Gateway Cafe in Cotswold

First time back after recent refurbishment. Thursday lunchtime and not overly busy. Very few staff on duty. Those who were there, were rushed off their feet. Disappointed to see that some popular items have been taken off the menu. That said, our meal was hot and plentiful. This place is a magnetic for those who want feeding in a good environment. Service levels need to be upped.

We got two vegan halloumi salads to takeaway, and we were pretty impressed. The staff came straight away and we didn't have to wait too long (about 15 minutes), and enjoyed a freshly made meal, which packed plenty of flavour (though we could have done with more sauce). It was a little pricier than we'd have liked but overall we were happy.

Popped in for a coffee and was pleasantly surprised.

Average food, everything else was fab

Lovely location on the edge of a lake. Ordered two bacon sandwiches and cup of tea. Cost 17.80. Food arrived and one bacon sandwich and one in a brioche role. Asked for it to be changed to a sandwich. Only two pieces of very overcooked bacon in each sandwich and the bread was dry. Bacon tasted as though it had been sat around in a hot tray. Really poor I've had so much better at half the price. Would I return. For a cup of tea only yes. This place is overpriced for in my opinion poor quality simple food to produce.

Stop for lunch, lots of young staff running around. I’d call it over staffed really as they seamed to be bored and messing around rather than serving customers, it was impossible to get their attention. The food wasn’t great, not bad though I’ve had worse but can’t remember when or where. For the price we paid and the quality of food and service it was much too expensive. I won’t be coming back and I wouldn’t recommend it to anybody, actually I’d recommend them to go elsewhere and avoid the overpriced place.

We come here every month on Sunday with our car club. The service is second to none. The staff here work really hard and are extremely accommodating, polite, and efficient. The food is also very good. Finally, the building and view over the late is lovely. Would thoroughly recommend. Please thank the staff on our behalf.

This place is massively let down by the serving staff. It’s such a shame as the location is great, but the staff are so rude and unfriendly. The wait time on food is also consistently long. Plenty of other places to eat nearby for a much better experience.

Updated review. We were greeted by Jay today as we entered the cafe. We would just like to say he made our dining experience very enjoyable. The food we ordered was excellent too. Highly recommend the Gateway Café...👍

Visited on Sunday for lunch. The restaurant is set on the lake front, so lovely views. It was busy, and we were given menus and told to find a seat, which is a bit unusual and slightly uncomfortable, having to cast your eyes over everyone looking for a table. We found a table and our order was taken in a reasonable amount of time. We were asked if we could pay then, which was another surprise but not a problem as such, but if we had wanted to order something after, it would have meant going through the whole process again. We ordered fish and chips and a chicken ciabbata. The food was okay, nothing special or memorable. The food and 2 drinks came to £45 so all in all, it was a bit overpriced, IMHO. The staff all seemed friendly and polite, but there was one rather embarrassing situation when the table next to us asked for a fork. When the server arrived, they weren't sure who it was for so out loud proceeded to tell everyone that she "was told to give it to the bald guy" (there were two 'bald guys' around). It's not really appropriate to be embarrassing customers like that! We will return but maybe not for a meal.

When we arrived we were advised that food orders were taking approximately thirty minutes as it was busy, which was fine by us. Our party of six was seated immediately and just ten minutes later a server came to take our order. Drinks arrived shortly after followed by our food fifteen minutes later. All the staff looked happy, were very welcoming, courteous, and extremely proficient. We had a range of dishes including brunch bowls, loaded fries and all day breakfasts, all of which arrived piping hot. The portions were substantial (especially the breakfasts which were übermongus) and cooked to perfection. We will definitely visit again.

Great vegetarian breakfast, really nice staff and a lovely view!

Tried to go today but it was closed for refurbishment. I can't find any info online about the closure and when it reopens

Food is OK to middling but very expensive for what you get. Free parking and nice walks surrounding.

Under going a bit of refurbishment at the moment, main cafe area closed, moved to an outside marquee, which was somewhat cooler, they have o verhead heaters but not too effective, prices quite expensive. On the plus side Dog friendly.

Food not very good. Slight shudder...

We went many years ago and intended to go again, so a rainy day was oppertune. beef rundung chicken 7 bacon wafer bananns mapple syrup and tempura prawns

Delicious food, MANY vegetarian & vegan options!!! Super impressed and quality of the food was incredible. 🥰

Excellent informal cafe on the shores of Lake 6 in the Cotswold Water park (near De Vere). Good menu, quick and friendly service, and great quality foods. We had one toastie and one Welsh Rarebit, looking out over the lake. very good experience.

