The Olive Tree Cafe in Swindon

We often go with friends, to this very friendly cafe , Alll our meals have been delicious and hot. Waiter and waitresses try so hard to get it right a delightful experience, we will be back.

Nice spot with lovely gardens and a great cause. With regard to the previous post, it's not the greatest food but its cheap and cheerful. You would pay double at some other places with better ingredients. Nice cake and milkshakes.

I've been supporting this lovely freindly charity cafe since it opened in 2010 ? or there abouts. A freind and I popped in yesterday for a Brunch ( 20-06-2023 ) We both ordered the ham egg and chips with a side of bread and butter ( which arrived toasted ) The main problem was the ham. It was the thin sliced reformed type which was wet tastless and rubbery. Chips were yum. Egg small and hard fried. Side salad just about to die. All three gripes are forgivable and easily put right. May I politly suggest that they contact their local butcher Bryan Turner in Ferndale or Glyn Hunt & Sons in Rodbourne road for a regular order of Ham Bacon & Sausages. It will transform your meals to another level. The hard egg is easily fixed. And the salad should be last on the plate and from the fridge. I'll be in again in six weeks time and have another go. I cant wait.

I've visited the cafe a number of times and staff are always friendly and attentive. I generally aim to book as it can get quite busy, but it being busy doesn't stop the staff from being chatty and personable. I am especially happy when I see the lady with curly hair and lovely necklaces is on shift as it is always nice to have a chat with her whilst I'm being served and she always makes good recommendations. Would always recommend the jacket potatoes and paninis to anyone considering lunch or the toffee cake for someone looking for something sweeter! Looking forward to my next visit

Waited to be seated, waited to be served, waitress took order of couple sitting opposite, ignored us, showed another couple to their seat, took their order immediately, ignored us some more, then went to the kitchen for a chat. We left after twenty mintues twiddling our thumbs. Judging by other reviews, that might just be this one particular waitress.

Always good food and priced well. Don,t forget to book as lunchtime can be very busy.The morning are the best.

Came for a breakfast as a change and thought we’d try here. Fantastic food and variety with a great “build your own” breakfast. I’d definitely recommend giving this place a go.

Decided to go for a spontaneous brunch with one of my daughters and grandsons. The service and food was excellent. We all have different dietary requirements and the menu allowed for all of us to eat well! I went for a brunch with sausages and bacon and it was the best brunch that I have had for years! I will definitely be visiting again and bringing more family and friends to sample the lovely food and atmosphere.

We haven't been to the Olive Tree Cafe since before lockdown. We visited the Garden Centre today purely to go to the Cafe. I have been feeling low in myself lately and the Olive Tree Cafe has such a lovely relaxing atmosphere. The food was delicious and the carrot cake and scones are to die for! as were the drinks and service was as good as always. The ladies and gents in the Cafe literally do not stop. We were not aware that it is preferred that a table is pre booked now, rather than walk ins, which we did on this occasion, but we will definitely pre book in future. People's reviews are exactly that, their views, however, it is a little unfair for people to say that you have to sit waiting for ages and staff are grumpy! A lot of these people volunteer their time and as the saying goes 'Be Kind' Thank you everyone at the Olive Tree Cafe. We look forward to our take away sandwiches and look forward to seeing you again soon.

We absolutely love it here! Kind, friendly, brilliant cause and amazing food. The setting is so cosy, the plants you can buy and local crafts add to its community feel.

Wonderful early lunch. Staff were ( as always) attentive and friendly, the food was fast and good value.

Popped here with my son after visiting the garden centre. Waited 10 mins to be seated then another 15 mins for our order to be taken. The waitress was not in the least bit friendly and there was no smiles just grunts. We then waited 30 mins for a coffee and a toastie (toastie was 6 pound!). Food ok but overly priced and extremely slow unfriendly service will not be returning.

