Lucy's Tearoom and B&B

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#10 of 26 Restaurants in Stow-on-the-WoldCafe, British, ££ - £££

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Lucy's Tearoom and B&B

Review

At a glance

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Website

+44 1451 830000Improve this listing

About

Lucy's Tearoom is a traditional, family run, English tearoom and B&B which prides itself on high quality, local produce. From home cooked brunch, to delicious light lunches and freshly baked scones, cakes and cream teas, there is something for everyone. Sit in our bay window with a fresh coffee for a spot of people watching, or by our fireplace with a bowl of homemade soup, or in our courtyard garden with a 'Stow Special Cream Tea' served on a tiered cake stand- it is your choice!

Features

CUISINES

Cafe, British

Meal types

Breakfast, Lunch, Brunch, Drinks

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

FEATURES

Accepts Credit Cards

Gift Cards Available

Highchairs Available

Outdoor Seating

Seating

Table Service

Takeout

Location

The Square, Stow-on-the-Wold GL54 1AB England

Can a gluten free person get a good meal at this restaurant?

Yes

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Hours

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Closed now

• Opens at 9:30 AM

Sunday

9:30 - 16:00

Monday

10:00 - 16:00

Tuesday

10:00 - 16:00

Wednesday

10:00 - 16:00

Thursday

10:00 - 16:00

Friday

10:00 - 16:00

Saturday

9:30 - 16:00

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4.4

1,176 reviews

Excellent

778

Very good

271

Average

Poor

Terrible

heatherwilcox

Warwickshire140 contributions

Very nice cream tea

Feb 2024 • couples

We had been for a long walk and decided to stop if for a cup of coffee, we ended up having a cream tea costing £8.50 each, you could choose from either tea or coffee and scone with or without fruit. The scones were gorgeous. Lovely quaint cafe nicely done out with friendly staff

Written 18 February 2024

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Pj Travels

Birmingham363 contributions

A New Year stroll around Stow .

Jan 2025 • couples

We ventured into the Cotswolds in the new year after the crowds had died down from Christmas . A more leisurely stroll round the village was had and decided to pop in for some light refreshment . We had to wait a short time as it was very busy but after 5mins a table became free . Having gone through the menu a soup and fish finger sandwich were ordered . The coffees arrived first and then after a short wait the food arrived , enough to keep hunger at bay while we finished off the town. It’s conveniently situated and has all the facilities expected and even rooms to let I think . Worth a visit for the experience , but you may have to wait for a table !!

Written 2 February 2025

KelCat17

74 contributions

Lovely find!

Apr 2024 • couples

There was a power cut in the village, therefore we ended up here as the place we had originally planned to visit wasn’t taking customers because they had no power. Very grateful in hindsight, we had a lovely visit here. The young girl (dark hair) that greeted us was rushed off her feet but was polite, attentive and communicated the wait perfectly. We watched her clear plates, run food, take orders and deal with the arriving guests that were waiting for tables to become available. Our afternoon tea was lovely and worth the small wait. The scones were warm when served and cakes were lovely and fresh. All served with a smile as well, making us feel like we were the only guests in the very full tea room. We will definitely be returning

Written 29 April 2024

Kate

3 contributions

Disappointing Visit

Aug 2024 • couples

We didn’t have a great experience here unfortunately. The service was very slow and it took 45 minutes for the waitress to bring out a slice of cake, a sausage roll and a toastie. We had to ask for it to go in the end, as time was running out on our parking and even then it still took a long time to come out. To add to the disappointment, the sausage roll was tiny and didn’t taste nice at all.

Written 20 August 2024

Diane T

World26 contributions

Just tea for two?

Apr 2024 • couples

In the area supporting local businesses whilst on a short break. Entered and were offered the table available in front of the counter by the fireplace. We ordered a pot of tea for two - Tetley for £2.75 per person. Whilst sitting there we heard an elderly lady serving behind the counter say ‘Really! Your joking. No food and they’re taking up a table’. Not sure that the elderly female employee was totally aware we were sat there listening to their comments, but we were in need of a cup of tea, so chose not to respond in front of other customers who were all eating and drinking in the cafe. Comments like these serve only to give the customer a poor impression of the business. Tea was served by a pleasant young female team member who we thanked. Pleasant, much like the young male employee who took our order. Tea for two reasonably priced and pleasant tasting. We weren’t hungry so saw no need to order food we wouldn’t have eaten. The younger employees were very customer focused and polite and efficient. The elderly lady behind the counter making the drinks perhaps could benefit from a little more customer focus training, or refrain from making comments about customers taking up a table in the cafe and not eating, but only ordering drinks. I’d imagine our £5.50 went someway towards your running costs for the day. Unfortunately, couldn’t rate higher owing to the comments made by this elderly staff member, but would reiterate that the younger staff members serving us were brilliant. Stow on the Wold is blessed with many cafes, pubs etc, so there’s more choice for customers if the welcome here is not the greeting you’d expect from a customer focused business.

