Anke's Tea and Coffee Lounge in Southend-on-Sea

Visited for brunch; due to the eye watering prices only had coffee and left. Decor is quirky and ambience is nice but seriously, it’s cheaper to eat brunch at The Ivy. I fail to see how £16.50 can be justified for a chicken/avo wrap unless it’s actually garnished with gold leaf and mermaid’s tears. Coffee was decent, but found good food nearby at half the price.

I’ve just moved into the area and was really pleased to find this café, as it looks so beautiful. It’s been lovingly restored and it’s a very warm and welcoming building to walk into. Service was also lovely, and the coffee wasn’t bad either. However, I don’t think I’ve ever been so shocked when I went to order a wrap and found that they wanted to charge me £16.50. When I asked what it came with, they said a bit of salad on the side. I honestly don’t understand how anybody could justify paying that amount of money for a small wrap. I work in Mayfair, so I am used to over inflated prices, but honestly this was the worst I have ever seen. It’s so disappointing as I really want to become part of this community but I’m now having second thoughts as I’m not sure this is the best way to engage with customers. I compared prices at establishments in Leigh on Sea, where you expect to pay a premium because you also get a sea view, and some were still £10 cheaper - in fact even the coffee was also £1 cheaper-Anke’s is on London road which I love but it’s not the prettiest road on the block! Really disappointed, it just seems at odds with the rest of the atmosphere there.

If you enjoy coffee and cake don't go anywhere else this is the Rolls Royce of coffee shops .

I just had one of Anke’s sausage breakfasts. It’s left an almost mystical afterglow in my mouth that makes me want to fly. Delish!

Lovely and cosy, perfect for a morning coffee or casual evening drinks

supports local charities, delicious cake and coffee

Lovely relaxed atmosphere with friendly helpful staff. Great quality coffee and absolutely delicious cake.

Been visiting this tea & coffee house once in a while for years even before they moved up the road, love everything about them, drinks, food & very importantly the service, the owner Anke is very friendly & talkative, just like a friend - which I can consider her as & as with the staff working there too ! Well worth visiting if you like your tea/ coffee's & cakes home made too & supporting these independent businesses.

Love it here. Has a great atmosphere and feels like a little community. And the food is great too. This is why we keep coming back 🙂 And the staff. We love the staff too.

Beautiful little coffee lounge serving teas, coffee, cakes and pastries as well as hot foods. Staff are exemplary and atmosphere is perfect. Would re-visit and recommend in a heartbeat.

Fun listening to David Bindon on guitar. Great atmosphere and very friendly service. Not cheap but excellent quality. The chicken and avocado salad was one of the best meals I’ve eaten out for a long while!

Anke's is absolutely amazing. Service is fantastic...food scrummy and the atmosphere perfect 🥰.

Another good evening with the Hoy at Anchor folk. Lovely welcoming venue, always a good selection on the menu and happy to accommodate our sit down session.

Very nice coffee shop with a unique atmosphere.

Very cosy and happy atmosphere. I enjoyed their back garden with my dog ( pet friendly :) ) and had lovely vegan brownie and coffee. Anke is very friendly and sweet. We will definitely go there again and have lunch. Their lunch menu sounds delicious , they have vegan options as well.

Absolutely lovely place, quirky, original, food was great and friendly atmosphere 🙂 just the toilet room needs s spruce up 👨‍🎨

Friendly and helpful staff. Very good coffee and excellent food. The shakshouka was delicious.

Lovely tuna wrap! Will be back for more

Lovely cosy little place. Like being in a friends living room with tasty food and drinks.

A beautiful coffee shop that serves great food! Super lovely staff also.

Lovely place, friendly staff, best scrambled eggs on toast Ive ever had!

Bohemian recycled furniture retreat, makes a great break from the corporates. Jazz music through an excellent sound system, makes it the ideal place to chill out. Great selection of coffee and teas.

Westcliff-on-Sea best kept secret. Amazing decor, very cozy that is complimentary by soft jazz playing . Food was amazing. A great selection of teas. Owner is very warm and welcoming.

Wonderful venue for coffee and breakfast, always get a very warm welcome. Great decor if a little eclectic.

Lovely relaxing atmosphere, great ambient vibes and staff not bad either. New menu is really nice and tasty and still a bit different than anywhere else, love it❤️

Absolutely lovely atmosphere and service is great. Not a fan of anything on the menu since the chef changed but that's on me and I primarily come in for cake and coffee anyway, of which is absolutely lovely. There's also a rotating menu which I need to look out for! Definitely would recommend

Essential place for a good coffee, a good talk or a good book. It does not lose its essence.

Quirky cafe...nice coffee and baked cheese cake. Does dinners with specials like Tapas. Chilled atomsphere.

