River Cafe in Cotswold - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

Arrived after having a year away to find no tea room and part of the shop (next to the actual water wheel). This is such a shame but I suppose its probably due to visitor numbers falling as nowhere to have a cuppa & snack although there are nearby alternatives that are comparable to what were the high prices. The remaining shop stock has stayed the same items of clothing and tourist pieces. Could do with a revamp, new stock items to breath fresh air into it. Other than that staff friendly as usual.

Lovely place to have a rest after a walk, best ice cream you will ever taste and the lady serving was friendly and polite.

After seeing this place on this site we set off to find it for coffee, unfortunately it no longer exists, the old mill shop and museum is still there, but the museum only opens in winter! However, the lemon sorbet ice cream was delicious and very refreshing on a very hot day!

Before setting off on a walk I checked their website to see if this conveniently placed cafe would be open for coffee - and yes it would be. Asking the assistant where the cafe was, we were advised that they don't serve coffees and haven't for a long time. When I suggested that their website should be updated, I was told that they don't have a website. The unpleasant attitude was unwarranted. Avoid at all costs.

Overpriced, boring sandwiches (£9 for two) served by someone who really didn’t seem happy to be serving people. Not many other places around to buy simple food, so we figured they can afford to be lazy and quite rude.

We went to this cafe to ask for drinks and were told they do takeaway only. We both said this was fine, but then asked if they used biodegradable cups. The member of staff made a face like we'd asked for cups made of diamond and said "no". Her attitude was that we were stupid for asking this question. Even if they had used biodegradable cups (as every takeaway place should be), the rudeness of the member of staff meant we would never have bought from this place. Really gutting.

At these prices they should have a card machine ouch it's dear! Even if the food is fresh and tasty when it is cafe food it shouldn't be so pricey. Pretty town with lots of character.

We had just completed an 8 mile walk and this was just what we needed! Cream Tea with Clotted Creme and Scones. Teas was loose leaf tea in a special pot that made one of best cups of tea ever tasted! Staff were lovely, don;t know what some of other reviewers were moaning about!!! View across fields of sheep fantastic and right by mill stream where fish jumped out of water whilst we were eating. Also cute birds milling around looking for scraps. Shop is fun too!

Great little place, and the shop with it's 'old Mill' was just so nice. My reason for the low score is solely for the two large miserable staff members in the tea room (mother and daughter I suppose). Telling us (not asking us) to sit on the small table, 'incase a large coach party turns up'. No large party turned up during our time at this miserable place. We should have been left to sit where we liked. And as for the younger of the two pulling a face at a customer as they turned away to find the ladies room, well that is as rude as one could possibly get for us to decide not to revisit this little hole. The only good thing is the third member of staff made us lovely cappuccinos.

Lovely location, bit strict about chairs being moved to accommodate a group. Cream tea was disappointing, not clotted cream and scones tasted more cake than scone.. Others enjoyed their cakes.

It’s a little hidden gem, right by the river. The staff were very friendly & the food was very tasty, just a little overpriced but that’s the Cotswolds for you. Despite the price, we will return sometime.

Found this little café tucked behind the Mill Museum and gift shop and had a refreshing drop of drink and cake - the setting was charming and the view was great. Fairly simple menu but that which we saw being served looked very nice - it was a bit early in the day for us to have lunch - but would happily have chosen to eat here. It is cash only - but you can get cash back from the gift shop next door.

Visited with family for a quick pit stop after a long walk. Ordered coffee and cake. The victoria sponge cake was amazing! You can tell it was homemade! Really moist and tasty. We also sampled the coffee cake which was equally delightful. Would highly recommend. Lovely atmosphere and ran by a lovely couple. We will definitely be back to try the cream tea for 2 deal. I'm already looking forward to it!

Enjoyed a lovely cream tea here today after an 8-mile or so walk in the area with my walking group. Service was friendly and efficient and they had relaxing selection of war-time songs playing in the background. The rest of my group also enjoyed their meals and cakes here as well. If ever I come back to this place I will try the Victoria Sponge next time as my friend's looked absolutely delicious!

