The TOPIARY Coffee Shop in Leeds

We used to love this cafe together with a great, well stocked garden centre. Fabulous cakes, buns and meals and we've never had a problem. However, our visit during the first week in Jan 24 was an eye opener. I gave my cup back because it was dirty so was given a clean one. Both teapots were stained outside even though we only got hot water to put our specialty tea bags in. When we used some of the milk we found the inside of the jug was covered in black mould spots. The person I spoke to and showed the jug to just shrugged her shoulders and said everything goes through the dishwasher. Funnily enough my review on Google has been taken down as have the pictures of the filthy crockery.

Disappointed with the Christmas dinner. Brussels sprouts were frozen ( cooked properly, but not fresh! ) only had 3. Potatoes boiled not roast very bland. Plastic mass produced turkey. No bread sauce no cauliflower cheese. Small pot of gravy not enough meal was cold. Started disappointing prawn cocktail small amount . Chocolate Yule log mass produced very dry. Avoid and go to Toby Carvery. Cost £93 what a waste of money. Never again !!!

So slow! Queueing for about 20 mins to get a sandwich and coffee. There are 2 tills but anytime I go there is only 1 open. Setting nice for a gossip with friends. Food ok but expensive.

Called in today for breakfast friends. I had the large breakfast. It arrived.....cold! I had to pay £1:00 extra for the scrambled eggs!!!! They were terrible......obviously microwaved, and just lumps of rubber. My wife had some toast and butter....had to pay extra for a small pot of marmalade. I had a coffee, my wife had tea. For the privilege of a cold breakfast, rubber scrambled eggs, a 2 slices of toast.....I paid £18:00!!!! It was a joke. I wouldn't recommend eating there......high prices and terrible food. Never again.🤬

Feeling ripped off, have always usually just had a mid morning coffee here, but this visit decided to have lunch with a friend. After giving my order for food which was past straight into the kitchen I then joined a very long slow queue for hot drinks. By the time our food arrived the drinks were cold, not only that so was my soup. My friends sandwich could have been used to knock nails into a wall! The food had obviously been hanging about in the kitchen awaiting to be served, things went back came out with fresh bread and no apology. This believe it or not came to £19 plus pence for 1 cheese sandwich, 1 bowl of soup,2 coffees, and a glass of water. Totally disgusted when paying that amount I would expect better service and food. Will not be eating there again

Four of us visited for lunch on Tuesday 8th March. We were all pleased with the food we had chosen, the ambience, the service and especially with the staff. We could not fault the ladies who served us, they were all friendly and helpful. I had reserved a table the previous day and that seemed to make it easier for us. Several customers were confused over the fact that you had to know your table number before you ordered at the the counter and, after paying, the food was brought to your table. I'm not sure whether the information signs were not clear enough or I suspect people were just not reading them. The only small grumble was that my friend's soup wasn't very hot but I think that If mentioned at the time it would have easily been re heated. Our experience was very enjoyable and we shall definitely visit again.

The food was disappointing - no let me qualify that - the food was EXTREMELY disappointing. I ordered a vegetarian sausage roll for which I was charged £5.75. The menu said it was served with a small salad. The 'sausage roll' was little more than some tasteless, orange coloured sludge in a pastry case and was served with one lettuce leaf, half a cherry tomato and a few shavings of carrot. So I basically paid nearly £6 for a unappetizing sausage roll!! I was hoping to have a sandwich but on seeing the menu all the fillings were just boring, everyday fare that anyone can make at home. And on top of that, one of them was over £9. I don't pay that kind of price unless I am in Betty's where the quality of the food is exemplary. My Americano coffee was supposed to be regular size. However, there was nothing 'regular' about it. It was served in what I would class as an espresso cup. Perhaps the Manager needs to visit an M&S cafe to see exactly what 'regular' means. All in all not a good experience and one venue I won't be visiting again.

Arrived with my son for a pre booked 9a.m breakfast slot with our 2 friends. Chose the breakfast platter for my son and I and asked for well cooked bacon which the waitress noted. The bacon and sausage arrived first. These were barely cooked and certainly not what I’d asked for. After another wait the rest arrived. The fried eggs were overcooked and hard as were the hash browns and black pudding. However the worst were the mushrooms.....or should I say 2 quarters of 1 mushroom and the tiniest pot of beans to share with cold,hard toast. Unbelievable......and still no plates to serve this on,despite asking! And this is advertised as a platter for 2 at £17.95 so not cheap! Never again! After yet another wait, the plates arrived so I sent both the bacon and sausage back to be cooked properly. By then the rest of the food was cold and unappealing and we just wanted to leave. It also states unlimited refills of tea/ coffee with this platter but as you had to wait.....and wait again to be served it’s hardly worth it in the end. All this waiting for service is not good. More organisation among staff needs addressing since you can’t go to the counter yourself. I understand they can get busy with others but this was not the case. It was first thing with only 2 other tables occupied so hardly rammed!! Only one waitress tried to help with a free coffee/ cake at the end so thank you for recognising our upset, but by then our experience for ourselves,and our guests had been spoilt! Plus Grow Reward Cards and drinks each month have been withdrawn.....can’t see why when the centre shop still accepts them and other eating places can continue to operate their reward cards. Sorry but the whole stay was absolutely shambolic with both the food and standards nowhere near as good as they used to be and certainly not value for money since lockdown ......very expensive for what you actually get! Such a shame for the counter staff who are friendly and try hard to please....but I’ll be going elsewhere for now!