What a happy find in Southend. Very good coffee, one of the better plates of shakshuka I’ve had anywhere. And friendly to go with it. Highly recommended!

One of my favourite spots. Great coffee and atmosphere. Wonderfully quirky. A place where you can feel comfortable having a coffee on your own

I love this place. If you're stressed, just sit down, have an excellent coffee, and read a book. The staff are friendly, and care about those who stop for a coffee. The world needs more places like this little drop of heaven.

Anke’s has a lovely atmosphere, the food and cakes are all delicious, and the range of teas and coffee makes it a perfect place to meet up and catch up. In the evenings there are often musicians or activities, such as art classes and board games.

Love the atmosphere & music. The service is friendly and prompt. I had a tasty toastie and delicious home made cake with coffee and drink. I will come back for more.

Been coming here for years, one of my favourite places, fully recommended to anyone.

Lovely place for lunch however being visually impaired made it impossible for me to read the menus on boards- there were no paper versions. This meant i had to rely on my friend to read what was available and as i didnt want her to read every single thibg to me i opted for one of the first options she told me so i felt i didnt really have the chance to choose as freely as i would with a written menu

What a great find. A very cosy place indeed. Had a lovely cup of coffee. Owner was very friendly and had time to chat which was so nice. Independent shops like this need to be supported. I will definitely be going back.

After lots of recommendations we stopped here for coffee and cake. The recommendations weren’t wrong! Delicious apple cake, chocolate hazelnut cake and lovely coffee. Friendly staff and a nice atmosphere. Another customer had their dog in so I presume they allow dogs too. Highly recommend!

A very nice lady owner,very polite ,the surroundings are lovely ,nice jazz playing ,and of course lovely coffee ,a good selection of cakes and food too

Quirky in a nice way. Staff lovely. Only had coffee.

A real hidden gem, but it can get very busy at the weekend.

Rustic coffee shop with swing, jazz music in the background. Friendly vibe, nice coffee and lovely cakes. Good spot to go before an early show at the theatre.

Such a fantastic place but please consider giving a discount /deal for takeaway coffee etc. £8.65 for a coffee and a cake is really excessive.

I just love this place, while I am not a regular that is down entirely to proximity and not desire. The coffee is great, the selection of teas are delicious, and as for the food, it is wonderful. What is on offer is to be found here alone, at least regarding other coffee shops, good home made food. The staff too are without question some of the warmest people I have met. I doubt that I am ever remembered when I find the time to visit, but my family and I are always welcomed like old friends.

Such a lovely cafe, really nice owner too :) Yummy drinks and relaxing music, great decor too

Check out the cheesy scrambled egg Mmmmm........

Great little place. Full marks for vegan stew. It is licenced. Keep your eye out for their evening events. They have music,game and art evenings.

Absolutely love Anke's. Such friendly staff, freshly baked cakes & food, you get a reward card which builds up to free drink on your 10th drink purchase aswell. Very relaxing atmosphere x

We had a lovely afternoon, with it being cold outside it was lovely to come in and have a lovely cup of tea and apple cake that was amazing, while my son made his Lego set up he just brought at argosy toy shop. We did that two Saturdays running as we loved it so much. Very friendly staff and great place to relax and unwind

Pleasant place with lovely surroundings, but so small and cramped. We went 1.30pm and it was chaos. Order at counter, so we queued there but had to keep getting out of the way of the servers and the customers. Asked if they had a menu , was told there was a blackboard but that only listed 5 main meals and we just wanted a sandwich which they did do for us. All very confusing. Food was very average and long wait for it. Quite disappointing

The staff were friendly, however, the service was quite slow. I had a very average cup of filter coffee, it was expensive and a mediocre piece of vegan brownie. Overall it was very disappointing. Which is a shame because it’s decorated so beautifully and has a fantastic atmosphere.

My favourite place to go in Southend, the staff are so friendly and the atmosphere is amazing. Great coffee and cakes too.

Lovely quirky decor, although I had a coffee was really impressed by their selection of loose leaf teas. Will definitely go back to try some.

This is a gem, a beautiful crafted environment that makes you feel relaxed and welcome. The coffee and tea are good quality along with the cakes. There is great art on the walls and a real community feel, we loved our visit here and will definitely come back.

Excellent coffee and home made cakes. Good and friendly service, and a good, laid back atmosphere

Always liked this place but only ever had coffee and maybe a bit of toast. Went with my brother for lunch recently and had a proper lunch and it was very nice, had a beer with it too. Atmosphere always good and people nice and friendly.

Love coming here. Wish I lived nearer. I would be there all the time.

