The Potting Shed Cafe in Lancaster

As a visitor to Morecambe, saw the Garden Centre advertised and decided to visit. Nice Garden Centre with plants, gifts and of course Restaurant. Decided to have lunch and it was good to see small portions available. My husband and I decided on the Fish & Chips which was served by very polite and efficient staff, we sat in open air area with beautiful views of countryside towards the sea. If in the area again would certainly visit as we did notice an area for coffee/cakes (looked delicious). Would recommend.

Ever seen the Ricky Gervais/Afterlife scene where he tries to buy 2 child’s portions for himself and his young nephew in a cafe? He simply isn’t that hungry. They refuse to serve him until he finally says his nephew will actually order 2 child portions in that case. It’s very funny and obviously pointing out quite how ridiculous it is to refuse to serve you the size of portion you’d prefer, because you’re not a child. They actually do this at Bay view. We go here often and today went as a family of 6 for brunch. One of our party has a very small appetite. They wanted to try the pancakes but knowing it’s a large portion, asked if they could have the child portion. ‘No sorry. Very strict rules in place about that’ we were told. Nobody likes to waste food or feel over faced so they opted for a toasted tea cake instead. We ended up spending less money. Where is the sense in that? Surely there could be some discretion used when it’s just a genuine situation? A party of 6. We all ate and we all had drinks. The food is nice. The rules are a bit silly.

Had the battered seafood selection it was the best I ever had, batter was super crunchy and calamari was the best I ever had

The his is a great spot for a not too expensive lunch/breakfast. A nice scenic view and great food, we loved our stay and will come again.

Third time of visiting but unfortunately each time has been a huge let down, I thought a mid week lunch would have been better. My glass arrived, obviously covered in lipstick but I had to point it out, the panini was stale and the green salad was so old it had pretty much turned to black liquid and should never have been sent out as it was visually very obvious. Maybe ok for coffee and cake but we didn't stay to find out.

Four of us came in for coffee and cakes mid-morning. We asked for a quiet table because some of us have hearing difficulties, and got one close to the entrance and the servery; it wasn't very quiet, but at least there was no music playing and most of the time we could hear each other. Chantelle looked after us beautifully, taking a couple of off-piste requests in her stride. We were sad to discover that there was no cheesecake, but the gluten-free carrot cake was excellent, rich with spices and orange zest. The toasted teacake was very good, and one of us chose a GF bacon sandwich which apparently was also very good. Nice view, nice vibe, good food and drinks, reasonable prices, friendly helpful staff. Can't ask for much more than that.

We have been going to bay view for a few years, we have taken family, friends and have always enjoyed the experience until recently. Most of the time we go into the dog section, but for several times we have waited for a ridiculous length of time before going in and asking for service! The young members of the team stand around looking into space and in no urgency. As the weather hasn't been brilliant, amazed they have taken down the all weather covers to the sides in the dog section, so you actually sit and freeze if you can brave it. Why oh why is one person not allocated to just taking orders in this section? East fix. Sadly it has put us off as there is lots of choices instead, but not what we want as we love the food! Sort it out please, us dog lovers shouldn't be penalised.

I’ve been twice this month to try the two new mains the Buddha is amazing so many different flavours but mixing together beautifully. The trio of battered fish in the basket bayviews excellent light batter and served in a basket. 10 out of 10 chef super additions for the summer

Excellent restaurant staff and food great. Will call again very soon. Lovely smiling staff, lovely to see and we appreciated the care and attention.

My wife and I visited this restaurant in order to obtain either breakfast or lunch. We arrived at 10 past 11 this morning and managed to park in a disabled bay. When we were shown to a table my wife asked if we could move to another one that would facilitate my crutches. The young lady was very obliging and moved us without any hassle and informed us of the waiter/waitress service. After about 10 minutes we were approached by a waitress asking if we wanted breakfast or lunch. We stated lunch and agreed to wait until lunch menu started before ordering. At 11:30 another waiter took our order and within minutes our coffees arrived. A short time later our meals arrived and they tasted very nice. The only problem that we had was having to attract the waiters attention in order to obtain vinegar. I wouldn’t call this a problem, but maybe, as we have found in other garden centre restaurants, the waiter/waitress could just ask if the customer “would like anything else” before they leave. Regarding the disabled parking, would it allow more bays if lines were drawn straight out with let’s say a metre of criss crosses between the vehicles. Anyway, although we have read the previous feedbacks we can assure you of our return very soon. 5 stars all round. Regards alanwilcox64@gmail.com.

