Granite's Coffee Shop in Charnwood

We met friends and their children here for a coffee and cake while visiting the attraction The drinks were around the usual price you'd expect to pay but the cakes were more than I've paid in similar coffee shops The staff were friendly and it was busy in there

Love it here fab icecream. Went with a friend had a sausage sandwich and coffee both were lovely. They have a little museum area with info about the site and surrounding villages going back to the 1200s. Play area crazy golf and steam train experience love it xxx

Again lovely place to go for lunch or afternoon tea.

Absolutely shocked to ask for some hot water with my order and be told that I was going to be charged over £1 if I wanted it, despite spending £10 on drinks. I was then made aware that the charge for tap water is on the drinks menu. Disgraceful, but I’d understand a little more if I wasn’t buying anything at all from the cafe. Also found the lady serving me to be quite abrupt and condescending. Shame because this is a lovely place and setting.

Fabulous selection of cakes.ice cream to die for and great coffee .Wonderfully place to browse round. The history of this former quary. Or take kids on the lovely walks.

Always a warm welcome and good quality, tasty food and drinks.

I'd highly recommend the scones. The cheese scones in particular, they are made on site and are my absolute favourite. The cafe has a fantastic selection of cakes on display just as you enter and varied menu on the wall for hot lunches. As a vegetarian, I usually opt for the jacket potato or a panini, though they do have a fair few other veg options too. The ice creams are very popular and flavours tend to vary. A number of reviews mention the cafe is a little pricey but I have to say it's actually not bad for the portion sizes you get. There is a lot on site that will keep children entertained for hours. You can really make a day of your visit. Starting with the small play area by the cafe, followed by the nature trails, the den making area, the train museum, the miniature railway garden, Malcom the narrow gauge train in the quarry bottom and not forgetting the newly opened mini-golf area. The cafe itself has outdoor seating, so you can keep an eye on children if they are playing in the play area. They have some high chairs for little ones and a fantastic selection of ice creams which children love. Parking can be busy during peak times, but it's quite fast flowing so you won't be waiting too long for a spot. Parking is free and very accessible. The whole site is pretty much wheelchair friendly. A lot of consideration has been put into accessibility, not just for wheelchair users but also for elderly and those with push chairs.

Visted Granite's whilst staying with family for the Easter weekend. What an amazing place! The setting, food, service and staff are all excellent, even though the venue was very busy. The staff were so friendly and welcoming. What a find!

Great place for adults and children- crazy golf and train for the little ones and lovely indoor/outdoor seating areas!

Lovely place to visit, great coffee, cake, and had lunch which was ok

Great facilities ,excellent food

This place is fab, great for a lovely walk and then some lunch/ice cream.

Such a shame I have to write this review as the coffee shop is connected with the great central railway line which is wonderful. The main issue here, along with the overpriced, underwhelming food, is the terrible atmosphere created by the people who work there. They are all so unbelievably unwelcoming and unfriendly. Although it was warm outside it was ice cold within. You are made to feel as though you are a nuisance and a drain on their time. Me and my friends had to laugh in the end because the staff really were so unpleasant and unfriendly. We have never been treated so rudely, the manager, Steve in particular is horrible. Needless to say me and my friends will not be returning.

it's a very popular cafe which makes it noisy and the tables are close together but if you are chatting too it's not easy to be overheard. I had a tasty flapjack. I had an americano which at £3.60 I think is overpriced as it wasn't a memorable coffee apart from the price. the really great thing at the Granite island the generous car park, though I should see the display at the Heritage centre.

Relaxing and friendly venue with a lovely selection of cakes and various ice creams. They also do an extensive selection of other foods like panini's etc. Outside dog friendly bench seating area is pleasant but can get drafty especially in winter. The amount of notices is overwhelming and a printers paradise. Certain areas can be visited but at extra charge. Plenty of parking, which can get very busy on a good day and disabled facilities with an attached rail museum.

Whilst spending a day on the Gret Central Railway, and taking a trip on the Mountsorrel Branch, we stopped here for a late lunch. A good rang of options for children, and more importantly for boss lady, they are easily able to cater for a Gluten Free diet (with the usual 'risk' caveats). Boss Lady really enjoyed the Gluten Free Scones. Highly recommended.

