The Cafe at the River and Rowing Museum in South Oxfordshire - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

Yesterday we visited the Rowing Museum for the second time. The first was years ago and the experience not to be repeated. We went with zero expectations. What a lovely surprise! The atmosphere was good, the toilets clean and the cafe was spacious and relaxing. We had a sourdough toastie and our favourite Rooibos Tea. Not exotic but thoroughly enjoyable. The staff were efficient and polite. The shop was well stocked with unusual gift items. Our next visit will not be so long delayed. Well behaved dogs welcomed.

Such a lovely location, but a disappointing experience with my mother and my toddler. Three members of staff with about 3 tables of people, my mum ordered 2 coffees while she watched my toddler (I was in the bathroom). When I returned, they had shouted her coffee order at her twice, she had a toddler sat on her lap and was expected to go and get her own coffees while holding a toddler while two members of staff did very little (chatting and sat down/ leaning) and the guy making the coffee couldnt be bothered to take them the four steps to her (it really wouldnt have taken him long) . My mother is close to 70 and recently had spinal surgery and i found it really poor customer service, wont bother again.

Very disappointing visit. No visible menu on display and no food suitable for young children, only cakes and pastries on display with no prices visible. Expensive £8.50 for a toasted sandwich. Hot chocolate was luke warm. 2 baby chinos ordered £2.50 each )did not come with marshmallows, they cost extra apparently ! Staff not friendly. At table we sat at there were pieces of food still on floor from a previous customer. I won’t be patronising this cafe again which is a shame when taking children to the museum. They’ll need to rethink menu, prices and their customer service if they are to succeed @ the River and Rowing Musem

Surly behaviour by counter staff. Does a smile cot more?? The food on the menu did not correspond with what was served. Can’t recommend this place.

When this was run by the Chocolate Cafe it was good, but I've been twice since it reopened under new management and both times the service has been terrible. The waitress was packing up and ignored me until she'd finished packing away the cakes and pastries. Then when the coffee arrived, it was weak and the flapjack I ordered (unseen, since it was packed away) was covered in sticky coffee goo. Apparently they don't do plain flapjack. Next time I may park at the R&R museum (now free for one hour), but I'll walk back to the Chocolate Cafe in the town.

We were keen to try the museum cafe, recently reopened under new management, and the boards outside with words like “organic coffee” and “artisan” were enticing. We ordered the Allotment Vegetable Soup billed as “seasonal market vegetables with bread and butter” but all we could see and taste was tinned tomatoes complete with spongey chunks, a few dried herbs and rather a lot of oil. Not sure what season this belonged to! I did write to the owners as it was just opened and I thought they’d like to know, but didn’t get a reply. We won’t be going back.

We had a full english, some coffees and pastries and sat outside on their beautiful and peaceful terrace. Very very impressed with the brekkie, the produce was of good quality and it was well presented, good value too! We will return!

had to wait 15 mins for them to sort the till out.......no apology until next customer came who asked to pay cash & apperently they don't take cash.I asked to order & pay when till problem sorted she ignored me.I got to order & after another 20mins (she not got very good people skills) they served the customer after me first & no sign of our coffee.i 'd had enough so asked for a refund which she seemed to find difficult to do.Think £20 for 2 coffee & scones a bit pricey & i'll never know what they taste like!!

My friend, my dad from Malta and I all went to the cafe' yesterday for a warm me up cuppa. The cappuchino my friend had was spot on and he loved it very much. My father had a chilli hot chocolate which tickled his taste buds whilst quenching his thirst. I settled for the less exciting mint tea, which was deliciously served in a big pot most definately enough for two. Staff were very friendly and attended to us with a smile. Tables, chairs and floor meticulously clean.

Social distancing measures were excellent. There were a number of volunteers for the museum who guided us to the cafe. My wife is gluten free and the staff went out of their way to ensure her meal was indeed gluten free. I had hot dogs and chips whilst my wife had jacket potato with Tuna Mayo . We followed that with salted caramel ice cream and hot chocolate sauce. The chocolate was melted and came in a small pouring container. Altogether a very satisfactory lunch in an ideal outdoor setting.

An hours wait, with young chldren, for overpriced mediocre food and it wasn't even busy - my last visit!

