Dobbies Garden World in Stirling

Breakfast is widely advertised as being available until 11.30am but should state subject to availability! I arrived at 10.55am Sunday morning looking forward to a full breakfast for myself and my husband. I waited in a queue for 15 mins only to be told “what’s left is in front of you and it will take too long to cook anymore, we’ve been busy” .I walked away in disgust. I did get the chance to speak to restaurant manager who was very apologetic , offered to get food cooked for us but the momentum had gone and wasn’t in the mood to be spoken to or served by the not so pleasant staff member ! If the staff were worth their salt someone should have alerted the queue that there wasn’t any breakfast left or should have notified kitchen staff more food was required. The restaurant certainly did not look busy nor the car park. When I say there was a queue I mean approximately 4 to 5 in front of me being served by a not so cheery staff member serving on her own until when I reached the hot food server another member of staff came out to help. I am a club member but will not be renewing my membership. If a business in this current economic climate can loose customers through rude staff and poor food quantity control then good luck to them. Four other customers behind me left the queue when they heard there was nothing left. It was the local May weekend, foresight should have prevailed and plenty breakfast items available. I understand food going to waste isn’t good either but surely if breakfast is being advertised until 11.30am then customers should be able to have it , even if it has to be cooked fresh! Gone are the days when the customer is king!

Garden Centre Good, Restaurant Terrible. Not sure how the restaurant has managed to get this bad, without someone stepping in the fix things. The staff are so grumpy, the wait is long, staff don’t seem able or willing to help out another area. The overall layout is confusing, leading to increased wait times and the kids meals are a complete disaster. Looking at the other reviews, I’m clearly not alone in my frustrations. Very surprising that an otherwise great store would allow the restaurant management to be so inadequate and reflect so badly on the rest of the store and the brand as a whole.

The cashier, Karen, in the cafe was extremely helpful with the gentleman in front of me. She was smiling, pleasant and cheered me up no end! We need more like Karen on checkouts nationwide!!!

Very poor. Visited with the Family for breakfast and soft play. Food very very average. Soft play absolutely black. The standard of cleanliness is actually shocking. We were here first thing in the morning so it’s not as if there had been lots of people here before us.

Never again.Standing,Shuffling from counter to counter.I thought my husband was lost.Beverges were only a bit warm when he arrived!!!The seating area was a disgrace with dirty dishes on every table.I cleared ours so we could sit there.The floor had crumbs and mess all over.We were in the Alcove area.Was it all worth it NO. I have held back through time to not write a complaint but time has moved on and still the same.

I agree with the other comments about the time waiting,we got 3 meals quite quick,but as you have to wait for teas coffee,our meal was Luke warm by the time we sat down also I think the restaurant area need an update as the carpet into it was dirty looking and the seating area was either torn or stained the seats were also hard and the area was pretty messy. We normally go to the dobbies in edinburgh will stick with them in future ..disappointed..

It is definitely time to introduce table service as they did in Dobbies Milngavie. At least this guarantees customers a hot meal and drink. Stirling worked well for a long time but all businesses are under duress. So take action now! Use the staff you can afford more strategically and value them more. Also, please find a way to rid yourself of birds and their droppings! It must surely be an essential task in this day and age of food safety! Come on, you can and must do better.

There is a decent choice for a hot breakfast but if you want a coffee/tea with your breakfast it takes a while to get it and then the cooked food is a bit too cold to be overly good. Really, more staff on the food and coffee counter would maybe help. A cool fry up isn't the best........

Only giving this any stars because the food is ok. Nothing else deserves a star. Absolute shambles of a process from start to finish. Sat down at one of half a dozen manky tables with trays. Noticed someone eventually taking trays away but left some and didn’t bother wiping any tables which were all left a mess. In queue, no trays. Salad bar empty. Had about 2 people on counter and 15-20 in line for the cake / toastie section. No one serving at all at the hot meal counter. Someone eventually came over. Place was a mess with chips scattered around the hot plates. Next station is the coffee bit, again 2 people serving (well one was, not sure what other one was doing). A dozen people waiting at this section. One person on the till. Till was quiet because everyone else was still lined up at the food stations. Only spoons in the cutlery section were soups spoons. During whole time eating none of the surrounding dirty tables were even wiped over. Absolutely disgusting. Only ever come here for convenience, it’s always been slow but today was the most shambolic, dirty, frustrating experience ever in a cafe. Very much doubt I’ll be back.