We visited today - our first family cafe/restaurant outing since before lockdown. I had heard about their attention to detail regarding cleanliness and the ability to book tables online to ensure a table was available on arrival. The booking system was simple and straightforward and we booked just 3hrs before we went. The staff were all very helpful and attentive. The menus were left on the table and we simply had to wave to get their attention when ready to order. We waited around 30 minutes for the food to arrive and it was definitely worth the wait, We had 2 freshly cooked breakfasts with thick fresh fluffy toast and 2 burgers with a generous side salad. The two portions of gourmet chips did not disappoint although the portion sizes of the food we ordered were so generous, we almost didn't have room for them! They were huge, crispy, fluffy in the middle hand cut chips which were absolutely delicious. Everything was washed down with large mugs of hot chocolates and coffee. We also couldn't resist buying 4 (huge) pieces of carrot cake to take home to enjoy later. Freshly cooked, tasty food, very reasonably priced with friendly and attentive service. The restaurant is well set out and nicely decorated. We would certainly recommend and we will definitely return. Olive Tree Cafe - if you are reading this: Please don't change anything, today was perfect! Thank you for making our visit worry free and so enjoyable! We were very impressed.

Having to isolate. The staff were incredibly friendly, kind and efficient and the food was beautifully prepared and delivered as well as being fresh and really delicious. They obviously deserve their excellent reputation.

This is a lovely place to meet up and catch up with friends for a cuppa or a meal. Giving an opportunity for people with mental health challenges to have work experience and support them into work. The food is lovely and cooked to order, if you are expecting fast food made in seconds with no taste, then don't go here. The food is delicious here and very tasty. If you have not tried it yet, give it a go! Highly recommended.

We visited to have a Parkinsons meeting in the Cafe, the tea is always hot and the food looks very nice. It is a very relaxed atmosphere with friendly staff. Plenty of people use the Cafe for breakfast.

We only visited the cafe for a meeting with Parkinsons UK and ordered two teas , lots of people were having breakfasts etc. Our teas were nice and hot no problems it's a nice quiet cafe within a garden centre .. Well worth a visit for tea and cakes etc.

but the coffee and walnut cake needs more walnut and more coffee.The service is often a bit slow but that is to be expected because it is a charitable enterprise that gives people who find life difficult to have the opportunity to work in a safe environment:Quote from their website:"Our Charitable aim is to help and support people recovering from mental illness or at risk from suffering from mental illness."So when you go there, be patient. The food will be worth the wait

Went here for a quiet drink and had a ploughmans the food was excellent the staff excellent and surroundings was so lovely to sit in the garden and away from the hustle bustle of the world a place i will be going back to very soon

This cafe serves good old fashioned lunches and cake.Think omelettes, ham egg and chips and the like. Good cake and scones.All in a really pleasant light environment and even nicer if you sit on the patio or under the gazebo.This is a charity and many of the workers have social issues or learning challenges, so service can be a little slow. But the food is good, the cleanliness looks great and the friendliness is top draw.Get out of the way, relax and enjoy.

We have been here several times, never been disappointed. Food cooked to order, can take a while sometimes but its well worth it. Whether you are visiting for coffee and cake or a cooked meal you will find something to suit.

We went for breakfast here this morning. A hidden jewel. The breakfast was delicious and very good value for money. I would definitely recommend this cafe to anyone who likes a filling, well cooked breakfast.

Great food, great value, community run charity Cafe. What not to like. A bit out of the way but loads of parking and you can visit the garden center

Friendly, helpful staff and you can be assured of a warm welcome. The food is varied and cooked to order.

Love this place,polite staff and good service,took my mum in for lunch,got tea,cake and a panini ,very fast service and lovely staff...well worth t he money

Love going to thenOT cafe....everything about it us great, the staff, food, ambience, value for money.

We ate here on Sat 23rd as it was recommended to us by friends and we were not disappointed.

Fabulous freshly cooked food using locally sourced produce. The atmosphere was buzzing, the food was amazing and the price unbeatable! Lovely friendly staff, children’s play corner and dogs are welcomed. If you want good quality home cooked food with no frills then you won’t find anywhere better.

Great atmosphere, friendly staff, very knowledgeable about their menu. Fantastic value great food the olive tree cafe is an absolute gem. Well done to all the volunteers and staff.

Waiting for my car to come back from road test I was advised to visit this cafe, what a lovely well run place, service was very nice, food cooked to order and very nice and ambience very nice. Considering the miserable weather there was a lot of customers and I would say a lot of them are returning customers and I can see why, excellent bacon sandwich and coffee for under £5, well worth it.

Fantastic service you may have to wait but everything is freshly cooked and the volunteers are very helpful

You can choose 3,5 or 7 items for a cooked breakfast from a wide range of food, such as bacon,sausage,eggs,beans,mushrooms, veggie sausage plus toast. Well cooked. Lovely friendly atmosphere.

