The Plantation Tearoom in South Northamptonshire - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

Eggs overcooked. Bacon undercooked. Muffins harder than iron. And zero personality from the staff. With the exception of the guy on the till. The menus are plastic. Which I can only assume (appropriately so) is so they can be wiped clean. So how are they covered in food from the previous day. Tables are sticky. Rarely do I review like this. But the basics are missing.

Nice environment, good food and service but customer care attitude disappointing. A friend had a pot of tea that, when poured into cup, included a dead fly! When taking teapot back to counter there was no apology, no face-to-face contact, just given another pot! Staff training needed!

As always, the coffee was good. However, I opted for a cheese scone with cream cheese and chutney. Unfortunately, the scone wasn’t fresh, and had been microwaved. This made is rubbery and, frankly, not worth eating. To their credit, when I didn’t eat the scone, the server asked if it had been okay. I described the problem, and was offered a cake instead. I didn’t take up this offer, as the last time I had cake there, it was rather dry, and not worth the calories. So, good service, but perhaps Bell Plantation cafe should remember that scones should be fresh, and never microwaved to within an inch of their lives.

We were first there for 9am opening so would expect food to be excellent. How can you get poached eggs on toast so wrong? Eggs were completely hard, toast was stale & v dry. Expensive too. So disappointed.

Great breakfast, good garden centre, plenty to to do, good antique centre, great pet shop, definitely going back, even if it's just for breakfast

Went for a quick lunch, was seated quickly even though there was a queue. You ordered via an app ( or at the till) Lunch came quickly, the issues were there was no service beyond that, was not offered any condiments. I don’t go there very often and feel they expect you to know the process. The food was not great, the wrap was extremely salty to the point I couldn’t eat it. Chips were great though. The manager came to clear my table and ask why I hadn’t eaten it, when I told him he didn’t react, not sure if that means they are used to complaints. Feel they could do much better, the place has grown a lot over the past few years and feel they have definitely lost the quality and some of the service. Not the fault of the staff as they were running from place to place.

I stumbled across the Bell Plantation Garden Centre and cafe as my husband and I wanted to meet friends close to Silverstone for lunch; we’re unfamiliar with the area. We ended up being here for 4 hours! Really beautiful decor, comfortable seating, friendly staff and a large choice on the menu. We chose outdoor seating as the weather was wonderful. We would absolutely visit again. Thank you

Really lovely garden centre with wide choice. However the cakes in the cafe were really dry - we had chocolate, victoria sponge, carrot and gluten free victoria sponge - all the same. Did mention to the server but she said "no one else has complained" ....but just be aware as this is the second time we've had cake there with the same issue - shame as otherwise great

Popped in for a lunch today with friends, my tuna jacket potato was nicely cooked, however my friends chips could had been abit crispier. Great service from a lady called ‘ Adele’ who was very attentive and efficient. Also the parking here is great! Will definitely be coming back!

We called in on way home as we had seen good reports about the breakfasts and we were not disappointed. We'll cooked and very tasty.

We booked on for an afternoon tea and were not disappointed! Sandwiches were fresh, well filled and with a variety of delicious fillings. They also served home made quiche and sausage rolls with a tomato chutney. The scones are the best I’ve had served with plenty of clotted cream and jam, all washed down with earl grey tea. I’ve had lots of afternoon teas within the area, sometimes at very posh venues but Bells afternoon tea is my favourite and is very good value.

We met up with a friend as it was about half way, lovely food and very relaxing, looked a good garden centre and other shops but didn't have time to look around and also the weather was very cold.

3 different families (children aged 2-6) met here as it was a central point for us all. We had a great afternoon. The softplay was the perfect size, friendly and kept the kids very entertained. The cafe was friendly with quick service and yummy food for adults and children. The children enjoyed looking at the fish and reptiles in the pet section. The staff were extremely kind and helpful when we missed the chance to pay for the toys my kids had chosen at the end of the day. We went to the toilets before making our purchases without realising the tills would be closed when we came out. The cafe staff very kindly let us pay there despite being closed and having to go to extra effort to remedy putting the purchases through the correct till the next day. Both my son and daughter are on the autistic spectrum and being unable to buy what they had chosen would have been very distressing for them, particularly for my son who had spent a very long time choosing some succulents that he was very excited about. Can’t thank the staff enough (particularly the cafe manager). We will definitely be back and we’ll be sure to make our purchases on time when we return! Thank you :-)

I do not understand the popularity of this place. The quality of products used is so poor. I vow not to eat here every time I go . But we meet with friends because it is convenient. Bacon roll this morning was so awful: undercooked bacon and roll saturated with very unpleasant margarine. I should have sent it back. Friends cheese scone wasn’t cooked as was equally unpleasant. Oh dear!

