Ruskin Mill Cafe in Stroud

Lovely cafe and restaurant in a beautiful natural setting. Had lunch here twice on my recent stay in Nailsworth. Delicious food and great service from Paul, Enya and Aysha. Looking forward to my next visit.

Eateries, these days, can so often be over-hyped, over-priced, uber-trendy, and disappointing, but not so, Ruskin Mill Cafe, where it is still possible to get un-pretentious, delicious, healthy lunches, in lovely surroundings, at a very reasonable price: good portions too! I lunched here for two days in a row: on both occasions I found the cafe staff), to be very friendly and helpful .... thanks in particular to the staff member who took the trouble to look up the bus times for me... this actually made a huge difference to my day. Ruskin Mill is served by the Number 40 bus (Stroud to Wotton-Under-Edge), a scenic route if ever there was one, just in case, like myself, you are wandering around Gloucestershire without car or bike (check times though, as Number 40 buses are not over-frequent). If time allows, check out the displays of crafts made by the Ruskin College students, or the walkways through the gardens, where you can see the on-going restoration of the trout pools. I was lucky to enjoy the cafe terrace on warm, sunny August days, so was able to watch dragonflies, and a king-fisher over the pond .... bio-diversity much in evidence here. Memorable.

PLEASE DO NOT TAKE DOGS UP THE OUTSIDE STEPS ‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️ We have just been at open time 10am for breakfast and they do not serve breakfast. Then we left via the outside metal steps and they have ripped off two of his claws. The establishment really should put a warning sign up it has been awful and we now need to leave our holiday early to get him seen by a vet. No breakfast which wasn’t clear.

Gorgeous hidden gem. The balcony has a mixture of sun and shade and beautiful views. Good coffee and plenty of cakes; the food is delicious. The grounds are beautiful to walk around before or after. Reasonably priced. There is very limited on site parking but there are some public car parks a short walk away. Love it here, it makes me feel so happy !

Popped in for light lunch, soup and salad looked like perfect option.... excellent soup (white bean with coconut I think) and salad and focaccia was a meal in itself. One of our favourite venues, nice spot for a walk along the fish ponds as well.

I visited this place 3 times in two days whilst working in the area. Beautiful site, great cafe, marvellous cakes and coffee. Shame about the appalling service by moody miserable staff. After ignoring me for a while, then curtly demanding what I wanted and then promptly walking off for a while. It was about that time I began to question wether I wanted to give these people my money. Surely if you hate your job that much maybe it’s time to find something else.

Wonderful little find for lunch on a glorious summers day. Great quality food (quiches, lasagne and salads) with coffees and cakes at reasonable price. Great views from the balcony. Lovely gardens to walk around. Would recommend.

What a magical place ! Beautiful views and a nice mix of tables in the sun and shade on the balcony. The food was absolutely delicious; I had the broccoli and feta quiche and salads. They have a small menu and serve straight away when you order which is great. Had a delicious coffee too. Plenty of water to help yourself to. Had a lovely walk around grounds after. A real gem !

Feel bad. Outside and in doorway it says open 7 days a week,all welcome. Went up and the serving guy started talking about not having members of the public and I suddenly realised he qas Passive aggressive talking about me. When he got to me he asked if I was a student or staff , I'm neither. he said we don't serve the public haven't in 8 months. But I'll serve you as your standing there. I said there is nothing to tell me that outside. . Anyway ,I got my food which was a big portion and very tasty but the atmosphere was ruined. Looking on the reviews it's not just me I see. I would have thought something would be said so less confusion would come about.

Anbefales! God service og hyggelig betjening. Mye mat per porsjon,. Koselig sted i hyggelige omgivelser. Absolutt verdt et besøk!

Cafe site and notices on the door say open 10 - 4 seven days a week. Arrived in cafe on a Monday and male staff member said to us we don't open Mondays haven't done for ages. His address to us was in a tone that suggested we were stupid for not knowing this. I feel we could be forgiven our lack of understanding of this given the fact of the notices and that there were several people sat around with drinks. An apologetic reception would have seemed more appropriate. Treatment of this type is not what I would expect at any café. Given the ethos of Ruskin this is doubley bad. Can't comment on food or drink as got no chance to sample it. All in all I do not see us subjecting ourselves to such Treatment again.

