The Orchard Tea Rooms in Purbeck

Visited today for the first time to eat, only having visited prior to this for the garden centre years ago. Really enjoyed our meals of scampi and chips and quiche and chips. The chips are lovely and chunky, the little chopped salad lovely and crisp and tasty. Scampi very nice too. Had a try of hubbys quiche, which was very tasty too. Good sized cappuccino each too. The staff were really friendly and are a good team, who seemed to enjoy their work. We also used the farm shop for some treats, and the other shops for a new watering can, and a birthday card for our daughter. Will certainly return and hope to visit to do the walk round the grounds. All in all, a good few hours spent.

I have been a big supporter of the cafe and garden centre for years. The food is not exceptional but I would say the location by the pond and the pretty reliable paninis etc are fine. My husband and I fancied a Sunday morning breakfast so checked the menu and timings on line before setting out on the 25 mile drive. We arrived at 1115 to find an apologetic note on the counter saying the Autumn menu was now applicable and therefore the full breakfast service had finished and the reduced brunch menu was available instead. Totally understand the need to transition to the lunch service and no point in moaning at the counter staff but please, please update your website in real time! Having set out to have breakfast, and it being too late to find an alternative, we ordered baps one brunch and a bacon. These arrived quite quickly. My bacon roll was extremely fatty and rather tasteless. I prefer my bacon well cooked and this was pale and looked rather unappetising. My husband’s roll was full but he also said the filling was rather bland. He particularly found the sausages to be disappointing and not very meaty. The egg was broken on arrival so required eating with a knife and fork to avoid egg yolk all over the place! For just shy of £20 with coffee ( and that included a small discount for loyalty points) we both thought it to be rather poor value. Out of interest I noticed that the summer menu was still in use which added further frustration to our already below par experience. I will inevitably meet up with friends for a light lunch and a natter by the pond but will definitely not be returning for breakfast which is a shame.

I happened upon this cafe after being told about it by a local. I was camping nearby and, after experiencing a late lunch, went back for breakfast the following day. I should add that my lunch was excellent but breakfast, a sausage bap and a mug of tea, was out of this world: the sausages were huge, that's all I can say! Moreover, to sit next to the ornamental pond without a soul around added a certain je ne sais quoi!

Went for the offer on the breakfasts which was two of their traditional breakfasts, checked it against the traditional breakfast and instead of roasted tomatoes like the photo it was a half a tomato barely warm. Beans were just like warm along with the mushrooms. If your going to give a deal then please make it the same, unless this is how it always is. Plus no heating on our visit and had to keep our coats on, never to return again.

I have been coming to the Orchard for more years than I care to remember and have always loved it here and have had lovely food and good service. The front of house staff are lovely and friendly and have also been there a long time. Today we went there for lunch, I ordered a cheese panini with no crisps or especially not any coleslaw. The lady on the cash register double checked that with me and that was all fine. When it arrived there were crisps on the plate, no big deal I could push them to one side BUT my panini was laying in coleslaw. I only got to eat half of it which was nice what I could eat, but what a waste as I left most of it. I was going to take it back but then would have to wait for a replacement in which time my partner would have finished his meal. I did take it back at the end and pointed out my lunch was spoiled as the order was wrong. I am not blaming the front of house as it was not their fault, but the kitchen staff need READ and take note of what is being ordered. I did get an apology from front of house but it still didn't change I got exactly what I did not want.

Found this place by accident driving back from Durdle Door, what a fabulous find. Dog friendly we sat out in the lovely garden. Nice staff, tasty food, very happy with our experience. Great shop and gardens to boot

We were looking for a decent cafe style place whilst visiting the area, and came across this place. Spacious, and dogs allowed in the conservatory. Variety of food and reasonably priced. Plenty of vegetarian food with some good vegan options. Only downside as that they ran out of ham, eggs and chips, and the salad looked like it would have been nice when fresh, but by 2pm it was mostly inedible

LOVELY FOOD FROM A GOOD SELECTIVE MENU AT RESONABLE PRICES SERVED BY VERY FRIENDLY STAFF. SEATING INDOOR OR OUTSIDE BY THE LOVELY MAGNIFICENT LARGE FISH POND. A MUST TO VISIT

Fantastic little coffee shop with homemade food. Lovely staff, great choice of good quality food in beautiful surroundings.

This lovely cafe is a real favourite of ours, we visit at least once a month and always enjoy our meal. The thing that really stands out above all else is the wonderful service and attentive staff. Wanting to ensure a good table for my elderly mum I rang ahead and booked a table- we were allocated table 2 which was perfect as there was room to store mum’s rollator without getting in the way of other customers and serving staff. I highly recommend the jacket potatoes, absolutely delicious.

