The Courtyard - Uttlesford

I have visited this restaurant twice recently and both times were below average. The service was slow, with food being forgotten on both occasions. There were no apologies for the missing items on my order. The chef tried to pass off the wrong chutney, assuming I wouldn't notice. Despite the tasty food and variety of vegetarian options, the slow service and indifferent staff make it difficult to enjoy the experience. The outdoor seating area is nice and peaceful, but it is overshadowed by the lack of attentiveness from the staff.

During our coach trip, we stopped for lunch in Saffron Walden and stumbled upon a tea room with the name Tiptree. Intrigued, we decided to give it a try. We opted to sit outside, but had to go inside to request menus. We were informed that our order would be taken at our table. After waiting for about 30 minutes with no one coming outside to take our order, we decided to go in and order ourselves. We ordered cold drinks and toasted sandwiches, which arrived about 25 minutes later. While the food was okay, the service was terrible and we do not plan on returning.

We arrived at about 10.55 but service was very slow and we ordered at 11.10. My daughter was told she couldn't have the Vegan breakfast as it was after 11! Not ones to complain she ordered something else. I asked for granary bread and got white. I specifically asked for a one shot americano and was given a strong 2 shot. When I paid the Manageress/owner asked if all was good. I mentioned the coffee but didn't get chance to elaborate on the other points. She handed me the payment console and I chose not to tip. My prerogative esp after the poor visit. She then completely changed her attitude and was very frosty.

I have visited The Courtyard several times. In my experience, their service was a bit slow. It seemed to take longer than usual from ordering to paying. The staff is friendly and familiar with regular customers. It may have been close to lunchtime, causing the delay. I like to try different coffee shops, but I don't think The Courtyard is as good as it used to be. The service can be inconsistent, with slow periods following faster ones.

Cream tea for two was utterly scrumptious and served by an equally scrumptious waitress, Nicky Skingley. We had a delighful 90 minutes of being fed and looked after by Nicky, who informed us about Tiptree history and locations She even gave me a Tiptree Passport, which made my day. Thank you xx