The Cafe at Urban Jungle in Waveney

Used to be a Gluten Free restaurant with a great menu with tables in cosy intimate settings in & around the plants. Now just a very ordinary nursery tea room. It’s true that for a variety of reasons we hadn’t been for some time & we were looking forward to our trip. Yesterday we arrived wanting lunch to be told they only had what was in the counter- scones, sausage rolls cakes. I asked about gluten free - the only thing I could eat was the rather unappealing lemon cake. Needless to say we left & we will not be back.

Afternoon Tea at The Urban Jungle this afternoon ! It was absolutely superb. All freshly made and every morsel was Soooooo tasty! Couldn’t eat it all though. Had to bring some of it home. A real experience. Ideal for a treat or a special occasion Highly recommended.

Sadly disappointing, we had driven past several times and promised ourselves to visit. The garden centre is interesting, particularly if you have deep pockets and the cafe looks interesting too, just a pity that the menu is barely adequate, all they had were 2 sausage rolls and 3 cheese & bacon pasties apart from an array of cakes. Prices were barely OK., we won't be visiting again and will stick to our usual lunch in Twyfords in Beccles which is far superior.

As someone who loves plants of all kinds this nursery is a magnet for me. After a wander round the myriad of outdoor plants it’s a real treat to come inside and sit among a jungle of indoor plants for coffee and cake. The food on offer is limited but the coffee is good and it’s just so different to sit there marvelling at how they look after all those plants! If only I could afford one of those enormous olive trees….😉

Stopped here for lunch whilst on a cycle ride. Wonderful food, really impressed, had a sourdough sandwich with houmous, watercress, pine nuts and sun-dried tomatoes served with olives. Absolutely delicious, great ingredients and great value for money. Had a flat white with oatmilk afterwards which was very good. Highly recommended!

Oh what a lovely place for a coffee and scone. The cheese scones are lovely. The staff are lovely too, really helpful and very pleasant to talk too. The surroundings are very relaxing

One of my favourite places to be, full of plant ideas, beautiful cacti and succulents, amazing olive trees, fantastic array of indoor and outdoor plants, beautiful hanging spider plants (I love a spider plant!) and so much more. Called in today to catch up with family, we enjoyed great coffee and a lovely choice of cakes, friendly staff and left with a plant!

I just adore Urban Jungle. It's my go to happy place. Always a warm welcome and yummy cake. The coffee is fabulous and all alternative milks are on the menu. You sit surrounded by a Jungle of plants. In the summer time there is a cactus tunnel cafe, if you like the heat then this is amazing; a giant greenhouse. The staff are helpful and pleasant. You may even meet the cats if they grace you with their presence. There is a range of gifts for exotic plant lovers and the outside garden nursery provides a huge range of plants.

Looked great in the guide book and the place was pleasantly quirky. However, the food was very average and expensive and VERY limited. Apparently, they used to have a good menu but now there are only cakes and average coffee and prices did not seem to be displayed clearly. . OK for a quick coffee but not for any type of meal

I had left it rather too late to purchase a birthday present so thought I would visit Urban Jungle Beccles and purchase a gift card. Admittedly it was a grey Thursday morning and not the best of weathers to look around the outside so my friend and I decided to go into the café for coffee. There were no other customers at that time and we could hear staff chattering away to the side of the counter but I had to ring the bell for attention. The food did not look very appetising so we just ordered two black coffees at £3.60 each. We sat down at a table and it was a little cold in spite of the coloured blankets over the chairs. The coffee was brought over with a bowl of sugar lumps but it was not at all to our liking. It seemed as though it had been warmed up from the previous day. We left without buying a voucher and will not be visiting again. The plants are lovely but we thought they were overpriced even with a sale discount.

Sadly things have changed here, after previous visits they now need to make up their minds what the future holds. This is now a lovely (expensive) garden centre where you can buy a coffee and some indifferent cakes. No other food is available, no lunch options now just what looks like shop bought, stiff cakes served by staff that clearly don't care if you are there or not. All the old sofas and armchairs that used to be in little niches have gone and have been replaced by lines of tables all in one area. The whole building is packed with plants and if you just want a quick coffee it's a good place, warning don't reply on getting decaf when you ask for it!! Sadly it's no longer somewhere for snacks and lunch.

A little slice of Amazon jungle n Beccles. Very nice lady serving in cafe, had 2 hot chocolates! Loved the vibe in the cafe with overhead plants and jungle vibes. The plants are of the best quality & variety I have seen anywhere full stop in near on 40 years in the planet! This is my teenage son & my new fave hang out zone. He is plant crazy and I just love spending time with him in such a cool place. Totally rate this place.

