day Afternoon tea here today! Great selection of food for both gluten free and usual teas! Very impressed that a big effort had been made for them to look (and taste) the same. Very friendly staff, relaxed atmosphere and doggy bags to fill for later! Like the new look of the kitchen and farm shop.

We went for Afternoon tea. It was AMAZING! Great selection of sandwiches with quiche, scones and cakes. So much so that we were offered a doggie box to take home what we couldn’t eat. Hayley the host was attentive and helpful, Eleanor was lovely and friendly, and James the chef created a delicious ensemble of tasty treats. Great value for money and now we are absolutely stuffed. Highly recommended. Thank you.

Fabulous brunch - great for adults and children (young grandchild with us). Fabulous food, sourdough toast and eggs, pancakes and more! Friendly, cheerful and helpful staff. Visit was a delight - we will be back very soon. Thank you.

Alderford Lake restaurant is a favourite of ours - the staff are always cheerful, friendly and attentive. Great vista - looking out onto the lake. There's a fabulous welcome and it's a great place to eat for individuals or families/groups. The food is fabulously cooked and presented - there is a good choice for light snacks or something more substantial - or just for a tea, coffee or wonderful hot chocolate! This time (early Sunday afternoon) there were the two of us and we chose two items from the lighter bites part of their new lunch menu - a great fishcake with a salad garnish and a fantastic goats cheese and crumpet stack, with balsamic dressing, salad garnish and onion chutney - both were delicious - we shared! The staff were attentive, cheerful and helpful. Many thanks and we will see you again soon.

Over the last few weeks we have attended 2 brilliant events at Alderford Lake. We booked The Viewpoint for my son’s birthday and had a lovely day! There was 18 of us in total on a busy, sunny Sunday afternoon. All our food was delicious, generous portions and the staff were incredibly warm and helpful. We will certainly be booking The Viewpoint again for future occasions, the view of the lake is gorgeous and the room itself has a homely feel yet large enough to accommodate large groups of people. We also attended bonfire night which did not disappoint! The event was brilliantly organised and the fireworks are by far the best around. We felt like we were at Disneyland with the quality of the fireworks show! The rotary and Alderford staff were really helpful helping in the car parks too, where a few cars inevitably got a bit stuck in the mud. This was all done with a smile on their faces despite working on a wet and cold night! We felt very safe and looked after with the organisation of the car parking. Thank you Alderford for some great memories made over the last few weeks, we will look forward to attending your Christmas events!

All I can say is how disappointed we were with the lunches we were served. We ordered sandwiches with a side salad, coleslaw and crisps that we’d ordered and enjoyed on other occasions. This time the food was definitely below par and a waste of money. We often drove out to this lakeside restaurant but the standards have slipped and we won’t be returning.

This place used to be great but its greed, greed, greed now. The charge for absolutely everything!! Food is poor and the prices are far too much. Won't be visiting again.

Terrible experience. This is the 4th time visiting and in the past we have always had good service. Today we were told to sit outside and waitress would be with us. Waited for 40 minutes to order and decided we couldn't wait any longer, so we would go in to order. Told to sit back down and they would come to us shortly. Another 10 minutes and still no sign. People who had arrived after us were finishing their drinks. We only wanted to order coffees and cake. Such a waste of our time! Such terrible customer service. They need to think about staff training and putting more staff on when busy!

For one hour on their aqua park inflatable play area you need to pay almost £9 per adult to stand by the lake side to watch any child under 18 yo. This is because the only ‘option’ is full day access to the lake side even though aqua park slots are for 50 minutes only. If both parents want to stay together as a family then both must pay the whole day rate… None of this info features on the pre booking web pages. So the kid’s 50 minute session cost over £30 with wetsuit hire and you get the surprise bonus fee of £18.50 should both parents wish to spend their hour together…. There are limited seating areas and no shelter from rain or access to the main cafe area. Plenty of people are prepared to pay these fees - it was extremely busy on a Saturday morning. However, these extra charges (including parking if your visit extends beyond 3 hrs) should be made more clear prior to booking online.

