The Courtyard in Uttlesford - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

Been to this Tea Room several times before. Had a pleasant snack and the service was excellent. We thought we would mention that when queuing to place the order, there is good vision of what is going on in the kitchen. Lots of man-handling of the food to put on plates and not one pair of tongs in site. Suggestion: either close-off the view to the prep area so customers can't see what's going on or invest in a few pairs of tongs for the kitchen staff! We shall still return but this did put us off a bit.

Wonderful place for a proper cup of tea and a light meal. Excellent sandwiches and ploughman’s lunches. High quality cakes and puddings to sample.

We popped into the cafe for a spot of lunch. Despite being very busy, the staff were welcoming and friendly. The food was tasty and portions were generous. We would visit again.

We often pop in for coffee or lunch, the food is always prepared fresh and usually served by Nicky ,she’s always smiling and helpful , despite being very busy

This was our fourth visit as always found this was a great place for lunch. As always the service was prompt and friendly. However the food was a major disappointment. The menu advised they were offering a reduced menu which would have suggested staffing issues, but we thought this should not affect the quality of the food - particularly as they were charging normal prices. Sadly this was not so, my toasted Cheese and Ham sandwich was just a smear of cheesy stuff and tasteless ham barely covering the otherwise dry bread, with a side salad consisting of 1 slice of tomato and cucumber and some shredded lettuce - definitely not worth £8.95. Also my wife's Teacake was burnt. All in all and overpriced and disappointing visit.

Thank you the Courtyard for a lovely lunch on Saturday, very busy , but worth the wait ! Great friendly staff , will definitely come back

Been twice recently and both times below average. Slow service. Forgotten food. No apologies for missing food off order (happened on both my visits). The chef tried to pass me off with the wrong chutney thinking I wouldn’t know what I ordered as it was closest to him. Honestly the food is tasty and lots of veggie options and it’s a nice calm outside seating area but it’s just too slow service and the staff sadly don’t seem to care.

We were on a coach trip and lunch stop off was Saffron Walden. We came across this tea room and saw it said Tiptree so thought it was worth a try. We chose seating outside but had to go in to ask for menus. We’re told order would be taken at our table. After about 30 minutes went inside to order and pay as no one had been outside and there were several tables all waiting! We ordered cold drinks and toasted sandwiches. Eventually the food arrives some 25 minutes after the order was placed. Whilst the food was fine the service was atrocious and we are unlikely to return!

We arrived at about 10.55 but service was very slow and we ordered at 11.10. My daughter was told she couldn't have the Vegan breakfast as it was after 11! Not ones to complain she ordered something else. I asked for granary bread and got white. I specifically asked for a one shot americano and was given a strong 2 shot. When I paid the Manageress/owner asked if all was good. I mentioned the coffee but didn't get chance to elaborate on the other points. She handed me the payment console and I chose not to tip. My prerogative esp after the poor visit. She then completely changed her attitude and was very frosty.

I’ve used The Courtyard on several occasions. In my opinion they we’re running slowly. It did seem take longer than usual from trying to order to paying. The staff get to know you. Either it was getting close to early lunchtime. So this may have slowed things. I do try and vary where I have coffee but I don’t think they are as good as they use to be. Especially when having slow patches a short while after others have fast.

Cream tea for two was utterly scrumptious and served by an equally scrumptious waitress, Nicky Skingley. We had a delighful 90 minutes of being fed and looked after by Nicky, who informed us about Tiptree history and locations - She even gave me a Tiptree Passport, which made my day. Thank you xx

Enjoyed a delicious fresh seafood platter here. Very friendly staff, great for solo lunch while visiting Saffron Walden.

It's a very friendly little tearoom, conveniently situated just off the market square in pretty Saffron Walden. I've had lunches and also afternoon tea with their homemade scones & clotted cream there and never been disappointed.. The staff are always very friendly and attentive and the service is always very good. You can also sit outside, which is lovely on a nice day. Great little cafe!!

This is a little gem of a tea room, warm and friendly atmosphere, lovely service and our waitress was so polite. I’ve eaten here several times and really rate it. The scones are lovely, toasties great, clean loos and near everything. Table outside was great at this time of year. Thank you!

No table service outside so had to go in to order. Stood there for a few minutes and was ignored by the members of staff. It wasn't busy. Walked out.