Written 13 April 2024

FairCritique4U

1669 contributions

It was a tad hit and miss

Jan 2024 • couples

I’ve decided to give this average, and that is based on the overall ambience of the establishment. You will see from previous reviews that I have reviewed it, highly. On this occasion, I felt that being seated in the main part of the café, things were drab and needed maintenance. For example, we were seated in the window Bay Area. The point about this is enjoying the view outside and watching life go by. They were able to fulfil this part, but the windows were filthy, there was rot in the window frame itself and There was a crappy old fan heater, providing warmth, which Needed a scrub. I could buy one for £10 in B&Q and happily provide it to them There was a tatty old air vent in the window too and these are the things which could have set this place apart from the competitors, all clearly struggling to hold part of the tourist industry which frequents this village. Let’s move to the menu options. Okay, they were fine and what we ate was enjoyable – avocado, with bacon and egg on toast and I opted for an omelette. But when it came to the tea, whilst the staff were accommodating with making it extra strong, I’ve never had such a rotten leaking teapot in all my years. I noticed this when I visited twice during the summer. Just replace the pots, get some decent equipment and customers won’t end up with tea on the table, dribbling off onto the table and then onto jeans, in my case something I suffered. All this big said, the staff were very sweet in the interactions we had . it was also positively reassuring to see that the cakes are home-made and genuine and not just bought in from a local wholesaler. We also had two pots of tea which cost £14. I want to get this into perspective it’s hot water with a couple of teabags… I would love to have given four stars in my review, but I did feel that if it was more polished all round, I could justify it but on this occasion I’m sorry guys, perhaps next time might sway me.

Written 7 January 2024

Frankie Plowright

Thank you for you comments. We are very sorry that your enjoyment of the view from our bay window did not live up to your standards on this visit. We have our windows cleaned every 2 weeks, even in winter, so I am not sure that filthy is a fair description, but we will certainly take a look and make sure that we have them as sparkling as possible. We are also sorry that the two patches of rot on the woodwork, the air vents and the fan heater offended you so much. We are very fortunate that we have had a busy year and January/February is our main opportunity to refresh the building throughout. Please be assured that we have already attended to the fan heater and maintenance to our bay window is first on the list for our painter. The air vents are part of a grade 2 listed window, so I'm afraid that they have to stay. (N.B. the fan heater is to clear the condensation from the windows, not for warmth.) Our teapots are replaced several times a year, as and when needed. We are very sorry if you had a drippy one. We would have been more than happy to swap it for you, had we known. I am genuinely puzzled at how two pots of tea came to £14 when we charge either £2.75 a pot for teabag tea, or £3.50 for loose leaf tea. Even if you add alternative milk in (75p) it wouldn't come to £14. Please do get in touch if you feel that there was a billing mistake. On a plus side you seem to have enjoyed our food, our cakes and our staff, so perhaps it wasn't all bad after all. We hope that we can reclaim that elusive 4 star review from you once we have finished our annual refurb. Best wishes, Frankie, Tasha and our very hardworking team.

Written 9 January 2024

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Stephen B

Bicester6 contributions

Worst service ever

Jan 2024 • family

This has to be the worst run tearoom in England. They do a very limited menu with a choice of 2 soups and a few sandwiches. The food quality was very good, all 3 of us had soup but the portion size was simply extremely small being served in a thimble type pot. Lots of staff on and a very small place with about 10 tables but we waited almost 45 minutes. Staff never came to us, we had to ask to be served. Many people waited by the sign as you entered that stated to wait there to be seated. Staff could see these people but did not serve them in fact most were not even acknowledged. Staff were seen on their phones. Good quality 95% Service 5% Cost £7.50 for a thimble of soup with a small slice of bread and a bit of butter. I have run busy pubs and restaurants and I would say that this is the least productive food outlet I have ever seen. Customer service is non existent. A great pity because the food quality was excellent and location if perfect but overall a must miss.

