Waitrose cafe Rushden in East Northamptonshire

Always good quality and value for my shopping, especially at the time items are reduced ! Staff are very helpful. Great to be able to get a yummy coffee after buying all my food etc Thanks

Excellent experience, staff were so helpful and friendly.....food good, space good, cleanliness very good....we will return

We decided to have lunch and arrived at 1.15 on 27th September. We both decided to have a burger. Not possible because they had run out; run out at lunch time !!! This is not good enough! If they want to keep their customers happy they need to be far better organised. They have a shop full of burgers, why not take some from the shop floor. Their menu is not large and should be easy to manage. Not impressed.

Our first visit since the 'Revamp to the store. Visited on a Saturday 5th March at about 1-0pm. The store was very quiet apart from the shelf restocking trolleys with hard wheel over a hard tiled floor sounding like Sherman Tanks. The café looks nothing like the photos on Trip Advisor. Different tables and chairs. Very difficult to see what was on the menu as the menu is on a screen which refreshed slowly and the listed food available changes. Had to ask for a bacon sandwich. The member of staff we were served by was VERY helpful, she explained all we needed to know. BUT the speed of service was dire, thank goodness there were few customers. Coffee was served in quite small mugs and it was not at all hot. It seemed to us that the café needs someone to sort its menu out, sort out its display /menu and either have more staff or enable the existing staff to work much more quickly. We will shop there regularly now as the store is very well stocked, a much better experience than the Market Harborough Waitrose where the shelves are not re-stocked regularly and where there are lots of empty shelves.

Fed up with hot drinks that are served cold, stale cake. Service not good, even when not busy. Table not clear .

This cafe, which was at one time such a pleasure to visit has been declining over a period of years. The selection of food is poor, no meals other than sausge in a roll etc. It is barn like in appearance too . What a shame.

The cafe in Waitress Rushden used to provide a wide range of meals. It was good food, reasonably-priced, in a nice space, and always busy. Had lunch there many times, and my widowed father has been going there to combine lunch / shopping / people-watching two or three times a week for the last five years. Now they've stopped doing hot meals. Such a shame. Coupled with the dwindling stock levels and empty floor spaces, I wonder if the store is on its last legs? In any case, if you want to save some time and get a meal while you're out shopping, this is no longer the supermarket for you.

Self service cafe, generally quite busy, reasonable prices, seating can be a bit uncomfortable. Alright for a snack while out shopping.

Worth a visit. I'll happily go there again when I'm hungry. Just a short walk from where I work and always got what I want.

Popped by for a quick bite, spotlessly clean, very relaxing, not told to leave when we'd finished - thank you

If you have ever been in JL/Waitose cafe you will already know what to expect slightly more expensive, top quality food served in discrete modern environment. We had two cheese scones - delicious if a little brown. As usual recommended

First time visitors to this Waitrose, was on our way to the Cotswolds and needed a drink and cake. Very nice quality as you would expect although wait time was long considering only two people in front of us. Server mentioned that the queue was very long an hour before and it took people ages to get their food and drinks. Servery needs to be made more slick and efficient, the poor lady was running around all on her own.

Nice and clean as you would expect from Waitrose. Good selection of food and drink. Lovely coffee and cakes. Clean tables and floor. Good service.

Super cafe with friendly helpful staff. Had a lovely coffee and cake. Tables were clear and clean, toilets were spotless. Waitrose first class service as usual.

Visited countless times and decided it was time for a review. The staff are so lovely here and very helpful. Good selection of lunch items and a choice for my gluten free husband. My 6 year old loves it here too. Would recommend

Lovely staff, and the food is fresh (so sometimes takes a while as they prepare it). A good cup of coffee, some excellent soups and my husband really rates the curry. The only downside for me is that the queues don't move very fast at busy times, and because there is no soft furnishing or acoustic baffling, it can get very noisy and 'clattery' when there are lots of people - or even fewer people but children.

It's always a pleasure visiting here..shopping and coffee with a few treats is very welcome. There's plenty of room and staff are very nice..with the occasional offers.