Having had a lovely cream tea in Tiptree last year we were really looking forward to having one today in Saffron Walden. However, the staff didn't seem to care about customers today. I asked for raspberry jam instead of strawberry as my husband is allergic to strawberries and not only did his scones come with strawberry jam but there was also a strawberry on the plate. The jam was then changed but when my husband said he didn't want the strawberry either but not to worry as I would eat it the waiter picked it up with his fingers and put it on my plate! After all this the scones were overcooked and very heavy, not at all what we had been looking forward to. We definitely won't visit this branch again.

Visit here last week with my daughter. We sat outside . We had to ask for the table to be cleaned. We both ordered jacket potatoes. When they arrived the waitress did not have gloves on and had her thumb in my daughter's jacket potatoe . The potatoes were both luke warm and my daughter's beans were cold. We sent them back there was an improvement I guess but still not great. We did not eat much and our lunch was spoilt. We both came away hungry. Will not be returning !!

Called in after trip to saffron Walden Saturday market... Quite busy service a bit slow ... marked 4 because of service.. but when food arrived smoke salmon and cream cheese and tuna mayonnaise sandwiches both with salad and beetroot crisps .. both packed with filling worth the money... food would be a mark of 5 ... give it a try

We had super coffee and cake here, very friendly service. Great selection for either lunches or just a sweet treat. Nice atmosphere. Will call again.

Arriving at 12:30 on a Saturday lunch time, we waited just a few minutes for a table.Debbie who greeted us was most helpful as we wanted a taylormade afternoon tea.With Debbie's help we had some lovely sandwich selection and two scone choices.Unlimited coffee was a bonus. The sandwiches were excellent and as we could not eat any more, the staff packed ALL our scones and associated paraphernalia into two boxes for us to take hope..Wonderful couldn't ask for more

On a cold Thursday lunchtime, this Tiptree cafe was packed out.I was recommended the Christmas Cracker sandwich which was made up of Turkey and stuffing between to slices of brown bread. It was weird. It so didn't work. Whoever dreamt this up had obviously too many Christmas tipples. It was a car crash of a sandwich.The upside was that the chips were great, and the Tiptree Ketchup super tasty.The meal deal (£10.95) also included a cup of tea and a perfect mince pie.At least it wasn't a boring lunch!

This place was lovely. The food was tasty, fresh and beautifully presented. It’s was cosy and warm and the staff were helpful and efficient..I will return.

We usually visit Saffron Walden on a Saturday and end up in one of the local independent cafes. As it was a Sunday and they were all shut we visited the now renamed Tip Tree Cafe and were reminded why we don't go there. Before we sat down the waitress told us (with a 'take it or leave it' attitude) that there would be a half hour wait for food. We accepted this but didn't expect our table to remain uncleared nor our order to be untaken 10 minutes later (the table next to us were before us and were still waiting), so we got up and walked out.

Lunch at the Courtyard was interesting! The food was good. Portion size good and well presented. Not cheap, but good value. There was a 30 minute wait for food, but the service itself was slow and inefficient. Staff attention seemed to be "elsewhere" and even paying the bill was tedious. Nice, but wouldn't return - there is better locally

Stopped here for a quiche and salad, there were a few quiche choices, opted for the salmon and brocolli, very tasty. Great selection of cakes on offer, lovely teas and loads of other drinks choices. Very tempting tiptree flavoured vodkas and gins for sale. Recommend if you're in the area.

We sat outside on a lovely sunny day. The service was good and the food to a high standard. The ploughman’s was hearty and generous, with three three tiptree accompaniments that went very well - chutney and relish and mustard. The cheese and ham toastie was delicious. Salmon, cream cheese and prawn sandwich also great. The avocado, mozzarella and tomato salad was freshly made but so light on avocado that it was almost a joke - why not take it off the menu if the ingredients run out? Carrot cake was very good, with the biggest slice I have ever seen (and the other cakes looked equally amazing). Cream tea - great.

Great location in this lovely historic market town. People lovely. Great cakes, drinks and snacks. Very nice indeed. Highly recommended

If you arrive 45 minutes before closing time why is it too late for a sandwich? It's cake or nothing. That is poor customer care. We left. Costa may be everywhere and very predictable but at least they serve a full menu.