Our first time paddle boarding today! Josh our instructor was absolutely fantastic! He was super patient and explained everything thoroughly! Alderford Lake is one of the best family friendly places around! We come from a water sport family and have visited many lake’s waterskiing and knee boarding but this lake is perfect for paddle boarding and kayaking etc, it’s clean, safe and friendly! Also dog friendly! A perfect family day out! I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Alderford lake and Josh to family and friends! Well done guys

So so, but they do need to do something about the car parking arrangements. To employ a heavy handed parking enforcement firm is not conducive to good customer relations.

We met here as it’s halfway for family to meet up. We pre booked a table for 8 at lunchtime on a Sunday. We had a mixture of meals and all were lovely and good sized. I have food allergies, I picked a meal I liked the sound of and the chef was able to adapt it to fit my allergy. Puddings were a little thin on the ground but we were quite full after the mains so shared some scones and the children had ice cream pots from snugburys which suited them. Glad there is free parking for 3 hours, as we were 2 1/2 eating and celebrating. We didn’t visit the lake / park today.

I'm really not sure where things went wrong with this cafe, but since lockdown it's just not been very good. Service was always slow, I assume because they have not invested in the right equipment or training, but at least the food was good. Today a few of us dropped in for a post swim drink and cake. It was busy but not full. Only one member of staff was particularly welcoming, the rest made me feel I was inconveniencing them. The hot chocolate was almost cold, one of the drinks was delivered the wrong size, and the cake was dry and not very tasty. Last time I visited I had a dreadful breakfast and we sent items back. So I won't be visiting again when there are several local cafes thst are far cheaper, far better service and much nicer food.

Just been here for a Valentines Afternoon Tea. Worst Afternoon Tea I have ever had. A burger !! Piece of cold chicken in a dish with chilli sauce, bread coated mushrooms that when you bit into them fat squirted everywhere. Prawn cocktail with tiny bit of sauce in bottom of tiny glass. Small Dry chicken roll. A dish of croutons !! Cakes were sickly, one was just mousse, a tiny macaroon, 2 tiny chocolates and a cold scone. Overpriced and disappointing. No refill for the tea even though I paid £22.50 very mean.

Festive afternoon tea. We were apparently the first booking. I hope anyone else that books enjoys it as much as we did. Lovely surroundings and great service. Fabulous selection of treats and festive eats( almost too many sweet treats). A wonderful way to start the...

I've been coming to Alderford for about 10 years and have seen a real decline in quality in the cafe over the past 2 years. It was always expensive for what you got but at least it seemed to be local produce & a little...

We have visited Alderford lake several times and prior to this visit have always had a nice time. This time, we decided to stay for lunch and what a mistake that was! It cost us £40 for 2 adults and 4 children so not exactly...

Previously I have visited here and always been absolutely fine. This time was disappointing to say the least, they got our order wrong ! Wrong meal and an extra drink we didn’t order then tried to charge me for this!! The food we did have...

Had a lovely visit to Alderford Lake Park Run last Saturday, where we meet a lot of lovely runners and walkers enjoying the 5KM route around the lake. We then went to the cafe for breakfast and had a wonderful surprise at the standard of...

Lovely Restaurant, view's, and Staff. Easy to park and a lovely little Farm Shop. great place to meet friends for a catch up.

Pleasant enough lake setting but expensive for a family day out! Activities advertised on site in mid August - climbing wall and archery - not available. Cafe over priced and very mediocre. Took half an hour for a few coffees despite cafe half empty! Aqua...

Enjoyed a late night opening with fabulous food with a group of 8 friends, celebrating a birthday alongside the lake. The food was amazing ! Alice and Kirstie went above and beyond serving us all. Gluten free requirements catered for too! The crepe was the...

I took my 7 year old daugher to Aldeford lake last week on an incredibly hot sunny day. We had the best day and i cant fault a thing.the water was lovely and clear. Amazing pizza from the food takeaway hut. We also had a...

We were all really impressed with the activities and set up here. Very clean, professional and everything done to a high standard. We all had lots of fun including the adults. It is very expensive and they try and get money off you every-which way!...

