The Topiary Restaurant in Cheshire East

We went to this restaurant last August for lunch and the food was amazing with hardly any waiting time. However, we decided to try for lunch again this weekend and the difference was upsetting. I stood in the queue behind five or six people and there was a chalkboard with "30 minutes wait for food" written on it. Okay so 30 mins, not too long to wait, but as I moved down the queue it got updated to 40 minutes then 60 minutes. No way is it acceptable to wait 60 minutes for food! The tea would have been cold after 15 minutes. Would they have replaced with a fresh pot. I don't think so. This is such a joke to expect people to wait for an hour for a meal. Come on STRIKES. Get more staff, you must be able to afford it. Shall not be back until they improve the waiting times.

My children have allergies and the chef got the orders mixed up. I followed the waiter to the kitchen in case I needed to explain that one child was allergic to the sausages and one was allergic to the egg and they were on one plate. However, I saw them look at the order slip and the chef then put the contaminated sausages onto another plate and put chips on both plates. The waiter the brought them out saying "all sorted"!! This is so unsafe! Both the egg and sausages were contaminated. The lady who took my order came over and I explained the issue. She went to speak with the chef who glared at me!! Wow, unbelievable! I'm bot convinced we got a fresh meal the third time as my 3 year old has complained of tummy ache since. Definitely not going to eat there again, only gave 1 star as no option for 0! Very unsafe practice there.

Undercooked scones and worst millionaire shortbread ever tasted. Cappuccino also weak and served with chocolate sprinkles when we requested without any. Pity, used to be really nice a year or two ago.

Had visited this restaurant which was located in a garden centre in Poynton found all staff members very helpful especially seb who made my mocha to Perfection I also had the sourdough stack with pouch egg and avocado which was very nice told Seb how I would like it was prefect 👍🙂 the carrot cake was made to perfection soft and Moist would like to thank the chef I did not get the name of the chef but would like to thank her for the things she does 🙂👍

Have been going to Brookside G.C. for years, never had reasons to complain until yesterday. a lovely very warm sunny day, we decided to sit outside to enjoy the warm weather and our scones and tea. We asked if they had a sun canopy over the table, When I eventually found a member of staff to request a canopy, was told they did not have them, Determined to stay out door, as many tables inside had not been cleared of previous visitors. Worse was to come, the scone (usually delicious) was the worst we have ever tasted,, it was heavy, about a quarter inch thick and TASTELESS. Have always maintained if establishments like this chose to open on public holidays to have full staff and a good standard of food. etc. Far too many outlets and similar are putting profit before standards, Forgot to mention 25 minutes to be served

We visited on 24/8 for some lunch with our 3year old grandson. On arrival we were shown to a table and followed the instructions to order our food. We did this, and ordered and paid. About 25 mins later we were approached by a waitress who said their system had crashed and needed to order manually. (They had somehow managed to process our payment though). When the food did arrive both mine and my husbands meals were good, but the 5.95 childrens meal was very poor value. A very small cheese wrap with about 7 chunky chips and salad. A drink carton was extra. Looking around at other childrens plates the salad was left on all the plates. We asked a passing waitress for some tomato sauce but it did not appear, by the time it did arrive, after we had asked again, his chips were very cold. Whilst i appreciate times are very difficult for venues at the moment, surely value for money will ensure customers are more likely to return.

Visited on 01.08.21 The Gov have ended all covid restrictions, sadly in this restaurant it doesn't apply. You're shown to your seat, which in our case was directly under the cooling system, it was freezing, we had to keep our coats on. Most of the tables are sealed off, so not much choice. The staff were nice enough and the service was quick but the food and coffees we had went cold very quickly due to the cold environment 😑. We hope things do get back to 'normal service soon at these restaurants. We may return then.

I visited today and came away happy. The choice was limited but what they had they did it well . I can’t tell you how friendly the stay were and the covid safety was well organised.

