Olive Tree Coffee House in Waveney

I’ve been here for a few afternoon teas and lunches. The food is always lovely and cooked well, the themed afternoon teas are always really fun and a great treat for the local area. However the staff are not very attentive, they give you your food/drinks and leave you! It states unlimited drinks but they don’t ask if you need more, they don’t even check if your food is okay or if you need anything. At one point my friend said ‘excuse me’ and tried getting the attention of staff at the table next to us and the staff member just walked away, when we finally managed to ask for more tea they huffed like we were an inconvenience. There were also loads of hairs on our food, I think they were blowing around because they just kept appearing, maybe because they allow dogs. It’s a shame because I love the afternoon teas but it has put me off.

Been here many times, can't fault it, just parking a bit hit and miss, not their fault after all it has a nursing home in the grounds, that share parkind

Visited today with family and had lunch, it was absolutely delicious. Atmosphere is always so nice and the service was excellent all the staff were very pleasant and welcoming. Would definitely recommend a visit.

Very dissapointed. We have been going here for lunch for 3 years for my mums birthday. Up until yesterday we have taken our own birthday cake but yesterday we were told that we couldnt have a knife or any napkins or we couldnt eat the cake on site as it wasnt purchased there! This has never been a problem before. The woman on the till was very rude and all the staff were miserable. There were 10 of us and we all had a cooked meal each therefore spent a considerable amount of money so dont think us having a peice of our own birthday cake would of been a problem! We were also told that the cafe is just for residents only which I haven't heard before. Myself and my family and friends will not be visiting here again!!

I was present when the ungrateful, bullying Sam was having afternoon tea at the Olive Tree last weekend. Firstly we come here twice a week and have never seen him - regular customer ?? Yes he had a hair in his food, and yes the assistant offered to replace the item but that is only truth spoken in his post. The assistant was polite and bent over backward to help him. She was as accommodating as all the staff here always are, it’s just a pity he wasn’t as polite and reasonable. If you want a freebie afternoon tea go elsewhere - had he been more polite himself he would have been offered something in return. Pity it ruined a lovely family afternoon for us….

Excellent as ever, service, quality and atmosphere outstanding. We are here every week visiting a resident at the home and the staff are so accommodating and helpful. A great place for a catchup a chat and a little something nice to eat, highly recommend the Honeycomb cake it was delicious !!

I have been eating here for several years and always had good service and good food, UNTIL TODAY! Tried the Grease themed afternoon tea, a good idea very poorly executed, to add salt to wound the fondant on the biscuit had a huge human hair wrapped through it, when I complained I requested something else instead of a biscuit as this had put me off , got totally ignored and given another biscuit ! when challenged ged advised we only swap like for like with no apology! I then spoke with the assistant Manager whose attitude was disgraceful, poorest level of service I have ever experienced, very defensive, argumentative and sarcastic. Asked for a box to take my buttercream topped cakes home, got paper bags, when highlighting to Assistant Manager advised we don't give out boxes for afternoon tea! joke I was hear last week and we were given boxes for a bacon roll. I won't be returning as when spending £60 for 3 people to have a relaxing afternoon in todays difficult financial times , my day was spoilt and not relaxing in any shape or form. Really disappointed as I live close by and enjoyed popping In here on a regular basis, will have to find somewhere else. Afternoon Tea with a side of attitude is the best way I can describe my experience. See my hairy rock and roll biscuit picture enclosed!!!

At first we had difficulty in finding the way to get to the café, so we parked on the main road, but when we walked up the pathway we found out that it was a one way system through a private road, there is plenty of parking, but does across been busy, we went here for lunch what we had as meal was lovely enjoyed the tea and coffee, staff were very pleasant and friendly, prices were very reasonable and a good atmosphere, there is also seating outside with some special areas for private use, overall a lovely place to visit

What a fantastic establishment, I had a Flat White Coffee and a huge slice of chocolate cake today. Great coffee and lovely staff. I would highly recommend going here and I will almost definitely be returning again.

We booked a pod and ordered afternoon tea for 6 of us! It was perfect! The service was brilliant! The food was amazing! I can honestly it was the best afternoon tea I have ever had. The savoury selection was so tasty. 4 different types of finger sandwiches a lovely sausage roll and a very tasty cheese scone. There was so much we couldn’t eat it all but they happily supplied bags for us to bring home our treats. It made for a very special little baby shower.