Excellent quality light food, in a clean and well appointed cafe, part of an attraction with lots of interest for all.

I'd highly recommend the scones. The cheese scones in particular, they are made on site and are my absolute favourite. The cafe has a fantastic selection of cakes on display just as you enter and varied menu on the wall for hot lunches. As a vegetarian, I usually opt for the jacket potato or a panini, though they do have a fair few other veg options too. The ice creams are very popular and flavours tend to vary. A number of reviews mention the cafe is a little pricey but I have to say it's actually not bad for the portion sizes you get.

I visited here with my mum and cousin and we had such a lovely day out. I had a ham and cheese toastie which was lovely and a chai latte. I also a scoop of raspberry sorbet which was a little too sweet and overpriced but nice as a treat. The facilities were well maintained and welcoming. There were plenty of items on the menu to choose from and lots of tables including an outdoor sheltered seating area. I’d definitely revisit here again :)

Visted Granite's today whilst staying with family for the Easter weekend. What an amazing place! The setting, food, service and staff are all excellent, even though the venue was very busy. The staff were so friendly and welcoming. What a find!

Older lady with gray hair. There is no need to slam ice cream on our table when you made the mistake in the first place. If someone pays for three scoops of ice cream. You expect to get three.

Dog friendly, great service, fabulous scone & coffee.

Queued for 10 minutes to be told we couldn't be served now because they are closing having taken all of that time to serve one family with ice creams. We were punished because of poor service slow service. Very poor show and poor customer service. We were made to feel very unwelcome. Will not be returning.

Just a nice place to visit. Good food, wonderful cakes, and ice cream. Lovely staff.

Forest walk, model railway & full size branch line to Mountsorrel and repair workshop for rolling stock.

Excellent coffee and service with a frieldly service. Recommended.

I regularly visit with my son for a coffee or ice cream (which incidentally is the best we've ever had!). There's always a very warm and genuine welcome with a lovely atmosphere. The cakes are gorgeous and beautifully presented. We would most certainly recommend a visit, a lovely place to meet for a cuppa or lunch with friends. We'll certainly be back soon.

Don't bother going if you are GF. Bread is tiny, nasty tasting and overpriced. GF choice limited and portions too small. I was left hungry and wirh a poor taste in mouth from bread. Can't find my first review which went into more detail. I'm sad because it used to be great.

As we had the grandchildren we had a coffee and cakes. Always enjoy coming as the grandchildren are always treated nicely

Very busy cafe, always a good sign of great food at very reasonable prices.

Had another fabulous afternoon tea out at Granites. The chocolate brownie is a favourite of my son, and my lemon cake was delicious. Everything was presented beautifully. In particular, I love the pottery tea cups and teapots. I would highly recommend. We'll be back soon!

The best tea + coffee in the area.Fantastic scenery beautifully garden area.marvelous history of the quarry n the area.Loads for the kids to see and do.A must not miss.for very little expense Graham + ,Sheila.Mountsorrel

Lovely lunch with family, the kids loved walking round the nature walk, and playing with the trains on the garden railway. The garden of peace is beautiful to walk round and the little railway was running which was an an added bonus. I also was able to buy some plants (a win win for me). We will defiantly be going back. Thank you for a great afternoon.

Lovely cafe with wonderful heritage centre, museum, gardens, nature trail and much more. Especially good for families.

Had a brunch with friends....always try and do that at least once a month...value for money...with friendly helpful staff.....will keep going for sure.

Wonderful café/restaurant with scrumptious cakes and great coffee. Efficient friendly staff. Joelle

Lovely place with helpful friendly staff. Amazing array of cakes and the atmosphere is so cosy, you don't want to leave!

Horrendous experience. I have never been served by such rude and obnoxious staff, especially the older lady with the tied back brown hair and glasses. She clearly has absolutely no idea about the hospitality industry and how to welcome and treat your customers. The food was of extremely average quality and is hugely overpriced (supposedly due to it being a heritage site). Despite this, they still want to charge a £2 entrance fee for an extremely mediocre experience - my children were totally bored - and not surprisingly so because what they fail to mention is that in the week none of their attractions are lit up nor is the little train running. So, as well as the overpriced food we had paid for, we also had to pay for a very short walk (about a mile) around the site. We left feeling disappointed and annoyed by the experience. We would have felt somewhat better about it, had we been given even a slightly warm welcome instead of the frosty and unfriendly one we recieved. Steve, the manager, was no better.