I'd never visited this place until a year ago. Now I've been three times! I can highly recommend the afternoon tea, halloumi & avocado and the sandwiches. Service is always good and the place is spacious. Oh and did I mention the cakes? I really should have. They're ace. Oh and the views on a decent day. A perfect blend.

A fantastic cafe and dog friendly. Staff are so lovely and helpful. I've been coming here with my dog..... And friends regularly for quite a while. The food is great... Whatever we've had. Freshly cooked. Never had a bad meal... Or experience. Thank you to all staff for your hard work.

A week of coffee in the morning culminating in a breakfast with friends just before we returned home. We sat in the conservatory as we had our dog with us and each day received excellent service and friendliness from all the staff we came into contact with. It was also great to relax with our dog and to meet lots of other dog owners enjoying the experience. Thank you. We will be back.

My grandma had come in for a lunch with her friend. She has been very ill recently in and out of hospital therefore she is not feeling up to eating a lot. When in the cafe she asked if she could get a meal off the kids menu where they said they will go ask a manger after when she came back she said she can't my grandma explained her situation of how ill she has been and they offered no other service to her on what she could have. My grandma is not one to want to waste food and why should she have too. So they both her and her friend left and this only results in the business missing a sale and also just a let down customers. I would not recommend this place to anyone anymore

Sadly, yet again we couldn't come into the café as there were no available disabled parking bays. There are only 4 bays, there would be room for more if the parking spaces were designed better. Anyway, all 4 spaces were full, all 4 cars did not display a blue badge. We were disappointed 😞 we couldn't park further as away due to my disability I can only walk very short distances. The food here is always lovely and unfortunately we had to go elsewhere due to inconsiderate parking.

We walked into the cafe at 3pm to see with great pleasure there were many, many free tables. We counted capacity for at least 30 people, just within our sight. We stood and looked at the cakes, as we only stopped by for a cake and a coffee. We were then told by the woman on the desk by the entrance they weren't doing anymore cakes as there were too many people waiting for seats. Total disbelief, as there was so much visible space. Shame, as local customers we won't be coming back. Having just returned from a really busy Inn in the lakes where everyone was catered for, service was excellent and accommodating and no one turned away, even when there wasn't space, we concluded that although the cafe looks a nice place, it appears to be ran with incompetence. Luckily, there's plenty of other local places to choose from.

2nd time I have been and the second time I have had negativity and bad service from Janette. We asked to sit in the window and she pulled a right face at us when she was going to put us somewhere else. Our table wasn't wiped and when we asked the waitress who was wiping tables she said yes then proceeded to wipe other tables and didn't come back to us. The young waitress who looked after us was very sweet and friendly. I had to go and ask for our cakes we ordered as we had ordered coffee and cake and it was nearly 10 minutes.after we had had the coffees. The view was nice and the coffee and cake were tasty.

Just had afternoon tea for mothers day. My daughter booked and paid in advance. The afternoon tea was just perfect, sandwiches, sausage roll, scones and cake. Even though it was really busy with people waiting for tables the service was second to none. Service with a smile. Thankyou for such a lovely afternoon.

We arrived at lunchtime and as we had our dog we sat in the “dog friendly” part of the restaurant, which is a side room full of patio tables and with an open area at one side of the room which is open to the elements. We found it a bit chilly as only one heater was working. Never mind, we ordered a tea and a latte to warm us up. We also ordered the cheese and onion pie and the quiche. Then we waited and waited and waited. It got to over 1/2 an hour since the waiter took our order and still nothing, not even the drinks. I went to see the waiting staff about the long delay and there were two or three staff just stood there. I asked politely if our food was going to be much longer. They all looked at their high-tech ordering system phones or iPads and after much deliberation the waiter told us there was a system error and our order was not registered, no apology. I said to forget it as we weren’t prepared to wait any longer, still no response, just blank faces. So unfortunately we left starving and went to the chippy in Bolton-le-sands instead. So, overall not the best experience, the dog friendly part of the restaurant seemed overlooked and dull, just patio tables with a salt and pepper pot, no vases of flowers or decorations. It just seemed like the owners were ticking a box. It’s a shame as the other diners food looked good, but we were just left with cold fresh air Disappointing

Love this place the food is fab always, the staff are more than helpful, and the view amazing. The gift shop is great for special gifts a pleasure to browse round.

