The Gateway Café

Our server was very kind and friendly. They had gluten free options (I got a gluten free salted Carmel brownie and if was very good). The drinks were really good, my husband got a latte and I got an iced chai latte. 10/10! I would recommend here! It was also quiet and intimate place with a nice flower gift shop as well!

I don't usually leave bad reviews, but had to here. This is incredibly overpriced for a very meagre portion of food. I had a Katsu curry, and there was perhaps three bites of chicken. It was almost comical how small the portion was. Such a shame. I feel screwed out of my money. * update: spoke to a server there to complain, they said "ah, when I am serving I usually give two bits of chicken as that is fair". So they do actually know there is a problem!

We live round the corner and go to the Botanics on a weekly basis. We love the gardens, have attended toddler classes, the light shows, events etc. Every so often we go to the Gateway cafe and it kills me how awful the service is. Yesterday I took my mum and she was appalled. I go with a 1&2 year old and am provided with no help, running to the top of the cafe to get high chairs, running back and forth to get trays. There are always 6 or so people behind the counter doing nothing. I’ve emailed to provide feedback when I dropped the tray while carrying a baby and no one offered to help - they just looked on. It is a painful experience. Avoid the cafe but go to the botanics.

My partner says four stars because the burger had a smoked flavor. I enjoyed the Halloumi & smashed avocado salad with chicken and the Pravha house lager. Best to call for a reservation. Would definitely go back.

The place is good if you want to take a rest from the walking. It offers a good choice (although it may be limited) of soups and sandwiches. The coffee is fine and you can even do some study while drinking your coffee. It's not the cheapest option but it's more or less what you expect to pay inside a museum or in this case, a garden.

Got the medium salad plate with a chickpea and sweet potato salad that was essentially tasteless with an arugula salad that after heavy doctoring with salt, pepper, oil and balsamic, was finally edible. My husband’s eggplant curry was also tasteless. The Coke Zero and Pelligrino were fine, so maybe stick to canned or packaged items. Nice sitting area though. Pricey for tasteless food.

Eating here regularly has shown the food to be inconsistent ans expensive , we come for the gardens and love to support it / here’s where it’s inconsistent and expensive , the cauliflower dish at £12/£13 HALVED in size overnight , was a decent if expensive portion , now it’s rhe size of a side dish - for £13 ? No way . Bang bang chicken salad for £11/£12 ranges from having a good mix of ingredients although expensive to having half the ingredients missing - this week no mango , no edamame, no seeds no carrots , tiny piece of chicken and leaves ,no specials no changes in menu , mass confusion for customers at the counter if you’re not familiar with the two queues , nice staff in the most part , don’t think anyone who manages the cafe bothers to read the reviews, but this so a true and valid account

As a support Practitioner. I support vulnerable adults. They enjoy the cafe at the botanics but I am allocated £5 for a lunch while supporting someone. This cafe outprices me and I often have to go hungry. Even the kids meal is too expensive