This is a large Garden type restaurant in a very large spacious comfortable environment, which happily announces it gets “Super Busy” . When shown to our table we were told the wait time for food, giving us opportunity to weigh up whether it suited our circumstances. You can either order at the counter , or via the venue’s website from your numbered table. Food arrived after 25 mins as we were advised. I would not recommend eating here on a limited lunch break. The drinks however did come in good time. Looking around at the custom that was there this weekday afternoon seemed suited to the service times, I would imagine because of its location it’s popular with friends and family meeting up at it’s convenient crossroad location. The food was good and the portion size was adequate for the smaller appetite. Staff were busy and focussed on delivering meals to tables and there was no real interaction with them as they seemed to be covering large parts of the restaurant.

Called in for lunch on Saturday with family. Although we had to wait a while I was really looking forward to my tuna and cucumber sandwich. However when it arrived it had been put onto a warm plate!!! The bottom layer of bread was crusty and was stuck to the plate, so when moved the filling fell out. The crisps were warm as was the garnish. Who does that??? Certainly not as good as it used to be, sadly.

Will write this review as a series of points. 1 - we turned up at the cafe at 4:40 on a Saturday. The main garden centre closes at 5:30. All we wanted was a slice of cake and a quick cup of tea. 2 - there was no sign at the cafe entrance to say when the cafe closed so we walked in. 3 - it turns out the cafe closes at 5pm 4 - we went and chose cake and took it to the counter to buy. The person at the toll watched us, and our son, choose the cake. 4 - we took it to the till and the person said ‘it’s only take away now.’ So we put the cake down and walked away. 5 - as we walked away we watched the person high five her colleague (mate) behind the till as she had successfully turned a customer away twenty minutes before closing. 6 - I went and spoke to her and said she didn’t need to be so rude. She proceeded to shout at me and argue that turning a customer away and high giving her colleague wasn’t rude 7 - I was polite the whole time. I spoke to another colleague who came over to speak to me to apologise and did her best to offer us tea and cake free of charge. She understood her colleague’s behaviour was inappropriate. Quite frankly, I have never experienced such dire customer service and will never return nor ever recommend this place. I would be happy to speak to someone in management if they wish to identify the person who high-fived her colleague as she turned away a customer. May explain and loss in profits recently?………..

I just wanted to say a huge thank you for A and E’s birthday party today. Everything was so well organised, stress free, we were really impressed with the party food as it was such fantastic quality and even better that we didn’t need to clear up. Thanks to the staff in the playbarn for all of the drinks served, handling the dietary requirements so well and just their general enthusiasm. We would absolutely recommend. We were also allowed in 15 mins before to set up balloons and cake as our party started at 9:30, we really appreciated this.

Sorry, but was disappointed after several other visits..understood it looked a little Chaos with the Christmas decoration dismantling.. But we ate lunch…which was my main disappointment.. the portions had been greatly reduced from my previous lunches.. There was three of us and we all agreed that the portions were much much less.. If I was going to have a salad I would expect more than one type of green leaf!!! Thank you

so dissapointed with the food today,chips cooked in dirty oil a dry chocolate brownie and beans looked dry to,it always used to be spot on what has happened?

I came in today with my friend, very nice garden centre and great selection for Christmas gifts. We stopped off at the cafe, the drinks arrived promptly and ordered the Christmas burger which was delicious, the lady who served us was very polite, friendly and attentive, will definitely be returning.

Visited the soft play on Saturday with our 4year old Grandson. It was brilliant. Limited numbers so it never gets too busy. Lovely food. Yes service a little slow but there were lots of the parents ordering, but very well worth the wait. Delicious Christmassy coffees! The staff were so pleasant. Really nice to be acknowledged with a smile. Lovely clean tables and eating area.