The restaurant is a pleasant place to eat, but their service, system of ordering, payment and food leave a lot to be desired. We arrived at 11.50 and there were very few customers there and very few staff. We looked for a menu to see what was on offer and were told to go and read a piece of paper which was written in very small print. We were shown to a table...good to be asked where we wanted to sit. We were then asked if we had a smart phone to which I said yes and I was asked to scan in a code and then the link would take me to the menu. Nothing happened, so we had to remember what was on the menu we had read earlier on. We were then asked to pay by card even before we had received our food. We only had two sandwiches and cups of tea. We were not offered the menu to choose our pudding, neither did the waitress ask if the food was satisfactory. We ordered a prawn open sandwich, which was like an ordinary sandwich with the top bit put underneath. The bread was from a factory produced sliced loaf. I don't think considering the price, over £8 , that was value for money even though there was a little salad with it.

This review is based entirely on the restaurant in the garden centre, the train, train staff and actual garden centre are fantastic from my experiences! After visiting this weekend I really felt a need to voice our poor experience with our roast dinner. We visited this weekend on Sunday with my husband and our two children for lunch and it was quite busy but we expected it to be with it being 12pm Sunday, we waited for a table, it took quite a while, I asked if we could go by the window as there was a lot of what seemed like empty tables but they were either apparently for bigger parties or bookings that were due to come in. We finally seated and ordered off my phone using the QR code which was fine. Me and my husband opted for the Roast Dinner Sharing platter, sounded like a real treat having somebody else cook a roast and it sounded great, listed all the trimmings and bottomless gravy on the description. What came was just awful, the majority of it was actual inedible, especially the beef. It was so chewy my husband had to actually spit it out into a napkin. He is a chef and apparently it hadn’t been cut against the grain which is why it was so chewy along with being super over cooked. The presentation was awful, the photograph on the posters all near the toilets of their lovely roast dinner is so mis leading and false advertising, it looked nothing like that! It was only luke warm when it arrived and then we waited for ages for the waiting on staff the bring us plates (I had to ask 3 members of staff for 2 plates) by the time they arrived it was all actually cold. The Yorkshire puddings were a joke, just like a small hard burnt biscuit (actually states on menu our giant “Yorkshire puddings”) but these were not and they had no “fluffyness” no shape and certainly no flavour. I said to the waitress can we have some new Yorkshire puddings because these really aren’t good and she agreed and brought out 3 more but to be honest they were exactly the same, so disappointing. The seasonal veg was a bit of broccoli, carrot sticks and parsnips and this was all fine probably the best bit of the roast but hardly very exciting. The menu also stated we’d have stuffing served with our roast and when I asked where the stuffing was they said they had run out (it was 12:30?!) but they said that they can give us some more potatoes?! Oh and the the bottomless gravy that was so appealing to me (I like it swimming in it) was a meer drizzle over some dry meat. I know this sounds very negative and I hate to slate so much but you know when you’re really looking forward to something and spend £40 on a family Sunday lunch and it just massively disappoints, I just don’t want anyone else to do the same as they really need to up the roast dinner game. Myself and my husband are both in the hospitality industry so we know what it’s like when it’s a busy service but the front of house staff seemed so distressed and flustered (the lady actually apologised and said it’s all the young boys today) and I assume it’s the same in the kitchen as it reflected in the roast! I won’t say all food as the quiche and deli things looked good- think we chose our order very badly! Just as we were coming to an end of our meal half an hour after ordering our drinks arrive, a Diet Coke, a bottle of water and a bottle of rubicon, I know it was busy but come on that’s ridiculous for a few cold drinks out the fridge. We will defo be back for the train ride and we got a few bits from the garden centre but would swerve the cafe next time, for a roast anyway! X

Completely understand how we receive service has changed in this current climate but...you are asked to follow instructions on table to order through your phone which us fine. But no wifi password is offered with the info given so we struggled for a signal, we finally managed to pay after 10mins. We ordered drinks, mains and puddings. My hubby's cake came out with the hot drinks right at the start. We waited ages for the main meals which tasted ok but we have had better. Hubby had a platter which was worth the £10 but my fish and frozen chips wasn't. They are reusing the little jam pots that you get with scones for the relishes. Great idea but they haven't soaked the labels off completely , so how can you be confident they are washing the pots properly? I had to ask for my pudding which was sticky toffee pudding with squirty cream. It took a while to arrive but the only warm item was the sauce, the pudding was cold. Also very hard to get the staffs attention we had to ask twice for sugar. Please note if you want an americano coffee beware they are tiny cups and look like expresso cups. Staff were very busy and looked overworked. One lady looked like she was really pissed off, I'm guessing she was made to come into work. I wanted to finish on a positive note but the only thing I can think of was we were seated straight away.