Following a lovely walk with our pup, this cafe was a welcome stop for our lunch. The sandwiches we ordered were huge, very tasty and so filling we sadly didn’t have room to sample the cake selection offered. Will have to save that treat for another visit 😀 Dogs are welcome in the cafe garden.

I'm frankly flabbergasted at some of the other reviews about poor service as this couldn't be further from the truth on my visit last weekend, and in fact the staff went above and beyond, letting my mum in through the side gate as she was in a wheelchair and the manager joining us for a chat as we were happily reminiscing as a family for my dads 80th birthday Please don't take any notice of bad reviews.... please visit this lovely little nook and decide yourselves..... The Victoria sandwich cake and scones were heavenly too!

The River Cafe is set in a very beautiful location, it's unfortunate that the scone maker decided to put three kilograms of salt into the scone mix. I ate mine as I was extremely hungry, although the regret was overwhelming as I started to dehydrate like a slug on the Great Salt Lake. We told the waitress who believed wholeheartedly that not one gram of salt had touched the mix and that other customers had no such problems. Then, in one fell swoop, faster than a red kite on crack she had gone and reappeared brandishing a five-pound note which she unceremoniously wedged under a dirty plate.

What a typical English cafe, lovely spot in the sun by the river. Scones were generous, sandwiches huge, flapjack very sticky and syrupy - yum!

Managed to get a table in the sun on a bustling bank holiday weekend. Portions were generous, views lovely. No alcohol served, but couldn’t get a seat in the pub down the road! We had the sharing ploughman’s and the bread was fresh, thickly cut and gorgeous, the cheese and pork pies delicious. Wanted cake too but couldn’t fit it in! They don’t take card - only cash - so a little warning there.

Only visit the cafe if you enjoy surly service and mediocre sustenance. There are a limited number of alternatives in Lower Slaughter but you should seek them out rather than eat here.

We stopped here after a long walk and had some tea and scones. It was such a nice day and the location was so beautiful and relaxing. The scones were yummy.

Stopped in for tea and sandwiches mid long walk - it’s in a great location and the service was fantastic.

Had a more or less idyllic cup of tea & scone/jam/cream here, sitting by the pond/stream soaking up the unexpected February sun - more or less perfect. Didn't sample any of the other food but it looked very nice !

Lovely very full sandwiches, fresh bread, plenty of crisps and a nice salad garnish. Can’t fault the service as sandwiches freshly made, we didn’t wait long. All served by friendly staff. Sat outside in the sunshine. We don’t agree with a previous review.

Visited with family and our dog for coffee and cakes. Staff are very friendly and pleasant. Sat outside by the river - lovely setting. Highly recommend and will definitely return.

Good coffee, lovely location. Will not return as lady working there has a rather unfortunate manner.

What a lovely find. I had walked for two hours from Bourton-on-the-water and was thrilled to come across this little cafe after hiking over muddy hills. The cakes are homemade and delicious. Definitely worth a visit and to the shop next door.

Visited here on Sunday, a really unusual place, approached through an interesting little shop along what appears to be a maze of corridors and an outside seating area. The seating area overlooks the mill pond and would be delightful on a warm sunny day. The cafe is really small with a few tables downstairs and 3 tables on an upstairs gallery. Very quirky!! We only gad coffee but the cream teas looked very good an the ploughmans platters looked varied and plentiful. A really unusual place in a beautiful Cotswold village.

Walked to Lower Slaughter from our accommodation - about 5 miles away - and was pleased to find this cafe. Lovely spot by the river and friendly staff who brought our dog biscuits along with our drinks. Thank you!

After our journey down from Sutton Coldfield we were ready for a light lunch and chose this place. Great coffee and delicious sandwiches with friendly service and a very striking location.

A lovely setting and on the Autumn day when we visited we were able to sit outside. The menu is limited and does not serve what I would describe as a proper meal just light lunches and teas. However, what was served was well presented and very good. The service was prompt and pleasant.