An incredible location and very family friendly. The staff were welcoming and helpful, providing delicious cake. The balcony view overlooking the lake is something to behold. We hope to return soon.

Food is great as always, however, the staff need training in customer service, the older woman serving today was rude, unhelpful & very unwelcoming.

Lots of staff - seemed alarmed when we arrived. Strange atmosphere. Nervous with all C19 rules? Doors & windows were wide open –freezing inside & they suggested we sit outside even though it was a cold & damp October day! Place was empty. Didn’t enjoy food. Such a shame. It's a beautiful setting. I suspect they're more used to catering for the attendees of their courses?

This lovely little cafe is part of the Ruskin school complex, as such is only open in the school term.As you can see it's part of the old mill building, with inside and outside tables. The food is all homemade and mostly vegitairian.Both hot and cold dishes are excellent value and were delicious. Afterwards, take a walk around the trout ponds and gardens.

My husband and I visit here for lunch fairly regularly. It's always a huge plate of healthy food with a variety of mains alongside salads, pulses and pasta which is extremely reasonable. Lovely variety of cakes and artisan drinks. Then a stroll through the gardens and fisheries, tended by the students of the college, growing much of the cafe produce.

This is a really lovely cafe in a beautiful setting overlooking the lake. The lasagne and salad was superb and the was plenty of it. Very good coffee too. We live locally and will definately be back soon.

The mill lake is such a lovely peaceful walk after or before one samples the homemade delights of the cafe with its light lunches cakes and flapjacks.

Friendly interesting staff , lovely coffee good selection of cakes .. unfortunately we were too early for lunch which looked delicious..

This cafe is in a lovely setting. We did a walk around the town and parked centrally, so the parking was not an issue.

Really wanted to like this place but was so disappointed.Couldn’t work out the parking, very unhelpful and unwelcoming staff and below average food. The waitress brought one meal to our table and asked us to come and collect the rest of our meals from the counter! Soups were bland, quiche uncooked (which, to be fair, they were happy not to charge for). It’s a shame as it has potential, it’s a lovely position and is quite quirky and inexpensive but it just didn’t meet the reviews above. 🙁🙁

Después de un fantástico paseo por el bosque cerca de los lagos, almorzamos aquí. Las verduras son cultivadas orgánicamente por los propietarios y se puede sentir por el sabor genuino. Así que las fuentes se preparan sabiamente por ellos. Todo sabe bien y la vista del parque es fantástica desde la terraza. Los precios son asequibles.

Vivimos a 13 millas de distancia e hicimos un viaje especial el sábado para visitar la cafetería, después de leer las buenas críticas. La señalización para el molino era tan mala que se necesitaron 4 intentos para estacionar en diferentes lugares y nunca encontramos el estacionamiento correcto. El primero fue solo para discapacitados, el segundo fue privado, el tercero simplemente dijo el estacionamiento de eventos y el cuarto fue nuevamente privado. Fui al molino y solo había una puerta pequeña abierta y no había nadie a quien preguntar. Cómo alguien logra encontrar el café está más allá de mí. Nos dimos por vencidos y nos fuimos a almorzar al George por la calle. ¿Por qué demonios no pueden hacer posible que las personas encuentren el estacionamiento? Todo lo que necesitan son algunas señales.

I am a local resident and have lunch here regularly. Always friendly, great value, top-notch ingredients. £7.50 for a huge jerk chicken with coconut rice and salads. What’s not to like!

Great value food- mostly vegetarian with the odd meat dish - priced at £6.50 or £7.50 for a main dish with side salad. Certainly a plateful, all cooked fresh for that sitting. When it's gone, it's gone. Do get there early if you want the full choice of dishes!

We returned to this cafe after a bad experience some years back when the cakes were totally uneatable on account of being way too sweet. A friend recommended we give it another chance and so we went for coffee and cake.