We returned here for lunch with a friend after the Covid years! Last time I ordered ham , egg and chips with “Wessex ham”. My wife and her friend ordered fish and chips. I enjoyed the meal but the fish and chips looked marvellous and far better than I expected it to be. The fish were large and luscious . This time my wife ordered Hunters chicken and her friend and I ordered what my wife’s friend calls “whale and chips”. The menu at The Orchard is not large which I consider the sign of a good restaurant so I was surprised and disappointed to learn that The Hunter’s Chicken was unavailable even though it was only 12-30 . My wife ordered fish and chips. The fish and chip meals were not as impressive as on the last occasion although the fish was of decent quality. The batter looked good but was slightly undercooked in parts. Perhaps the oil temperature or frying time was different. We live in the Midlands and thought that £13 for fish and chips like this was just a bit steep.(Perhaps £10?) Not moaning as poor folks in the south are used to being ripped off and when in Rome? “Life is full of disappointments” and I found myself regretting that I had not ordered the ham, egg and chips😀

Took the family for lunch.. We ordered three plates of Ham, Egg & Chips., one salad and some cakes, plus drinks. The ham was stringy and marbled and a large amount was left on all three plates. My chips had many "black eyes" on them. The menu said Piccalilli was included with the Ham, egg & chips but was not served - no apology offered and not price reduction. The cakes were also disappointing. One of my family said "don't think we will come here again" to which I concurred even through we live very nearby and prefer to support local eateries.

My husband and I called in for lunch. He had cod and chips £13 which was good value and he enjoyed it. I went for scampi and chips which really wasn’t value for money. It consisted of 8 pieces of scampi and 10 chips, that works out at £1 each for the scampi and 40p per chip, no peas just a very small salad garnish with rotten lettuce, tinned sweetcorn, little pieces of cucumber, pepper and tomato. Left feeling ripped off and will not return which is a shame as we are quite local.

Don’t be fooled by the small entrance, what an amazing place 😁 magnificent gardens a great farm shop and the cafe has an amazing menu and the high tea for one is out of this world !!!!

Wonderful place and very helpful staff. Even though the tiles were down the staff coped really well and lunch was tasty. All the staff and the ‘man with the knowledge!’ were very friendly and willing to go above and beyond to help. Thanks for a lovely visit!

Popped in for lunch with a friend and decided on a cream tea. It was literally the best homemade warm scone with jam and cream that I’ve had in a long time. And I’ve had a lot of cream teas.

Was lovely that dogs are allowed outside and in the conservatory. The cakes we had were lovely. However my partner had the Sunday lunch and was disappointed. Considering there is a Farm Shop onsite, I expected more! The roast potatoes had been reheated and the gravy was like dishwater and lacked any taste. Vegetables and Pork were ‘ok’ and no apple sauce. Had I of known at the time I would of complained. My partner kept quiet as we were with my Nan who has fond memories of the Cafe.

Afternoon tea at Holme, sadly not keeping up to scratch. Scones hard and dry and coffee delivered with a layer of chocolate powder on top (who wants their coffee tasting of chocolate ?).

A very pleasant place to eat, especially when sitting in the gardens and a sunny day. The waiter was very helpful, especially with my mother not being very mobile. The sandwiches were well made and the vegetable crisps provided were tasty - I have never tried them before.All in all a great place to go for a relaxing experience.

Holme for Gardens is a really lovely place, but the coffee in the cafe is awful. I visited twice just recently and tried two different types of coffee, an americano and a cappuccino; both were as bad as each other.

A party of us went today after queueing for over half an hour (understandable at the moment), ordered our very enjoyable food and the waitress arrived asking for payment and who was paying and then sort it out amongst yourselves , I pointed out that I wanted to pay for my wife and myself(by card), not the rest of the party, this was a major problem as she ( waddled off ) would have to get the waitress that took the orders, waitress duly arrived and it was not a problem for her.

After walking around the beautiful gardens we were ready for a sit down and some lunch. After queueing for over half an hour to place an order we were taken back out to our table to ensure it was free although we explained two of our party were waiting at, had to place order at the table and then waited for over 40mins for just sandwiches to arrive! Sadly the bread was very dry and one plate with coleslaw on consisted of a large cabbage leaf that had seen better days... not an enjoyable experience eat all. We felt it could have been so much better organised taking orders. Find a table, queue to give order including your table number and hope it arrives in a timely manor. Sadly we wont be eating there again....

This was our second visit, yesterday, and it did not disappoint! We got to the restaurant about 12 and following the Covid instructions - were seated at two tables adjacent to each other. the staff couldn't have been more lovely and helpful. We had very nice food and will come again as time and Covid permits! Keep up the good work ladies.