Went as a family of 5 including a 6month old baby. You need to negotiate through the small shop which is unsuitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs. However when you get to sit down it's worth it. It was a bit cool on our visit so we sat inside but the Riverside tables were very tempting. Sandwiches were simple but tasty as was the quiche. Service was friendly. It was so good we called back for an ice cream after our walk. Only down side was that it was a little cramped inside. We'll worth visit

My husband & I had delicious tea and scones here after walking from Stow-in-the-Wold. We thought it was all delicious, and the atmosphere of sitting next to the river was marvelous. (Note: We had perfect weather for this.) Service was friendly and prompt.

Stopped here for lunch today & had a sandwich & a ploughman’s. The Ploughman’s was great but when my sandwich arrived I actually gasped as the bread it had been made with was literally 2 door stops!! The woman on the next table even laughed & said she’d only been able to eat half of hers.

I came with 4 friends midway through a Sunday walk for a snack lunch - big mistake. The shop - gifts, clothes - is interesting but the café is definitely worth a miss. Four of us ordered quiche and salad - the quiche was a small, tasteless square straight from the fridge - much smaller than your average coaster. We'd assumed it would be heated, or at least warm, but we hadn't been given an option. The salad was iceberg lettuce and two quarters of tomato with a dressing. £6.95. Very poor. Cold chocolate biscuit cake was fine. Wasps a big problem. Would not go again - or want others to!

We went for a quick cup of tea whilst on a visit. My wife wanted a cup of tea. My son wanted ice cream. Sadly you are not allowed to eat ice cream in the cafe even with other orders. This place would turn a group of 50 people away if 49 of them ordered cake and one wanted an ice cream! Ludicrous! It explains why there were about 20 people stood outside with ice creams and an empty cafe with all tables free. Seemingly clueless about the business they are losing. Also they lied about the amount of tea you can get and therefore insisted I paid for more than we needed. Superb location and beautiful surrounding. Service and business a complete joke! Very rude and unwelcoming. Also only accept cash (shows how backwards they are). Ruined a lovely visit to a beautiful village.

We had lunch outside over looking the mill stream and rolling country side. Lovely spot popular with walkers. Good choice of lite bites and great looking scones jam and cream, though we didnt try them!

Came upon this lovely coffee shop behind the Old Mill, located alongside the very pretty river in Lower Slaughter. The coffee was disappointing by today’s standards and it was a shame that ice creams purchased in the adjoining shop could not be eaten on the terrace. But its lovely location still makes this well worth a visit.

We only popped in for an ice cream but the staff could not have been more helpful and welcoming (even when they were due to close after a long hot day) they even gave my little boy some duck food as we were leaving to feed the local ducks. Also very nice ice cream!

Great location at the Mill and with good sandwiches. We stopped in whilst rambling to Bourton on the Water from Stow on the Wold and enjoyed the setting .

Regular visitor for a Friday breakfast and never disappointed with quality of food and service! Highly recommended

I would give a big fat zero if I could. Terrible Ploughman’s lunch and for a tenner I would expect a lot more!! I Found two hairs in it, and when I subtly told the waitress I didn’t get an apology just a rather be-gruntled offer of a refund!! Basic menu with basic food too.

We had the soup which was delicious, it was courgette and Parmesan and it was very tasty. While it was probably on the expensive side you pay for quality and also the accompanying bread was freshly baked and you get 4 chunky slices.

This cafe is right at the old mill in a small, gorgeous village. We had soup and sandwiches on fresh bread. We were both happy.

We stopped off at the River Café located at the back of the Old Mill Building, for a coffee with the kids, watching the ducks on the river.

We stopped here for breakfast whilst visiting the village. The service was good and the facilities were excellent.

Lovely setting but service is, at best, aloof / indifferent.

After walking to Upper Slaughter and back, this was the perfect place for some refreshments, outside by the river. The coffee was great, and the tasty treats accompanying appeared to be home made. The signage was amusing.

Found this gem by default.After looking at the price of food at a nearby Hotel decided to go a walk and leave my friends drinking.

All'interno del mulino/museo del paesello è presente questo piccolo "bar" (anche se è riduttivo) dove è possibile sia pranzare con sandwich o zuppe, sia godersi un eccellente cream tea... noi abbiamo fatto entrambe le cose :)

We stopped off at Lower Slaughter for a quick walk and came across this little gem near the waterfall and gift shop.