Had a lovely greeting and shown to one of their heated pods in the garden as the restaurant was full.. Ordered at the counter, paid and the food was delivered quite quickly. Service excellent. full so there tells a story.freshly cooked. The hot chocolate was the best I have ever had. Bellini's and bagel were super. Could not fault a thing. It was full as I said so that tells a story.

We took our frail and elderly aunt for an afternoon tea. My Aunt has walking difficulties and the carparking was close by and easily accessible The sandwiches , quiche, sausage rolls, scones, cakes and coffee were delicious. We were treated with great care and kindness. Two members of our party are vegetarians and they were fully catered for and presented with a good choice. Our Aunt loved being in the heated pod and thoroughly enjoyed her Birthday Tea. At the end we were given several bags to take home what we couldn't manage to eat on site. The staff were absolutely lovely, brought us additional coffee and we were not hurried at any time. We will definitely do this again.

Finally got to use voucher Feb 2023 My husband & I booked our Afternoon tea. Lovely setting over looking duck pond & horses paddock. We have drove past regular didn’t know it was here. Plenty of tasty food that we took cakes home to finish later. Staff were busy lots customers but if you needed anything they were there. Didn’t rush us we just sat & enjoyed. Looked at menu we will return for a lunch date next time.

We visited for a cream tea with children. Really nice scones and cake, and the milkshakes were a hit. Dog friendly seating outside. They have afternoon teas for both adults and children that are booked in advance.

We visited The Olivetree yesterday for my Birthday afternoon tea. I had originally booked one of the lovely outside pod’s. However as the weather was so cold I messaged in the morning to see if we could be accommodated inside as we had my elderly Mum with us. The staff were so kind and accommodating nothing was to much trouble. There was so much delicious beautifully presented food that we’re still enjoying it today. Thank You team for all your hard work and keep doing what you’re doing. Helping people make precious memories 💕If you haven’t visited before I highly recommend a visit.

We have eaten at The Olive Tree on many occasions, the food is lovely, the staff friendly & restaurant very clean and welcoming. However, after phoning them during the week to reserve a table for my family and I for lunch on Saturday 3rd December, we were told that there's no need to book but just turn up. I did double checked this as, having been before, know how busy they can get. We arrived at lunch time only to be told they were full! There were 2 reserved tables but, apparently, you can only reserve for an afternoon tea! This is a ludicrous process. Bookings are an essential part of continuing to run a successful business such as this. It's a fairly small eating area and extremely popular. It should be standard for all meals, not just for afternoon teas. My daughter & sister had driven many miles to meet me there, only to be turned away. It was for my daughter's birthday, so to say I'm furious is an understatement! I fully understand why afternoon teas need reservations making due to the complexity of the selection of items. However, bookings need to be considered for all meals to avoid any more disappointed customers! Please consider a full diarised table booking system for 2023, reputation isnt built on good food alone! and adopting a blasé 'this is how we've always done it' attitued can make for fragile future.

Arrived to a nice welcome and taken to a table to be told order at the reception which you have to pay there and then. No waitress taking of menu choices at the tables. So if you wanted further dinks or something else you have to go to reception area again and pay again. So did not ask for tea/coffee after the meal. Noisy due to sparse building and no atmosphere. Food was very good, pastry a little thick and hard on the pie. Seating a little close together for wheelchairs and prams. Had to stand up twice to let prams in. First time there but will give it another try.

My parter and I have visited Olive Tree House a few times recently, once for afternoon tea & a couple of times for lunch. The setting is lovely and the restaurant is always clean and tidy. Before I’d visited and seen how great the place is I had found myself wary that the food and setting might be a bit old fashioned. It’s not at all! The food quality is always really high and the menu is very current. There are great options for vegans & vegetarians and you can tell the team take pride in what they do. Overall it’s fantastic value, if anything underpriced. I would happily pay more!

