The Grumpy Cook in Milton Keynes

Friendly with great food. First time visiting and will be back. Very welcoming cafe with very attentive staff. Food is amazing, children under 15 years can eat for £1 from the children’s menu. Dogs welcome. And last but not least, did you know you can purchase a drink and/or meal to pass on to those in need?

Spur of the moment visit today for cake and coffee with a friend. It was fabulous, the Lemon Drizzle cake was a generous portion and absolutely delicious. Parents watching the kids playing football on the field, Pirate Park full of youngsters having fun and best of all a group of musicians playing in the cafe. Will be returning.

On a sunny day the Grumpy cook has a multitude of brunch offerings -including the recommended bacon roll . Outlook over the soccer area and part of Loughton . Worth combining with a local village walk , maybe try a cake too !

Always a good place to meet, friendly relaxed atmosphere, dogs welcome and lovely walks nearby, do a lot for the community well done all

Ordered a Chocolate Ganesh cake for my children’s birthday . The cake was simply amazing . Good size for £20. Fed 13 good portions and still a quarter left . Served it with cream and ice cream . Everyone really loved it . Friendly staff, really nice and clean cafe . Highly recommended .

I visited for lunch with my partner and our toddler. I went a few weeks ago with our little boy and the staff were brilliant; making him beans on toast at lunch time (both beans and bread were on the menu, so I knew this would be possible, and we were only five minutes past their breakfast serving time, when this is offered). I should add, this was on a very busy day. I asked for the same today, in a virtually empty cafe, ordering at 11:33, so only three minutes after they’d moved to the lunch menu. I was told this wasn’t possible, and they suggested I ordered a child’s sandwich, which unfortunately he wouldn’t have eaten much of. We decided to leave without ordering anything, and probably won’t go back now, which is a real shame. I understand hospitality is stretched at the moment, but a little flexibility would have been so appreciated today.

So after reading lots of good reviews we decided to try this cafe for breakfast. I was also swayed by having pancakes on their breakfast menu which appear hard to find these days!! However upon arrival I placed my order for pancakes only to be told that they didn't have any!! Given that it was a nice sunny weekend morning you'd have thought that they would have all their breakfast items in stock. My partner ordered the Grumpy breakfast and most of his bacon was fat and the sausages were not great either. It was very disappointing and a waste of £13 and the fuel to get there!!

Lovely little place and service is always with a smile . Food is always good and the cakes are amazing I’m told by my hubby!

we went on a walk and wanted to go to the grumpy cook straight after but found out that they close at 3 o'clock we finished our walk at 2:55 I Recommend you open for a longer period every day so walkers linked my family have a chance to the something to eat straight after this one I went to was good except from that this one I have been speaking about is the one in loughton

Ate here as it was local to the Travelodge to the West of the town. Wonderful staff and a lovely breakfast in a cafe / bistro style venue. Highly recommended

Can't understand all the negative reviews. Whilst staying with my brother, who lives in nearby Shenley Church End, I visited this little cafe several times. Loved the Victoria Sponge, which was light and fluffy with a great filling of buttercream icing and jam. Also enjoyed the carrot cake and was even given 2 slices for the price of 1 as the last piece left after I had been given mine was too small to sell. Coffee was good and service always friendly. The bread pudding which I had as a takeaway on 2 occasions was as good as my Mums which is a great testament. Only downside was the amount of sugar on the top.

Worst HALF cup of coffee ever. From a machine and didn’t even fill the cup. One of the ladies working there looking like she was chewing a wasp and was moaning non stop. Not a pleasant experience. Such a shame.

The Grumpy Cook, An appropriate name when you are trying to enjoy your meal but are constantly deafened by the shouting chef. We tried to ignore this the best that we could but when presented with our soggy panini and clearly machine dispensed coffee we felt the need to leave there as soon as possible. Would not recommend going there if you have your own coffee machine.

We arrived at 09:30ish on a Saturday morning. The car park was empty, this usually says a lot about a place…it wasn’t wrong. Vending machine style coffee, you can get bean to cup machines that are so much better! Incredibly limited menu. COVID aside, if you’re popular, you can run a good menu, if your empty, I guess you can’t. Atmosphere, ummmmm, not much of that, other than the cook/chef winging about his morning. It’s great that you can have your dog in the cafe, if dogs are your thing of course…it’s not great that the staff feed the dogs sausages and give them a good stroking, then go straight into serving your order, without washing their hands… This place could be so much more, with not too much effort. I understand the impact of COVID, but there are places that have bounced back amazingly, unfortunately this is not one of them.

Excellent, very friendly waiting staff and such a tasty breakfast, cooked to perfection, yummy! Also the outside furnishings are soo comfortable, we didn’t want to get up! Meant to ask if Mushrooms are offered with the breakfast but forgot!

I visited here today after a recommendation and I was not disappointed at all. I bought the Moroccan chicken soup for the family and everyone loved it. The flavours are amazing and it’s a nice full meal. We also had a sausage roll which was delicious as it was homemade with a chutney. The coffee was great and the customer service was friendly. They have the best selection of cakes and nice treats so I will definitely be back.