Did not feel relaxed waited ages for coffee and food the food was almost cold we had different meals one fish one meat both almost cold

unfortunately, NOT vegan friendly, so my daughter could only watch us eat. Need to up the game, more plant based diets coming into play

Just got in before breakfast service finished and we weren't disappointed. My friend went for the full English and I opted for the vegetarian breakfast. Absolutely first class.. Well cooked and presented with delicious toast. Great value with a hot drink included. Whilst eating I was looking at the vegetarian menu options and was very impressed with the choice. Will definitely be back to try some. The staff were very friendly and helpful. Highly recommended.

Went to the garden centre to get some plants and decided to stop for Sunday lunch. Husband went with the 2course option and I went with the 1course. We both ordered the Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, which was lovely and thoroughly enjoyed, the problem came when my husband tried to get his pudding, he had to ask four times, other people were getting their puddings but not my husband, eventually he went and stood by the till and then the manageress got involved, each waitress said but I told them you were waiting but nobody bothered to followed it up. He eventually got his pudding to go and a refund but it spoilt a lovely Sunday lunch

Spacious restaurant with plenty seating, including high chairs. A varied menu on offer from simple snacks to more substantial hot food. Staff are very welcoming, unfortunately the hot drinks service is quite slow, but worth the wait. The coffee is good.

Visited here for Brunch with the family. For a garden center, the Menu is fairly good and the meal was presented well. The restaurant has plenty of seating and you are able to reserve tables before getting your meal. Service was fairly slow even for something so simple as sandwiches and coffee so be prepared for a wait.

The food is fairly good, staff polite and pleasant, in a autumnal setting. Great for a Sunday afternoon in a reasonably priced environment

The food on display is uncovered leaving it open to people coughing and sneezing over it and puts us off ordering any food from the kitchen , we have seen flies in here in the past. Today I asked for a flat white and got a strong Americano and was charged for a large latte because the till didn't have a "button " for flat white. The restaurant is very disappointing.

The restaurant is still nice and we may go back for a cake at some point. However, Brookside have introduced a new menu this week and the new veggie breakfast is terrible! I've copied in the comments I sent to head office below if anyone is interested. Basically, it's cheap, nasty and they won't even give you a sausage! Such a shame as we were regular customers and loved going here for breakfast on the weekends.Hello, We would just like to give some feedback that the veggie breakfast on the new menu is terrible. We are regular customers to Brookside and go most weekends for veggie breakfast, we also take friends and family there. However, after today's debut of the new veggie breakfast, we will not go back. To start with, I think you're taking the mick out of vegetarians by not even providing a sausage. This was the best part of the old breakfast and the main reason we liked it so much. The hash browns used to be nice, but they've now been replaced by potato cubes that seem very similar to the big bag of frozen rubbish you can get from Iceland for a pound. No more grilled flat mushrooms, but chopped small mushrooms that had no taste. The pureed spinach was awful, just because we're veggie doesn't mean we enjoy baby food! Obviously we didn't eat large parts of the breakfast, but even if we had I think we would have still left hungry because there was no substance to it at all. Presumably on a meat breakfast there's still sausage and bacon for a similar price. Yet you expect veggies to be filled by frozen potato cubes, 1 tomato, mushrooms, 1 egg, beans and pureed spinach? If you decide in the future to bring back the old breakfast, please let us know and we'll gladly come back and pay the new higher price, but frankly, you couldn't pay us to eat the new stuff; it's horrible!

Took my elderly parents to eat here and I was not alone. It seemed very popular with this age group. Friday special of fish, chips followed by a crumble was good. Well served and presented. My elderly father had a problem and spilt his and there was no fuss as it was replaced. The pot of tea however was luke warm and weak.

