Departure Lounge Cafe Reviews
Reviews
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![Nick]()
Nick Sent on 04/08/2026Wedding Party (July 2026)
Myself and my now Wife got legally married in a small ceremony, but what we wanted to do was hold more of an extended Wedding Party style event a month later. We had heard of this venue from word of mouth on social media and it did not disappoint.
Simon (the owner) from start to finish was excellent. His relaxed nature made us feel so at ease from the beginning. He even recommended and organised local vendors for our food (hog roast), pudding (ice cream caravan - Caravanilla) basically taking all the stress out of it for us. The staff were amazing, and amended themselves when things started early or late.
If your after a great venue, very reasonable pricing, great staff who knows local vendors - I can’t rate this place high enough. Plus it’s a great place to have breakfast the next day as the bar area operates as a cafe during the day.
Thanks for making our Party amazing -
![Rebecca]()
Rebecca Sent on 30/07/2026Simply the best day ever....!!!
We chose The Departure Lounge firstly based on the venue itself. We saw a link to their website and new instantly that this was our vibe and then when we viewed the venue and met Simon, we were had no hesitation in booking our date. We booked just over a year in advance and were really pleased with the overall cost, it was within the budget we had set for ourselves and it wasn't the ridiculous prices you get at the more formal venues. We loved that the venue could supply a range of the caterers, but if we wanted to bring in our own then that was fine too. We included the ceremony package, BBQ dinner and the firepits. We loved that the tables, chairs and linens, tableware, glassware, were all included within the cost of the venue hire and catering cost. Again, it was one of the reasons we chose this venue because it was so easy to pick what we needed for our day and then the rest of the time we could just focus on how we wanted to decorate the venue/what entertainment we wanted for our guests. We wanted a laid back, relaxed vibe to our day, we provided the food for the reception (a great Costco run the day before the wedding was perfect to cater for our 75 guests). We wanted it to feel like we were hosting at home, simple but beautiful and completely us. All the details we added into the decor and table set ups allowed us to create our perfect day. Simon takes great pride in the presentation of his venue and so we really didn't need to do much. But Simon and his staff were incredible, they set everything up the way we needed, gave great advice when we were unsure, responded to emails and questions promptly and made the day transition seamlessly from day to evening. Our guests all complimented how relaxed the day was, and how much fun they had, which made us so happy. It was everything we could hope for and we wish we could do it all over again, exactly the same - we would not change a thing! -
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Amy Sent on 24/07/2026
Where do I even begin? The perfect team and venue!
We recently had our wedding at the departure lounge and it was incredible!
We could not have pulled it off as well as we did without the hard work and support from Simon and his team. No ask was too big and so much effort went in to make sure our special day was perfect.
The departure lounge is the perfect setting for saying I do. We had our ceremony outdoors with beautiful landscapes behind us (which makes for beautiful photos) followed by a BBQ and party in the marquee that we were able to put our own creative touch on!
Simon allowed us access in the days leading up to our wedding so that we could decorate the marquee how we wanted, with his help as and when it was needed.
We chose the BBQ for our “wedding breakfast”which was fantastic, with plenty for all and well catered for allergies and veggies.
The marquee was the perfect space for dancing the night away with plenty of room for an awesome band.
Simon and his team were effortlessly friendly and went above and beyond for us, not just on the day but in the lead up and days that followed. There’s not enough words to say thank you!
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![Jess]()
Jess Sent on 18/05/2026The perfect wedding venue!
We are so pleased that we booked The Departure Lounge as our wedding venue - Simon and his team are incredible and we can’t recommend and thank them enough for making our wedding day the best day ever!
The venue itself is just stunning, a gorgeous country cafe with lovely grounds and a purpose built wedding marquee which we were able to make our own!
We chose the BBQ and Hog Roast which was delicious, cooked to perfection and catering for alternative diets too!
The staff are so friendly, helpful and kind ensuring our day ran smoothly, Simon always responded promptly to my many questions and was more than happy to give information, advice and help from initial booking through to the day itself.
All of our guests commented on how beautiful the venue is, how wonderful the food was and just how special the whole day was which is thanks to Simon and all staff at The Departure Lounge. -
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Alice Sent on 16/05/2026
Magical chilled out venue
We could not have chosen a more perfect wedding venue. The grounds are beautiful, and the marquee is bright and spacious, we had the sides up so our guests could enjoy the stunning views across the fields.
We loved how customisable everything was. Our cocktail theme was brought to life perfectly, including strawberry mojitos served in kilner jars for our welcome drinks. Having our ceremony outside made the day feel even more special.
