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The Barn Cafe

+44 1449 723359
Alder Carr Farm, Ipswich IP6 8LX United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Open Today: 10:00 AM - 03:00 PM

Quick Facts About The Barn Cafe

The Barn Cafe is a popular establishment with a lovely setting and a beautiful barn setting. Customers appreciate the atmosphere and the variety of menu choices available. However, there are some areas where the cafe has room for improvement. In this analysis, we will explore the strengths and weaknesses of The Barn Cafe using the comments provided.
One of the strengths highlighted by multiple customers is the delightful array of cakes and the high quality of the food. Customers have enjoyed the delicious toasties, fries, salads, and homemade ice cream. The food is attractively presented and of nice quality. The in-house pie, in particular, was praised for containing more meat and mushrooms than customers had experienced at other establishments. This demonstrates that The Barn Cafe excels at providing flavorful and well-prepared dishes.
Another strength of The Barn Cafe is the friendly and helpful staff. Visitors have noted that the staff were brilliant and an absolute pleasure to interact with. The waitstaff provided lovely table service and were polite and pleasant enough. This positive aspect enhances the overall dining experience at The Barn Cafe.
The cafe's setting is also mentioned as a strength. Customers appreciate the beautiful barn setting and the option to dine either inside or outside in the courtyard. The ambiance of the cafe adds to the overall enjoyment of the meal and creates a pleasant dining experience.
However, The Barn Cafe does have some weaknesses that were identified by customers. One recurring issue is the size of dairy-free and gluten-free cake servings in comparison to regular cakes. Customers have described these servings as incredibly small. This inconsistency in portion sizes raises questions about the cafe's commitment to providing equal options for customers with dietary restrictions.
Some customers have also had negative experiences with the service at The Barn Cafe. One customer mentions being kept waiting for 30 minutes with a menu and nobody coming to take their order. This suggests that the cafe may be understaffed or that the staff may not be properly trained to handle busy periods. Slow service is also mentioned in another comment, but it is counterbalanced by the exceptionally well-presented food.
Another weakness mentioned by customers is the lack of variety in the cake selection. One customer notes that they were disappointed to find only scones and a gluten-free chocolate brownie available during their visit. This lack of choice could be attributed to the cafe being busy due to a bank holiday. Nevertheless, it is important for the cafe to maintain a diverse range of cake options to cater to different tastes and dietary preferences.
Certain customers have also criticized the uninspiring choices and poor gluten-free options. The lack of gluten-free options and the cafe not serving between 11:30 and 12:00 due to menu changes are examples of missed opportunities to cater to a wider range of customers. Additionally, one customer suggests that using trays could improve table turnover and assist in cleaning tables more efficiently.
In conclusion, The Barn Cafe has several strengths, including its lovely setting, friendly staff, and high-quality food. The cafe excels in providing delicious dishes and offers a beautiful barn setting for customers to enjoy their meals. However, there are areas where the cafe could improve, such as ensuring consistent portion sizes for dairy-free and gluten-free cake options, providing a wider variety of cake choices, and addressing service issues during busy periods. By addressing these weaknesses, The Barn Cafe can further enhance the dining experience for its customers.


Best TL Reviews

Lovely setting. Very busy as always. Love it, however, we thought the dairy free and gf cake were incredibly small servings compared to the regular cake. Not sure why that would be.
Second visit for lunch. I had the most delicious toastie with fries and salad followed by their home-made ice cream which is just amazing!
Absolutely brilliant breakfast this morning. Great quality, great variety. Beautiful barn setting too. All the staff were brilliant, very friendly and helpful. Just an absolute pleasure to eat here!
Highly outstaffed or not trained properly?
Was waiting for 30 min with a menu and no one came to me to take my order while I had been told someone would do so.
Not cheap but quality was very good. We were cramped on a small round table and when we asked if we could move we were told we couldn't even though some of he larger tables were never taken (?) Not the quickest service but that didn't matter as the food was exceptionally well presented. The staff we met were polite and pleasant enough.
Disappointed. Have visited for years and always impressed with delightful array of cakes. This morning they only had scones plus gf chocolate brownie. They were lovely but lack of choice really disappointing. Perhaps it's because it's been bank holiday.
Bizarre idea of not serving between 1130 and 1200, due to change of menus. Coffee only warm. Uninspiring choices. Poor Gluten free options. Came away hungry. Slow service.
If the waiting staff used trays they could clean tables quicker.
We had a lovely lunch in this cafe and thoroughly enjoyed the food and service. There was a wait for our choosen dishes but were quite surprised when they came. They were attractively presented and of nice quality. My wife had a ploughman's and I had a beef and mushroom pie both of which were delicious. The in-house pie contained more meat and mushrooms than I had ever previously experienced when eating out. As this venue is very popular it is recommended that you reserve a table to avoid disappointment.
Lovely table service, friendly staff, can eat inside or out in the courtyard.
Lots of menu choices. Advised to ring to book a table during busy times.

Place Pictures

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The Barn Cafe Info

Amenities

Service options
  • Outdoor seating
  • Dine-in
Highlights
  • Great tea selection
Accessibility
  • Wheelchair-accessible car park
  • Wheelchair-accessible entrance
Offerings
  • Coffee
  • Healthy options
Dining options
  • Dessert
Amenities
  • Good for kids
Atmosphere
  • Casual
  • Cosy
Crowd
  • Groups

Today

Opening Hours

Monday 10:00 AM - 03:00 PM
Tuesday 10:00 AM - 03:00 PM
Wednesday 09:00 AM - 04:00 PM
Thursday 09:00 AM - 04:00 PM
Friday 09:00 AM - 04:00 PM
Saturday 10:00 AM - 03:00 PM
Sunday 10:00 AM - 03:00 PM

How to go there

Location