Lowden Garden Centre in Wiltshire - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

I first visited Lowden restaurant over a year ago and found the staff in the restaurant to be dismissive and rude. Eager to say no before understanding what the question was. Either I was unable to order from a certain menu or they couldn’t fit us in as we were a table of 6, but we could see free tables not reserved. It was just a joke and an experience not to be forgotten. This weekend I thought I’d give it another go as there has been a refurb and time has passed, I had hoped for a better experience. I arrived and found that the new refurb'd restaurant wasn’t having people seated in there, I walked through it, found it empty and had to be seated outside. OK, (weird given you have just invested in its upgrade). I sat with my friend in the sun outside and was unsure how to order, we had no menu on our table and there were no directions from staff. I approached the outside “shed” which had 4 members of staff, stood there whilst I was being ignored. I gave it a few minutes then asked if I was in the right place to order. I was told I was and that someone would take my order soon. I waited longer, watching the 4 people in front of me sharing responsibility for making a cup of coffee. Another person arrived and I ordered a drink. After a while, a waiter walked past our table carrying a roast dinner, it looked lovely. It was approaching 12:15 so my friend went off to get a lunch menu. She came back laughing and tells me that we can’t have lunch. The kitchen has reached capacity, this was 12:15. At this point, the entire restaurant indoor seating area was empty, and the outside was about 75% capacity. We laughed and ordered a cheese scone which was duly delivered and thankfully it was very nice. We sat there and watched others ordering and having their roast dinners and then when we left at about 14:30 there were people still being given their roasts. So why we couldn’t order one, who knows…. I don’t. No explanation offered. All restaurant staff had faces like slapped backsides. Lots of staff looking very busy, with little output. I would suggest that to have such misery, disconnect from customers and lack of care, the management of these people must be quite poor. Oh and then to top it off. Next to our outdoor seat were a couple of dog turds (pics attached). Not really the fault of the team, but if you are going to allow dogs you have to check for these things. When a member of staff walked past just as we were leaving, I pointed out the pooh and was not met with the response I would expect. The farm shop was thankfully a different experience altogether.

Just wanted to thank Lowdens cafe staff for a rare act of kindness. I visited this excellent garden centre this afternoon with my family and decided to have coffee and cake. Rather clumsily I knocked my full mug of Latte over on the table flooding it and the floor. The staff replaced my drink for free even though I offered to pay and cleaned the large spillage up quickly and efficiently - that's what I call old fashioned service! Lovely drinks and food and service with a smile - fantastic!!!

We ordered the pancakes and bacon with maple syrup, when they come there was only 3 of them but they were at least 1inch thick and more like pan fried sponge cake very dense and heavy thank goodness they were swimming in maple syrup to moisten them up but it soon got soaked up and left the 2 top pancakes without any syrup very difficult to eat, bacon was fantastic why couldnt the chef make nice slim ones and then they would have been fabulous we wont be ordering them again

Unbelievably slow service. I visited Lowden for breakfast recently and when we arrived we were told it would be a long wait for food as they were busy so we decided just to have coffee. We went again today and it wasn’t busy at all but it took 45 minutes for our food to arrive. The restaurant has seemed quite disorganised recently and won’t be visiting again for a while.

The restaurant was very busy when we arrived so my daughter and I were lucky to get a table as we hadn't booked. We had the delicious brie and chorizo homemade quiche with chips and salad. It was delicious and very filling. Great service. Thank you for squeezing us in, it was much appreciated 😀

Lovely food, big portions. Took three ladies from my nursing home for lunch. 6 of us in total. Booked a table easily and there was space for three wheelchairs. Staff were very accommodating. Gift shop a bit pricey but we all had a superb day and will be returning again

Really disappointing with the changes. Too far to walk to the Barn on crutches, not as easily accessible as it once was, so had to settle for cardboard cup and cake in a box. Ordered hot food which was burnt and rock hard. Staff didn't care. They don't smile anymore. I personally won't bother going again. It use to be a great place with fantastic atmosphere, service and great food. Loved it was so dog friendly too. Such a shame come on Lowden sort yourselves out.