Surrounded by plants, this is a lovely environment to have a coffee with a slice of cake. There is also an Urban Jungle in Old Costessey Norwich

Surrounded by plants, this is a pretty environment to have a coffee and piece of cake. It is part of the garden centre with a great range of plants.

A few years ago my wife and I visited Urban Jungle Suffolk and absolutely loved it, including the cafe. We decided to make a return visit this week. Previously the cafe was a magical experience with tables and seats hidden away amid the luscious planting. Also the food was imaginative and matched the surroundings. We do realise that there is a post COVID effect everywhere and post Brexit staff shortages etc. However we found the tables had been placed together to create a conventional cafe space which was much less attractive and removed a lot of the ambience. The delightful young lady manning the cafe was alone and clearly struggling to keep up. Having said that, our coffee and sandwiches etc arrived pretty quickly. I chose coronation chicken sandwich which was clearly made by someone who had never eaten coronation chicken. It consisted of a few bits of dry chicken a bit of nondescript greenery and a little coronation sauce spread over the bread. Not £6.45 worth in my opinion. My wife’s cake was fine however. We called in to Two Magpies Bakery Cafe a few miles away on the way home and it couldn’t have been more different. It was buzzing with staff and fabulous food. It occurred to me that Urban Jungle could have a small Two Magpies outlet as a cafe within the existing building, just a thought. I think the two entities would match up perfectly? This review is not meant as a complaint just a view and as I’ve said we fully understand about current post Brexit/COVID pressures, We love both Urban Jungles and will continue to visit both sites.

I was so disappointed when I took a friend from out of the area to visit and have lunch here. I made a special trip after having really enjoyed the food here a couple of years ago, but a lot has changed. No food available or at least only cake, coffee served in paper cups and the place was virtually empty. We had to go elsewhere to eat. So sad.

This place looked lovely in the photos. In reality it's a few tables amongst the plants for sale. The cakes looked unappealing. When we asked for savoury options we were told only prepacked sausage rolls and sandwiches were available, nothing fresh. We ordered cake and...

Loved the garden centre...amazing selection of plants displayed and planted beautifully and helpfully labelled for very amateur gardeners as we are! Only had cups of earl grey as we arrived just before 4pm when cafe closes. These were good if a little pricey and we...

£20 for pre-packed basic sandwiches, crisps and soft drinks x 2. Need I say anymore! Pretentious and overpriced. Won’t be revisiting.

Perhaps we went on a bad day. But the Victoria Sponge simply awful. I asked before buying what was recommended and the lady said it was all amazing. On my way out to one of the lovely greenhouses however I saw table after table of...

We loved our visit to Urban Jungle! It’s a fantastic place to browse for plants or just to meet up with friends for coffee & something to eat - we loved the outdoor seating. The cake is delicious!! The man serving us coffee was very...

We enjoyed a brilliant afternoon tea yesterday for a family celebration. The food was wonderful and plentiful. Two of our party were vegan and their food was excellent. We would definitely go again

Was very keen to visit here after seeing some good reviews and photos on Instagram. But on arrival we were disappointed. The garden centre itself looked very run down, pots had fallen over and not been picked up. Inside the cafe it was very very...

It is some time since I’ve come here for lunch. I came with friends to celebrate my birthday, and although the setting is lovely the menu was so disappointing. It’s the usual run of the mill, baked potatoes, sandwiches and all day breakfasts. When I...

Been here a few times now. Lovely in the summer weather, enjoying drinks outside. Called in today for lunch, sitting indoors amongst all the shrubs. Nice limited menu, but what we had was very tasty, and presentation of food very good.

We were a bit apprehensive from the reviews about slow service. However we had a family breakfast here for our last morning visiting the Broads, and it was absolutely perfect. Beautiful unique surroundings, good variety breakfast menu and service was excellent!

We went here between Christmas and New Years as we love the garden centre part. We ordered 2 breakfasts and a jacket potato, all very nice. Well cooked quality ingredients. Coffees are good but expensive. What let it down was the service. Not very attentive...

What a magical place to sit amongst the plants and trees and have something to eat. We chose the creamy garlic mushrooms on toast with tomato and egg on top. It sounded nice on the menu but the description did not to do it justice...

We visited for our wedding anniversary, as we thought the surroundings would be something different. They were - it was a lovely place to sit in the evening. Unfortunately the food and service didn't live up to expectations. The staff seemed to forget we were...

Went there for light lunch with my husband, we both had sausage roll, Salad, and coleslaw, and tea for two when it arrived there was literally sausage roll a few salad leaves and tablespoon of dry coleslaw and a few crisps. It cost us £22...