Very nice food (we had the afternoon tea - lovely cakes, scones and sandwiches). The service was very good and were great when my daughter had a fall outside - they really went out of their way to help us out. Will definitely be back

Somewhere for a quick bite. Menu full of great choices. Locally sourced and beautifully described. The Brie sandwich with hot gooseberry jam was unbeatable. Wish I had time to sample the rest.

A lovely cup of tea and yummy cakes in a very pleasant setting with a good vibe. The staff were friendly and helpful

Like all Wilkins cafes the food is of a Good standard and well presented. The service is good. Plenty of Christmas items for sale.

Came here for breakfast with a couple of friends on a Saturday morning and were lucky to get a table outside in the courtyard.

The waitress was really noticeably unfriendly. Won’t be back. (The younger waitress who brought my coffee was better).

Fact ! Great food - fresh, tasty, quality ingredients, very good presentation... But whilst there are notices telling you that at busy times you’ll have to wait for your food, it’s just unacceptable ( and not at all commercial ) to get your tea 15 mins after ordering it and 25 mins before the rest of the cream tea ! Disappointing because this should be a destination stop amidst the usual high street eaterie chains...

On a Market Day, a very elderly gentleman fell out of his wheelchair sustaining injury to his arms some little distance from the café. The staff immediately provided their First Aid bandages and a cup of tea with straws until First Response Medics attended. Many thanks to the people of Saffron Walden and the café staff for their kindness.

Nice place to stop for breakfast or just a pastry and tea or coffee. They have a nice breakfast menu, plenty of tasty options. Service is always with a smile and there are usually tables available. They also do some nice coffee and tea drinks. Reasonably priced and a very clean establishment one of the better places for a snack in Saffron Walden.

In need of some refreshments before making a two hour journey home from Saffron Walden, we found the Courtyard at 4.15pm. When I went to the counter to place my order, I was told that the establishment would be closing in 8 minutes. As a cup of tea could not be enjoyed in such a little time, we left. While I appreciate teashops have to close at some point. the "closed" sign should be used if no more customers are wanted at the end of the day. This would be far better than announcing that you only had 8 minutes to drink your cup of tea. As there were four of us, the Courtyard lost quite a bit of money that we would have paid for tea and cakes. Perhaps they should try putting in a bit of effort at 4.15 if they want to stay in business.

Great breakfast this morning, nice breakfast menu friendly service. Everything was prepared fresh and tasted delicious. Quite a lot of seating. This café is located just off the main square. Nice coffee and teas as well.

This is perfect cafe for meeting up with friends for tea and cake. Plenty of choice of drinks and food for all tastes. The staff are all lovely too. Milkshake went down well with the kids as did the lovely cakes we had. Highly recommend

Popped in for quick light brunch and hot drinks. Order taken & served quickly. Only criticism would be that where we sat they had squeezed one too many tables in, when staff/customers had to come past us it was a little too up close & personal!

Came across this cafe by accident. Had a meal deal of soup and half a jacket potato. Slightly strange combination as they would have been better serving soup and half a sandwich. Good soup. My partner had a fish finger sandwich served with chips and coleslaw, which was delicious and generous.

I wish I understood the tea-room business, here represented by Wilkins & Sons. There is not one in the country that opens at tea-time, at least not willingly. Having done our sight-seeing, and upon recommendation, we arrived at 16h29. The two waitresses, relaxing alone at the tables outside, cheerfully informed us that they were closing. The manager was made of less stern stuff, and allowed us to buy tea and cakes, and to consume them while he tidied up. Prices are not for the faint-hearted. Local (well, same county) Tiptree jams of course, which are delicious.

Very quaint! Service a little slow but it was Saturday lunchtime so what do you expect? Lovely menu lots of tasty looking fare, licensed too! We had the smolked salmon cream cheese & prawn sarnies! Oh, heaven! Sooo delicious, nicely served, plenty of filling,nice tasty fresh bread.

Poor service, poor food, the cake was dry and old. Coffee less than average and not much choice. Won't go back.

We had an excellent lunch here. The ham salad was as good as I have ever had, and the toasted sandwiches were also first class. The interior is a bit lacking in comfort, but is bright and cheerful nevertheless. On sunny days, you can sit outside. Service was fine.

Had a lovely little afternoon tea here with scones, sponge cake and coffee. Overall decent quality. Quaint little cafe. Would like to come back to try more of their menu.

Nice lunch in lovely location. I love the tip tree tea rooms and this one didn't disappoint...Food was great too!

