Doddington Cafe and Restaurant in North Kesteven

Visited today Sunday. It was extremely busy but we were greeted by the most efficient hostess lady.. Didn't catch her name but she had a blond ponytail and looked like the manager.. There was a queue but she was very friendly and went down the queue giving out menus and apologising for the wait. The waiting staff were extremely efficient and after a bit of a wait in order to get us in quicker the hostess lady got a spare table from another room and added to a table of two to seat our part of 5. This was above and beyond and very appreciated. We ordered and our food and drinks came quickly. The food and drinks were delivered very quickly considering how busy they were and the food was freshly prepared and very well presented and was delicious. What struck us the most was how efficient and well organised this operation was and how friendly and helpful the staff were despite being flat out busy. We will definately return and a massive hats off to all the staff here for making our experience such a lovely one.

Very dissapointing breakfast, only warm. Didn’t have the fresh cooked appearance. And guess what I got an extra with my smoked salmon & scrambled egg..... a hair within the folds of the toast. Won’t be eating there again!!!!!

I took my Grandma (in a wheelchair) here today, for lunch. It was certainly busy but what a fantastic experience it was. Everything was extremely well organised, menus given whilst we were queuing so that we could plan what we were having and the staff are probably the hardest working servers that I have ever come across. They were constantly moving tables and creating the best seating combination to ensure that people weren't waiting too long, all with smiles on faces and with excellent customer service.All of that is just focusing on the incredible service, and then the food came. I ordered a thai style salad with a peanut dressing and I chose to add the fish of the day on top and it was superb. It was £12 so not the cheapest of lunches but other than michelin starred restaurants I can honestly say that it was as good a salad as I have had anywhere so well worth the money. The soup, bread and side of chips that my Grandma had also looked very good and was given a rave review by her.All in all, a wonderful experience and one that I plan on repeating.

We were here last week and tried to eat outside in the sun however were ( as others have said) plauged by wasps. We maybe ought to have noticed the large number of wasp catching devices hanging from wooden posts and on the backs of chairs but failed to do so ,at first not much of an issue but as the food arrived we were swarmed. Wasps were everywhere. Staff did acknowledge our plight and moved us inside but clearly as inside was fairly full could not do so for everyone. Ok this might be only a problem at certain times of the year however last week it was huge. Clearly they are awere of the issue hence the traps however they need to investigate some better way of manageing their wasp problem.Food was Ok however prices (for lincolnshire) were a tad expensive, cofffe over £3, sanwihces over £6 and fish and chips over £16.

The food and the service is lovely - being plagued by wasps isn’t. We ended up being moved after the second time we complained - but at that point the wasps had crawled all over our food.

We visited the Cafe at Doddington Hall Cafe on Saturday and had a lovelytime. There was a queue when we arrived. had to wait about 15 minutes. We needed a table for 5. As it was full we were given a table in the Restaurant. Service was fab. Food was fab. The whole atmosphere was just lovely. Thank you so much and see you again

You could always rely on the food being nice at DH, not so recently. Our poached eggs were hard, yuck, the service without a smile wasn’t brilliant. Tell me why I should pay £10 each for something other places manage without a problem? I think perhaps you’ve rested on your laurels and become complacent.

I visited as part of a project to find the best Afternoon Tea in Lincolnshire. Dry scone, nearly burnt Bakewell, seated next to a cold open door despite asking to move, brought the bill and card machine before asking for them and well before the end of the time slot. I’ll keep looking.

Been here many times. The food is good but the staff are never very friendly. I know it's not always easy working with the public (from experience), but it's jyst not friendly. Pleasant but not friendly.And the half cup of coffee for £2.70 is bit meanCarrot cake is devine though

We had a lovely welcome and chose to sit outside as it was warm albeit wet. We had coffee and great cake. It was too early for lunch but I would have liked to try other things on the menu

After a long year, i decided to treat myself and take a trip out to the Doddinton Cafe today, and it was definitely worth the wait. The food is delicious, with a wide variety available; obviously freshly made, achieving both looks and taste in each meal. The service is prompt and exact, with staff members showing their support and engagement with each table they serve, and always with a smile on their faces. The courtyard is well kept and clean, and the atmosphere of the surroundings are peaceful and relaxed. Overall i would definitely, and will be, recommending the cafe at doddington hall to those who are interested, and am very thankful for the wonderful experience i had today.

I have been to Doddington Hall on several occasions and they never fail to disapppoint. The food is fabulous. Afternoon tea is amazing - the brownie is out of this world. Very reasonably priced for the quality and quantity too. The staff are very friendly and attentive and nothing is too much trouble - always packaging up any leftovers to take away and enjoy later!!! Throughout Covid they have always made me feel safe and welcome. Would 100% recommend and look forward to my next visit.

