The Willow Tree Cafe in New Forest

Truly awful - and no suitable toilets. The food we were served was below average, the coffees were unfortunately not good at all. The service from the woman running the cafe was disgraceful. She seemed off from the outset, and was downright rude in the end after one of our group was reduced to tears by her behaviour. Most importantly the toilet was not suitable for visitors to use, you have to squeeze through the kitchen which is open to the seating area to get to the toilet, which is extremely close to where food is being prepared and completely inaccessible for anyone with mobility issues. The toilet door did not shut, so the woman who runs the cafe had to slam shut another door in order for there to be any privacy (and any level of hygiene), which then resulted in one of our party being trapped inside the toilet unable to get out. When another member of our party was eventually able to force the door open from the outside and the person who was trapped was understandably shaken at the experience, the women running the cafe had the nerve to tell her to calm down, and then denied having said anything at all. All in all it was a horrendous experience, no redeeming features - this unfortunate situation could have been helped with a kind manner but instead was made much worse. Avoid. We will be making a formal complaint to the food standards agency. A bizarre and upsetting experience!

I am sorry to give such a poor review however this cafe is not clean, the cutlery and mugs were dirty and the food looked like it was microwaved and not presentable. I understand a lady runs this cafe alone which is admirable, however for a cafe of this size she would benefit from having a chef as it’s infeasible to greet people, seat customers, take orders, cook and clean. We were the only table but I would imagine this would be almost impossible with more than 2-3 tables. Although she was lovely, I wouldn’t return again or recommend eating here unless something changes.

Super friendly and excellent food. The atmosphere was very nice too! Definitely a great place for lunch, coffees and teas and well worth the stop. Great experience.

I found this to be totally shocking in this day and age. A friend and I ventured in asking about lunch on Saturday. The white woman, with a white bob and glasses, in her late 60's I would venture, refused us on the grounds that she had no tables, when it was perfectly obvious that there were three tables available. There were only two of us. I am white, my friend is black. The woman refused to even look at my friend and looked past him to look at me. Racism is rife. I'm very glad that we didn't eat there. We went on to spend about £60 elsewhere. Why refuse someone because of their colour? Shameful.

Tea and scones whats not to like. A friendly cafe, a nice owner. The cafe probably needs a little revamp or at best a tidy but its welcomming enough. Good pricing.

we popped into this cafe as our hotel were unable to provide breakfast for us on our first day and they recommended going to Lisa at this cafe. Enjoyed a sausage sandwich and full English breakfast.

Popped in today, made a detour from Poole to Devon specifically to go to Lyndhurst. I first went into this establishment shortly after it opened, which was some years ago. Only other visit was also some time ago. On all three occasions I have found it to be a delightful place with perfectly good coffee and, today, a pleasant tea cake. It is unpretentious which many people will find makes it all the more relaxing. Well worth a visit.

This is a small but warm and welcoming cafe which I visit at any opportunity. I believe the breakfast is the best around and this is agreed by family and friends. The breakfast is quality produce, great tasting and fresh. You get 2 sausages, 2 bacon, beans, tomato, mushrooms and an egg with toast made from crusty bread with real creamy butter on top. It is a little pricier than some but I think in this case, it is definitely worth paying the extra price. The scones with jam and cream are also the best that I have found locally. They are warm and always fresh with plenty of jam and cream, if I had to have a gripe, I prefer butter with my jam and cream. The owner is always welcoming and does an admirable job of running this place all on her own.

Ordered takeaway sandwiches for our day out. Freshly made sandwiches delicious - but put straight into paper bag ( no clingfilm ) - so the filling Soaked through the paperbag.

This cafe is located close to the Ferrari dealership in Lyndhurst. When we stopped in we had a cup of tea and scones. Both of us were disappointed in the quality of the scones as they were rather hard and dry. We should have talked to the person about the issue but we didn’t and regretted not giving the cafe a chance to fix the problem.

Relaxing ambience,good service and food,easy parking,long way to go though for wife to get her hair cut,but will come back.

This is a very small little place tucked away down a side street but it really serves the best food. The tables are small and the frontage is small but the breakfasts were big and all tasted very fresh. The lady who runs it is very friendly and seems to cook everything herself and the prices are mid range. Recommended.