Llevamos a los miembros de la familia aquí para el almuerzo, y estaban encantados con las opciones en el menú y la calidad (y la cantidad) de la comida que se ofrece. Homity Pie, Sopas y Quiches fueron nuestras elecciones, todas servidas con ensaladas imaginativas. Los platos son elaborados en el local, y sabrosos y sanos. ¡Nuestra factura por cinco, incluidas las bebidas, fue de menos de 40, lo que hace que sacar a la gente fácilmente con la billetera también! Cuando hace buen tiempo, tiene la oportunidad de conseguir una mesa con vista al lago y observar a la garza residente si tiene suerte. Antes o después de la cafetería, no pierda la oportunidad de caminar por los terrenos, mágico para los niños, con mucho interés para ellos.

Habiendo frecuentado Ruskin Mill caf regularmente durante un gran número de años, puedo, con gran confianza, decir que ofrece uno de los almuerzos de mejor valor en el área. Dado que gran parte de la comida es orgánica y se cultiva en el Ruskin Mill College, no solo la comida tiene un gran sabor, sino que también la ética sabe bien.

Somos ex cuidadores que una vez al mes nos reunimos en diferentes cafés, y encontramos este lugar encantador donde la comida era deliciosa y un par de nuestro grupo se llevó comida para llevar a casa, eso es lo bueno que era y grandes porciones para el dinero. Los pasteles son deliciosos. Luché contra las ganas de complacerme como a una dieta, pero la probaré la próxima vez que vayamos allí. El único aspecto negativo de Ruskin Mill es la escalera, no noté un ascensor pero podría haber uno allí. No lo vi, pero luego no miré. La próxima vez que lo haga, buscaré y actualizaré mi opinión.

A menudo visitan cafés para tomar té y pasteles con amigos. Una de las características que mejora o resta valor a la experiencia es la generosidad de la tetera. La experiencia más impresionante es cuando el té para 2 en una enorme tetera nos dio 4 tazas con más de sobra. Hoy teníamos una olla minúscula, que estaba vacía después de servir una taza y media, y tuvimos que pedir 2 recambios.

Almorzamos aquí - es un paseo corto (15 minutos) de Nailsworth. 2 pizzas y ensaladas y cafés para 18. Muy sabrosa y ensalada excepcionalmente fresca. Parece ser muy popular cuando se llena en un frío día gris de noviembre. Parte de Ruskin Mill College: la galería en la planta baja tenía una exhibición gratuita de arte de bordado. Interesante paseo por la piscifactoría.

Delicious coffee and cake, sat outside on the balcony in the sunshine enjoying the lovely view of the valley

Ruskin Mill, an excellent place for lunch if you like organic, biodynamic food prepared in wholesome attractive way

We thought we would pop in tea and cake on a Sunday morning, cakes looked unappetising (though possibly very healthy) there weren't even any scones! Staff were indifferent to our arrival. Still not sure we parked in the right car park, the signage was rubbish. Only 3 tables outside and they are very warped. I just expected more really. On the plus side it was cheap and my husband said his fruit cake was really good.

Lovely coffee shop. Friendly staff and the coffee cake was delicious!

Went to the Mill on the recommendation of friends. Underwhelmed. Obviously seems popular by the numbers visiting but the coffee was bitter and the cake dry. Other people's food looked ok, so we were possibly just unlucky in our choice.

Yup, this is indeed my total favourite place to eat lunch or have afternoon tea in the area. It is a cheap yet super healthy eatery....and the ethos and values behind the place make it even better! The combo of different salads and home made salad dressings you get with any entree choice is tops. Although not vegan or veggie, many of the food choices are, and I just love the building and art and nature that surrounds you. After your meal you can walk around the fish pond gardens and also visit the changing art installations downstairs in the main exhibition room. There are beautiful crafts and art for sale made by students and teachers at the school. And being a Steiner/Waldorf institution the aesthetics are my favourite and truly authentic style of architecture and crafts. Enjoy!

