The Willows at Barton Grange garden Centre in Preston

A busy lunchtime, but despite other reviews the service was very attentive and timely. Lots of choice and variety on the menu...we opted for mackerel and beetroot salad and the salmon and crayfish salad. Both absolutely delicious, very fresh and generous portions. Blackcurrant and lemon posset dessert was to die for! Very good and already looking forward to our next visit!

I’ve been twice in two weeks and had two very different experiences… Both times i went with my baby, who is in a pram. The first time, staff were really quick to help- offering to carry my tray for me after seeing me struggle, offering to get a high chair for me so I wouldn’t have to leave my baby unattended to get one, or struggle to get one whilst pushing the pram. Tea and cake were fairly priced and delicious, the setting is lovely- particularly the seats that overlook the river and it’s got a nice atmosphere. The second time was very different. I had the exact same tea and cake, which were just as lovely, but service wasn’t good at all. I was struggling with my tray and pushing the pram- two members of staff moved out the way to let me pass but neither offered to carry the tray for me, even though they were literally just standing around doing nothing. I ended up spilling some of my tea on the tray and at this point another customer noticed I was struggling and offered to help me, which was much appreciated. I had to leave my baby and rush over to where the high chairs were kept, grabbed the one at the top of the stack and brought it back to my table. I then realised that it was dirty, (this isn't uncommon in cafes and i always wipe them down anyway before putting my daughter in.) I'd cleaned it up, put my baby in and then realised the straps were broken! By this point I was feeling pretty annoyed so I dumped it at the next table and went to get another, which was also dirty but at least not broken! The lack of awareness and compassion from your staff had really upset me, especially as they'd been so helpful the week before, so I didn't stay long and wont be returning!

As it was wet we decided to visit Barton Grange, there were plenty of areas to please most people whether that be the Cook Shop, giftware, garden furniture or of course indoor and outdoor plants. Whilst there we decided to have lunch at the Willows Restaurant which we found to be both nicely presented and enjoyable; it was noticeable how friendly and attentive staff were towards their respective customers. We will definitely visit again.

Serious lack of service, Despite it being very quiet we left after 40 mins of waiting to have our order taken. Staff ignored eye contact and excuse me requests yet managed to take the orders of four other groups who had arrived after we did. After coming home and reading older reviews it seems this has been a common occurrence over the few years. Very disappointing and as a result we didn’t purchase the item from garden centre either.

Having received an afternoon tea voucher for two as a gift, I booked in the Willows restaurant for the Festive Afternoon tea for two. Having experienced a range of afternoon teas in numerous cafes, hotel’s & restaurants over the years, this has to rate as one of the poorest yet. The three sandwiches were such poor quality with cheap, limp white sliced bread for two of them, no side salad/ crisps or garnish of any sort. The scone was dry & the cakes/ pastries were tiny uninspired offerings. For £16 the tea was overpriced and such a let down. When the tea was served it was plonked on the table with no explanation of what flavour the soup was or the range of desserts on offer. At no point did any member of staff come over to see if everything was ok. I always tip for good food & service but felt on this occasion nothing was deserving of anything extra. I was just thankful that I hadn’t paid for this poor excuse of afternoon tea & the gift card covered the cost. It seemed the sort of establishment that the personal touches & attention to detail wasn’t of any great importance, relying on the coach loads of day trippers to what always appears to be an overrated & overpriced destination. I’m afraid there are far better independent & much better quality cafes & eateries to visit than here.

The food is lovely and last time we came we had a lovely experience but just going recently maybe it’s because it’s Christmas and busier but the service was really bad. Spent ages waiting to order and multiple staff blatantly avoiding eye contact with you! There seemed to be a lot of staff around but was so hard to get one of them to help. Sorry but just wanted to feed it back as it was so nice the last time! The food is delish though so it’s such a shame! 🙁

Decided to call in for lunch , this being the third time we have visited the restaurant. The other option is the large adjoining cafe/self service cafe , but we felt like paying a little more, but to get table service and a more varied menu. Yet again it was a good decision. The service was excellent, polite, professional and friendly. And the food we chose was fresh, tasty and well presented. Also the coffee was excellent also. We'll be back.