Today we went for a birthday treat and it was lovely ... the cakes there are plentiful with loads of choice. We ordered a chip butty which was nice but expensive . A small basket of chips fior £2.85 and two slices of bread and butter was £1.99.... however it was tasty ..... the staff here are all really lovely and care for all needs ....

On arrival at the Topiary coffee shop we collected a Reserved sign and searched for a table. The only ones available were dirty tables which hadn’t been cleared. We left the Reserved on a vacant, but dirty, table and went to make our selection from the counter. My husband joined the queue to place our order and I returned to our table. There was a tray full of pots, a pile of plates and dishes and four glasses and an empty bottle. After five minutes or so a waitress came to speak to the customers on the next table and I asked her if she could get someone to clear the table for me. She disappeared and didn’t return. Several minutes later I asked another passing waitress if she could clear the table. She took the tray away but didn’t return for anything else. Another five minutes passed before anyone else was in the vicinity and for the third time I asked if the table could be cleared; this time the pile of plates and dishes was removed, but no one came back for the glasses and bottle. It took about 15 minutes for my husband to get served with our order, when he returned to the table I had to finish clearing the table myself; placing the dirty glasses and bottle on another uncleared table. A gentleman nearby, waiting for his wife in the queue, was also sitting at an uncleared table. A waitress asked him if she could take the Reserved sign from the table. He said yes but asked her to take the tray of cups etc. away. She took the reserved sign and said she'd return. She disappeared and didn't come back to clear the table, so they had to eat at a dirty table. I appreciate there are busy times in restaurants, but surely that’s no excuse for tables not being cleared when customers are looking for somewhere to sit and eat their food. Perhaps more staff might help. The service today was very disappointing.

I’ve eaten here quite a few times over the last few weeks , I’ve found the place to be very inconsistent with the quality of food . Last week the ham sandwich that I ordered was lovely, really nice ham , nice fresh bread and a nice salad and coleslaw . However this week the same order was terrible, hardly any ham in the bread and the bit that was on was really fatty not really edible. The bread stale and the salad may as well just been an onion . I’ve found the standards to be like this on every visit , and when your paying nearly £8 for a sandwich it should be right ! The cakes are the same , one day nice next there very dry I don’t think it helps them been in a cooler makes the sponge go hard. It’s a shame as the place is really nice and certainly does well with the older generation. They just need to keep the standard of food up , I wonder if it’s different chefs on different days ?? Maybe they need to look at that . I think I’ve given it enough tries now and won’t be going back anytime soon . As for recommending, on a good day yes great not so much on a bad day so prob not worth the risk for the price you pay .

took my friend out for brunch and despite looking forward to spending time together we were both disgusted with the meal we were served. No one even came to check if everything was ok, the plates were dumped in front of us and she left. We ordered a bruschetta and a garlic chicken and bacon baguette but what we were served didn’t even resemble the description on the menu and was quite frankly something any kitchen staff should be ashamed of serving. the bruschetta looked nothing like what was described. It should have had salsa and pesto oil drizzled over. Instead it was half a dry toasted baguette with some pesto purée squeezed over it. I’m sure you’ll agree not at all appetising and definitively not worth the money paid for it! My garlic chicken baguette should have had crispy bacon ribbons but instead had a soggy fatty bacon rasher and in place of grated Parmesan was standard cheddar not even melted as the baguette was half cold to the point the garlic butter I’m guessing used to make the chicken actually taste of garlic wasn’t even melted and was just thick and horrible on the bread. I’ve never been more disappointed in a meal anywhere! I emailed the garden centre with a complaint and the pictures 5 days ago and have had no response. Disgusted and will not be going there again!!

Took absolutely ages to get served- surely they expect lunchtimes to be busier and staff accordingly? I had a pork pie platter - no jelly, meat poor and pasty so hard I couldn’t get my knife through it. We both had cake - one lemon and one rose-pistachio. Both very dry with little flavour - certainly no lemony tang from the lemon cake. I left part of the rose/pistachio as too dry to get down and the edge and top of each of the cake layers under the icing was far too well done. Overpriced and a huge disappointing.

My second visit here , and same as the first the food was lovely ! We git the chickens and bacon baguette and the pulled pork baguette with posh chips , all was beautiful. Even the salad and parsnip crisps that garnish the plate are of great quality . We also got a ham and coconut slice and a jam slice again both was beautiful! Was a shame to see the cake fridge out of order , so not too many beautiful cakes to choose from , let's hope it's up and running soon . Going to go try an afternoon tea next and maybe a Sunday dinner as they looked very good too. The place is kept lovely and clean , plenty of staff clearing tables , lovely setting ! Would deffo recommend calling in for a bite to eat or even just a coffee and cake !

We visited the restaurant for a 'luxury afternoon tea' yesterday. There was plenty of food served on a three tier stand but there were too many sweet food products. The presentation was more 'rustic' than I would have liked. Sandwiches were lacking in variety- if you don't like smoked salmon or cream cheese you'll be disappointed. The venue is pleasant and the staff were very efficient and welcoming.