The Arches Restaurant & Coffee Shop in South Ribble

Expensive but worth every penny

When my mother-in-law asked to go to her favourite restaurant for lunch my heart sank a little as I’d heard her talk about “the place at the garden centre”. Let me tell you, The Arches is a world away from the cafes stuck in a draughty corner hidden behind wicker screens with plastic chairs! It is a delightful restaurant that just happens to be in a garden centre. The staff are lovely, the food is excellent (not cheap, but I believe quality is worth paying for) and the chairs are a delight to the posterior! I’m already looking forward to my next visit

This maybe a Garden Centre restaurant but the food and service is outstanding. My wife usually has the Sea Bass and I always have the large fish and chips. The food is excellent. The chef Simon, offers a great range of snacks and lunches. I am a fish and chips lover. Just ask for vinegar as and a small pot of tomato sauce. There is a lot more to choose from from the menu. Enjoy.

I had the sup it was excellent and chips the lasagna and chips were good. The chicken nuggets were crispy and the pudding is good

Nipped in for breakfast, always great 😃👍. Staff are ace and the food is good too. Definitely recommend. ❤️

We arrived late afternoon and it was cake and drinks. Cakes were nice and so was the coffee. Staff very nice and friendly.

We try this cafe on our way to Sothport every now and again hoping for a better service and value for money but sadly disappointed, over priced rude staff avoid

My wife and I have just visited this garden centre for the first time and the cafe/restaurant is an absolute gem! Great food, service with a smile from all the ladies and not a bunch of kid waitresses who don’t care. Food arrived quickly and was piping hot. The menu is also huge as well with something for everyone. I had an all day breakfast with OJ and my wife had an afternoon tea and it was about £23. This will be our new spot. Another huge bonus is they are dog friendly.

Excellent little restaurant. Been a few times for lunch or a coffee, always good quality with very good service. Excellent toilets too!

Didn't dine there just went in for a coffee. Very pleasant place to chill. Staff very helpful.

My mum and I went into the restaurant for lunch today. We waited to be seated and we asked if we had booked. We hadn’t booked and were told, in quite a rude manner, that there was a table but they would “need it back by 1:30”. As it was only 12:00, we said ok. We gave our order to the waitress. I ordered a cheese and pickle toasted sandwich and my mum ordered a prawn sandwich. My mum asked for a small portion. The response was “well, you’ll have to pay”, again in a very rude manner. We were then told that they would give us a box to take home what she didn’t eat. When the food came, it was average at best. We complained about the service, initially to the waitress who, again rudely, replied “I’m sorry about that” as she walked away. My mum then complained to the lady who had seated us, who appeared to be in charge and was told that it was the chef who would not do a small portion for her (the waitress did not even ask the chef). All in all, average food, dreadful service and rude staff mean we will not be returning.

We had a lovely meal in a pleasant atmosphere, staff were nice and helpful if a little bit abrupt, it get very hot sitting in the greenhouse area. In side was very clean, toilets clean, lovely.

Great place for a drink, food and live music with Atmosphere and great staff

Took parents to celebrate their wedding anniversary, as usual food excellent, plenty of choice and large portions, makes it difficult to find room for their delicious deserts.

Nice restaurant, lovely staff and good food

Good choice on the menus. Good service with friendly staff,. Food is excellent, freshly cooked, large portions. Reasonable prices. Highly recommended. You need to book as they are always busy.

Lovely food, Staff went out of their way to accommodate my youngest son who wanted something that wasn’t on the menu. It’s a little bit noisy at times, but it’s just the sound of people enjoying themselves & the food.

Don't be fooled by the fact that your journey starts by pulling into a garden centre car park. Although it is a very good one at that. So the restaurant within is absolutely not to be bypassed. The food is not cafe standard, and neither is the service. We eat here once a month at least. Food is outstanding, and throw in a glass of wine and cakes to die for and your dining is complete. You will not be disappointed. I have been through the menu and there is not a bad dish on it. Don't be shy.. go and enjoy a very nice lunch indeed.