This is a good cafe if you like having a wander around before you have lunch. The valley is just spectacular at any time of the year and having the balcony is a nice asset. The prices are just perfect. The staff are friendly and helpful and so are the students. Ruskin Mill Cafe is a destination in itself

This is a good place to end a walk around Ruskin Mill. The coffee and hot chocolate are good, with a nice range of teas. The home-made cakes are fresh and tasty. The staff are young and friendly.

Ruskin Mill is set in a beautiful old mill with gorgeous lakes and a great cafe. The cafe serves really good homemade food & great salads (!) This is my favourite spot to go to if I'm having lunch in the area.

Coffee and cake or cooked lunches certainly worth the short 8 minute walk out of town or short drive. Great value and daringly produced, a venue that has a stunning setting and a guaranteed top class countryside walk on good gravel paths. Once you’ve been here you’ll come back overr and over. A good spot for a fresh coffee and cake or fresh lunch before or after your walk. Impossible to describe - go see it !

They serve organic, often home grown, food which tastes great. We often have the quiches which come with amazing salads. We have also eaten cake there.

Range of interesting cakes, salads looked D-lish, lovely building and in aid of a good cause. Cafe is on the top floor so there are quite a few stairs to climb, worth it for the view if you sit on the terrace

Hermoso lugar con una fantástica ideología. Preciosos paseos en un entorno precioso donde se puede ver y aprender mucho. Todo el mundo era de buen humor y que sería difícil de ser nada más que relajado y contenido en esta joya de lugar.

The setting, the interior, the food, the crafts make this the best hang out in the area by far. The meals are super delicious, healthy anf made with local grown veggies. And super good VFM.

Buen lugar para parar a tomar un café con vistas a los jardines de fin de semana/pastel. Siempre buena selección y a un precio razonable, además normalmente posible conseguir mesa en el balcón que está bien en el sol.

Cuando llegamos hoy después de encontrar el molino que estábamos un poco confundidos ya donde aparcar. Después de abandonar el coche en el estacionamiento "finalmente encontramos la entrada. Entramos en la galería, que era preciosa. Nos subimos los dos niveles para encontrar la cafetería. Nos paramos en la cima, no sabiendo si era un servicio de barra o mesa. Nadie nos guió en la dirección correcta, ni sonrisas, ni bienvenida ni siquiera una buena mañana, ya que claramente nunca habíamos visitado antes. Una vez pedimos cafés, (que era preciosa) la camarera joven lo trajeron a nosotros y sólo dumping la bandeja en la mesa y caminamos lejos! !

Ruskin mill had been recommended to us and I'm so glad we came here for lunch. Really interesting, healthy, tasty food at a fabulous price. The building is also amazing and there was a great photography exhibition in the gallery.

Called in with the grandchildren for coffee and cakes. Very good value for money and have heard from others that lunch is also good.

Ruskin Mill is used as an education centre, with a cafe open to the cafe upstairs. You can choose to sit inside at a rustic table, or on a sunny day you can sit at one of four tables outside on the terrace overlooking the lake and grounds. We had a cappuccino and a decaffeinated Americano, both large, for £2.50 each and sat chatting for about an hour before walking round the lake and through the grounds. Along the path are various sculptures, vegetable plots, workshops, and flowers.

I live closeby. And so for a local to walk 3 miles each way to enjoy this unique little place it must be something worth visiting, not only is there historic interest, there's also the fish ponds, the abundant array of home grown produce and flowers. And a plethora of artisan type crafts and a gallery of art exhibitions.Of course one of the reasons I visit regularly is the delicious range of healthy wholesome home cooked foods available at reasonable cost. Several options are Gluten Free- including some of the tasty cakes.The other thing I love about here is the fact that this is an experiential education setting for people with learning difficulties who learn all sorts of skills. I think some of the young people may work in the cafe too.Anyway if you do manage to find it then keep an ear out for the gushing of the unusual water features that add a certain somethings, and which are made on site I believe.

Our 18 strong group of touring cyclists had arranged the week before to stop off for our morning coffee. Food and drink very reasonable and the scenic views over the lake (or should that be mill pond !) were very pleasant.Unfortunately we didn't have enough time to wander round the whole site. We would certainly return if we were in the area again

A friend and I stopped by mostly to see the Ruskin site but we ended up eating there. Students learn various crafts there, which you can observe.