We also chose the BBQ option, and the food was incredible. As a chef myself, the food was a huge priority for me, and it absolutely did not disappoint, so many guests commented on how tasty it was.
Simon and the whole team went above and beyond throughout the planning process. Every question was answered quickly, no request was too much trouble, and they made us feel completely at ease from start to finish.
We would highly recommend this venue to any couple looking for a beautiful and relaxed place to get married. -
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Lauren Sent on 10/04/2026
No lounging about with this venue!.
The Departure Lounge Cafe is a hidden gem on the Basingstoke Road near Alton, that offers charm, beauty, stunning views, and a fantastic group of people who feel like family.
We couldn't have asked for a better venue to help our vision come to life for our big day.
My now husband and I are outdoors people, so whats better then getting married outside in a field with a woodland back drop, beautifully cut green grass, a large white marquee, a beautiful wooden building with a bar and to top it all off... surrounded by loved ones.
So as you can imagine, we was delighted to have the opportunity at The Departure lounge Cafe, to officially get married, as they hold a full marriage licence.
Simon (manager) Truly puts his heart and soul, into The Departure Lounge Cafe and went above and beyond to ensure our vision came to life.
The communication from the get go was fantastic!... with quick replies to emails, setting up meetings to go through things, and being so open and accommodating to our vision, was beyond our expectations.
The fact that simon is such an easy going guy, in allowing us to have our own stamp on the venue and our big day... Well it left us relaxed and reassured that we had a billion % chosen the right venue for us.
Simon has got a fantastic team of staff behind him, which shows in every aspect of the planning and build up to the wedding, as well as the excitation of your big day.
Every single one of them couldn't do enough for us and our family/friends and vendors... Ensuring that everyone with in our wedding was happy, relaxed, content and ready to celebrate.
When you get married at The Departure lounge Cafe,
*which you will because you would be a fool not to!*,
you are guaranteed to get the day you want and not a corporate package... The freedom to be yourselves, with no judgement and the ease of choosing your additional vendors to suit you.
You honestly won't regret choosing to have your wedding here!... or any other future celebration you may have. -
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![Graham]()
Graham Sent on 12/09/2025The perfect venue staff
The owner and staff couldn't possibly have been more accommodating to request or changes at last minute. Due to weather concerns, we changed our ceremony from outdoors to indoors with less than 24 hours notice and the venue made it happen without a single issue.
We used the venue for catering too, the food was high quality in great quantity.
We had nearly 100 guests, and for such a small team, it felt like their was an army working at the venue.
15* out of 10*, we had a perfect day! -
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![Regan]()
Regan Sent on 10/09/2025Incredible perfect wedding day!
The Departure Lounge hosted our wedding in September 2025 - the wedding day was perfect. Simon and the team were more than happy to help with anything we needed. The planning of the wedding was almost totally stress free thanks to them. We had the most amazing day, the hog roast and evening buffet put on by the venue were perfect. We had so many compliments from our guests on the venue, and the pricing was so reasonable!! We were able to have the marquee/field space 3 days early to set up which took all the stress away, then the team even packed everything down for us after the wedding and tidied up! Thank you Simon and your wonderful team! Regan and Ed xxx -
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![Cerri]()
Cerri Sent on 02/09/2025There are not enough words to describe how AMAZING Simon and his team!!!!
What an incredible day!!! We found the Departure Lounge over a year ahead of our wedding day, and Simon was amazing from day 1. He kept in contact with us throughout, and helped us with the planning of the day. Nothing was too much, and Simon and his team went above and beyond to make sure we had a smooth day. We had originally planned to have the ceremony outside, however due to the rain we decided on the day before that it would be best to have the ceremony inside the marquee. The professionalism of the team was impressive, and how they handled the change between the ceremony and reception was incredible. They were so quick, and made everything look perfect. The food was amazing, we had the afternoon tea and the hog roast in the evening. We just can't thank Simon and the team enough, it was such a fantastic and magical day and now The Departure Lounge has life long customers! Thank you again for making our wedding day as perfect as it was, we really appreciate everything you helped us with. Cerri & Graham -
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![Georgia]()
Georgia Sent on 13/08/2025Fantastic venue
We got married at The Departure Lounge Cafe on Saturday and had an amazing day! The venue was perfect; outdoor ceremony in a great field, marquee we could decorate ourselves and the cafe as a bar/quiet area! The staff were so helpful and made the day flow exactly as we’d asked. Simon is fantastic and we couldn’t have asked for anything more. Highly recommend… -
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