We had a lovely visit to this garden centre cafe today. There was a short wait in a queue to be seated due to Covid arrangements. The staff were friendly and helpful and the food was fantastic.The chips with our lunch were a highlight- crunchy on the outside, soft on the middle, not at all greasy and an unusual shape with skin on; they were amazing. I had a tasty quiche and my husband had fish in batter; he was very impressed with how light and non-greasy it was. It was all served hot and with a smile.We were so impressed that we popped back again for a drink after a long meander around the gardens (£5 each) and decided to try some Dorset Apple Cake - it was one of the nicest I’ve had. There is plenty of seating inside and out, some tables are by the ponds and amongst the plants. Little birds were in abundance and were very entertaining.

After joining the queue for half an hour with four of my family for lunch then a look around the shop,we along with others were dissapointed to find that most of the menue wasn,t availiable .The staff didn,t mention this at all while we were waiting the first we knew about it was as we got to the entrance and a board had been written up telling us the bad news.We wont be going back as we have such a large choice in our area, such a shame.

I've been visiting Holme Nursery for many years during which time I've also parted with a large some of money. As it has grown, getting larger each year, so has the arrogance of its staff, notably in the Orchard Cafe but not exclusive to this area. The staff have an inability to show any gratitude for your custom, an arrogance of "we're busy, so we must be good", and a lack or recognition that customer interfacing skills might just be lacking, and they are significantly. The "till" area in both the cafe and nursery and more recently the grocery shop falls way below standards one should expect. Shame, but time to spend money where it'll be better appreciated...

Looked forward to visiting here but was sadly disappointed. Very long queue, mainly due to having only one person taking the orders, making the drinks and then taking payment. All this, whilst a number of other employees were buzzing around yet seemingly doing nothing. This may also have explained the person’s grumpy attitude. Cakes were okay, a little stodgy, and there were no non-dairy options offered for the coffees. Having seen other reviews, maybe it is just me not being willing to accept poor service. However, found the whole thing quite amateurish and won’t go back

lovely tea and cake very yummy, fairly priced and lovely service. would recommend as a stop after visiting durdle door or lulworth cove

We found this lovely garden centre/cafe/farm shop during our holiday, staying in West Lulworth. A beautiful setting with a choice of eating areas; indoors, garden room, or garden terraces around a spectacular pond and beautiful borders. This seems to be popular with locals, be prepared to wait during busy times. There are a good variety of food options offered from snacks through to substantial main meals. A nice place to sit and relax them potter round afterwards. We will be back.

We decided to stop here for a quick bite to eat en route to lulworth cove. Big mistake, chose the scones with a pot of tea. I'm sure they we yesterdays as they were hard and made with poor ingredients. The strawberry jam they use was the cheapest quality available I'm sure. The tea was hot but that's it, tasteless and again of the lowest quality. Sorry not good enough.

Visited the Orchard Café again recently and so enjoyed our visit, from the well stocked interesting food shop to the lovely garden centre full of lovely plants and lots of items for the garden. The Café is first class with delicious food and a choice of several areas to sit, either in the café, in the covered area adjacent to the café or outside on the terraced area surrounding the pond which is stocked with large fish. After you have dined why not walk off your indulgence by strolling around the beautiful well kept gardens (small charge). Some days you can enjoy the small band that plays in the restaurant which only enhances the whole atmosphere. All the staff are most helpful and will make your visit so enjoyable.

Sit inside or outside around a pond. Good choice of food, snacks and teas. Average prices. Pleasant atmosphere. Area for you to eat your own food if required.

This is a lovely venue if you are visiting the local attractions - we went here for lunch after visiting Durdle Door and then went on to the Ape rescue centre. The garden centre is very nice and has good quality plants - there is also a farm shop which would have all of the ingredients for a good picnic. We ate lunch in the cafe which was very busy but this was to be expected on a busy Easter Saturday. The food was very good value for money - excellent paninis and spaghetti bolognese - big portions and excellent cakes. Only poor item was a dry scone everything else was good and service was friendly.

It’s getting more difficult to just rock up at busy times as so many of th e tables are pre booked. The counter service can be slow and the coffee isn’t the greatest. That said the surroundings are nice and the food is OK but not great. We will probably be back but are looking for an alternative coffee stop when out that way.

Had a wonderful xmas lunch with family, lovely laid table., Staff very friendly and polite. Food was excellent, everything you expect for Christmas, Turkey and tinsel and crackers too,

We had a lovely enjoyable afternoon tea at The Orchard today, made even nicer by the lovely lady who looked after us.

I am so surprised this place has got so many good reviews. The setting is great but the service and food is just so poor!

