Lavender Lodge in Wiltshire

We came here for lunch and as we’ve been several times before, I was expecting to have the chicken Caesar salad. Well the menu has changed and there were no salads to be had at all! I opted for the fishcakes. They were disgusting! Also, I think they should rename them potato cakes as I couldn’t find any fish by taste or sight! And at £15 a plate, I thought it was absolute daylight robbery! I will never return to this place

The attraction of this cafe for me was the exceptional Salmon and Scrambled Eggs that has been a menu staple for several years. Very disappointed they’ve dropped it in favour of multiple variants of hollandaise based offerings. I opted for fried eggs on sourdough - not much to get wrong here. Chef managed to break one of the eggs and then attempted to hide it under the other. We had waited a long time for the breakfast to arrive so had lost the motivation to complain. Loss of my favourite dish and cutting corners on quality in what is a relatively expensive cafe probably means I’ll cross this one of the list and be organised enough to book Lowden next time.

Expensive cake which was really poor. Coffee and walnut with sour icing and no taste. Cappuccino was like warm milk. Awful quality of both food and drink. Save your money and go somewhere else.

Went to see the wonderful child friendly Christmas displays at the garden centre with my two young grandsons. All very magical until lunchtime when we went into the restaurant.. THE most child UNFRIENDLY establishment I have ever had the misfortune to visit... From the rude waitress to the lack of provision for younger customers .. No safe drinking glasses or even a sandwich. The children ended up with sour bread toast and fries (not an idea lunch) we looked around to see many children dining there with a packed lunch which their parents had brought with them !!!! When I dine out with my grandchildren I expect it to be an inclusive experience. Not an experience that they would make them feel unwelcome at best. They sat and were well behaved and though they eat most most things there was nothing suitable for them. Considering the Christmas displays were targeted at children as well as a childs nature trail it seems that the restaurant missed the mark by a mile, or three. Plus £40 for two bowls of insipid soup, a portion of toast and a portion of chips plus two tepid coffees and apple juice added insult to injury.. a terrible experience

I visited Whitehall garden centre yesterday for the first time in many years to meet up with an old friend. It was initially difficult to find out much about the restaurant/tea room, Lavender Lodge, and what reviews I read were negative. As we intended to spend several hours catching up while perusing the garden centre, somewhere to get morning coffee and lunch was important. We decided to take the risk without many expectations. How lovely to find the reviews were so wrong. The building had a pleasant shabby chic country air, the staff were very friendly and attentive, service was fast and the food was delicious and very generous portions! It is definitely on the calendar for our next get together. Thankyou.

Did not stay as they only had Diet Coke which I am not allowed to drink. Is it too much trouble to sell diet lemonade. In case you have not noticed the government are encouraging us all to eat less sugar.

This eatery is based at the Whitehall Garden Centre on the outskirts of Chippenham, near to the village of Lacock. This garden centre is one that I have visited many times over the years, but having moved away from Chippenham, we last visited at Christmas 2014 or 2015. We called here as part of a trip to Lacock Abbey and Village (our third time this year). We usually take-in a lunch in Lacock; but today a wander around a garden centre suited our mood. This business has certainly got far bigger and the rather ramshackle café has been upgraded into a separate building; now named the Lavender Lodge. It’s rather barn-like in construction; pleasantly set-out: but in areas needs a refresh. IMHO the rather tired-looking fake flowers adorning the roof beams just need to go. The food choices and quality of fare has been upgraded too, and what is offered suited our appetites. Being a mid-week lunchtime we were easily able to get a table. We were soon seated and provided with menus. The waitress (probably) Italian or maybe French (either-way apologies if I have got it wrong) was very jolly and we exchanged a little banter whilst she took our orders. My partner decided on a Bacon & Chicken Club sandwich with chips and I decided on a Burger and Chips. I have to say both meals were substantial, very substantial! We had also ordered drinks; my loose-leaf tea was excellent - good and strong and my partner’s coffee too, as it was hot, strong and bitter. My Parner’s toasted sourdough sandwich was, for me, not a Club sandwich, because in every other occasion I have eaten one, or seen one eaten, it has been made with three slices of bread in a double-decker construction, and then sliced diagonally and pinned with sticks. It is true however that officially a ‘Club’ sandwich is more about the ingredients and the fact that the bread is toasted, which were basically true on this occasion. It was filled to the brim with great ingredients and was probably too much as a snack, it was definitely a main meal. The sourdough bread itself was excellent; and as I bake my own sourdough bread I feel qualified to pass judgement. The fries just proved to be several mouthfuls too far, and as a result were almost entirely left uneaten. My burger was excellent, a quite firm patty with a great savoury and smoky taste, and a generous portion of fries meant that this was also my main meal for the day. My only other observation would be the inclusion of a slice of beef tomato, which has almost zero favour, and because it is thick and watery. This has for me, an adverse effect on the burger as a whole, so I just fished it out before eating. Also before eating I added the separately supplied burger relish, which was excellent. A good meal for about £30, and we will look to visit again.