Afternoon tea experience now woeful in comparison. Our visit to the restaurant for afternoon tea was sadly, really poor compared to probably ten or more experiences in the tea room over the last year. Whilst the food wasn’t bad - it wasn’t as good. Less variety (cakes), presentation a bit rough (wilting leaves), and comparatively poor service. The restaurant itself seems dark and cramped. There are a lot of tables and people were using it as an overspill cafe. The table wasn’t big enough for all the items (teapot etc), the chairs were uncomfortable, snd when we asked for a take away box (which used to be provided) we now got a cheap paper bag which meant the food was all spoilt by the time we got it home. The afternoon tea is the same price as before, about £20 each, and whilst its okay, it’s now over priced and the overall experience is such a disappointment compared to before. So, I’m afraid we probably won’t do it again, there are nice enough cafes for half the price which are comparable. It’s a shame and I appreciate they want to use the other venue for weddings , which probably brings in more money, but it’s the one time in many years when I feel they’ve really compromised quality and reputation.

Lovely birthday celebration.Beautiful location and service and afternoon tea was lovely. Would definitely return.I much prefer the location of the afternoon teas to where they were served before. Much more cosy and private,Lovely

What has happened to Doddington Cafe. We visited today, first time since pre-covid and the selection of sandwiches was very poor. I used to love the ham sandwiches but the selection today was: Cheese & tomato, BLT and another choice which I cannot remember but did not appeal to me. Very poor selection of everything. We had BLT - great hefty chunks of bread with very little filling. What a disappointment. Won't be back until after covid has gone and everything is back to normal - maybe then there will be a better choice of everything and maybe even HAM will be back :-)

The great thing about dining here is that you get exactly what it says on the baked bean tin: no deviations, no substitutions, not many delays and a great determination for the computer to say no at every conceivable moment.In these mid-Covid times, when everyone is a little more stressed than normal, a little bit of responsiveness to customers’ preferences goes a long way to developing customer enjoyment in the short term and loyalty in the long.But here, there’s a determined algorithm at work which does its hardest to minimise that enjoyment and loyalty when it comes to having a breakfast.Can we swap beans for tomatoes? No.Can we have a price reduction? No.Can you add a tomato and not charge for it? No.Can you think again? No.And so it goes. At least their portion control processes must sleep easily knowing that there’s been zero chance of any human being making a rash decision about the stock of baked beans being mysteriously at odds with what the computer predicts.Computer says no? And so does this customer who won’t be coming back here any time soon, mid- or post-covid.

We took my mum for afternoon tea, whilst she was visiting.First impressions were that it was a little bit chaotic and the signage for the restaurant was a bit confusing.Anyway, when we found out where to go, we were greeted and seated at a lovely table for 3.Our order was taken promptly and the food, when it arrived looked appetising.However, the sandwiches were very disappointing.Cheap white and brown bread with forgettable fillings.Tuna was bland, cream cheese non existent.The ham, however was lovely.Scones were the best I've had in a long time and cakes looked delicious, although we were too full to eat them, so we brought them home.Was this tea good value?At £20 a head, it's at the more expensive end of the teas offered in the local area.I feel, nicer bread could've used with more interesting fillings eg. a chicken mayo and possibly smoked salmon.

Been here a few times now for lunches and coffees. Without fail, you receive excellent customer service, and premium food which is worth the slightly high price in my opinion. Perfectly accommodating for the needs of the customer every time. Absolutely worth a visit.

We was away for our anniversary and had been recommended to visit Dodington Hall. The place is stunning and our breakfast was tasty, the only thing that let it down was the attitude of the Supervisor Stacey at the till. She seemed as tho she did not want to be there, everything we said seemed to annoy her. When ordering I felt rushed and after I mentioned I would like my bacon crispy my partner said can he have his the same, she was not impressed and said that she would have to go back into the order to make the change!! I found that to be terrible customer service, a simple yh no problem I'll sort that out for you would of been the normal response!! If he wants it crispy all of sudden then he wants it crispy. I know we are made to ware face masks now but you know if someone is pleasant or not. The girl that gave us menus and a seat number was lovely, I didn't catch her name but she had alot of ear piercings.

We visited the Cafe a couple of times for breakfast whilst we were staying in the Delaval rooms on the estate. The breakfasts were really nice, well cooked and nicely presented. We also had coffee and cakes on another day and there were lots of choice and all were delicious, if not somewhat filling!!! A lovely. clean cafe that we would visit again when we are in the area.

Nicely set up in terms of covid security. I was a little disappointed by my vegan breakfast but that was my own fault as I thought it was the same as I’d had in the bike shop cafe and therefore didn’t read the menu correctly to see if was a different version. I found the bike shop one more enjoyable as I preferred the vegan sausages and do not like avocado. My husbands breakfast was enjoyable although not that big for an adult male. I think that at £25 it was rather expensive. I will return but probably for coffee and a scone or return to the bike shop cafe.