The place to enjoy really delicious home cooked food at very reasonable prices. Sitting outside on the upper terrace is delightful and there's space indoors if the weather isn't so kind. We arrived just after midday so had a coffee whilst we waited for lunch, which was available from 12:30. Four choices of homemade quiche, accompanied by super healthy salads, very generous portions and a friendly smile! And there were more delicious dishes available plus a choice of cakes, flapjacks and other sweet treats to tempt us. Much as I'd love to keep this little gem to myself, a delight such as this deserves to be shared. Enjoy!

Ruskin Mill is not only the cafe, but an entire valley with various initiatives, including a Waldorf (Steiner) school, greenhouses, fish ponds, more green things growing per square yard than anyplace in the world, a wonderful philosophy. The cafe has good choices of hearty to light foods, and good staff. Also take a tour of some of the parts of that building, and observe the art studios and art exhibits there.

I have eaten here - lunch and morning coffee/cake - on many occasions. The food is simple and the menu limited (soup, salad, quiche etc) but it is always excellent quality and freshly made. Generous portions and very reasonable prices make it a real winner if you like healthy food. The cafe has a light , friendly country feel often with fresh flowers on the tables and papers to read. If the weather is good enough to enable sitting outside then the view over the lake is a real bonus - charming and very peaceful.

The food is always nice and the staff are friendly. Ruskin mill is beautiful and it's really nice if you can go on a sunny day and sit outside.

The food is all cooked fresh by staff and students from their own farm or local organic. Great salads. Everything was very tasty. The cakes especially such as rocky road and cheesecake brownie. Amazing value. Six quid gets you a big pasta dish with three very tasty salads.

We visited to see for our son. Super ore inspiring place. Trout farm to all other skills too many to talk about.5 star friendly people. Location in the valley of Nailsworth. Not good for less abled.Worth a look

The grounds of Ruskin Mill are lovey to walk through with the lakes and plants. The cafe is great, family friendly with all sorts of healthy, tasty choices. They do very good cake and coffee treats too.

I often pop in here during mu walk with the dog. We sit outside and enjoy the views over the river and gardens. Coffee and cakes are always very good.

We had a lovely visit today driving from Bristol. Friendly staff and lovely, mostly organic/biodynamic food lovingly prepared on the premises. Cakes made by a local woman also delicious. Finished off with a walk along the lake.

We ate here recently when visiting the college at Horsley. It's a no frills cafe but a good choice of quality food, grown by students on site, which went down a treat! We recommend the quiche and homity pie, both of which came with a tasty red cabbage cold slaw. The coffee was good too! We were joined by a local couple who were obviously regulars - they supported the ethos of the college and cafe - said the food was always very good and prices always very reasonable! Need we say more....!

The café at Ruskin mill was great, We had lovely food and the service was excellent. We also enjoyed walking around the ground. A very relaxing and quant place.

Very unique little gallery/cafe/gardens. Visit each season to see what they've been up to. Good clean fun. And cake!

Cafe in Ruskin Mill is well worth a visit great food and grown locally or even on site. Good walking as well along the lakes/ponds. In summer many wild flowers and the odd Heron to be seen.

The cakes are fabulous. The flat-white coffee (strong cappucino) is smooth and rich. The salads are marvellous.

Love the ethos at Ruskin Mill. Had lunch and sat on the balcony overlooking the great outdoor work that goes on there. Fab. Wonderful to drink a tea made from the natural product grown in the gardens. Lovely rustic atmosphere, relaxed and friendly staff.

Good soups, quiches and salads, with cakes and wide range of teas and coffees. Lovely view over Ruskin Mill Lakes from the balcony. Vegetarian and vegan options available.

Freshly prepared simple dishes using organic ingredients - tasty homemade soups, quiches and dishes such as lasagne or chilli, veggie options, all accompanied by crisp and crunchy salads. Children's menu available plus homemade cakes and local Organic ice-creams. Just don't go if you are in a hurry as the service tends to be slow as it is mainly staffed by trainees of Ruskin but very nice young people.