The menu had great variety, all reasonably priced and what we had was delicious. What was particularly stand out for us was the service, specifically that from Mel. She is warm, friendly, professional and clearly takes pride in what she does. A gentleman near us had a prosthetic arm, which spontaneous fell off as Mel was serving him. Many people would have been phased by this, not Mel. She completely took it in her stride, read the situation beautifully and had a great conversation with the gentleman. She took just a few moments, during a busy day, to completely normalise the situation and make the gentleman feel at ease. Highly recommend this restaurant, for all dietary needs and preferences

Great for a coffee mid shop around the beautiful garden centre or for a lunch with the girls , good for kids as they cater wide range and the ice cream is a hit!

Big car park Easy access Clean facilities Menu for normal eating, gluten, veggies and vegan's. Good wholesome lunch for the family. Good selection of deserts Helpful staff

Our memory of Barton Grange from our last visit was very positive. Sadly our memory was of the Barton Manor down the road. We waited to be seated for what felt like an age and finally a member of staff headed in our direction....and walked straight past. We nearly decided to throw in the towel and find somewhere better but hey this was my mother in law's birthday and we didn't want to risk disappointing her so we stayed. The afternoon tea was great but served by inauthentic staff who seemed likely to have been just as happy had we not been inconveniencing them. Afternoon tea for 3 with two proseccos( prosecci?) came to £57. We were invited to leave a tip but decided that this would be inappropriate.

First-time visit to The Willows as we usually go into the Riverside Cafe. Was met by a female member of staff who asked where we wanted to sit and we were taken to the table and we were given menu's. After a few minutes of looking at the menu which had lots of choices we had our order taken but I felt the waitress was not happy to be there and she was abrupt and seemed impatient when we placed the order or asked for advice about the choices, to the point I nearly said something but I was with elderly friends who I did not want to upset by addressing the rude member of staff. Our drinks were brought over by another member of staff who was really pleasant and this was soon followed by the food which again was brought over by another waitress who was polite and smiled then checked we had everything we needed and brought over sauces we requested. The food was amazing and presented beautifully, the salad and dressing were fresh and crispy and the portions were a good size I had steak panini which was really a bagette but it was lovely. I watched other tables being served and had food envy for their choices and made a note to come back another time to try some of the other dishes. Our table was cleared quickly by Scarlet and she asked if we wanted any desserts, I have to say we all declined as the meal was enough for us. Would we visit again........yes

I had pot of tea and a coffee Renoir and my friend had the fruit meringue. The most delicious cake ever made fresh that morning!! Sat outside by the river having a laugh with my friend. The lady behind the counter was absolutely lovely and we had a laugh!! Thanks for a great day, such a beautiful setting.

We were seated at our table, by a very polite young lady, given our menus, & advised of the various specials of the day. The menu offers something for most people, from light bites to main meals. we were given, just about the right amount of time to make our choices, & a polite & helpful waitress took our order. The food came in a reasonable timescale, it was presented well, on the plate, & plentiful. Everything was delicious, especially the fresh vegetables, the only downside for me, on this was the portion of green beans, I just don`t like them. We were entirely satisfied, with our choices, & left fulfilled. It isn`t the cheapest place to eat, but the quality of food, is without doubt, top class. Will I go back? Without a doubt, & we will be looking forward to it.

We haven't been to Barton Grange for ages what with covid etc. As we were passing we thought a lunch in the Willows would be nice. First impressions were very poor one menu on the wall which we could not get to as people were waiting to be seated standing by it. Eventually we were shown to a table after a long wait. Menus were deposited in front of us, a curt 'any allergies' and that is the last interaction with any of the waiting staff. Surely, a drinks order should have been taken at that point? Staff great at avoiding eye contact. After 20 minutes we left. It was not even that busy. Maybe paying a trained front of house manager would be better than several staff many of whom were not attending to customers. To be fair one woman who was taking food from the pass to customers was working her socks off. I really would have loved to try one of the vegan choices the menu looked lovely. We were on for 3 courses so the place would have made money if they were prepared to actually ask us what we wanted to eat! It looked like a really nice place the decor was good as well as the menu, but the staff let it down.