This place is one of the most idyllic location I have been to. It is located inside a gated residential homes with a duck pond in the middle of it. My friends and I are seated in a gazebo style area just outside the cafe. At first, we are worried that it would be cold sitting in it but the gazebo has heating installed so it makes the area nicely warm and cozy. We ordered the Cream Teas for twos and it was lovely! And priced reasonably. The servers were very nice and accommodating. Overall, we were glad that we found this place and it will be one of our “go to” place for special occasions.

This great little café is set in beautiful garden with a duck pond and horses in a rural part of Suffolk. There is pleasant outdoor seating and some super wooden, weatherproof outdoor pods, one of which we were lucky enough to have having prebooked. It...

My husband and I love this place, the service is first class, the food excellent and such pleasant surroundings

Found this little gem following our visit to the transport museum. We were seated in one of the outdoor pods “Pru” We enjoyed lovely fresh sandwiches and the best scones ever tasted. Can’t recommend this little cafe enough.

While visiting my grandmother who resides here we decided to pop in to order some food to take away; we chose paninis and each had a cake. The paninis were very nice and came with salad and coleslaw and the cakes were also nice but...

Booked the wooden pod in garden so had privacy and shade from the sun The staff were all so lovely, friendly, polite and professional The food was all delicious and plenty for us all (we were given bags to take home leftovers). Excellent quality and...

Customer service lacking. Lack of communication between staff members. Nice setting. Afternoon could be a bit better with regards to the sandwiches & cakes but the scones, sausage rolls etc were lovely. Cakes a little dry and same sponge mix is used for the cupcake...

We recently visited here for an Afternoon Tea with a friend. There was an excellent and varied choice of sandwiches, home made cakes, scones (cheese and normal) with plenty of jam and cream. There was so much that it was impossible to eat all of...

Just popped in for a coffee, the staff were all really friendly, the cafe looked very clean and tidy. All the covid procedures were a lovely addition and the young man who served me was very nice. The coffee was very nice as well, would...

Only had a cup of coffee but food looked good. Friendly staff and restaurant was clean. Good value for money

Took my mum, stepdad, 9 year old and 6 month old daughter for afternoon tea. I rang to book and im glad i did as it was very busy, girl on the phone was very nice explained prices as well as what they had to...

Visit this beautiful cafe situated in a lovely part of Carlton colville on the grounds of a residential care home. The feel on the grounds it’s so lovely. Staff in the cafe are always so lovely and accommodating, and the building it‘s self is just...

Really love this place and visit lots, food is wonderful and they accommodate all requests- just wish the staff smiled more- this seems a lovely place to work, however you wouldn’t know....

The ambience was lovely, the Christmas tree was still up as was boughs of greenery with sparkling white lights wrapped around the beams. You order at the counter& the food is brought to you. Not rushed at all, we sat & chatted & took our...

Fantastic food, great selection of sandwiches and panini’s and scrumptious cakes, I will definitely come again

First visit, what a gem. It is in a old people's complex of bungalows. Lovely surroundings. Can sit outside in the summer. The coffee was first class and so was the sausage roll. Lots of home made cakes on display. Well worth a visit.

Afternoon tea for three friends at this little gem of a place in Carlton Colville, was pure delight. Veggie and meat eaters were both catered for and the three tier cake stand was stacked full of delicate sarnies, mini quiche, scones with clotted cream and pots of jam and some delightful intensely flavoured mini cakes, coconut and jam topped sponge and fancy cup cakes. We piled on the calories but thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

Had the afternoon tea good quality and selection.staff very friendly and helpful.pleasant view from the tearooms across the pond towards the church.will definitely return.

First time in going and I thought it was clean and tidy and a good selection on the menu easy to find and very polite staff

I suggested this place because I know how good it is. My wife and I go here quite often because we love their home made soup when its cold. But everything they do is good and the staff are really lovely. Our friends really enjoyed their visit and will come back. I tried the Pulled Pork Panini and wasn't disappointed. My wife had the Smoked Salmon Bagel.

Situated in beautiful grounds of a residential home complex overlooking the church is this purpose built cafe. In truth the menu is not extensive but the coffee and snacks we had to-day were of the highest quality. Definitely somewhere to try again as there is little similar places for some distance.

We went there on Saturday after it had been recommended to us. It's set in lovely surroundings over looking horses in paddocks. We were lucky enough to sit outside as the weather was nice. The staff are lovely and friendly, food was hot and plenty of it. Such a lovely place and so peaceful. It will be a place we will revisit time after time. We highly recommend it.

