The Garden Cafe in Forest of Dean

My husband and I tried to get tea and cake yesterday afternoon. I am disabled and struggled into the garden to be met by a very unhelpful man who simply said 'its lunch' in response to my husband's polite query! When he enquired further, the response was: 'I'll get you a menu but if you just want tea, there's a tea bar over the road!' Needless to say we didn't bother or wait for the menu! Proprietor should remember it's the customers that keep businesses like this going and respond appropriately! Like another reviewer comments: Bring a packed lunch and enjoy the riverside beauty!!! The person we encountered was really rude and unhelpful!

Habíamos pasado por este lugar muchas veces y nunca está abierto. La entrada es siempre sucia, mal cuidada y muy poco atractiva. Esta es una gran pena, ya que la ubicación es impresionante, especialmente en los meses de verano. Este lugar podría ser una pequeña joya. Qué pena.

Gran lugar para parar especialmente mientras una parada práctica y canotaje refrescante. Bonitas vistas al otro lado de la calle hasta el río Wye. Los precios de la comida sabrosa. También está cerca de una zona de picnic y de otros pequeños lugares de interés en este pueblo encantador.

Asistieron para un almuerzo de señoras. La comida fue agradable aunque sencilla, sandwiches y torta. Jardín con una interesante variedad de rosas. Relajante - potencial para ser un refugio.

Recientemente estuve en la cafetería del jardín para picar el domingo por la tarde con un grupo de amigos y quedé muy impresionado con el restaurante único, lo que es una gran habitación diáfana con la cocina y bar en un extremo de la habitación, que tiene techos bajos con vigas y cómodos asientos. La comida era deliciosa y como estábamos teniendo un almuerzo tipo buffet, había una multitud de sabrosas tapas de tipo para elegir. Sin duda volveré allí durante las próximas semanas. Muy recomendable.

We visited for lunch on a Sunday in early September. The kitchen supplies were low and there wasn't much for the kids to eat. With the owner/waitress we worked out something they would all like. She picked a cucumber from the garden and eggs from her hens. The adults had the ribiera burger and a cider from the fridge. I do believe this was the best burger I have had in my life. It was just perfect. The setting is a garden with an eclectic collection of tables and chairs. Everything was a little wobbly on the uneven paving and gravel (this didn't bother us, it's a feature of the place). All the food was delicious. The owner has a fairly direct manner in dealing with people and I could understand how others might misinterpret this, but we thought she was marvellous and appreciated everything she did for us. I will definitely visit here again.

9 of us stopped here while canoeing down the Wye. Lovely garden and pleasant surroundings. Shame about the girl serving us. Every question or request was responded to with disdain and rudeness. It actually became pretty funny, how someone can work in the service industry and behave like this is beyond me. In all seriousness, service is absolutely awful. She was unhelpful and sarcastic. The menu was out of date and when we tried to order she would literally sneer and tell you they didn't sell it. We have to guess apparently, maybe it's a game to keep customers entertained? Doesn't work. It took us 3 attempts to get a jug of water, we even offered to pour it ourselves. Eventually we filled our glasses from the bathroom. If the place was busy I could understand, but there were only us and 1 other table. Food isn't great, overpriced for what it is. My advice would be to bring a packed lunch!

I've been here twice now while paddling down the Wye, first time with my 16yr old lad & 5yr old grandson, second time on the insistence of my 16yr old! In the words of my 16 yr old "its better than McDonalds - praise indeed from him, my grandson is always asking to go back too. The for is always freshly made and tastes wonderful and the merengue's are to die for, you may find cheaper but quality food and an amazing atmosphere are well worth the extra and the service is very friendly, can't wait to go back with my wife next time

Went to see Robin Williamson and Bindi, magical and the supper was delicious, truly original and lovely place and very reasonable prices, can't recommend it highly enough

We booked for lunch to celebrate an 80th birthday (with mothers and daughters as guests) and were looked after so well that everyone said they would like to go back (and some people had travelled from far a field to get there). Perfect food, a quirky restaurant, in a bohemian setting. Thank you so much for making it a very special day.

Lovely private grounds and beautiful fresh food. Good friendly service and cute vintage China for the best tea break. Perfect stop for Canoeing enthusiasts traveling Ross on wye.