I visit the tea rooms regularly, sometimes with family but more often to meet up,with ex work colleagues. Whenever weather permits I always choose to sit outside next to the pond. The setting is just superb. I usually find the counter service to be a little slow but the staff are always friendly enough. I’ve eaten breakfast, lunch and tea and cakes and rate them all as good. Yesterday I tried the tuna and cheese panini for the first time. This was served with a small side salad, coleslaw and crisps. It was very tasty and will be sampled again! As we sat by the pool for several hours we had a second round of tea and cakes. I have to say the chocolate brownie was,extremely yummy. Tea and coffee both good and all reasonably priced.

Visited here recently found a table outside by the large pond, there is plenty seating inside and out. You can also take a card from the counter to reserve your table while you order your food. Lovely sitting outside enjoying the sunshine. Good menu and reasonably priced, you expect to pay a little extra at these places but I think the prices are reasonable. Enjoyed a lovely lunch. You order at the counter with your table number and they bring your order to you. I would definitely visit here again

We went in for breakfast today. The table was dirty and we had to ask a young lady to wipe it down, she clearly didn’t like being asked to do this! I was surprised it was left like that given it wasn’t even busy out there. All in all the food was very average. The service however was dreadful!!!! We had our food bought out by an older lady who just slapped it down in front of us almost causing some of it to roll of the plate! She must be one of the most grumpiest look servers I’ve ever seen. Having said that I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many miserable looking staff in one place! I’ve never felt so uncomfortable in a restaurant/tea room, we hurried our food so we could go elsewhere with a happier vibe!

Visited the Orchard today and was pleased to see a dessert cabinet. Even more pleased when I ate a fabulous cream and raspberry Swiss Roll from it. It's very rare to find such a light dessert. In these times of difficult trading, Holme stands out as an example of how modern retailing should be. I wish it a long and fruitful future. Please try it.

I have been here many times for breakfast and lunch. Never had a complaint before today. I went in with my daughter for a breakfast, however I didn’t realise the time it was 11:03am and I ordered two breakfasts for us both. Then one of the staff members came to our table and said quit abruptly “we actually stop breakfast at 11 we will do it this time as the girl on the counter is new and she didn’t realise but next time it’s before 11. I was a bit taken back as I didn’t realise what time it was when I ordered. If I had known I wouldn’t of ordered the breakfast the lady made me feel very uncomfortable. So I said “sorry we will make sure next time it’s before 11, I didn’t realise the time.” Even though technically I think they should of just said to the new girl. To stop at 11 and then left it at that. Instead of making a guest feel so awful. Then a different member of staff brought our breakfasts and said the whole thing to us again. I felt so awkward, I barley even ate my breakfast in the end I just wanted to leave. So I wrapped my sausages in a napkin and took it for my dogs. I work in hospitality myself and I would never make a guest feel like that!!!!!

A lovely place serving super food however you may have to wait for it when they are busy. You can sit inside or out at tables dotted around the pond garden. Go to the counter on arriving and take a table reserved sign, find a table and place the sign on it then take the table number. Return to order your food giving them your table number. There is another garden there that you can visit for a small charge and a good farm shop.The staff are so efficient and friendly even under pressure when very busy. The gift shop and plant nursery are well worth the browse. The site is suitable for wheelchairs and walking frames. If you are a local it will be somewhere you always visit! Wish we were local!

What a lovely place to have a cream tea, sat down by the pond just watching the birds & fish in the pond. Very good value for money you get 1 scone, cream & jam it was lovely. My husband had a savory scone & the chutney that came with his was lovely a hint of curry I thought. We will def go bk to this place

Very busy Thursday lunchtime, were warned of a 20 minute wait but it was well under that, beautiful setting watching the birds and fish in the pond. We decided to have the fish cakes luckily we got the last of them very good value for money. Salad was well presented. Not sure about the wedges. Lovely garden centre. It did help that the sun was shining today. Will return

We had Sunday lunch here. It was busy and there was a queue of up to ten people waiting to order their meals at the counter. Nevertheless the food was good and the service was quick. The surrounding rooms and gardens were interesting with plenty to explore. We parked in the overflow field as the car park was very busy. There was lots of variety on the menu with a roast dinner, a pasta dish, sandwiches, salads and baked potatoes.

Have been going to this nursery for years and getting ideas from looking round the garden area of what to buy and plant. There is now a charge for doing this. I think after people have spent money on lunch and coffee - and bought plants, it is a bit of a nerve expecting an extra fee for being allowed into the garden area. It will now cost a couple £6 extra if that is what they want to do. I think that a visit to the garden should be complementary if people have purchased food and goods.

Lovely setting in a rural location

Having received a discount voucher to use 2 lunches for £12 I decided to take a friend across and was pleasantly surprised at how nice the food was. Good choices on menu (home made steak & kidney pie) decent portions. It was busy and although we sat in the conservatory it was very pleasant & warm. Then a stroll around the gardens. All in all well worth the trip.