A some family cafe with basic menu. They ran out of salad when we were there. It's on the end of the village

Popped in here while waiting for some friends. Had a hot chocolate and a hor cross bun which were both delicious! It is a dog friendly cafe which I was unsure of as I am not keen on dogs, but the two little ones in there were sitting quietly with their owners so it wasn't a problem. One toilet available to use.

Popped in for a cuppa after a lovely new forest walk. Tiny cafe which smelt all fatty / greasy. Unfriendly service, wasn’t greeted or welcome by the lady behind the counter. Would not rush to return.

Visited here this weekend for an English breakfast & it was top notch! The lady running the place was warm, welcoming & friendly. We ordered a pot of tea to share also which was quickly served to us I thought it lacked flavour but that is my only criticism. Our food was served quickly on hot plates with good quality ingredients, the bacon was thick & smoked & the sausages had a good flavour, we had a choice of brown or white toast which was from an uncut loaf & the butter was really creamy. Me & my partner agreed it was one of the best breakfasts we have ever eaten.. it was truly scrumptious! So much so we returned the following day. It is a little more on the expensive side but so worth it, would definitely recommend & return again.

We had breakfast and hot chocolates here which were both lovely! (if i am going to be picky, the hot chocolates could be a bit hotter) The lady who I assume runs it was friends and very nice. Its a bit expensive however you are in Lyndhurst, and it is cheaper than other cafes I have been to in Lyndhurst. I will be back again!

Our first time here even though we have lived only 4 miles away for the past 17 years! Big menu and fantastic value for money. The lady owner was very friendly as well. Will be back very soon for more!

This cosy clean welcoming cafe is on the edge of the quite large village of Lyndhurst. We just called in for a cuppa and the staff were friendly and the service prompt.

A nice cosy place,staff very friendly, cakes very fresh and good sized portion, very clean. Very relaxed visit

The Willow Tree cafe has become a regular first stop whenever we visit the New Forest. It is literally the first cafe you come to after crossing the main road when walking into Lyndhurst from the Boltons Bench Car park. The cafe has A simple, but really tasty men, excellent quality food, and fast friendly service with a smile. The veggie and traditional English are favourites - but even when my daughter just wanted toast and marmalade, she was given heaps of toast, butter and orange marmalade. Great value!

Metimos en aquí el sábado por la mañana durante una estancia de fin de semana en Lyndhurst. No es un gran café, pero en un lugar encantador. La señora que era muy acogedor y amable. El servicio era excelente y la comida recién hecha y caliente. Muy agradable y nos preparó muy bien para un día paseando por el bosque. . . .

Que acababa de terminar un fin de semana fantástico en el nuevo bosque con toda la familia. Fue una hermosa mañana soleada de Domingo y todos nos apetecía un buen desayuno preparado antes de ir a casa. De todos modos la bienvenida realmente recibida en el café era muy fría y poco acogedora. La señora vino al otro lado muy estresados y para ser sincero muy grosero en tiempo. Parecía como si ella era de personal y sin experiencia. De todos modos la comida estaba bien, con algunos objetos para ser devuelto porque estaban fríos o demasiado cocido. De todas formas, el servicio era horrible. Así que no recomendaré o visitar el Café de nuevo. Willow

El desayuno estaba bien. El servicio era terrible. La señora que nos servía era muy estresados una grosera y poco acogedora. Para ser sincero, reconozco que ella era personal y no utilizar para dirigir el espectáculo. Nos sentimos su tensión, que condujo a una experiencia...

Fuimos en un bocado mediados y qué sorpresa encantadora. Welsh Rarebit fue excelente e hizo un cambio muy agradable de la típica comida y encontrarse en otro lugar. Café clásico pequeño con una bienvenida muy amable, tanto para nosotros y nuestro perro.

We stopped here for coffee and a snack after a long walk in the forest. It is a busy bustling café with helpful and friendly staff. The food looked amazing so we went back the following day for brunch. we were not disappointed. The quality of the food was great, really tasty. We would definitely go back and recommend it to others

Lovely little cafe on the edge of Lyndhurst. Very friendly, dogs welcomed too. Breakfast was tasty and piping hot.