Lovely food and prompt service but expensive for what it is. One of our party had 2x Sausages, 2x bacon and 2x eggs for £17.40 which is expensive compared to most cafes we have visited where this has been under £10. I believe all food items were locally sourced but still very expensive for 6 items

Turned up, served straight away. Pepperoni and chilli pizza to die for. (Always helps to pay attention to reviewing correct establishment) Heartiest apologies

Food was very good value for money and nice and hot.

My daughter in laws grandad used to visit so when he died the wake was held here....lovely location lovely atmosphere & very friendly staff 😊

Breakfast Very bad for the price this is called legalised robbery never going here again I suggest who ever reads this go to Jennie's cafe down the road £8.50 far better One of my party had DIY breakfast which came to my attention after which was charged £18.40 for 2 bacon 2 toast tomato mushrooms and 1 piece of black pudding what a joke rip off Also previously had a takeaway breakfast on the patio turned up in carton as soon as I opened it I put this in the nearest bin as was all thrown in the carton not presented well at all. They need to buck there ideas up and get this sorted

Breakfast Very bad for the price this is called legalised robbery never going here again I suggest who ever reads this go to Jennie’s cafe down the road £8.50 far better One of my party had DIY breakfast which came to my attention after which was charged £18.40 for 2 bacon 2 toast tomato mushrooms and 1 piece of black pudding what a joke rip off

Excellent service, very quick. Delicious food, great portion size. Good quality Sausages ect. Definitely worth stopping for food at.

Was very busy when we ate here so service was a bit slow, food was nice some things on menu like the milkshake was overpriced but overall not bad at all

Beautiful cafe with lovely staff. Good food and wide menu range.

It was overpriced and very underwhelming. One of the kids' meals (greek yougurt and berry compote) came out on a plate so hot that we were told, "Don't let her touch that, she'll burn herself." The other kids' meal (sausage and chips) was cold. The atmosphere wasn't great, and certainly wasn't helped by the fact the staff looked like they wanted to be anywhere but there.

Have gone here today to have breakfast with partner. After being ignored and left sat at table for over twenty minutes, whilst others who arrived later got served. Complained to staff and left. Absolutely disgusting treatment of customers...!!!!

Have gone here today to have breakfast with partner. After being ignored and left sat at table for over twenty minutes, whilst others who arrived later got served. (Note the place was not busy) Complained to staff and left, hungry and totally disappointed. I would fairly say an absolutely disgusting treatment of customers and would not recommend a visit to worst enemy! They definitely need to get themselves sorted.

Bad service and overpriced everything for the quality you get . A lot of kids and teenagers working here , a great thing only that they don’t have an experienced team leader or manager to organise them so everything is chaotic and random . Tables are not cleaned only after you are told to take a seat anywhere you like so you’ll have to pick your food smelling the leftovers from the previous customer and having your clothes all stick to the dirty tables . Had to look for the kids high chair myself , no one asked us even for the drinks after 15-20 minutes after we were seated . Had to insist that someone takes our order at one point and the food … was not bad but seriously overpriced for what you get . Spent 50£ for a small ball of soup , 2 small tacos , a Jacet potato , a glass of Pepsi and a cider ….. only nice thing is the view outside .

We like it, we visit often but £33 for two burgers is getting a bit expensive (maybe). The team are always helpful, but the takeaway booth needs staffing properly in busy periods.

Pleasently surprised after reading some of the recent reviews. Really nice breakfast. Recommend the pancakes. Coffee is great too. Service was excellent.

Fantastic brunch menu. Sat overlooking the lakes. Staff were friendly and attentive, food was excellent.

Breakfast with 2 of my grandchildren

The staff were excellent and so attentive, food was fresh and tasty. A great stop off after a busy day on the lakes!

Great breakfast outside overlooking the lake, brilliant service, a little bit on the pricey side, but it's nice to get away for the morning then a nice walk around the lake to shed a few of those calories lol

Great food! Also, the outside seating has a fantastic view of the lake. We went there twice in two days!

Lovely selection of food and drinks, lovely location and not super expensive

Great breakfast after a weekend at RIAT24. Perfect fuel for the journey home.

We stopped at The Gateway Cafe for breakfast on our way back from a camping trip in the Cotswolds. Food was good quality and a very generous portion. Good and friendly service. Good location with plenty of parking. Outside seating available with a view of the lake. Takeaway available.

Very very poor service, very unprofessional, not at all to be recommended. Advise against using this facility.

Reasonable cooked breakfast , no atmosphere and the mug of tea was awful dishwater

Always a great place for food and drinks

Overpriced, messy food basic, ordered Portobello mushroom at £2.25 each with breakfast got half a mushroom!