We had breakfast here today, it was great value, superior ingredients, well presented. There is a lovely atmosphere and the staff are very friendly and helpful. I thoroughly recommend you try it.

Have been here many times and it is my mums favourite place to eat. The food is always very good and reasonably priced. But the real star is now the gardens. They are magnificent, from the ornamental ponds by the restaurant where you can sit to eat to the formal borders and wild flower walks.

Been here many times before for tea and cake. Decided to try it for lunch by the lovely picturesque pond. Happily they allow dogs outside and in the conservatory.

Stopped off for lunch in the Orchard Cafe whilst traveling and what a surprise. There is a very good garden centre, lovely farm shop and a large beautiful ornamental garden. The tea room is also very good with home made cakes and scones and normal...

Family reunion long over due arrived early so had to have a coffee,very nice sat by the pond great wondered around garden centre met family and sat down for lunch paninis jacket potato fish cakes and sticky sausages very nice everybody enjoyed Thank you Holme...

Fabulous gardens lovely place to relax. Nutritious and simple food. Lovely place to spend a couple of hours relaxing

¿Qué más se puede decir? Los jardines son encantadores y la tienda de la granja es para morirse, como la calidad de la comida es muy alta (y así los precios no son baratos).

Near Wareham but also on the way down to Lulworth cove. This garden centre is exceptional & sounds like it...

Si usted está visitando el centro de jardín (Holme donde el Orchard Tea Rooms está basado), o simplemente que pasan por aquí es un lugar maravilloso y relajante para sustento en vista de las Purbeck Hills.

We decided to have lunch. We arrived at 11.25am-too late for breakfast-too early for lunch(odd),so we we had a look around. The garden centre,grounds and pools were great but as predicted it began to rain.In the restaurant we had coffees,choosing the medium size(4.60) from small, medium or bucket size.I had a disappointing Ploughmans Lunch.A wholemeal roll(similar to the 6 in a pack Aldi 69p),ONE slice of apple,half tomato, two bitesize slices of celery,coleslaw,a HARD pickled onion,small pot of pickle,two wedges of bland cheddar and some damp greeneryM y wifes meal was fine as was everything else but I do think the ploughmans could have been more authentic-

Hace una excursión agradable para visitar este fascinante lugar.

Been here three times and food is good nursery-type fayre with excellent pastries and quiches.But watch the times you are eating and what is available as their menu is geared to the time you order not what you have! e.g. I wanted quiche and salad at Lunchtime but had to have chips with it for £7. Asked for no chips and expected a larger salad portion but no....just a slice of quiche a salad garnish and coleslaw for the same price! If I had asked for it an hour later, after 2.30, then it would have been £4.75!So still recommended but with the caveat about the time.

Not booked. It made to feel welcome having discovered for the first time , the size & interest of the main business on site - The Holmes garden centreMenu selection for a large , sprawling tea room operation - very good , with special boards that encourage even more delights .... the pork roasts were very good & team members throughout attentive / helpful with smiles too !. Value overall above average & we understand a loyalty club can also bring added benefits.Drink & snack selection more than adequate with wine choice looking to be more than reasonably priced at £11.00/ bottle !.Both the internal & external seating areas are attractive with the ornamental ponds encouraging a longer stay than normal when the weather is good.....Only downsides were that the gravy was a bit wishey washey ! & when you do eat outside it's difficult for all the food & drink to be / stay hot as you might expectOverall - excellentWorth a visit

I have visited this restaurant on several occasions and it is always an enjoyable experience. The food is tasty, clearly home cooked and reasonably priced. The staff are friendly and helpful whether they are serving you or not. The bonus with this restaurant is that it is situated in a lovely garden centre which has been beautifully landscaped so you can wander among flowers and plants before giving in to temptation and buying. I would suggest this is a good afternoon out for couples rather than families and it is easily accessed for those with limited mobility.

Visited this restaurant which is part of Holme for Gardens Garden Centre.It was very busy on Saturday lunchtime and there was a 20 minute wait for food.The reason for the busyness was they have a 25% off sale on plants and if you are a Privelege card holder you have to use the value of your points by the end of the month.We ordered two coffees which they make whilst you wait and home made soup and a jacket potato which had a huge choice of fillings but we went for beans and coleslaw, you also get a salad with it.The food was all homemade and delicious, loved the soup and the jacket potato very filling.

Have only had a Dorset cream tea here but it was absolutely delicious, actually shared on the second visit as the scones are pretty large but sooo nice!