The soup was lovely Hot with great flavour the salmon sandwich on the other hand was tastless bland and to be avoided

This used to be one of our favourite places to go for breakfast or lunch. Our last visit was not good, but we thought we would give it another go based on the good experiences we have generally had. Our experience this morning has resulted in the decision that we will not return. We expected it to be busy today for breakfast as it is Mother’s Day. On arrival there was already a small queue even though it was only five minutes after opening time. The assistant advised the family in front of us that as it was busy that it would be around fifteen minutes before anyone could take their order after being seated. We were then shown to our table but there was no mention of a delay. Thirty-five minutes later, our order had not been taken, but orders had been taken for the people who were in front of us in the queue and the three tables who were seated straight after us had also attended to. At that point, I went to the counter and explained that I thought we had been missed. The young lady, who appeared to be in charge, said that it wasn’t possible as they were taking orders in the order that visitors had been seated. I mentioned that I could clearly identify people who were behind us in the queue whose orders had been taken. Once more she stated that this was not possible, her attitude was very poor. Another assistant then asked for the table number and she checked where we were seated. She checked the list and established that our table number had not even been written down, There was no apology from the original assistant who appeared to be the senior member of staff. They then offered to come a take our order next but we decided to leave as we had already waited forty-five minutes and I felt that the overall attitude andcustomer service from the senior member was very poor. The food is generally good but poor service seems to have become the norm, we will not go back.

Usually when we occasionally visit Barton Grange we eat in the cafe, but on these occasions we chose the restaurant. What a wise move. It was calm , clean and the service and food was excellent.

Went first thing on a Saturday for breakfast. Cannot complain about anything at all. The restaurant is well laid out and staff were very attentive. Great accessibility, especially for my wife who is a wheelchair user. Didn't need to wait long to order two coffees (freshly brewed), two OJs (delicious), a full English and breakfast bap (both excellent quality and portion sizes). The ketchup we asked for was great too and served to us in little individual jars. Will be returning for sure!

Very busy restaurant which is a good sign but sadly the staff weren't up to the pressure. Waited forty minutes just to have out order taken but alas no one came. The final straw was the table who were seated after us having their order...

Popped in here for dinner after a long week's boating holiday - moored our boat right outside on a very new jetty and even though we hadn't made a reservation, we were warmly welcomed and shown to our table. Our drinks were ordered before we...

Usually like the cafe food but for me the rubbery egg omelette served with breakfast was awful. It didn't look good and was tasteless. Much like a McDonald's. The rest of the food was great and so was the service. A decent cafe that can't...

Visited garden centre briefly a week ago and decided to return to try out the restaurant. A busy Sunday but staff were friendly, efficient and helpful. Salmon & crayfish salad was excellent followed by the delicious red cherry cheesecake. My husband loved his seabass. Impressed...

Visited today and my daughter and I had the Salmon and crayfish salad It has to be one of the nicest dishes of this type I have had - beautifully presented and so tasty Finished with the equally amazing cherry cheesecake which we were sharing...

Had lunch today at the willows staff so friendly excellent service & big thankyou to Robin our waitress so police & helpful Food excellent well worth going Need to start making Irish coffee, calypso coffee etc Have a menu on table of different coffees We...

Came for a look around the garden centre to have a look at the Christmas displays simply out of this world. Went into the restaurant for breakfast and ordered the full English and a cup of tea. Food was look warm and the portion sizes...

We went to the large Riverside cafe after looking around the Garden Centre festive display. It was very busy as usual and queues were out the entrance - but went down quickly. It wasn't self serve as to be expected like it used to be,...

Have been working all week so decided to treat myself to lunch. Had the salmon sandwich on brown bread with creme fraiche sauce and the soup both were lovely and tasty. Warm welcome and no hassle about being on my own that you can get...

We visited today for an afternoon tea for 3. We weren’t disappointed with anything…excellent service, lovely location and one of the best afternoon teas we’ve had. The sandwiches were perfect, fresh bread and good choice of fillings. The cakes were fresh and delicious. We were...

