National Memorial Arboretum Restaurant in Lichfield

A fascinating and poignant day. Superbly laid out. So much there but ample space for quiet contemplation. Well done the Royal British Legion.

We were pleasantly surprised by the catering facilities. There was a good choice of hot food and sandwiches all clearly labelled for allergies Friendly staff and a nice spacious area to eat The food was good and very reasonably priced We had lunch in the main restaurant when we arrived and pooped into the coffee shop for a scone and warm drink when we had finished looking around

This is a bright spacious restaurant. Plenty of seats / tables available. Some of the tables have fantastic views of the arboretum, We visited on a wet, rainy and grim day. It was nice to get indoors for a hot drink. Even though everyone was treading in grass cuttings and wet footprints the staff worked hard to keep it very clean. There is a great range of cold drinks and snacks available. There’s hot and cold food on offer. We had very good sandwiches, coffee and cake. All were delicious and what we felt was good value. The hot choices we saw looked very good.

We were pleasantly surprised at the reasonable prices here, since it has the only eating place in striking distance of the National Memorial Arboretum. It is a cafeteria in style, but offers hot main meals as well as sandwiches and snacks. There was good vegetarian choice, and staff are pleasant and helpful.

Coeliac friendly. Lots of choice of gluten free foods including jacket potatoes and other hot meals. Knowledgeable and caring staff. Great to be able to eat out safely without worry. Thank you.

Good honest homemade food in a "large" mass food environment Always a good choice with all vegetables included. Superb value for money

Interesting and informative. Well informed guides, excellent cafe/ restaurant, easy to get to , a good walk . We go twice per year with different friends and like to find memorials they and we have a family connection with. The Polish Memorial and the Prisoners of War in the Far East area are particularly interesting. No entrance fee but DONATIONS quite rightly strongly encouraged .

This was a really pleasurable experience with a good selection of hot and cold drinks, appetising snacks, as well as meals on offer, all at sensible prices. The restaurant is well managed, efficient and spotlessly clean. Motorway service stations should visit this restaurant to learn how to cater properly.

Good selection of snacks and more substantial meals, well-prepared and tasty. Friendly staff. Fair prices, especially as profits go to the Arboretum.

Great choice of home made cakes for a sugary treat and coffee at very reasonable prices. Very well managed process to keep your distance during Covid. Plenty of outdoor space (tables & chairs) in the courtyard.

With limited tables due to social distancing and a busy pre-booked day after our walk around we needed a drink, excellent service, good food and great cuppa.

Considering the current epidemic it was extremely easy to make a booking for the restaurant on our arrival. Shown to table at allocated time and the order was placed quickly and efficiently by the young waitress. French onion soup (could have been hotter) followed by a superb gammon steak with all the trimmings (far too many chips).. Tables were very clean as was cutlery. All staff were very pleasant and attentive. A very good experience.

We took my Canadian cousins to visit as a family member was a Lancaster bomber pilot who was killed near the end of WWII aged 21. We also share a great uncle who was killed in WW1 aged 19. All of us were very touched by the wonderful layout of the Arboretum and the atmosphere was awesome: so peaceful and beautiful.

After walking around the Arboretum for a couple of hours a cup of tea and a light lunch was exactly what was required. The large restaurant is corvid distanced and sanitized. You require the reference number given when booked to use the facility including the toilet facilities. The food and drinks were excellent and the staff were friendly and helpful. Well worth a visit

We had prebooked our table to sit inside the restaurant. Due to social distancing there are significantly fewer tables, which meant our 45minute wait for our food was bizarre. The wait staff were fabulous, and took our order quickly but sadly for them the 'boss lady' appeared to be in a grumpy mood as she was constantly on at them, however they stayed calm and polite to customers. A limited menu, fairly priced (we went on a Wednesday, and got the 50% discount, which was a bonus!). The food was hot and tasty, but my score reflects the too-long wait for it to be brought out to us.

