The Secret Garden Cafe, Wine Bar & Restaurant
Latest Reviews
To celebrate a clear cancer check this morning we went to The Secret Garden for lunch. We have had tea and coffees there but never lunch, and we were not disappointed. We enjoyed a delicious yet unpretentious meal, home cooked and served without a long wait. It has a friendly and homely atmosphere and the staff looked after us very well. A lovely French restaurant without the usual fuss of a French restaurant! We shall certainly be visiting it more often, and for those who are passing through Sudbury visiting Gainsborough's House, a lunch here would make it a perfect visit to this lovely market town in Suffolk.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Lovely cafe for afternoon tea and coffee. Friendly and helpful service and very knowledgeable. Great selection of home made food and very well priced. Afternoon tea with home made jam was delightful.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Unpretentious but at the same time, efficient, elegant, not expensive & really is a secret because the food is fabulous!
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Had a lovely lunch with my aunt & cousin here on Thursday. We had the 3 course set menu, Stilton and pear salad, venison burger and marmalade bakewell tart - washed down with Suffolk cider. Beautiful food well worth the money- A genuine taste of France!
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
This French owned and run restaurant in the lovely market town of Sudbury is a hidden gem. It really doesn't look much from the outside and, to be perfectly honest, it's completely unpretentious inside too. But don't let that fool you! The food here is of the highest standard and way better than quite a few meals I've eaten in France!
There is a regular menu and daily specials. Strictly no chips I believe (that should be strictly no 'frites' of course) but you can expect the freshest ingredients put together in an absolutely delicious way at great value prices.
You can pop in for coffee and a sumptuous cake or dessert, or have a full three course meal with wine - French wine of course! There's a small courtyard for al fresco eating and no matter what you order it will be delivered with a smile.
I've thought long and hard about writing this review. Am I giving away Sudbury's best kept secret (garden)?!!
There is a regular menu and daily specials. Strictly no chips I believe (that should be strictly no 'frites' of course) but you can expect the freshest ingredients put together in an absolutely delicious way at great value prices.
You can pop in for coffee and a sumptuous cake or dessert, or have a full three course meal with wine - French wine of course! There's a small courtyard for al fresco eating and no matter what you order it will be delivered with a smile.
I've thought long and hard about writing this review. Am I giving away Sudbury's best kept secret (garden)?!!
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Friendly well paced service in calm and restful surroundings.
Food excellent freshly cooked and well presented.Went there as a birthday treat and as a result will be going back on a regular basis.
This restaurant is just the type of establishment my wife and I prefer when going out being so relaxed.One minor gripe that after two hours of sitting on the, what looked like, ex school chairs (proper sized adult ones) they started to become a little uncomfortable. But as a measure of how good the food was we did not notice until we had finished the meal.
Expresso coffee was the best I have had in this country!.
Food excellent freshly cooked and well presented.Went there as a birthday treat and as a result will be going back on a regular basis.
This restaurant is just the type of establishment my wife and I prefer when going out being so relaxed.One minor gripe that after two hours of sitting on the, what looked like, ex school chairs (proper sized adult ones) they started to become a little uncomfortable. But as a measure of how good the food was we did not notice until we had finished the meal.
Expresso coffee was the best I have had in this country!.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Beautiful French food and lovely ambience -had a lovely relaxing meal with a group of about 25 people. There was no panic and food arrived hot for everyone even though it was all freshly cooked - can't wait to go back.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
This is a great place for coffee, lunch, tea and particularly, open Friday and Saturday nights, for dinner. Lovely sunny walled garden for the summer.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
I picked this as a quiet and cosy venue for Valentines Eve. There was a set menu with 2 choices for each course and a wine tasting menu to accompany each course. Alternatively you could opt for the same menu at a reduced price and choose your own wine.
We were not disappointed by any part of the meal at all. The scallops were excellent, but stars of the meal were my sole main course and the fruit coulis for dessert.