The Willows Restaurant at Barton Grange Garden Centre gave us a warm welcome and a choice of excellent tables, well spaced out and beautifully cooled by the air conditioning. The staff were all very professional, prompt and Covid aware. Our food and drinks came out...

We were visiting Barton grange to buy some things for the garden and decided to try the restaurant for a spot of lunch. The man at the entrance who allocated a seat was really patronising and unfriendly. We got sat next to the exit till...

This is the cafe attached to the garden centre. It is large with air conditioned inside and plenty of outside seating overlooking a pretty landscaped area. It is self service and the staff are pleasant. Average price for average food. Only problem does not allow...

The soup is delicious - could have done with a larger portion and would pay the extra. Selection of cakes good. Much better than your usual garden centre fayre. Restaurant definitely recommended.

What a poor breakfast. All undercooked! Mushroom almost raw. Won’t be eating there again. Expensive too. Good coffee.

Our first visit since the Willows Restaurant opened. Looking at the new, limited menu was a surprise and disappointing. No hot meals and the only options were overpriced ....restaurant prices for such a cafe-style menu.I have to say that the food options we chose were very nice, but overall a disappointing visit.

I highly recommend Barton Grange! It’s a place I visited with my late Grandfather and it will hold a special place in my heart, the cakes, flowers, even the farmers market, such a wonderful garden center! To top it off they have lovely cakes too! Definitely worth a visit if your passing Garstang!

My Wife and I went (briefly) Monday 26 April. We used to go to the cafe reasonably regularly, pre pandemic, which we always found very nice.As we were in the store we decided to go to the restaurant for a change.The signage and queue was very good and we then looked at the menu.The restaurant was offering a reduced menu which is normal now however on closer inspection it appeared to be a cafe menu but at restaurant prices and sat at tables outside which pre covid were cafe tables! It looked as though it was going to cost us around £30 for sandwiches and coffees so we decided not to bother.Must admit to feeling slightly aggrieved, I understand reduced menu etc but I feel a little "conned" eating cafe food in the man cafe premises but being charged restaurant prices.

Although this is a review we haven’t actually eaten here as we were put off by the extortionate prices. For example £10.95 for a ham sandwich!! It’s such a shame. No doubt people will be so desperate to get out that it will be busy but very expensive for a casual family day out.

Really disappointing experience today. Regular visitors to the garden centre and had breakfast for our family of 6. The eggs were not cooked on any of the breakfasts which isn’t a huge issue except for when we mentioned it to the staff they offered to replace them which is not ideal half way through a breakfast. Upon paying for the breakfast £80 we mentioned it again and the lady said yes and you were offered new eggs weren’t you. We would of expected a better response than this and at the very least a discount as the 6 breakfasts were not up to the standard you would expect at all for the price. I think we were just shocked by the service and response really. In nice restaurants if you have a problem the staff are attentive and want your return business. Clearly the money machine that is Barton Grange doesn’t care about customer service or repeat business. Very expensive and very poor.

When this lunch trip was first arranged, I was led to believe that the restaurnat was top-notch and delightful.The setting is pleasant enough and service was pretty good, but I felt that for the prices charged the food was very run of the mill. I had the sausage and mash, which I felt was rather overpriced for a very ordinary susage and some average mash.It's OK, but I can't get very enthusiastic.

Went for lunch today at The Willows with my husband and my 90 year old mother. I was very apprehensive, as it was my first trip to a restaurant since before lockdown began and it was the first time my mother has been out at all since 11 March. I needn't have worried, as we all felt very safe because of all the measures that were in place. The food was excellent and we had a lovely time. Thank you to all concerned!

We went for Breakfast for My husbands birthday. I had the full English Breakfast and my husband had the Full Vegetarian Breakfast. Food was good and hot. Service was attentive

Had a lovely couple of hours at the garden centre and went for Pre-booked cake and coffee at the willows restaurant. The service was great, very covid conscious with hand gel, social distancing measures. Separate trollers for drinks, food and clearing tables. Lovely choice of drinks and cakes that were absolutely scrumptious. Definitely recommend. Particularly if anyone in the party is a little more vulnerable and worried about being out during these strange covid times. Well done Barton grange.