Met a friend here for a spot of lunch,at short notice Ordered two coffees a tuna melt and a ham and cheese ciabatta(which I asked to be toasted lightly) Unacceptable wait of nearly half an hour for these items. Coffee was of a reasonable standard despite the wait. However the tuna melt and ham& cheese ciabatta were overcooked. Total bill in the region of 25quid. This establishment claims to be high end and this is reflected in the prices they charge! Again I find that is yet again another establishment, which will take my money, and serve badly cooked inferior food. Will neither revisit or recommend. It is not possible to give a zero rating on this sight!

Visited yesterday. Kids had an amazing time playing at Belles. Husband ordered the turkey roast and was v impressed. I had the soup which was lovely. Purchased a Christmas tree also, very easy process. So lucky to have this place nearby

So happy more places in towcester doing Sunday roasts! Had the roast Turkey and roast beef. I’m fussy on my roasts and need a good gravy and loads of it. Needless to say the gravy and food was absolutely amazing! 🤩

Beautiful christmassy atmosphere. Well planned out and pleasant staff. Very busy as Christmas market event on .lovely place.

This is a review about Belles Playbarn, the soft play. When we first started coming here it was fantastic! Recently however - every time I have come (midweek or weekend) it is so busy it is actually becoming a bit dangerous. I know soft play generally involves kids bumping into each other etc but the size of the soft play seems too small for the amount of children and adults in it. It’s a real shame as the equipment is fantastic but we definitely won’t be coming here ever again.

Went for 1st time for a Sunday roast!! Meat was tough and very fatty couldn't cut with my knife so i had to use my fingers not very good, vegetables were cold and seeing as we were there early i found this very dissapointing. I did complain but no one came and apologised or spoke to us. We were very dissapointed.

I had Sunday lunch here to see if it would be suitable for my family of 8 who would be visiting in 2 weeks time. I will bring them here but I would make a few observations first. Why oh why is it so difficult to get in to the cafe? Better signage would be really easy. It was busy so the 15 minute wait was acceptable. Once allocated a table the ordering process was easy and the food arrived after another 15 minute wait, which was also acceptable. The cauliflower cheese was nice but needed a lot more seasoning. I really enjoyed my meal but the roast beef was too tough for the price and rather spoilt what was otherwise a truly delicious Sunday lunch. The roast potatoes and the gravy were the stars of the show. The staff were fantastic and the car parking great.

Went in for coffee and cake on my birthday. What a mistake that was. The decaff flat white was more like warm milk. And the vegan Victoria sponge was the worst cake I've ever eaten. A dry slab on a plate. It's easy these days to cater for dietary requirements. I think you still need to learn these skills. Very disappointing

Visited with family members, one being our 3 year old grandson. We wanted to get a drink/snack in the cafe and decided to go into The Barn so that our grandson could play.....he was very excited! We expected to pay but £7.50 when the session was half way through and finishing at 2pm was a bit much. We were then horrified to discover that we all had to pay to sit in the cafe area while he played! In total it cost £18.50 before we ordered any drinks or food.....just plain greedy in my opinion, won't be going there again!

Parked up and approached the fenced garden area where we encountered THREE locked gates declaring "No Entry To Cafe". Attempted to open the "exit only" one and got shouted at by a member staff. Apparently the only route in is a long and convoluted one through the shopping center, despite me standing the other side of a gate she could have opened. I explained that I have arthritis and was in pain and the staff defending their fortress didn't give a monkeys. I had to take the scenic view I asked why and was told 'they're the rules'. So much for making reasonable adjustments for people with disabilities, just opening the the gate with a smile would have won our custom and saved a negative review. Nobody wants an unnecessary hike to have a meal, try winning your customers, not alienating them.

I was shocked to read some of the feedback for this location at Towcester. We found the food to be excellent on a busy bank holiday weekend. Well cooked and enjoyable meal at a reasonable price. The service was friendly and efficient. Plenty of parking...

We were looking forward to eating here but we regretted the decision. It's a busy place but does have adequate staff. This said I visited started with 5 of us being sat at a table more suitable for 2 people..I'm in a wheelchair so this...

Popped in for a tea and cake stop on a wet Saturday afternoon. The cafe was very busy but we were served promptly. We had the Victoria sandwich and a scone. The sponge cake was tiny and wasn’t a complete slice - half the bottom...