A very disappointing afternoon tea experience at the river and rowing museum cafe- starting with a £4 automatic charge to enter the museum car park the cost of which was previously redeemable if eating in the cafe. Ordered a tea for two and a cake which took 20 minutes to receive. In the meantime we asked the waitress to clear and clean our table - she took a few plates and cups away the first time then went away to prepare an order for another customer without washing her hands we waited a few minutes and had to ask her to come back to clear the table properly same thing again cleared a few more items but then went back to serving a customer at the till we had to call her a third time to finally wipe down the table. I asked for the manager so I could feedback my concerns- there was no manager on site. The waitress informed me that the cafe was now being managed by the Chocolate Cafe. We have been regular visitors with our children for more than 10 years the place is now a very shabby place with the poor service and poor Covid hygiene practice I wont be coming back. The museum brand will be clearly damaged if it continues to allow such service to continue

was ok, not great, wasnt very clean or inviting ok to pass half an hour on a rainy day. could do with a bit more attention to detail

Great menu, lovely cakes, great coffee. Pleasant setting. I wouldn’t deliberately travel miles just to visit this cafe but if i was nearby i would definitely stop off here

We visited the cafe on arrival to Henley yesterday for refreshments all 32 of us and we were very warmly welcomed by Ursula who is the manager of the cafe. Ursula and I had spoken on the phone when I booked lunch for 21 members of our group,Ursula suggested two sittings with a 45 minute gap and this worked perfectly for us. The quiche, new potatoes and salad was enjoyed as was the soup of the day in fact all our menu choices were enjoyed. We then stayed at the cafe to enjoy an ice cream and more refreshments. Great deal on cake and hot drink for £5.00

We visited on a Saturday afternoon and the cafe was comfortable in terms of numbers, any more and it would have been too busy. Nice choice of food and we didn't have to wait long for it. Just a thought, but they could lose the straws from the drinks, in this day and age it is unnecessary. So finally the quality of the food was very good and a nice pleasant atmosphere.

My Ecuadorian son-in-law, who is with us for August, has been tasting scones wherever we visit and he announced the scone here is the Number One! He particularly loved the raspberry jam. My grandchildren loved the boats and the teddy bears and were so fascinated by the Wind in the Willows that we have the book for bedtime reading. Oh - and my daughter loved the shop, buying lots of gifts to take back to friends and family in Quito.

Wasps! I know they're part of the British summer, and I know, too, that the cafe will undoubtedly say there's nothing they can do about them. Only there is (as Waterperry, which we visit often, has proved with the installation of faux wasps nests) and even if there isn't, then don't try to serve cream teas on the terrace as, with the addition of 10-20 angry wasps, it simply is impossible to remain there. So, with dogs meaning we couldn't go indoors, we left ... cream (over-refrigerated by the way) jam, butter (also over-refrigerated) scone, cake ... the whole damn lot because within minutes we became encircled by more wasps than you could shake a stick at. It's not as if they're against putting signs up (one "forbidding" children to play unattended on the deck ... charming!) so it all simply felt massively disappointing and with a complete lack of empathy from the staff. What a shame.

lovely museum, shop and restaurant. well worth a visit. took various girl friends who had salads and cakes, all were very happy. seating looks over carpark but otherwise beautiful location.

We found a great improvement since our last visit here, the cleanliness had been 100%improved floor chairs and tables now clean. We had lovely warm freshly made scones with butter and delicious raspberry jam and very nice tea. The rest of the food being served also looked very good. Staff were helpful and courteous. Well done we will be back.

Enjoyed the unexpected sunshine in the Terrace Cafe. Gorgeous location next to the river in Henley. Great customer service experience coupled with tasty food and good coffee - what's not to like! Special mention of the Henley Hash (pictured) - so many seriously fab flavours!

Llegué a la cafetería, donde estaban ocupadas 7 mesas y se me acercó un cajero muy capaz que trató de ayudar con todo. Para una cafetería no había información para los clientes i. mi. donde se supone que deben hacer, etc. La taza de té de hierbas se llenó hasta 2/3 de taza con agua caliente, pero no lo suficiente como para casi 3 libras de tetera promedio. Luego me senté, estaba esperando este té unos minutos, pero está bien. Aparecieron otros 3 miembros del personal, pero a nadie le importaba limpiar las mesas. Yo diría que la señora y el joven del Medio Oriente hoy a las 2 pm estaban ocupados, pero nadie más. El supervisor estaba bastante interesado en charlar sobre las vacaciones, pero un lugar sucio como ese. Nunca había visto algo así durante mucho tiempo.

This place does nice food and service with a smile I would highly recommend it as it is so quick and easy.

A fairly normal cafe to be honest there is not much more to say apart from they do ice creams in tubs.

Such a shame that this lovely riverside spot next is going to waste again with poor food and even poorer service. Today (Saturday lunchtime, lovely sunny day in half term) there are 3 surly teenagers running the place, the tables are filthy, there is a very limited choice of cakes and food and the service is non-existent. There used to be lots of colouring materials for children since the museum is very child friendly, but now there’s a few broken crayons and 1 boring picture. If the food was half decent or reasonably priced it might be ok but they haven’t even managed that.

and a fine meal awaits all visitors with attentive staff and a terrace in good weather and good for children

Great location and a generous amount of avocado on toast, perfectly poached egg either with bacon or feta cheese for vegetarians. Pleasant location near the river and free parking on site for customers. Particularly pleasant on sunny day in late September.