After a few hours in the arboretum, it's great to make for the restaurant and enjoy a warming hot meal

Spent the whole day at the arboretum and popped in for a light lunch (having had a huge breakfast earlier in the day!). I must admit that my first impressions were that the design of the self service restaurant was quite "Motorway Services" but the prices and definitely the quality of the food and service were far from!!! Yes, choices may have been a little limited for some when it came to a substantial meal, but the minestrone soup and leek and potato soup served with a generous slice of freshly made bread were perfect for us and represented great value.Additionaly on noticcing me looking confused at the self service coffee machine with an already well laden tray to have a staff member volunteer to get our coffee and bring it across to our table was a wonderful and totally unexpected bonus.

Stopped here for breakfast and it was very good. Hubby had the full English and I had sausage and egg sandwich and both were great. Really good hot chocolate too.

Very large restaurant that is comfortable and efficient. Decent menu which included freshly made sandwiches to order. There was a choice of 2 soups, both very good.

We both found the food available very competitively priced and of good quality. Spacious seating in well lit area.Has a good feel that makes you want to visit again.Other reports refer to the speed of the food service- suggest the problem is the relatively confined space of the actual servery which concertinas the customers together.

The food is absolutely gorgeous and I am really glad we chose to eat here and not to bring a packed lunch. So much choice the the staff were extremely friendly. Very well priced and great quality.

We thoroughly enjoyed our breakfast experience here. Excellent, friendly service, delicious food and all encompassed within a beautiful place. Value for money.

As aprt of teh visit we decided to have an early lunch - before the rush came in. It was a good move becasue as we finished people were piling. It is worth taking a look around before choosing your meal. We were originally going for sandwiches ( agood selction) but noticed the salad bar. You can make choices about what you want for the main element (pie/meat etc) and then you can help yourself to a very choice of salad. It turned out to be a really good choice.There are - as stated- good selections of other foods - with a hot counter as well.The slowest part was getting hot drinks- mostly due to people not really understanding what to do. Also if youlook around there are a number of outlets where you can get coffee etc- some become vacant so be prepared to move .Overall-well recommended

I came with a coach party, so suddenly very busy, but the front catering staff could not have been more helpful. Returning for lunch the choice and quality was excellent, again friendly front staff. Delicious!!

We had booked a private room for an outing and chose a one course menu for a set price. The menu was put on our table and included a pudding. However when we came to order the pies on the menu we were told they were not available and a completely different dish was offered. We were also told the offer of a pudding was a mistake and was not included. We then saw that the pies we wanted were being offered to the other table in the room and were available in the main restaurant. The cost of the food we ordered including tea and coffee would actually have been cheaper had we chosen to eat in the main restaurant! When one of our party asked to see the manager, the manager offered no apology at all and immediately blamed the poor waitress. We were given free puddings as a means of compensation but only when we suggested it! Poor service but the food was good and plentiful - just we were unable to get what we wanted and were originally offered!

stoped for coffee like you do, the hot chocolate drink was so good, we all had cake and was amazed how good they all were ,nice and clean, friendly staff reasonably priced

Food good. Staff very much under pressure the day we visited but where coping. Shelves where being filled permanently as things where disappearing very quickly. Prices very good.

Good choice of food plenty of seating both indoors and outdoors. Snacks cakes hot and cold food and selection of hot and cold drinks available

The restaurant is quite good and would have generally attracted a higher rating had it not been for one of the meal options from the menu. My wife ordered a jacket potato with tuna mayo. The potato was okay but this must be the first time we have been presented with a lonely potato without at least a salad garnish; this was a surprise and disappointing as we felt that the meal was incomplete. Apparently salad or vegetables would be at extra cost. We wouldn't have minded an extra 50p added to the price of the meal to cover a small side salad - perhaps the management should consider this.

Quick visit had an excellent jacket potato with lots of cheese. Really nice to see a separate rand of gluten free products for sale as well. Very clean and friendly

Very fresh and excellent, friendly service. Lots of choice including vegetarian options. Plenty of seating.

The Memorial gardens exceeded our expectation. There is too much to see for one visit and so we will go back. The restaurant was a very pleasant surprise and it did a very good Sunday roast at a reasonable price.

Lovely coffee and helpful staff. We didn't try the food but it was well presented and looked vert tempting.

