We frequently eat out when we are away walking but the Secret Garden is always our first choice when at home. A small menu with a specials board changed daily and always delicious and home made too. Lovely friendly staff - very reasonably priced. my husband said Alain's frangipane tart was tastier than the one he ate at the Savoy Grill recently! Today we were there with Alain and Caroline on the bread-making course. Very informative, made sourdough, walnut and focaccia breads to take home and had pleasant lunch in the garden . Recommended

A dinner with friends was a very pleasant occasion here. The service was friendly and attentive, the food was tasty and delicious. It felt like supper at a French home, beautiful.

Have eaten here many times- always an enjoyable experience, with delicious French food. Not luxurious but the atmosphere is friendly and relaxed- with fires burning in cold weather.
There is a menu of regular, always- available dishes and each day there is a specials menu- two choices for each course. Food is unfailingly excellent, staff friendly.Lots of Sudbury regulars come here- people from further afield make a point of visiting the town to have a good lunch in the Secret Garden. This restaurant is unlike any others in the area and absolutely deserves its great reputation.

The food, ambience, and service were excellent, could have been in Normandy.
There was an odd happening though - my bottle of Perrier suddenly turned on its side, splashed water in a circle around us and then stood back up. Had we upset the resident spirit or had there been a mini earthquake. Made for a very interesting lunch for us and the other diners.

Wonderful fresh products and an inexpensive set lunch menu. They are only open in the evening on Friday and Saturday at the moment but are expanding into the building next door for fine dining later in the year - can't wait!!!!

The food menu was a little confusing, went in on a Saturday at 3.05 and was only allowed a cake, scone, croissant. Feel it was a café really only for regular customers, we were visiting , but sadly wouldn't recommend or revisit. I agree with one of the other reviews that 3.50 for a scone is very excessive. certainly would not recommend taking children in there, I don't think they would be very welcome. Would not visit again very disappointed

A good stop off for coffee and a chat or a light lunch with freshly produced breads, pastries and other delights

Often call in for lunch on Thursday or Saturday staff very friendly always ready to top up your coffee. Lovely food and atmosphere have not tried the evening meal yet but will try soon hopefully if they expand we will go more often.

We popped in out of curiosity and just a need for a hot drink. It was 930am, so not needing food.
The cafe is very nice and the baked goods looked fresh and nicely presented. We sat in the garden as it was a beautiful morning and I was very impressed. I would happily make this my regular coffee stop but the pricing I fear will stop me. A croissant at 2.50 is a bit steep and 3.50 for a plain cheese scone is too. The beverages were a bit steep and whilst I noticed the obvious regulats got free refills of their americanos, I wasnt offered.The food menu was baffling with little choice, and too few options at an average of £9 a meal. Ifvyou areclooking for a simple uncomplicated lunch, walk on by. Not aplace suitable for children in case your wondering.
If it was a nice sunny day and I wanted a quick coffee in the sun, I would pop in again, but the lack of choice, pricing and selective service would stop me going in for anything more. A shame.

I had read some reviews about this restaurant and was surprised to learn that some new customers have felt that the obvious 'regulars' around them were being given preferential treatment. I hoped that this was not true. After all this is not a members' club and anyone can walk in off the street so I dismissed it from my mind. It was sobering then that my husband, who I had not told about these comments, observed the very same thing. Now to the food, very good. I had the open ravioli - sheets of beautifully cooked pasta (not heavy at all) with really nicely cooked spring veg and asparagus and, something I had not had before, dried orange slices. My husband had the smoked haddock flavoured with tamarind and again beautifully cooked diced vegetables. We will certainly try this restaurant one more time in the hope that our perceptions about some customers appearing to be favoured is incorrect.

I have visited The Secret Garden on many occasions but only now getting around to write this review. This restaurant is a real gem set in Friars Street. The interior is charming and spotless. Food is off the highest quality as one would come to expect from the French owners. The owners are delightful as are all the staff. The Secret Garden also offers a range of courses and events which I really should get around to enrol in. It can get quite busy at lunchtime so it could be a good idea to book ahead. I would love the owners to do a French accordion evening or even Sudburys first French Film Festival!

A lovely little place tucked away from the hustle & bustle. Never had a meal here but good for catching up with friends over a coffee. Would like more options on cakes, but otherwise - lovely!