I felt slightly unsure about going out to eat anywhere as the lockdown starts to be lifted but the Willows has been arranged with safety in mind for both customers and staff. There is plenty of room between tables and hand sanitizer at the entrance.The paper menus are only used once and tables have to be booked in advance. There’s a good lunchtime selection ranging from sandwiches /paninis and soup to light or larder lunch options. There is also a selection of desserts and a wine list as well as teas / coffees and etc.It was pleasant to be able to eat out for a change and to feel safe whilst doing so. Well done The Willows!

Visited Barton Grange and their café many times before, but this was our first visit to Willows. The experience was very enjoyable. Both of us went for paninis, mine with mushrooms and blue cheese was delicious and we were both sufficiently filled to not need dessert. Good service, food and atmosphere, the only thing lacking is the plentiful choice of cakes and pastries which the café offers.If this review was helpful, please be kind enough to click the button below.

booked for a table for 5 adults on arrival the table was ready, very pleasant serving staff. We all ordered are drinks and then a waitress came round to ask about the sandwiches if we were all ok with the fillings, really good pleasant service. The afternoon tea consisted of 3 sandwiches, a little mousse, 3 small deserts and a scone cream and jam with unlimited coffees or tea. The food was very nice, if i had to have one niggle the ham sandwich came with little bits and was a bit fatty, also the bread was a bit stale on this sandwich, the cost is £11.99 and i think it is very good value and so I am a happy customer and will be reurning.

The Willows made a nice alternative to the Riverside Cafe which we normally go to.It feels a little more special, with table service, and a wide range of delicious dishes to choose from on the menu.Service is great, and food is tasty. We will definitely be back.

I don't usually eat when I come here, just a brew usually, but met up with friends for brunch and had scrambled egg on toast. Two slices of lovely wholemeal toast topped with so much egg that was just right, not over cooked.With a latte.Blooming marvellous and well worth the price.We got a table where we could see the river and the visiting heron. Followed by a mooch through the food hall resisting the Lathoms cakes.

As it was not a very good day weather wise for trailing around outside my husband and I thought we would visit Barton Grange Garden Centre and perhaps have a lunch treat for m y birthday. The Riverside Cafe was very busy which is where we have been before so we thought we would try The Willows Restaurant. It also was quite busy it being half term but we managed to get a table. It is a bit on the pricey side but they they do main meals and sandwiches, plus soup and paninis. My husband went for the steamed fish of the day which was lemon sole served with new potatoes, carrots, broccoli and asparagus and Ihad the calves liver on mash with the same veg but no asparagus Both meals were good and hot served fairly quickly considering the place was busy . We managed a honey and walnut cake and lemon meringue for afters both delicious. With two soft drinks the cost was £40 not cheap but for a special birthday lunch it was ok

Don’t waste your money. Only went for a bit of breakfast. You would have thought they had gone to China for the tea it took so long to come out to us. A bit of water in a tea pot. Sausage barm and pouched eggs on muffins. For the price you expect they wouldn’t make them look like you just got it from the pound bakery. Probably would have tasted better. And the staff. There’s slow and comatosed. The looks they give you when you asked them a question was like they had step in something (if you know what I mean). When we arrived the woman on the front till didn’t acknowledge we were there and left us to stand there. Bearing in mind my partner is disabled and you could clearly see a crutch. Yeh let’s make them stand around. We did ask them for a pot of tea whilst we were making our decision for our breakfast choices. We expected the tea to come back with her when she came for our order but we ended having to wait until our food was ready. Either get more staff in on a Saturday morning. Or just employ better hospitable staff.

A group of us enjoyed afternoon tea in the restaurant on the afternoon of my birthday. The service was really good and prompt and the food was delicious, with plenty of tea and coffee provided.

Meeting with friends for lunch. All very prompt, very good service. Very good amount of vegetables on main courses - well done Willows. Sea bass lovely, cumberland sausage presented really well. Only oddity was Naan bread with stroganoff - maybe crossover food as contained coconut as well. Did wonder if it had started life as curry but ran out of spices - but very nice meal.