A lovely place for lunch or a snack. The staff are very helpful and friendly. There is even a cafe on the opposite side of the square. I think it is a little expensive. Especially if you are there with all the family.

We spent the day in the Memorial Gardens and lunched at the restaurant, which is a light, airy, and roomy space. We thoroughly enjoyed both the food and the surroundings - a great place for people watching.

Our family of 4 spent a good few hours wandering around reading the many memorials to the hundreds of thousands that have given there lives so we can live ours. A must do trip to do as a family

Visited the Crown twice in the last week with grandchildren. We all loved the fish and chips, pleasant waitress and lovely dining area.

Four of us had a lunch which was included in our Tailor Made Tour. The meal was really good, well cooked and delicious. Lots of good vegetables and potatoes in a separate dish to help ourselves to.

Stopped by the Arboretum restaurant for lunch. No surprises and certainly no disappointments. Good honest grub. Well done Kitchen Team.

From salads and snacks to hearty meals, and coffee and desert (and even a couple of beers), it’s all served in a thoroughly modern setting. The baked potato was voided properly, and came with plenty of filling. The steak and veg pie was good, but seemed to have a lot of pastry to filling, but possibly because I had an end piece.

Had some sandwiches for lunch and then back for ice cream later. Prices OK but the system is a bit chaotic

Had a rather lovely cream tea. Scones were fantastic. Proper clotted cream and jam in nice little pots. Tea super and hot x

Very good value for money and the portion sizes are huge. Very light and airy reetaurant overlooking the memorials.

We just wanted a snack, and were very pleased with the sandwiches - fresh bread, lovely fillings. Couldn't have wanted anything more. Shame about the weather, or we'd have been back.

What a great place, very atmospheric and friendly with lots of respect shown by all visitors. Free to get in and wander around at your leisure. A great cafeteria for breakfast or lunch. If your not in the mood to walk far I highly recommend the tours, either golf buggy or trolley ride or both as they cover different areas of the Arboretum. This place is a MUST visit.

The staff and the food were great the place was clean plenty of tables about average price and plenty of table

Visited this restaurant when at the Arboretum and amazed at the standards. Despite its size, the food is like home cooking, served by people who actually give the impression that they enjoy their work and the standards generally are way above that found in most similar sized establishments. Pretty sure it must be in house catering and if so, please don't outsource,

A well laid out area serving snacks and more substantial meals. Staffed by helpful and caring people. tasty eats.

What a good large area for visitors. Normally the restaurants are too small but this was great. It was very busy. The food was good but wasn’t too expensive.

The restaurant is large and spacious and within the visitor's centre, whether you want a beverage, snack or something more then they have a good selection of offerings at a reasonable price. The place is very clean with friendly staff and service.

We used restaurant for a cup of coffee and a scone. Scones were nice and fresh. Other food available looked fresh well presented and nicely cooked. Staff friendly kept tables clear as busy day. Worked hard to provide good service.

NIce cups of teas and ice cream - plenty of room for all vistors- of all gaes . Very busy but did not seem crowded with great over pill room outside! Nice way to finish an outstanding day i

Lovely food, clean, good choose of food and drink. Had a jacket potato with cheese and a robinson fruitshot drink

Had the afternoon tea for two , very very nice with lashings of sandwiches , cakes and scones and a lovely large pot of decent tea, all for £17 for 2 people

The restaurant is well used by folk - plenty space in the dining area - hot and cold food if desired - plus toilet facilities on hand

Good quality food. Noticed that there were a lot of gluten free food which is a must in this day and age. We did not want a lot to eat so decided on a sandwich. Very, very generous with their filling. Coffee/hot chocolate machine easy to use. Restaurant was clean and comfortable. Plenty of room to sit without anyone being too close.

Food was ok, plenty of choice and staff very friendly. Relaxed atmosphere, spacious so not sat on top of each other.

We opted for a simple sandwich and a cup of tea. The sandwiches were delicious. I liked the way the sandwiches were made, I hate mayonnaise, so to my surprise the sandwiches had no mayonnaise in them. So you could actually taste the filling inside of the sandwich. The seating area was bright and warm and comfortable. The staff were very nice and friendly.