Sunday lunch was very pleasant. Portions and taste very enjoyable although roast potatoes were a bit pale and tasteless. Lovely environment and lots of things to look at and shop

Took the family to Holme for Gardens for lunch and was pleasantly surprised to see how beautiful the open gardens are now! You must spend time just wondering around the different boarders and flower beds for inspiration, we did! Ate our lunch around the large pond in the sunshine, couldn't beat it. We picked from the specials board, which had lots of choice. They seemed to be quite busy, but the food came out hot, delicious and served with a smile. We all enjoyed the deserts, the Orchard serve the most amazing crumbles, brownies and cakes....., next time we will enjoy their cream teas, scones looked amazing. The garden centre has been extended, but manages to keep a certain charm. All the staff are so knowledgable and passionate, its a joy to visit. Shopped in their Farm Shop & brought a Holme made apple cake to take home, Bliss! It seem to be full of quite local items and again so impressed with the staff. Could spend a lot of time and money at Holme. We will be back.........

We love the Orchard tea room, so we decided to getting married there. It was the best decision ever! We had our wedding early October and the place was beautiful and full with colors, different blossuming flowers and plants. All the staff were kind and great not just on our big day, but through the entire planning. They were flexible and work on a really good price. Our time there was fantastic and relaxing which is one of the main thing if you are a Bride! :). They have the best cream tea in Dorset! All my foreign part of my family love their cakes. Thank you so much for that lots of beauty you created for us on our wedding! Love from Kriszta and Martin

Farm shop a pleasure and staff very friendly and helpful. Garden centre interesting and, from overheard conversation seemed like knowledgeable and helpful staff. Tea rooms? Read on…Went to tea room on recommendation of a local and booked for 4:00pm and had the temerity to arrive about fifty minutes early. Reception was extremely hostile, obviously a graduate of the doctors' receptionist school. Having been spoken to rather abruptly the waitress went away when we had confirmed that we were the people for the table was reserved. She returned shortly afterwards, with no better manner, to inform us that Afternoon Tea was not ready and we would have to wait.We waited - about half an hour. They were expecting a big party, I had been told this when I had booked and, if their custom is to reserve tables for an hour before hand (our table was marked "from 3:00pm"), presume they were due at 3:00pm. The arrived at about 3:30pm whilst we were still waiting.During our waiting time, I saw one Afternoon Tea go to a table which obviously had not booked - why were we waiting? If we had turned up and used one of the empty tables in the tea room, would we have been told that we could not have tea or to wait?Tea when it arrived was adequate, nose-diving to poor, with no obvious reason why we had waited. We were presented with plate of assorted sandwiches (two rounds between two) of the most basic fillings - ham (no mustard), cheese (no pickle), tuna (mayonnaise from consistency not taste) and very coarsely chopped egg (very runny with seasoning). There was a trail of unnecessary salad leaves across the centre of the plate, far from enhancing the plate they looked tired. On top of the salad leaves were six cherry tomatoes on the vine. True, the crust had been cut off the bread and they were cut diagonally into four but again I question why we were made to wait half an hour, except it felt as if we were being taught a lesson.Tea was a pot of tea (about four full cups) and no hot water. Scones were passable but the serving of jam or cream was not overly generous. Worth £7.95 each, just about but given all the other factors, could find a better way of spending £15.90 on a sandwich, scone and cup of tea for two.The experience was not helped by the family next door which consisted of a bored babe in arms and toddler. But then the ambience was not that great to start with in what could easily have pass for a mess hut on a civil engineering site. To sit by the pond in fine weather may be nice but enclosed on an inclement day, the experience all becomes rather dissatisfying, with passable Tea and appalling customer service.

We had visited before, it was OK, but not impressed. Having being told it had made some changes, we decided to have a look, what an improvement!A complete change, and so much improved. We enjoyed the garden centre, farm shop and cafe, having decided to have lunch there.Came away a bit poorer!

Visited especially for cake and tea after reviewing website Wasn't disappointed. Lovely home made scone and clotted cream plus a slice of Victoria sponge cake. Clean and well served. Was quite busy on arrival but easy to find a table Farm shop adjacent is good tooHighly recommend

Just what we always look for a little garden centre with a fabulous coffee shop and lovely pond. ..sit and watch the world go by with amazing snacks, lunch and coffee...will be returning

Sit by the pool area , enjoying the fish swimming, then take in the gardens , what could be better go and chill .

We live in Lulworth Cove and are regulars at the Farm shop, Garden Centre & Orchard Tea Rooms. We have loved Holme for Gardens for years & we salute Liz & Simon for their vision and commitment to what they offer local people & visitors a like. As we were enjoying our family lunch in Orchard Tea Rooms this week (3 generations of family) we looked around and felt so grateful for the beautiful surrounding that Holme offers for people of all ages. We were so happy with our lunch (the roasted vegetable quiche is particularly delicious!) and the ever friendly service. Our hats off to the always smiling ladies who go the extra mile to offer wonderfully warm service both at the ordering counter and the table. A special mention for Sonia, who has been at Holme for as long as we have lived in Lulworth, and who is always so mindful and so caring to all customers.So, thank you to Liz & Simon and all the staff at Holme for offering all of us 'locals' a truly beautiful place to come, whether it be for a plant, a cake, a few groceries, or a stroll around the beautiful gardens - a very important place for the community.Lisa & Clive

Garden centre makeover has improved parking but has removed all traces of quirky character. It is now a mini-Me of a Wyevale with very cramped plant area. Restaurant is OK and unchanged but the shop has lost all the unusual and interesting objects that made it attractive. Used to be ideal to find an interesting planter, plant or quaint object. It is no longer on my list of places to visit.