Really pleasant cafe, comfortable with delightful surroundings.Lovely coffee and quality food but not a vast choice. Quite expensive but it is quality.

I used to love this place. It used to have amazing food, especially as it was all gluten free, which was a huge bonus to me. I'm not coeliac, but I have a thyroid problem that is aggravated by gluten. Unfortunately their menu has now...

We hadn't visited before and lastnight we enjoyed 5 courses of delicious Mexican food with a mojito. My beef fell off the bone in course 3 it was an absolute highlight.They adapted a vegetarian option for my girlfriend which went above and beyond what she...

Their ethos is to serve beautiful food in taste and appearance quotes their website. Whoever wrote this must be getting it confused with a different café, their ethos is much more along the lines of overpriced, ordinary, badly presented food. Ignore the menu on the...

We've visited a few times and only ever had a coffee. As we were with friends we thought we'd have lunch as the cafe was virtually empty - only two other tables with people on. After waiting 20 minutes I had to go and ask...

I’ve never given a bad review before but feel this visit warranted one, we were that disappointed. We ordered a burger and wedges off the specials menu with some coffees. After waiting 45 minutes for our food (the place wasn’t too busy at all) I...

A wonderful experience last night at Urban Jungle. Little errors (loosing our drinks order, no ice bucket for wine on a very hot night, running out of a beer on the drinks list for the evening) could all be overlooked once the food got underway....

Rachel is a star. I called to discuss the menu as quite a few items were not to my liking (the night was booked by a friend). Although fully booked she managed to create some dishes to cater for my tastes. Service very good, staff...

This is my 4th visit to urban jungle & each time I always enjoy the surroundings & the food, but every time the service is so bad, Each time I’ve thought that maybe they are just having a bad day but it seems this is...

Our food was very tasty but overpriced for what was on the plate. Hoummus and shredded lamb should not be £11 something. A couple of plain scones to take away should not be £3.10 EACH, when a cream tea eaten in store is £3.60. The...

We had been here several times for a lovely coffee so we decided to eat here one evening. However my lamb dish was almost inedible as there was so much pomegranate molasses in it. I did not eat much at all and returned an almost...

First time visiting the Cafe today for breakfast, the scrambled eggs with salmon was excellent and the Jungle breakfast was very tasty, would definitely recommend and will be returning. Great selection of plants for both inside and out of the garden.

The food was very good. My mum adored her salad. The cafe saved an area for me and I had a couple of other small queries that were sorted out for me no problems. I felt very accommodated. The setting is different and cool. The...

What a lovely setting amid plants got to say really enjoyed my first visit to this place, though very busy, the night was sold out, u couldn’t overhear other conversations and service was very good and the meal well that was wonderful from soup to...

What can I say the meal was outstanding. 5 courses for £35.00, an absolute steal, could have charged more quite easily. Absolutely loved the Katsu curry and cherry brulee with coconut snow. The service was perfect along with the whole atmosphere. Cannot wait to book...

Went with an open mind after reading the mixed reviews. Welcome very warm and wonderful setting. Rapidly went downhill from this point. No children's menu but we worked out something they could share from the lunch menu. We arrived when it was exceptionally quiet between...

Personally I have both allergies and intolerances. As such this is one of the few places I can go and find something on the menu I can have. Its does come at a price however, so personally it’s a special treat to visit. But when...

Second visit in the hope the cafe had improved! Service terrible, the wait was totally unacceptable and the food was mediocre. Such a shame could be an excellent cafe if they got on top of serving food promptly and at the very least getting the...

Myself and a friend visited today for tea and cake mid afternoon, the cafe was busy but no busier than I’d expect on a usual Saturday. After tracking down a waitress we ordered 2 pots of tea and 2 slices of cake. Our waitress twice...

This is a great concept but the customer experience isn’t nearly as good as it should be, especially for the pricing of food and drinks - which is right at the top end for a cafe in Suffolk. We’d booked a table - two for...

Just had breakfast here with my mum. We loved it - such a tranquil and amazing place. The staff were so lovely and welcoming. The food gets 10/10 and perfect size portion. Definitely returning.

I brought my mum here on the spur of the moment and my two children, I normally do a bit of research beforehand but had only seen some Instagram posts so didn’t really know what to expect. The positives are it is quirky and the...

We tried the Urban Jungle in Beccles on a spur of the moment decision, but realising there was a cafe at the nurseries. The interior is very different with the numerous plants and scattered seating but we were soon greeted at our chosen table and...