Try to avoid my lunch time it can be a long wait for food.The food is good quality and priced the same town on most things. But overall it’s getting more expensive to eat there.

Although this cafe is not well advertised as it is seen as more of a convenience to the customers of the Manor Garden Centre it is part of, I would say that I thoroughly enjoy my visits for brunch here.

great place to visit for well cooked home made food if you want a quick snack or substantial lunch. portion are very generous.

What a gorgeous time we had here! Everything is gentle and relaxed. The outside space is lovely and matches all the yummy homemade goodies. Thank you to all the volunteers who run this busy and popular place.

There is one problem with the olive tree.... meeting a friend for coffee usually lasts for about 3 hours, the scones are sublime, ( we time our arrival just to get there when they are due out of the kitchen )

Always a great place for quality breakfast & a great pot of tea or selection of other food& snacks, good selection of cakes .

After visiting the manor garden centre we came here for lunch. We had two differ by panini , they were large, filling and very tasty. The caffe is run by volunteers and when busy can take some time. The cafe is located in the grounds of the garden centre so it’s very pretty and relaxing sitting in the English sunshine.

We called in on a wet afternoon to the garden centre ,after buying some plants we opted to go for a cup of tea and a cake . The tea was ok but the scone was not fresh at all , rather dry .Maybe it was from the previous day ?.

A special café for work experience for people with 'difficulties' run by excellent Organizers. Nice food

I've been to Olive Tree many times for a quick lunch. The menu is a little limited, but there is a lovely homely atmosphere. The food has always been good and the cafe clean. They've been slowly making improvements to the facilities since we started going. It's relaxing and all in a great cause. A great local stop for a cuppa and a bite to eat.

We go here for breakfast quite often and the service is very good. Bearing in mind that most of the staff if notr all are volunteers and not professional caterers although I think some of them are. They are always cheerful and attentive. The good elements are that they do a special xvegan menu and will cook to order so my other half can eat there without fear of contamination from dairy or any meat or fish. They are very particular. As a vegetarian I am similarly treated but sadly I don't think the veggie sausages are even a little nice. THey seemcheap and tasteless but that's just my opinion. If they could improve that |I would give them five stars. Otherwise its a great place to eat

We have coffee and cake here weekly, the cake is always home-made and so good (and excellently prized as well). Haven't had the hot food but it certainly looks equally tasty. The setting is very eclectic, with a relaxed atmosphere, and it is lovely to...

We had our wedding reception at The Olive Tree Cafe! The staff were incredible on our special day they helped make everything so relaxed for us. The cafe is a wonderful place to be and has such a kind and caring atmosphere. The space itself...

Olive Tree Cafe is a wonderful venue for informal meals. I meet different groups of friends and relatives there regularly. We LOVE it there. The ethos is wonderful. The food is always lovely. The chips are out of this world!!!

this cafe has a great breakfast menu including gluten free and vegan options. the lunches are lovely, definitely try their chips they have great homemade cakes with alot done by volunteers recovering from mental health illness. Such a friendly atmosphere

We went for breakfast..... Wow, I eat out a lot, and it was faultless.

A lovely cafe with craft work on display around the cafe. Food is very good. A very relaxing place to sit and have a meal or just tea and cake

Service with a smile, comfort food and commitment to quality, helping a charity at the same time.

We have just visited Twigs open gardens (behind the garden centre) and decided to go for a snack at the Olive Tree Cafe. It is a delightful cafe with lovely seating areas and a garden room at the back. One can also sit in the garden outside. There are lovely little crafty touches here and there throughout the cafe and dogs were allowed in.

This cafe is quite unique in Swindon, it is organised and run by volunteers, giving work experience to those who want it.

La tortilla de queso y patatas fritas más increíbles. corte macizos También tenía sus sándwiches tostados y son deliciosos! El cierre temporal de Akers, camino es un dolor, pero la comida y espumosos café bien merece el desvío.

Visitamos en Festivo Lunes. seeemd un lugar agradable. La comida estaba muy bien, era amable y no muy concurrido en este día. En su aspecto hecho al fotografías, poco concurridas. El servicio era amable, pero no muy fasy. Imagino que llevará un rato en un día ajetreado. Lugar encantador y merece una visita si estás cerca. Estar fuera así y un ambiente agradable.