I have not been to Doddington Hall in over 2 years, but decided to go recently May 13th Thurs as a treat.Sadly dissapointed.. arrived not knowing how to get to the cafe with my dog...(last time I was here you walked through the very expensive grocery shop and went through a side door on your right) now however...no signage to say which way to go if you've a dog.Trying to enter by the OLD usual route I had taken 2 years ago ... I was told "that dogs weren't allowed and to take him outside " bewildered I stood about until I saw an elderly couple with a labrador walk down the side of the building...so I followed them and met my friend in the outside cafe. Just like to add there was no wifi connection so could not message/ phone my friend (who was already there) for help or advice.Staff at the cafe very kind and helpful however menu a bit hit and miss.I dont mind paying extra at these kind of places if you get reasonable value....but sadly I can not recommend the cafe for this.Do not go for the flat bread..there must have been 150% mark up on this particular meal.Sounds good on the menu (like most things) however a deffinatet let down ...a peice of flat bread with a smear of aubergines spread and a few bits of courgette and some cheese. Far better going for a baked potato...if your veggie

Visited today, and was greeted by lovely staff and thought all was good with covid regulations.We ordered coffee and cheese scones, coffee was lovely but the scones dreadful, dry and spicy.

Great food - we had a flat bread (like a pizza), quiche and a burger. All really lovely with quality ingredients. Staff were all incredibly friendly. COVID precautions were very robust and a good process put in place to make the visit pleasant.

We have visited Doddington a number of times so I was really excited about visiting and ‘getting out’. The cafe was very busy so we decided to go to the bike cafe. Up to this point, everything had felt ok and reasonably safe. Queues so not letting too many in, hand sanitiser- so far so good. However, the bike cafe was a different matter. It had been very busy so we had to wait for our table to be cleared. They cleared the pots and the table got a quick wipe with a cloth. I immediately started to feel unsafe. Chairs were not cleaned. I tentatively sat down and we were given a menu. At this point i started to notice the finger marks on chairs/ table etc. Clearly not wiped between users. After ordering, i watched a staff member clear a table. Pots cleared and quick wipe with a cloth. Not spraying chairs, touch points etc. I felt very uneasy so we quickly drank out drinks and left. Whilst i appreciate how busy they are, I felt the lack of sanitising of high touch areas in between customers is going to undo other things they are doing. Wont be visiting again whilst covid is around as didnt feel safe

We've been to the cafe pre-Covid and the food is always great, but visiting today we were particularly impressed by the provision made in the cafe in light of the pandemic. There is a one way system and a marquee to create additional space for seating and this means that you feel completely safe getting into the cafe and eating your food. On top of this, we were struck by how efficient but also friendly the front of house and cafe staff were, which meant it was a pleasure to visit. We've eaten out at lots of places during the pandemic and this was by far the most impressive set up. Would highly recommend!

Our second visit in a month and the food, service and surroundings were perfect and delicious on both occasions. Their covid mitigations made us feel very safe, no one seems to be facing anyone due to clever table management, the cleanliness is excellent and the queue and ordering system perfect. Then it comes to the food. Our first order included the most delicious chick pea curry topping on a jacket potato. Today’s visit included homemade burgers and quiche. Both perfect dishes. We eat out a lot, Chatsworth House, Belvior castle, many garden centres around Nottinghamshire and this cafe ranks amongst the best, so I really cannot understand the poor reviews , as our experience has been totally opposite. Our meal was followed by a very pleasant walk and shopping . Thank you to everyone in the cafe today. A little ray of delight in these rather troubled times.

Me and my girlfriend arrived early as we had been told to expect queues however after being stood out the front and member of staff seeing us we were not told that we had to queue round the back of the building. As we eventually were told to head to the back a queue had already formed. After waiting 25 minutes to get in from what was not a particularly large queue we were greeted by a lady on the front desk who didnt look like she wanted to be there and did not offer very welcoming or friendly service so this really put a dampener on the start of the morning. However once we had order and were sat down it was nice and the food was lovely as we had heard. It was a shame the initial experience had let it down.

i came to doddington for the first time but wasn’t even greeted with a smile! arrived the other day to be greeted by a rude, stroppy lady who looked bored at her job. got given my table in the far end and waited for my friend. at around 4ish people were mopping around me which was quite unpleasant and unprofessional, food was nice as always just the service could be improved highly

I arrived at the cafe and no one was at the track and trace point so I sat down at an empty table awaiting a friend. I was then confronted by a rude and stroppy waitress who asked me if I had been tracked and traced. I advised her that as there was no one at the station I sat down and was waiting for a friend but she demanded that I had to now queue behind about 10 people that had now appeared and wait my turn. I left my handbag on the table and went to the back of the long queue only for her to tell another waitress to tell me to remove my bag (even though other Customers had saved tables around me with sunglasses etc) as I was not allowed to save the table!! As a result of this poor, unprofessional treatment I decided to leave. I then went to the bike cafe, no mention of track and trace!! It was obvious that the rude waitress in the farm shop cafe should of been on track and trace duty but was nowhere to be seen on my arrival.

