The arrival of the rains has truly christened the rebirth of Leal’s Tea Gardens. After a great deal of hard work involving seasoned professionals, family and friends, Ani and Carl have launched themselves onto Godshill High Street. The extensive gardens, pillars, ponds and water features which before this year were the declining Willow Tree Tea Gardens have been totally rejuvenated.
Way back in the 1930s these gardens were the original Leal’s and many of the stone features from then still stand. The fountains, streams and waterfalls have been restored and help provide a tranquil haven in the centre of the village.
The gardens are complimented by both covered and indoor dining able to cope with all weathers and all seasons. A majestic new wood burner has pride of place and will be a delight for diners as the cooler evenings set in.
Whilst they are already fully functioning, as with any extensive new venture, there are further refinements they have planned, in their case, mostly relating to being open daytime and evening during the winter months.
So, why not pop in to Leal’s Tea Gardens and, if you do nothing else, try their coffee! It is pretty unique. It is Freedom Blend from Inside Ground, a commercial partnership between Union Hand Roasted Coffee and HMP Feltham Young Offenders Institute. These young men are getting a solid second chance to learn all there is to know about coffee and find themselves new jobs in the UK hospitality industry.
I would visit Leal’s if they were dog friendly inside, but they’re not! There was a “No Dogs” sign on the door. I fail to see why they don’t allow dogs inside. The Isle of Wight Pearl Centre allow dogs in both their shop and their café. If the Pearl Centre can do it, so can Leal’s!
It’s an old sticker left over from previous ownership. To say that we are ‘Not dog friendly’ simply isn’t true. Each case is taken on a ‘dog by dog’ basis – lets be fair, not everyone likes dogs, and not all food establishments allow dogs inside?
Needs more staff. Had a long wait to get served. There should be a person on the counter to take your order. The girls were coming and going saying I’ll be back in a minute. 10 minutes passed by. It didn’t seem that busy. But on a positive note they were the best scones I’ve tasted. We go round the island visiting different cafe’s every week. You were my 103rd cafe. I feel the service needs looking at. We didn’t have enough milk or plates.
Hello Tina,
Thanks for taking the time to tell us what you think. I can only apologise for the wait and the lack of plates and milk ! I’ll be the first to admit we have had a few staffing issues and to be honest, have been a little overwhelmed by the numbers of people that have visited the tea garden so soon after opening our doors.
The lovely people from coach parties, who arrive in large numbers and have a very limited time to eat/drink before their coaches leave again, put a huge strain on the staff – all of which who really do an amazing job.
Once again, I can only apologies for the lack of service – please don’t be put off and come and see us again soon.
Many thanks for the kind word about our scones – everything is freshly baked, which can be a struggle to keep up with sometimes, but really worth it !
Thanks,
Carl