The Garden Cafe is set just across the road from the River Wye at Lydbrook. As the name suggests, there is a garden setting in which you can eat during the good weather. We, however, visited for Valentine's night; not noted for its warm temperature. Inside, the log burner bathed us in warmth and the invited harpist lulled our senses with beautiful tones; songs we knew and loved. The food: oh, the food here is a wonder. Holly, who runs the place and does the cooking, clearly lives to produce the most delicious food. A varied menu of delicious delights awaits the diner here. Matthew looks after the bar and acts as waiter in this intimate and eclectic place. Pictures by local artists amuse, stimulate and impress from the walls of the room, where low beams await the unwary. This is not a place for egg and chips. This is a place for something special. But the prices remain reasonable for such lovely food. We look forward to a return when we can sit in the garden and listen to the many song birds as we eat. And we'll definitely be spending other evenings here.

An unusual and quaint cafe next to the river wye. We stopped off mid-canoe adventure and were pleased to stumble across this place. The cafe is part of a very old and grand building and is also an art gallery. A lovely hippy place and the garden has an Alice in Wonderland vibe (you can in fact play croquet..although it is a tenner to play!!) with lots of oddities to look at and explore inside and out, we could have spent ages there looking at all the pretty things. The food was tasty and homemade and it gave the impression it has a community spirit although there was no one else there when we were eating. There was an air of mystery about the place. The owner, although friendly enough, was not very forthcoming when we asked questions about the history of the building. It really stood out and was different to the other places we came across in the area-we were intrigued about it

If you only go to those coffee shops you now see in almost every UK town; if you only ever buy clothes for the label; if your car has to be new every (other) year for the reg plate - then I can't believe this is for you ... ... but, if you let your kids get some dirt under their finger nails; if you don't mind getting wet when canoeing the Wye; if 'shabby chic' is a compliment ... Then this is for you! Homemade light lunches, cakes made with quirky ingredient combos, individual furniture, all in an off-beat retro setting - that's what to expect. Go, enjoy, but don't tell too many people, as I don't want it crowded or changed by success the next time i go - which won't be too long!

Some people are never pleased....don't listen to the negatives. This is a lovely Cafe which is just that....a Cafe. Drinks, cakes and a tasty light lunch are what to expect. The prices aren't the cheapest in the Forest of Dean, but by no means are they the most expensive. Personally, I don't rate around a 5ver each for tea/coffee and a home made cake that bad. My daily Cafe Nero costs more than that!! We had a nice chat with the waitress that was there, who was happy to talk about the locally sourced coffee and the strawberries from her garden that made up the filling of my red velvet cake. My wife also had a chocolate and beetroot brownie...both of ours were delicious and a far cry from the boring muffins and sponges we've tried elsewhere. It's not a conventional experience at this cafe, but in our opinion that makes it all the more interesting...it's casual yet polite service, which in a cafe suits us fine...we've visited a couple of times now, and at the end of the day, if you want a fried, cheap, pub lunch on a wooden table, head to one of the pubs near the river. If you fancy sitting in a beautiful, private garden with a cup of organic coffee and a home-made cake, this place gets our vote every time.

Visited for a social get together of a local business network group, had a lovely buffet, all food homeade and delicious. Very good cold buffet and lovely cakes and puds.

We were a party of three canoeing down the wye and stopped here for a break.its a funny place, rather ramshackle and the lady serving herself was rather unique looking...not in an unpleasant way but characterful.we had a pot of tea and glass of aldi lemonade out of a value plastic bottle, also 2 slices of velvet cake and 1 slice of victoria sponge.....not massive portion just normal slice. Tea was refreshing and lemonade was lemonade. the cakes were ok too...not exceptional but no complaints.Then along came the bill....so 3 drinks and 3 slice of cake £14.50.......yes £14.50.Its so depressing to have to start asking for prices prior to ordering in such an establishment but we felt ripped off and would not go again.in addition she gave me 40 in coppers as she had no silver.no apology just sarcasm.We were asked how was the cafe by the rest of our canoe group who had gone to the pub next door we gave an honest answer.....these people are not helping themselves because I have also told the canoe company who come down this river regularly to warn their customers to avoid this place because of this attitude that they against people just passing through. Depessing experience for something that should have been easily positive and we could have increased their business,AVOID.

Recommended by our B&B hosts (the Sawyers) we literally stumbled into the Garden Cafe on a dark wet evening.Intimate little venue, that promised live music and supper - veg or non veg (so if you're a really finickity eater maybe check first) but good nosh, low key entertainment and dry, yet very twinkly landlord. Amazingly cheap, seriously worth it.Definitely recommended!