We visited the sculpture exhibition in the gardens on a dry day. We haven't eaten out in a cafe for such a long time and I wanted to be reassured of the COVID-secure measures. I needn't have been concerned. They had a check-in desk outside where you requested a table (we definitely wanted to eat outside) and they took your contact details. It was quite a busy day but we got a nicely situated table without a problem as customers seemed to be turning over quite quickly. The outdoor tables were roped off so that people can't just grab a vacant table and sit down - this gives the staff chance to wipe everything down between customers. We waited in a short, socially-distanced queue before checking in and saw the cleaning going on. There was a one-way system to go inside, order, pay and then exit. Everything was brought to our table very quickly. The feta flatbread was very tasty and hubby enjoyed the Doddington burger. It was nice to see ingredients from their kitchen garden used in their dishes. The cafe at Doddington made me feel safe eating out and topped off a lovely walk round the gardens - thank you!

Lovely venue, beautiful food, good menu for breakfast and lunch. Excellent ingredients, well cooked, safe and clean. Excellent toilets

Absolutely first class ! On arrival the young ladies welcomed us with warm smiles looking immaculate and gave the restaurant a nice atmosphere In these difficult times. COVID procedures excellent well spaced tables. The afternoon tea was second to none Would highly recommend what a uplifting experience.

Disappointed with my full English breakfast. Despite the delightful surroundings and the efficient Covid arrangements the actual breakfast was dreadful. A luke warm offering at best with overcooked fried eggs, undercooked bacon, a part cooked pale sausage and bread pretending to be toast. Things are usually much better.

This cafe is beautifully presented within the farm shop at Doddington Hall and we were very impressed with the Covid compliance. We wanted a hearty English breakfast made from great ingredients to start my birthday off, however it was disappointing.After waiting what seemed longer than necessary for the food, it was plonked down and the waitress disappeared to go and get some cutlery (again took ages). She then disappeared to get sauce. The food literally looked like it had been thrown on the plate, it was lukewarm and the bacon was on the hard side. The food was bland. Two full english breakfasts and one pot of tea came to £25 and we feel that was poor value for money. It had been tasty we wouldn't have minded the cost but the quality just wasn't there. Underwhelming sums up our breakfast experince unfortunately.

Visited for the garden sculpture exhibition which was a lovely way to see the extensive gardens with lots of added interest.The farm shop restaurant was busy as ever so we ate outdoors at the separate cafe and were very impressed by the COVID precautions and service provided, all faultless.The food service was surprisingly quick, with generous portions of good food; sausage sandwich, jacket potato, full English and a fish finger sandwich- all hit the spot with our table.It seems that each time we come to Doddington Hall they have added something new to make return visits worth while

Lovely place. Farm shop has some excellent goodies. Cafe is very nice. Cream tea spot on. Staff very friendly.

We went for breakfast in the garden which was delicious. We were most impressed with the one way system, the details taken for track and trace, the disposable menus, the direction to use the hand sanitizer etc. The whole set up was most professional and we felt really safe whilst on site. Well done Doddington Hall cafe - we will certainly be back.

Wonderful afternoon tea in a beautiful location and all the staff were friendly and cheerful ! I have a dairy allergy which causes a bit of anxiety when eating out but I cannot fault the service and food provided by Doddington Hall. Plentiful afternoon tea (had to box some up to bring home) but had a lovely walk around the gardens after !

Amazing! My mum and dad visit yesterday as they were in the area. I recommended that they tried your cafe. They said the food and service was outstanding. Very clean and extremely COVID safe. At one point a family left, the tables were quickly cleaned and the manager helped when splitting up the tables by making sure they were exactly 2 meters apart. They couldn’t fault the cafe and told the manager how impressed they were. They also asked me to post on here for them! Enjoy you won’t be disappointed.

We visited on an early Friday afternoon and had a very enjoyable coffee and cake. Clearly changes have been necessary and the cafe is now accessed just through the main entrance and to the right through the courtyard.You have the choice, weather permitting, to sit at the socially distanced tables in the courtyard or in the cafe /restaurant where there are understandably obviously less tables than usual. However it was an enjoyable and relaxing experience with nice coffee and I really enjoyed the traybake flapjack.Trying to be constructive rather than negative, perhaps signage to to the new cafe entrance could be better. We weren't the only ones who walked down to the usual entrance- either we missed the signs or there weren't any.Anyway it was a nice visit and it was good to be back.