This place is a real little gem. I would highly recommend it for a quiet meal for two or a small group.
We were not disappointed by any part of the meal at all. The scallops were excellent, but stars of the meal were my sole main course and the fruit coulis for dessert.
This place is a real little gem. I would highly recommend it for a quiet meal for two or a small group.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Enjoyed a good bowl of broccoli and Stilton soup ( this was excellent) then a smoked haddock main (good enough) wine was satisfactory. Service was very good. Would go again. Prices slightly over but fine. Can recommend for nice lunch.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
We have been here on many occasion, lunches mainly and today was as expected. Super fixed price lunch, 3 courses £16.50 including coffee. Home made breads, jams and pastries. Locally sourced products cooked to perfection served very politely and calmly, no fussing or noise. This is a small french style eatery championing small french vineyards with a menu to match. It's like visiting your french friends for lunch. Always worth booking for lunch as they are always busy, which is a good sign! If you want a good quality and well priced lunch and don't care too much about lighting, chairs that don't match but want a lunch that's different from the rest that Sudbury has to offer then you have to look no further!!! And this was achieved today without any power!!!!!
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Visit here for great lunch and cakes. The bread is stupendous! The service good always great welcome
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
We always love our meals at the Secret Garden whether that's lunch time or evening meals. You always know the food is fresh and home made. The price is more than fair and personal service is first class.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Having recently moved into the area, Sudbury is our nearest shopping centre with banks, Waitroses etc, so we've been trying out several of the cafes in the town. We have walked past this cafe in the past and it was always busy, a good sign usually. Today we ventured in just past 11am, a friendly hello greeting, and choice of front or back rooms. Prices were reasonable for our choices of cappuccino and filter coffee, plus a delicious cheese and herb scone. And the filter coffee was topped up for nowt! Lots of papers and magazines to read, none tatty. Toilets kitted out with all accessories, and clean too. We saw that French tuition is offered, and drawing classes held there once a week, presumably in the meeting room upstairs. Evening meals apparently at weekends. A happy experience and we will return there.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Up market lovely place. Outside is an enchanting garden with a wall of flowers. Herbs grown here too. The food is more than first class
and is always busy.
and is always busy.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
We recently visited for lunch. I can heartily recommend the Croque Monsieur. Plus the fruit cake and chocolate brownies are to die for. Very friendly and attentive service too. We'll definitely be back to try dinner.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
I had been looking forward to dining at the Secret Garden for some time, the establishment is a coffee/lunch venue most of the week and then on Friday and Saturday evenings they offer dinner from a set menu made up of three or so starters, mains and desserts plus a few specials on the board. The restaurant is in a very old building, white washed walls and wooden flooring, or is it stone, can’t quite remember? There is an eclectic mix of old tables and chairs of various shapes and sizes which works very well. The lighting was however very poor, the main lighting comes from directional spot lights on the low ceiling which means that you can find yourself sitting in a very bright pool of direct light which is not conducive to a relaxed dinner and I longed for a more subtle light from lamps or dimmed wall lights. Our food was probably best described as competent French home cooking style, in the main ok but not as good as some here would have you believe. Our meals contained a couple of notable fault; one of the pastry dishes ordered turned out to be uncooked in the middle, literally raw uncooked pastry and my dish was heavily over salted, none of the dishes we had were particularly notable and its difficult to see what the fuss on these pages is all about. In summary then a disappointing evening at the Secret Garden, I found the place lacked warmth or much ambience at all on the evening we were there however on the plus side, service is efficient, the Wine list though modest is good and the bread is really very good indeed.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Open very Friday and Saturday evening for dinner. Fixed price 3-course menu with option on the board. Excellent food and wind list, give it a try highly recommended and very friendly owner and staff.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
A very expensive tea room with limited menu, I don't get the cult of The Secret Garden. Frequented whenever I have been there by ladies from the local tennis club, dripping venom. Bad genius loci.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
We come here about once every couple of months. The food really is excellent - by far the best place in Sudbury.