Ruskin Mill is an old converted mill building outside Nailsworth on the road to Horsley (B4058). In the building, there are various craftmen/women workshops, exhibitions and in the evening you can go to to live musical events.The café is on the first floor with lovely views on the large pond and wooded valley. In the Spring and Summer you can eat on the balcony. You can also in Winter if you're brave enough to sit in the cold.The place is simply furnished, the food is really delicious and freshly prepared. The prices are very reasonable. The people working there are very friendly.There are some easy walks to be done from the mill along the water or in the woods. There is lots of wildlife and flowers.I highly recommend it.

This is a lovely little cafe/restaurant situated in an old converted mill building, with gorgeous views from the outside seating area, out over a lake and woodland. The interior is very homely with wooden floors and furniture.The food is delicious and freshly prepared and much of it is grown on site. Portions are very generous and extremely reasonably priced.I really enjoy visiting here and try to go for coffee and cake or lunch most weekends. I highly recommend it.

This is our default restaurant, whenever we feel like eating out during the day. The food choices change every day so you never know what's going to be on offer, however there are always several options, whether delicious quiche with lots of interesting salads, or a more 'main meal' type of option e.g. lasagne or...

This is our default restaurant, whenever we feel like eating out during the day. The food choices change every day so you never know what's going to be on offer, however there are always several options, whether delicious quiche with lots of interesting salads, or a more 'main meal' type of option e.g. lasagne or chickpea curry with rice. The emphasis is on fresh, healthy wholesome food, though they have a selection of yummy cakes etc as well. Portions are a good size, and excellent value. Vegetarians are always well catered for.Beautiful old building with charming rustic furniture, artworks and superb river views provides a lovely calm setting for a delicious meal or coffee break.

This is a great place to visit if you're looking for a great location, informal dining and very tasty food. In addition Ruskin Mill offers a brilliant opportunity for young adults needing a different kind of educationI would thoroughly recommend a visit. Avoid the busy period and all will be fine

My idea of a perfect lunch - relaxed and friendly cafe in a lovely place. Very good, home-cooked food with fresh, organic salads. All reasonably priced Try the veggie shepherd's pie for £4 - delicious. Easy walking distance from Nailsworth and beautiful grounds when you get there.

I had heard good things of the place, so I took my wife and parents. We went at lunchtime, and gradually worked out why the service wasn't good, as it serves staff and students at the surrounding college sites, and is partly a training restaurant. The savoury food options we tried were bland, though I think the cakes were probably more interesting. The coffee I had was poor, and I wondered if the reasonable-looking machine had been cleaned properly. This was a shame, as we appreciate the training the Mill gives, and we did enjoy wandering around the site and looking at the craft work on display.

Really lovely coffee shop and small restaurant in a gorgeous location. Fab coffee and homemade cake, quiches that tasted fab.

A bit off the beaten track, but combine this with a country walk and as a coffee lunch stop you will not be disappointed.

Ruskin Mill Cafe is a small informal place for coffee/tea and cake or a light lunch. Located in Ruskin Mill, part of Ruskin Mill College (which provides learning and life skills for young people with behavioural and learning difficulties) the Cafe serves food that is very local, coming, as far as possible, from the College's own farm/market garden. Today's lunch menu included smoked trout and horseradish quiche, chilli (beef or vegetarian) and two soups (all with fresh salads). Given the College has its own fish farm and smokery one assumes the quiche to have very local ingredients!). Excellent variety of cakes - the Carrot Cake can be recommended! Simple but excellent fair at very modest prices. Walks through the College's grounds make the Cafe a good start and finish points.

Ruskin Mill is a beautiful place. It is owned by the Ruskin Mill Trust , a charitable organisation, which runs the nearby college. It is set in lovely grounds and there is a waterside walk to Horsley. The mill includes workshops, an exhibition space and an upstairs café. The food is simple and home-made. The service is friendly and welcoming. There is always a veggie choice - some days more than others. On my last visit I had chilli beans, rice and salad followed by ginger cake and good coffee - all much enjoyed. It is most pleasant to sit out on the balcony.