It's listed as Preston but it's miles out of Preston on the Southport road near Bretherton (which I think comes under chorley&south ribble).

We only tried this over the Christmas period as our usual place was closed. 2 adults, 2 children and 1 dog were greeted abruptly by 'dogs outside!' then to be asked what we wanted to stay for Very abrupt. We were told the large table was reserved and two small tables could be put together. They didn't offer to move the tables for us. We just wanted brunch and again after being told breakfast had finished and lunch started at 11.45 The woman was unwelcoming but we were hungry so said we'll wait for 15 mins until lunch. The coffees and hot chocolates were mediocre and when the food came we were disappointed as the prices made us think it would be exceptional. Low quality ingredients and £14.50 for a lasagne?! My daughter gave it a 5/10 and for that price I'd expect a lot more. We left quite deflated and annoyed at spending £70 on a terrible experience.

2nd Visit for another Brilliant Xmas Lunch 3 Courses Prawn Cocktail (Excellent) Chicken Breast Fresh Vegtables Glass of Red Wine Trifle (Excellent) My wife spoke to the Chef, everything is freshly prepared and cooked on the Premises (Except the Vegitarian) The Roulard is to die for, been having for 3 years since we moved here. Best Restaurant in Lancashire. Brilliant Xmas Lunch 2 Courses Prawn Cocktail (Excellent) Sea Bass in a Prawn & Muscle Sauce (Excellent) Fresh Vegtables Glass of White Wine Excellent Food & Service Will be back again for Sunday Lunch 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 👍👍👍👍👍

Good clean breakfast -not cheap -but good items cost money !

Fish & Chips and Gammon, with yummy pineapple chutney. So recommended.

Perfect fish and chips. Roulade delicious. Coffee too small and too strong. I wasn't given a choice.

We had a small breakfast, which was small, to the extent of half a small mushroom each. Bacon & sausage were of poor quality. I asked for some worcestershire sauce, which I have had previously there to be told bluntly "No", quite rude. I paid them same lady at the till, she was equally blunt, perhaps some customer service training required?

All the food was fantastic, The Jam rolly Polly is highly recommended.

Great food with an excellent choice. Friendly staff. Very popular.

Sandwiches are amazing and the soup very nice staff excellent if your near buy and looking for lunch pop in very friendly and attentive

Lovely place, lovely staff and alway good food! Visited lots of times, and nice garden center too !

Lovely place good food and service very relaxing atmosphere. We'll worth paying a visit

Lovely little cafe, very clean & gorgeous interior inside & out. Food was all excellent, we have now been a few times & enjoyed every time I’ve been. Greated with a smile by the lovely hazel & shown to our table straight away. Good work the archers 🥰. We will be back!

Lovely food and nice garden centre. worth a visit. Allows dogs if sitting outside the cafe. Nice people.

Was very busy at lunch time. Suggest you pre book to ensure you get a table.

Wonderful staff, great service and delicious food.

Lovely clean and neat restaurant. I had coffee and the tomato and mozzarella salad which was lovely. Plenty of staff - all friendly and helpful. Good menu at reasonable prices. The food I saw being served at other tables all looked good. There is a bit of a lack of soft furnishings in the dining room so it can be a bit noisy for me- but other than that it’s great

Always great food with lots of choice

Plenty of choices on menu with extras on board also food is well cooked and presented well, very busy at lunch times

Garden Center is fabulous as well as garden Center staff!!! Therefore 5+ stars! However, restaurant was disappointing. Customer service was similar to generic diner, not focused on customer experience. That would be totally normal if food was great. I have ordered soup of the day and chicken wings in sweet chilli sauce from aperizer menu, the arches burger from the main menu. Soup was ok, bit into chicken wing and realised it was not cooked fresh, it smelled. Had heartburn when come home (only reason for my heartburn - if soup was from the can or spiced with cheap store bought premixed spices). My son ate the burger, it was not thoroughly cooked, on a drive home he felt nauseated. So I’d give 2 stars for the food and that’s because bread roll that came with my soup was excellent! Sandwiches were very popular during tea time, I wish I had ordered a sandwich, it would be the best choice. I’d come back for coffee or a sandwich, If you’d like to get something from the main menu, it’s a gamble - don’t do it!