Staff are great,friendly and helpful.The food and drinks are always good,enjoy the cafe and the store

Visited the play area with a 3 year old who enjoyed. BUT it never appears to be supervised. Some larger kids are prone to over boisterous behaviour. Some parents ignore their responsibilities and disappear. Could get VERY dangerous.

This café ranges only from abysmal to acceptable on a good day. This appeared to be a good day, until the straightforward food order took an age to arrive, then a very simple request - unavoidable, and required entirely due to the inefficiency of the staff - was met slowly, and with an air of charity.

Not as good as it was. Maybe the new development nearby has taken the edge off both service etc. Felt the food not as good either

Took my husband to The cafe today. I’m sorry to say not a good experience. There seems to be confusion behind the counter though all the staff are polite. Seems to be no proper organisation. The lady at the till has a job to see what is on your tray over all the paraphernalia in front of her.

I’m sorry to say l don’t rate this cafe at all although l love the store and John Lewis generally. I find it very bland and not very well stocked in terms of selection of cakes and sandwiches which can be quite dry plus not to mention the hot plates where food looks positively unappetising. Sorry Waitrose, if only the cafe was at the same excellent standard. I think the choice of food on offer could be improved a lot. Also l’m not a fan of noisy spaces and hard surfaces, tables that are left uncleared and sticky. The potential to improve is there for the taking to make it a real destination point with delicious food and not just a marketing ploy to woo customers with a free coffee. Some of the youngsters serving and working there need proper customer service training and need to be managed well to provide clean dining and to serve waiting customers efficiently and with a smile!

We having been going to the cafe for years,so sorry should have reviewed earlier but just got used to how good it is.The staff are always helpful,the food is great,very reasonable as we have had free drinks with our Waitrose card.

The choice & quality of the food on offer seems to have gone down hill.

Not a relaxing place to eat. Very noisy/clattery place! Not much choice and expensive. Tables needed clearing.

It's always a good experience to visit Rushden Waitrose..the cafe has always been a well run concern. Staff and quality of food and refeshements are above average. Well worth a visit..it's a must visit for us..

Friendly staff, lovely food and drinks, can east healthy as well. Good for shopping whilst artier reads the newspaper and has coffee

Always stops here for hot choc and carrot cake after food shopping at Waitrose... nice and quiet . Good quality drink... loyalty card makes you take a friend for a free drink and don't make you drink alone and feel lonely !!!

Only been in ac couple of times but on both occasions the breakfasts we had were great and the service was exceptional. The cafe was clean and tidy, all that I expected from a Waitrose cafe.

We normally come here about once a month for breakfast but that will now be a thing of the past. My husband had the sausage in a roll which used to be a Cumberland sausage but is now two ordinary sausages as we were told they aren't doing the Cumberland sausage any more. I made the mistake of having the bacon which l had to return as it was cold, surely food has to be of a certain heat? Once again though the staff are first rate, lovely will chat and nothing is to much trouble so my bacon roll was quickly changed and for one which was hot. Cannot abide cold food. What a shame a once lovely visit will probably be our last.

Poor selection of drinks, so i opted for a hot chocolate. Which was awful and dried your mouth. And to top it off, the scone i ordered was stale!

Been there many times - seems like they always seem understaffed - but good value for money - never had a meal except for a light lunch

A menudo parar aquí para café gratis con mi tarjeta waitrose. Tienes que comprar algo para comer a menos que tengas para llevar. Uno de los mejores Waitrose que he visitado.

Café barato ofrece, y ofertas especiales sólo crear colas de mañana! . ¿Por qué la administración sólo he personal ponen extra en torno a las 11. 00, café es hora de abrir,! ! ! ! !

Waitrose parecen haber tenido un cambio de política en sus desayunos. Donde había anteriormente una espiral fantástica en un rodete salchichas cumberland, ahora retirado y con la mano, en lugar de que un par de grasa salchichas recto corto desgastado.

What do you expect from the Waitrose chain. All front but aspirational pricing to keep ordinary people away. As Steven Fry said, " Thankyou to Sainsburys for keeping the hoi-polloi out of Waitrode".

Food was fine. I had a sandwich and friend had the pasta. Some of the Staff could do with a lesson in how to smile.