We had booked for Afternoon Tea which was served in The Restaurant. It is a shame that one has to access the restaurant through the cafe, as the cafe itself gives a somewhat erroneous impression of what the restaurant's ambience will be like. The restaurant itself, although small, is very calm and serene with extraordinarily comfortable seating and everywhere was very clean and tidy.The service was exceptionally good with the waitresses being smiling, friendly, polite and attentive without being intrusive.There were a large array of finger sandwiches and although I usually drink coffee, on this occasion I tried the Lincolnshire Breakfast Tea, which was delicious. Unfortunately we were so full that we couldn't do full justice to the cake selection, although the mini macaroons were very tasty and the scones were possibly the best I have ever had.Overall I thought it was extremely good value for money and the only criticism I would have is that to visit the Ladies Room it is necessary to go outside and across a small courtyard. As the weather was quite clement on our visit, this was no problem but it might have been a different matter if the weather had been raining or icy.

The food was wonderful, the very friendly staff went out of their way to help my disabled father to make sure he was comfortable and the cafe/restaurant had a great ambiance. We love coming here as a family and never feel rushed to leave.

After a nice walk around the gardens we thought we would treat ourselves to a nice cooked lunch. We ordered and waited and waited, I called one of the staff over and asked how long our food would be. He returned saying 3-5 minutes and we waited another 10 minutes, I asked again and 36 minutes later our food arrived. The burger was warm and the egg was solid, the lettuce wilted the only hot food was the chips. I asked to speak to the manager who was very apologetic and asked if there was any food she could get us at this point I said I wasn't sure. Well she offered to get us fish ,chips and peas which we agreed. When they came they looked very good and tasted the same, but after well over an hour to get our lunch we will not be eating there again..

February 20/2020I was given a voucher for afternoon tea for 2 for Christmas so booked for today with the addition of one other diner.It was really disappointing especially the sandwiches. I had taken a look on line first and the picture it shows of the afternoon tea looks lovely but nothing like what we received.The bread was the thinnest I have seen to the point that you could not really tell what was in them. All in all the sandwiches were tasteless. There were no fresh pieces of fruit, no macaroons (as shown on the photo on line) The scones were nice but no butter. The rest of the sweet pieces were ok.Didn’t enjoy it at all.

Have visited a few times and always happy with the food here. The staff are always friendly and it's a nice atmosphere. My favourite was the pheasant club sandwich which was very tasty! The only shame about here is that because it is just that good but not quite big enough there is often a queue to get in and get a table. We were stood waiting for at least 15 minutes on the last visit just to get sat down. But then it's only because it's so good that it's so busy!! So worth the wait and worth a visit.

We were driving past at lunchtime and saw the cafe advert so thought we would give the place a try - and it was an excellent decision - the food and service were both great

We were enroute to Hull, and I spotted this place from a Google search. It was a good decision. The cafe was full when we arrived (after 1:15pm), however the wait for a table wasn't too long.We both chose the burger of the day - it was delicious and filling, served with fries and homemade coleslaw.We enjoyed our stop at Doddington Cafe - well worth the short diversion from the A46. Much better than a motorway services style food stop.

Whether the cafe or restaurant, it is well worth eating here, Yes its busy but it is the sort of place that will be on your list to visit again.The food it ultra-fresh the most popular dish seems to be the quiche! Coffee is good too.Restaurant service is great, prices reasonable.Dont forget the farm shop and grounds, and if you wish, the bike shop next door.

Due to very slow till training in your cafe we were unable to place our breakfast order until 11.10 only to be told very rudely that breakfast orders finished at 11am. We explained the situation to the cafe manager only to be told that firstly she doubted that we were in the queue at 11am and secondly that we still could not order and no sincere apology was given. We had planned to have breakfast then a large shop in the farm shop but left immediately and very annoyed. Not satisfactory customer service in anyway.

Answer 12 minutesMy husband and I ordered 2 teas on a quick trip to Doddington hall cafe after picking up some meat from the shop. I was astonished it took 12 minutes to arrive. Some people may think this is OK, in fact most of the people in there were retired old people or yummy mummies with plenty of time we suspect and possibly didn’t notice the time, but we were just after a quick cuppa. It would not have been so bad if (a) the place had been full, or (b) there hadn’t been 4 staff just chatting at the end of the counter. The young lady making the drinks(in slow time) was so busy chatting to the other 3 that she just wasn’t paying attention. If she had piling up orders why didn’t she ask one of the other ladies to help. The couple on the table next to me had cake which they had eaten by the time their drinks arrived. Very shoddy service I’m afraid, no smiles from any of the staff, far too busy chatting, won’t rush back. Had previously eaten in the restaurant which was fabulous

Excellent food and service. Delicious cheese & caramelised onion quiche, pastry was light as a feather. Wonderful ambience & setting and a very popular venue. Staff were extremely accommodating & a special mention to Amy who went the extra mile to make sure we enjoyed our visit. We will all be back ASAP

We all enjoyed our Sunday lunch with Amanda & Emerson’s on their first Sunday lunch in the restaurant here at Doddington Hall. Two of us went for the Roast Beef one for Sea Bass and my self the Beer Fish & Chips all the dishes were plus the usual vegetables. The service and meals were excellent we all enjoyed the atmosphere of the venue so very pleased all round and we all would highly recommend this restaurant. Thank you to the staff the chef and our server Emily the booth was ideal giving us all opportunity to catch up in a private comfortable area.

