The Refectory in Newark and Sherwood

Nice cafe, lots of lovely food and drink available. Very clean with indoor and outdoor seating. Lovely views of the Minster. Plenty of highchairs available. Nice shop attached too. Friendly staff.

Very disappointed with the full English breakfast. Bacon like cardboard, sausage undercooked, mushrooms practically raw, tomatoes blowtorched only. For £11.99. This was extremely poor. We pointed these issues out to the waiting staff and asked them to feedback to the kitchen. It was evident with what we had left on the plate. When we went to pay at the counter, the girl asked if everything was alright, we said no, she smiled and said good, we pointed out that we said had said no and she giggled and said,Oh sorry I thought you were joking! She didn't offer to discuss with manager or the cook. Instead she said are you paying altogether or separately.We will NOT be returning.

This used to be one of the best places to eat in Southwell but my last visit was far from satisfactory. Service was with a grimace rather than a smile and the price for a Flat White was incredible...£3.10 for one out of a machine which tasted horrible! Food was "okay" but came so quickly (like 3 mins after ordering) that it felt as if we had got someone else's order... It was quicker than McDonalds! Won't be back again.

Have been many times for take away drinks on our lunch breaks. Excellent service from the staff even if their busy always have a smile .

This was my very 1st visit to this establishment, set in the grounds of Southwell Minster which is a very popular location with the locals(the older generatiions are very noisy with it aswel )With outdoor seating for when the weather permits & plenty of tables inside which are all on ground level and it also incorporates the Cathedral gift shop to the rear.On this occasion it was very busy & 10 mins ish wait was needed till a table came free,cleared then cleaned (very pleasing to see)by the busy staff .There's a quite a varied drink & menu choices which includes some strange variety meals on the special board on the wall ! .With table service provided, my party of three decided on tea for two,a Cappuccino coffee & 2portions of 2slices of Sourdough toast with marmalade & jam, after an initial enquiry as this wasn't on the menu but looked nice when bring served elsewhere in the room .There was a nice large tea pot for the shared drinks but along with the Cappuccino coffee which came pretty quickly but really far too early as there was along wait for the toast as it was very busy with orders, resulting in the coffee being half left & cold due to the wait.The Sourdough toast was very tasty but the crust was like concrete & slightly burnt on my 2 slices which I left as I didn't fancy a visit to the dentist.The place is dog friendly for those with animals which I'm not fond of having inside a foody place.The toilets facilities were nice & clean,the gents hand drier takes 4 or 5 go's as it doesn't stay on long enough to dry your hands ! .Payment is made by card at the counter unpon leaving.

. I was served a delicious Christmas dinner in this well run cafe. I recommend it to any body who appreciates good cooking. The waitresses are attentive and hard working.

The Refectory has a varied and different menu. For example I ate gnocchi with sweet potato, onion and feta cheese. It was a tasty dish. The summer fruits bread and butter pudding was good too. The staff are friendly and the place is well set up to be Covid secure with plenty of space between the tables, etc. The decor inside is a bit basic but perhaps that is fitting for a 'refectory'. If the weather is warm you can sit outside with a lovely view of the minster through the trees.

It was a lovely friendly cafe staff very helpful and polite.Scones were absolutely delicious 😋

Excellent quality lunch food and a lovely view of the Minster grounds available from the garden patio. Really enjoyed my roast veg salad and the bakewell dessert. I was wary the place would be a tourist trap, but I'd say it's worth the money and overall a step above a lot of other local options, particularly if you're looking on a Sunday :)

Had a BLT on granary bread and my aunty had tuna, it was so fresh and delicious. Lovely welcoming, clean and a great menu. Cherry crumble full of flavour. Love it.