At £6 for a turkey bap which had a miserly filling it really wasn't great value. A bit of limp salad on the side I really wouldn't bother again. Have to say the cakes looked very good, should have had one of them instead!

We have eaten in the Willows restaurant on numerous occasions and have never found the need to complain - until now. We were shown to a table right at the back which was so cramped that I had to get into my seat and then push the table back so my husband could - I was completely wedged but fortunately had no need to get out. I asked for a glass of watger while we waited - this eventually appearfed with my coffee!! I had ordered the quiche which was overdone to a point of being hard and burnt - no chance to mention it as the waitress simply dumped it down and rushed off. The salad was mostly leaves and was swimming in mayonnaise. It was clear that they were jamming in as many people as possible - clearly profit is what matters. We paid £24.60 for two light bites and a tea and coffee. Not even worth half that. We will think very carefully before returning.

I’d heard about the breakfast at the garden centre and was delighted when it filled our every expectation. If you need to fuel up before a hectic day of shopping this venue is the place to visit. Our breakfast consisted of egg, tomato, hash brown, mushrooms, baked beans, good bacon and sausage and a choice of brown or white bread. Coffee or tea was extra, but what I found was a nice touch came from one of the hard-working members of staff. It was busy and as I waited to get our coffees an assistant noticed me in the queue with breakfasts stacked on a tray. She immediately came to my rescue by preparing our drinks and in doing so saving time and ensuring our food was still hot. It was generous of her time and something that made the event so much better.

We had lunch on Sunday and the food was superb. Also all the staff were fantastic so polite and couldn't do enough for us. The wine was nice and chilled. Will definitely be going again very soon

Lamb hot pot with red cabbage and bread rolls . Followed by a selection of cakes Enjoyable . But whilst beer was available in the restaurant , I was refused beer next door where the hot pot was served although Peroni was available . Strange

I rang to enquire to see if I could book a table for 11:30 am on a Monday morning in December, I have been here many a time and have been told tables have been booked when the restaurant appeared quiet, hence why I rang to book.

Brilliant festive afternoon tea Great tasting sandwiches lovely scones fab cakes coffee tasty great experience x

Went to today for lunch after being shown to our table and having menus waited for at least 15 minutes to be served, Several waitresses and 1 waiter passed our tables but nobody asked us what we wanted from the menus. Not impressed at all so we walked out. We went to the self service instead at least we had our meal promptly which we enjoyed. Doubt whether we would bother with The Willows again !!!!!

Popped in here whilst at the garden centre and we ended up enjoying a very good breakfast with very good coffee much to our delight, staff are friendly, clean decor and excellent grub - would recommend.

Chose to have Soup and a Sandwich for lunch. Both were excellent. Staff were polite and attentive too.

We quite often visit Barton Grange Garden Centre.

Very tasty, good value and excellent quality local ingredients. You can’t go wrong with a the full English at the willows

I visited here yesterday with 2 of my close friends. I frequent Barton Grange regulaly and usually use the self service restaurant however decided to use the serviced restaurant instead. we was seated pretty quickly and was handedd menus, we ordered drinks and lunch which took about 15 minuites to come. the food was ok but what i found unacceptable was the rude almost blinkered mannerisms of the staff. After our lunch we sat for over 15 minuites trying to get one of the staff to notice us but it was almost bizzare how they refused to make eye contact. In the end i aproached the bar where a member of staff was making coffees and asked her if she could possibly ask a member of staff to take our desert orders. the lady seemed most put out did not offer and explanation and said to write my table number down on a list on the bar! very weird. after this several members of staff went behind the bar but she did not once speak to them as we was watching the whole time. in the end we had to ask another member of staff if we could possibly order deserts to which she said had we seen the menu and what did we want? she never offered to bring the menu so we just ordered what we could remember. The food is quite nice but the staff need some training in customer service skills. fair enough it was a busy Sunday lunchtime but on several occasions we tried to catch the eye of staff wizzing past and felt it was very odd the way they would not look in our direction. had it not been so rude and annoying i would of found it comical.

We eat at The Willows quite often, and it’s consistently good in every way, especially for breakfast.