What a perfectly lovely place this is! I loved the laid back bohemian vibe. Yes, there was a short wait for food, but it came out fresh and it was delicious! I will definitely return.

There's no doubt this place is a lovely location. No amount of pot plants, sofas, boho throws and expensive planters though can compensate for a service that although I'm sure is well intended is pretty dysfunctional. The food's nice (expensive/not huge portions, but nice). The...

I visited with my sister as a birthday treat on 9th March 2019 and it did not disappoint. The photos don't do this place justice! It was busy but we soon found comfy seats tucked away amongst the beautiful plants where we had raspberry lemonade...

Great setting and the food was amazing. We did have to wait a little longer than most cafes/restaurants but the food made it worth while, maybe next time we would go during the week :)

Dropped in today for a quick coffee. The chap on the till simply said "£3.40", no "please" or "thank you". I decided that their over-priced coffee could be sold to some other mug who was prepared to accept their rudeness. Never again.

My daughter and I went for a brunch after her football game in Beccles. I had booked but that seemed irrelevant as the girl on the till who eventually came to see us had no idea about it/didn’t check, just took us to a spare...

I have wanted to visit the Beccles urban jungle cafe for a long while after hearing amazing reviews, but sadly we were disappointed. I had emailed a few days before the visit to arrange afternoon for my mum as a treat for mother’s day in...

Spent a time having a lovely lunch here. It is expensive Gower the food is very well presented and to a high standard. It is a relaxing atmosphere surrounded by all the plants for sale. Put me into a real holiday mood. Well worth a...

We visited Urban Jungle, Beccles on the second day of half term. The food was great, although expensive, the staff were amazing, nothing too much trouble , BUT totally ridiculous that there were two waitresses for a heaving restaurant, they were so overworked and clearly...

If staff having a meltdown and a 40 minute wait for a panini are your cup of tea, then by all means give this place a go. The uncleared tables are an added bonus. Honestly liked this place the first time I came but the...

We came here after hearing about this place quirky little place and we thought it was great, The food was tasty and we enjoyed some drinks.

The lady wandering around taking pretentiously Instagramable photos for the Urban Jungle social media channels was doing a fantastic job of ignoring each and every table piled high with uncleared trays.... 40 minute wait to get any food, poor staff frantically apologising for the complete...

Great environment, tasty food and friendly staff....just still not enough of them! As a result service is a bit slower than it should be. Also a tad pricey?

Beautiful surroundings and so much potential but then poor service. Poor value and reliance on the attraction of the setting rather than offering value. Food took 40 minutes to arrive and was swimming in fat. Full refund given but let's hope they will train their...

Very unusual place to eat, the café is decorated in tropical plants which are also for sale, you wait for the monkeys to swing down, their are tables and chairs or lounge chairs and settees with low coffee tables. The food is very unusual, not...

What a great place, our children loved sitting among the plants for lunch. Friendly service, there was a longish wait for food but it was worth the wait, it was cooked and presented beautifully.

The surroundings, with tables dotted about in a tropical garden centre, are fabulous. You’re really secluded and it’s particularly good if you have littlies with you which we did. The lunch menu is short and, I thought, slightly dull. £8.95 is at the top end...

My family and I visited today, when we said in October we would never go back! After being told in October that they were running behind and providing an awful service due to there being a lack of kitchen staff you would think they would...

Been looking forward to trying this cafe for a while but I do think a greeting or welcome is important as is a thank you or departing gesture when you leave. We got neither and had to order our own food at the counter despite...

Popped in for lunch, my loaded ham and cheese toasty had no ham and Definately wasn’t loaded with anything other than stomach aching cheese combined with soggy toast, my husbands cauliflower satay was ok but the flatbread was only partly cooked. One member of staff...

Love urban jungle, think the whole concept is cool. It's lovely to eat and drink surrounded by plants, I like the eclectic mix of furniture and the great range for different dietary requirements. The drinks are nice and I would recommend trying a white hot...

Friends have been here for coffee & cake, Chilli Festive, etc so brought us for dinner. Pate was excellent; strong & sturdy. Salmon starter was served with amazing home made soft cheese on crisp toast disk. Venison sausage main was delicious, deep & earthy slow...

Popped in for lunch today having heard some great reviews. Fantastic setting with friendly staff. We were seen to almost straight away and drinks arrived soon after. Ordered our mains with some olives to start. Portion size for the price was a little steep I...

May I, on behalf of the group, thank you and the management and staff for a super and enjoyable evening on Saturday. All of our party of 12 people were warmly welcomed by the staff who had gone to a lot of trouble to enable...