Mi hijo y yo visitamos para el almuerzo de hoy. Nosotros somos visitantes habituales y nunca he tenido una mala comida. Las tartas son deliciosos. Además, están muy contentos de poder explicar qué ingredientes se usan y hacer ajustes. Gracias por animar mi día.

The olive tree is a little bit off the beaten track and is located inside a garden centre, this is not unusual but it's mainly run by volunteers which is.

This is a busy little cafe with a great selection of homemade cakes, they have vegan options. There is a great choice of food and the portions are a good size and it is very reasonably priced.

Charitable organisation giving work experience and run by volunteers, we visited for the first time last weekend and wish we'd found it ages ago.It's busy and the atmosphere is great, presumably because people return often. The staff are friendly and chatty and the food is generally great.

It is very rare to find vegan food in Swindon and this cafe is a real find. The staff are lovely and the vegan food innovative and delicious. I have eaten here several times now purely because of the vegan food whereas normally it wouldn't necessarily have occured to me. I have had a delicious Mushroom Bourguignon, 9 vegetable sweet and sour soup, Moroccan vegetable couscous, greentea cup cakes, spiced apple cake, all excellent. Well done Olive Tree and well done Sue and all the other wonderful staffThank you

Vegans of Swindon rejoice! This is a proper little gem of a place which has faithfully been providing vegan options on a weekly basis for a number of months. The atmosphere is chilled and friendly. The vegan food is innovative, wholesome and really excellent. A particular favourite was the Moroccan stew. The price is exceptionally reasonable. About time Swindon had somewhere that lead the way for vegans and the Olive Tree is setting a very high standard to follow. Well done to them :)

We have been regulars here for a couple of years now and it never disappoints.Run mainly by volunteers it's a great advert for what can be done for those less fortunate than ourselves. The menu is not huge but the food has always been good from our experience. The atmosphere is very relaxed and you are never rushed to leave and could stay all day drinking their ''frothy coffee'' if you so desired.

We visited a few weeks ago and while it was quite hard to find (the website didn't specify it was within the garden centre (which we drove past a few times)), the volunteers were very friendly and the food was great. While service was a bit slow it wasn't the end of the world and the atmosphere made up for it.

the place is shaby and needs doing up. and the people who work their are unfriendly and waiting for food thats cooked gos cold straight away, getting their by bus is 15 is the same side for the cafe in cheney manor. only or 13 or 14 pass the church to the stop is the longer walking., needs a better location for this cafe. only thing i like about is the drink. just be careful on buying food as it could be out of date i had the proplem a few mths back

Loved our Lunch here on a Lovely sunshiney day in the garden. really great prices and lovely hone made food

We had a lovely lunch here. I had the 5 piece breakfast my wife had a panini, food was reasonably priced arrived quickly enough especially considering how busy they were, all staff encountered were lovely. Definitely visit again thank you :-)

We came across the Olive Tree Café as we were visiting the Fish Centre in Manor Garden Centre and needed to use the facilities and came across the café by accident.A very happy accident.We grabbed a table outside in the garden and were very impressed.The café is volunteer-run for a local charity, with friendly helpful staff.The drinks were very reasonably priced.The garden and café are well designed and maintained.Good luck with the charity work.We will certainly be back.

As many people have already said, the service here is slower than other cafe's, but given the fantastic work and opportunities the Olive Tree offers it's voluntary staff, slower service is really not a big deal, and everyone is always friendly, polite, and keen to help.Food is always freshly made, and very fairly priced. Agree with others - the cakes are amazing, but I would highly recommend the cheese scones - they are insanely good. Get one warmed up and heap on the butter. Bliss! I regularly visit the café with my wife and 2 year old daughter. They have loads of toys for kids, and a beautifully maintained enclosed garden so they can run around freely. All in all, just a lovely relaxed and friendly atmosphere, where you can enjoy good food, in nice surroundings.

Do not go here expecting a speedy lunch, but then if you know what the cafe stands for you will know why. This excellent place offers people suffering (or having suffered previously) with mental health a chance to get back into work.Yes the service may be a little slow and sometimes you are met with someone that doesn't know what to do all the time, but they are always friendly and the food is always freshly prepared and good.The cakes are excellent and would recommend the tiffin when they have it!