Absolute chaos on a Friday lunchtime. Food prepared quite quickly but by the time we had waited for hot drinks and at the till food was cold. Not clear what the issue was apart from only one cashier at a peak time. When second member of staff came took people from the back of a very long queue. Then I was overcharged by almost £7. Was rectified immediately I spotted it but this held up the queue further and everyone’s food got colder and colder. Won’t be back.

poor service. Ordered a toastie and a panini, one cold drink and one coffee. Food was advertised as coming with salad and slaw and there was no coleslaw. coffee was a very small cup for a ridiculous price of £3.15. We had to queue in 3 separate queues....to order food, to get coffee and to pay. There were clearly not enough people serving for the number of customers waiting. No signage to indicate which queue to use. We got our toasties quickly but by the time we sat down to eat they were cold. Coffee was only tepid. Ridiculous price of almost £10 for a cold panini and a few bits of lettuce !

Have eaten in Dobbies on a few occasions, every time duped into thinking it must be good judging by the volume of people eating there, boy were we wrong, firstly I wouldn't bother getting anything hot as it will be cold by the time you join various queue's, the staff are nice but work very slowly, our food was 2 toasties that had been pre-made and heated as required, both toasties mushy and tasteless, I had salad with mine, withered and dry, my wife had chips as she had noticed how bad my salad was, chips were worst I have ever tasted, will not be eating there again, if I pay a premium for food, I at least expect it to be edible.

We went to Dobbies for lunch and for the kids to go to soft play on 2nd Jan. Waited in the first queue at the cafe, ordered some toasties for the adults. Didn’t know that to order a kids meal was the next queue along. Got the toasties, waited in next queue to order chicken nuggets. Then a third queue to order tea, and a fourth queue to pay. By the time we sat down, the toasties were cold and we had to ask for fresh ones. Had to clear a table for ourselves as none of the tables had been cleared by staff. No napkins available and no teaspoons. Queued a fifth time to pay for soft play as we had booked a slot for after our lunch. Soft play floor was filthy. Food all over the place. Went to get a coffee and cake while kids played and between the queues for cake and then coffee, it took half an hour to get back to the soft play. All round shocking experience. Not enough staff and no system in place at all for ordering food and drinks. A complete shambles. Will never come back.

Went to Dobbies on Sunday 3rd December, went for winter pansies, lovely choice. Unfortunately went to the toilets, good grief, absolutely awful, gents toilet, rusty radiator, grim, ladies toilets no toilet paper in three of the toilets, water everywhere, a disgrace, shameful.

We were at Dobbies in Stirling today for a birthday celebration. We were at the cafe. The server was not very communicative. The coffee queue was very slow i gave her my order & the person started another order before finishing mine. When we got the coffee it was cold. Did not enjoy the experience.

OMG this was bad and I mean very, very bad. The breakfast was poor indeed. Undercooked eggs and all the ingrediants were barely warm. The staff need a serious talking to. I mean why is there not a shred of cheeryness? Every single one of...

We had Carrot and Corriander soup which staff could not confirm what allergens were in as the "packet" had been thrown out. The tables were all soaking as were the side plates. There was no cutlery and it just an awful experience, 10min wait at...

Shockingly awful. Understaffed. Glacial pace of service. Rip off prices. No cleaning of tables. Went in for lunch and ended up with an early supper. The seed packets in the garden centre bit germinated while we were waiting.

Popped in for a flat white coffee and a cup of tea. Nothing special but the coffee was hot which was good, but in a very small cup. However.....the chairs were FILTHY! The raffia chair next to me was worn and splitting and had old...

Arrived at 10:30 and decided to grab breakfast before we had a look around the store and the advertised 2 breakfasts for £14. I asked for sausage,bacon,black pudding...only to be snipped by catering woman what was I wanting a 5 or 7 item breakfast? I'm...

The set up of the dining room is terrible and disorganised. There is a huge oval section in the middle which does not seem to be utilised by staff. There is not enough staff at peak times (I.e Saturday's and Sunday's at lunchtime). This makes...

Came down for a visit with friends, lovely place! Slightly hard to navigate but besides that it was wonderful! Lovely atmosphere

It's been a few months since we were here last but the prices have rocketed, and portion size and quality has reduced considerably. All the staff were more miserable and sullen than usual. Customer Service NIL By the time our coffees were made, breakfast was...