Lunch with a friend today.My first visit in a long time .Cafe was busy.Had summer special of cheese, onion and leek quiche with salad.My friend had ham egg and chips.Our drinks arrived promptly and waitress courteous.Food arrived shortly after.My quiche was an individual one and...

Firstly there was a 25 minute wait for the food. 🙄 Secondly The Chicken Caesar wrap was disgusting, no resemblance to its name just massive lumps of chicken with a mayonnaise type sauce, disgusting bland taste. The side salad lettuce was clearly not fresh with...

Having had two very bad experiences in the past with this place, we only visited as we were in the area and particularly hungry. Expecting issues similar to the past when we couldn't find the entrance or were unable to eat as our requirements didn't...

The garden centre is lovely but my review is just for Frocks and Shoes. I bought a lovely pinafore style dress there that is very well made and the owners are the most lovely people!! I will definitely be returning

Stopped here on way home and decided to have a drink, ordered scones which came very warm, once cooled they went rock hard so obviously not dress, just warmed up to disguise they were stale! Took mine back to let staff know and ended up...

Booked the Bell Planation Cafe for afternoon tea. A great choice of sandwiches, savouries and cakes and scones. The large pot of tea was good too. Friendly staff and a lovely setting.

My daughter and myself visited your garden centre today and stopped for some lunch in your restaurant, I am emailing to complain regarding the food we were served, tuna & cucumber with salad and home made coleslaw , the sandwich was completely dry and the...

This is not really an issue with the cafe as such but I couldn't find a site for the Garden Centre. I visited today with my elderly mother and daughter and my mum wasn't feeling very well so we thought we would sit in the...

10.95 each for a big breakfast which is lovely..But then charged us an extra 3 quid each for our eggs to be poached?? £6 for 4 eggs..but was included in the price of we had them fried?? Don't usually take the reciept..my husband pulled a...

Bell Plantation Cafe is a regular spot we visit on a rainy weekend for a cup of tea & cake. Usually we have a brilliant experience. I’d just like to pass on feedback to the floor manager/chef, when a customer orders a cream tea, it...

Just returned from an impromptu lunch on way passed as hadn’t been for a while. Whilst the setting was nice, we ordered two small lunches which included one of the specials. We waited nearly an hour (we weren’t warned when ordering) and when the food...

We popped into the cafe for a light snack hot drinks came out nice and hot, the wait for food was 1/2 hour which we was happy to wait, as was told on ordering But when the food came out the chicken fajita was very...

We visited today for Afternoon Tea. I must admit I was a bit hesitant after visiting in the past and not having a great experience and reading some of the other reviews but we decided to give it another go . I’m so pleased we...

Fantastic breakfast at the Bell Plantation this morning (13/01). Staff were very efficient but importantly friendly. Food order came swiftly and the location made it ideal for a business meeting.

Without doubt the worse cafe I have ever visited. We went up to order at 11.25 and we're told to wait until 11.30 before they could take our order. We ordered and 30 minutes later no sign of food or drinks went to check where...

Had an absolutely super Christmas themed afternoon tea with some friends. All of the food was homemade and the price was very reasonable. A good range of savoury; sandwiches (Stilton, brie, turkey, ham), half a quiche, mushroom wellington and a pig in a blanket. This...

Excellent afternoon tea with Christmas theme. Lots to eat with a great variety of flavours and good mix of sweet and savoury choices.Don’t go if you’re looking for a dainty tiny tea,this is a proper meal although take home boxes are available if it beats...

Last time we visited the garden centre, access to the cafe was via the side doors but this time, all we were met with was no entry signs. Seeing a break in the fence and a path round to the doors, we headed down and...

My daughter recently had her 5th Birthday Party at Belle's Play Barn, we had a fantastic experience and would definitely recommend. The staff were all very friendly and helpful. There was a choice of food options when booking, we opted for the hot buffet which...

Bought a mince pie to take away I was shocked when I see it Scandalous price £2.50 -cannot understand where you are coming from the taste is average- you can also buy from many Supermarkets six for around the £2 mark

We called in for lunch mid week and the service was poor. We had to wait 45 mins for a sandwich, which came cold as did the chips. The coffee cake was dry and minimal frosting. Not impressed with this cafe.