Having been to several gigs where food was served at the Garden Café, we've never been disappointed. Of course it isn't open all the time, it doesn't claim to be, but phone calls/e-mail enquiries are dealt with promptly and courteously.The food has always been delicious, and our vegetarian friends described their Imam Bayildi as the best they'd ever had. With reasonably priced wine, and the lovely building, we're always happy to go back.To say that they only serve leftovers is, frankly, ridiculous. However, I'd rather eat leftovers there than freshly cooked food at some of the places we've tried over the years!

You can not class this as a restaurant. It does not even open!It does not deserve a rating and I wish I could rate it zero, it opens when it likes and offers whatever has leftovers it has that day.

Quirky in the nicest possible way. Very warm welcome. Convivial atmosphere. Nice pet dog (nearly stole it). Holly, the chef, served us very tasty home made curry. Plenty of it. Exceptionally reasonably priced. Nice wine. Teetotaler had freshly juiced home grown apples...we watched him do it. Came out pink and was delicious. Home made peppermint ice cream for pud. Lovely evening. Would highly recommend it. Very welcoming. Interesting surroundings. (An old malthouse). Not open every week. Check their website. www.gardencafe.co.uk Is also a bed and breakfast but we are staying in a cottage just up the road.

I've eaten here for the last few days and its all been good. Imam Byalidi was as good as I've had anywhere; beef brisket was lovely; beefburger was brilliant. Cakes are heavenly. Good coffee, beer and wine. A fabulous garden.

13 people away for the w/e, could not have found a better place to eat. Cosy, hospitable and simply delicious Paul et al were very relaxed and happy to serve the delicious food when it made sense for us and did not mind us rearranging the furniture etc...3 courses for £25 per head - very reasonable.Could not recommend it highly enough - bread was a particular treat - thank you!

Eight adults and four children (aged between 2 and 8) stayed at The Garden Café Lower Lydbrook over the weekend just before Christmas 2012. The food was cooked and presented by Paul and his daughter Holly – very tasty and thick vegetable soup, together with delicious home baked bread was our welcoming lunch treat.Dinner, served in the downstairs dining room – warmed by the wood burning stove – comprised of a goats cheese starter, followed by the main course of roast beef (very tender and cooked perfectly), rounded off with delicious sticky meringues – whilst we dinned we were entertained by the Remi Harris Trio (three very talented young boys - superb).We were sent on our merry way the next morning with various choices of breakfast delights – too many to mention but thoroughly enjoyed by all age groups.Our sleeping quarters were extremely comfortable – everyone in the party had somewhere to rest their head – all very snug and cosy – so much so that one of the guests is interested in buying the bed they slept in – not just the fact they had had such a restful night but more to the point, they are over 6ft tall and the bed accommodated their large frame.All our requests were met, no matter how late in the proceedings – even the raw sprouts – a particular favourite of the 6’ 6” blond blue eyed boy.Mark Edwards and Rosie Haynes

Tasteless food. Smallest amounts I've ever had and all were left hungry Service rude. When I complained I was told more or less " tough" Very unpleasant experience .

Fabulous cottage in Lydbrook for a break away from it all! Very warm welcome from the owner Paul who was happy to help with anything that we required. We didn't require anything though as the cottage was fully equipped for our needs, even hot water bottles at the ready. Although I hasten to add that the cottage was well heated so very warm and cosy, no hot water botles required. Beautiful views from the windows and very pleasant walks along the River only a few steps away. The Garden Cafe restaurant was closed for the winter months so we arranged for local organic produce to be delivered from Crooked End Farm some of this was a little over priced but it added a nice touch to our weekend in the cottage. If not there is a Morrisons and a Sainsburys in Ross just down the road. Also the 'Mill Race' restaurant which sadly we didn't get to try on this occasion due to having our dog with us.The stairs in the Malthouse are steep so I would not recommend this place for anyone that struggles to climb stairs but other than that its a fab country cottage that we thoroughly enjoyed our 3 nights in.

We went with great expectations but I came away feeling I'd been ripped off. The set menu was falafel for starter and mousaka with some salad leaves for main - not worth £15.00. An extra £5.00 for a pavlova (mediocre) with 3 grape slices and a spoonful of greek yoghourt, £2.50 for a coffee and an unspecified amount for tapas (2 small bowls of olives with a small bread basket). We were a table of 7. I was just so disappointed.

My partner and I stayed here for a weekend in May . The welcome, accommodation, food were all fantastic. Lovely location near the river for some post dinner walks.