Just had a roast dinner-here for a family birthday. filthy, sticky table. just asked for a cloth/ quick wipe down waitresses said it had already been done. Had too go and find some one for condiments etc.. very disjointed self serving lunch. . very surly faced staff. apart from a lovey young waitress. Disappointed & probably wont go back as their are far more inviting places too eat around the area.the food was nice but luke warm.

Used to be my favourite place to go to meet friends for a coffee. Was really looking forward to seeing the renovation. SO disappointed went into the cafe side . No longer a table service so had to go up and get drinks when name called, drnks served in paper cups, food served paper boxes. I had a cheese scone with butter - how do you cut and butter a scone in a box? Don’t understand why they have changed it. I was perfect before, they have ruined it. Very much doubt I will go back which is a shame as I used to go often. Will be looking for a new favourite now.

So much better in the Barn. Food very good. Atmosphere so much nicer. No dogs barking or being a nuisance. I am not the only one to say this about dogs, other people, that have eaten in the Barn have also said it is so much nicer without dogs. We go out for a quiet coffee/lunch/ etc and it is often spoilt by DOGS barking and getting in the way. I am a dog lover, but I would not take a dog to any eating place.

Popped in for Coffee etc this morning. Wow, loved this Barn more than usual Restaurant. What a beautiful building. Once usual restaurant reopened this will be used for Weddings and other large events. The Archways leading to it will make lovely wedding photos.

I’m reasonably local - I’ve visited on numerous occasions- mostly breakfast. I love the setting, full of plants and trees and log fires. Breakfast is excellent quality as you’d hope from a farm shop; great sausages , bacon and lovely coffee additionally. Staff I’ve found d are always friendly even if busy. Note that it’s not table service but I don’t think this detracts from the overall experience. Great garden centre to have a look around afterwards with lots of tempting buys. Couldn’t recommend enough!

My husband and I had a lovely Roast Beef lunch here on the Thursday before Christmas. The Beef was well cooked, lovely and tender. It was served with a huge, delicious Yorkshire Pud, 5 Roasties, several Parsnips and good size bowl of Veg. Carrots and Red Cabbage were cooked perfectly. Our only compliant was the Brussels, which were very undercooked... and that's coming from people that don't like overcooked veggies.

Tried the cafe for the first time, I was really looking forward to it. But unfortunately I would never go back. We ordered a cookie dough milkshake and a banana milkshake and was told they had no cookie dough. So we ordered two banana only to be told after 15 mins of waiting they can only do vanilla. So we went for vanilla and I couldn’t even finish it. It was just frothy milk, no taste what so ever. We also ordered a brownie and a flapjack and they were dry and rock hard. I’m glad we didn’t choose anything off the lunch menu because the prices are ridiculous for a cafe. I don’t mind paying a bit more for a premium product but this certainly wasn’t. We then went and bought sourdough bread and some butter in the farm shop for £10!! And the bread was dry and stale like it was 2 days old. The one positive is the butter was very nice. Very disappointed.

We are from out of area and needed somewhere to meet family as a middle ground and saw this was halfway. We saw online that you could book a table but as it was last minute and just a garden centre we thought it would be ok to just turn up for brunch because it didn’t look as if booking was imperative. Anyway got there and there was a sign saying no more space for walk ins. We asked the lady and she said we could be seated for coffee and cake but nothing else. Was a bit standoffish actually. Anyway we took that and sat down. The table we were on had a reservation for 1.45pm. It was currently 11.30 so plenty of time to get off the table before it was taken again. Cakes were a bit on the dry side so bit disappointed about that, the server wasn’t that friendly and two of us had to send our coffees back as they were barely warm. Our experience in the garden centre shop was fab the staff were super friendly and helpful, however in the restaurant it was mixed, I appreciate that we were given a table even when it said you had no space for walkins so that was good, however what I fail to understand is why we couldn’t have ordered breakfast or lunch? Why did we have to only have cake? There was a good 2 hours and 15 mins till the next booking, what was stopping you saying guys you can have food but order quickly and we need you out by 1.45 due to a booking?…… I feel like it would have made a better customer experience. Or failing that - explain why we could only have cake so that we understood.