Lovely food, good service but unfortunately not enough butter when ordering toast...only get 1 small portion of butter for each slice of toast...whoch is not enough and have to pay extra......please give at least 2 portions

Nice breakfast at Bayview, got seated at a great table by Janette! (Lovely lady) Nina who served me was very polite and helpful! Will be coming back in the future!

Excellent service in the restaurant very polite staff the food is also excellent. The Christmas shop is lovely with lots of different gift ideas

Great place lots to see and buy and reasonably priced. Resturant was lovely very clean and friendly but slow disorganised service

Came here for tea and a cake as we do reasonably often. My wife ordered a toasted teacake which came with only 2 pieces of butter, both as usual rock hard from the fridge and unable to spread. She asked the server for 2 more pieces and was told they were 30p each if she wanted them. Never been anywhere they do that before!. Talk about mean profiteering...wont be coming again.

We were greeted by a friendly member of staff who showed us a table to sit at, it was by the window so we got to see the lovely view out to sea. Our order was taken quickly and it wasn't long before it arrived, coffee was very good and farmhouse toast and marmalade to eat. The menu seemed very good with plenty of choice. We had a look round the shop at the Christmas display which was very tastefully set out. Everywhere was nice and clean and the members of staff we spoke to were all very friendly. We will most certainly be back.

Brought my family as a breakfast treat and we were not disappointed. Small Gluten free breakfast was delicious and far from small. Large breakfast was also enjoyed. Breakfast pancakes were a treat for the eye and a joy to eat. Everything cooked beautifully and served piping hot. Staff attentive and helpful. Will definitely return and recommend to friends.

Wow...what an amazing Gluten Free Breakfast! I've had a few over the years at various restaurants and this is so far been the best. Good quality, served lovely and hot, good portion size and a reasonable wait for a freshly cooked breakfast. Thank you to the Chef who I believe was Douglas. Will certainly be back when visiting the area.

We have been a few times to this really nice garden centre. It is very friendly and always busy. Good to see vegan options on the menu. Hoping a few more vegan options will be added or something new soon. Only one cake seemed to be vegan, lovely , but a change would be nice. Views amazing whilst you eat. Service quick and staff friendly and hard working. One thing that I did not like hence 4 stars was the odd way my chips arrived today. In the past I've had the lovely chickpea burger that came with chips, today I just had just chips and my cake. They arrived in a plant pot, fine when the pot sits on a plate, but today I added lots of vinegar to the chips not realising it really was a plant pot, not sealed pot. I only spotted the problem when my sleeve was soaking up the vinegar pouring onto the table. Sorry to be picky as everything else a delight but can you warn us there is a hole in the container for those like me that cover their chips in vinegar!! Look forward to some new dishes and cakes perhaps vegan friendly?

We’d heard good things about Bay View, Our visit was long overdue. The food was splendid, And should be commended, Next time we’ll bring the family too.

Easy to park, lovely shop, restaurant very busy, they only allow booking for large groups. Today, their IT failed, paper and pencil ordering! When it came to paying, card machine working but no facility to split the bill and take individual payments by card. This was difficult as one person didn't have enough cash to pay for everyone. She couldn't pay just her own by card. The waitress couldn't sort it out! Food was lovely, fish and chips were superb. Took a long time to get the bill. They were struggling to cope today.

Excellent food presentation very appealing as always. service second to non and a lovely Christmas shop to wander round beautiful display of Christmas trees and decorations

My friend’s & I regularly meet up for lunches it’s the perfect place for us, fantastic food, friendly staff, very accommodating. We enjoying our get together a in a great environment, with no pressure to move on when we have those extra cuppas. Thank-you for looking after us 😊

We visited on a drizzly dull day with our dog, and as expected, we had to sit in the outdoor dining area. There are only 3 sides to this area, so the outer tables and chairs were wet. We waited for a dry table to come free, and we sat down. Then we waited and waited at a table that wasn't cleared from the previous diners. Eventually, we managed to ask a staff member to clear the table for us. Then we waited again for around 15 mins before anyone came to take a drink and food order. It was as if we were the forgotten customers because we were sat outside. We could see people inside who had arrived after us being served before we were. The food wasn't all that good when it finally arrived and our 7 year old granddaughter had to wait a good 5 mins longer than us for her meal to arrive. We won't visit again for a while hopefully it will improve.