We only had coffee here but It looked an interesting menu. Very pleasant staff. Easy parking for CAFÉ and Museum

This place has changed hands so many times in the last 4 years and it's easy to see why they fail. We've visited during this incarnation and found it quite pleasant, but today there is now no table service and the prices have gone up. £9 for a smashed avocado with 1 egg!! Run out of most cakes and some of the few children's menu choices and the cold drinks were served warm. There is a stressful vibe due to people queuing to place their orders in the middle of the restaurant. Not pleasant. We stayed today because the children were hungry but these Henley residents will not be returning!

Used to be a lovely coffee shop, but, has it changed hands? arrived for lunch. the menu has shrunk to hardly anything. A few cakes on display, all very ordinary. No one greeted us and said hello. We left.

Service is a little on the slow side, but there is a good range of food available including gluten free options. There is seating both inside and outside, so a pleasant place to eat on a sunny day as well as on cooler days.

Came back in for tea and cakes. All the delicious looking cakes are completely uncovered on a warm day and well frequented by flies. Chose just to have drinks, but had to clear a table since nobody appeared to be working the terrace.

I came with friends, longing for a drink after a walk along the river. We sat outside after asking if it was ok, and waited ages for anyone to come and take our order. We then sat for more than half an hour for it to arrive, at which point we got up and left. It wasn't very busy at the time so no obvious excuse for the delay. I can't tell you anything about the food or drink because we never saw any! I would not go there again, despite the lovely setting.

I’ve visited this cafe a lot due to its fabulous terrace area. Usually asked to find a seat and someone would take my order I arrived, found a table and waited with my baby, my dog, my friend (in a neck brace) and her dog. Half an hour later I gave up and went inside. When served i had to wait for the coffees, ask for mine to be replaced because of lipstick on the cup, then tie my dogs lead around my leg so I could carry out our drinks. It wasn’t even busy! Really really disappointed

Great way to finish off a visit to the Museum. We visited on a very sunny day. Very much enjoyed the deck. Very helpful staff.

First the positives - this is a nice cafe in a good location. We went in for drinks on Easter Sunday mid-afternoon, so it wasn't too busy and we were immediately shown to a table. We ordered 2 hot chocolates and a baby chino for our daughter, costing £9 in total. I don't mind paying this price for these drinks, but when the hot chocolate was served cold then it is not so great! My wife quickly drank hers and told me to do the same, so we could not really sit and enjoy our drinks or the nice environment. No-one came back to our table until we asked for the bill, when it arrived I told our waitress that the drinks had been served cold and she said she would pass the message on. To her credit, we saw her speak to the Barista who then just basically shrugged her shoulders. This obviously left us quite disappointed, hence why I believe this visit deserves only 2 stars.

The café is now being run by a London based company and we liked the overall change since they took over.

Lovely place.With very helpful staff.As they couldn't of tried harder to find gluten free food for us all.Will be back again soon.

The food is fine if you have plenty of time, and the cakes are very nice, but I would be wary with little ones. In general, the service is slow and they just seem a little lost or disorganized. On a recent visit, we waited an hour for our food, and in the end our order seemed to have been lost, so we left without eating. If you have or have had toddlers, you will understand that I was left feeling completely defeated by this experience, with a hungry overtired child who still needed to eat something. I was practically reduced to begging for a juicebox for my son -- I had to ask three times! It is a shame because the museum is otherwise so wonderful with children. I contacted management about the poor service and confusion, and have received no response.

Travelled to Henley for a causal walk along the river. And once again ended up at this cafe set beside the Henley Rowing Museum. It's a pleasant hour with plenty of cake and lots of coffee.A must if you're in the area,It's become a regular to us.

The prices are much more reasonable than the former Quince Tree ownership, so glad it's back to museum ownership.

Party of four dropped in on a busy Sunday morning. A table was soon found and we enjoyed tea and coffee with a superb selection of cakes. good prices and large slices!

A great visit for me and the kids. My solo parent day has started quite stressful with child A not wanting to ‘go with my plan’ so by the time I arrived at the cafe I was approaching the edge of reason. Luckily for me the great staff, top venue, speedy service, great coffee and better cakes were enough to refuel the kids and return me to the calm Dad I try to be. Each member of staff was great but the manager was a star, even keeping an eye on our food during 305 repeated trips to the toilet. The price was good too - I will definitely go back. Thanks all!

Just arrived home with my wife, nephew's wife and her two children Shauna and Cera.

Good service, the brunch menu was interesting and a bit different from the usual, nice cakes, really enjoyed it - will be back.

Paid a second visit and felt that the management was trying to raise the standard. Worth a look. Just had coffee so cannot comment on the food.

Chaos at lunchtime. Waited over an hour so we gave up and left so cannot comment on the food as we never got any.

We arrived here with2 children ,3 and under and it took 20 minutes and 2 reminders to get 2 cartons of apple juice.The woman in charge ahd an aura of efficiency but actually was ineffectual and I think our order was lost. The children’s food was overcooked and virtually inedible.