We visited Alderford Lake today for Afternoon Tea for a friends birthday. As always the food was delicious and our waitress Hayley was very attentive and professional. Thankyou for making her birthday enjoyable

I like to swim in open water...... but the lake was horrible full of single filament algae could not see your hand at 10 inches in front All of our stuff swim suits change under ware and clothes are full of green slime and time...

Unfortunately although the food was ok the service was very slow. It was lunchtime but the restaurant wasn't full.

We were looking for somewhere nice to go with a “wheelchair” suitable walk and a cafe for a light lunch. We were recommended to try Alderford Lakes and decided it looked like a lovely place to go on a nice sunny day. Although it was...

I am a local to Alderford although don’t use the cafe regularly as it isn’t cheap! However, over Christmas I arranged to meet a friend there for breakfast. It was absolutely first class! Beautifully cooked, we had the veggie option. Lots of hot thick toast....

I only have one criticism and that is the room temperature. It's very cold! It was only 4 degrees outside so I had 3 warm layers on but I was still cold throughout my entire meal. I will still be returning though because the decor,...

I went here to meet my mum half way ive got to say its the nicest soup ive ever had and my mum had feta cheese tartan with salad and chips, my little girl had chicken nuggeta and chips. All the food way delicious! Nicest...

One star because it cannot be zero. We were just going to the farm shop when we realized I forgot my son's water. I went inside the cafe to ask for a little bottle of water. I was told they did not have little bottles...

Been here several times as it’s easy to park, a lovely setting and very accommodating. Nice to see friendly young local staff and they have so much going on for families. Food is always reliably good and fresh. a nice little Farm Shop too with...

Unfortunately this cafe has changed and become very expensive with less choice on the menu and some items only available in the mourning (especially the Eggs Benedict!!) Can no longer recommend this place.

Three of us went for coffee and it was so lovely we stayed for brunch. Fab. Beautifully presented smashed avocado and salmon and poached egg. Lots of families enjoying the swimming and paddle boarding etc. A stunning setting with mature trees and plenty of space....

We visited as a family. The service was slow and very disorganised. Mains were over cooked and chewy. Waited over 40 minutes for dessert.

It’s a few months since our last visit and what a pleasant surprise. The cafe side is now fenced and feels more secure. Outside seating well spaced and walkers kept some distance away. Often improvements spoil things but these improvements have had the desired effect....

New to the area so looking around for various places to eat / have a snack etc. We had been a couple of times just for takeaway, but decided to try again as things had opened up. Food excellent - very nicely cooked & good...

I used to visit here regularly for tea and cake and would often sit outside to relax. Now they are charging £2 to get in the grounds, so this is before I would order at the cafe, like for a latte, then sit outdoors.......it would...

We arrived at the restaurant at 12.00 noon. We were shown to a table and a menu brought-to us. I am gluten free, so went inside to ask what was available. A young lady said she would find out and get back to me 15...

Busy bank holiday but clearly not enough staff 40 minute food wait was the first thing said to us while being seated indoors, it then proceeded to be a lengthy wait before we had to ask for our order to be taken. Drinks arrived 25...

I met a friend here for a walk after she recommend it having been there many times before. She was very surprised to see that now there was an entrance fee of £2, plus you had to fill in a disclaimer giving all you details...

Very disappointed with the Christmas Fair. A few stalls selling food. Nothing like the advertisement to pay £6 each for about 40 stalls. I think a refund should have been given on entry. Shan’t be going again 😡

After going to an aqua park last summer with my boyfriend in Devon and having the best time, I bought my friend a birthday present to try one closer to home. We expected after looking at the website and the pictures that it would be...

Rude and very unhelpful staff - apart from a young girl in the welcome pod. Cafe staff need need training on manners - it all seemed like everything was too much trouble. Very dirty and left within 10 mins.

This is an excellent cafe ( not quite a restaurant but better than the average cafe) - very helpful staff and good quality fresh food. Family / dog friendly. The lake is an excellent little walk with kids with several “activities” on the way round

The Brie and Asparagus tart was lovely and milkshakes good too. The wood burning stove was lit and it was very cosy inside on a miserable day.

