The Orange Tree Cafe

Two friends and I visited here, and the food was excellent, and service was speedy. However we found the staff to be fairly passive aggressive and abrasive. We went up to the counter after finishing our lunch to order some tea and have a little cake for desert and instead they just told us our total of the bill and seemed annoyed/frustrated when we wanted to order more things. Would definitely visit again as the food we had was excellent, was just a shame about that staffs attitudes, I would usually put this down to a bad day, but after reading many other reviews this seems to be a common occurrence

On our visit today this cafe/restaurant turned out to be a case study in poor management. A wait to be seated, a wait for the table to be cleared, a wait for it then to be cleaned. We then noticed orders were being taken from customers who had arrived after us so alerted the counter staff to the fact we were waiting. Still no response! We even had to ask a passing staff member for menus because none had been given us when we were seated. When I asked for a quiet word with the manager a woman who was supposedly in charge came over to speak to us. She suggested all the delays must have been our fault for choosing to sit there without reference to staff. Not so. When I pointed out the young man who had seated us the only male on the waiting staff she grudgingly backed off. Her only defence, and that a stony faced one, was that we would have been noticed ‘eventually’. What a fiasco! Not good for the garden centre’s business to be hosting this shambles of a cafe.

Absolutely awful service. I sat down at 12:35 and ordered just a coffee for myself and a children’s meal for my 18 month year old son. My sons meal arrived at 2pm! After a 45 mins wait, I enquired as to where the children’s meal was. I was advised there was a technical error and the meal would be fast tracked 45 mins later it arrived!!! Not only was the service terrible but so was the restaurant customer service skills. No apology, no acknowledgment that they had kept an 18 month child waiting or a mum with a young child trying her hardest to keep the child entertained. We were not offer a discount off the meal a free drink not even an icecream for the inconvenience to my son. I don’t often take the time to leave reviews however I this case I have to warn the public of the horrendous customer service at this appalling place. Not at all child friendly. No empathy or customer service skills in fact I was made to feel like we were the issue. You should be ashamed Orange tree. If my son wasn’t literally starving I would have walked out!

Visited for lunch with a friend having been a few previous times. Our food was lovely but slightly odd remarks from staff. We sat near the fire and when we were served our main course, I asked the young girl if they would be re lighting the fire which had since gone out. We were told that they wouldn’t as the staff were too hot. Slightly odd as it was lovely and cosy as well as warm for the customers when it was lit. Nobody came to clear our table when we had finished our main course and I eventually went to ask if we could order tea and cake. Our lunch plates were then taken away but our dirty glasses, vinegar, juice bottle, can etc were not. When our dessert order was taken, I asked if these could be taken away table was quite small, but the young girl said she would ask someone else to come and do that. Our hot drinks were brought on a tray and I started to load the items. Again we were told that someone else would come. Our cakes were then brought on another tray but still our used items were not removed. 2 empty trays went back to the kitchen empty! They were still there when we left.

We’d heard ravings about this place. To be fair it was all regarding breakfast but we went just before closing time. Very disappointed/underwhelmed. The staff were lovely and welcoming but the place was let down by the god awful racket coming through the speakers. Something i’d expect to hear in rock city, not this place. The decor and the dreadful music was such a clash. It did not make for a relaxed dining experience . The prices for even simplistic food such as a toastie is ludicrous. Which is what I ordered due to the fact that there was nothing else on the menu that interested me. My partner ordered a burger and was surprised to find it very spicy. Though there was nothing to indicate it was. But it was too spicy. My grandson had a Mac and cheese and from the bright orange colour I can only assume this was made from a packet. I sat wondering where my food was as it hadn’t arrived and my company were halfway through their meal now. When it did arrive, I can only assume they’d forgotten my order due to its late arrival but it was burnt around the edges. Like charcoal, which I proceeded to scrape off with a knife. After this the taste was not great and the ham had a lot of fat on it, which I do not enjoy. It was too close to closing to make a song and dance. Too late to order anything else. It is what it is but I’d not visit again based on the whole experience.