Charismatic and charming staff, superb wedding reception at Anke yesterday 3/9/22. The food at the reception was sublime, the ambiance cosy ,informal and extremely quirky.Nothing was too much for the staff who were attentive and great conversationalists. The interior is a treasure trove of quaint items of pottery,Valve Radio (1958) and my favourite,the Swan kettle,all reminders of childhood. The outside lavatory will amuse all those old enough to have said ‘Leave the chain for now,I’ll go in a minute’😂

Don’t come here expecting a decent breakfast! Came here after seeing the great reviews, sadly Anke’s didn’t impressed me at all really, I had a breakfast with potatoes …was ok, but very small… 1 egg 1 sausage some potatoes and sour bread which cost £10.00 (massively overpriced) - the place itself has a 20’s vibe which was cool and the staff were nice, won’t be rushing back.

I love Anke’s so warm and friendly always a lovely welcome and the best coffee for miles around. Had the most delicious brunch today a delicious and fresh Mozzarella and Tomato salad, the dressing was divine and came with toasted sour dough.

One of my favourite places, been coming here for years, great food, great coffee, great selection of teas, great staff. Always get a warm welcome.

Took my mum out for lunch here and we had the stew and dumplings which was delicious. The bread rolls and cakes were also divine! Really friendly efficient service, will definitely return.

A wonderful place that creates calm once you step through the door. A mismatch of furniture creating a sort of will trodden path of familiarity. All the staff are friendly, with honest smiles and words. The food and drinks are good, just take a trip through the menu. Yep, if there was a metaphysical bookmark, I would mark this place.

I love the feeling of Anke's. It is so Artisan with a capital A, with its quiet jazz playing in the background and the artifacts of bygone eras plus the old piano. When Covid is over I will ask if I can run a poetry reading here. Till then I shall sip my coffee and drink in the Ambiance of Anke's (with a capital A).

A great coffee shop , superb range of cakes and sandwiches . Quaint - offering a bit of class to a much needed area.

I am so thrilled that Anke's has opened for takeaway. A couple of weeks ago, we had the stew with dumplings, a most generous portion, and cheesecake. Yesterday, coffee to go (delicious!), rolls (I loved my pickled herring one, my husband had roasted veg with hummus), and, of course, I can never visit there without a slice of cheesecake to share. One of my go-to eating places, service always with a smile. Anke is now also selling her own design greetings cards.

I said “Can I just have a sandwich and a cup of tea” Next thing I got a bill for £12! £6.50 for a sliced white bread toastie with processed ham and cheese. £2.50 for a small pot of tea Extra £3.00 for a few cubes of horrible watery boiled potatoes mixed with onions and capers Don’t go there. Much better food at a third of the price in almost anywhere nearby.

A lovely, quirky little café with multiple rooms to spread out in, making it a quiet place to sit and relax or catch up on some work away from the main café downstairs. The service is friendly and the cakes are delicious but the stew with dumplings is OUT OF THIS WORLD!! 🥘🍴💙 This little corner of the world is my new favourite place and I look forward to visiting again to set up a new tab and enjoy the peace and quiet for a few hours while I work.

What a lovely tea/coffee shop. It’s plain to see that Anke’s put a lot of thought into making her shop a lovely experience for her customers. I love everything about this place. Food is also available and I gather they cater for various allergy intolerance. I will definitely revisit with my wife.

Fresh, warming and hearty food... the toasties are to die for too :)Lovely atmosphere and the owner is so welcoming.The new big place is incredible and has suites full of space. The ONLY thing I need to say is UBER EATS - please please implement - as we don't drive and we always want our Anke's fix..Thanks Dave & Ben

Just simply a wonderful place to eat, have a coffee and spend a little time relaxing.The shop has moved to a new location but has not lost its original charm.The owner and staff are friendly and welcoming and the food it just great.Go, enjoy, you will not be disappointed.

I really fail to understand why this place is so busy. Its coffee and food is very expensive considering where it is located on the London Road in Westcliff. The staff seem quite nice, and I have never had to wait too long to be served, but it just doesn't deliver in quite the way it should.

I absolutely adore Anke’s, it’s such a welcoming little place with lovely coffee and cakes and soup. I was visiting my sister who lives in Essex and popped in multiple times a day haha - perfect for having a catch up with friends/family but also really good place to do some work, I went in on a weekday evening to do some writing and they had a man playing the piano in there which was so lovely to have in the background. Also the upstairs bit is really quiet and feels like your own private little library space if you’re looking for somewhere to quiet to work/revise/write/read. Staff are incredibly nice and my 10 year old nephew said the toasties in there are the best he’s ever had!

Popped in here with a friend for a first time visit. Place is quiet and friendly and nice inside. Had a amazing cake selection and tasted out of this world, probably one of my best. Great cuppa too and my friend said the coffee was fantastic. Will be going back to sample more delights!