Stopped in for lunch today - ordered a cheese and chutney sandwich with a side order of hand cut chips for myself and the same for my wife, first impressions were that it was a small sandwich for £6 - however upon eating discovered both mine and my wife’s were stale - took them back to the counter and complained, was informed that the bread was fresh this morning but they apologised and made them again - sadly not much better, £6.00 for a stale cheese and chutney is not good value despite it coming with a salad accompaniment, the hand cut chips were nice but a bit on the cool side, with drinks ( 2diet cokes ) our lunch came to £22 - not value for money in my opinion. Previous visits to Doddington have been good but sadly today’s offering was very poor.

The restaurant was tastefully decorated, not over the top just right. The staff were incredibly welcoming and attentive throughout our stay. They all had a genuine interest in making our experience the best it possibly could be.

Never experienced such slow table service. Understandably it's a busy time of year, but no excuse for not being attentive and monitoring the tables being waited on. Sat with our menus for a good 20-30 mins waiting for someone to take our order or even notice the menus were still on the table! Waited another 30 for the meal and another 20 or so for dessert. Whole experience took over 2 hours! Considering there was only several other tables being waited on, it wasn't that many to monitor. Cutlery not cleared for the next courses either. Food was lovely, but whole experience was tainted by the inattentive waiting service, won't be booking again.

A return visit for a superb sunday morning, "full Lincolnshire" breakfast- quality ingredients, 2 fried eggs, good sausage and bacon, efficent service and bustling atmosphere, well worth it

I wanted to treat my daughter to a coffee and cake whilst visiting the Bauble Barn. The cafe was clearly busy, as I’d expected at this time of year. Quite quickly seated though. Ordered two pieces of cake, one coffee and one tea. The cake was given to me as I paid and I was told that there might be a bit of a wait for the drinks. After half an hour, we’d eaten the cakes (which were fine) but there was still no sign of the drinks! Having no idea how much longer the drinks would be, and needing to be elsewhere, I approached the ladies who were at the drinks counter and explained, politely, that I was unable to wait for the drinks so could I cancel the order and have the payment refunded. One of the women rolled her eyes at me, pretty much sneered and said that Everyone was being told there would be a wait on the drinks. I explained that a bit of a wait had turned into half an hour for just a simple tea and coffee. She said that I couldn’t have a refund. The other lady offered to put the coffee in a takeaway cup. I was given a free cup of tea card for the next time I visit.....I was given no choice in this, just had it thrust at me with no apology. I appreciate that they were busy but did not appreciate being made to feel that I was being unreasonable. Her attitude was rude. I won’t be returning, even with a free tea card.

We dined in the restaurant, we had their Christmas a la carte menu. From the amazing starters, mains & desserts the flavours were simply divine. Staff were unobtrusive but attentive at the same time. We were celebrating 14 years together and this meal ticked all the boxes for a lovely evening.

Visited the cafe yesterday to meet up with a friend.Arrived at noon and thecafe/restaurant was very busy with very long queues.This was to be expected as it was a beautiful sunny day after all the dreadful rain that we've experienced in Lincolnshore these past few weeks.We decided that we would try the much smaller cafe in the Cycle store.Good idea.Found a table for 3 as soon as and ordered straight away.Quite a small menu but it covered all tastes.All 3 of us chose Fish finger sandwich on oatmeal bloomer and chips.Not a long wait for this fabulous sarnie.Battered fingers with mayo and dress..Lovely and hot and the chipsets hot and crisp.We can really recommend this dish.Looking at other diners they also seemed to be enjoying the same.Good choice.We decided to try a fruit scone ,yes shared between the 3 of us.It was huge and was ample enough to share.One of the nicest scones tasted recently.Looking at some of the negative reviews,I can honestly say that we found the whole lunch experience to be excellent and reasonably priced .Will visit again soon

A most enjoyable breakfast at 10 am a very large choice, satisfying our individual needs which did include vegan, glutton free and usual breakfast choice. It is counter service and all good reasonable pricing, followed with an excellent service. We noticed the cafe was very busy with lots of regular customers which says it all. This was an ideal venue for Emerson's Birthday breakfast which we all thoroughly enjoyed and would highly recommend.

We visited the coffee shop/cafe for brunch this week. At 2 minutes past 11 we’d just missed the breakfast menu so chose to have a sandwich instead. I went to order our sandwiches and coffee only to be told that I had chosen from the lunch menu that wasn’t available until 12. Oh! Can I still order from the breakfast menu then? ‘No, that ended at 11’

Visited on a Sunday afternoon for a drink and a cake; the selection ranges from carrot cake to homemade scones, brownies and bakewells and a good selection of Gluten Free cakes.