Good fresh food, very clean and friendly staff. Excellent Sunday Roast, Nut Roast very tasty. Lovely pudding too. Good selection of cakes if you just fancy a snack.

We are very fortunate to live just down the road from here, It is a must place for everyone if you are in the area, in fact even if you're not. It is extremely moving, I cry every time I go, but also so peaceful and respectful.

This is a splendid facility in the iconic National Memorial to the fallen. Large, warm and welcoming, the staff are friendly and helpful, the choice of food and drik is large, the seating ok, the view good - we were glad to sit and chat after a long tour of the grounds

Call in after spending a few hours viewing the memorials, food choice was limited but good I had the Thai Curry which was well cooked choice of rice, chips or both with a coffee for less than £12 couldn’t fault it.

One of the best escorted tour, highly informative and enjoyable.

Reasonably priced wholesome food, drinks and sandwiches. The staff were polite to a fault and very helpful.

The restaurant was bright, modern and had indoor and outdoor seating. There were two restaurants, the smaller of which served alcohol. We sat outside and enjoyed delicious tea and scones.

After a walk around the Arboretum what could be better than a warming mug of hot chocolate and a mince pie while you have a chat with family

Popped in here for a drink after visiting the illuminated memorials and it was an inseal,opportunity to warm up. Freezing cold night and it was good to get inside as the place was warm! Decent cup of coffee, plenty of space between tables and sensible prices.

£3 to park or Annual ticket for £25 (I think) Dogs welcome outside cafe & restaurant only. There is a ceiling cover outside restaurant but it is chilly. Interesting dog walk, on lead takes 40 mins or can be shorter. Poop bins, water bowls available

didnt expect to like it but even the younger members of the family enjoyed it... canteen food was reasonable but was a tad cold they need to sort that out but its only a minor point

Always have a bite before visiting anywhere,and this was no exception.Hubby had a breakfast and I had scrambled egg on toast.All went well until I reached the till.Told operative I had a full English.Replied 'no,this is an NMA breakfast.Eh?I asked for a full English at the counter so that was what I thought was on my plate.Note to self NMA = National Memorial Arboretum breakfast!! Silly me.Anyway food was lovely plenty of it to start the day.After 4 hours of enjoyable walking around Arboretum headed back to restaurant for much needed refreshment.Went to cake counter,and chose a scone,butter and jam.Big mistake,Same operative said 'this isn't a cream tea,there's no clotted cream' I replied that there was no clotted cream on table,so how was I to know it was one cream short of a cream tea.Huffing and puffing and mumbling ' I will fetch some cream.Said cream tea was paid for and eaten.was delicious.Well blow me down.Same person appeared a few minutes later and started to fuss round picking up cups/saucers from under our eyes.'Cleaning up now we are closing soon!! I have deliberately kept the gender of this person private,so as not to identify them,and have written this review in a jocular manner.They were not offensive and gave us much to chuckle about on the homeward journey.

Cafe was not over priced and had a good selection of drinks, meals and snacks available. Seating inside and out and plenty available on the day of our visit

kids sandwich box and coffee and cake for me - nothing to fault cooked food or snacks available. Staff helpful

This is a lovely venue we were sure it would be great for a good day out. The basis of our decision was that they said it was dog friendly. and we could eat there.

Very good selection of food and drinks, not expensive at today’s rates. Nice to get inside and have a nice cuppa after the walk around.

We have visited on more than one occasion and each time was different. We have walked around the grounds but also we took a conducted tour on a land train. There is also a restaurant and shop.

The National Memorial Arboretum is a place to celebrate the lives of those who have served this and a selection of other countries. Some of the themes are really hard - however the restaurant is a really great find - from platters to hot meals they have it covered. Given that admission is free to the main site we reckoned on high restaurant prices - however the prices were reasonable. Mushroom stroganoff, hunters chicken, spaghetti - plus more. Done well!

We couldn't quite believe the friendliness of the whole place. Lovely tea and cakes in comfortable surroundings

Is always very good value and quality from local Staffordshire suppliers. Very helpful staff and volunteers.