A regular visitor to Dobbies as we are local but have never seen it so bad...A bus had just arrived and there were long queues.. It was made worse as the only self service coffee machine was broken... Hardly any staff who were doing their...

The black coffee isn’t very nice. Very strong and bitter. The flat white coffees are served in very boring small cups - and are just weak, milky coffees. I asked for a slightly bigger cup for my flat white and was told that was not...

What can I say!. This wasn't just a meal but an experience. Just as I had foreseen the food was almost all fresh farm produce. The eggs were orange yoked, and organic, the bacon was clearly non-packed, thick-cut, the black pudding tasted like it di...

My friend and I just wished to have a bowl of soup. There were three soups on the menu board tomato and basil, carrot and coriander and lentil and bacon. Only one soup tureen was on view and on asking what the soup was we...

Hard to know where Dobbies stops and starts with the plethora of other francises. Visited twice but didn't get a lot.

We had jacket potatoes that had obviously been kept warm for hours. They had run out of coleslaw by 1pm, I had the prawns and today have suffered from an upset stomach. Would not recommend.

Shocking. Dobbies is ok for a coffee however I wouldn't recommend for lunch. I had a baked potato £8! Overpriced and was absolutely horrible. I won't go back for food again, perhaps a coffee and scone but not for lunch. Service was slow as only...

We came last Sunday -boy oh boy what a shambles.Filthy dirty tables. Spray cleaner left on dirty tables with old rag cloths.These should never be left where there could be children/ vulnerable people..Basic Risk Assessment would ensure anyone working was aware of that. No hot...

Dobbies has a lot to live up to with Calders garden centres!! There was a horrendous queue for till and also for self service coffee. Thankfully we were not there for a hot meal as by time getting to till it would have been cold!!...

Absolutely Disgusted, writing for my Blind Mother in law 83 yrs old. Yesterday she visited your Stirling Branch , at approximately 11 an,decided on having a coffee, asked if someone could carry her tray to her table .There was NOONE in the Q! She was...

What has happened to Dobbies in Stirling? Ordered a tuna mayo baguette and a bacon and brie panini with one portion of chips to share. Total disorganised chaos. Had to queue for ages and again in the coffee queue. By the time we got coffee...

I honestly can't believe I have just paid £7.25 for two slices of dry basic white bread and a slice of ham with a spoonful of dry "coleslaw" and a tong- serving of salad. The only reason it was white bread was because they had...

Every now and again I think I will give Dobbies Stirling cafe another go. I stopped for coffee and a toastie. It is not the fault of the staff that were working as they were pleasant and helpful. There just weren’t enough of the time....

Visited on two occasions in April 2023 - 10/04/2023 and 14/04/2023 - both for a coffee - both occasions very busy - tables were covered in "left over dishes" - baristas were more interested in directing guests to "self service" rather than preparing teas/coffees -...

This Dobbies continues to disappoint! I fancied a scone to go with a coffee, but they were not on display when I arrived. So I opted for toast. What a mistake! The toast was sitting on a warmer, but by the time I had cleared...

I used to be a regular visitor here but of late I was becoming fed up with the poor service in the restaurant, one previous complaint some years ago assured me the lay out and set up was going to change , sadly this was...

I ordered 'croque monsieur'. It comprised of 2 slices of white bread sandwiching 1 slice of processed ham, 1 slice of processed cheese lightly topped with a white goo labelled as ' bechamel sauce'. This was then lightly toasted and served with a very small...

Went today 14 rh Feb for lunch the que was horrendous at 1.30 2 people serving food one on drinks others floating around . What can I say 20 minutes to get served a cake and only because I complained .no thought of different staff...

Visited with my daughter for a coffee and a scone as it is a good location for a break on a journey. So there were no plates anywhere to be seen and customers had to pick up the scones and wander about looking for something...

Was going to go for lunch with friends, 4 adults and two children, and thought the soft play would be a good way to keep the 4 year old child occupied. Tried to book seats in the soft play area but were told that we...

Lovely afternoon tea spoiled by poor customer service in a room full of uncleared tables definately a much lower standard than experienced in other Dobbies restuarants

Visited as part of a trip to see Santa - he was excellent. Wish I could say that lunch was even remotely as good. Staff not interested at all. No organisation at all. Baked potatoes looked as though they had been cooked some time before....