Food was mediocre and overpriced. Pot of tea was extremely weak with no taste of tea at all! Cafe was cold. I would not recommend.

Nice enough food but pricey and having spent £25 on not very much I wouldn’t expect a charmless woman to want £1.20 for a cup of hot water. I wanted to tell them at the time but my wife said leave it. I won’t but I could easily put this feedback elsewhere so they need a bit of common sense, because that is just greedy and other people could be put off by charging to drop water out of a already boiled urn.

We've visited Granite's and the Heritage Centre pretty much once a month on average, since it opened over 7 years ago. Sometimes we pop in just for coffee and the excellent cake and ice cream, sometimes we call in for lunch followed by an explore of the site where there is always something new to see, or some new project being worked on by the volunteers. The food and drinks in Granite's is always top quality. Very reasonably priced for the quality and quantity provided. The staff are excellent, always welcoming customers with a warm "hello" and a smile, whether they are regular or new. Service is always excellent! The coffee shop manager Sue is an absolute gem. We've watched her over the years, she is wonderful with everyone and really cares about the place. Other coffee shops and restaurants can only dream of having a manager as good as Sue! If you are going around the site to visit the various attractions, there is a base charge of £2 adults and £1 children. This gives you access to 20 attractions inside the site that are open all year round. Its very good value at such a low price, plus there's no charge for parking. In addition to this there are various add on attractions which there are small extra charges for such as £1.50 for a go at driving the trains on the garden railway and the new Quarry Bottom Railway, which costs £2 and £1 a ride, plus more and we can wait for the revamped Crazy Golf to reopen. The extra attractions only run on certain days though and there is a useful board at the entrance that tells you what is running that particular day. And then you must realise that everything there has been created and is maintained and operated by volunteers from the community! It's all not for profit as well! Truely outstanding and inspirational! We feel so lucky to live locally to a gem like this!

Horrendous experience. I have never been served by such rude and obnoxious staff, especially the older lady with the tied back brown hair and glasses. She clearly has absolutely no idea about the hospitality industry and how to welcome and treat your customers. The food was of extremely average quality and is hugely overpriced (supposedly due to it being a heritage site). Despite this, they still want to charge a £2 entrance fee for an extremely mediocre experience - my children were totally bored - and not surprisingly so because what they fail to mention is that in the week none of their attractions are lit up nor is the little train running. So, as well as the overpriced food we had paid for, we also had to pay for a very short walk (about a mile) around the site. We left feeling disappointed and annoyed by the experience. We would have felt somewhat better about it, had we been given even a slightly warm welcome instead of the frosty and unfriendly one we recieved.

New covered outdoor space is a great improvement!

Maybe more for children but coffee and cake were "OK", milkshake less so. Seems to have a selection of activities but for food and drink there are better, cheaper places nearby

It's a very good cafe with a lot of light meal options not just coffee, cake, etc. We had chilli jacket potato and cheese and ham quiche with salad.

Beautiful little hidden away cafe if you want a filling but not too heavy lunch. Had jacket potato with cheese and coleslaw, although there are other options for the filling. Potato was wonderfully fluffy, served with side garnish and delicious 😋 There is a good variety at reasonable prices. The cafe is light, airy and very clean, also offers an outdoor seating area. Worth a visit.

Been before and rated 5 but bread in sandwich was dry. Very friendly staff and super clean... Will return hope sandwich is better!

OK. A little more expensive than your average farm shop cafe.

I came with my 2 year old son for a coffee and ice cream. The coffee latte was £3.60 which is even more expensive than Rothley Court! The ice cream for my son was £5 which is extortionate and to add insult to injury I asked for an extra plastic spoon so I could share it and was charged 15p! I won’t be going back there any time soon.!!!