We recently visited Doddington Hall after not visiting for a while.

A fantastic experience all round. The cafe was clearly very busy but Amy found time to ensure that we were made to feel like valued customers. 2 of us had the steak that was absolutely incredible and highly recommended.

The cafe at Doddington Hall is an excellent place to meet up with friends. The food is always fresh, delicious and good value for money, and the service is friendly and efficient. The farm shop, bike cafe and home furnishings shop make it a great place for an afternoon out.

Chiefs plate the rump steack, with home made chips. And vegetables. The chease sauce was really nice. If we are in the area again. We would definitely call in again. The food was excellent

Had a piece of coffee and walnut cake it was superb. The coffee and hot chocolate also, staff also very helpful.

Saturday September lunch in the garden , efficient and friendly service . Tasty well presented lunch, good value for money . Lovely place to unwind

Called in to the cafe after a lovely day exploring the hall and gardens. We Had a cappuccino and hot chocolate with shortcake biscuits. Upon checking my receipt i noted we Received a 20% discount on everything. I don’t know why but perhaps it was because we had them outside? Anyway it was a welcome bonus! Although prices are in line with other such establishments and are reasonable. The service was speedy and polite and overall I would recommend it.

So £40 for 2x shrivelled Jacket Potatoes and a burnt piece of fried fish with 18 chips?

We dropped in as we were passing, knowing it would be busy (which is fine it’s Sunday lunch time and was to be expected).

The food was excellent - truly tasty. The restaurant was well laid out, clean and very rustic/oldy-worldy in style - yet having all the relevant modern facilities. The food was glorious - further enhanced by the clear provision of local fayre. Would highly recommend

I visited Doddington for the first time recently and took a friend for afternoon tea. We sat in a lovely booth in the restaurant and had a delicious afternoon tea - the scones were second to none! There was plenty to try and we even ended up taking some home. The staff were lovely and very accommodating with our dietary requirements. I’ll definitely visit again.

Came here on August bank holiday, first time to try the restaurant and we weren’t disappointed. We had the Sunday roast and beer battered fish, both were cooked to perfection. No grease on the fish either and the batter was lovely and crispy - the haddock was tender and cooked just right. Worth every penny. Would definitely recommend and we will be back again.

Went with family for sisters birthday lunch We all enjoyed our food fish and chips, and salads followed by cakes and coffee, as always food good but portions seemed smaller than last visit

Doddington Hall Cafe and shop is one of my favourite places to visit. The home furnishings shop is simpy amazing.

Have eaten in the cafe before but this was a first in the restaurant, having booked in for two of us for afternoon tea. What a lovely environment, so much nicer than the hustle and bustle of the cafe, especially at lunch time. We were warmly welcomed and seated, and service throughout from the two young ladies was excellent. Food was very nicely presented and was extremely tasty. Dainty sandwiches with four different fillings, scrumptious scones with jam and fresh cream and a wide variety of little cakes. My friend had coffee instead of tea and we both had drinks refills, all served without a hitch. This was from a voucher given as a gift and there were not additional charges. Will definitely recommend and come again. Thank you

We were served on the till today by the most miserable member of staff I’ve ever been unfortunate served by. She grunted when friend ordered the drinks , showed no interest when friend ordered our lunch. She just grunted when friend said she had a few allergies. Rude rude rude. She made the atmosphere around us frosty to say the least .

We are regular visitors to the cafe for breakfast and Lunch but have never been into the restaurant. We had a friend up from London this weekend, so my partner and myself decided to go for Afternoon Tea with our friend. On arrival we were greeted by a lovely lady (Linsie) who sat us all down explained the menu and took our drinks order, and we decided also to have a bottle of fizz as it was raining quite heavily outside and we needed some cheering up. The Afternoon Tea was excellent, lovely savory and sweet treats and lots to eat. After filling my glass with fizz we then had a large fly go into my glass. I called over a man on duty (Luke), who took my full glass away and handed me a clean EMPTY glass back! Then while still eating/drinking he then came up to find out if we were finished, I said no but he could take the empty plate stands - which he did. 5 minutes later he returned with the bill - I still had drinks left and I had just finished eating my food. When Linsie returned to see if we enjoyed the afternoon tea we explained what had happened and felt like we were being rushed out, she apologised and said this wasn't the case. We told her as we thought she was in charge, as she was extremely professional and on the ball but later realised Luke was the supervisor. Shortly afterwards Luke then reappeared with the card machine to pay the bill. We were seated at 3pm and it was as if we were being rushed out even though there was another table still eating. I felt extremely upset by this experience and couldn't believe this behavior was coming from the senior member of staff. This was our first visit into the restaurant and from the quality of the food we were discussing earlier on about planning a night for dinner - but the quality of some staff has definitely put us off doing this. Its a real shame that somewhere that has won 'restaurant of the year' has staff that treat people in this manner. Very surprised and very disappointed!