I went to this cafe with my mum, sister and two children (one is coeliac). The cafe is lovely and has a varied menu. The staff were very knowledgable about gluten free options and also about cross contamination. There were even a selection of gluten free cakes / desserts. My children both wanted ice cream for pudding and unfortunately they couldn't find out for definite whether it was gluten free but they assured me they would contact the supplier to check. Overall, a lovely little cafe, friendly staff and good food.

We came here for lunch and sat outside on a lovely day. A very cute cafe with nice seating and...

my partner and i went here on the recommedation of a freind ,and we were very glad we did ,i had the cheese ploughmans which was huge with lovely crusty hot bread and my partner had the prawn jacket potato both were delicious , there was a wait but we went on a saturday at lunch time so it is too be expectated and there was a note on the blackboard informing you of a delay so was fine.will defintly visit again.

Came here expecting to have good scones and cake. The quality of the scones was only average, found the scones too sticky. Service was slow. The disappointing experience was salvaged by the tearoom giving out free small bottle samples of chocolate spread!

When you visit a café you want to leave feeling you have had value for service !! not here :-( We sat outside as it was a nice sunny day !! No staff greeting and even had to get our own menus !! when I asked about specials on the board I was told there in the menu !! no they weren't ! Asked another member of staff who turned out to be more helpful !! now the big crunch !! I ordered a Cheese and mushroom toasty and my wife a brie and bacon sarnie ! Well my sandwich was about 3mm thick and a few crisps and undressed tiny tiny tiny tiny salad !! £6.95 !! REALLY what a con ! so 2 sandwiches,1 regular size coffee and a coke was £20 !! For argument's sake the bread and filling and rest of the plate probably cost about £1 !! that's a big profit !! we heard several people walking out complaining they had been ripped off !! yes you have and we certainly will not go back as better less costly places in Walden to eat.

We had tea with Victoria sponge and Bakewell tart. The sponge was dry, probably out too long near 4 pm, and the medium sized tart was overpriced such that my wife questioned the price in surprise - £4.55! No sense of welcome or hospitality. It was all a bit underwhelming and we decided to go somewhere else next time.

Am a big fan of the Tiptree Tea Rooms and am working my way through visiting them all.The food was lovely, could not fault it. We all had the special of the day, Ham, Egg and Chips and the choice of desserts was better than I was expecting.One of the main criticisms I would have was that the staff were not very attentive, we had to call them over after we had finished our main to order our dessert which was included in the price of the meal. It did not appear to be busy inside but was busy outside.Although the toilets were clean, the ladies had a wobbly seat which they were obviously aware of it as there was a handwritten note warning you, surely they could have done something about it? Also the hand dryer blew in your face and when you moved your hands to that area to dry them the dryer cut out!If I was just reviewing the food it would have been 5/5 but the service and toilets dragged it down to a 4.

My mother, son of 4 months and I had lunch here this week. It's a quaint and stylish little place tucked away on a side alley.It's got great seating inside and out with sturdy wooden tables with umbrellas for Alfresco dining and clean matching table and chairs for inside dining. We sat outside in the sun for our lunch with the other ladies what lunch of Saffron Walden. My mum had the avocado and mozzarella salad and I went for the smashed avocado on toast with tomatoes no meat. The food was average which was a little disappointing for the price. My avocado toast was a bit lacking in seasoning ( it was just a avocado smashed onto a piece of toast and the tomatoes although roasted were served cold?!? Mum said her salad was good but the ingredients were pretty basic no fancy salad leaves, the food seemed just flat and a bit lifeless. On the positive side the coffee was excellent fab latte, and the woman that served us although she got our order wrong and charged us and served us a (£8 Gin and champagne cocktail a bit unlikely for a breastfeeding mum at lunchtime but you never know!!!) she was very sweet and resolved the issue right away. The cost of food and drink is high here and it's a shame as the food is so one dimensional, but I think the clientele can often afford it. On a side note we didn't need to use the baby changing facilities,but they were very nicely set up with colourful wall decals and complimentary wipes. Nice touch. Mixed feelings coffee was ace, venue lovely, food not so good, Staff a bit muddled but sweet.