We called into this restaurant for a pot of tea and a snack. We wanted to see if the layout of the place was the same as we have in our town. I chose a pork pie platter with salad and an egg custard for my husband. The salad on the platter looked a bit tired but the tea was very refreshing. The assistants on the serving counter looked a bit bored, but we got chatting to a nice blonde lady who was refilling the sugar bowls.She was telling us that she holidayed on Anglesey, which is where we live. We will return to this restaurant when next in Poynton. Prices are not cheap but the restaurant is a nice quiet, cool place to sit and chat.

was not impressed at all. The staff were nice and the restaurant was attractive.the cakes we had were dry, the drinks were not hot. The salad garnishes had obviously been sitting on the plates for a long time and were tired looking. A poor replacement for the Romany's what a shame to have got rid of such a popular and first class restaurant, so many people miss it

Cafe style ordering process, not table service, although the food is delivered to the table. I ordered the burger and chips, which arrived fairly swiftly along with the other 2 meals. Obviously no one had been washing the plates on the day I was there, so they resorted to serving my meal on a chopping board, same seemed to apply to bowls too, as my chips were served in the metal basked in which they had been burned, erm I mean cooked. The burger was quite good. Obviously made from real meat, not mechanically recovered rubbish, and the bun was fresh, thankfully not an over sweet brioche cake bun. The slice of bacon was cooked to crematorium specifications, and blackened in parts.Thankfully I didn't snap a tooth on it. . Salad...Hmm, well, more of a dollop of slightly past it's best red cabbage coleslaw, with a few other salad leaves thrown in, and a couple of (really nice) vine tomatoes. Chips: Oh dear! I like chips to be a little bit overdone and crispy, so when these ones arrived, I was initially happy as they were quite dark brown. Sadly they were amazingly soggy, as if they had been boiled in oil and somehow managed to avoid getting in any way nice and crispy. Portion size was enough (16), actually more than enough considering the quality, I wasn't going to put myself through eating that many. Most of the oil they had been cooked in seemed to have come to the table too, and there was a puddle of it under the basket. Overall, not bad enough to make a complaint about, but not good enough to really think about a return visit. To be honest, if the chef lets bacon that is so burned out of his or her kitchen, he or she obviously has lost all interest in cooking.

Excellent for lunch. The food is very good and reasonable price wise The chips are really nice. The Restuaran and the Restuarant is very roomy and comfortable with a nice eating area outside. The staff are friendly and helpful.

Have visited the restaurant many times since it was revamped and the food has been excellant, but not today we had to go and find out about our order as we had waited for so long, it arrived which should have been a hot chicken and bacon sandwich but it was cold one and the smallest of bacon you could hardly find it very dissapointed.Will give this place a miss for a long time.

I rarely bother with writing reviews but felt compelled to after trying a different garden centre breakfast down the road in Romiley and realising how great we have it at this place! We have been going here regularly for around 6 months for breakfast. The food is good quality (special mention to the veggie sausages!), the portion size is good, the atmosphere is nice and the staff are very welcoming. We've taken family here as well and they agreed. Even better, the price is lower than the awful breakfast we had from their competitor down the road this morning! I can thoroughly recommend this place for their veggie breakfasts.

We decided to come to the restaurant for afternoon tea because we had a lovely afternoon treat last year, loads of delicious food. This time however we were very disappointed; the portions were much smaller, no cream cakes or opportunity to select our own choice of cakes. There were 4 small triangle sandwiches, a small finger roll sliced in half, two small scones with cream and jam, but served on a bed of rocket(!) and 6 small cakes which we were assured would be enough between 3 adults..costing an expensive £25. Service was ok, rather slow considering there were very few customers, but not particularly friendly, and a couple of things which we wanted to order were not available though they were on the menu.

This new restaurant was built fairly recently. Nice seating area, clean. Food nice but a bit pretentious and quite expensive. The previous Romanys everyone misses for its all home made food and cakes. Nice afternoon tea, will go again.