Written 6 January 2024

Frankie Plowright

Hi Stephen, Quite an opening statement there. We are sorry that we were not able to give you the customer service that you needed to make your visit a pleasurable one. Having spoken to the staff, who recalled exactly who you were, we understand that you visited at a time that we were particularly busy. We are genuinely sorry that you had to wait between 30-45 mins for your food. We cook everything freshly and do state on our menu that orders can take half an hour to arrive, but we always hope that this will be the maximum amount of time. We are very sorry if it was longer than this. As you say, we had a lot of people waiting for a table and our staff were doing the best they could. As for the soup. I'm not sure what size hands you have, but our soup is served in 300ml copper pans. They would make very large thimbles! Thank you for your feedback regarding customer service and being able to see a staff member on their phone. We take this very seriously and will speak to the whole team about it. We are thankful for every person that choses to come into the tearoom and we hope that they will leave feeling they had the best experience possible. Finally we are glad that you thought the food was excellent and you liked the location. And we thank you for your concern that we are not a productive food outlet, I hope that you can rest easy knowing that we are doing ok. best wishes, Frankie, Tasha and the team

Written 9 January 2024

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

SlashMcKnifey

8 contributions

Not a good experience

Jan 2024 • friends

My friend and I went chose Lucy's tearoom for a coffee this afternoon, as they had outside seating. We ordered two Americanos, one with almond milk, as I cannot drink cow's milk. I was charged £4, which I thought was reasonable for two coffees in a cafe in Stow on the Wold. As we went to sit down outside (my friend wanted to sit in their courtyard at the back, which had tables) we were told we could not sit out there, and could only sit out the front. As we went to do so, I mentioned the second Americano was without milk. Once sat down, we were then approached and asked when we intended to pay for the second Americano. I challenged this, saying that I had assumed that the £4 I had just paid was for two Americanos. I was told I had only paid for mine. £4 for just one coffee. The coffees arrived promptly. My mug had a small blob of dirt on it, which I tried to rub off rather than make a fuss and ask for a clean mug. I would expect a coffee costing £4 to be significantly better than the one I received. Although it was not the worst cup of coffee I have ever had, it was very far from the best, and was pretty tasteless. I have since looked at their website, and Americano is listed on their menu as £2.80, with almond milk an extra at 40p. Either the menu currently showing on their website is significantly out of date, or I was overcharged - which should have been picked up by them when I questioned what I had just paid for, and rectified. I rarely write reviews, particularly negative ones, and especially as it's only a cup of coffee and in the grand scheme of things, being overcharged by 80p isn't a huge deal. However, I hate being ripped off, even if it is by a relatively small amount. In hindsight, I wish I had cancelled the order, asked for a refund and gone elsewhere. I think it therefore goes without saying that I will give this place a miss next time I am meeting a friend for a coffee in Stow.

Written 7 January 2024

Frankie Plowright

Thank you for your comments. We are very sorry that you do not feel that our coffee is value for money as we would never want anyone to feel ripped off. Our menu, that is displayed by our front door and offered to every customer seated inside, clearly states our current prices. An Americano is £3.25 and alternative milk is 75p. I understand that £4 can feel like a lot for a cup of coffee, but unfortunately the increased cost of living affects business costs too and we try to ensure that everything is priced as fairly as possible. I have just checked the sample menu on our website and it is our summer menu which has an Americano with almond milk priced at £3.25 with almond milk costing 40p. I will ensure that the menu is updated to our winter menu this week. We are also very sorry that we were unable to accommodate you in our courtyard. We only open it during the summer months as it is not heated or covered and so we feel that you would have a much better experience inside our cosy tearoom. There are however the two tables at the front of the building which our more hardy customers are welcome to use all year round. We do hope that you will come into the tearoom again when you are next in Stow. Perhaps in the summer when you can enjoy the courtyard at its best. Best wishes, Frankie & Tasha

Written 9 January 2024

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Joe

United Kingdom93 contributions

Very Disappointing!