First visit yesterday since the changes to the dining area. Food was ok. No additional choices on the black board which there used to be. My main concern was the birds flying round in the conservatory. It appears they are trapped inside & some came...

Popped in for a cup of tea before looking round garden centre. There is a lot of seating, which was good as it was fairly busy for a Wednesday. Lots of lovely food options. I had a coffee and a delicious slice of coffee and...

We had booked afternoon tea and what a disappointment! As a vegetarian, egg and tuna sandwich? No imagination. No savoury at all? Cake and that’s it, brownie, carrot cake and scone???? £15 really poor. Very poor options. What about falafel? Vegetarian sausage roll? Service was...

Nice selection of food and drinks at a reasonable price. Service was largely very good other than one minor comment I considered fairly rude by one member of staff. Otherwise great!

I popped in for coffee and toast at the Bell Plantation this morning. The building is a beautiful space to enjoy a coffee break or lunch in. The latte and toast came quickly and was nicely presented. The waitress was very friendly and efficient and...

Arrived in time for a breakfast roll which states available until 15.30. Went to order a sausage bap at 11.20 and was told they cannot take orders between 11 and 11.30 - despite the menu that you can order food all day and breakfast rolls...

Don’t really know where to start. Having visited here frequently in the past and enjoyed the experience, to say this was a let down is an understatement! We sat outside on a hot day. Ordered drinks and food at the counter/till paid for them as...

Afternoon tea at £15 each. Looked amazing but the sandwiches had obviously been made sometime before as bread was crispy. Scones weren't quite cooked so very claggy in the middle. Potato balls had I think chicken inside but no taste. Service was slow to get...

My daughter and I took my elderly parents to meet some family friends for lunch. Good selection of dishes ( Specials board also great options) and everyone really enjoyed their meals and drinks. Friendly, efficient staff who were particularly helpful towards my dad who finds...

Sadly let down by what appeared to be a lack of management resulting in part orders being delivered a long time apart. We all know staff are extremely difficult to find but this only highlights the absolute need for managing what you have. Also, the...

I honestly expected my visit to be much better than it was, the food was terrible and very overpriced for the quality, my chicken in the baguette was dry and discoloured, to pay the price thar I did I expected fresh food and then to...

I visit every few months hoping that things would be better.... My friend's cake was dry and inedible but at least they seemed happy to change it for a cookie. My scone was steaming hot but ok, jam was fine but whatever was the 'cream'...

very dissapointing. was excited to take my friend for lunch for her birthday and was so disspointed with the food. the toasted sandwich was toasted to an inch of its life. we had to send back our cakes as they were very dry.the food did...

The quality of the food was very disappointing, not sure how you can get basic sandwiches so wrong. Ham was all gristle, bread was not fresh and covered in thick cheap margarine. Not impressed for the price. Shame that such a lovely venue fails to...

This place could be awesome, as the venue is lovely, but it just fails to deliver. Sat down, read the menu on the table and went to order. Ordered the drinks, then the food, only to be told, very politely by the staff member,"no that's...

Name me a cafe that, despite being almost full of customers, refuses to serve food between 11am and 11.30. I'll name one. The Bell Plantation Cafe. (Although all advertising says open 9-5) They won't even take orders during this time meaning that, inevitably, there is...

Pretty poor fayre, I thought a triple cheese and garlic mushroom toastie would be oozing with cheese in fact there was hardly any cheese at all and there certainly weren’t three cheeses on. I couldn’t taste any garlic in the mushrooms either.

Brunch with a friend. Smooth ordering process. Both had the mushroom and avocado on toast. Very dry and tasteless. Piece of dry toast, with mushrooms, sliced avocado and tomato on top. No seasoning, really disappointing.

Smooth ordering process but it took 30 min for a toasted teacake for one person. It was not busy either. I asked a member of staff where my order was and they didn't give me an update, they just proceeded to avoid me so I...

We both ordered the Beef Curry, which was delicious. The beef was tender and full of flavour. The rice was cooked well and complimented with two small Naan breads and a delicious mango chutney dip.

This is a cafe not a restaurant !!! The menu shows food very posh and not normal common cafe food. Yes they do the cakes but the rest is all up market food and so is the price, so if you want something more special...

We booked afternoon tea for five to meet up mid journey. We requested a quiet table and totally gluten free food and that’s exactly what we got - together with courteous and sympathetic service.