The restaurant and food looks good, tastes average but the worst aspect is the ridiculously slow serving system. You could double the money you take by sorting it out, so frustrating. Management, please take heed!Drinks, handful of pre-made cold plates, cakes, all in separate areas but only one pinch point to pay. Non-displayed items are on a variety of menus not all visible by the time you reach the point to pay. There are offers on the table for afternoon tea but I didn’t see those on a menu at the till. This breaks your flow of customers to the tills; people are having to jump out of queue as they wait for items. On top of that the worst aspect of all is, you have to grab a table first, note the number and then quote it. So what happens is there is a delay whilst someone in your party selects what they want then has to find a table. It’s holding up the queue. It’s difficult for anyone but what if you’re a single parent with kids? How’s that supposed to work?!Why does this matter? Well, the restaurant was half empty and I was advised a half hour wait for a baked potato. Half an hour! It was lunchtime in a half empty restaurant!!As I say, frustrating. Do it properly or don’t do it at all. It would never have happened in the old Romany’s cafe!!

Visited the garden centre with a friend and had tea and cakes in the restaurant. It has been beautiful refurbished since the last time I visited, and was a delight to sit and enjoy our tea and cakes. Very spacious and airy. Varied menu and a good selection of snacks and cakes. A very enjoyable afternoon.

Wow what a boring restaurant no atmosphere at all, very dark room on a sunny day. Had afternoon tea and the bread was dry from being left out. Cakes could have been a lot better too. I prefer the old Cafe, it was smaller but cosier and nice homemade cakes. I felt like I was in an old people home. Only toilets are at the checkouts too. And the waiter was clearing the tables using a shopping trolley

My wife and I recently visited,and had a pretty bad experience. I ordered a full Englishwith no beans and an extra egg.It came with beans no extra egg, so was taken backto get sorted.By the time it was returned it was luke warm. My wife ordered poached eggs on a muffin with avacado pear. the advacado was like leather,believe or believe it or believe it not you could not cut it with a knife! So this was returned. My wife changed the order to poached eggs on toast, by the time this turned up I had finished my breakfast, The poached eggs were over cooked!! We gave up.

This was our first visit. After wandering around the plants we decided to pop into the restaurant. As it was 4pm it was lovely and quiet. We were served straight away. Very pleasant staff and an enjoyable experience. Our next visit might see us trying the Sunday roasts.

After having been on the miniture train ride, painting pottery - a nice cup of tea was in order with some delicious carrot cake. Staff friendly - spacious and clean.

Popped in for lunch today. Bit of a queue but order taken pretty quickly. Good turned up after 15-20 mins wait. Looked great. But cold. Cheese and onion pie about body temperature as we're the beans. Chips in the middle were a bit hot ( presumably insulated by the ones one the outsude). Won't be going back.

Pleasant surroundings nice coffee usual awkward garden centre ordering system. Need a table number to order food but no menus on tables all on chalk boards at counter.

Had brunch here several times, great food at a reasonable price. It is a very convenient place to meet friends. Going for lunch there this week

We booked and pre ordered.Following a bit of confusion when we arrived,we sat down and ordered drinks.It was busy and we were patient to begin with.Thirty five minutes later we still had no food,the person in charge (Debbie)was very helpful,and served us herself with delicious high quality food,we both had the turkey.However,while everyone else around us had good service,ours deteriorated again and we gave up waiting for coffee and mince pie.Rightly or wrongly,we felt we had been singled out for questioning the service at the outset,and left feeling disappointed at the experience despite the excellent food.

We haven’t been to Brookside since it reopened. My friend and I visit on a regular basis to the craft shop for the demonstrations and lunch. We used to go to the restaurant and later, when it closed to the coffee shop which really was excellent. Today I had cheese on toast. Unfortunately the cheese topping was very thin and not very good. Layout could be improved as it is not immediately clear that you have to collect you own cutlery and sauces. Very disappointed.

My wife and I had the Cheshire Platter for two which was supposed to comprise pork pie, carved ham, black pudding, blue cheese, pickles and bread served on a bed of salad. When it arrived we had two individual plates rather than a shared platter, no blue cheese, a single pickled onion (between us) a slice of ham each and three slices from a baguette. There was a pork pie and a slice of black pudding (cold), a small pile of dry grated cheddar and a mound of undressed salad leaves. I suspect they were out of ingredients and cobbled together whatever they could. The next time we take the children on the mini train we wont be stopping for lunch!