It has been a few years since I was last in the Willows restaurant having settled for the self service cafe. However, I thought it might be a bit easier for mum in her mobility scooter as I noticed that there were a couple of empty tables just inside the restaurant. The staff were terrific, warm and friendly, professional and efficient and a great asset to Barton Grange!

Spent some time at Barton Grange Garden Centre and enjoyed lunch at The Willows Restaurant. Lovely food served by polite, attentive staff. Recommended

My husband and I had lunch at The Willows on the 21st August - as always, it was excellent - all piping hot and very tasty. It's a great restaurant.

I have visited the self service cafe here but never used the restaurant before. There was a wait for a table and a pager was provided. Staff were pleasant the food was of a good standard.

This is part of a very large garden centre. Apart from this restaurant there's also a cafeteria and a smart looking fish and chip outlet. But the Willows restaurant was a good choice. It's well appointed, has a relaxed leisurely feel and good service. The food is wholesome, imaginative and tastes good. We enjoyed being here.

I took my mum for afternoon tea last week at the Willows restaurant (on the right hand side of the big cafe). We were both very impressed and thoroughly enjoyed it. The sandwiches very well filled and delicious especially the tasty ham, the scone was perfect (we had blueberry and there was also fruit) with jam, clotted cream and butter plus a lovely pot of mouse. The cakes were lovely and delicate rather than the big slabs given in some places and had edible flowers on top (so pretty). Unlimited tea and coffee including latte etc made it perfect along with lovely service. We felt it was great value at £11.95 and much better than we expected to be honest. I'm going to take my husband next.

My husband and I had lunch at The Willows on the 20th June - we both had faultless meals of chicken, Dauphinoise potatoes, roast carrots, creamed green vegetables, with watercress sauce, all served piping hot, and were absolutely delicious. Unfortunately, we couldn't manage one of the delicious desserts on offer! The staff in the restaurant are very pleasant and efficient. It's a lovely peaceful restaurant, after the hustle and bustle of the garden centre. Highly recommended.

The food hall was very busy with a mass of people having lunch. The restaurant was very clean and the tables cleared quickly. Two of us had lasagne and the other two had chicken - you could help yourselves to vegetables to suit your palate. The quality was good although it was on the expensive side.

We called in for breakfast excellent food good service very good value. Beautiful views of the river watching the squirels and ducks lovely spot. I had heard it was expensive but to be honest i thought it was reasonable the quality of the food was worth paying a little extra.The staff are so friendly very helpful. We called in later for slice of vanila slice very nice treat

Visited several times in the past. Always good quality food but it is very expensive. The sweet counter is particularly impressive with a good selection. We would return but people ought to be mindful of the cost.

We have been a few times now & the afternoon tea is excellent, the chef takes into account allergies, its good value & the staff are lovely. The thing that lets it down currently is that they are not focused on the customers. We caught a number of staffs eye & smiled & nodded to call them over to ask for things to be sorted out. They smiled & continued talking to one another, or, staff only focused on the thing to hand such as laying the next table but didn't look at customers before or as they left the table to see if anyone needed anything. In the end, on both visits we have had to walk over to the drinks area & ask for what we required sadly.

We came here for breakfast one weekend and found it very good value and very nice.

We were visiting relatives in the area so popped in to the Garden centre for a cup of tea and was amazed at size of the cafe. There was such a large choice on offer from hot dinners to cakes and biscuits. We made our selection of tea and fresh cream cakes and found a table without to much trouble. There was plenty of staff in the seating area cleaning tables and keeping the area tidy. Although we only had cakes the food was lovely and fresh

We haven’t been here for a long time but we drove over on a Bank holiday weekend so it was busy but not heaving

We’ve eaten here a few times, not been disappointed yet. I do agree with many reviewers: it can be a tad pricey; especially the afternoon teas. However, we’ve always enjoyed the food, had good service, and my elderly mother likes to have a wander around the plants once we’ve eaten.

This is a really nice place to eat. A great range of food to choose from & it tastes great. It is a little bit pricey, but what garden centre restaurant/cafe isn’t? The staff are friendly, helpful and polite. I would recommend getting a bite to eat here.