Friendly service. Nice food. Will revisit.

A really nice restaurant in the garden centre. Plenty of choice food wise and was delicious. Great service too and friendly staff. Will definitely return.

Love this Garden centre cafe we go as a lil treat on the weekend ,can get busy but always great . Can't beat a pot of tea and big filling piece of homemade cake 😋 . Beautiful inside and staff are lovely . And grab a plant/ garden ornament while there win-win 🙂

My sister took me to the Arches for a spot of lunch. Hadn't been before, but would definitely return.

I tried the burger and it was scrumptious 😋 my other half tried the steak sandwich while it was roast beef and not steak it too was scrumptious 😋. The home made apple crumble and custard and sticky toffee pudding tasted yummy 😋

Lovely place , good quality food got busy really quickly

Nice place, friendly staff, good food and reasonable prices

Chose a table outside of the restaurant in the greenhouse for a leisurely late lunch on Wednesday. Staff friendly and attentive. There was an extensive choice on the menu and we went for: Starters Blackpudding & Potato cake stack Three Cheese Croquettes Both very tasty and well presented and nicely garnished. Main Course: Fish Pie Steak & Wild Mushroom Pudding Again both very tasty and well presented. The pea puree was divine as was the mash. In fact everything was perfect. Dessert: Jam Roly Poly Crumble of the day Trifle My husband ordered the wrong dessert for me so he couldn't choose so ended up eating them both. The trifle was delicious a lovely combination of peach cherry & Amaretti Lovely atmosphere, great food & attentive staff and a bonus walk round the garden centre after. Thank You!

Lovely breakfast, smart and clean

V friendly, medium priced menu I always have my favourite. Good place to meet up with friends.

One if my First"go to" cafes/restaurants.Situated inside Embleys Garden Center.Very comfortable cafe with good variety on the menu(lunch open till about 5). Mainly homemade main courses,pies quiches/lasagne,nice sandwiches/ afternoon tea..Home made cakes a must,what's not to like?! Dogs aloud in an outside area,I think.

Lovely place and food. Go check it out 👍

Had lunch with friends having checked the menu online as cost is an issue for some of them. The prices had gone up quite substantially and whilst we totally understand why, we felt that the menu prices should have been updated to give a true picture of what to expect. Having said that the food we had was lovely so no complaints on that and we had a happy lunch.

Good food, nice atmosphere and friendly staff. We did get asked twice for our drinks order by two of the waitresses but I think that’s more a communication issue with the team. Didn’t really bother us too much :) was a nice breakfast out and we even stopped to buy some things from the garden centre. Had a really nice time and my little one enjoyed sharing my breakfast.

Very pleasant restaurant /coffee shop within the garden centre. Good choice of cakes. We had coffee which was as hot as any I've had and very tasty

After pre-paying for an afternoon tea for my parents, as a treat. I was disappointed to hear that they were charged an extra £2.10 due to the restaurant's price increases! When I spoke to the manager to query why they were charged, as when I bought the gift voucher I received an afternoon tea voucher with details of how to redeem. As I duly pounted out, my purchase was with the restaurant, and as my parents didn't make a fuss and paid up, the manager suggested that ' I pay my parents £2.10!' Needless to say, due to his lack of customer care, I will not be buying anymore afternoon tea vouchers from the Arches and will be telling my friends, family and the good people on Tripadvisor about my experience.

Service excellent food to die for. I had an all day breakfast my wife had soup and roll. The ambience of the place was first class

Visited today based on good reviews, arrived and was asked if we had booked…… we hadn’t and a table found for us. Order taken and after 10-15 min food arrived, no complaints about the food fish and chips were very nice. However the customer service was poor, there was no friendliness or welcoming chat….we sat ages after our meal as did other customers around us, eventually we gave up on further drinks and dessert. Compared to other places the staff were just not paying any attention to customers needs, and it wasn’t even that busy either, so we won’t be returning, we have lots of other local options that give a warm and friendly welcome. Definitely not worth the price we paid.