The coffee is usually very good, but not always, it's not consistent. Although this location is bigger than where they were till a few months ago - I preferred the previous place, everything was better there. Staff not very friendly, food is a bit pricey. The soup I ordered was only lukewarm and had to wait ages for it. The home made bread is good.

Really cosy atmosphere. The best cake I think I’ve ever had (lots of choice) and great coffee. Very reasonably priced. I haven’t been in since the location moved but I will definitely pop in soon!

Popped in today with my son and sister in law. Nice place for a coffee . Prices reasonable and staff attentive. Cakes looked delicious! Will definitely be returning so we can have a slice of cake to accompany our coffee.. Thank you ..

Popped in today for a coffee. Reasonable prices. Staff nice and attentive. Cakes looks lovely. Will definitely go back for a slice of cake to go with our coffees next time .. Thank you ..

Anke has managed to reproduce the same cosy vibe in a Much bigger venue, it's fab. It's still very friendly and has such a mix of people- trendy-cool, pensioners, mums and businessy/ wifi workers. Plus appears to be open till 9pm at weekends now which is a major plus if you want to go after work.

Loved this little quirky cafe when it was located just down the road and was rather worried that when it moved and grew it would change.

Loved it the moment I walked in..great coffee and cake, amazing soda bread , fabulous upstairs and a reading room and garden! What more does anyone want

Anke has just moved to bigger premises, very good coffee but ask for your double shot cap in a smaller cup if you like it strong

This place is just lovely and a delight to get away from the pretension of Leigh, well worth the walk. Friendly, delicious home made cakes and the best coffee in town.

Enjoyed coffee there today. Always see someone I recognize. Enjoy being able to pick a book to read there or a game to play and was always assured of a game of chess. Love the staff.

If you want to chat, work, read or just get out of the house for a bit, this is the nicest place to go. Beautiful coffee. Some vegan options too!

Fantasticus boho tea room with a Teutonic twist, combining the vibe of a library with an Apline lodge. The food is highly recommend and homemade cakes are the best in Southend. Drop in for a tea, a read or a game of chess

I go here every day for coffee while I am at work, if I lived near here I am sure I'd be in on a weekend as well.

It was a nice cafe with lovely interior design, I had nice coffee and goats cheese toast. Such great cheese!! If you order tea it will be brought with flowery tea pot. Nice painting on the wall. Cozy place to spend the whole afternoon!!

An independent coffee lounge. Decorated with bric-a-brak tastefully done making it welcoming and homely. We go their occasionally to treat ourselves to a slice of cake, you must try their kasekuchen (german chees cake).

This tea room is gorgeous and unique, I love the friendly service and is a wonderful place for chatting and catching up with friends but I also know I’d be able to take a book there and read whilst watching the world go by!

What a little treasure of a "tea lounge", bijou doesnt cover it! this is tiny inside and with all its odds and ends on the walls, odd chairs etc its like visiting your old grannies! so full of charm and popular with the locals having various chats! we arrived on a cold wet day to be welcomed to home made goulash and sourdough bread, what a warming treat. As for the huge home made gateaux, how do you decide? well that was easy, after our meal it was take away a large portion of the delicious cheescake. Well done Ankes dont change your charm......

I was brought to Anke’s by a friend of mine during a recent trip and enjoyed myself so much I returned on my own. The café is a little on the small side, but that is partly what gives it it’s charm. The owner, Anke, is simply lovely. This is a great place to go for coffee and cake!

Eclectic place to chill out with a coffee and freshly made cake. Books and jazz. Free wi-fi if you cant let go of your phone long enough to eat a cake.

Great coffee and home made cake. Makes such a nice change from the generic places up and down every high street and corner. Famy run and it shows. Makes the area a better place to live

Love this place. Such lovely atmosphere created. Could be in London. Great coffee, friendly service. Toasted sandwich yummy. Love the coziness and games and books to play.

Ankie has been getting so busy that it shows the quality of her food and popularity. Although it may not suit everyone it is a place of friendship where the customers share tables..speak to each other..and ar all greeted with affection.

Really very nice place to chill out and enjoy the cosy service , very friendly people and very nice food ! I love their handmade cakes and soup as well

German cafe with a quirky feel that you won't regret your visit. Coffee v good also food and especially the home made bread If you want to visit somewhere different...give it a visit.

A great place to chill, chat, read or just be. The coffee is superb and the food delicious. If you’re lucky you’ll meet Anke. ❤️

This is a quaint little place, like being in a hoarders front room. Staff are lovely, prices are on the top end of reasonable and portions are basic, but sadly both times I have been here I have had to chose something else to have as they didn't have what I wanted in stock.

I went to Anke's for breakfast, I had a toasted ham and cheese sandwich with coffee, it was of good quality and reasonably priced. Recommended. This shop always seems busy.