Had a great Sunday Lunch here today, cooked to perfection Beef/Turkey, Crunchy Roasts Spuds and lovely Vegs and Gravy pay an extra pound and get dessert Would recommend if it was at my local Pub I would go every week

An ideal spot to relax after strolling amongst the many memorials. We only had coffee and cake which were both excellent. They have available hot and cold meals wit seats inside or out

The restaurant on site is adequate but not brilliant. The menu is fairly plain. Plenty of tables including some outside. There are plenty of seats around the Arboretum, so It would be worth taking a picnic and buying hot drinks there.

Excellent food and variety All very clean and tidy Very busy but the staff seemed to get everyone though without rushing us

The restaurant is almost full self-service with a good selection of light snacks, cakes, drinks and lunches. There are staff on hand to assist anyone who is in need. It's very light with large windows and double door access. Highly recommended place to have a break half way round.

We only had a snack lunch after visiting many of the wonderful memorials. The restaurant was very busy but we were able to get what we wanted quite quickly and find somewhere to sit. It is self-service. We enjoyed waht we had

Range of hot and cold dishes at reasonable prices. Decor is stunning. Not a large choice of dishes, but enough. Quality is high.

First visit to the arboretum. Had a latte and delicious coffee and walnut cake. Daughter had chocolate cske & juice. Good selection of food and drink. Reasonable prices. Bright, modern, clean venue.

The restaurant caters for everyone's needs, hot set meals, salads, sandwiches, jacket potatoes etc. Great selection of cakes. Prices are reasonable, staff friendly, helpful and polite and the meals were very tasty. Restaurant is very clean and is very popular.

It's self service but very good value I chose the Cottage Pie and there was a good selection of nicely cooked vegetables I really enjoyed it and followed it with a good mug of tea. I returned in the afternoon for another cuppa. A nice large bright clean cafe.

Had the salad with cheese, this was self service once you were gives the plate. Good range of drinks including bottled alcohol. There was a fruit bowl to choose from and gluten free bread. The meal was very tasty and will call back again.

Lovely food, busy but good variety, lovely and clean. By using facilities you are helping to make this facility better

On arrival the party was greeted and seated to await setting up of lunch in private room.

Moderately price food of good quality and good portion size, a large range of hot and cold food and drinks

fantastic place clean staff friendly good choice and prices seem reasonable, toilets and gift shop. can get very busy , but worth the wait

We visited the arboretum with friends it was a very hot day so we decided to take the train to see the monuments and decide which ones we would walk back too, it was well worth the the fee as the commentary was really informative.

We're just home from busy few days at arboretum fantastic weekend. Great weather, food in restaurant, and atmosphere all excellent. Trainand buggy tours fantastic. Volunteers really embrace the history and are so full of knowledge about the monuments. They really made it a special experience and not just a money trap would do it again and again. Grounds immaculate. Considering running costs we were surprised the locals and fund raisers were so lethargic in the things available to participate in on such a weekend. Lots of food stands, will have paid to be there but made a fortune given weather. No tombola stall only one run by a, sponsor no cake or jam stalls town's women could have baked a storm raised a mint. Guess weight cake sweets in jar hook a duck etc loads of families with children eager to see and do things assault course was great but alot more could have been done. Given the reason for family day. Mother and daughter singers in square fabulous. Brilliant weekend just a shame hadn't more things to raise money once a year event.

I took my sister & sister-in-law to visit the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire. We had lunch in the restaurant which offered a variety of food both hot & cold. You helped yourself to drinks and if not sure how to use the machine, staff were on hand. If spending the day at the Arboretum instead a taking a packed lunch then the restaurant is the choice and good value.

This is a great place to spend 2 or 3 hours they have have amazing exhibitions and attractions. The staff are knowledgeable and friendly, The restaurant is wonderful (not expensive) and caters for veggies, vegans, normal people etc. Please try the gluten free and dairy free chocolate cake absolutely wonderful. Forget pub careverys and come here and help support our soldiers and sailors and airmen.

See other report on the place in general. But with regard to the restaurant:

Had a very nice salad and also lasagna & chips! Cakes were pretty good as well. Free tap water from a machine!

A good choice of main courses lunch time I found going early with plenty of room in the restaurant to sit down and eat