May 2024 • couples

So, we visited here in 2023 and thoroughly enjoyed it. Having returned to Stow on the Wold earlier today, we decided to return for lunch. We were shown upstairs to a lovely table overlooking the high street ~ perfect we thought; and we were looking forward to choosing our lunch. The host said that she would be with us in a few moments to take our order. We were the only people upstairs. 5 minutes later another group of five were shown to their table by the same host. Having waited over 10 minutes, the host finally came up stairs, we assumed, to take our order. The host attended the table of five and took their order, at the same time completely ignoring us and returning downstairs. We were a little taken aback, but assumed we would be served soon afterwards. After 15 minutes, the host did not return upstairs, so although feeling quite uncomfortable, we decided to leave our menus on the table and walk away from the Tea Room. The said host, was busy serving other customers downstairs, so we left assuming we had been over looked. We don’t usually like to leave a poor review, preferring to only positively comment, when exceptional service is received, but this was the most disappointing service we have ever come across. We left the Tea Room actually quite astounded at such poor customer service. Whether this was because you were far too busy or under-staffed, or even if you simply have enough business coming through, so don’t actually care about providing a basic level of service to your customers, it is nevertheless, very disappointing. Fortunately, we made alternative lunch arrangements, but the experience ruined our afternoon in Stow on the Wold. Having to spend time writing these comments, whilst on our holiday, shows how disappointed we are.

Written 16 May 2024

Richard G

5 contributions

Great Experience - Thank you

Aug 2023 • family

I’ve seen some of the previous reviews and don’t really understand why folk’s feel the need to be so negative. If you want fast food and drinks go find a McDonald’s. The place is great, be prepared to wait if it’s busy (we did) and it’s worth it. Great value for a scone, jam, clotted cream and a tea/coffee and it tasted great. The other good and cakes looked yummy 😋 . Tables are a 1st come basis so you may find a single person sitting on a table for 4 so chill out and enjoy this lovely cafe in a slow paced and beautiful village. We had our English Springer with us and she enjoyed the dog ice cream and the water bowl they brought !

Written 31 August 2023

Little Miss Clumsy

131 contributions

Poor management

Oct 2023 • couples

My partner ordered Lucy's rarebit which was nice and serving staff were very pleasant. I however ordered a frittata with potato salad and leaves which was hugely disappointing. The frittata was tasteless apart from the burnt bottom. The potato salad consisted of horrible cold potatoes with a sprinkling of parsley. No dressing for the leaves was offered, I had to ask. Nobody enquired to see if the food was ok until we paid. I told them my thoughts purely because they asked. A woman was called to speak to us and she was very defensive. She said the potato salad had a light dressing (so light it wasn't visible) and that people can request dressings. We'd already given them our custom earlier for drinks in the morning but we certainly won't ever again! The fact that they don't respond to reviews just confirms that they don't care about their customers.

Written 18 October 2023

JemR_10

Oxford39 contributions

A pleasure.

Dec 2022 • none

We popped in as we were in Stow doing a Treasure Trail and having checked on Tea Rooms beforehand this seemed now to be the place, having a few years earlier visited the much larger nearby 'chain' establishment that appeared to have gone downhill somewhat. There was a short queue before we were shown upstairs to a window table where a lovely cream tea was enjoyed with fluffy fruit scones and fresh tea all for under £14. If in Stow please call in, it's a little taste of how we British can be so good with our classic Tea Rooms. A delight.

Written 9 January 2023

michele h

3 contributions

Cosy room in heart of town

Jul 2024 • couples

We stayed for two nights in this great location, to explore the local walks. Very comfortable cosy ground floor room with lovely bathroom & great shower. Access is via the cafe so had use of the courtyard in the evening, to eat and drink at leisure. Super breakfast and on the second morning we had to leave early so Dawn very kindly made us es and cake to go. Really appreciated and enjoyed!

Written 27 July 2024

BenjaminACrompton

London19 contributions

Cake at a snail’s pace!

Oct 2023 • family

We were not impressed with our visit to the team room. We arrived at approx 11.40am and ordered a round of coffees/teas and cakes to go with them. The hot drinks took about 25 minutes to arrive and the cakes never came. Eventually after 40 minutes of waiting for the cakes, we cancelled the cake order. There was no apology but we were simply told “we are very busy”, even though a table that came in after us received their food before we did. We observed staff members chatting during this period. The coffee was not great. We would not recommend, unless you have a lot of free time!

Written 26 October 2023

Oliver

Milton Keynes8 contributions

Poor service, ok food

Jan 2025 • couples

Disappointing visit. When arriving for breakfast, instructions on service weren’t clear. Lots of staff yet many just stood around having a chat and system was slow. Only two of us and ordered one breakfast and a scone. The cafe was also very quiet, yet still 40 minutes later still no sign of our food whilst staff could be seen eating in the kitchen. Lack of communication and 45 minute wait for food really let it down. Food was decent, but service really ruined it. Never usually one to moan but service was poor.

Written 3 January 2025

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LUCY'S TEAROOM AND B&B, Stow-on-the-Wold - Updated 2025 Restaurant Reviews, Menu & Prices - Tripadvisor