This place supports mindless barbarity by hosting groups who are enthralled by the savage deaths of defenseless animals in the name of 'sport' . . . Shame on the owners - anything for money.

No disputing you have a beautiful place here but your ethics are very questionable. May I ask why you think it is good business practice to associate yourself with the Fox Hunters Ball this year? Please do not damage your reputation by hosting this evening & supporting this cruel, barbaric practice. Fox hunting in any form is unacceptable & causes immeasurable suffering to the animal. Please rethink. Many thanks.

It is so relaxing at Alderford Lake. Very picturesqe and a great walk all around the beautiful lake.The wildlife is different every time and every season you go,the wildflowers and dragonflies are fascinating. When you have finished your natures experience, or just a very brisk walk, relax in the cafe, and enjoy a tasty meal or snack still looking over the lake. Come rain or shine, it is a great place to go.

I am Coeliac and visited Alderford Lake who state they offer gluten free options of their menu. I checked with staff to see if the Christmas Club Triple Layer Sandwich was available as Gluten Free. The young lady said that they certainly had gluten free bread but would check to see if all the other ingredients were ok - which she did and she said YES we can do that for you. I placed the order and had a Mocha to go with it. The Mocha arrived after several minutes and was fab. 15 minutes later with my drink long since been consumed the waitress arrived with a sandwich saying that they couldn't do bacon or cranberry because they contain gluten???? and what i was presented with was a turkey and stuffing sandwich - certainly not 3 layers club sandwich as advertised. There was no offer of any refund for a sandwich with half the ingredients or something extra to make up for the 8.50 GBP charge. They did offer to swap it for something else but after 20 minutes of waiting and not any real customer care I wasn't bothered and so requested a refund and left. Paying lip service to being gluten free is one thing but not delivering on the advertised order is totally unacceptable. A really poor experience .... unfortunately not for the first time - but it will certainly be the last for me as I won't be returning.

For cake and coffee and a nice setting it is really good. Cake is normally very good and they have gluten free options

Called in the Alderford lake cafe today after a long break away no reason for the break nice food and drinks lots of items on the menu great views of the lake I will call in next time we are in the area

We decided to have lunch here before walking around the new maze. We sat outside and enjoyed some great food whilst taking in the view of lake. People were swimming and canoeing and generally enjoying a lovely spot. The maze was good fun too.

After having some great breakfasts we thought we would try a spot of lunch. My wife doesn’t like butter so requested no butter on beans on toast, my daughter doesn’t like mustard so requested no mustard on Welsh rarebit. The person who bought the food over appeared to almost sneer at that. My jacket came out later than everyone else’s, but tbh wasn’t anything special.

We have been here a few times over the summer because of the beautiful setting and for a walk around the lake. However the cafe leaves a lot to be desired. We have given it a few chances thinking our experiences may be a one off. The service is painfully slow, their excuse is that its busy but its always busy so they really should be used to it and prepared for it by now. Over our recent visits we've had forgotten orders, 25 minute waits for drinks, lukewarm food, sandwiches ruined by cheap bread and margarine, stale cakes, the list goes on. Dont expect to able to get inside with a pram or wheelchair it is too cramped. I waited outside to be served with my baby asleep in his pushchair, watching other people be served, it took an hour before someone came over, and only then because I flagged them down. On another occasion one of the waitresses put the tray of hot drinks down next to my baby who immediately grabbed the hot tea pot, accidents happen but the waitress didn't even apologise or offer any assistance, first aid or anything. Luckily he wasnt badly burned but it could have been so much worse. It is great for a walk around the lake and a hot drink but only if you're not in a rush. The lake is beautiful however the bins are always overflowing so clearly the maintenance side of things gets overlooked too.

Wonderful place to have a cup of tea and look over the lake. Dog friendly, lovely assortment of gifts.

Visited on a very busy Sunday with four adults, a toddler and a dog. Beautiful location and great play equipment for children. Helpful and friendly staff.

