The Garden Cafe

Featured reviews

• P

  Peter Carty

  ·1 month ago

  “Had a wonderful lunch, limited menu but plenty of great options, good selection of wines by the glass and carafe. Sunch a bright and enjoyable space.”

• J

  John Heather

  ·2 months ago

  “I have just been for my second lunch at the Garden Cafe. To start with the focaccia is unmissable, melt in the mouth and baked that morning. Both our mains and starters were excellent, well seasoned and with those flavour twists that only a talented chef can conjure up. My dessert tart had that freshness you associate with the Garden Cafe though I would argue the portion size is too small. The place is fresh and inviting with some outdoor areas as well as indoors. Service was friendly and efficient. It is necessary to book as it can be difficult to get a table on the day. If you are flexible with time then this is less of an issue. This will become a more regular haunt for us.”

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• G

  Gabrielle Tse

  ·3 months ago

  “Mixed Experience — One Star Staff, Rest Not So Much Visited with a friend and their baby after hearing good things about the accessibility and service here. I wish we’d checked the reviews a little more carefully before coming. One member of staff was genuinely warm and helpful throughout — we really appreciated her. Unfortunately, the rest of the service felt noticeably distant. We waited quite a while just for some napkins, having to ask three separate times before the friendly staff member finally brought them over. We couldn’t help noticing the tone seemed much warmer towards other nearby tables during our visit. We’re not sure what the reason was, but the difference in attitude was hard to miss. When paying, I said “I’m not gonna pay the service charge.” The staff replied, “Please.” “?” The staff repeated, “I’m not gonna pay the service charge, PLEASE.” A slightly ironic moment, given the standard of service throughout our visit didn’t really set the bar for manners. Just sharing our honest experience — others may well have had a different one.”

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• B

  Ben Flash

  ·3 months ago

  “I would say the food was simply OK. Some people may absolutely love the simple flavours and safe menu choices, but personally I enjoy a little more of a flavour adventure. Where this place really shines is the setting. The location and atmosphere of the restaurant and café are superb; on a summer’s day it feels like a tranquil retreat. The service was excellent — the team are young, friendly and I found them attentive and efficient. The food arrived very quickly, which suggests a significant amount of preparation is done in advance, including perhaps some pre-cooking of elements of the dishes. For a starter, main course, coffee, and a £3 pastry each (with no drinks), the bill came to around £100. Sadly, I wouldn’t return specifically for a meal as the food style just wasn’t quite for me. However, based on the many positive reviews, I would definitely encourage others to make their own judgement — you may love the menu and the simplicity of the dishes. I would certainly return for a coffee and cake. The Garden Museum, of which this restaurant is part, is a fantastic place in its own right. Set beside the River Thames, with a fascinating history and a special atmosphere, it makes for a memorable visit.”

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• S

  Shine

  ·4 months ago

  “Wonderful place for eating outside. Large modern cafe next to the garden museum. Lovely (limited) menu and everything we had was freshly made and excellent. The gnocchi was delicious. Staff were all friendly, efficient and professional. Will definitely come back.”

• G

  Gerard Moore

  ·5 months ago

  “The soup was really flavoursome and had a nice, smooth texture. The foccacia was amazing, so elastic and dense, and perfect with the olive oil drizzled over. A well-priced coffee and chocolate shortbread rounded the meal off nicely.”

• A

  Anton Kutuzov

  ·5 months ago

  “Absolutely fabulous and unbeatable, as it has always been, the glorious Garden Cafe. The epitome of style and the showpiece for modern British cuisine. The actual culinary skill is also unmatched. The museum and the historical landmark palace are a nice perk!”

• L

  Lauren Burgess Smith

  ·6 months ago

  “We had a superb lunch! Ever dish was super tasty, service was excellent and the sun was shining! Everything was 10/10!! Would 100% come again loved it! Thankyou for a really enjoyable Saturday lunch for Mother’s Day weekend.”

• S

  Sam M

  ·8 months ago

  “During arrival, we were told they were all booked for the day. We went to the museum then I looked online to see if they had any availability. I booked a table for Sunday 2pm. How was I able to book a table online? We were told 40 minutes ago that they were fully booked. Weird. We enjoyed our meal. The vegetarian options were delicious, as were the desserts.”

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• R

  R I

  ·1 year ago

  “The garden itself is lovely and gives off very “cutesy” and relaxing vibes, a nice little escape in the middle of a busy city. I think I just got a bit unlucky trying ray fish for the first time, since it was on the menu to be fair, I hated it. It was a bit too oily for me... but that’s more about my own preference than the restaurant’s fault. I do like the concept of seasonal food, and the veg seemed fresh. The staff were “okay” overall, though one of them came up quite abruptly at the end asking if we were “done” despite clearly seeing food still on the table. It felt a bit rude, to be honest. If there’s a time limit on the table, it would be better to let customers know upfront rather than phrasing it like that at the end”

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