I have been a few times, always planning to have something different but then cannot resist their incredibly beautiful cheesecakes or ‘mousse’ cakes. They always come with fresh berries and pouring cream on the side - so much more than just a cake. Not the cheapest place but always feels worth every penny. I see many reviewers complain about the restaurant’s children’s policy. I for one love that it’s a relatively peaceful restaurant. Those reviewers never mention that there is an alternative restaurant in the same premises that is designed to be child friendly. Well done Whitehall for providing a choice.

Went for coffee and a scone on a very rainy day. We were greeted quickly and shown directly to a table. The coffee was very good, likewise a mocha. The scones were large and delicious. The staff were very busy and efficient. Would recommend

We popped in yesterday for a lunch. We meaning my parents and my son. We sat down and the atmosphere was a little strange. We looked at the menu which was nice but they had nothing that my son would eat, he just wanted a simple ham sandwich. I asked the lady if she could make a sandwich for him and she said "no, we don't do that" then said " I will give you a few more minutes" . Quite abruptly. We sat and thought about it and my mum was disgusted with the lady's behaviour. We said we aren't going to eat here as we felt as though we weren't wanted at all. She said "OK" and walked off. Can't believe how rude they are.!!! Awful staff. Won't be back and even the lady at the garden centre was rude to. Just a warning I don't think they like children!! I will go to Woodborough whitehall next time as they will always do anything for you at this one.

I was pleased to see that the Lavender Lodge had reopened when I visited Whitehall with my husband yesterday. It is now table service which worked very well until my husband ordered the toast. The order was taken and the two coffees and my cake (delicious) arrived very quickly but after 15 minutes the toast still hadn't appeared. My husband queried this with one of the staff and apparently this is quite normal as the grill they use is very slow. If they can't find a speedier method then I think at the very least we might have been warned and preferably not had the rest of the order delivered until the toast was ready. The coffee was cold by this time the toast eventually arrived.

Visited here recently for lunch. The main restaurant at Whitehall was so busy and all tables were occupied so we tried here. Plenty of tables and no queues.! Perfect. Although it does get really busy so we were lucky. We ordered from the Autumn menu, i chose the vegan open sandwich which was absolutely delicious and it was huge, really fresh and tasty and well worth the money. My relative had the chicken caesar wrap and this was also very good value for money and tasty too. We had 2 pots of tea and sadly no room for any of the delicious looking cakes on display on this occasion, but we will return! Excellent light lunch in lovely surroundings. Staff were all polite and helpful. Could not fault it. Thank you keep up the great work!

This is not the main restaurant at Whitehall and is quiet as children have to be kept under control! Good selection for morning coffee, lunch or afternoon tea and friendly and helpful staff. Slightly on the expensive side but enjoyable nonetheless.

Went here for an afternoon tea, the sandwiches and cakes were delicious. Staff were really friendly and made it a lovely experience

Food is OK. The cakes are fresh and the coffee is good. The lunch menu is fairly limited but OK for a snack rather than a full blown cooked meal. Nicely decorated and very pleasant.