We had lunch here today. The cafe is at the far end of the High Street near the Ferrari garage, it's great as it take dogs, useful when walking in the Forest.Another great thing is that they do an All Day breakfast until 14.00 which is unusual for most cafes, the food was very hot - again unusual!The cafe isn't huge but there is plenty of room around the tables & the dogs were able to go under the table. We will certainly visit again!

Stopped here for some drinks. Nice little independent cafe. If we come here again, we may try some lunch.

We called in here as we arrived in lyndhurst on our way to stay in brockenhurst. A really nice cafe run by a very pleasant lady. A good menu and we really enjoyed our light lunch - a cheese ploughmans for me and soup for my wife. Deserves to do well.

Stopped here for breakfast ttoday, food good, hot, waitress service, polite and friendly. We asked for changes and wasn't a problem.Would defo call again if in area.

We stopped here after a long walk in the New Forest. Very friendly lady. As it was a hot day, the first thing she did was offer water for the dogs - very impressed. We had some lovely scones with jam and cream and a fantastic cup of coffee. Great place, highly recommended.

Best club sandwich and chips I've had in a long while. Great value. Perfect spot to recharge after a decent cycle in the new forrest.

Called in for a spot of lunch after being attracted by a very good menu.Though I enjoyed my sausage baguette, my pleasure was muted compared to my wife's delight at eggy bread with bacon and banana. Not to my taste, but certainly to hers!All washed down with a lovely pot of coffee and some of the friendliest service it possible to find.

we stopped for breakfast on our way back from Southampton and this was the first cafe we came across. The lady serving was very polite, but stayed in the background whilst we were there. Breakfast came out nicely served and hot, and overall was good. It was nice to be in an independent cafe and not the same old chain and food. We also purchased a couple of fruit scones to take home, they were lovely.

We often pop in here for coffee and a bite to eat very friendly staff, lovely choice of cakes great for taking a welcome break.

Lovely lady runs this place and does a delicious slab of homemade cake for £1.95. Coffee lovely too. Thankyou xxx

This cafe was empty when I visited and I think I know why. The place still had food on the floor from the previous day. It felt generally grubby. I paid just shy of £18 for two breakfasts with coffee and they we not good at all. The sausages were about as cheap as you could get. For that sort of price, a decent sausage is expected. Having said that, the lady was very nice and friendly. She has the makings of a nice cafe but needs to have a think about improving the surroundings and the food.

What a lovely welcome to the New Forest, the two lovely ladies in The Willow Tree made us welcome and served excellent food - thoroughly enjoyed it! I had the most excellent scrambled eggs on toasted bread that looked home made, my husband had ham freshly carved from a joint just taken out of the oven, yummy! lovely coffee tooThank you ladies, we will be back!

We regularly visit The Willow Tree Café in Lyndhurst and have consistently received friendly service and delicious food. Dogs are made very welcome and our two dogs enjoy their visits there. The cream tea is a treat for the senses and the warm scones are absolutely mouth watering. They also serve hot meals and the chips are crisp and cooked to perfection. We would never consider eating anywhere else in Lyndhurst, you can't beat perfection!

Right near the opening to the New Forest in Southampton Road, this sweet little cafe was just what we needed. Great size tea pot for 2 and home made scones to die for. Very pleaseant family run cafe

It didn't look like it was open from the outside as it's quite dark, but it's lovely and cosy once inside! Very friendly service, good selection of choices for breakfast. Two of us had the full English, comprising 2 bacon, 2 sausages, fried egg, beans, tomato and thick toast, plus the optional extra of 2 hash browns and a lovely cup of tea. At £8.90 each, the value is ok, especially considering the location, but some of the 'all you can eat' chains probably represent better value. Overall a good tasty breakfast with excellent service in spotlessly clean surroundings!

Although the hotel we were staying in provided breakfast, this was not very good so we decided to try the Willow Tree and we were very glad we did! We were immediately provided with a wonderful, hot pot of tea while we made our selection, We both went for the Full English (which came with thick slices of toast, both white and wholemeal) with added mushrooms. I asked for poached egg as I'm not a fan of fried/scrambled and even though it was not on the menu, it was no problem. The sausages in particular were great and when we asked if they were local, the owner told us she got them from her local farm near Salisbury. All in all, I would thoroughly recommend this café. We were the first in on Sunday at 9am but it rapidly filled up with locals and visitors. Can't understand why no-one has reviewed this before.