Well where do you start, visiting the restaurant for our lunch. No signs up to indicate what is available for o.a.p. Lunch. Ask the lady what’s for lunch she waves her hand and says that’s it there, which is covered dishes. We decided to have...

Took the kids to see Santa here, this will be their 4th meeting this Santa! I can’t see past him! Genuinely one of the best and most authentic Santas I have ever seen. Not only does he look the part but he has so much...

This review is about the restaurant.We said before we were not going back but we like the actual shop. We ordered 2 croque monsieur,chips,coffee,tea and a cake.The croque monsieur arrived really pale looking and was basically not cooked with soggy bread.Disgusting.I have had croque monsieur...

Visited the restaurant for the 1st time on Wednesday and certainly wouldn't recommend. The staff were using dirty tongs for cakes with cross contamination also watched staff use the same milk jug for heating milk up which wasn't even washes between use followed by a...

No gluten free options to eat. Nothing other than chips. Absolutely ridiculous not to have any choice to eat. Very disappointed.

Stopped here on our trip around Scotland. What a surprise - nice restaurant in a garden center. The food was excellent, place was clean and the staff friendly and helpful. Would definitely stop in again.

Never been in the restaurant. Love the garden centre though but there doesnt seem to be a category to review that.

We were very dubious having read poor reviews but I have to say we couldn’t fault the restaurant. We had macaroni cheese and fish & chips. Both were g fresh, hot and really good. Would highly recommend.

We stopped off on our way home today and was really disappointed in certain aspects of the store. Main thing was the food and drink area. Granted we haven't visited for a couple of yrs but there used to be an area that sold all...

Often drop in for a coffee and the early breakfast. Sometimes there is a queue for the beverages. but the cakes are quite good

Arrived midday for a soup on our journey to Edinburgh. Absolutely chaotic. Not a big queue but there was no order to those wanting sandwiches, soup or hot food. Young and clearly inexperienced staff struggling to cope and going at snail's pace. Whilst toasties were...

Gluten free toast was inedible because it was rock hard. Staff need better training... Very slow and inefficient service.

Visited with my partner for a late lunch, hardly any food available at the hot counter, opted for a baked potato with chicken and bacon filling, my partner had the same but with piri piri, both potatoes had clearly been in the oven far too...

On arrival there were 2 dirty, wet trays at the entrance in the tray holder for us to take. Frosty faced stern looking staff looked at us as if we were a bother to them. No hot meals available at 2.35pm so opted for baked...

Visited for lunch last week, had a look at the menu board and were met by a frosty faced lady with arms folded who never opened her mouth once and just stared at us hoping we would go away ! I tried to make conversation...

The usual Dobbies layout with a good selection of dishes, quick service and friendly staff. Prices are not great, but typical. Not the greatest surroundings, but spacious. Enjoyed eggs, ham and chips with scones.

Awful Customer service. Wont be going there again. !!! Would not recommend going there again Anytime soon or Ever!!

This will be my last visit to this restaurant. Visited today and purchased three sandwiches which cost just short of £18. The bread was spread on only one side and they were filled with ham, cheese and tuna respectively. The ham and cheese were meant...

The three of us ordered a toastie, staff member asked if we would like coleslaw and chips which we took and really shouldn't have bothered, honestly coleslaw was a teaspoon worth and chips half a dozen and they were cold by time left counter to...

Lunch today was supposed to be 2 cheese & ham toasties and chips. What we actually received were 2 luke warm cheese & ham “toasties” and a minute portion of (cold) chips. The cheese was still fully sliced, not melted at all. Really bad practice...

Dreadful service. Food mediocre. Coffee lukewarm. Staff disinterested. Won’t be back in a hurry when there’s so many more places to choose from. Wake up Dobbies! This is 2021 and people are not willing to put up with bad food and service.

Was in Dobbies plant shopping & decided 2 try the cafe. We waitd ages 2 b served, got the toastie, coleslaw & chips, nice looking & hot but by time we waited 2 get 2 where the tea & coffee wer being served then had...

On our way to Edinburgh we called in at Dobbies in Stirling for lunch. Ordered 2 toasted sandwiches - they were warmed in the grill/oven and served with spoonfuls of bitter tasting coleslaw and a few chips. By the time we ordered drinks then queued...