Started one of walks the Costwold's are known for and what this? A quaint mill with a water wheel and a little gift shop and super popular cafe attached! We were very happy to find this spot and enjoyed a little drink and pastry.

Lovely lunch here with fantastic surroundings, stone seats outside but just ask them for a cushion and they will oblige- Mill shop and museum, very old and fusty probably not a lot anyone wold want in it !! Nice icecream

We came across this almost by accident but so glad we did! Really good coffee and it was warm enough to sit on the terrace by the river even though it was late November! Lovely staff too. Will definitely be back when we're in the area.

Really nice location in a very pretty town - but felt the service and food here very average. Had the scones - which were just OK - the cream was a real let down - over-churned almost butter.

Lower Slaughter is beautiful. The cafe is set on the river, the building has a water wheel that can be viewed from the street and also the outside seating area. Access to the cafe is by the Mill Museum and through the store. The cafe and the store are quirky, interesting spaces, the store selling traditional craftwork; bags, hats, garden stoneware, gloves etc. The staff are very friendly, helpful and efficient, serving homemade food. The Victoria Sponge was absolutely amazing. The cream tea is a generous two large scones with more than enough cream and jam. The prices are very, very reasonable. The outside seating area runs along the river and is home to a friendly swan who knows when closing time is so she gets the titbits and leftovers. The only cafe in Lower Slaughter but, even if there were others, this would be my choice :-)

Had a lovely stop with 2 dogs for cream tea by the river Cream tea yummy staff even looked after dogs with treats Nothing too much sooo helpful , friendly Highly recommended Will be back again soon

We have been here a number of times and are always pleased with the quality of food available and the friendliness/ standard of service. Their sandwiches are really excellent- there is enough to share one! The location is excellent overlooking the river and lovely Cotswold countryside and stone cottages. A great place to stop on the walk around The Slaughters.

Das Caféhaus ist direkt im Mill Museum und liegt am Fluss entlang. Sehr gemütlich und schon eingerichtet. Sie servieren frische Kuchen und Gebäck mit Kaffee und Tee. Sehr freundliches Personal. Man muss unbedingt mal creamy Tee & scones probieren (köstlich).

Questo caffè si trova in un bellissimo luogo, vicino ad un mulino accanto ad un fiume.Abbiamo trascorso un'oretta rilassandoci al sole. Purtroppo il cibo servito è risultato troppo pesante , almeno per i nostri gusti! I sandwich cosparsi di mostarda, una quiche alle verdure piena di peperoni ( non ci era stato detto che vi fossero prima di ordinare!).Penso sia meglio consumare un tè o un caffè e rilassarsi sulla terrazza, il cibo lascia molto a desiderare! !

Visited lunchtime today (Saturday) alone and, as a disabled customer, nothing was too much trouble, I had a fabulous ploughmans which, to my delight, came with both ham and cheese, a scone with cream and jam and a bottle of Victorian lemonade, when I say nothing was too much trouble, I mean it, they even managed to find me a lighter as I had misplaced mine! Would definitely visit again, thank you Toni for yours and your teams attention to detail and much appreciated help

Sat by the water eating a cream tea, what could be more perfect! Great setting, made even more perfect as the sun was shining. Scones were beautiful....tea was at it should be! A must visit on a sunny day!

Called in here whilst walking in the area. The soup of the day when we called here was tomato. It was delicious, homemade and perfectly seasoned. Accompanied with a big hunk of granary bread. Will call here again. Lovely location.

Quite surprised with the excellent quality and service at this cafe. This cafe is a real hidden gem in Lower Slaughter. We found this quite by accident after a good walk one morning, and stopped for a cake and a cuppa - Victoria Sponge and Coffee cake both huge in size and superb in taste. My son's cheese and chutney sandwich he said was one of the best he has had - good thick doorstops of bread. He was so impressed HE bought a jar of the chutney to take home. A beautiful setting sitting outside on the banks of the river. The staff were very friendly and obliging too. Some beautiful leather gifts in the shop too - wish I had brought more money. If you are lucky to visit River Cafe then your trip will have been all the better for it.

