Plan Your Visit

Food and Drink at Down House

Treat yourself to something to eat or drink in the Down House Tearoom, located in the kitchen where the Darwins' meals were prepared in the mid-19th century. If the sun’s shining, you can sit out on the patio where Charles once received his famous 'water cures' from Parslow the butler. There’s also seating inside the kitchen and in the Butler's Pantry.

 

What We Offer

Our seasonal menu includes a homemade soup of the day, a daily special and a selection of freshly made sandwiches and toasties, and salads from our own gardens when available.

For sweets treats, we offer an array of goodies – shortbread, brownies, flapjacks – and a gorgeous line-up of cakes: spiced ginger, apple, chocolate fudge and Victoria sponge. You can also choose to have a traditional cream tea or, with the addition of sandwiches, afternoon tea. A special option is our Scotch fruit cake, made from one of Emma Darwin's very own recipes that she often asked her cook to bake.

Quench your thirst with our range of teas and freshly ground coffee, along with a variety of different fruit juices. Vegetarian, vegan, and dairy and gluten-free options are always available.

You can find allergen and nutritional information here.

Opening Times

The tearoom is open on all the days that the site is open, hot food is served from 12:00 – 15:00 daily and last cake/drink orders being served 30 minutes before closing time: opening times.

Other Facilities

  • Toilets, including disabled facilities
  • Highchairs
  • Water provided to warm bottles
  • Baby-changing facility (within disabled toilets)
  • Children's lunch boxes during school holidays

Groups

We can offer a buffet menu that can be tailored to a group's needs. Minimum: 10 people at £15 per head. Please book in advance.

Picnics

You are welcome to enjoy a picnic at Down House within the designated picnic area located by the tennis court. The rest of the site is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, which means that it contains many important protected species, such as very rare forms of fungi growing in the grass around the house.