Would recommend you pre book as it was so busy, luckily we had. The sandwiches were fabulous, smoked salmon,egg, ham, tuna sweetcorn to name just a few! They came up on a wooden shelf like platter with some salad in middle. Hope me made scones with clotted cream and jam were to die for, really delicious. Staff very helpful and friendly. Will definitely be back.

Fabulous day out with the family, this is our 3rd visiit this year since discovering this lovely lake, loved the swimming and boating. Staff very friendly and the food was lovely. A small niggle about the obsession with picnics, although always buying from the cafe we took a few snacks for the small children and were told they couldn't eat them on the car park, we were then approched again whilst swimming and our bags checked - a bit much. Should be more worried about the children treading in dog poo which has happened on two occasions than worried about a couple of snacks for small children.

A few friends met for a lunchtime catch up and it was a pod job the table had been booked.

My wife and I stopped in on our way home from a camping trip having found the place on Google Maps. Full English for me and Shropshire Oatcake for her. Both were generous without being excessive and the quality was excellent and the prices reasonable.

Visited again today for the first time in a while and product and service was as good as ever. Lovely environment and pleasant staff but the access drive is exceedingly pot holed. We found it impossible to miss them and at 5 mph we were jolted about. Someone with a four wheel drive avoided them by driving on the mown grass edges. Shame as this will put us off visiting again.

After waiting over 45 minutes last week for a sandwich, thought I'd order, after a swim, coffee and cake thinking it would be quick. After 25 minutes waiting I asked for my money back.

I went to Alderford lake cafe with family and children, the sandwiches although a little expensive were very good the cafe and facilities were beautifully clean, having a lovely lake to walk around with a play are for the children was an added bonus

Lovely cafe in a beautiful location. Very friendly and helpful staff. Perfect tea and cake stop during a bike ride.

I went here last week with a couple of friends and we had such a brilliant time. The staff were lovely and polite and very eager to help.

Awful experience. Served tea for 2 in dirty cups and saucers. Was as if they’d been already used! Was given one TINY Pot between 2 of us when we saw that others had that same pot for a pot of tea for 1 so complained.

Went today. Yes it was busy but service was shocking. No system. Lots of untrained staff wandering about. Huge carrot cake on counter, ordered and paid for 2 slices. Ten mins later when our coffees came - sorry no carrot cake!

We are relatively local to Alderford and our kids and dogs enjoy the walk so we regularly go. It’s a nice spot. The cafe however, consistently disappoints. The quality of food is good, however, the service is appalling.

Lovely setting and good food - rather concerned that dogs were allowed into the eating areas but more concerned that waiting staff spent time stroking and cuddling these dogs - did they wash their hands before resuming their duties?!

Alderford Lake is an ideal setting with a little garden centre, cafe and beautiful lake with loads of sitting areas. We decided to stop off to eat our picnic lunch.

What a hidden gem! The initial photo on here does it no justice. It is lovely! On a sunny day, the spot couldn’t get much better! Great service, great food and reasonably priced. A 15/20 minute around the lake is nice to do. Ice cream shop also perfect!

I loved this charming cafe. The menu was excellent for a small cafe, and the food is really fresh. My friend and I had lunch today, but we will definitely be going back to try out the breakfasts!

Never visited this venue, but called in unannounced on the premise of something to eat. It was a cold day but the venue was warm and there were rugs at each table in case of clientele feeling the cold. Extensive menu and paid at the desk for table service. Food and beverages came in quick order and well presented. Very pleasing ambience. First impressions that it was not cheap eats.

The café has lots of seating inside (dog friendly) and it's lovely by the lake on the picnic benches when the weather's good. There's plenty of variety on the menu and a 'specials board' every day, together with a good selection of cakes etc. so there should be something for everyone.

Went for late lunch snack - ordered Welsh rarebit and Club sandwich.

Lovely venue for lunch. Food excellent and good value for money. Service really good. We were also tempted by the lovely gifts for sale.