Wow, Granites may not have been open that long, but it is extremely popular with everyone I chat to. The cafe varies and has busy and quiet times. The food is slightly on the expensive side, but makes up for it in quality. Staff are always friendly and helpful. Plus there is an area outside if you want to take a picnic. Plenty to do around the grounds, zen area, trains, walks etc

The cake was delicious (@ Norths, Rothley) and up until the end of our visit the customer service had been polite and friendly. Unfortunately, this was spoilt by one overzealous waitress. I had just put my mug on the table after finishing my coffee when she pounced on us abruptly asking if we were having anything else to eat or drink as she needed the table. I pointed out that I had literally just finished my coffee so could she give us 5-10 minutes? Unfortunately, this is not the first time this same lady has acted like this towards me

Very expensive, not much filling in the baguette for the price. Tables were a bit dirty. In a lovely area on the railway.,

I needed a quick lunch and wasn't disappointed!!! The sausage casserole with Giant Yorkshire Pud was delicious!!!!

We come down to this lovely place regularly now that we live in the area, walking around the site, enjoying the wildlife and topping it all in the cafe which is so welcoming. A well earned cup of tea the other day was accompanied by...

We come to Granite's once or twice a week, sometimes as a couple, sometimes with our grandchildren, always with our dog. The staff are lovely, particularly Sue the manager, and her colleague Sue (snap!) and the quality of the food is first class. Maybe not...

Really disappointed with this place. Ordered coffee and cake. Table was full of dirty crockery which was not cleared during our visit. Flapjack was very very dry. Almost finished when I found a small spider crawling over it. Took it back to the counter where...

We have been here a number of times and find it a nice place to have coffee and something to eat but it is quite expensive. I know the profit goes towards the upkeep of the site !. The reason I said poor management is...

I met a friend for Christmas lunch and was asked to leave before we were ready by a very rude server. Despite there being 5 tables free we were told they needed the table back and although in my 70s and recovering from cancer I...

As above... Plus some of the nicest staff around. Keep coming back and supporting this wonderful project by eating as much as we can. 😂

3 adults and one 4 year old met for lunch, a usual place to go, but never Eaten with children before. Our nephew with us for a week, rang 2 hours before our visit to see what was on the children's menu, no answer or...

What to do around Leicester on a cold, wet Monday morning! Cold and damp, we called in to Granite’s coffee shop about 11.30am. So glad we did. Our mood improved at once in the warm, inviting atmosphere - helped along with an interesting menu of...

Love coming to this place! Staff are soo welcome- in particular Sue manager who always make sure everything is ok with everything. Food is lovely and a great place to get a toastie :). Lovely walks around and would definitely recommend this place to all...

Very popular place with large queue.

Went for an ice cream at 4.27pm and was told last entry was at 4.30 so it was too late. Sue the manager incredibly rude. Such a shame as we only live around the corner but this isn’t the first time we have experienced terrible service there.

Nice cafe with lovely cakes also as a heritage centre and paths for nice walks

omg what lovely place and friendly staff and good service

Great local attraction, perfect to teach kids about steam trains.

We visit the Coffee Shop and Heritage centre on a regular basis. It has beautiful walks, amazing gardens and delicious food. It is a lovely place to visit and the staff are so welcoming and accommodating. Always a happy smile and can't help you enough....

Fabulous place! Excellent food and drinks, very friendly staff. The whole area is extremely well thought out - the museum displays, the walking areas, the outdoor cafe seating... All showing Mountsorrel and its history to the full.

very expensive unfriendly staff and not one person smiled.My friend was served and her pannini was dropped by the waitress and she

We were looking forward to visiting this cafe & when we first got there it was like a prison if you had a dog there was no clear instructions about were to entre the patio with you dog if your a couple thats ok one...

Loverly place to visit with younger kids or just anyone who likes to watch old trains. The cafe was excellent, staff friendly and food was much better than I would have expected

Nice place, but the coffees are a little bit milky.

Lovely cafe. Lovely food. Lovely staff.

Lovely place, well worth a visit

Visited yesterday. Had an excellent lunch. As usual the food was very good and the service great. Excellent value for money. The only problem is that we live too far away to visit more frequently - 150 miles away.

Lovely setting, never even knew it was here. Left it a little late in the day to visit but most definitely will be returning for a nice stroll around the grounds. The cafe also serves my favourite St.Martins coffee too although the tea does come up a little short in the strength department.

A lovely coffee and lunch spot... We visit frequently

Lovely place. Great coffe, great homemade cakes, in great surroundings. Highly recommended.