The quality of food at this restaurant/cafe is just terrific. Salmon and scrambled eggs on sourdough toast with a cup of black coffee is possibly my favourite thing in the world and here they do it brilliantly. Staff are cheerful and polite (which given how busy they are is to their credit). Environment is a high volume cafe accessible to families and dog owners yet they serve food that would shame expensive low volume boutique hotels and bistros. It must be a very motivated and well led kitchen brigade. Knocks spots off the garden centre offerings nearby that would fancy themselves as competitors.

First visit for a year or so. Still so noisy in the restaurant that you can hardly hear each other. Just ordered and paid for two coffees which were very average and arrived after twenty minute wait. The food going around looked excellent but the noise is still excessive.

Many thanks to chef for the amazing scrambled eggs, not sure what you do to make them so tasty but they're honestly the business! Delicious brunch, great location surrounded by beautiful hanging plants, and friendly staff. Hope to be back soon

Not impressed. Shown to a table. Given a poorly printed menu. And left. No explanation of system. Finally realised had to order at the counter and food brought to table. Plenty of staff but tables left uncleared as they did not collect on their return with empty hands! Coffee was only warm. Cakes were dry. Not at all cheap/value for money. Not at all impressed. Farm shop had plenty of empty shelves Not busy either! On a positive note. Pretty outside eating area and clean loos. I had been impressed with lockdown arrangements. Wish they were still in place!

A lovely garden centre but even better restaurant, food here is one of the best around and you won’t be disappointed, we have never had anything but good quality meals and excellent service by all, you may need to book a table as it gets quite busy at peak times

Have not been here for a while and popped in for a quick visit at the weekend and it did not disappoint. A cracking little spot. Will be back when we have more time.

Lowden restaurant never fails to deliver, on all levels. The staff are friendly, helpful and efficient and serve up excellent food at affordable prices. Three of us went for Sunday lunch. Everything was perfectly cooked, with scrumptious crispy pork cracklin, a good selection of veg...

We booked in advance to take my very elderly parents for Sunday lunch. Unfortunately, my Father was unable to attend due to illness. Upon arrival I asked if we could have a takeaway beef dinner so he didn’t miss out on a proper meal that...

We have been going g to Lowden for many years now and always enjoyed good food, lovely cakes and excellent service but today I think my wife had the worst cappuccino I have ever seen, it might have been dishwater, the replacement wasn't much better,...

We enjoyed our trip to Lowden garden centre. We were seated in the side extension serving sandwiches, coffee and cake - which we all enjoyed. A good variety of plants and accessories for any gardener. The farm shop was also a nice addition to explore...

Terrible experience. Long wait for food and drinks and when it eventually came order was both wrong and cold. No apology and rude response from staff when refund was requested. Sent email of complaint immediately and didn't even get an acknowledgment.

Visited Lowden while on way back from Bath with a friend. It was 12.30, very busy, as we hadn't booked a table we had to wait a few minutes. Food was great. Will book next time to ensure we have a table

Had an excellent roast lamb Sunday lunch. Everything was cooked to perfection. Managed to squeeze in a slice of Victoria sandwich afterwards which again was so nice. We will definitely recommend and return.

Very expensive, two eggs and chips £15, poor service, my wife waited 55 minutes for her food having sent the original dish back when the fish cake was cold and had many bones in it. Waitress suggested their fishcakes always had bones in it, but...