We visited today while out a run for my Dads 85 birthday. We had sandwiches with chips. The best way to describe the good is a disgrace. Bread had been left out and chips were cold.

Passing through Stirling and stopped for lunch. There was nothing positive to say about our experience here. Personal details taken for track and trace, however, I don't know why because ordering and picking up food was shambolic and unhygienic. Staff were clearly unhappy. When we finally worked out what to do with the buzzer we were handed, we had to go back through the till area and to pick up food from where we had ordered. Did not see any buzzers being wiped down once handed in. Food was cheap bread, cheap fillings and a few miserable chips on the side. Extremely expensive for what it was!

Visited for lunch with daughter and her toddler picked because of the soft play area.What can I say except dreadful, total shambles trying to place an order. £7+ for a filled baguette served with chips, there where 4 chips on the plate, when I complained they added some more.£6.95 baked potatoe and chilli, it looked nice but was freezing, when I took it back no apology just given a new one, I shouldn't have bothered it was disgusting.A panini this time with bacon & brie, you would need a magnifying glass to find any brie and it wasn't a panini more a toasted baguette.I can't even begin. To describe the cakes, initially asked for carrot cake but the girl serving couldn't get a knife through it as it was still frozen.The soft play area was good and not packed.All in all not worth the money or the queues, staff were disinterested with the exception of the young man on the till who was very pleasant.It used to be a treat to go to Dobbies, I don't know what's gone wrong but we would not eat there again.

First time visit on a one hour lunch break.Shambolic.Queued for 20 mins.Food paid for at 25 minutes with food arriving a further 20 mins later.Had to leave half the food on our plates due to length of time this all took.Appeared to be no team work or interest in their work from staff.Not a great experience.Do yourself a favour and go elsewhere when out for lunch in Stirling.

Ordered free sandwiches and three portions of chips, when it was ready the chips where so small they just looked like a garnish on the plate. The kids were unhappy but when I looked at the price the total cost for these small french fried chips alone came to £9.45 for what was not even one proper portion of chips, this is without a doubt one big total RIPOFF and can not be justified. These chips came from the kitchen not the counter.

To keep a long story as short as possible, I would strongly suggest anyone using a highchair at the Stirling restaurant to fully inspect the structural integrity of the children's highchairs. On Wednesday the 15th of September my Mum took my 2 year old daughter to soft and thereafter for lunch. Within less than a minute of my Mum putting my daughter into the wooden high chair the chair completely collapsed to the ground with daughter in it. This initially caused quite a lot of hysterics, from my daughter who had taken a sore fall to the ground, being frightened and in tears to shock and fright that my Mum got. Fortunately for my daughter no immediate injury was caused, however the traumatic experience for both he and my Mum was suffice to say the least. After a few days however my daughter has developed some minor bruising, to be expected I guess after such an event. For me the bigger problem lies with the way my Mum was treated by staff. The whole incident was very much underplayed and the immediate response from staff was far from sympathetic. Fortunately there were several witness who watch the incident happen and who approached my mum to offer some support. My Mum was the one who had to eventually ask to get the incident recorded in Dobbie's accident report form. Little to no consideration was given to the fact that she had gotten a fright from dealing with her granddaughter after the failure of the highchair. I did not find out until later that day what had happened and i immediately called the store manager to discuss the situation. The "blase" response I was given was nothing short of disrespectful and in my opinion not in the least bit satisfactory. I am pursuing the matter with Stirling Councils health and safety department and will not hesitate to take the matter further should Dobbies not give me a satisfactory response. This incident could have been so much worse and we are lucky that our daughter is ok but on the other unlucky that it happened in the first place. I was assured that these high chairs undergo a daily inspection, however no evidence of this was shown to me along with the fact that the chairs didn't seem to have any identification markings so they could individually be checked and recorded. In my eyes this is a catastrophic failure in a piece of safety critical equipment which would have resulted in some very serious consequences. I would hate for this to happen to any one else and i am taking the incident very seriously unlike Dobbie's.