Das Lokal liegt etwas versteckt in Lower Slaughter in einer alten Wassermühle und beinhaltet neben dem Cafe einen Shop mit Eisstand.

Such a nice place to sit, relax, watch the ducks and sip on a, so, so capuchino... I would go back to sit and relax again

Called here for lunch whilst visiting the Old Mill. Its situation/setting was even better than I had thought .Tables and seating attractively laid out in court yard area by the river. Really stunning and very friendly staff. We both had ham sandwiches which were accompanied by salads and crisps. Nice hand carved ham and my latte and my wife’s cappuccino were really good. Would have rated excellent but we thought that the white bread, not the brown was dry/a bit stale! A bit pricey too, but I suppose it’s the heart of the Cotswolds!

Well worth a visit to this interesting cafe entered though an equally interesting shop. Staff could not have been more friendly and the cake portions so generous. Tea was excellent not a tea bag in sight. Lovely outside tables next to the old mill which has it's own museum. Recommended by my daughter and her dog who have both had many previous friendly visits. Car parking very difficult but this might be advantageous on a busy summers day. We have already recommended to friends and will definitely return for tea and scones, which they had run out of due to the previous party enjoying a bakers dozen!

Small friendly cafe in an amazing location. Great for a morning coffee. Seat pads for the chairs made sitting outside most comfortable. Would highly recommend.

We called in here fro a nibble and a drink after having a walk around this magnificent little village. The food and drink was perfect and we enjoyed just sitting outside in the sun soaking up the atmosphere.

Quick lunch visit arranged by our tour company. Food was well prepared and rather rustic in focus. Nice lunch. Multiple indoor and outdoor (creek side). Not a large menu but what we had was good.

Probably not best day to visit here as it was chucking it down to put it politely. We would have liked to been there in the sun & sat outside for the views. Place nicely rustic, portions big & staff very nice

Called here on a fine warm day so was ideal to be able to sit by the river enjoying a pot of tea. Not sure it would be so in poor weather but definitely worth stopping after going through the craft shop.

We visited the cafe today with a family group of ten, including my husband and my 6 month old daughter.

The children weren't allowed to have their lovely but overpriced ice cream (£10 for 2!) in the garden whilst we had our coffee .... Apparently they can't allow this as they are too busy to take space up .... The garden was empty! Defeated the object as they sat with nothing instead! Poor service from the staff. Could do better!

River Café would be easy to miss sitting in back of the Mill House Museum. It can be entered either from the museum or around the back where we found it when walking down from Upper Slaughter. The outdoor seating is perfect when the days are warm and we had a surprisingly good day in April to visit. The food and the service were average but the glorious location and view made up for it.

Lower Slaughter has always been our favourite village in England. We have been visiting this area for 35 years and for the last twenty or so have been able to pop in here for a mooch and a coffee. Delightful setting by the mill pond with ducks and moor hens interested in being fed too. Lovely to sit on the terrace in the sun with cushions provided for the Cotswold stone benches. The cakes looked delicious and generous portions but we only had a coffee, a decent sized mug and very pleasant, funny how there is always something we could not do without in the shop. We would love to keep on coming here for the next twenty years too! We should then have enough Staddle Stones to start a quarry!

Purchasing boiling water with some loose tea for £12.50 is just a poor deal no matter the setting. It's close to daylight robbery. I know of lovely settings neighbouring Wiltshire where the nice people are happy to charge £0.50 per cup of tea simply because well tea costs next to nothing to buy or serve.

Lower Slaughter is such a pretty quintessentially English village, with a lovely relaxed vibe, offering great countryside walks. So the setting for this cafe couldn't be more perfect - and on a sunny day the terrace is a real sun trap. Unfortunately the lack of facilities - one ladies & one gents only - is a real downside. Almost as much time was spent queuing for the loo as was spent enjoying the food & drink. The coffee was average, and the flapjack fine, but neither warranted the premium price. The soup presented better value, but both the coffee and soup were at best tepid by the time I got back to our table.