Despite being really busy, we were seated quickly by friendly helpful staff. Lovely atmosphere surrounded by plants, with log burners blazing. Within 10 minutes of ordering, our tea and coffee was served. Food followed shortly afterwards. Really efficient service from the staff. We had a...

I'm so glad I didn't read the reviews on this place before our visit! Our experience was great! Best burger I've had for a very long time - sweet potato fries in abundance and a lovely atmosphere to go with it! We sat by the...

Visited for lunch today. Given table and menus swiftly and ordering was easy at the till. Drinks came within a few minutes and good followed within 5 minutes. Great good and service, friendly staff. Well worth a visit

We arrived at 1.30 for a Sunday lunch that my mum was treating us to. Unfortunately both vegetarian options had run out. As 2 out of 3 of us are veggie, this was not a great start to lunch. The really annoying thing is how...

I have nothing good to say about this place, and my main concern is the welfare of the staff. I visited in the summer (big mistake) and you are instantly hit with scorching heat. I heard the owner commenting 'well it is a greenhouse' yes,...

Poor slow service, cold food & coffee. Pathetic cheeseboard. Terrible attitude of managerial staff when we complained. Used to be an excellent place for lunch- not any longer.

Weekday lunchtime and advisable to book which is a good sign. Homemade quiche was excellent, very tasty and good portion. Fries and salad good. Price fair. Pudding was best homemade fruit crumble I’ve had for a long time - large chunks of tasty fruit, perfect...

Had lunch here with my family on the weekend. It was ok, nothing special. I was disappointed with the stone baked pizza, it wasn’t cooked for long enough and looked rather anaemic. Didn’t think it was worth the money as for only a couple of...

Nice but very noisy cafe. Generally good if pricy food, but i do wish they'd cook their bacon well enough. It's good thick bacon but undercooked makes ot tough. Shame for otherwise good breakfast and sandwiches.

Food was ok. Coffee was overpriced and tasted of dishwater. Very popular place though! All the plants were out of our price range. Back on the bikes now to burn off the calories!

This was a truly great surprise. A fabulous place to have a breakfast with excellent food, beautiful surroundings and the garden centre next door is extremely nice too.

What a very pleasant surprise our visit to Lowden Garden centre was on a hot Wednesday morning. We went for coffee - and ended up having an amazing breakfast. Large portions and interesting menu- but the highlight for us was the three or four electric...

Called in on spec for lunch, and was pleasantly surprised with how the restaurant had expanded and improved since my last visit, some time ago. The menu choices were exceptional, and we chose Steak and Stilton, and Salmon Fishcakes. Both were superbly presented, by pleasant,...

I normally love this restaurant, i took my mum here for a birthday lunch. Unfortunately a member of staff were unbelievably rude, didnt listen, didnt want to understand. We left and went opposite to the golden fleece who were cheaper for lunch and did table...

We revisited a week later after our first visit .Ordered the same small breakfasts ,but eggs were cold and the rest was not as nice as our first visit .We were really disappointed as we had praised the first time ,this is common in food...

I found this garden centre on the net and had to try it and it was absolutely brilliant , girls are nice , place is nice , food is nice .What more can I say. We ordered two small breakfasts £8.50 ( you pick 3...

When we visited the restaurant was fully booked for lunch so we just had coffee and cake. I had the fruit flapjack and it was awesome, incredibly dense and filling and probably the best I've ever had. The coffee and walnut cake was good too....

We are regular lunchers here because the food is usually so good. The regular menu needs updating as a change would be good. Today I had the fish and chips and and there was a long wait as so busy. No garden peas only mushy...

We visited this cafe pre-pandemic & were impressed with it. However, our visit for breakfast today was extremely disappointing. The prices seem to have risen dramatically, service was slow & food not good at all. I ordered “creamy scrambled eggs” with smoked salmon - the...

Have stopped here a few times for Saturday lunch and Sunday Roasts. Always accommodating when we ask for the table we like. Staff are welcoming and friendly. The Sunday roasts are huge and one of the best I’ve had. My granddaughter came with us one...