Went to restaurant on Friday to have lunch with my friend. As usual the staff are so lovely and helpful, nothing being to much trouble for them. Now the food. My friend had the soup which looked lovely and l made the mistake of having the jacket potato with tuna un sweet corn! Well l say tuna and sweet corn it would be better discribed as mush passing itself off as tuna and failing. There were no pieces of tuna it looked like it had been liquidised with mayo and a few pieces of sweet corn thrown in. Very very disappointing and like another reviewer commented, very small in size and not presented very nicely at all, in this case not that the size of it mattered as l could t bring myself to eat much of it anyway. The refurbishment is lovely but as is so often the case l find the food suffers.

We often have breakfast here to set us up for the "big shop" on a Saturday. And if we're late getting up we've had lunch instead.The food is always excellent, very well priced, and good-sized portions.Usually the service is as quick as the sometimes long queue makes possible.There have been occasions where there seem to be almost too many staff, tripping over each other or waiting for something to do, which has slowed the service. Nothing to put us off coming back though.VERY close to 5 stars!

Great for quick sandwiches/wraps/toasties as well as tasty hot meals. I have always found the restaurant area to be clean and tidy and the staff are very friendly and helpful.

I agree with a previous reviewer. Since the refurb hot food options have reduced. Now only offer food in a carton which they reheat and serve with a side salad-no way near as appealing as the hot curry/lasagne/cottage they used to offer. I had a egg/cress sandwich which was ok but nothing special. Would be an improvement if they offered interested combo wraps as in their takeaway selection. I am seriously thinking free coffee option is not such a draw if food has no appeal.

Coronation chicken without chicken under cooked potato zero flavour, . Portion size -minute. Honestly don't bother

You need to be a member of Waitrose to fully appreciate all the benefits..but the cafe is the best around..one has to try it..

A quick snack while shopping in a well run cafe; though not cheap it's very nice as expected from John Lewis/Waitrose and the quality is exactly what you would expect too. The place is tidy and smart and kept utd even though it's busy and the snacks/treats/cakes are of good quality and tasty - all in all lovely and a nice, if only for special occasions, treat.

The refurbishment has resulted in a distinct 'works canteen ' atmosphere .The hot food options are limited and just have a salad garnish instead of vegetables .Although the coffee is good,the machines in the snack servery side are constantly malfunctioning ,thus causing long queues in the main servery side . Unfortunately this cafe ,along with the main shopping area continue to deteriorate .

poor service, very slow. Good food. Could have better range of hot food and available for a longer period.

It's our favourite place for a coffee and snacks. Best bacon and sausage rolls for miles around. Staff are very good and pleasant. If you join and get a mywaitrose card..get a free coffee every visit. Great place to relax..read the paper and chill.

I have used this cafe many times in the past with my Waitrose card for a free drink and a bite to eat. I am now very disappointed that they no provide hot main meals; only bacon, sausages and chips. They still have soup and jacket potatoes. Cake selection is good. The cafe has been redecorated and has new furniture so I can only guess that the lack of meals meant they were not making a profit. I can now only rate it as average and convenient.

Popped in with the family to have some breakfast prior to doing our shopping. It was very busy but the food was good. Coffee hot and fresh. Good value all round.

visited waitrose today 25/10/16.i ordered two jackets with cheese and onion chutney,when the food arrived in dessert dishes there was no chutney to be seen and the jacket potatoes were no bigger than an egg.Most disappointed waitrose,not what i expect from a john lewis store. John R.

I had lunch at Waitrose today. They had a long queue, and no common sense. They took my breakfast toastie in the queue and gave it back supposedly hot a good them minutes before I made it to the cash desk. No cutlery, a further wait. The result I sat down to a stone cold wet sloppy toastie. Quite revolting!Will not be trying it again!

Disappointed. Do not like the changes they have made. Uncomfortable, and felt like sitting in an airport lounge.Good selection for food wise for adults but poor accommodating for children. Sandwiches expensive and poor selection. Cakes damaged and stale.Two queuing systems which didn't help, as people didn't know where to queue.

