Butlers Retreat

Lovely café in a great location right by the forest. We stopped here on the way to Connaught Water and it was a perfect break. Toilets are located on the top floor and were clean, which is always a big plus. We had drinks and ice cream — really nice and relaxing. There’s plenty of space to sit both inside and outside, so it didn’t feel crowded even on a busy, sunny day. A great spot to refresh and enjoy the surroundings 🌿

Lovely place to grab a coffee or a bite to eat when wandering around Epping Forest. The staff are always friendly and the food is great. Even the local wildlife think so.

We had an afternoon tea here on Easter weekend and it was delicious. Quite different from a hotel-style tea, the sandwiches are more substantial and all the better for it. The scones were delicious, along with the other sweet treats (brownies, lemon drizzle cake and cherry almond cake). A member of staff also noticed my wife was heavily pregnant and brought out additional Cheddar sandwiches as she couldn't have the brie.

Very slow service: I ordered the Connaught Breakfast around 11am and I had to wait for over half an hour to finally get my food despite the fact that there wasn’t any other customer! Quite pricey: For £11.95 I was served a single poached egg and a single falafel cut in half on lettuce and beans with 3 grilled cherry tomatoes and a slice of bread. Very little food! Car park: I had paid for 1 hour to park my car and I had to rush to eat my food! Staff: The young lady who was working at the time, clearly didn’t want to be there! Other: Please note that this place doesn’t take cash, the reason being that there is no bank near by 🤨 It’s a shame because the venue is very nice and cosy and in a great location by the forest and the lake.

Great spot for after you’ve done a walk. However…we were charge £3.50 for 2 slices of Hovis whole meal toast…and then £9 for a toastie. I get that it’s possibly location based prices…but the price for the toast is absolutely ridiculous. Even the toastie was on the expensive side for what it was. 2 slices of standard ham and a slice of cheese in quite a small roll. I don’t think I’ll be back unless their prices are more reasonable. I would suggest taking a picnic or your own coffee/tea if you’re doing a walk. One of the girl working there (I’m sure she’s lovely) was wearing a jumper with the guy from the Scream movie with a knife in his hand on the back of the jumper…not sure it’s appropriate for a cafe where lots of families go…

My compliments to the chef for having balls to send out a side salad in that state 🤣 It looked like Xmas leftovers. Pretty average food for the price. Nice little rest spot though.

What a great find! This was a beautiful cafe we went to, after our walk through the surrounding area. The scones were perfect! Smoothies were refreshing and food was filling - exactly what we were looking for. The service was quick and considerate, everyone we spoke to was kind. The weather definitely added to the ambience, there were many families around too enjoying their bank holiday. We will definitely be coming back here.