My husband and I came across this lovely lunch/tea room. We didn't know what to have so we shared a ploughmans with meat and cheese and we also ordered scones, Jam and cream as well so we had the best of both worlds. The ploughmans was plentiful, fresh and delicious. We also tried the flavoured Gins which were amazing. They then served the warmed large scones with the Tiptree jam and clotted cream. We were so full after everything. The service was a little slow as they were busy and as everything is made fresh it is worth waiting for. Staff are all friendly too. We spoke to a lady called Deborah who was really nice. We will be back to taste your amazing looking cakes next time....

We regularly have lunch here it's one of the nicest places to eat around. Debbie and Geraldine, the rest of the staff including the great chefs are all so very friendly. The food is always freshly cooked and good quality and is always tasty. The cream teas are so delicious, pleanty to eat, sandwiches, georgeous scones,cream and jam and those lovely cakes, . We are on friendly terms with all the staff. We are always made welcome, why would we go anywhere else. Thank you to all of them. Jean and George

My Husband and I love having breakfast here at weekends, the staff are always welcoming and the food is always delicious! The lunch menu is also great with decent sized portions along with an array of cakes to tempt even the hardiest of resisters!!

I have been visiting this cafe for many years. The food is always of good quality with generous portions. The staff are friendly and helpful and happy to advise on allergens.

Popped in here for a coffee break and so glad I did. Great selection of teas and coffee and great cakes. They have a sign that says lunch may take 15 mins as everything is cooked fresh. Staff were friendly and toilets clean.Only minor niggle is that the tables are fairly close together and difficult not to overhear everyones conversations

Loved it!If you find yourself in Saffron Walden and in need of a coffee and cake, this is the place to go!We had a lovely walk around town on Easter Sunday and stumbled across this place as lunch time was approaching. We had a look at the boards outside, offering a cooked meal with coffee and cake for a little over £8 and went straight in! The Tea Room was busy, but we found a table and perused the menu before giving our order to the waitress - ham, egg and chips with coffee and cake - i had the coffee and walnut while my wife had the lemon and coconut and both were awesome!Highly recommended!

My son booked afternoon tea for me on my birthday, a Sunday afternoon. I had not been here before but I have been to many afternoon teas in west end hotels so I knew what to expect. When we entered I was a little bit disappointed as it looked a bit basic - typical cafe tables and hard chairs. However we found a table with comfy chairs near the window so that was fine. We were asked what sandwich we wanted and what bread - not what I'm used to. We weren't asked what tea we wanted and again warning bells were going off in my head but as my son had booked and was paying I didn't want to criticise. The 3 tiered stand arrived and I was amazed. I can quite honestly say I have never seen sandwiches filled so generously and accompanied by a salad. I had ordered coronation turkey and my son the smoked salmon and cream cheese. By the time I had finished the sandwich I was no longer hungry! The waitress did say that no-one ever finishes it! I had a breather and then managed a scone with clotted cream and jam. I was absolutely done by now and the waitress offered to box-up the cakes and shortbread biscuits we hadn't touched (the cakes were full size, not the miniature west end hotel variety). I will definitely return and make sure I'm really hungry next time! Excellent value for money. Negatives: would like to see more comfy chairs and I have a feeling the scones were warmed in the microwave which toughens them slightly. Would rather have them un-warmed.

Popped in for lunch with my mother , what a mistake. Waited 15 minutes just to be presented with some really bad coffee, 10 minutes later when my mother made the mistake of questioning the rather long wait, the pretentious waitress in the most condescending manner possible pointed out a small sign that said there could be waits of up to 30 minutes, after the rude staff member pointed it out for the third time she finally left us in peace. Finally, 40 minutes after arriving we finally received an underwhelming ham sandwich and two reasonable scones. Desperate to be something it isn't, this small and decidedly average café has illusions of being a quality restaurant (with prices to match) but in reality when as busy as it was on my visit isn't worth the wait.

Fantastic value for moneycakes, scones and sandwiches were lovelyvery generous portionsexcellent servicehighly recommened

Nice food and staff very nice. Well worth a visit big portions a toasted tea cake very nice . Looking forward to visit again.

The 1 year old appreciated the bread to keep the hunger in check, the 4 year old appreciated the colouring to keep her entertained and I appreciated the gin taster at 11 am to keep my sanity eating out with 2 small kids (and a husband who ordered himself cake and the kids a sandwich, that was never going to go well). The staff here were exceptional. Best service I've experienced in a while - all credit goes to the lady who served us with enthusiasm, thoughtfulness and personality. P.s Kids meals were also the cheapest I've experienced for a while.

