The Gardener’S Kitchen in Cheshire West and Chester

Visited Arley Hall and gardens for the first time, and wanted some lunch while there. The cafe is the obvious choice, however the day we visited it was very busy at the Hall and Gardens and the cafe was therefore also very busy. It took half an hour of queueing to get served. Reasonable if limited choice of hot and cold food. We had jacket potatoes, which were not particularly hot, but generous portions, and coffees, which for the price were very small compared to other places I have visited. The biggest issue for us was that no-one was clearing tables, so when a table became free, the next occupants had to clear up before they sat down, and where we were upstairs, there was a pile of dirty plates on trays etc which people had left near the top of the stairs having cleared tables for themselves. We found this aspect disappointing and it gave a less than positive impression.

Myself and my elderly mother visited the gardens and I had booked afternoon tea. We arrived early which wasn’t a problem at all. The staff were excellent and very attentive. The food was really good - in fact we had to take leftovers home as there was so much! There is a lovely relaxed atmosphere. I would definitely recommend the afternoon tea here - I think you need to pre book this but it is definitely worthwhile.

Amazed how big inside, excellent selection of meals. We had the fruit scones with jam and clotted cream, only downside no blackcurrant jam. The scones were fresh and delucious. There was also a good selection of cakes to. You could also sit outside. There were toilets at the back of the cafe. We'll worth a visit after visiting the hall or gardens.

We popped in for a cup of tea before 4.30pm on a wet Sunday afternoon. However, we were informed that the till was closed, despite the apparent closing time being 5pm. Our friends had arrived just a few minutes before us and were served. We therefore had to start a long journey home without refreshments. We were not impressed.