Its over a year since our last review and we have visited on a fairly regular basis and always been made welcome by cheerful, helpful and efficient staff. The choice, quality, freshness of food is always good and in particular there is always a wide choice of gluten free options for my coeliac wife.

Had afternoon tea here yesterday. Perfectly adequate but nothing special. Also, they no longer let you swap the included tea/coffee for a soft drink. £2.50 extra for a small coke, making it nearly £15 for a non-tea/coffee drinker. Better options available elsewhere for that price.

Went to the garden centre for a look around and to pick up a few bits.

We love stoping here on the way home from Liverpool. And often have lunch in The Willows, there is a great selection of sandwiches, cakes, hot meals, snacks, drinks and Ice Cream.

We have been lunching here regularly since The Willows first opened, but today is the first time we have ever walked out without ordering anything.

We visited this garden centre and decided to have lunch. The cafe is situated at the far end of the centre and is a large area with plenty of tables. There is outside seating as well but the weather when we went was not good enough for that. Lots to choose from and we chose a roll and a scrummy cake each - well we were on holiday. The food was amazing and the prices not too bad. Staff were very friendly and kept the place very clean. Definitely recommend to anyone passing.

First time we’ve actually eaten in the “restaurant” at Barton Grange, managed to get a table even though it was very very busy, the staff were wonderful at getting us a large table with enough room for our pram.

An experience we will never wish to have again........... very badly presented, thick sliced bread with crusts on........lacking colour or taste..........abrupt and unfriendly staff. Leaves a lot to be desired and for quality and content it is very expensive!

We have just had a great birthday treat at the willows. The afternoon tea was delicious, it was a perfect gift for my 60th birthday.

Excellent afternoon tea . Service and food could not fault Excellent value at £11.95 each Restaurant was busy

Pleasant restaurant area which was fairly busy but no excuse for the length of time it took to take our order. Lots of staff who seem to duplicate each other as well as ignoring used crockery etc on empty tables when delivering meals to other tables.

We love going to the inspirational Barton Grange and prefer to visit the willow restaurant for tea and crumpets rather than the self service

Met a friend here for a ladies gossipy breakfast. We both had the English muffin topped with poached eggs and ham which were lovely. Washed down with some lovely coffee in a nice surrounding it made for a great choice.

Had lunch in the willows restaurant today wow absolutely top notch, the food is sourced locally which makes a world of difference , clearly have a great chef will definately go back, as well as lovely garden centre they have a cafe side and restaurant side if ever in the area give it a go . The wedges and coleslaw fab the cakes fab, nice relaxed atmosphere .staff great, polite , helpful make sure your happy .

If you are in a hurry, the self-service place next door is probably a better bet. This is a large busy room, the breakfast is freshly prepared and the waiting staff have a lot to do. Otherwise, it is a nice enough place to while away an hour or so. Not the most characterful of restaurants but perfectly comfortable.

My wife and I visited the willow restaurant for breakfast. We have eaten on many occasions in this restaurant and I have to say that we have always been very satisfied with the quality of the food. It was the same on this occasion and the breakfast was very nice indeed, in fact we couldn't fault the food at all. Unfortunately the same could not be said for the service. Our waitress was miserable to say the least, I feel passionate about service and a pleasant waitress or waiter is not a lot to ask. We choose this restaurant instead of the self service eating area because we enjoy waitress service. The waitress just didn't seem like she really wanted to be there which is a real shame. It won't stop us eating there again because the food is very good. I just want a pleasant attentive waiter or waitress to match the quality food.

After ordering a table for two we were handed a wireless buzzer to tell us when our table was ready. We were happy because after just 10 minutes the buzzer went off and a few minutes later we were sat down at our table. Great so far. This was quick and very acceptable. We then sat at our table looking forward to ordering our lunch. We were both quite hungary.

My husband and I have had lunch at The Willows twice recently. We have never been disappointed. Excellent service, excellent food, great surroundings. It's very peaceful in The Willows after the hustle and bustle of the Garden Centre, and looking round the amazing Christmas displays. Highly recommended.