Called in for a lunch. Food was excellent and plentiful. Very good coffee too which is a bonus. Toilets are superb and exceptionally clean. No hesitation in recommending.

Dropped in whilst perusing the garden centre. Spotlessly clean. The toilets were sparkling, which was refreshing to see. We had a bacon and egg barm each. It was good.

A bit disappointing this time. 3 out of 4 meals were lovely but the ciabatta was served as only half a small slice which, whilst tasty, was pretty poor value for money and not very filling as none of us eat salad. Both the scone and custard tart were clearly stale - the scone was dry and heavy and the pastry in the custard tart was soggy. Hoping that it was just post Christmas issue so we will be back.

Always excellent service. Food hot and well worth it. Steak pudding was delicious and staff deserve praise. Happy Christmas to you all see you in the New Year.

Situated within Embley's Garden Centre with plenty of parking. The Arches offers good food in a clean, bright and comfortable setting, with some limited seating for outdoor dining. The extensive menu features popular choices such as fish and chips - choose large or small servings, as well as other less well known dishes for the more adventurous. There is a large choice of 'light bites" and sandwiches; but be aware that these are a meal in themselves. For a little extra , the crisps which come included with a sandwich can be substituted for delicious chips. Service is polite, friendly and attentive.

Having eaten here a few times before I decided it was time for another breakfast visit. We all ordered the 'small breakfast' and small it certainly was! The quality of the food was as good as usual but we were a little disappointed with the size! Note to self, don't order the small one next time!

My elderly aunt loves this place so we bring her to Archers every time we visit. The staff are friendly and attentive, the food is always good, and the restaurant is spacious with good covid-safe measure. Good value, too.

A variety of very valid reasons have kept me away from visiting this Restaurant/Garden centre, my last visit being June of 2019, but I'm delighted to report that everything was as it was then - lovely staff, excellent food, quality furniture, immaculate toilets, and great...

At last, a restaurant that understands the meaning of ‘eggs over easy’. Called in today for breakfast, it was served quickly and was well cooked, just as requested. Pricewise not the cheapest but quality costs so very happy with my meal, the service and the...

Very disappointed with the way the older blonde lady dealt with the accident of spilling boiling hot water from the tea pot on my leg. She Just said oh did they fill it too full (meaning the tea pot), had a look and said no...

Had a meet up here for lunch seven ladies. The food was excellent as was the service and a big Thankyou to the lady who pushed tables together for us so we could chat together. If I had one comment to make it was rather...

First visit to this restaurant. Very good menu with an excellent range of old fshioned food. The place is warm and inviting. Friendly staff who take the time to welcome you and have a chat. The food is excellent, served hot with good portions. I...

We were a group of four and this was our first visit. The lunch menu was extensive which meant there were many delicious things to choose from! Our food was beautifully presented (to restaurant standard), tasted very good, with great service. We had a main...

Having been introduced to The Arches at Embleys around a year ago, I can’t recommend this restaurant highly enough. For anyone saying it’s expensive for a garden centre cafe, that’s because it’s way more than that and you get what you pay for. Lovely surroundings,...

Initially It's bizarre having essentially a restaurant in a garden centre, besides that it's by far the most expensive lunch I've ever had in a garden centre, ludicrous prices for what you get and the food itself is nothing to shout about. Having said that...

Just went in for a coffee but ended up having a sandwich.... but found it a bit pricey. As soon as we say down they asked what we wanted to drink ( before we even saw the menu) .... so because the drinks cane very...

We called in for the first time while passing one late Sunday afternoon with the added bonus to find it dog friendly ( outside).The restaurant and toilets have a lovely clean modern decor.Hubby enjoyed his meringue roulade that much that we’ve driven again from Southport...