I visited here with my friend on a Thursday afternoon for coffee and cake. The restaurant was not busy and the tables at the back of the restaurant were all empty. We went to sit at one, but was ordered to sit elsewhere as apparently...

Sea views - good menu plenty of choices the food was very nicely prepared and well presented, The ham and eggs where delicious, it was busy but service was fast, staff very efficient friendly and professional - dogs are welcome in a covered area outside-...

This is the 3rd time I've visited. After today, its likely to be the last. We waited to be seated longer than I would have expected in light of how quiet the place was. So much so that other people started to Q behind us,...

Overpriced for less than average food, four plates of light lunch salads all pretty poor, tasteless, overcooked plus one coffee and a milkshake .just under £60. Have had nice meals here previously but won’t be going anymore.

Once again a lovely meal at Bay View,Garden Centre restaurant. The food is obviously made fresh . I had quiche - one of my favourites. As well as lovely tasty filling, the pastry is lovely and crisp. The staff as always were attentive, friendly and...

We arrived for some lunch, poor communication to get seated she really couldn’t be bothered 20 minutes wait no one had come to take our order despite people arriving after us and getting their orders taken and drinks arriving at their tables We gave up...

My wife and her friend went shopping in the garden centre then decided to go into the restaurant. Apparently they went in the wrong entrance bad mistake staff ignored them when they tried to get their attention and there were plenty of empty tables which...

We arrived at a good time and saw a window view table which we asked to sit at. The lady at the entrance said we couldn’t sit there yet as it wasn’t ready . We said we didn’t mind but she said ‘ oh no...

We love walking here with our dog, especially now the top coffee bar has reopened. Big shock is that they now charge an extra 40p for alternative milks. 😳 I’ll take my own in future

Stunning setting, not been for quite a while. Had a light lunch in the cafe, which was very tasty. The cakes looked amazing but didn't indulge. Lovely garden centre, with lots of gifts. Will be returning

We love Bay View café, and are regular customers, but were shocked to learn on our last visit that we are now being charged an extra 40p for oat milk (or any alternative milk). As all my family are dairy intolerant this adds a considerable...

Another great visit to bayview. The breakfast great value and so tasty, staff always friendly and helpful..the shop is great for those different gifts and the garden centre getting all set for the season.

nice coffee and custard slice friendly service and nice view, garden part will be better in the summer.

We have recently moved into the area and have discovered Bay View Garden Centre/restaurant where we are now regular visitors. We have found the service in the restaurant to be excellent and the food tastes great. The staff can't do enough for you and from...

The service was non existent. Relies on customers alerting staff when they want to order but the staff are all preoccupied with tablets or talking to each other. Took nearly 3 hours for lunch! No help with menu. Felt like we were in the way....

Once again a lovely visit. The food is so good and clearly freshly made. The staff are lovely so friendly and will do as much as they can for you. Would highly recommend, and a wander round the plant and shop area as well.

I live in the village so have seen the improvements made in recent years. Lovely simple well presented food. Good coffee and a nice shop and garden centre to mooch round. But it’s the view of the lakes mountains across the bay and the staff...

Excellent restaurant can’t fault it, early breakfast offer is amazing,the staff are all very pleasant and willing to help first class

Went for dinner today. What’s happened?! Your using cheaper ingredients and it shows! Been coming for years. Today was our last visit! You need to look at reviews and take action!

Went for breakfast this morning and they wouldn't swap an item out because I didn't like it.The service was really bad and the manager tried justify not swapping 1 item. We waited for 20 mins until we got service initially too want be coming again.

Although the garden center and restaurant are dog friendly. For the restaurant this means the out door patio area. You see the host t be seated, and then are sent back through the garden center to enter the outdoor patio area, can not even walk...

Restaurant....poor organisation of service and communication to get seated and served ...a lot of staff and no interest or organisation to serve customers...one older member of staff needs to go to the charm school... was given menu and over heard next tabke that food was...