Excellent service from all staff and superb food xxx

Lovely location. Easily accessible. Friendly staff. Great coffee and cakes!

Please make the hotpot special a regular item on the menu!

First time in this eaterie won't be the last..!! We went for the days special of sausage casserole in a Yorkshire pudding ..absolutely delicious 😋 we also enjoyed the two rooms of Mountsorrel's history in the heritage rooms.. 👍 excellent..!!

Had a quick impromptu trip here for a snack and drink. Enjoyed a lovely sandwich with side salad and crisps while my partner had a huge warm sausage roll with salad and coleslaw. A skinny latte and a pot of tea ensured we are sorted for the afternoon. Enjoyed a walk round some of the trails afterwards and thoroughly enjoyed our time there :-)

Lovely coffee shop with attached local museum. Also acts as gateway to wider site which includes an outdoor model railway, ice cream shack, woodland walks, den building area, kids playground, railway museum, railway platform, memorial garden and plant nursery. Wonderful local attraction, one of our favourites.

Pleasant cafe serving good hot coffee and snacks. Great child friendly, outside seating area with a small play area. Clean and bright inside with good toilet facilites. Close to the station, miniature trains, activities and woodland walk at the Mountsorrel and Rothley Heritage Centre. Easy...

Can only add to the comment below about dogs. Luckily there was 2 of us so one could walk through but no clue what you have to do if you were on your own! The gate by the dog hole was open so my friend...

I parked in the car park and walked to the entrance with my dog. There, I was expected to push my dog through a small hole in the fence so that I could access the patio area without going through the indoor cafe. Obviously, there...

Fab for coffee but not great for vegan food and a conversation left me thinking my custom wasn't valued enough to do anything so won't be bringing friends back again will choose somewhere else in future ☹️

Lovely place for food but although they say dogs are allowed on the patio I was admonished for walking through the cafe to get onto the patio with my 2 Small dogs! There is a gate to the right of the main entrance signed as the entrance for dogs but the gate was padlocked. I tried to get someone's attention from the main door way to ask how I could get in with the dogs, they were very busy so I was unable to. As a last resort I walked quickly through the cafe to the patio which took about 5 seconds and caused no disruption to anyone. I was then approached by a staff member and told off for doing this. When I explained why I had done it she pointed out another gate which is for dogs. This gate is not signposted at all from the car park and front entrance, you have to walk out of the car park and either cross the road to a bridal way or walk on the side of a fairly busy road to get to it! Unless you are a regular they don't allow you to use the gate near the main entrance! I don't how I was supposed to know this? I would suggest that they put proper signage up to direct first time users on how to gain access with dogs. I would have given this place five stars if not for the way I was spoken to.

Food still good quality and staff are lovely. Sadly this place is a victim of its own success. Overflowing car park, 35 minutes to get served and limited places to sit. Yes it was a busy time but they need more staff to serve the...

Very busy, quite a queue, ice cream and coffee good, grand kids had a good time

My partner and I visited the centre with our son, daughter in law and granddaughter aged 3 and a half years. Starting off with a delicious lunch on the sunny patio. The bacon and brie paninis were so fresh and delicious as was my tuna...

I love to visit here. Whatever the season. There is always something new to see. Newest edition is the Nunckley Peace Garden. A beautiful area to walk around and sit with a takeaway coffee. My grandchildren love it here too. Always have a go on...

Stopped at granite cafe on my way home to grab a drink and some cake. Staff were very friendly and welcoming. Walking around the site- so many improvements had been made and the garden area near the shed was amazing, and a nice place to...

This place used to be a gem. However, it can no longer handle the volume of customers that it’s reputation brings in. Insufficient portions, inefficient staff and slow service. In dire need of new management, ideally someone who knows how to run a coffee shop....

Stopped here on a local walk. We’ve visited this cafe a number of times before as it has a lovely feel to it. Staff are always friendly and there is a nice array of indoor and outdoor seating. The food has always been very tasty....

Really great place. However would recommend to have the cake and not a sandwich

Beautiful place to visit, cafe and food excellent and Covid secure with helpful and hardworking staff. Highly recommend.

Lovely place to have a drink and food as well as walking around the Railway Museum. They can do better on their cakes as they where a bit on the dry side!