Came to lowden garden centre today for coffee and cake after being before a roast and found them helpful with my intolerance. Was left disappointed by the fact they had a large range of vegan and gluten free cakes but no gluten and dairy free....

A good mainstay in the area, but difficult to get into. The food is good and the service friendly. One small thing, there are lots of wasps in the restaurant in hot weather.

We hadn’t visited the ‘restaurant’ for a while and thought we would treat ourselves to a Christmas lunch. On arrival we were shown to our table right away but given very little time to use hand sanitiser which was a bit worrying. The last time...

Stopped off at Lowden Garden center for lunch. Had a great burger and the wife had a lovely Mediterranean quiche….but the best bit was the key lime pie dessert. Good potion size and was probably the best key lime pie I’ve ever had. It was...

Love coming here for brunch or lunch. The food is always freshly cooked to order and never fails to hit the spot. The service is also great.

Visited this eatery after searching the interweb for breakfasts on the way to Bath. Lowden had good reviews and so we thought we'd give it a try - glad we did. Whilst the garden centre to me is pretty much like every other garden centre...

Visited for lunch. In view of the good reviews, I was disappointed with the meal we had. The menu is somewhat restricted and the food was average compared to similar venues. Meals are ordered at the counter. The staff were helpful and friendly. The restaurant...

Have visited here several times over the years and food has always been hearty and tasty with excellent service. However, standards seem to be have slipped considerably. Yesterday, we had a booking for lunch and after queueing were shown to our table. It was less...

After a big spend in the garden centre we stayed for a coffee.Shown to a table outside next to the fish pond.Ordered 2 coffees and a mammoth Shortbread [not cheap at £2.95] After waiting over 15 minutes the coffees were served.They were quite tasty but...

This restaurant is well worth a visit. Went at a busy time - Saturday lunch - so had a long wait from ordering to food delivery but to be fair, there is a notice displayed advising delay in peak times. The kitchen team here know...

We had a roast beef and all the accompanying veg and potatoes. The beef was just perfect, it melted in my mouth. The vegetables were cooked just as I like them. Also liked the gravy was in a jug

I was a bit torn on how to review this. The food looked amazing (I say looked as we gave up waiting) but the service is terrible. A previous reviewer described it as ‘pedestrian’ & that’s spot on. The lady running front of house didn’t...

Loveliest restaurant, so glad we discovered it on our trip to Wiltshire. The restaurant is really big, and was very busy considering it was a Thursday morning! The decor was gorgeous and the staff were incredibly enthusiastic and professional. Our breakfast was delicious, I had...

Stopped for a light lunch we had sandwich’s with fry’s ‘ the portions are very large and great quality we found the service fantastic thanks for a great lunch

Popped in here on route to Bath for breakfast after some general searches. Friendly welcome at entrance and escorted to table. Sanitisers available at entrance and vast majority were wearing masks. The breakfasts were well cooked and the ingredients a good quality a far higher...

Since the outdoor venues have been allowed to open, I have visited Lowden on a number of occasions and have never been disappointed! The restaurant/cafe is usually our main reason for visiting but we always peruse the garden centre and have bought pots and plants...

Never answers the phone, just answer a simple question of stock availability to save people travelling miles to discover you have no stock - employ more people. Very poor service.

Lovely garden with seating by a fish pond. Lovely cake selection!! A very pleasant atmosphere. Vegan and GF cakes too.

fabulous Roast,absolutely 1st class. plenty of it. No washing up !!!! will have it again. was so well presented lots of lovely vegetables.

AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING... After collection armed with cooking instructions I thought O M G buying a DIY dinner. Absolutely misplaced. Superb , Chicken , Belly of pork with loads of crackling. The best roast potatoes with garlic, and rosemary. Red cabbage, purple sprouting, roast honey glazed carrots/parsnips and swede. Plus the best home made yorkshire which you heat up for 5 mins. And gravy. It all comes in separate containers. Instructions tell you lids on or off. Suitable for all. All done and dusted within 35 mins. 5 ***** . Cant be beaten i don't reckon. Thank you. We so hope in this covid environment businesses like this can thrive .

Friendly, helpful and knowledgeable staff. Attractive neat and tidy. Well organised. Restaurant does take way for lockdown and breakfast!Great coffee. Lovely rock buns too. Meals varied and tasty. Helpful and obliging with excellent knowledge of the stock. Great gift shop. Lovely farm shopDogs allowed. Highly recommended

My partner and I absolutely love a visit to Lowdens - it never fails to impress!! Great service and really great food in a lovely location.

I’m giving them 5 stars cos the crumble was amazing but very annoyed that they had run out of quiche and cheese scones by lunchtime. Service was really slow though to be fair, it was extremely busy. However they redeemed themselves with the apple and pear crumble with a little jug of custard lol.

I regularly visit the restaurant at Lowdens with my family. The food is delicious and the service is fantastic. Particularly impressed with how they’re continuously adapting to the ever-changing Covid situation. We always feel very safe! Thank you to everyone at Lowdens!

We had a lovely visit the other day, got a couple of plants for the garden and had an AMAZING lunch in the restaurant. The service was really well managed, lots of space between people ect. Would definatly go again

I visited this restaurant for lunch with three friends. The food was delicious but the service needs work and its pedestrian nature would make me think twice about eating here again, or recommending it to others.Our server arrived to take our order and we asked for one more minute, she said she would return. Ten minutes later we had to attract her attention,as she walked by, to ask to place our order. She was extremely pleasant and our soup arrived promptly. However, once we had finished, we ordered coffee. This took over fifteen minutes to arrive. Quite frankly, this is just not acceptable in my opinion. I also happened to notice that customers on another table had to ask twice for their bill.The restaurant’s trade was steady, it was not particularly busy but, to be honest, even if it had been, this should not be a problem for customers. Poor service is not acceptable and, from looking at other reviews, this appears to something that can pose a problem at Lowden - yet doesn’t appear to have been addressed. Such a pity, as it has so many other things going for it!

I am overwhelmed by my visit to Lowden garden centre today, I had the most exquisite time in the garden centre where I was well looked after by all staff who knew eveything I wanted to know. It was a such a lovely environment to explore with a range of products that flabbergasted my taste. I really do recommend a visit with the whole family if ever nearby. Date visited: 4th October 2020

I had booked a table for myself & my two daughters, one of my daughters arrived separately & stood waiting to be shown to our table for 8 minutes & in the end we had to ask a member of staff to let her in, I must add that there were 4 members of staff stood doing nothing at this point, we then waited another 20 minutes & had to ask twice if someone could come & take our order, the food arrived fairly promptly but the quiche was only Luke warm & I know we should have complained but by this point we all just wanted to eat our lunch & leave ,never to return. We also had my 2 year old grandson with us & I noticed a lot of other children in the restaurant but there is no kids menu which seems ridiculous to me .

15 minute wait to get in. 20 minute wait at the table to put the order in. 25 minute wait and the meals arrive with the drinks. Cappuccinos no chocolate. Eggs Florentine eggs hard not soft. Sausage Pattie with cheese and duck egg. No cheese, no tomato sauce and an egg you could bounce. Poor food and appalling service.

We stopped here on arrival in Wiltshire for a 3 day break. Whilst we've had some lovely meals during our stay, the pesto gnocchi and bread and butter pudding was just amazing! We then wandered around the garden centre itself and bought a few bits and pieces - what a lovely start to our stay.We'll definitely be back.