Came for the festive afternoon tea, couldn't fault the place, the staff were friendly and efficient and the afternoon tea was really good, for 14.99 couldn't beat it - will definitely be going back! I am veggie and was given my own cake stand. We had a great experience

Mientras que nuestra comida era en general agradable, el té festivo de la tarde era delicioso. El ploughman de Navidad se sirvió con pavo barato y un ladrillo de relleno duro y frío.El personal era muy agradable.¡Pero sí creo que deben decidir si es solo para adultos o para niños!En uno de los sábados más concurridos del año con muchas familias que visitaban Santa Claus y las exhibiciones, vinimos con 6 adultos y dos niños de 2 y 5 años. Pasamos 90 entre nosotros allí.Me gusta pensar que mis hijos se comportan bien (pero todos tienen momentos, ¿no?)De todos modos, el letrero de afuera dice que los niños son bienvenidos si permanecen sentados, etc. (no estoy seguro de que me guste el letrero). Bien, tenemos una mesa donde nuestros hijos permanecen sentados y coloreados alegremente. Estaba llenoMuchas otras familias estaban allí, pero seguramente debería ser solo para adultos o para niños.No había nada en el menú para niños, pero se proporcionan sillas altas.No tengo ningún problema con ser solo adulto en algún lugar, pero simplemente no me sienta bien tratando de ser ambas cosas.Tal vez durante los ajetreados fines de semana de Navidad, el cartel pueda bajar y haya comida para niños disponible. Solo un pensamiento.

Nos metimos en un tazón de sopa y un café.El café era normal, caro para una taza tan pequeña.También consideramos que la porción media de menos de medio tazón de sopa era una buena porción, y eso tampoco tiene valor para el dinero. El entorno es cómodo en medio de un increíble centro de jardinería.Cuando miramos a nuestro alrededor los otros platos disponibles, se veían bien y valían la pena.

Fui con nuestros amigos uno que estaba de visita desde Nueva York. Pensamos que la trataríamos con algo típicamente inglés y que la llevaríamos al té de la tarde. A los 64 años. 00 por 4 pensamos que era caro y los sándwiches de salmón estaban completamente incomible y los enviamos de vuelta dos veces. Al final teníamos un huevo y un queso en su lugar.Todos estábamos decepcionados y no volveríamos aquí de nuevo

Absolutely beautiful. Always visit this with my family. Great that noisy children aren’t allowed! Prices aren’t bad either

Con frecuencia visito Whitehall Garden Center y aprecio poder usar el Lavender Lodge para tomar el té de la tarde o incluso el desayuno. Los alrededores son agradables con vajilla de porcelana y se les pide a las familias que los niños se porten bien (hay un restaurante familiar disponible en el sitio).El desayuno es excepcional con salchichas y tocino de buena calidad, hongos portabello, frijoles, huevo, tomate y pan de soda. Es una porción de tamaño perfecto con tomates de vid que no están demasiado cocidos y dulces. El personal es muy educado con una sonrisa de bienvenida y es un placer visitarlo.

A well and nicely laid out tea room, we were there first thing Saturday morning and had their sausage sandwich with coffee, The sausage was really tasty, thank you. It is order at counter, but brought over to you

On a saturday afternoon on the garden centre, which is always busy, it was nice to be able to get a table in the "adults only" haven. Scone cream and Jam was excellent but the baguette was a bit stale.

Oh my goodness, the queues were massive. Queued for 35 minutes to order food. Then waited for 30 minutes for the baguettes to arrive. Wish it had been worth it!

I was taken there by my daughter and family and had a fantastic tea there. Sandwiches and cakes all ex

I've been here before and the tea itself is good. The staff are friendly and the food is nice. The atmosphere is pleasant and feels like tea in the garden.

Except for the crying children who didn't stop all the time we were there, we had a lovely lunch. The steak open sandwich was beautifully cooked as was the hunter chicken. The service was good and the staff cheerful.

Very disappointing. Shuts at 4pm when the rest of the garden centre shuts at 5pm. Mildly ridiculous sign commanding that children must stay sitting down or face eviction (nice way to welcome families). Very expensive for everything (slice of cake £3.99, sandwiches £7+ etc). When the drinks arrived, the cups were dirty and had to be exchanged for clean ones.

The cafe was really busy but the food was served in a reasonable time and to be honest was worth the wait. We both couldn't fault our food hot fresh and very tasty loved it. We will definetly eat here again.

Love this place, lovely staff, decor, wonderful cakes, great lunch menu,food perfect. Sometimes have to wait for order as so popular, but well worth it

Good Lord this has got to be one of The most expensive cafes in the world!!!