What a shame that this place gets the food so wrong when it's attached to a garden centre and farm shop. Poor salad, cheap range coleslaw, soggy roll, no butter for the roll. The pork pie was quite nice though, but as everything was served on a small plate it was difficult to even cut it up. It's a busy place, so maybe they get it right sometimes. It's noisy because it's like eating in a barn. Not enough space between tables. I had to get up and stand to one side to let someone through, mid meal. Won't go there again. If you're going that way there are far better places to enjoy a lovely lunch.

We tried our first breakfast here a couple of weekends ago but have been many times before for tea and cake or lunch. My only minor gripe was that many tables were already reserved and laid up for lunch which meant that at 10am the nicest tables, looking out over the pond, we're not available. Whilst I understand why this is done it did seem a little early in the day!However, the breakfast itself was very good. We both chose the Traditional breakfast which comprised of two rashers of good bacon, a decent sausage, eggs, tomatoes on the vine, baked beans, good toast (chunky slice from an uncut loaf) and two really nice hash browns. Everything was piping hot and was delivered on a hot plate. Drinks were extra but at £5.95 each the breakfast represented very good value for money, and in terms of quality, it was far better than any of it's garden centre competitors. Would definitely recommend.

What a lovely place. The staff were friendly, the cafe clean and the food great. We will certainly be back, especially on a sunny so we can sit by the pond with our cuppa.

We had a savoury afternoon tea and it was so yummy , and different The quiche was out of this world tooMake sure you visit the farms shop too

Had a pre ordered Christmas lunch in November 2015 with a large group of friends. I ordered the vegetarian Christmas lunch consisting of root vegetables cooked in pastry and it was awesome. Very filling and the gravy was superb. Full marks to the staff for fantastic service and brilliant chef with a well chosen menu.Everybody was thrilled and bragged about their meals and we will all be back in 2016. Weather was the worst possible hence five diners couldn't get to the lunch.

As above what a gem, good food, not rushed, good staff, Only comment perhaps the table could be wiped with a hygenic wash after each use or may be when I visited the staff had run out of it. Lovely gardens it would seem when in full flower as it was winter on our first visit

We are regulars here at The Orchard and lunch was again excellent. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming and they were getting busy as usual. We had cod and chips and a panini both of which were excellent with a large salad garnish. We also had some carrot cake which was delicious and service of the food was relatively prompt. I have seen others have commented on staff demeanour on here and i can see there point.

Well, I have been here before on a few occasions and this time found the place has had a make-over.The service area was larger and there were two staff serving as well as others inside the kitchen area.We had come for a light lunch but when we arrived could find no menu's.My friend went to ask a member of staff for a menu only to be told in a very prickly fashion 'I am just putting the menu board up'!!!!!!We were not aware that this is the way things were done here and felt like naughty school girls asking for something we shouldn't.The waitress then told us there were menu's on the dresser with other items on.Surely these should have been in the tables for when people arrive and could have been advised on the blackboard.Anyway, I chose the soup which was very nice and lovely rustic bread.My friend just had scone and butter and both of us had coffee.I noticed that there were a selections of very delicious looking cakes and pastries, so we decided to share an almond twist' type of pastry, but to be honest I almost felt nervous of ordering because of our initial asking for the menu.The women who served us this time, was ok but not what I would call over friendly and although I asked for one coffee to be served with a jug of warm milk, ended up with two jugs of cold milk.I am glad this was not our first visit and we will come back especially in the better weather when we have the opportunity of sitting outside.

Great place to visit, lovely friendly cafe, excellent food and have visited on numerous occasions. However, be warned, I have never, until today, had the need to use the toilets and was horrified to find the toilets are unisex!!!!!

A rustic clean tea room in a very nice setting serving good food. Choose to sit indoors or outside next to the large fish pond, very nice!

The tea rooms are part of a much larger complex comprising farm shop with excellent local produce and all manner of goodies, garden centre, gift shop etc. A special place to visit.

lovely place to go for afternoon tea and a stroll around the gardens. Huge piece of carrot cake and delicious tuna sandwich, luckily bought lots of plants to wear off the calories in the garden! Also the farm shop is stocked with a vast array of fruit, vegetables, meat and everything else besides - great place to buy an unusual gift.