Always a pleasant place for a quiet moment and a snack. Waitrose is a great shopping experience and not that much more expensive than Tesco and Sainsbury. The cafe is an added pleasure as is the free coffees while you shop

My mother recently had an operation and I wanted to get her back into the swing of things, so we got a wheelchair and sat down for a coffee before a little shop. I had a free coffee and purchased fizzy apple juice for mother, I was given a glass and ice when I asked for some :) the cafe is not as nice as it used to be but we didn't mind as we weren't in there long - it used to look smarter with sofas etc - definitely not been a very good change. There is additional seating area near some Windows - we haven't ventured there yet but may try it next time to see if it "feels" nicer

Perhaps one of the most disgusting places I have ever visited.Flies happily have a safe environment to live as the 2 fly zappers they have are not effective in my opinion.They are also help to survive by the amount of food on the floor and used plates left on the tables.If you have courage to enter here, you can be rewarded for your bravery by having a free coffee if you have a loyalty card but to be honest, you also need to be brave to even attempt to drink the non-flavorsome volcanic larva them put into a cup. Yes at one point I thought it was so hot I was going to loose my finger prints on the cup.For a more welcoming environment, try going to a hospital cafe as it is more appealing than here. Not a fan as you can see :(

Great place to have coffee and cakes and doing your weekly shopping. They have hot food and sandwich and variety of cold and hot drinks

I met with a friend for lunch. We both had hot meals and both were very good. The staff could have helped a bit more. I struggled to carry my tray and walk holding crutch but despite there being plenty of staff, I had to rely upon a memember of the public eating there who took pity on me to help.

Coffee and cakes nice but food offer and quality is poor. Baked potatoes are microwaved to death and are tiny!Hot plate meals left standing so.long they have developed scum on top...Could be amazing considering Waitrose food credentials.Not in a rush to come back

I have historically used waitrose cafes quite regularly, so just assumed this would be the same...How wrong I was...very poor selection of cold food and nothing hot available except for soup - come on Waitrose, you can do much better than that...Very disappointed

I've taken my granddaughters here for lunch, and it was disappointing. No help at all, a confusing way to queue to pay and the food was almost tasteless. Just because the girls are little doesn't mean we should be lazy and offer them rubbish. The only remotely suitable thing was the kiddie lunch bag, with white bread cheese sandwich, fruit barely fresh and hideous packets of so called nibbles........not at all the type of things they or I eat. Other John Lewis restaurants in Milton Keynes and Welwyn Garden City have much better food with far superior ambience. So why does this Waitrose and John Lewis combination store offer less than good service, food and overall comfort design? They will have to raise their game when the restaurants are open in the Rushden Lakes concourse when it's finished. I won't be back until it changes!

I used to love coming to the Waitrose cafe. It was an enjoyable place to sit and write or stare into space with a coffee and a bun. Now it has been completely ruined by the addition of a wall surrounding the entire cafe and that is all you can see. It feels really claustrophobic. The wall also encourages the sound to bounce around so the acoustics are awful. Who on earth thought this would be a good idea? A previously good space has been ruined. I'm out!

My daughter & I went for lunch and found the food good quality and the service from a young crew pleasant and friendly

Visited here a couple of times whilst in Rushden with work. What I had was fine and to be fair, my Croque Monsieur was delicious. However, I thought the hot food choices were limited and nothing grabbed my fancy.All in all, it was a nice enough quick lunch but nothing special.

We dropped on to the Waitrose cafe for a quick breakfast. I wasn't expecting much but the food was surprisingly good. I did expect the cafe to be clean and spacious with very courteous staff and it certainly was.

Large cafe by waitrose standards, and substandard breakfast roll of dry break and hardening cold bacon and cold tea, but to be fair thier customer service dept I contacted after were quick to act, But will not be revisiting this one and will stick with the smaller one in market harborough that actually offers a proper cooked breeky and not just cold rolls

We went into rushden for breakfast and read of the paper before our shop. The tables were very clean and the staff very helpful as I am in a wheelchair it is Important for me to feel like I'm being treated like everyone else.