Lovely location overlooking the lake pleasant helpful and polite Staff,great to walk around the lake and then sit and eat from the various quality dishes on offer,place is very popular despite being top end prices still enjoy going

Lovely place to spend an afternoon, decent choice of drinks, snacks and light meals in delightful surroundings.there is a sunroom in the event of bad weather as well as outdoor seating.there is a short walk around the lake which is available for canoeing and wild water swimming in very clean ,clear water. There is also a glamping pod as well as a camping field.

Visited for pre-booked afternoon tea. No real welcome. Had to join a long queue to give sandwich order (only on choice per person), to be told that one sandwich filling was not available. Cutlery not clean. Food, when it arrived, was lovely but not a special experience in terms of service.

Have visited here on many occasions and usually all has been well. On the last occasion however having only ordered a salad - easy to prepare you would think my meal arrived as the rest of the party had finished eating! This was after being told when the other meals were delivered that my salad would only be a "moment" Not sure how long "a moment" is in Alderford time but when a party orders a meal together they expect to eat together. They also forgot a drink on our order and my son in law had to go and get it. Please get your act together over the service you have a beautiful setting and good food it's a shame to spoil it with the service and even when I went to track down my salad I received no apology!

Superlative venue to relax and enjoy the view and refreshment offerings. Whether indoor or sitting outside alongside the lake the experience is exhilarating. The staff are delightful and very efficient enhancing the overall atmosphere. A must visit when in the area or passing through. It is well signed off the A49 or A41 roads south of Whitchurch.

Visited today for breakfast with a friend. Placed the order and went to sit on the out side tables which are nice. Did not receive our drinks for 35 mins at least. Food took almost another hour to arrive. Staff were not bothered at all. Most definitely will not be visiting again.

Stopped off here for plants and decided to have lunch. What a lovely setting and the food was excellent. I would recommend the eggs benedict and the lemon meringue. My husband had a baked potato with tuna and thoroughly enjoyed it. We will be back.

We order 2 burgers and it took over an hour to arrive when we were told it was a 20 minutes wait. The tables were not being cleared and the waitress’s need to be taught how to do there job because none of them looked like they wanted to be there. We came here 2 months ago and the service was awful but we thought we would give it another chance. To say the least this is the last time we will be visiting here.

Having had a poor breakfast the previous day at a café near our campsite, we googled 'brunch' ideas and it came up with Alderford Lake café. We sat on a table overlooking the lake and ordered Eggs benedict and Welsh Rarebit; both of which arrived well presented, hot and tasted delicious. The staff were pleasant and friendly.

There was a festival on site and the sun was shining, so crowds were out in force.

Usually a good visit but its proved to be when its not so busy.

Fabulous spot for swimming in the lake with a gorgeous little restaurant. Plenty of seating indoors and outdoors. Sometimes busy at weekends especially in giid weather. Love It!

Like other reviewers we often take visitors here. So lucky to have this place on our door. Good seasonal food always busy. Lovely local craft pieces to buy too.

We often take visitors here for a quick lunch before they head off south to the M54. It’s nice to have a walk around the lake (usually do two circuits of it) and then have a light bite to eat. I always enjoy the coffee.

We decided to spend an hour or so here for lunch by the lake. There is also inside dining but the weather was glorious so it made sense to make the most and dine outside. The menu was varied and reasonably priced. The BLT was quite a mouthful! Its a strange concept in that visitors get a permit to swim in the lake so you get the occasional budgie smugglers walk by, but that’s ok. A lovely park and a very enjoyable lunch.

Called in for a coffee and a cake and for somewhere to walk the dog. It was quite busy but service was quite prompt.

Came here for lunch with two friends and three toddlers. Lots of things in the shop area at floor level for kids to make a beeline for. No high chairs around so we sat outside so

First of all dont bother booking a table here as that means nothing to them. A busy bank holiday you think they would be prepared, afternoon tea but they had ran out of scones, so replaced with dry leftover cake. I understand it was a warm day, but should tuna and prawn sandwiches be warm when they arrive at the table. All pots and glasses absolutely filthy, poor service, overpriced and after all this you have the privilege of queuing to pay for this disaster! I appreciate good food and will pay the price, but this if far from it!