We quite often go for the specials on the board (there's a fixed price for two or three courses) or we opt for one of the salads. The crayfish and avocado is fantastic - I want to know the recipe for the mango dressing.
If you're looking for an evening meal, you can reserve a table on either Saturday or Sunday. We did so last year (our son was finally old enough to stay with his grandmother) and it was a wonderful meal. We'll be doing that again...
I really can't recommend this place enough. We eat out quite a bit, but tire of gastro-pub food. The Secret Garden is definitely the place to go.
We quite often go for the specials on the board (there's a fixed price for two or three courses) or we opt for one of the salads. The crayfish and avocado is fantastic - I want to know the recipe for the mango dressing.
If you're looking for an evening meal, you can reserve a table on either Saturday or Sunday. We did so last year (our son was finally old enough to stay with his grandmother) and it was a wonderful meal. We'll be doing that again...
I really can't recommend this place enough. We eat out quite a bit, but tire of gastro-pub food. The Secret Garden is definitely the place to go.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
The Secret Garden has become a bit of an institution in Sudbury - very much the "go to" place for lunch. The atmosphere and food quality are always excellent, with the added bonus of a touch of France in the middle of Suffolk. Also excellent for an evening meal on Fridays and Saturdays - not cheap, but always excellent food quality and again, a good atmosphere.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
My wife and I went for lunch whilst we were in town. We'd not been before and had always meant to try it! So glad we did!
The food was really good. Fresh and delicious. I had the crayfish and avocado salad and the dressing was to die for. My wife had the goats cheese, which was also excellent. Afterwards we were tempted by the raspberry tart, which was a phenomenon.
The service was relaxed and the atmosphere was responsive to this. The whole place is cute, and I will be back with friends and family, and actively promoting it to anyone who will listen!
The food was really good. Fresh and delicious. I had the crayfish and avocado salad and the dressing was to die for. My wife had the goats cheese, which was also excellent. Afterwards we were tempted by the raspberry tart, which was a phenomenon.
The service was relaxed and the atmosphere was responsive to this. The whole place is cute, and I will be back with friends and family, and actively promoting it to anyone who will listen!
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Excellent in expensive meal in pleasant surroundings. Eclectic menu well cooked and presented. Went for lunch and think dinner would be even better. Very enjoyable.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
A really charming tea rooms with a relaxing 'touch of France' atmosphere, fine food from the menu or daily specials, an extensive range of teas and friendly staff. Plus you can get French lessons, try a wine tasting or learn to draw. We'll definitely be going back.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
This is a firm family favourite and we can see why. We ate here twice during our stay in Suffolk. First visit: for a large family lunch get together/celebration [14] on a Saturday. We were so well looked after at what must have been a very busy time/day for the owners. Food was delicious. Not sure how the chef managed to cook so many fillets of fish all at the same time and all perfectly cooked but he did!!
Second visit: during the week we returned for lunch. It was busy and well patronised. The wait staff were very friendly and welcoming and were happy to adapt the dish to gluten free where possible. Lunch started off with a delicious charcuterie, Mains: Haddock, green beans, potatoes– cooked in a French way and delicious, (this description sounds boring but it wasn’t!) Desert: Crème caramel with orange blossom syrup, raspberry meringue cake, which was sublime! Took home GF lemon cake – also deliciousClose your eyes and for an hour you will be back in a French bistro!
Second visit: during the week we returned for lunch. It was busy and well patronised. The wait staff were very friendly and welcoming and were happy to adapt the dish to gluten free where possible. Lunch started off with a delicious charcuterie, Mains: Haddock, green beans, potatoes– cooked in a French way and delicious, (this description sounds boring but it wasn’t!) Desert: Crème caramel with orange blossom syrup, raspberry meringue cake, which was sublime! Took home GF lemon cake – also deliciousClose your eyes and for an hour you will be back in a French bistro!
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