This place is simple, offering coffee, tea, and simple food fair To be honest what they serve is no better in quality then what you can get anywhere else, but what makes this place amazing and a joy for me was that it offered a peaceful setting in a beautiful place. The restaurant is in a building that looks as old is it is but in great condition. In the back there is a patio were you can relax next to the creek and enjoy what makes the Cotswold's one of my favorite places ever. The staff is kind and the classic jazz playing in the shop is nice touch. If you want to take a break and just admire the lower slaughter area grab a drink and relax at this place it is awesome.

Tucked away at the back of the old mill shop & museum the coffee shop overlooks the river and is peaceful and quiet. We stopped for refreshment and I had tea and very nice cake, my husband had the homemade soup which he said was excellent. This will certainly be on my radar for future visits.

We escaped here for wonderful hot delicious coffee on a freezing cold March morning. Wonderful cakes to tempt you. Lovely views from the terrace.

Stopped for a drink on a wonderful sunny day. Lovely location, quirky and lots of character. But give the supposedly excellent coffee a miss! Tasted like it came out of a cheap machine. And awful music - turn it off. The lovely location is music enough.

Lovely setting for this cafe with plenty of seating in and out. Friendly service, personal attention and, great choice. Lovely

We went here today and we found a hidden jem, fab food, fab service, lovely and clean, the honey roast parsnip and sweet potato soup smelt out of this world, if your going in a group "BOOK IN ADVANCE" as it's small and they were taking bookings galore.

This little cafe is well hidden away in the back of the Mill museum but is definitely worth finding. The two ladies that run it are lovely and served us with excellent tea and cake. On a sunny day by the river it must be a beautiful location

Beautiful location by the waters edge for coffees, lunches and teas plus the most amazing gift shop. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit.

Beautiful setting for a delicious coffee. We popped in here on Boxing Day after a family walk. We were surprised to find it open and could not have been happier.friendly, accommodating and welcoming to all of us and our dogs.

We walked from Bourton-on-Water to the Slaughters (Upper and Lower) and stopped in at the River Cafe for wonderful home made soup and bread. The 'piped' music from the gift shop was the 'oldies' - we could have stayed there all day!

The spectacular village of Lower Slaughter was recommended by a friend and was a perfect place to wander for a morning along the water, admiring the beauty and Autumn colours. The River Cafe is positioned right on the waters edge beside the Mill and through the shop. We enjoyed a lovely coffee and cake and could easily have sat around in this beautiful space for much longer.

Oh how lovely... beautiful, quaint English tea shop/cafe. Sandwiches made to order with thick slices of FRESH bread filled to the edges and served with small salad garnish and crisps. Homemade cakes tempted an already full stomach... £37 for 4 rounds of sarnies 3 coffees and a tea ... drew a breath at the cost but considering where we were it's understandable. The staff were lovely, polite and friendly

Stopped in for lunch and the location is to die for. Situated on the side of a small river by the working mill with ducks and a heron, on a sunny day this is idyllic (as it was when we were there). We ordered the "Ploughmans to share" and what a feast it was, kept us full until the next morning (not kidding !). The staff were very pleasant and chatty, the food was very good and the location just superb. Highly recommended.

Found this cafe by accident and pleased we did. We both throughly enjoyed the Ploughmans Platter which consisted of ham, pork pie, pate, cheese, pickled onions, salad, beetroot, pickles and bread. We sat outside in the sun and watched the ducks swim around. Friendly staff and quick service.

Friendly service and nice cakes. We didn't have lunch but the portions looked generous. Lovely outside seating area by the water where dogs are welcome.

Great service Great prices Great sandwiches Great cake Nothing more needs saying well worth a visit in such a lovely setting

worth a visit especially the homemade cake if the weather is dry nice to sit outside by the water, a nice touch is they have cushions to put on the seats outside great idea.

We enjoyed sitting on the terrace by the mill stream for lunch. We had hiked from Stow-on-the-Wold and were ready to relax. This was a perfect spot! There is also a great gift shop in the Mill!

Beautiful lication and delicious food. This is a firm fabourite when out walking lically. Very friendly staff. Recommended,

Scones and Victoria cake next to the river with nice music from the 50's. Private and nice the best in the Cotswold's

This cafe is in a beautiful place overlooking the river Eye. Not accessible to wheelchair users.