Hard to find but worth the effort. Once found, went for the coffee and pastry special deal which was very fresh and tasty. Other food options well displayed and priced. Will visit again, now I’ve found this little gem.

Love this cafe. Excellent food and coffee . Wonderful customer service. Excellent staff always cheerful and greet us when we visit...only drawback can be difficult to park at times. This place has a lovely atmosphere.

On arrival the main carpark was extremely busy, we parked outside the main gates on the road opposite.

I have visited on a number of occasions now, all at different times of the day and have never been disappointed. Great food, friendly staff. Now there is outside seating as well.

I had been looking forward to visiting this coffee house as it had some great reviews, many if my friends had liked it and it is near my daughters school. I went today with my 9 year old daughter, it took some finding as it was at the back of a residential park but it looked lovely and inviting, there was even bike racks. There was a paddock with horses, a pond and outdoor tables which look the perfect setting on this sunny day.

My friend recommended here for a girlie catch up and it was lovely. Beautiful surroundings, amazing home cooked food and lovely customer service.

Visited this delightful cafe today for a light lunch. Freshly made delicious prawn sandwich, succulent prawns in soft wholemeal bread served with creamy coleslaw and salad garnish. So nice to go somewhere where the quality and standards are so high. The staff are all so friendly and professional. I love the atmosphere and ambience in this cafe too. Am very much looking forward to returning on a sunny day to try out the new outdoor seating. A great place to go for coffee and cake or lunch Ten out of ten.

A group of work friends had afternoon tea on Saturday to celebrate a birthday. What can I say ......... absolute amazing!!!!! The sandwich selection was delicious, scones with clotted cream and a choice of jams, and I have never seen so many cakes served with an afternoon tea. You also have a choice of unlimited tea and coffee and we were asked several times if we needed topping up. I have had many afternoon teas in London, Norfolk and Suffolk and this has been the absolute best!! The service is second to none and such beautiful surroundings make this the number 1 for me!! Highly recommend you pay a visit you will not be disappointed. Thank you to all the staff for looking after us

This is my second visit. We had the homemade soup which was delicious. Staff very friendly, cafe very clean. Lovely setting with a nice look out of trees and a pond. The downside is finding a space to park.

Such a beautiful setting. The gardens are immaculate and the cafe is second to none. I cannot rate the Olive Tree enough. Will definitely return. Lovely staff and excellent ambience. Thank you.

Afternoon tea requires customers to book in advance, so be aware that you cannot just turn up. Having rang to book, I was met with an uncouth and sharp tone by the person on the end of the phone... I came across as an inconvenience. When we got there the next day, it soon became apparent who this person was. The blonde member of staff has an appalling manner and we were treated like an inconvenience. A simple request for some vegetarian options on an afternoon tea turned into a fuss... we were made to feel bad for this request and her treatment of us was unacceptable. She was so rude, that we nearly left at this point... sadly, we didn't.

Had a lovely afternoon tea, lots of delicious cakes and very good service, will definitely visit the lovely tea rooms again

First time visit today with my husband after hearing rave reviews from others so we drove the 15 miles and weren’t disappointed! Best scones ever & we’ve sampled a few lol. Other food selection was fantastic too as was the location with excellent service and friendly staff who made you feel very welcome. Will definitely be going again. If you’ve not tried it, do yourself a favour....you won’t be disappointed.

Wasn't aware this cafe even existed but so glad to have found it! Enjoyed a pot of tea and huge slab of coffee and walnut cake in beautiful surroundings both inside and out.

This new Coffee House is in the grounds of Carlton Hall, which is a Retirement and Care Home. However the Coffee House is OPEN TO ALL from 10 a.m. They serve teas, many types of coffee, cakes, sandwiches, Jacket Potatoes with assorted fillings - and many more. All are very resonably priced.This is situated near the East Anglian Transport Museum, but can be difficult to find. The grounds and Coffee House overlook the Church. The only drawback is the very limited parking, so it may be advisable to park nearby and walk in - as many people do. The Staff are all very friendly and helpful, and we can certainly recommend this venue.