Restaurant speaks for itself! Question……. Why is a restaurant so busy, whilst not selling the cheapest of food and being tucked away and off the beaten track so that even some of the locals are unaware of its existence? Answer. ……..This garden centre restaurant is...

Excellent place to visit very busy restaurant but didn’t seem to wait very long, very friendly and helpful and the food is always second to non.

Went in the cafe for two lattes and two bacon buns. The cost was an obscene £18. Someone is making a lot of money here.

We came in and ordered at 37 minutes past the hour. The drinks came in ok speed however it was a different story for the teacakes. We had finished our drinks and checked with a member of staff about our teacakes to see if they...

Waitress was absolutely great but the front of house lady needs some polish to say the least! No apology given after overzealously sprayed disinfectant on an adjacent table causing my wife to cough repeatedly due to the inhaled spray. Access over narrow bridge causes traffic...

You are all amazing Thank you so much for your patience with my mum today... you could not have done more. Definitely disabled friendly You are all stars

Wonderful food at this cafe and the staff are friendly. The problem we had was that our table wasn't cleaned and as we watched staff cleaning other tables, they used the same cloth to clean the table where food was about to be served as...

Called in as having driven past many times decided to call in, small garden centre grabbed a bargain, cafe only open on weekends so had to use the main restaurant clean and pleasant surroundings,just had coffee and cake staff seemed disappointed that we were not...

The food and service here was really good and the food very tasty. I don’t think it’s ideal for people with mobility issues. Only 4 disabled parking bays (which is they changed direction could double). You are forced to walk around the shop to get...

We visited today ( 18 August ) , arrived at 11.20 , showed to the table and given menus , waitress arrived after 15 mins ( 11.35 ) , first words she said it’s to late for the breakfast menu ( slightly disappointing has we...

The food here doesn't make up for the service ...and the food is well presented and tasty. They have a co-vid seating arrangement which they obviously like. You await a table...which we got quickly. The waitress/manager showed us to the area we requested albeit with...

The food is very good although the portion size of the fish and steak was small. The staff are polite and friendly. However, when I asked for the Wi-Fi password the staff said that they are not allowed to give us the password. When spending...

Bay view garden centre now have a garden area serving snacks and drinks as well as their main restaurant restaurant. Coffees and cakes deal for £5.00 is good value.

First time visiting and what a beautiful and stunning place - extremely helpful staff and Mark was lovely to meet. Definitely planning to come back to try the refreshments 😊

This must be the best garden centre in the country. The food was to die for and the staff were very helpful and friendly. I wish I lived closer because if I did I would be going there daily for lunch

We visited mainly to use a restaurant gift card bought for us. There is a fair choice of food available from sandwiches to burgers. The small fish and chips we chose were well cooked with some of the longest chips I've seen and mushy peas...

Food always good. Staff very pleasant. We keep going back so that says it all. Very lucky to have this restaurant and garden centre in Morecambe.

Bay View Garden centre in Bolton le Sands has a great restaurant serving lovely lunches. We had cream teas that were delicious. Generous helpings of clotted cream included. Nice dining area and attentive staff. Worth visiting.

Visited for the first time. Was pleased to see there was the option of dining in an outdoors covered area with Bay view. Excellent customer service and great food. Will definitely return if nearby.

Had breakfast here with 2 friends yesterday, I had the full English, they had eggs benedict everything was absolutely delicious. Friendly attentive staff, chilled out and relaxed spacious restaurant and excellent value for money.

Even though it was busy we did not have to wait long to be seated , order taken and good and drink served. Plenty of staff on to take cake of us. Wide selection of food on the mine . Overall really enjoyed our meal...

Visited with my mum for our mother's day treat having visited well before the expansion and enjoying the food on our previous visit. We went on the Saturday to enjoy a leisurely lunch. Certainly needs to be leisurely and not somewhere you could visit in...

The place was heaving but we were shown to a table promptly. We were served quickly and the lunch was great and at a very affordable price.

Excellent service served by the lovely Sarah who sat our group of 4 adults at a super table that gave us a lovely view over the bay The menu was varied and we all made good choices. The food was excellent and Sarah visited our...

