The Undercroft Café has everything you need from a quick coffee and cake to a delicious lunch for the whole family. Named after Edward III’s medieval Undercroft, the café is one of the oldest surviving spaces in the 1,000-year-old Windsor Castle. 

The menu celebrates and changes all seasons, with fresh salads and home-made soups available at our Deli Counter, which changes throughout the year. Our sandwich range varies from bloomers, baguettes, open sandwiches and wraps, all filled with fresh locally sourced ingredients within 100 miles of Windsor Castle.

Children's boxes are always available, with a cheese or ham roll, crisps, juice or water and a jelly or fruit pot.

There is also plenty of choice on our drinks menu, with Barista-made coffee, a selection of tea flavours, juice and sparkling drinks. Pair these with one of our many freshly-baked cakes for the perfect treat. 

The Undercroft Café caters for all dietary requirements. 

History of the café

A café quite unlike any other, the Undercroft is on the ground floor of the Castle beneath St George’s Hall, and dates back to Edward III’s major renovations during the 1350s and 1360s. Throughout the 14th century, the Undercroft served as the Castle’s principal cellar, used for the storage of barrels of beer and wine. Dimly lit with a much lower floor level, the resulting coolness made the vaulted space ideal for this purpose.

In the 17th century, during Charles II’s reign, the space was subdivided to accommodate a confectionary, a silver scullery and an eating room for Royal Household staff. As its primary use was as a wine cellar, the Undercroft had few windows. Charles II’s architect Hugh May had the difficult task of introducing additional ones. To align these externally with those on the floor above, 13 openings were made across the 18 bays of the Undercroft. Internally this gives the room an unusual character, as some of the windows aren’t centrally placed within the bays between the vaulting.

In the 19th century, the Undercroft was further subdivided by George IV’s architect, Sir Jeffry Wyatville to make room for the Lord Chamberlain’s Office, the Servants’ Hall and the Office of the Yeoman of the Pantry. Subsequent restoration work has turned the space back into the medieval interior it once was.

The creation of the Café was part of a programme of works completed in 2020 to enhance the visitor experience at Windsor Castle.