This could be a great spot if only two things were done: 1. Please put at least one vegan pizza on your pizza menu. 2. Sort out the horrendous toilet situation.

This could be a great spot if only two things were done: 1. Please put at least one vegan pizza on your pizza menu. 2. Sort out the horrendous toilet situation.

Lovely food, welcoming service and perfect location on the lake. Indoor and outdoor seating.

Nice location. Waited outside for our cups of tea, which we were told would be bought to us. We waited for about 10 mins and then ended up having to go and get them

One of our favourites and a regular stop for brunch. Service is quick and always correct. My only fault is the time to clear tables and get another drink or desert.

Great service and food it was our first restaurant to go once we arrived the UK , the workers are kind and helpful

Great views, good service, food and drink good. However, very noisy. Music quite loud - why do we need it? As a result everyone talking loudly to be heard, then you can’t hear the music! Screaming kids didn’t help. Chips and rubbish on the floor on our visit at 10.15. Will not be returning.

The location is great and I think they lean upon that too heavily as the other elements fall down. Me and my partner went in for dinner and had the salted chips which we had to add salt to, the bon bons which didn't have enough sauce and the Caesar salad to share which for an extra £6 you could get Bernard Matthews style chicken on top. For what it was we felt it was very expensive and could get cheaper food if there was alternate options around. Not great....

Amazing chicken brunch bowl 🥣 😋

Lovely setting but cakes were not of a good standard and well overpriced. £4.50 for a substandard slice of cake. Staff are always friendly and helpful here so makes me sorry that the cake is so bad😩 Excellent location too overlooking the lake.

My partner and I waited at the sign which suggested you would be seated. It was Sunday reasonably busy but at least 6-7 tables available. After waiting over 5 minutes a girl thrust some menus in our hands said find a seat someone will come over to take our order. Nobody was informed we had arrived and it was odd to ask us to wait to be seated to the just seat yourself. We looked at the menu and after 15 mins still nobody had come over despite serving staff walking past and what felt like avoiding eye contact. We left and took our business elsewhere

Popped in for a coffee... sadly, this cafe is not only expensive, but it is a sad version of its former self. The only thing going for it is the view of the lake. Think I'll give it a miss in future. About time Relish put some love and vision back into this cafe.

We visited Sat 25th just after 11, we looked at the menu and thought it looked great, with the prices on the menu we thought, wow this will definitely be good, however after entering everything went downhill very quickly. We spent £56 on brunch for 2 of us and a toddler, and I’ve had better breakfasts at weatherspoons pubs. We went in and were told they had space which was great news, we were told to find a table and that was it, I asked if they had any highchairs with my 2 year old in my arms and was told ‘there’s a few scattered around’ so after we found a table I went on the hunt for a highchair, usually restaurants would bring one over not expect you to go looking for one (well maybe in a weatherspoons) but I thought that they must be very busy so went and found one. We were sat for 10 minutes looking at the menu and deciding what we were having before going to the till area and asking to place an order as assumed it was order at the till as no one had been over to say hello or offer to take a drinks order, we were told at this point that it was table service and someone would come over, again usually this would be explained when you enter somewhere. A young girl came over who wasn’t particularly friendly and loving her job, took our order, asked for payment upfront, we paid and our food came out fairly quickly after our drinks arrived, the tray that drinks were bought over on was filthy, it needed a good soapy wash and looked like it hadn’t been washed in weeks, if not longer. I had high expectations of the food for the price, £15 for 2 poached eggs with salmon and hollandaise sauce on a muffin, it was fine, but nothing special, the hollandaise sauce was VERY salty, when usually it has a buttery taste, definetly not what I would expect for the price. We had chips on the other meals and these looked like they had been cooked the day before and re-fried that day, they were dry and tasteless and mostly left as no one wanted to eat them, they didn’t look particularly appetising. We paid £8.50 for 1 sausage and baked beans from the kids menus as the chips were inedible, no one came over to ask if our food was okay or to ask us if we wanted to order another drink. It wasn’t even particularly busy as probably a third of tables were still empty. We left really disappointed, service was poor, food not high quality or cooked to the standard you would expect for the price. We wished we had gone elsewhere and won’t be back. If you are thinking of visiting here, take a short drive into Cirencester, there are so many lovely restaurants and cafes who are friendly and serve great food. Or even the pizza place next door as they serve great pizzas!

At a private party so cannot comment on the food etc. But to say we had a good time.

Expensive and poor quality. 7.50 for two dried up bits of bacon on a cheap bun and some frozen cake...