1. We went this afternoon to go for a drink in the restaurant. We were aware that places close early on a Sunday . The were signs saying last orders 4pm. As it was 3.50 and we only wanted a drink we did not see...

Not visited since the re-opening of the bigger restaurant. Luckily, after reading other reviews we were seated quickly and received quick service . We had a panini and the Morecambe Bay shrimps with a side of fries which came in a plant pot ! And...

Great Christmas shop but disappointed by the service and the food. Mini breakfast was cold as was the pot of tea. Poached egg was hard asked for new soft egg but when it came it was barely cooked🙁

We came to the Bayview Garden Centre as had booked a table at the restaurant following recommendations from friends. We certainly were not disappointed. All staff were friendly and polite. It was lovely to see all staff within the restaurant wearing face masks. We ordered...

We eat here regularly. Staff are very friendly and helpful. Remember to book if you have a dog as the dog friendly area gets busy and they allow people to dine there who don’t have dogs, which is annoying during busy times. I always enjoy...

I hadn't been to Bay View for a couple of years and was amazed at the improvements, both in the car parking facility (no more dusty chippings) as well as in the high standard of the building refurb and restaurant food. The menu was excellent,...

Very impressed with extension and vast improvement had a lovely lite bite lunch could not fault any one service food and customer service Lovely many thanks will be back thanks

Great food, service ok. Seemed to forget about us after our meal. Biggest issue was that the restaurant was like a fridge. No one is gonna eat here in the winter unless they get heating sorted.

Food served on paper plates. Coffee served in paper cups. Same price as in restaurant . No bins to put your waste on table. It was windy and everything had to be held down or would blow away. Please use normal plates.

Went for breakfast , staff friendly but service was slow & it wasn’t busy. Asked for some sauce & never got it! Fried eggs were a bit greasy too, that aside breakfast was nice & not bad value for money.

Two friends and I went to Bay View Restaurant for lunch the other day. The service was poor and extremely slow, the main body of waiting staff appearing to be young and inexperienced. This was not the main problem though. On asking what the quiche...

After almost 18 months of hibernation it was nice to visit the redeveloped Bay View Garden Centre and Restaurant. The brand new restaurant is light, airy, roomy and adds a glass wall facing Morecambe Bay with just sand dunes between you and the sea. Additionally...

We went out for brunch to the restaurant. Really good choice of food. Service was really fast will definitely be going back. I would advise booking for the restaurant as the were turning people away but they also have a cafe on site.

Visited for lunch, booked table at 1pm. 5 of us in total all adults, seated in back row on oval table. Waited 15 mins before my sister had to call someone to our table to place drinks and meal order. Food arrived which we enjoyed....

View, Food, Staff. prices. The best in the region. All wonderful. We make a regular visit and always see something for the garden.

Such a lovely sunny visit after third lockdown but we were disappointed........the scones were definitely not fresh and Dad and I struggled to eat them......what a shame!!

Nice walk along shore from Bare - approx 3.5 miles. Lovely breakfast - scrambled eggs and smoked salmon. Friendly service from all the staff but special mention for Sarah on her first day! Walked it off via a canal walk so feel as though we earned it. We sat inside but outdoor seating area looked fantastic. First visit but will not be the last.

Lovely friendly service but very disappointing food. We order two panninis. There was no sign of a panninis just 2 small toasted bread buns with very little filling in them. Poor value for money.

We visited Bayview Garden Centre a couple of days ago and on our way out decided to get something for lunch. The cafe has been brilliantly organised to allow them to remain open during the pandemic. Plastic screens and floor arrows keep everyone apart and they have created a waiting area with plastic screens to form individual booths. The staff are very friendly and helpful and it was a pleasant area to wait in whilst my order was prepared. I have to say that my partner agreed with me that these Crispy Bacon Barms were the best we have EVER had, lots of good quality back bacon in a soft barmcake. Along with our coffee, this was a very enjoyable lunch and we will definitely be back again soon. Thanks Bayview - oh and your garden centre is great too!

The best afternoon tea I have had, the sandwiches were fresh and four excellent varieties.The scones well all I can say is wow.The trifle yummy and the cakes just delicious. All enjoyed with a very pleasant glass of Prosecco.Thank you to my daughter and son in law and a big thank you to the Bayview team working wonders in lockdown.