The service is personal and excellent. The breakfast sounds expensive at £5 for 5 items, but when 2 sausages are 1 items and 2 slices of bacon are too, along with frre toast or fried bread. You actually get 8 separate items for £5 which good value. Being that the cafe is further out from town, they dont get a large crowd of customers a lot of the time so cost have to be covered. That being said, the relative cost is average, neither cheap nore expensive. They have a friendly atmosphere with all, including well behaved dogs. The food is freshly prepared and they have vegetarian options. There are volunteers that work there who are not used to working with people and are being helped in the best way possible. I found them to be extremely friendly and helpful, but as the food is freshly prepared, when it gets busy, I can see that service will be slower than the usual microwaved fast food joints. But the food is well worth the wait.

i have just been there today and really enjoyed. the food was gorgeous and the drinks were too. well impressed with the prices. sat in the garden in the sun loved it.

Always visited the café on a regular basis., One reason we go is because we visit the garden centre and then nip into the cafe to support the charity etc. The prices have crept up dramaticly ( twice since we have been going ) and as this café is further out of town you would expect the prices to be cheaper than town centre cafes. The food is okay ( not the standards it used to be ) but the breakfast menu is expensive at £5 for 5 items!!!! It is not like it used to be, but unfortunately have lost our custom. If high prices are being charged then the café itself needs much improvement with how it looks etc to make customers think that they are getting there monies worth.

A real gem and as long as you check with the staff first, very friendly to small dogs who are welcome in the garden and in the café extension, a rare thing in the Swindon area as most cafes don't accept dogs inside. The frothy coffee is excellent, and also the paninis. It was busy there today but the service was quick. Have been there several times now and fully intend to revisit as soon as possible.

Dined here a number of times since it opened and always consistently good and friendly service good and reasonable quick

My daughter discovered this eatery earlier this year, since when we have visited regularly.Friendly staff serve excellent meals, prepared with care. It is exceptional that the support of mental health has achieved such a good outlet, on a level with most cafes, and surpassing some. Dedicated supervisors and enthusiastic staff have created a welcoming, comfortable atmosphere in which to have a meal or tea/coffee. Good quality food is served in good time and the prices are very competitive.

I found this little gem while waiting for a colleague to arrive for a business visit close by, its run by volunteers , it was busy, but plenty of tables, I had a sandwich and coffee, it was the best sandwich i have had for ages, really tasty and fresh, served with a friendly smile and not a long wait, I will definitely be a regular there.

I am a regular visitor at The Olive Tree Cafe.It is a relaxing place ran by warm, welcoming staff and a team of volunteers.The volunteers are recovering with mental health illness , so please be understanding when service can sometimes be a little slow. Food is always very good.The cakes are delicious and home made.I would recommend a visit .

Amazing place fantastic food, the chips are unbelievable the staff are lovely friendly and caring - a real shocker is it's mostly run by volunteers. A little jewel in a industrial estate

This cafe is run by volunteers, predominantly struggling with mental health issues. The staff are really welcoming and friendly and can accommodate most requests. The service is not as fast as your typical cafe but they do cook everything fresh from scratch and is lovely food so worth the wait.

This cafe is run mainly by volunteers. It is a lovely welcoming cafe with great home cooked food. Every day there are freshly baked cakes and scones (yummy) they also do great breakfasts and lunches. It's very comfy and informal with lots of craft work on display. Love it!

We eat at the Olive Tree often and have never been disappointed, the food is delicious and quality, I especially enjoy the Omelette which is light and fluffy and well filled. The chips are chunky and tasty, try the cheesy chips, a guilty pleasure.I think the staff are amazing and should be applauded for running a wonderful establishment for a good cause.

We love it here. Gives ppl recovering from mental I'll health problems opportunities. Garden too. Food is always good and reasonably price. Good veggie choices. Thankyou ☺

We eat here very often, its friendly and the food is cooked to order. They also make their own cakes which are a real treat.

This largely volunteer-run cafe, located in a garden centre, is worth a visit for its friendly and welcoming atmosphere as well as for its lovely (and well-priced) food. You have to bear in mind that service may be a little slow, as both the person behind the till and the chef might well be new volunteers gaining new skills, but it is well worth the wait. It's a great place to visit with friends, but you can also ensconce yourself on a comfy sofa with a slice of their tempting cake and a good book. Hot food is only available till half two.