It was my first time at lowden restaurant but my friends come here often.The place is so beautiful, the atmosphere feels safe and alive but calm at the same time.Our food was plentiful and so delicious !The service was amazing, I hear the staff have had to adapt to the new way of table service due to Covid-19, and I must say they’re doing a great job !I wouldn’t have changed anything, really was a lovely experience, and I’ll be coming here in the future.Thankyou so much for making such a lovely place to eat and socialise with family and friends, it really was like nothing else

We visit lowden most weekends for coffee and cake and I have no idea what is going on with the staff lately but the service is dreadful! On bank holiday Monday we were kept waiting outside for half an hour for a table Even though there were plenty of clean tables and the garden area was empty! The small blond waitress kept coming over to the queue stating they couldn’t find the person who seats everybody? Then when we finally got seated the small blond waitress came over to take our order and then she got our order wrong?! Sort it out lowden! Good food but your staff are really letting you down!

Enjoyed breakfast here last week. Clean environment, good food and good customer service. Was surprised my details weren’t taken for track and trace purposes though.

Lovely restaurant. Amazing food. Lovely staff - when you see them. Take a flag and an air horn if you want service though.

Visited today for the very first time... this will be the last..... we were seated to our seat very quickly however we waited 10 mins to be asked what we would like (it was only by chance the customer next to us made a comment) after given our order the lady questioned us “do you not want breakfast?” (If I wanted breakfast then I would of asked for it) after a further 10 mins awaiting for drinks (because that’s all we ordered) it was rather disappointing to notice that the the staff were not socially distancing, our menus were placed back into the pile where other customers were given them.... Little gross.. the service was very slow and the customer service was very poor. “When a customer asks if you have something you should reply with “unfortunately not however we do have this...”

Have now eaten here twice during eat out to help out. This place really knows what they are doing with food. Something for everyone healthy and very well preparedStaff were also excellent and having to work in the August heat. All the social distancing was very well organised. Can find no faults at all. Look forward to returning.

Went for breakfast, staff on the door to show to seats and hand sanitizer to use on way in. Good choice of meals and plenty of food on the plates. Staff very friendly, though could have been a little more organised at times. Bit of confusion over paying as had to go to the counter when expected service at the table but on the whole a lovely place to eat.

We met friends here for breakfast. It was clean and spaced out. There were 7 of us which meant we had to have two tables of 4 and couldn't move them due to government guidance. The food all came out at the same time and was all hot and tasty. A great place for breakfast .

Return visit but not been for some timeWell organised, went through hygiene procedures & taken to a table outside near fish poolSlow service initially Disappointed to have food served like a "takeaway"It was very difficult to get the jam out of the jar & spread it with flimsy knife onto scone, same with the cream & butterMy wife's tea served with tea bag in & milk already added, no way of controlling quantity of milk, therefore tea was so milky it was "undrinkable"Certainly not up to the standard we have had here beforeWill certainly think twice about returning

I visited the restaurant at Lowden Garden Centre after its reopening and was very impressed at the measures taken there to make it COVID safe. We were greeted by a friendly member of staff who sprayed our hands with sanitiser and took the name and phone number of one of our party (which was voluntary) for track and trace purposes. Our drinks were brought to us and we then opted to sit in the beautiful outdoor space. Outside the toilets there was a table with hand sanitiser for customers to use before entering the toilets. The measures taken ensured we felt safe during our visit. Thank you Lowden for taking the safety of your staff and customers seriously and ensuring a pleasant, stress free visit!

My Mother loves to garden, but since her ill health and lack of mobility, visits to garden centres are somewhat of a challenge. Last week, to cheer my Mum up we went in search of a clematis to Lowden. After a lap of the path, we couldn’t find the required plant, so I asked an Assistant where they were. Before heading off I enquired as if was wheelchair accessible (Mum sitting in it with me). The Assistant assured me it would be fine, so off we headed. After 30 minutes pushing, pulling and dragging my Mum in her chair, having got stuck twice, we gave up and headed out. It’s such a shame as she was so happy being outside amongst the flowers and plants, but sadly her entire experience was so stressful, I don’t think we can ever go back there again

Lovely place have a brilliant selection of different dishes. Amazing selection of cakes including gluten free

We visited Lowden unexpectedly with an unwell member of the family. Easy access to the restaurant was helpful. The food was quickly delivered to our table and was delicious. Portions are generous. It was busy but the staff were helpful and pleasant. After the meal we enjoyed browsing in the shop.