We went to the Loughton branch for lunch with the family. I was expecting a larger menu but it was limited, probably to do with COVID. To make a limited menu worse, was that they didn't have any paninis. I ordered crisp with sandwich but they never arrived. What we did have was tasty though.This was the first place that took temperatures on the way in so they take care, just a shame the menu was so basic.

A couple of weeks ago we had visit you , we are a fundraiser too help disabled dogs , when we returned after our walk the heavens opened , we all bought drinks from you , we were all told too move on !!We where stood outside under the shelter, I certainly think you should have said to us before buying drink that we couldn't stand there

We went to The Grumpy on Tuesday for lunch. Were surprised to find pizza on themenu. I ordered one and enjoyed it very much. Enough left to take some home. Also feel there are found a very good job with covid measures. My husband would live on their coffee and walnut cake.

We were staying in the area for a disabled dog meet up/walk and had arranged to start from this cafe as it claimed to be "dog friendly" and was close to the lake where we planned to walk. We visited it on Friday to check it out for Saturday and spoke to the staff who had said that they would set up some tables for us to sit at on our return from the walk, which we thought was great, but everything changed the next day. We went to have our breakfast there at 10 a.m. so that we was there to meet up with our group at 11, I was told I couldn't use the toilet as I had to be a customer, even though I had been sitting there eating my breakfast for the last hour, what a joke. Our group went for our walk got back and yes tables were set up, but the heavens opened so we tried to shelter under the canopy of the cafe, the same as other people were doing only to be told very rudely that we couldn't stand there as we were in the way of other customers even though we had all bought drinks and there wasn't really anyone else coming in. They then told us we could go and stand under a tree, how can these people claim to be dog friendly when they were happy for us and our dogs to get absolutely drenched. We will never visit again or recommend them.

Didn’t realise the name was perfect for the place. We met up here for dog walk and it poured so we were drinking our drinks under front area to be sheltered from pouring rain. A young bloke came out and very rudely told us to move away as we were in way. We moved to a tree for some shelter but ended up soaked. They didn’t move the other people along who didn’t have dogs. We noticed as we left someone had altered sign from cook for something else. So I assume we were only unhappy people

Brilliant breakfast, perfectly cooked and quickly. clean and tidy and very polite friendly staff and atmosphere. 👌👌

I love this cafe it is small but has been really nicely decorated and the staff are really nice and helpful and the food is faultless but... the coffee is vile and the choice is of only one small cup which ever coffee style you choose. It has put me off going there because the coffee experience is part of a cafe visit.

Found this cafe last Fri, 24th Jan 2020. What a delight, friendly ladies, busy and buzzing but still good service! Both of us had Moroccan Spiced chicken soup which was fab, £4.95 and for just an extra pound you could have a hot drink and a piece of homemade cake! Lovely coffee, (it said Lavazza on the mug) and a great slice of cake, of which there were about 6 choices, I had a 'Bakewell' style sponge cake. We were muddy and had a dog and it was no trouble as far as they were concerned!Great place, will be visiting again.

I visited this cafe with a friend earlier today. We both ordered quiche and a cup of tea. My friend was told she could not have coleslaw because they had run out. No alternative was offered. When the quiches came they were very small, overcooked , clearly shop-bought and the only taste was of burnt pastry.Very disappointing. We won't be going back there again.

I have been to Grumpy’s many times.The main man, Barry, is actually brilliant - but please don’t tell him otherwise he may lose his grumpy tendencies, which add to the overall (funnily enough) warm and friendly culture which pervades the cafe.Popped in for a brekkie this morning - two poached eggs on toast - and they were cooked to perfection with the toast wonderfully ‘triangled’ and buttered.The mug of tea was hot, steaming and tasty having walked in from a cold day outside.Warm welcoming people too.Fully recommended!!! But don’t tell Barry...;)

I went in for breakfast it was really lovely, the ambiance in there was lovely. The place is clean and well presented and the three ladies that work there happy and always with a smile on there face.Not grumpy at all. 😁

A disappointing, near 50%, hike in menu prices in recent weeks makes this otherwise good place to eat just not that affordable anymore.

Arriving early for a meeting, I found The Grumpy Cook entirely by chance. Clearly popular and serving very tempting looking full English breakfast, I instead chose a piece of bread pudding and coffee. Best decision I made that day! The pudding was solid with fruit, moist and so tempting to go back for seconds. Next time I'm passing, I'll deliberately arrive early for another piece!

The Grumpy Cook – (Barry), is not on the high street, but tucked away in a parade of shops next to the Chemist, near Sainsburys in Shenley Milton Keynes. Plenty of FREE Parking also.It does not look much from outside, but the variations of hot meals, sandwiches, exotic soups, coffees, teas and just as important the friendliness of staff is amazing!!!For a small sum, the food is always prepared and cooked fresh every day, do not expect the “Belmond Le Manoir Aux Quat' Saisons”standards, as this is not in that league, nor does 'The Grumpy Cook' try to be – just wholesome food prepared and served HOT!I eat there most days, as I work close by, it is not full every day, however sometimes it is standing room only.So, if you want a snack or a meal, pop in and get great service all the time. Eat in or take away – pre ordering is possible.Highly recommended if out shopping in area and feel hungry – do not miss out on this hidden gem!Dr. Edward Diget14th January 2019.