The setting and ambience are incredible. The whole cafe is brimming with exotic plants. Such a sense of privacy is created again and again with cosy individual spaces that is outright creative and exciting in the vaulting barn-like structure of the building. The food was...

My daughter had her surprise baby shower here at urban jungle. The cafe is full of plants small and large and laid out in individual seating areas. Its difficult to descibed how special this made the atmosphere feel. I can't do it justice here. The...

We visited here for the first time last week and was a lovely surprise. A lovely array of plants and trees and shrubs with a wonderful cafe attached. Had lovely coffee in a cafettiere opted for warm milk with it. Was nice to be offered...

Unfortunate experience with the blonde ponytailed waitress who just wasn't interested - overpriced and not what it used to be. Almost funny is thier ad for afternoon tea. Mention this and you will be greeted with an icy stare, the kitchen will be consulted and...

Walk into this place and say “Wow”. A mixture of tropical plants ,intimate seating areas and good mid range food makes for a comfortable and relaxing atmosphere where staff and service are excellent. A definite return visit promised.

I visited today with my family and we had a lovely lunch. I love the settings but also the fact I can relax knowing everything is gluten free. The staff were helpful and polite although incredibly busy and the food was superb. Considering every table...

My friend and I drove a few miles as we have both enjoyed Urban Jungle in the past. We wanted some tea and a light snack but couldn't find a menu. Then we saw a sign for tea, and ordered two. Only to be told...

I visited on 20 Oct with 4 others after my brother had booked a table. I was slightly late and as everyone else had got drinks I went to the counter to order a coffee and ask if we could order food. After a wait...

The setting of this cafe is stunning, surrounded as we were by enormous lush plants and full size olive trees. But the cafe itself desperately needs to be reorganised. Menus consist of scruffy sheets of paper fixed on clipboards, and are hidden under the main...

When first open in 2017, Urban Jungle was stunning. Called yesterday for coffee, which although acceptable, was far from the outstanding quality of previous visits. The range of counter items was just very similar cakes, with nothing savoury as on earlier visits. Would be delighted...

We have been visiting urban jungle very regularly since it’s opening, and have also frequented the Norwich branch. The positives of this establishment include that it is a nice garden centre with a lovely setting for the cafe. The food is also quite enjoyable. However,...

We went one morning just to look at the plants but it looked so nice that we stopped for lunch. The food was good, the staff were very helpful & the decor was fab! Very jungle like with all the plants & unusual items that...

A lovely place to enjoy coffee and cake or lunch. The staff are so friendly and really make you feel welcome. I had a delcious coconut and sweet potato soup which was fantastic. I came with a gluten free friend and she was so pleased...

Visited the Urban Jungle cafe yesterday with my mum and had a lovely lunch - the food was lovely. We didn't have a cuppa as to be honest £3.10 for a peppermint tea is too pricey, in fact its the most expensive place I have...

Second visit to the restaurant and wish I'd left it at the first. Over priced and second rate this time unfortunately. £8.95for a ham and cheese toasty! When it arrived it was joined by a limp selection of lettuce, one teaspoonful of home made coleslaw,...

Ambience good, but not enough to make up for poor service, product and content. Had to wait for nearly half an hour for pre-food drinks, followed by a further long wait for food. They weren't all that busy. Some of the dishes disappointing, and over...

An eclectic menu which was enjoyed by our adult family. Portions are not huge but fine for us. If you’re after standard cheap cafe fare this is not the place for you . The service was friendly and efficient . The plants in the garden...

We booked a table for lunch as a birthday treat for my partner is a gardener and had been recommended to visit Urban Jungle. Essentially it is a garden centre which has a collection of indoor and tender plants as well as the more usual...

This is the third time we have been here and it has never disappointed. The service is great and he staff are always pleasant. The food is to die for, I love the different flavours on their menu and every time I struggle to choose...

Garden centre and staff excellent plants too.... Cafe a let down ordered tea coffee and 2 cakes.... Cafe one third full had to wait about 15 mins for the one lad to make the order up, that's ok for a meal but not for coffee...

Visited friends who live nearby. They know we love exotic plants, what a delight this place was. Found a plant I have been looking for since a trip to Italy! The cafe is surrounded by tropical plants so I felt I was back in Asia......

My daughter and I went there for lunch. It's a very unusual setting but nice. The menu is very limit of traditional food. If you don't like different food you wouldn't like it .We had the soup which was nice and we both enjoyed it....

The Nursery was great with some very unusual plants. Staff friendly and helpful. The cafe looked lovely and the menu unusual. I ordered slow cooked lamb which came with humus, crispy onions, pomegranate and flat bread. What turned up 40 minutes later was a bowl...