Super combination of a nursery with staff who know their plants - and give excellent advice (we have found) plus a great cafe for a whole range of food options.

On a wet cold day, it was a delight to wander around garden centre (which seems to be independant, a rarity these days) and conclude in a log fire heated restaurant. Despite being busy ( good sign given weather) service was good and helpful. Delicious choice of food, more unusual choices making a nice change, thank you.

This restaurant in a garden centre is deservedly popular. Quite a large restaurant with a nice ambience and nearly always busy. (Frequent queues at lunch time.) There are good soups, a range of American-style sandwiches, served with good chips and a variety of hot dishes that change from day to day. Good coffee and a selection of interesting-looking cakes and pastries. Good local beers and cider (bottled). We go there quite frequently and have never been disappointed. One of the better places in the area.

Visited for breakfast which I do regularly however on his occasion the service wasn't great. Some of the order waa I correct too. This was sorted out quickly and the food was great.

Nice area, not enough vegan options If you are plant based it’s not a good place to come, only 1 option ( which was very bland )

Visited here on a Friday day time with family who live in Atworth. We where absolutely shattered as we had traveled down from Liverpool the night before but this was a great place for a well deserved brunch with coffee! Turned up at around 11ish and there where a few tables available but it was certainly a busy place. First thing i noticed was the abundance of woodburners! There are three in the cafe with a woodburning pizza oven as well. It must take a small forest to heat this place! It was lovely and warm. I wouldn't have liked to have turned up 20 or so mins later because the place was absolutely full with no tables and the que at the till for service was ridiculous so we turned up at a good time. Price is reasonable for what it is and i would say the service is average. Had to wait 15 mins for our drinks and when they came a woman with black hair in a bob just slammed them down on our table in a "help yourself" manner, she wasn't pleasant. Food came about 20 mins later which was fine as the place was busy. Food was lovely, no complaints. Would i visit again? Yes i would but i wouldn't go later than 11. I probably would suggest that more staff are needed at the till and an online reservation system as you probably would need to pre-book for this place if you want to attend after half 11 in the morning.

We tried to book a table on a Saturday at 11.30 a.m. to be told that the restaurant was fully booked. Question: How can a restaurant be booked from 11.30 a.m. to 5 p.m. unless there was a special function going on? Despite this, we decided to turn up anyway, as we had found this difficult to believe. On arrival, the restaurant was busy but there were a number of tables available. We ordered our food and after 30 mins wait, it had not arrived. We chased it up, only to be told that there was in fact a 30 minute wait which we had not been told of at the till! 5 mins later the food arrived only for us to discover that our food was stone cold! We informed the staff and they took the food away and re-heated it. The food was okay but not up to the normal standards of this restaurant. We regularly visit the restaurant at Lowden and we have to say that the standards have dropped considerably and the staff seem unhappy in their work. This is not a 'one off' experience but something we have noticed for the last few weeks. The whole atmosphere in the restaurant seemed frantic and I'm not sure whether the new system of delivering everything to the table is working. On another note, If you are going to deliver drinks to table, you should also deliver the essentials such as teaspoons, sugar etc. as it makes a mockery of table service if, having had your drinks served at the table, you then realise that you have to get up and go to the servery to get your own sugars, spoons, knives etc. Perhaps there is a lack of direction and control in the restaurant following the departure of Kate. Only time will tell, but we will give this restaurant a break for a while. Have always enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere here and I am sad to give a negative review.

Went to visit today, had a look around the garden centre and decided to try to visit the restaurant for coffee and cake.