Secret Garden Cafe

I ordered an English breakfast. The portions were tiny and overcooked. I complained but only got a smile and nervous laugh in return. Need I say more?

I can hardly put into words what an incredibly awful and upsetting experience I had, after many visits over many years this was the pits!! My mother and I ordered the vegetarian quiche we were told was on offer, a chorizo quiche was brought to the table, the waitress hoping we would accept it, there was no vegetarian quiche! We declined and chose a mediocre hummus panini, this took 25 mins to arrive after the same waitress came in the meantime to take our order!! Not a clue! Food was overcooked and uninspiring, we didn't complain! When I came to pay the waitress, who was supposedly the manageress, she started on me and said we were difficult customers and proceeded to be abusive and sarcastic!!! A horrible experience run by a cooperate, incompetent business which is only interested in profit. The cafe, as I understand it, is run separately to the garden centre.

My husband and I visited on Monday at 11.20am. We waited at the top of the stairs to be seated. A waitress asked us if we had booked. As we hadn 't she said we could go on a table which was booked out at 12 noon. We ordered a coffee, tea, fruit scone and a cheese scone. The drinks were brought with the fruit scone. The waitress took the items off the tray and was about to leave. I asked where the cheese scone was. She said it 's coming . The fruit scone was very anemic looking. My husband said it was ok but not the best. Meanwhile I had drunk a cup of tea and was still waiting for the cheese scone to arrive. We asked again where it was. She said it was being cooked. When it arrived it had been sliced horizontally into 5 pieces and toasted crisp! I have never had a cheese scone served in this way before. It was very hard and not pleasant. I told the girl when paying that I had never had a scone served like that before. She said they were from a bakers in Bradford on Avon and asked if I liked it. I said no! She didn 't apologise or ask any more. Won 't be going there again.

It was a Monday morning before 10am. As you ascend the stairs at the top there is a large sign asking you to 'wait here to be seated '. My wife and I waited. There 3 people behind the counter, 2 wearing aprons. Two of them looked over at us but with no acknowledgement. We waited. Again the male member of staff this time looked at us, no acknowledgement that we were there. There were only 2 tables occupied so we didn 't wait any longer and went in and sat at a table ourselves. Within a few minutes the male server came over with 2 menus that were thrust onto the table without a word. Then a female server came with note pad and was very polite and attentive. Our order was taken and a table was also booked for later in the week. Whilst waiting a customer came in with a dog on a lead and went straight to where the cakes are displayed and promptly poo 'd on the mat, that is the dog not the owner. The owner cleaned it up seen by the male server. The owner and the dog then went and sat at a table within the cafe not out on the patio. Having been a dog owner most of my life I do not mind dog friendly cafes but I do feel that they should have a segregated area for such customers with dogs. The outside patio area seems suited for this purpose. It was not raining this day and is mostly covered anyway. I did not see any staff member go to that area where the dog had poo 'd to inspect it or spray any disinfectant over the mat or put a cleaning sign up temporarily. We finished our food and drink and left. By the time we left the cafe was getting busier and nothing was said by us to the staff, however it is not my job to tell the staff their job.

I’m absolutely appalled by the management at this cafe. Someone needs to teach the young lady running the cafe some manners. Looking through the reviews I’m not the first person to pick up on this. If you fancy being spoken down to by someone full of their own self importance then this is the place for you!!