Cafe is long established and Wilkins & Sons influence is improving things. Sausage sandwich was very good improved by brown sauce.Possible re think on service/payment process might assist. Waitresses taking payment rather than going to cash desk is better although that would remove the opportunity for people to purchase other Wilkins & Co products which are conveniently placed there. Alternative might be to place a Product Price List on each table (although this might result is accusations of a "hard sell").Service was good and prompt.

We had lunch here today and sat outside as fine weather. The staff were pleasant and the jacket potatoes we had were well cooked and nicely presented.

Had lunch in this lovely tea room on Valentine's Day. The service was brilliant, lovely friendly staff & very prompt service, even though extremely busy. The food was fresh, plentiful and very tasty; we couldn't manage a piece of cake, unfortunately, as the choice available was mouth-wateringly wonderful! We will visit another day for a cream tea or tea & cake!

Great cafe, delicious food and super friendly staff, very welcoming and the cakes are fantastic! Highly recommend.

Was really busy when we arrived and very noisy. The tables are placed at odd angles and are very close together. After a short wait we were given menus but not asked for our drinks order. When the waitress finally returned we ordered, then she snatched the menus away before I had a chance to even close it. The food arrived after others that had ordered after us and the vegetarian quiche that my mum had ordered had bacon in it. They quickly brought out the correct quiche, but my jacket potato was barely warm enough inside. It wasn't warm enough to melt the butter and the cheese which was strangely served in a dish on the side. At this point I couldn't be bothered to send it back. Needless to say we won't be returning. There are better and cheaper places to eat nearby.

Went to this cafe today with my mother as used to visit all the time when it was Gluttons and loved it!! How times have changed ..... ordered a prawn sw on white which turned up on brown. No problem people make mistakes so sent it back with the huffy waitrese. The correct sw arrived and the prawns had freezer burn no taste etc. So I called her over and her response was these are the prawns we always use. Asked for something different and got it but with far too much attitude and another lady I assume the manager came over and said is all ok and I explained about the prawns to which I got the same response, they are the same we always use!! Listen to your customers there is a reason they bring things up and maybe time to change. Would never return really disappointing but luckily plenty more lovely cafes in Walden with great customer service!!

My friend and I decided to try here for lunch. On entering the cafe we stood for so long with staff walking past and ignoring us we decided to find a table ourselves. We then sat for longer and I had to ask a waitress to bring us menus. After a couple of minutes with the menus another waitress came over and advised last orders were 1.45 so we must order immediately, whilst hovering over us. I had the prawn cocktail sandwich which was fine, nothing special. I won't bother coming back here, there are much better options to eat at in Saffron walden and I'll stick to them in the future.

Very canteen-like decor which makes the atmosphere difficult to enjoy. Polite service but nothing special - reminds me a bit of soulless but perfectly polite cafes in the supermarkets like Waitrose. The cake was delicious, the coffee was good, the service was quick enough and the place was really busy - however it would be so much nicer if the interior was slightly improved and shifted from canteen to elegant tearoom. Also, it was quite loud (although probably because very very busy).

I visited the Courtyard cafe yesterday for my daily morning cuppa and due to having just received bad news was not in the best of spirits. These were soon lifted however by the ever delicious lemon drizzle cake and my regular waitress beaming me a welcoming smile. I do think this cafe is exceptional due to its staff. They are all so kind, cheerful and supportive. I know I am not the only regular customer who benefits from their good cake, coffee and kindness.

Beautiful food as always... never disappointed.Fresh tasting, always plentiful and the cakes are to die for! !The staff here are always so nice, polite, and friendly.You see lots of familiar faces within the staff team too so that's always a good sign I think.

Living locally I frequently used this cafe in the past. After a few recent bad experiences I now avoid it at all costs.One extremely rude waitress, blond hair, late 20s or early 30s is one of the rudest people I have met in a cafe. Saying inappropriate things to customers, and nasty things behind their back. This has happened to me and my family on more than one occasion. I like many these days have sadly found that I have to be gluten free. The law states that all food established have to know what allergens are in thier food. On more than 15 visits, when asking about things on the menu, staff at the cafe have been unable to tell me if certain dishes were gluten free. Siting either the chef isn't in, or the packet is in the bin.