I queued for hot food and was instructed to go to the hot food counter, which I duly did. I stood, and stood awaiting staff to appear (4 staff on teas and coffees, 2 on cakes, nobody on hot food). Several couples, subsequently also hoping for hot food, they too waited, and waited, whilst we we overtaken by a number of people heading for teas.After several minutes, two couples behind me gave up and said they're not waiting any longer and they left. Eventually the member of staff who directed me to the hot food counter appeared to serve a fellow that was in line way after me. When I asked to place an order she told me I would have to wait as she was serving "this man". I told her no, that I had been in the queue long before the chap and very many people had past me with still nobody at the counter. She capitulated and took my order. She gave me wrapped cutlery and I paid for the order.A "buzzer" summoned me to collect my order, except it wasn't macaroni cheese and a tuna sandwich, it was two toasties. I stood and waited for the correct order. Finally, success. I returned to my table only to discover the cutlery was a spoon and a knife. I found a member of staff and said, "can I have a fork please?" She looked as though she didn't understand me. I repeated "can I have a fork please". Again, she didn't know what I was saying. "Can I have a fork please" Spelling out "FORK". She turned and walked towards the counter at the same time mimicking to her colleague in my English accent FORK followed by fork in her own accent. She had no idea I was behind her and I immediately asked if she was taking the piss out of me? She spun round in complete shock denying what she had said, and she didn't understand what I had said (although she was able to perfectly mimic my accent and delivered the word fork in her own accent). I told her that her remark was racist, and she immediately backtracked, denying any intention of racism. I reiterated her remark was racist. I asked to see the manager. Big mistake.The manager appeared and I relayed the shambolic experience Dobbies cafe had offered. Despite being told customers were leaving the queue due to lack of service he argued the system was not shambolic (I dread to think what he MIGHT constitute as shambolic). When I asked does he have CCTV, I suggested he took a look to see just how long I had be standing waiting for service, whilst FOUR attended to teas and TWO served scones. He said he would speak to the staff but didn't think her remarks were racist."Prejudiced against or antagonistic towards a person or people on the basis of their racial or ethnic group" Still think mimicking somebody's accent is not racist Mr Dobbies cafe manager? Au contraire!As for the food. A small portion of dried macaroni cheese and a tuna sandwich (which looked like the tuna had been blended - hideous) and two very small pots of tea for £19.40. Terrible, absolutely terrible.Did the "manager" make any attempt to subsequently speak to me or placate the customer? No effort whatsoever. Dobbies cafe gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "customer service". Disgraceful, utterly disgraceful.I have been going to the Dobbies in Stirling for 20 years, never again. Never again!

It’s not the biggest soft play but it’s big enough that a 21 month old can run about herself and we can still keep an eye on her without worrying. The restaurant is very responsibly priced and the food is of a very good standard.

Don’t go to eat if your not the normal no gluten free options we did find toast but that stopped at 11.am Service absolutely shocking the staff couldn’t give a monkeys bum about you

Had a lovely lunch her before browsing through the many areas within the garden centre including Sainsbury's and Lakeland.

Visited Dobbies in Stirling for the 1st time since Covid hit. Had a wee wander then went for something to eat. Minimal staff at 12.30, no soup, staff standing chatting while a queue formed. Nobody was interested in the slightest. When I finally got served there were no staff on the till. We waited 10 minutes on someone arriving so we could pay and eat. 2 toasties took 25 minutes. Then went to the deli to get fresh cheese and cakes to find it's now a supermarket! Absolutely gutted. Will definitely not be renewing my membership and won't be back!

Just waited 25 minutes for a lukewarm overcooked coronation chicken baked potato. One person delivering meals, wandering about like a lost soul. Covid is not an excuse for poor quality food and abysmal service. New management get your act together before Dobbies loses its good reputation.

Following a day’s hillwalking, we called in here for a mid afternoon coffee and bite to eat. Queued 15 mins ( no issue there abs good to see track and trace procedures in place). The staff seemed wholly unmotivated and completely disinterested taking an age to serve anyone. Our turn eventually came. One baked potato, one jacket fries and three flat white coffees ordered. All paid for, we then sat in the outside patio area. No sooner had we done that, we were advised there weee no jacket fries and were offered another baked potato. Fine - no problem. Three minutes later, we’re told -‘ no baked potatoes ‘! Three very milky coffees with barely a hint of coffee flavour then arrived!! This is completely pointless! Utterly deplorable service. We left hungry and could never envisage going back. Body swerve and you’ll find something much better and more appealing in Stirling itself. They have a cheek to operate such an appalling and distasteful operation!