Me and the BF visited on a Sunday lunchtime. We had not booked a table but were accommodated. We both had a sandwich which came with homemade chips. A little on the pricey side for lunch but you do get what you pay for and...

On the way back from Preston to Southport and stopped in hope of having a light lunch with our dog! Yes, dog friendly, nice restaurant/cafe with bit in garden centre next to cafe which was perfect for dogs. Friendly, quick service, where we had lovely...

This is always surprisingly good; far better than you would expect from a restaurant in a garden centre halfway between Southport and Preston. Lovely menu, beautifully prepared and presented food, and amazing flavours. They must have a great chef because everything that comes out of...

Always looking for somewhere new and this was a joy. More than I was looking to pay, but well worth it! Not been well recently and this really lifted my spirits. I had the lunchtime menu - 2 courses for £12.95 and my partner had...

Often call here with my wife when visiting the excellent Garden centre. Quality throughout - furtiture, toilets, and food and drink. I note other folks' experiences, which fortunately are not mine - and I've visited on many an occasion.

Everything was overpriced for a garden centre cafe, and the quality wasn't good enough nor the service to justify. The coffee tasted like dishwater (I had a latte and my partner an americano), and the cooked breakfast tasted like it had been cooked days before, all rubbery and an unpleasant taste with the sausages, bacon, and mushrooms. I raised my concerns about the freshness and quality of the breakfast and coffees with the waiting staff but they didn't want to know. Will not be visiting this establishment again!

Arrived at 3.40 (having checked opening times online)to be told unfortunately hot food main menu is stopped a full hour before closing. We decided to stay for soup and a sandwich. I had a bowl of cauliflower and potatoe soup and my partner chose a lancashire cheese sandwich (which he asked for without chutney) and a side of chips. The sandwich and chips were £8.25. The sandwich was made with 2 slices of shop bought basic white loaf, gratered cheese of no real distinction (and the chutney not wanted!). A tiny bit of side salad and a portion of under cooked chips accompanied it. The soup was only ok and I felt under seasoned. We ordered a coke and sparkling water both of which came ready poured so could have been from litre bottles. I was going to have tea and cake but quite honestly did not think the restaurant deserved any more of my cash than we had already committed to. The total bill was £17.25. We have been a few times before and been far more impressed. As often happens this lovely presented cafe/restaurant opened at a great standard but today's visit would make me feel these standards are slipping. We are not inclined to visit again sadly based on today's offerings. Sorry The Arches but you were very poor and over priced.

Have visited on a few occasions without being disappointed. Main courses are great and presented nicely. We have tried deserts which were okay but we are not really sweet toothed and I think desert lovers would enjoy what is on offer.

Always busy here but the food was good even if I wish brown bread sandwiches did not involve thick bread. The staff are friendly and there is a lot of choice on the menu. Just wish the cappuccino I had was not so milky. It could have done with

I visited the Arches restaurant on March the 2nd for the first time after passing it on my way to Leisure lakes. Once inside the surroundings itself in terms of the tables and chairs were comfortable and nice compared to most garden centre cafes.

Called here on Friday a.m. it was 11.40 so we had missed breakfast by 10 minutes. Nothing really to have in between just straight into lunch. I find before 12 noon is a little early for a lunch. But there wasn’t anything in between I.e a bit of a snack like a toastie or a toasted tea cake. So we just ended up having a coffee which was very nice. Also found the lady who sent us to our table and took our drinks order very abrupt and not very friendly at all. Lady who brought our drinks to us was very nice.

Went for lunch with a group of friends, we all ordered starters and a main, we all had different meals and they were the best meal we’ve had in any restaurant for a long time. The staff were all lovely and nothing too much trouble. We’ll be back.

Called here today for lunch - this restaurant is fantastic - the food served is excellent quality, well prepared and is just delicious - the staff are amazing - so accommodating - nothing is too much trouble - ☆☆☆☆☆ well deserved.