A lovely place to stop for a break with lovely views of the lake and wildlife

Overpriced, overrated and the food wasn't that great.

Nice little place to have a beer with a few tables near the water.

Having frequented since around 2014 it’s progressively become more expensive and lower quality. The buttermilk pancakes are such a disappointment now, flat and rubbery. The eggs, also rubbery. Such a shame as it’s a lovely location, but the standards and just slowly diminished. I hate leaving a negative review, but this place just isn’t as great as it used to be.

Nice cuppa.... This was my input two years ago. However I called this week and was amazed to see the cook or the food dispenser guy standing there on the other side of the food counter shaking his head all over the food being prepared for customers. I'm just glad I never had one of the burgers he was preparing, loading a burger and whacking the top of it down with his fist not just once but on several occasions and as for food cross contamination, well I need to check that all this swapping food from one serving to another is ok, oh, and dropping cheese on to a salad, this guy takes it to a whole new level, Gordon Ramsey would close the place down, I'm sure. Is it not compulsory to wear a hat in the kitchen nowadays .. food hygiene gone straight out of the window there ... Don't think I will be eating here for a while... The phrase, let's see if they have a seat available has been swapped by who the heck is the chef, actually that's an insult to a chef big time, it would be what crazy long headed rocker is cooking today.... 🙁

Fantastic cafe with a view of the lake. Quick, friendly service, great food and polite wait staff.

Nice food, unconfident staff but as expected 5 stars

Great food & coffee Great service Super friendly Beautiful location.

Lovely location by the lake with free parking, plenty of staff, quick service, delicious food.

The service and atmosphere were good, but unfortunately the toasted sandwich was a disappointment, with not a lot of filling and just lettuce on the side. For the price, not great, but the view lovely.

Stopped by for breakfast at this cafe situated just off the A419 Spine Road Junction. Ample free parking and spacious indoor eating area. Shown promptly table and given menu with extensive choices of breakfast options. My "Light Full English" and coffee served efficiently within five minutes. Good quality sausage, but a single bacon rasher is a bit mean given the top-end pricing. Overall a good experience and bonus point for being dog friendly throughout, but just four stars due to pricing (although probably comparable with similar served at motorway outlets).

Nice place, great location and great staff

The mexican chorizo bowl and the full english breakfast was yummy. Large portions and helpful staff.

Well worth a visit if you are nearby. Great coffee, massive cakes and a good choice of wine and beer. Be careful getting there as when walking the paths are muddy and the traffic is fast.

Good food took them 1 hour to give us the bill

Quick drink and bite to eat , the service was quick and friendly and food was excellent

Fantastic place to eat, the meals are large and extremely tasty. Will certainly go back again, probably with family so they can try it

Great place to stop on a cycle ride

Visited for lunch 2pm ish. Building is impressive with lovely views across the lake. Parking easy and positive first impression. Staff were friendly and obviously busy. We ordered a toasted sandwich and another egg mayo sandwich. After a wait, no egg mayo so went with cheese. When cheese sandwich arrived the bread was dry, definitely not granary and looked nothing like other photos on here. Cheese was pre-sliced with a token bit of lettuce. Really disappointing - as if they had run out of everything. Shame because it had a promising start.

Missed out on the food menu, arrived early (2:40pm) to meet a friend, got seated by a polite waitress and been told 5 last 3 that the kitchen closed at 3pm😞 Had a coffee and a cake. Restroom was dirty and tired in decor.

This place is place is in South Cerney on the spine road just off the A419. We stopped here for some lunch I had the one of the brunch bowls (Cajun Cicken) which had roasted sweet potatoes a mixture of vegetables with Feta and Harissa mayo and the flavours were unreal. My partner had tuna and cucumber sandwich on granary bread which I tasted also :) We had coffee and cake to finish Will definitely be back here, our new favourite place

Never a bad meal here, really well staffed and always made to feel welcome. When busy it can be a bit noisy due to the large space but just gives a buzzing atmosphere.

I called and spoke with a guy on the phone who was incredibly condescending and sassy. I didn’t get to the bottom of my query as he was very unhelpful and dismissive. Maybe some customer service sessions on phone manner might help going forward. I can’t comment on the dining experience as I’ve not tried it.

Just popped out to get some fresh air and see if there was any snow left. Stopped off at the Gateway Cafe after buying a pair of boots from a very knowledgeable young man in the sports shop next door. We were quickly seated buy a friendly member of staff, our order was taken within a few minutes and our food was served just as quickly. I had the bacon eggs Benedict ,the wife had the small breakfast, with coffee.Food was great, the service was 10/10 and the view of the lake was delightful. A great place to buy your sports kit and grab a bight to eat after a walk around the lake. Will be returning there shortly for further treats.