We were given voucher as a present. We were seated quickly and placed our order. The staff were helpful. Our crockery arrived swiftly followed by our tea and then the cake stand full of goodies. The sandwiches were full to overflowing and delicious. The scones were gorgeous and the cakes outstanding. All this was topped of with several very sweet strawberries. So much better than our experience with service and food at the tea rooms at the Tiptree Jam Factory and we let the staff know this and that we were very satisfied. Well done The Courtyard!

We went for a family birthday brunch and we were really disappointed. The scrambled eggs were more like dry mashed hard boiled eggs, and the full English was also below par. Even the coffee was not right. We were really surprised and will not be returning.

So we chose this little cafe for our informal wedding reception, starting with a phone call Deborah who runs this cafe was very helpful and accommodating from the beginning with everything we asked having the I can do that and would love to help attitude which on your big day is just what you want to hear. We called down to see her a few weeks before and of course to try out the afternoon tea and I must say we were not disappointed! The sandwiches, cake and scones were yummy, the cafe was busy and buzzing with happy people, the whole place was clean and tidy with plenty of seating inside and out. When the day came Deborah didn't disappoint either, with balloons and beautifully laid out flowers very helpful polite staff. From start to finish this was a lovely experience and would recommend this little cafe to anyone. Thank you Deborah and her team for helping make our big day so special. James and Karen.

This is our cafe of choice when we visit Saffron Walden. I like the fact there is waitress service but mostly I like the menu. It is good, wholesome food whether you're there for lunch or a cup of tea and a piece of cake. The staff are always friendly and efficient. My only advice is choose your table carefully if, like me, you find sitting near the toilets a bit off-putting.

I visited the Courtyard in Saffron Walden on Saturday 30th July. This was my first visit to the tearooms, I would just like to say what a lovely experience I had. I was swiftly greeted by a very 'smiley' lady, seated with a menu and told about the specials they had for the day. The young lady returned and took my order promptly. I didn't have to wait long at all for my food and drink to arrive, I felt it was great service and the food was excellent.I met the manager when paying my bill and found her extremely pleasant and polite. Overall I would recommend the Courtyard to anyone and I will certainly be returning asap, thank you !!

Quaint tea room set in a courtyard. Reasonable coffee and cake for £3.50. Great on a nice day to sit in the courtyard after visiting the nearby market on Saturday.

Called in for a light lunch one Friday. We had a pot of tea, sandwiches and chips to share. Service was polite, courteous and timely. The sandwiches were well made and tasty, chips were excellent. We could of done with some additional hot water with the pot of tea, as there wasn't quiet enough for two cups each. But the tea had good flavour. Very enjoyable.

Wow!! We had scone and a pot of tea absolutely fantastic. The best scones ever. Staff were friendly and helpful definitely go again X

Sat with my companion outside in the sunshine and chose off the menu. Served straight away at counter inside by efficient staff. Drinks arrived first and shortly after the food (sandwich and a ploughman's arrived) All very delicious and value for money. Although fairly busy tables were being cleared and other orders were going out at a good rate.

Having ordered hot drinks and sandwiches we thought they would arrive close together, sadly this isn't the case here. Our hot drinks were finished, although we'd made them last a song as we could, long before our sandwiches arrived. The cafe wasn't overly busy but the staff had no focus on what was happening and how long customers were waiting. After 50 minutes I complained that customers who ordered after us were being served hot food before we had our sandwiches, with no apology our food was served to us after another 5 minutes. The food was good if expensive but we won't be back.

As strangers to Saffron Walden we saw quite a few places to eat but decided on The Courtyard due to its extensive menu and that they had plenty of customers – we always take that as a good sign. We seated ourselves and it was a couple of minutes before anyone gave us menus. Our orders were taken quickly and the food arrived in a reasonable time. We had a quiche, a wrap and two cheese and bacon jacket potatoes – all were excellent in flavour and presentation and good portion size too. The bill for the four meals and two teas was £35 which was good value.