As a very regular visitor this is consistently the best daytime restaurant I’ve been to in its area. Decor, food, drinks, service and staff are all very good. Last summer they added rear outdoor seating which caught the morning sun and was beautiful for breakfasts. At busy times it is very noisy indoors, in the main room, so I prefer to go there early morning or later afternoon. However, there is a small front conservatory which is always a good option, although not as comfortable seating. Ladies cloakroom alone is worth a trip! Such a nice place!

This restaurant is one of the best garden centre restaurant around. Food and staff are excellent. Can get busy worth while booking in advance.....

Didn't enjoy my visit here at all. Poor food, badly presented and rude staff.

We went for our annual Christmas lunch - last year it was excellent - but this year a lot was lacking. Firstly, it was expensive and the portions were small. A lot of things were lacking...some didn't have napkins and those that did found them thin - mine collapsed before I used it and for turkey, no cranberry sauce - we asked for it but it never came. The portions on the plate were small and many found the turkey inedible and the fashionably al denté vegetables were verging on the hard. At the end of the meal, no tea or coffee included nor mince pies included. Staff not that wonderful either so not a good experience.

What a wonderful restaurant. High-quality food, professional staff, great ambience, and excellent value. Popped in for the Christmas special and it was superb. Recommended.

This restaurant is hidden at the back of a nice garden centre. We stopped for a cupper and were so taken aback by the quality of the decor, menu, staff and general ambiance we stayed for lunch. The food was perfect the service likewise. We'll definitively be back on our next trip south. It's a pity you aren't a little nearer, fancy opening a branch 100mls further north!!!!

Been here twice now for lunch and both times the food has been of a truly exceptional standard.

But don't let that stop you going on other days as well. Part of Embleys Nurseries this is a very pleasant restaurant with a fairly extensive menu and a specials board. It is probably advisable to book as it can get very busy and as a result the service can be a bit slow, as not many of the girls can take food orders. Maybe they need more kitchen staff to speed things up. That said the food is always excellent and each one of them knows the various ingredients, in case you have an allergy/dislike. I am hoping the menu will change again soon as if you go every week as I do it can be a little samey. But then I still go every week anyway. Try it and you won't be disappointed

We really like this place. The food is very good quality and so tasty. My favourites are the lasagne with salad or veg and the goosnargh chicken which comes with the most amazing potato dauphinoise. I love the fruit crumble with ice cream. My family likes the steak and mushroom pudding, fish pie and fish and chips.

this was our second visit in a week to the arches and we were pleasantly surprised

My wife and myself where traveling up to the Lake District avoiding the Motorways, We came upon this lovely Coffee Shop so stop for something to eat & drink, What a lovely Gem of a place, The Coffee was excellent and the snack we had was tasty and filling for our onward journey, What was even nice was the excellent clean facilities available.

We went for lunch today and have been many times before , The food and service is faultless. The quality of the food is fabulous and so fresh and they have a lovely team of employees , I have nothing but praise for this lovely restaurant .

This is the first time here and it had been recommended by a friend for its' food and ambience. The food is lovely and obviously made on the premises . Although it was a very hot day we decided to try the soup- very nice then I had lasagne with a side order of chips and my friend had the salmon fish cakes which she said was very good and soon polished them off! Coffee very good as is everything except the service. Sadly the young ladies could do with some more training and although there was nothing wrong with the speed the food came out of the kitchen it all fell apart when it came to the actual serving and particularly clearing away- well I should say Not clearing away. There is a distinct lack of concentration on what they were doing and I was amazed at the fact they could just manage to totally not look at customers whose tables needed clearing so they didn't have to do it. It is Very annoying even as far as bringing the main course before taking away the first course. There was a lack of other things too which we had to ask for eg. milk, knife , butter, menu for pudding and drinks etc. There was one lady there , dressed in black, who was very attentive but the

This is a real find local to our home tucked away in Embleys garden centre on the Liverpool road. Looks to have been recently refurbished as all the furnishings, decor and facilities are to a high standard. Standards that fortunately include the food!