Secret Garden Cafe - Torridge

My experience at the Secret Garden Cafe was disappointing. My daughter and I went in hoping for a nice lunch with a voucher we had been given, but encountered a rude encounter with the staff. We had to wait for a table, and when we showed our voucher, the kitchen staff questioned its validity in a confrontational manner. They implied that we had made the voucher ourselves and demanded to investigate further before allowing us to use it. This made us feel embarrassed and uncomfortable, and we ultimately decided to leave without ordering. I will not be returning to this cafe, and would not recommend buying vouchers from here as they may not be honored.

I can't speak to the quality of the food since we only stopped by for coffee. However, we were disappointed with the service. It took about 10 minutes for our order to be taken, even though the waitress didn't seem too busy. The owner was negative and complaining about everything from the moment we walked in. We won't be coming back.

This little gem of a cafe delivers on every level, well located, excellent food, lovely surroundings, excellent service and good value for money. Dogs welcomed too.

We browsed places in Biddeford to have lunch and as it was a sunny day and there were 8 of us, this cafe with a garden suited perfectly. A young lady escorted us through a magical little garden to a shady spot with picnic tables. Served by two smiley polite waitresses (table service) and all of our lunches were delicious.Didn’t come across any grumpy people maybe they work on a different day!

Today, four of us went to this cafe for the second time, but we will not be returning for a third visit. The staff were unwelcoming during our first visit, but we decided to give them another chance. However, on this occasion, the young lady at the till immediately asked if we were only getting coffee and scones, insisting we go outside into the cold garden instead of the available tables inside. When we refused, the owner begrudgingly unlocked a room for us. After finishing our coffees and scones, the owner rudely shouted at us to leave as they had lunch reservations. It is clear that unless you plan on having a full meal at this cafe, you are not welcome. It is unfortunate that the staff have to work for such a rude and disrespectful owner.