Went here for brunch with my granddaughter and had a lovely meal. The restaurant was very efficient and you could order on your phone.

All good - was very busy on the day due to it being half term - the staff seemed well trained and friendly and were working very hard with a large number of customers

We visited for lunch. We ordered lunch with a pot of tea and pretty much all the crockery and cutlery was filthy. We complained to the waitress all she did was wipe all of it with a dirty-looking sponge and return it us us. This...

Visited with over an hour to go before they closed just for hot drinks and cake and were told we could only sit in one section, and that they would clear / clean a table for us . The other sections where we had intended...

After a terrible meal at a restaurant I will not name I felt I had to treat my husband for his birthday. We were not disappointed. Staff were very welcoming and friendly. Coffee and tea were brought quite quickly, afternoon tea was lovely . Plenty...

Pleasant staff in the cafe. Had a toastie which was OK - canteen standard. Ordered coffee and cake. The carrot cake was so dry the only way to eat it was to pour spoons of the coffee on it. Great disappointment. Bigger isn't always better....

Poor signage on a door which turned out to be an emergency entrance/exit only. Rude member of staff no apology but shooed me out telling me to use the garden centre entrance. Only tables available were dirty, ordered via the QR code and got brought...

Impromptu Breakfast Seriously unimpressed due to the following: Dirty, sticky table Thoroughly rude staff - we ordered breakfast at 10.55, it is advertised as available until 11. The staff made us feel uncomfortable about asking although that was the menu we were given Cold food...

My husband and I had a Christmas present voucher for afternoon tea at Bell Plantation, it was my first visit here and I wasn’t disappointed. The Café was lovely and clean and the staff were attentive, food delicious and the drinks lovely and hot. We...

We've been here a few times for Coffee and a "cake" and previously everything has been OK (although expensive and not memorable) . We both ordered a cheese scone today and they arrived clearly having been heated up. There was a small amount of cheese...

We chose to eat at the Bell Plantation cafe because it's conveniently half way between us and our relatives. We have eaten lunch there on four occasions and previously, the food has been tasty and hot. Four of us ate lunch there today and it...

We visited one Saturday mid morning for a coffee and a cake. Easy to find a table and we managed the online ordering although this isn't our preferred way of ordering in a cafe. Despite the system requiring customers to be specific about their order...

Have been here lots of times with my husband and friends. The service can be a bit slow because of the sheer volume of people a very popular place to eat. I’ve never had a bad meal or coffee and recommend to visit. Only open...

Efficient, friendly and helpful. Surprised at negative recent reviews : we had lovely tea/coffee and scones. Servers were super helpful.

Appearence and food look lovely, however we just wanted a cup of tea. We were told we were not allowed to sit down, even though we could see around 4 free and clean tables. The lady (who was quite abrupt to us and the other...

Normally the best scones in Northamptonshire, but today they were dry and I only had 3 currents in my fruit scone. We were offered a refund to be fair, but I hope this isn't going to be the norm, as we basically only go here...

Went with my wife for lunch on Sunday. My wife had a fish dish which was OK I ordered Ham, Egg, and Chips which came back with a rather strong off smell. It was replaced after a long wait (by which time my wife had...

We popped in for a quick bite to eat having been stuck in traffic. The online ordering system didn’t work despite the order being confirmed. After 30 mins I went to enquire but nobody was interested in my concern, only my order. I ordered two...

Mainly positive with some small lapses. Food and drinks priced reasonably. Quality bit variable depending on what you have e.g. fish in the fish and chips was dry. Other meals were much better. Service was efficient with pleasant staff. Dog friendly hence quite a few...

Several visits here, the quality of the food is fine and the price not excessive but the wait is not worth it. A recent visit resulted in a wait of over an hour for a bowl of ice cream and a panini. There are lots...

Went today ordered sweet chilli wrap and fries at an extortionate price of £9.50 so expected something really good but struggled to find the chicken and I don’t know who thinks sweet chilli sauce out of a bottle mixed with mint yogurt works, for the...

Nice polite service, we had 2 warm cream teas, 1 cheese scone with cream cheese and chutney, 1 fruit with cream and jam, very good home made , visited at 14.45 on a Monday and waited about 10 mins for the food