Haven’t been for a while and expected it to be busy on a Sunday afternoon. I soon found out why it was quiet. Service was very slow, the scones were stale and the cappuccinos were hot milk with chocolate on the top.This used to be a nice place to go for a coffee but not anymore

Visited Dobbies restaurant in Stirling for lunch. We were told there was half hour wait so we had a look round shop & returned after half hour. We were allowed to go and order our food. We seemed to wait ages for it. My husband’s Kiev was so dried up a bit like shoe leather. He did not enjoy his lunch. Mine & our son’s was ok but nothing special. We were given our coffee a while before our food. We were not very impressed.

We stopped for sime shopping and breakfast. We hoped to buy some Scottish produce instead were surprised by Sainsbury products on shelved. Hardly any Scottish food available, very poor selection of Scottish gin, no Scottish preserves or chutneys on shelves, no fish or seafood . Disappointed with products choice, although the plant choice looked amazing. The breakfast was disappointing too, unfriendly and disorganised staff, poor quality diluted coffee and tastless cakes. I would not reccommend this place

Visited dobbies Stirling today which I come to often. Ordered breakfast and witnessed the person behind the counter handling the food. Asked why no gloves and was told it’s because they would have to change them often. No pandemic in Stirling then

Very poor organisation, wanted a wee quiet visit with my teenager…cafe appeared pretty much empty but at the entrance was told by a staff member is would be about 20 mins Wait and suggested we have a walk round the store, asked if she needed my name she said no.Returned 20 mins later to a queue whereas 20 minutes earlier there wasn’t one. Then when I got to the front, expressed my disappointment to be told…oh well, that’s how it is!!! No it’s not…hiding behind COVID for the poor, tatty and slow treatment…won’t be going backI suggest Dobbies you improve your customer service and the way the cafe is run!

I thought perhaps the last few reviews were exaggerations but, no, they're pretty accurate! Very disappointed in quality and presentation of food...soggy tuna toastie with really disgusting wilted "salad" which should have been consigned to the bin the previous day! Doughy scone and odd pastry on the strawberry tart. Dobbies used to be a reliably good place to eat but I haven't been for a while and probably won't be back. Pot of tea was best thing about it. Also thought it was expensive for what we had.

We took my mother in law to meet her sister in law at the Stirling branch, together with my mother, my mother in laws carer, and myself on Friday 25th June.We were queuing in the line to go into the café at around 12pm. When we reached the front of the queue the female member of Dobbie’s staff asked us all to scan our phones to register with track and trace. 3 of us had phones, but my elderly mother and my mother in law did not. The member of staff asked them both for their names and phone numbers. My mother was able to give hers with no trouble. My mother in law, who has moderate Alzheimer’s (dementia), managed to recall her name but told the staff member that she did not know her phone number. The staff member then told her that if she did not know her number she could not come into the café. My mother in law was very shaken by this treatment and the rest of our group were completely shocked. I did have a quiet word with the staff member before I went into the café but she didn’t seem at all perturbed by what I told her. We still decided to have lunch as we were all hungry but my mother in law was so distressed that she was only able to eat half a scone we bought for her and kept asking if she had done something wrong. We kept having to reassure that she had done nothing wrong and that the rude staff member was at fault. Our whole day was ruined.Myself and my mother in laws carer arranged to speak to a senior staff member at Dobbie’s away from my mother in law so we did not cause her any further distress. This staff member said she was surprised to hear what had happened as the member of staff managing the café queue would never say anything like that. I told her that there were 4 witnesses in our group who all heard what she said. The staff member then apologised and said she would speak to her colleague. We then continued to have our lunch which was absolutely disgusting. I had sweet potato wedges with chilli and cheese that were barely edible and looked as if they had been made in an old fashioned school canteen and had been thrown at the plate. Suffice it to say that we will not be back to the Stirling branch. Being aware of hidden disabilities is a major part of good customer service, so I would suggest that your staff are given further training in this very important area. We try so hard to make my mother in law feel comfortable and happy and this incident was so unfair to her. It is enough of a struggle for us all without having to deal with something like this on a day out.If I could have given zero stars I would!

Plenty staff but long queue due to poor organisation hiding behind Covid track and trace. Poor signage at queue

Very rude lazy member of staff working outdoors. She just couldn’t be bothered trying to help. This is an overpriced garden shop with poor customer service

There was a queueing system which seemed a little haphazard system in order to customers. Whilst the coffee and food was OK not sure I would return quickly

Met a friend for lunch here last week...first time for a few months! I "checked in" at the restaurant and was told the next available slot was in 20 minutes. Perfect. A wee wander around the store before lunch. Gave order & paid then found a table and food, cutlery etc was brought to us pretty quickly. What made it a really pleasant experience was how cheery & friendly the staff were while working through existing Covid restrictions.