We have been coming here for quite a few years, usually for breakfast before we visit our daughter. How can something so perfect descend so quickly into being not quite as good as the worst supermarket offering? I ordered fried eggs on toast, which came out burnt and congealed with a tiny amount of butter plonked in the middle of the just about toasted bread. I gave it back to the waitress and asked for a replacement which came out very quickly making me realised that no way has this been cooked to order and was no different in standard. I spoke to the manager a very nice lady who refunded me and apologised.

Today we ate lunch in the restaurant at Doddington Hall for the first time (having enjoyed meals and coffees in the café many times) and were delighted.

Having dropped our son & his girlfriend off at Techfest in Newark, we decided to stop at Doddington before heading home. Having been a couple of times before, we weren't disappointed, the staff are friendly, service was good considering how busy they were. We decided on the ham and mushroom flatbread to share, freshly made to order, the base wasn't overly covered in tomato sauce and cheese which suited us and it was absolutely delicious, we also share a huge slice of carrot cake again delicious, moist and not sweet, refreshing. Yes it is slightly more expensive but the quality is worth it.

A table of 4 came to celebrate a family birthday. The fish and chips were greasy, semi cold and the fish 'wet' in the batter. The mushy peas were congealed in the pretty saucepans they were presented in too. It was certainly not up to the usual standard that we have encountered over the years.

Friends invited me to lunch here. They’d book the table in advance, so we arrived after walking around the grounds and visiting the shop.

We enjoyed a delicious lunch in the restaurant. The menu is varied and many dishes are made from local produce. The staff are friendly and efficient and the whole dining experience was first class.

With a wide ranging tea menu, delicious sandwiches on fresh bread & a lovely array of cakes alongside huge scones, this was an impressive afternoon tea. The surroundings were lovely, the service pleasant and attentive without being over the top, we were totally unhurried, and all in all it was a lovely afternoon.

Great for lunch, snacks, or a coffee when you are visiting the hall. Great Farm Shop next door, and also a separate coffee shop of the restaurant is full, it gets very busy!

We were celebrating a birthday and the café was full but a table was available in the restaurant. We had excellent service and the staff were attentive without being intrusive.

We are from the East Midlands and have been to Doddington Hall before to do shopping and to eat, this was no exception. The Restaurant was quite busy but as ever very good at making tables available. Ordered a curry and a quiche. Quite a wait but well worth waiting for, completed our visit with a short shopping expedition buying fresh bread, cheese, honey and eggs. This place is always worth coming to as there always appears to be something new to buy or eat. Highly recommended to all who don't mind leaving the Lincoln bypass for a while.

Popped in for refreshments during a visit to the hall. The staff were friendly, helpful and very efficient. Food was very tasty, well worth the visit

All the wedding guests reserved a breakfast on the day after our grandsons wedding.it cost us £14 a head and was absolutely disgusting.

We met friends there for lunch as it is halfway between our homes.

Went for lunch in the restaurant, staff very welcoming, attentive and nothing was too much trouble, the food was excellent.

Called in here on our way home from Lincoln for a browse around the farm shop which I have to say was excellent with loads of nice good quality food and the Freefrom section was excellent. If I lived closer I would most definitely do my weeks grocery shop here. We went into the cafe for coffee and cake, My GF scone was delicious even if it was a bit crumbly. Lots of GF options for breakfast & lunch all clearly marked GF on the menu too. Hope to go again soon and take a look around the lovely hall it was closed today.

Called in for lunch and had the special which was a pulled pork and mozzarella flatbread and was not disappointed. The flatbread are made to order so it came out piping hot. Thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend. The cornflake tart in the shop is also worth a mention, thin pastry, just enough jam and packed with crunchy, chewy cornflakes, delicious!

Unlike the café which is always busy, noisy and the service is not quite as it should be at weekends, the restaurant is fantastic. Excellent service, and the lunch time menu is outstanding. The food is prepared and cooked to a very high standard, and is easily comparable with fine city restaurants. Friends who joined us from London for lunch were highly impressed.

Came here with my mother before going to work! Much as it was really busy I think I had one of the best service I've had there in a long while. We both had sandwich I had the tuna with dill and lemon! And mum had ham and mustard! (Tuna with dill and lemon is best sandwich in the world!!) Chips were chunky but we're a little over cooked for my liking if that was the only thing I have to pick up on!! But overall a good service and friendly staff!

This was a special treat for a birthday and we were not disappointed. The food was absolutely first rate and the service excellent. Will be going again ,even when its not a treat!

Limited choice of food available, as not all menu available at all times, BUT friendly staff, good service, food enjoyable although possibly a little expensive for what it is.