Very popular place a lot of people go for lunch. We went for coffee and cake first thing in the morning. I have never had lunch here but heard very good reports especially on the curry and rice. My only grumble is the lack of gluten free sandwichs or cakes.The tables are cleaned away quickly and every thing looks clean and tidy. The prices are also very reasonable.

My wife and I use Waitrose Cafe on a regular basis, at least 3 times per week. The service is always polite and helpful and done with a smile.The food is good and tasty and there is a reasonable selection to suit most requirements. The cafe is always kept clean and tidy There are free newspapers and My Waitrose cardholders.get there coffee free providing they make a small purchase.

Visiting this outlet at a busy time, the queue was pretty long but the more than adequate number of staff were quick to serve people witht he result that wait was minimal.Normal process would have been one person walking around the servery getting each item you wanted and bringing it to the tray but I was amazed to see an excellent teamwork coming into play with various staff helping to make up the tray with the result being that your food order was completed in minimum time.The soup I had was excellent. Very tasty and piping hot. Certainly likely to go back here when I am in the area and wanting something to eat.They did seem to have a good range of hot food too and although generally on the heated counter, the fact they were in tinfoil catering packs did somewhat detract from the image. Perhaps having these sitting within proper porcelain dishes would have enhanced the visual impact of 'mass catering' - wouldn't cost much and would be more in keeping with the Waitrose upmarket brand.

A pleasant cafe, worth a look if in the area, prices reasonable, staff friendly and nice surroundings - good selection of drinks and food

The restaurant is well laid out, and the service and food are very good. Reasonable prices, and an ideal place to meet friends when shopping in Waitorse

Went here for a snack and a drink while I was shopping , the food and drink was very over priced for what you got and they didn't have a very big selection of food to offer, very disappointed

tea or coffee free with your card if you purchase something to eat papers are also available to read.

Regularly visit this handy cafe, just off the A45, for a coffee (foc with a Waitress card!) and cake or one of their very nice main courses. Followed by a potter around the 'Home' section of the shop, where there's a very good electrical department with TV's PC's, Apple products and more to tempt you into opening your wallet.

one of our favourite places for a quick snack good coffee ,lovely food ,and then spend money shopping,but its worth it

Food and service good. Could do with bigger choice of hot meals. Three not enough. Still good value. Staff very competent

Call into this coffee shop quite regularly and have coffee with breakfast Cumberland bap - what a way to start the day! Excellently cooked food.Choice of this or bacon ciabatta. It is a narrow menu but a little early for delicious cakes or scones!!! Always seems popular with the locals and always a delay/bottleneck with the till area that is why I gave it only 4 stars.Staff well presented and happy to help with anything you need - we will keep going as their food is so good. dont know their opening hours as never found it advertised within the store.

As always, service first class, staff lovely, nothing is to much trouble. Cumberland sausage bap lovely, sausage hot and very tasty. Always have a pot of tea as you can always get two cups and it's lovely tea. The restaurant is always clean and as soon as someone vacates their table it is cleared and cleaned, never feel like you have to look at your cup or utensils as they are always clean.

This café is very popular with the local residents which speaks volumes about the quality , had a eraly morning breakfast here and it was well used in the time we were there ! Very Clean and the staff were pleasant with smiles for everyone .Breakfast was fine and we recommend !

The staff are always pleasant and helpful, the food is well cooked, tasty and served at the correct temperature. I would go more often for a meal but hate the uncomfortable hard chairs so only go for quick snacks and coffee.

Now this is a great place to relax, either before or after your shopping, free coffee if you have a my wait rose card..worth getting one.Wait rose is a bit more expensive than other supermarkets, but it's a lots better quality and must nicer options of different foods.

Great for a quick bite and excellent freshly ground coffee. Pleased Waitrose have introduced a minimum spend when using the My Waitrose card to get a free coffee - more seating space now as the pure "coffee tourists" who never actually shop at Waitrose have now stopped hogging the seats. Bravo!

Only went to see whats on offer in the restaurant on a thursday lunchtime.Tried the jalfrezi curry one week and have returned several times since to enjoy the korma. Size and quality fine for the situation.Staff friendly.