I decided to treat my son, partner and grandson to cake/coffee - with my Dobbies card. We were told to come back as there were a lot of people in front of us - we had a wander round the shop. I paid for the food at 15.47 and we received it at 16.22 (order 3140) - not easy with a toddler who was very restless by this point. There was definitely a lack of staff, but the ladies that were on were very good and did their best.. Something is not working and management should be looking at better ways of serving the public.

Popped in and decided to go for coffee, surprised how empty the restaurant was ! Went to the small queue to be told to return in 40 minutes as there were 70 in front of us . What a shambles no idea who had been up before us, all tables looked like they were 2 metres apart anyway , restaurant was not anything like full . I appreciate we are still in a pandemic but this was not all organised and needs reviewed. I will certainly not be rushing back

Went for day out with my 2 daughters. Cafe half empty but told to come back in an hour as 80 people in front of us. Doubtful if 80 people in the shop. Tiny baked potatoes which were cold, minimal filling and dry salad. Chips were hard. Couldn't go back up for coffee and cake so had to have it all together. Cakes looked average when they used to be highlight of trip. Takeaway coffee had to be booked in as if we were sitting in. Won't be back.

This is a self service cafe style restaurant NOT an a la carte restaurant! There is an excellent choice - if you want to ‘build your own’ meal go Subway.Tip - if you are having a hot meal , pay for it then go back and get your tea/coffee.

Met with friends for lunch. Nice food but quite expensive for what you get. Easy to get to with good parking. Friendly staff with café type set up.

Arrived for lunch, not too many folk in the Q. Ordered toastie and a scone. Got our coffee, young guy came along with the toastie. Such a site on the plate a lettuce leaf and a tomato with no dressing. I had to ask for dressing. A good portion of the store now Sainsburys. If I wanted groceries It would not be in here. They have ruined the place, all the home baking has gone. Rented out floor space, did hear it was so they wouldn't need to close during a lockdown as they now sold food! We wont hurry back its lost it sparkle.

First visit to Dobbies during this pandemic. And last. A very stressful visit.We decided to eat early to avoid busy times. I understand that we have to give tracing details so no complaints there. From there on, not an enjoyable experience. We were greeted by a friendly employee, but she said "do you know what you want? “. Having just stepped one foot into the cafe, no we had no idea other than we knew we wanted hot food. To which she replied yes we could still order from the breakfast menu. She then whisked my husband off to a table and I was left trying to choose for him.I got to the hot food area, very slowly I might add, only to be told by an unfriendly employee, no! We couldn't have hot food I was too late! I explained, the lady said we could have hot food. He looked at his watch and said No! . There were no visible sandwiches as an alternative.. Found out later they were made to order. So we ended up settling for two salty dry cherry scones. I then had to try and find where the assistant had placed my husband and give the bad news his lunch was a scone.Spoiled what should have been a pleasant cafe experience. We couldn't choose together, we couldn't choose hot food nor could we choose where to sit. Absolutely awful experience. The service to receive two horrible scones and teas took 25 mins from start to finish. Why this poor lady had to split parties and escort them to a table is beyond me. I think we are more than capable adults at working out how to keep a safe distance and find a table. As a sideline. The closing off of Cotswolds made no sense either I had to squeeze my way past lots of people to go back out Dobbies to get back in to Cotswolds.I won't be back until this pandemic is over. Or maybe Never!

Arrived for lunch before 12 to be told 30 minute wait, even although the restaurant was half-empty. Eventually got called and queued for a scone and a toastie, joined another queue for macaroni & chips, joined another queue for a tea and a coffee, where the staff member walked away from me while I was still ordering. Then joined another queue to pay. Just got sat down then was called back up to queue to pick up my toastie, which was verging on burnt and had a side-salad that would suit a hamster, with no dressing. The scone was inedible due to having been placed on a wet plate, the chips looked and tasted like they had been lying since the day before. Even the napkins felt damp. Unacceptable for the prices Dobbies charge. There are far too many nice places to go for lunch nowadays, dont waste your money here.