We have not been to Brookside Garden Centre for several months and haven't eaten in The Topiary. Only went in for a coffee but we fancied a snack so we had a mini Cheshire breakfast which was excellent vfm at £3.65. Someone in the kitchen knows how to fry an egg, a well cooked slice of bacon, a reasonable sausage, baked beans and two slices of brown toast all cooked really well. This is only a snack - they do a full-size version as well. Would have given them 5 stars if the coffee had been in a decent size mug for £2, rather than a smallish cup...

Brookside Garden Centre on the border of Poynton and Hazel Grove and has been redeveloped recently and the compulsory purchase of some of its land to complete the new airport link bypass. The restaurant is... nice but yet again it is expensive for what you get. I just don't get this idea of Garden Centre's and on site cafes trying to emulate michelin star restaurants. Yes its great to have high standards and good quality food to offer but keep the prices within a range that reflects the environment. £7 for a couple of pieces of toasted Chiabata is a bit ridiculous!!! As nice as it was, the staff were also polite and friendly. Still yet to try the onsite mini railway, so I will be back with my Nephew and family some day soon. Overall, worth a visit.

Went here a few weeks ago and it was excellent tho a little expensive. We took friends and the two ladies had liver and the two gents another of the specials, stuffed aubergine. The liver dish was fine but the aubergine portion size was almost none existent. It would be expensive at half the price but it was around £10 and the veg non existent. We complained to the waitress about it, she apologised asked if it taste ok and left the table never to return. They have just lost 4 customers

Very impressed with newly built restaurant. After the floods last year this is a really nice place. The foods were nicely presented and very tasty. The staff were all attentive and we were both impressed with the service and attention to detail. They have daily specials, extensive range of cakes to please most palates. Will definitely go again

Brookside used to be the home of a wonderful restaurant called Romany's, a hard act to follow. However, the new Topiary restaurant has managed to do this very well indeed. There is a really nice menu which caters for all taste and dietary requirements. The seating is modern and spacious and can easily accommodate people in wheelchairs and those with children. The food was tasty and the staff friendly and welcoming. We are taking family there this weekend, so a second visit in one week has to say something.

Stopped for coffee and cakeMocha and Cappuccino good and hotLemon cake according to my husband was lovely However best praise from me is reserved for the absolutely scrumptious gluten free orange drizzle......its not easy to find good fresh gluten free cakes but this proved a yummy exception to the rule

First time we're in this restaurant. The food is lovely,we had jacket potato and fish & chips. The place very clean and nice atmosphere. We will be back.

We called in for lunch this week.The place has been transformed with a stylish makeover.Plenty of seating, light and airy and clean.We had a fish tempura wrap with salad which was very tasty.The drinks tea and coffee(ILLY) were hot and strong.I think I will try a breakfast next time.

Part of the Strikes group and new restaurant similar to the others in the group. Nice layout and food to good quality, staff all new and enthusiastic. Several improvements to the other ones we visit ( Wilmslow and Astbury ) Not too far from home so will be a regular visitor

Visited for Sunday morning breakfast which was excellent. Lots of tempting cakes on display but would have preferred to see them behind glass or at least a bigger distance away from sneezing and coughing customers! One of the best garden centre breakfasts in the area.

Our first visit to the Topiary Restaurant at the Brookside Garden Centre, which only opened the day before, was a very pleasant experience.We chose our table from the very large seating area which is very spacious, light and modern. The tables are nicely spaced so you're not sitting shoulder to shoulder with other diners!Food from the menu is ordered at the counter (make a note of your table number!), from which you can also choose a selection of delicious looking cakes and desserts as well as drinks, including tea and coffee.I chose the Farmers Wife Omelette which was presented on a circular wooden platter with a portion of sweet potato fries in the centre. My husband chose the salmon, from the specials board, which was nicely presented on a bed of very tasty noodles.Both were delicious and compliments to the chef who, we were told, used to work for Jamie Oliver.Special mention to the waitresses, Helen and Fiona, who were very friendly, polite and attentive.We will definitely to again soon.