I've taken a while just staring at a blank screen because to be honest I'm finding the Secret Garden difficult to review, and have done for a while as my visit was in mid March.
Firstly to explain, the night we visited we were a party of Golfers with wives/partners, celebrating a special anniversary. There were about 30 of us so the restaurant was closed to all other patrons.For those that don't know the Secret Garden is many things. A language school (the owners are French), a daytime café, serving teas and light lunches. It also hosts wine and cheese evenings, and for a couple of nights a week at weekends its a restaurant serving evening meals.
We are frequent visitors to France and in many ways it follows the pattern of French restaurants in that it offers a 'formula' menu. There are about three choices per course offering a meat/fish/vegetarian choice for the main. and starters, desserts and a cheese course too. For £30 a head I thought it's pretty good value. Also I thought the wine was reasonably priced for a restaurant.The reason I haven't given it 5 stars (and found this review difficult to write), is because, for want of a better word I found the food 'quirky', to say the least. For example I had a Smoked salmon starter with sliced purple potato. It looked stunning on the plate but to be honest purple potato tastes the same as normal potato. Served with smoked salmon it didn't really go together and was fairly bland and tasteless. The same with my main course, I had sirloin steak served with globe artichoke. Again it was an 'idea', that (to me at least), offered more than it delivered.
To conclude I feel the Secret Garden are (on occasions), putting together dishes that offer more on artistic and visual 'concept' than practicality and taste. Just because something can be done doesn't mean it should be.Don't misunderstand me, in the main I enjoyed it. The food was well cooked and tasted fine. The staff were friendly and helpful and our evening was very enjoyable.
Personally I'd have preferred a few more classic French dishes and slightly less of the Avant Garde....just my opinion.

An informal evening, with host Stephane introducing six wines from the Southern Rhone (inevitably, with mixed opinions among the regular connoisseurs present), followed by a superb buffet supper: the three hours passed quickly in a congenial atmosphere. My first wine tasting evening (a gift), but I think I shall go again. (Wine tastings at the Secret Garden take place over two evenings each month.

This is the most delightful, unpretentious but brilliant eatery! The food is absolutely divine; French cooking at its rustic & traditional best, in a cafe-style convivial setting. A modest menu promises fresh and thoughtful sourcing, and the Specials are a real treat. Very knowledgeable and excellent wines complement the menu. This is the kind of authentic and friendly family-affair that chains simply cannot deliver. Don't miss!

This is a small and friendly cafe/restaurant that has built up a real community around it. You can indulge in freshly baked pastries with morning coffee - home cooked, seasonal dishes for lunch - and cake and cream teas in the afternoon. It is also open on Friday and Saturday evenings for an evening meal. The evening meals are a treat, and very reasonably priced. The wine list is also excellent.

This is our favourite restaurant that we keep going back to time after time. The most delicious food, homemade French fair. We are known there now and always greeted with a warm welcome. The service is faultless, the food outstanding.

We booked a last minute staff review meeting. They were so helpful and accommodatingg, giving us in their upstairs private room, we then booked lunch, which was on time and delicious. Great value for money not only for a meeting room but also for the value and service. There are not many small meeting areas in Sudbury so a great find.

We have been coming here for many years and have always found it excellent for morning coffee, lunch or dinner.
To-day we had lunch here and I chose Fish risotto with endive, and watercress coulis. My wife had a filo pastry parcel filled with goats cheese on a bed of lightly cooked onions, shredded carrots and purple potatoes. Both were excellent then we indulged ourselves with rhubarb and pomegranate crumble with clotted cream. Perfect bliss!

We took our mothers here as a pre Christmas treat, as always the experience was first class. The restaurant is small but not over crowded, the atmosphere is always buzzing and friendly.
The food is faultless, always cooked to perfection. The menus are seasonal and the dishes are all home made. They have a good range of food with some really interesting dishes. Meals and wine are priced well. Definitely a place to try, we recommend it to everyone!

We went here several times in the summer. They were always very welcoming and the food delicious. The best part was the raspberry pie desert - scrummy!

What a delight, the staff are well trained, the food is very well prepared and presented and the wine list is fabulous.
Within the relatively small menu it lists a wine to go with that particular course - it really works. The atmosphere within the establishment is genuinely lovely and the head of front of house (Stephane) moves around seamlessly giving advice to the customers.
Enjoyed it so much I shall be returning later this month with family and in March will be attending with 30 friends.

Not too tucked away, but a long-standing hideaway for the denizens of Sudbury, is the tiny 'french' tearoom with a not so secret garden in Friar Street. Our favourite luncheon rendezvous whenever we are in Sudbury - lunch and tea and the occasional evening meal. Simple French bourgeois cooking, everything is sparkling fresh, the service is great, the chef is very Français as is the 'front of house' - and at last they've got rid of the dinky little chapel chairs which made one's derrière a little numb after a leisurely lunch.

Excellent value French style cuisine using local/seasonal ingredients. Limited menu that changes frequently, with well balanced dishes: always a joy to eat there! Knowledgeable & friendly staff are always welcoming.

A friend and I were meeting for lunch in sudbury so i checked trip advisor. Wanted somewhere that was welcoming and 'nice' where we could get good food at a reasonable price. The secret garden was perfect and took us back to holidays in france. Really helpful staff and a relaxed atmosphere where nothing was too much trouble. We had a really lovely lunch and I would recommend that you visit - we will definitely be back so see you in there!!!