Not my first visit to this place but definitely the worst service ever. It was busy but nonetheless 25 minutes in the queue and then 25 minutes more before 2 coffees and a tea arrived. In the meantime I cleared off a table for us to sit as the boy clearing tables was not motivated and had no idea of how to use his time efficiently. Other customers had to ask for their tables to be wiped clean. Seems to me that management at Whitehall think they have enough customers so they need not care how they treat them. Pity!!

I wanted somewhere to take mum for a birthday treat and this was perfect. Easy access as she has walking difficulties. Lots of seating, I went to order a couple of cream teas which were excellent and priced at £4.99 each. They brought them to the table which was very handy. She thoroughly enjoyed her birthday treat. Thanks.

I visited in April and the photographs listed are for the previous menu, it has changed so don't be surprised when you visit. We chose the pulled pork roll & sweet potato fries (now only on the specials board, sadly) and an Avocado & prawn salad which had LOTS of prawns in. It was very nice. It was quite busy at 12.30 so perhaps the fallout and debris of a busy lunch were not evident as it was very neat and tidy everywhere? Very nice staff.

We popped in for a drink and some cake....

This cafe in the WhiteHall Garden Centre is pretty terrible. A few things combined led to a really bad experience overall. Firstly: they have two great big signs outside the cafe saying that children who are noisy or crying are not welcome. Having two children myself, I find this really offensive. No one likes to hear children crying and creating a fuss, but also most people understand that it is sometimes very difficult to control these situations completely. Essentially, what the signs are saying is that young families are not welcome.

Why is afternoon tea so expensive ?? And the teapots are definitely not the cleanest !!! The bonus is there sign concerning children .. it's just a shame the staff have not been trained when it comes to dealing with obnoxious parents !!

We called in here yesterday for tea and scones and were served promptly and politely by the young staff. We ordered the cheese scones and butter which were delicious and still warm just out of the oven -the tea was very good served in vintage china as was the coffee and we chose to eat outside as he sun was making an appearance- a good decision as it was lovely and relaxing. There are plenty of tables inside for when the weather is not so kind all done out in a shabby chic style... lovely.

We were given a gift voucher for afternoon tea at this restaurant and we were not disappointed!

I took my parents in for lunch as a treat around mothers day. I booked the table before so on arriving it was ready for us to sit down straight away. It was so busy as I expected being mothers day weekend but I think the staff dealt with it really well. Myself & my mum had the afternoon tea which was as lovely as the 1st time we visited. And my dad had something off the main menu, all was lovely even though some of the cake was a little dry.

Spent the afternoon with my Mum as a late treat for mothers day, we visited whitehall garden centre to do a bit of garden shopping and stopped off to have some lunch at Lavender Lodge.

On a beautiful day it should have been a great opportunity for a refreshing cup of tea and a slice of cake but am afraid left us feeling disappointed. Not a busy afternoon in Lavender Lodge but service very poor, tables dirty and not cleaned promptly. Carrot cake my favourite was dry on one edge as though it had sat a while since it was cut. Ice cream was grainy and not soon to and creamy?

If you want to pay £8.49 for a sandwich on dry bread or £9.99 for an average salad served by moody teenagers then this is the place to go. Really poor value for money.

Relaxing and airy, much more pleasant to sit in than the main restaurant. Nicely decorated and a good selection to choose from on the lunch menu. A little pricey I thought, but nice for a change.

We enjoy going here quite often and it never fails to please. Very welcoming staff, coffee excellent and cakes amazing. Never overcrowded and quite quiet so you can chat easily. Thank you.

Not cheap but coffee is good and there is a great range of cakes. Nice environment. Very helpful staff when's we were there.

What a lovely tea room!! I've been here twice recently and it's been a great experience both times. Lavender Lodge Tea Room itself is large and spacious with big tables and a pretty decor. It's more of a traditional tea room than the main restaurant at the same garden centre (Whitehall), so you find a table first, then go up to the counter to place your order, then a member of staff brings everything to you at your table - drinks, food and cutlery. On both occasions all the staff were young but they were extremely polite and happy to help.

Make no mistake this is the Tea rooms at Whitehall Garden centre not the Restaurant.