... A bit of a sit and a coffee after the hassle and bustle of the weekly shop. You can nearly always find a quiet table where you can take the weight off your feet, have a relaxing coffee and a treat - mine is usually a slice of cake! If you are a lone shopper a glance at the daily paper always feels like you are taking a few moments for yourself ... Lovely!!

Waitrose has the reputation as Britain's best quality super market, which it probably is, although a tad expensive.However if one feels like a nice relaxing half hour, this is a good place to indulge.Everything is, as others have said, "Ticketyboo", so yes recommended.

nice food, delicious cakes , nice and clean, friendly staff, food is very fresh and tasty. Nice to be able to park your shopping trolley within sight to save you going out to the car

You get a free coffee with a wait rose card which is great. Their selection of sweet is great from cookies to cakes. Their hot food is good as well from what I have heard I haven't had it as of yet! Brilliant thing is staff knows me and my order now which is great!

Only had Tea, coffee and cakes there, lovely tea, coffee and cake lovely and fresh, polite and friendly staff, we have a Waitrose loyalty card and go in there regularly for a free coffee or tea and usually have a cake.

This is a stop for myself after morning chores as a place to have something to eat with a coffee. The staff are remarkably polite and friendly and the atmosphere is a perfect place to relax in! Prices are very reasonably and you know with Waitrose you are getting quality refreshments!

Perfect place to visit! Waitrose has reviews of being 'expensive' but the reduced section has prices lower than any other supermarket!If you sign up for a 'Waitrose Loyalty Card' then you get either a free coffee and if you use it at the checkout you can get a free newspaper when you spend over £5 instore.

A quick coffee stop before shopping today, was good to have a free coffee with the shops loyalty card offer, the cakes available were not in abundance, but there was enough choice during the afternoon of visiting.

Waitrose Rushden is just off the A45 - Perfect place to have a break from your journey - I use it daily to get my free coffee with a Waitrose card during lunch hour - Very good cafe - expect to pay more than other supermarket prices

We went in for Sunday lunch as we had some shopping to do and were shocked how many people were queuing but we thought that at least it must show that the food was good. When we eventually got to the hot food counter it was just ready meals sized up for a restaurant! No cooking involved. The young girls serving really didn't seem to know what they were doing hence the large queues. It was very expensive for what we received much more so than if you we had gone to a cafe/pub and we were also given small portions. Go home with a ready meal for £2.50 and you would probably be satisfied more.....

We do go to Waitrose, quite often and enjoy our free cup of tea or coffee courtesy of the Waitrose loyalty card. They usually have a good choice of hot meals and snacks (but not jacket potatoes). There is also a good selection of cakes.The conservatory, although it looks on to the car park, makes a pleasant place to sit and eat and drink.There is usually a good selection of newspapers to read.My main reservation is that they can be very poor at clearing tables. Quite often we have to clear a table for ourselves and it ends up with one table piled high with the trays, crockery etc that desperate customers have piled there. As it is a cafeteria they could ease the situation by asking customers to put their trays on a rack before they leave.My other reservation is the unofficial 'trolley park' which appears round the edge of the café outside the rails. I have several times seen people in wheelchairs or with guide dogs struggling to negotiate the area between the café and the shelves because of the trolleys, which are often empty because the people have collected their trolley on the way in, parked it and gone for a cup of tea. All in all the café is an asset to Waitrose but a few improvements would make it even better.

As always when I visit hereStaff 5 StarsFood Offer 5 StarsGreat place to enjoy a drink and food before, during or after the shopping trip!

A very pleasant environment with a good selection of food and beverage. Very good service from the cafe team.

My wife and I visit the cafe regularly while shopping at Waitrose. It is an excellent place to meet, have coffee and eat toasted tea-cakes or have a breakfast, lunch or afternoon tea with scones or cakes. It offers very good value. The staff are efficient and friendly. As with Waitrose and John Lewis overall, it is a well-run and pleasant place.

Had a splendid Curry with friends for our evening meal. Staff where polite and friendly. Enjoyable destination

Eat here often when shopping in Waitrose/John Lewis store...LOVE coming here...great location, good food, and love that you can grocery shop AND purchase bits for the house all under one roof. What's not to love?