A Tiptree Tearoom. Menu same as the one at Tiptree but the service was not as good to start with. Despite seeing us standing there we were ignored until we asked if we were seated or picked ourselves. Told to pick ourselves but was pointed towards a table they said was for 3 that only had 2 chairs and it also hadn't been cleared from the people before. Found our own table. Need some pointers from Tiptree me thinks. After that though it was all systems go. Quick service, drinks then food arrived quickly and it did not disappoint. The ploughmans was enormous and delicious, the jacket spud, lovely with plenty of filling and the sandwich was full and flavoursome. Nice tea and coffee. It's a shame the service was a bit shambolic at the start because they were really friendly and made it a very pleasant lunch. Not as busy as the one at Tiptree but suppose that could be more competition in Saffron Walden. Would use again.

Not knowing the town we found the Courtyard quite handy, close to the town's car park. Having visited other Tiptree Jam's tea rooms we found this came up to standard. People were sat in the courtyard, though we went inside. We had the usual cream tea but find two scones rather filling, so we stick to one. Other people were having cooked food. The staff were very friendly. We arrived at just after 3pm when things were quieting down, so there was no waiting to be served.

Great ham sandwich accompanied by whole grain mustard, salad and crisps. My companions had soup and half sandwich which was also very good.Decor and furniture a bit sparse.

I visited this pretty tea room yesterday with some friends and we were all impressed with the variety of meals and snacks offered at very reasonable prices. I ordered a toasted sausage and cheese pannini which was accompanied by a small side salad and a generous portion of chips. I was already full by the time I got to the chips but it would certainly be enough to suit anyone's appetite. There was a very efficient table service by friendly staff and there was not a long wait before our orders arrived considering that it was lunch time and there were many customers arriving. I would definitely recommend this tea room and hope to go back there soon.

Had the breakfast baguette, what a tasty lunch! Prompt Service, served with great coffee! Highly Recommended!

We visited the courtyard on a Saturday morning after walking around the market. Because the courtyard is tucked away (down the lane that links the common and the market square, behind boots), we usually forget it's there. We were so glad we did!The staff are extremely friendly, the service amazing and the food delicious. The full English is great value, only £7.95 for bacon, sausages, tomato, beans, egg, mushrooms and toast. I asked if I could substitute the eggs and mushrooms for extra sausages and bacon and they did (see picture below). We will definitely be returning!!Thank you to everyone at the courtyard for an amazing brunch!!

Visited today for lunch with 4 friends. Service exceptionally slow but when soup finally arrived it was homemade and delicious. We thought "soup and half a sandwich" for £7.25 was too expensive. Maybe if we had been offered a whole sandwich we might have felt differently.

Went here mid week with a couple of friends for a nice catch up , so wasn't overly busy. We order our drinks which consisted of hot and cold drinks. They arrived in good time, however the hot drinks were luke warm so they got sent back. Promptly received fresh hot ones so wasn't to much of an issue. Our waitress was lovely, smiley and attentive. Service was great. However it all went down hill once the mains came out! My jacket potato was still hard and cold in the middle, and my friend only managed half her sandwich. The rest was fine apart from the dry cakes that came out to say sorry for the poor food we had. We finished out second round of drinks (which were fine this time) and left. The courtyard used to be a lovely place to watch the world go by but won't be returning until tiptree sort it out! Such a shame.

After being snubbed by Kim's owners, we took ourselves off for lunch at The Courtyard. We received a friendly welcome. We selected a jacket potato and sandwiches for lunch which were great value and beautifully presented. If we visit Saffron Walden again, we would return.

Coffee luke warm, cake dry. A disappointing experience. I imagine there are many nicer places to stop for a coffee in the town :(

Have eaten at other Wilkin & Sons tearooms without a problem. Certainly the cakes on display looked lovely, but my friend and I decided to go for the "cream tea". Service was prompt and the fruit scones were warm and looked tempting, albeit resembled rock cakes, rather than scones and there we have it - the word rock. As the scones cooled, their rough exterior became harder...and harder...and harder. I've never had a fruit scone that crunched, plus they were rather dry. These scones are definitely not for people who wear dentures or have weak jaws - I'm not suggesting you'd need the mandibles of an ox to make any headway, but soft and melt in the mouth, they ain't. Undeterred, my friend and I crunched on - sadly, one of her scones was burnt on the bottom, so she didn't want to finish it and I ran out of tea, which helped to make my scones swallowable, so had to leave most of my 2nd scone, as my peristalsis simply wasn't up to the task. In addition to that experience, the ladies' toilet was poorly lit, the soap had run out, the hand drier only worked intermittently and was very noisy - all a bit yuk to be honest and needs a thorough clean/re-vamp.