We were in the area and did a search on Trip Advisor for tea rooms, and picked this one out based on its feedback. We weren't disappointed either. Great location and facilities, top cream team, and very nice service. Not the cheapest ever, but, hey, mustn't grumble - it was all very nice.Fine for young kids too.

We have visited this restaurant many times this Summer and every meal has been enjoyed by our guests and myself. Fresh and home made produce locally sourced makes such a difference .The setting by the lake is quite magical with the fish and water lilies adding extra attraction. The garden centre and PYO are a delightful addition to a day out. If the weather is bad there is a large inside tea room and additional sitting area in the conservatory. The shop always stocks interesting gift items .

I don't know how I've never come across this place before, its a well kept secret.Was introduced to it through a friend and came for lunch today on her birthday .The restaurant is set in the most lovely garden centre and beautiful gardens that also have a large PYO. There is also a large pond full of fish with tables and chairs around it, lovely area to sit and enjoy refreshments on a warm day.The menu in the restaurant is pretty typical of this type of establishment, Panini's, jacket pots, quiche, soup and a specials board.My friend had a Greek salad off the board and I had mozarello and red onion marmalade panini. Both were very good portions, well presented and good quality food. The desserts looked lovely but we didn't have room, I will have to go back again soon to try one. I think I will be introducing a number of friends to this place and go with them to show them where it is !

This restaurant has a lovely seating area around a large pond on a sunny day. Unfortunately there were a lot of wasps on the day we went for afternoon tea and as one of our number is allergic we had to site inside, which has a different feel. We had tea for 3 (£4.50), a delicious homemade cake (£2.60) and a scone, jam and clotted cream (£3.00). It was all uniformly good quality and served by very pleasant, smart staff. The farm shop is good too, particularly if you want to buy any of a myriad of local Dorset beers.

Nice friendly tea rooms in a pleasant garden centre. Seems to be a popular meeting place as there were several groups. We enjoyed some lovely fresh crab sandwiches and a cup of coffee before "paddling" onwards.

The Orchard Tea Rooms specialises in Tea and Cakes you could die for made in the attached kitchen. Other filling snacks are available that produced quickly and served to your table either indoors or round a very large pond well stock with fish.

This is a lovely, individual family run garden centre with farm shop, pick your own and tea rooms in lovely setting.I called when they were busy with a large group so was disappointed that the cakes available were not made there this time. I chose the Marmalade cake, which was fairly tasteless, and had a strange bright orange jelly in the middle that tasted nothing like marmalade! Disappointed, but as it's usually good will go again hoping to find home made cake please!

The excellent tea rooms have an extensive outdoor area around a pretty pond, with huge friendly Doberman to guide you.The shop sells a really wide range of fresh and frozen farm produce, meat, vegetables, fruit, and also lots of top quality local products for the tourist (and local) market. Good stock opf local beers and drinks.The garden centre is really good too. Pretty much anything you might want in the way of plants, shrubs and trees as well as the usual range of fertilizers, pots etc.Highly recommended.

Decided to call in and have a nice afternoon cup of tea, in very pleasant surroundings, before having a look around the garden centre. Also there is a very good pick your own facility here as well. Nice pleasant staff in all areas.

If fine and sunny great to sit by the 2 large ponds/small lakes and enjoy a lovely cream tea...the establishment have spent out on delightful italian tables and chairs (tiles and wrought iron) very attractive..... am sick to death of going to places with backless pub style wooden bench seats in fact I won't give them my support .The almond slice was also delicious and the marmalade cake also looked good.All cake prices were reasonable and they look greatCould of done with some ex tra hot water as 3 of us with just one small/med and one small teapot ...However it is one of the most delightful settings for afternoon tea I can think of.

Set in a nursery, it has outdoor seating around what is a wonderful complex of ponds. Also there is probably one of the best quality farm shops around.

Very helpful although busy staff. Food was of high standard with huge scones. Plenty of tea in a pot, I think I got 3 cups from my pot. Will go again but best to book on busy days.

My Sister & I visited The Orchard Tea Rooms yesterday, I asked for some sandwiches all on the pretty plates on their advert & was told by a stressed out, unsmiling member of staff that Lunches finished at 2.30 & the advert I had seen you had to book !!! ..It was 3.40 & she said just cakes & Cream teas available.....I apologised to her as she sounded so fed up & she did break a weak smile......I havent got lots of money, with a husband getting over a heart attack, I had been so looking forward to visiting the Tearooms to be met by very stressed out staff !!! I was v upset.........The only nice thing was the cream tea.......The tea was disgusting.......We weren't even given another pot of hot water ......The toilets were disgusting....Weren't checked ...........Feeling disappointed