If visiting, I’d suggest ringing for closing times before arriving, as they are currently on winter timetable but Google maps & Facebook state different times. We arrived just wanting coffee and cake at 3.45pm. We are on holiday and staying locally so wanted to support a local business whilst we are away. Sadly we were abruptly told that the Google map hours were wrong, and they are on winter hours. So close at 4pm. We then mentioned that 15 mins doesn’t give us long to eat coffee and cake ( isn’t cheap either so didn’t want to rush it in all honesty. £22.95 in total for 3 hot drinks, and 3 slices of cake), so we was allowed to stay until 4.15pm. whilst they closed down, we weren’t the only ones there so others had obviously done the same and used Google maps thinking they were still open a little longer. Cake was lovely and so was the coffee. The website doesn’t have opening hours, no sign on the door for winter hours, and the Facebook page says different hours as well, saying they are open until 8pm. I’m going to assume that is summer hours. I feel if they had updated the hours correctly or even had a sign on the door, maybe then the greeter wouldn’t have been so sturn with us. We genuinely didn’t realise they closed at 4pm as we aren’t local and went on what Google maps told us. Overall a lovely place with beautiful lake views, great for bird watching.

We arrived at 3.45pm on a Wednesday after reviewing the opening hours published on Google maps which stated closing at 5pm. On arrival as we entered I noticed one of the servers (Georgina) glance down and look at her watch which I thought odd. She came over and in a not very friendly tone told us they were only doing drinks and cake as they were closing in 15 minutes. I said it says on Google maps closing at 5pm, she said it was wrong. She said we could stop til 4.15. When we are spending £22 on coffee and cakes I thought that was fair. The lad that took our order told me the Victoria sandwich was fresh cream, it wasn’t. Views over lake are lovely, great for bird watching. We are on holiday and if we are back this way probably wouldn’t go back, I like a little side order of friendliness with cake and coffee.

Came in 20 mins before closing and had the wonderful Georgina seat us down at our table and take our order. She was very welcoming and happy to help us with deciding what cakes to munch! Had a great experience and will be returning!

Had a great breakfast & coffee was excellent. Nice dog friendly cafe.

Vastly overpriced and little choice for breakfasts, food came and looked pathetic on the plate , and Luke warm, very disappointed

Love the breakfast, it's always served hot and with some tasty ingrediants

Super impressed! It was quite busy but the staff were friendly and efficient. Our brunches were excellent - especially considering how busy it was. Both fried and poached eggs were perfect, portions were generous and everything was well cooked and good quality. Not the cheapest brunch - but we all felt it was very good value for money and were very happy.

Always a pleasure to visit, friendly happy staff and a great atmosphere

Great service, amazing food, beautiful location. Restaurant overlooks the lake.

A lovely lakeside cafe, bustley and busy but with great staff. Even though very busy, we only waited a few minutes to order, and drinks arrived promptly, with food not too far behind. A wonderful rarebit, with salad, coleslaw, and a delicious tomato relish, all of which I'm sure were freshly prepared. A very enjoyable lunch!

Usually great food and drink but poor today - tried a smoothie: £6.95 and the weakest smoothie ever! Basically apple juice with a hint of mango. It was meant to be banana and mango but could not see or taste any evidence of banana - no thickness to it: tasted ok for a juice drink but certainly not a smoothie and not worth almost £7. Shame as this is a great place usually - but this was a waste of money.

Stopped into cafe for lunch Interesting menu - goes a bit beyond standard sarnies and jackets. I liked the large cooked breakfast being called ‘the quadruple bypass’ 😂 We opted for tacos which were delicious View across lake very nice Unrestricted parking and EV charge points. Lots of walks starting here and well signed. Busy enough for a queue to build on a cold Thursday lunchtime so a popular spot.

Even though it was super busy and we waited a short while for a table, the food was excellent and fairly priced. Will be back.

Lovely place, dog friendly. Slightly pricey for what you get- especially the drinks. But would recommend. Turn up early as you can't book and it gets busy once people have had their walks.

This cafe used to be really good and the food was great and good value. Alas, in recent years it has become too big and too commercialised and definitely far too expensive for the quality of the food it serves. It seems to have expanded beyond its capabilities and perhaps has become too greedy. The staff are very nice and the view out over the lake is lovely, especially in the summer, but the price of the food - which is pretty ordinary - is just too much for what it is. We used to visit every couple of months or so but I won’t be going back now, which is a huge shame.