We visited this morning, to try the breakfast. The staff were pleasant, welcoming and efficient. The food was nicely cooked. The orange juice is in cartons, which was a bit of a disappointment but everything else was wonderful.

Lovely little spot with very nice staff. Everything fresh and fairly priced. The bread pudding really does take so beating. Well worth a visit for that alone.

Was in the area so popped in for a quick lunch. Just had a bacon sandwich and a cup of tea. The food was fine. For me the big drawback was the size of the seating area. There were 3 tables plus bar stools along one wall but it was cramped to say the least. There were 3 tables outside but too cold.

My boss at work decided to treat me to a coffee from a place he had heard about from some staff in our workplace. With TGC being across one road from us, we decided to try it out.

So came herr on recommendation only to find the twonthings we tried to order out of stock. Yet everywhere they had signs advertising what we want. If you havent got the items left at least put a sign up saying so.

Often go here after a stroll around the woods. Would highly recommend.,tea and cake taste scummy and a very good price too. Recommend tea and scone with jam and cream. They don't scrimp like some places.

We were delighted to welcome the cafe to the Area, but most of the space is taken by the kitchen facilities and sadly the seated area is very cramped. it has put my husband off completely from visiting as on the last two occasions it was so busy that there was no pleasure in trying to relax with the lovely Bacon Sanny & Coffee

Service, welcome and venue excellent!!! Brilliant for breakfast, lunch and tea and cake Food supreme!!! What more can I say?

Been coming to this cafe for a while. Very friendly staff and lovely assortment of food. Always got good tunes on in the kitchen. I took my work colleague here a couple of weeks ago he had the soup I had the eggs everyone was a winner

The sausage roll was excellent, one of the best I've ever tried. Cakes were god too. Lovely spot for a drink and snack. Very nice to have a selection of newspapers around too.

This had been recommended to me - so whilst preparing to do some shopping I treated myself to a breakfast, and good it was. Good value. Will visit again soon.

I previously had a bad experience here but decided that was due to a timing issue....first day after a long bank holiday weekend......and every subsequent visit has been excellent. The staff are lovely and are really efficient. There are a number of stand out menu items....Moroccan Chicken Soup, breakfasts, home made quiche and sausage rolls plus loads of cakes. However the stand out item has to be the cheese scones served warm with butter. If you can get them try the ones with marmite. They are delicious. I've become a fan of the grumpy cook and eat there on a regular basis now.

The Grumpy Cook dishes out a grumpy and very grumpy breakfast. Freshly cooked in front of you and served with a smile. Don’t worry the cook is not really grumpy.

Visited a few times always great food and very friendly staff. Had a cooked breakfast which was piping hot and good quality ingredients. The girl who welcomed me was extremely fit. Will definitely eat here again.

Visited this cafe for the 1st time and had a lovely lunch. Also visited its sister cafe at HowePark Wood. Great cakes.

My friend told me about the grumpy cook cafe, so I thought I would give it a try, the staff are lovely very welcoming, I found it strange that there were no menus, and everything was written on a blackboard above the kitchen, you've had it if you've forgotten your glasses!!!!! As the writing Isn't very big, the menu is quite small, they serve hot and cold food, but the cafe itself is tiny, there's very little seating inside but seats are available outside. The food is well presented but sorry to say average! I had a jacket potato which wasn't very hot, and my friend had a very well done sausage roll which she said tasted like it had been sitting in the warmer all day! Overall ok but have had a lot better.

First time here hospitality was top marks and the food was presented well and lovely and no Grumpy Cook insight as all staff were welcoming and friendly. Will definitely visit again. 🤗👍

Cute cafe with good food and selections of cakes. We had the soup of the day which was Marrocan soup and the full English, both dishes were fresh and delicious. I would definitely re-visit.

Great breakfasts, lovely coffee, pleasant service and right on my doorstep, not bad value for money either! A welcome addition to my estate

We went to this cafe for a quick sandwich and coffee. Although there were plenty of staff service was slow and quite a lot of things were not available from the menu. We ordered 2 coffees and 2 sandwiches and shared a cake.The sandwiches turned up before the coffees.1 sandwich had mold on the bread which we took back and were offered a cheese scone in repacement which we had to chase up at the counter.The coffee arrived with no spoons and no knifes and forks came out with the sandwiches.Overall poor service but the cakes they make are very good

This was my second visit to this lovely little cafe. I highly recommend the quiche and salad. It's home made by Chef along with the array of other lovely cakes and biscuits on offer. The coffee is also excellent and it's so nice to find a coffee with flavour and no bitterness. This is well worth a visit for breakfast and lunch.

This small cafe has recently opened on Shenley Church End and we were pleasantly surprised when we popped in for breakfast this morning.The food was great and the staff lovely. Would definitely recommend.

This is a new café that has recently opened in Shenley Church End. It does a wide range of very tasty cakes (baked there) and light meals. It also does a very good breakfast. Staff helpful and friendly .