Blue Garden Cafe Clacton On Sea in Tendring

My husband and I have been together for brunch or breakfast a few times now.... We absolutely love it here, staff are always friendly but on our most recent visit the server was extra attentive and so nice. I love their American pancakes but last time I visited I couldn't finish the portion so I asked if I could have two pancakes Instead because I hate wasting food. The server was really accommodating, portion size was perfect after the adjustment! Coffee is always good and it's so nice to just soak up the rays in the conservatory on a sunny day. I'm disappointed I didn't take any photos to show but I was too busy tucking In!! I would say that maybe it's on the higher end of what a cafe would charge but I think that's reflected in the quality of ingredients used. I've just seen a few of the recent reviews, I'm quite surprised that there are few negatives points made. I myself could not fault the food or service. Looking forward to eating at the blue garden cafe again soon! I would agree that it is best to book to make sure you can get a table, it does have pockets where it can get busy!

Had a ham cheese and onion omelette,it was hot but found it very dry.

Nice place to go, slow on service but food is nice

Nice pleasant venue .clean food good.gluten free options Fairly reasonable priced. Disabled friendly

Called in today for breakfast, was really looking forward to trying this place out. Had a classic English Breakfast, Bacon was rubbery, Poached Egg and Mushrooms were both cold. Only good thing was the coffee was decent.

Always good food here. But Sunday morning pancakes .... The Best!

Had a lovely afternoon tea with work colleagues, bright and airy seating area

Service was excellent and the staff were very friendly and helpful and the food was excellent would recommend it to anyone

Met some friends for lunch/ coffee. Staff very attentive. Lovely food.

The service was slow. A table had to be cleared for us. A long wait for our food, but when it came it was very good. Would go again but make an earlier booking

The cafe has an extensive menu with something for everyone, and the staff are friendly. We have been a handful of times always enjoying the food, but we do find it very loud. Portions are generous, and prices are very reasonable.

I visit the Blue Garden regularly because the food and coffee is a very good. However, the staff are exceptional and the parking is easy. 👍😊

We had the best lunch for our family of 8 and two dogs, we called in advance and booked our table with a deposit, it was all ready when we arrived and the staff were so nice and attentive. They spoke to our dogs, provided water and treats and crayons/colouring book for our children! We had the best meal and nothing was too much to ask, thank you!

Lovely, large light airer place. Dogs are allowed in , Excellent staff very helpful and they serve great food...Worth a visit.

Had afternoon tea on New Year’s Eve for my 40th birthday. Food was very nice and staff were really friendly and helpful. It was a large party and We did have a few picky eaters, and despite asking twice prior to the day for plain cheese and ham sandwich options, they were not provided. However when we asked for them again on the day the staff went and made some for us so ultimately I have no complaints.

The Blue Garden cafe. Stopped in this morning to escape the wet cold miserable Monday morning. Let me assure you the blue cafe is punching well above its weight in comparison to anything in the area, Me and the wife was pleasantly surprised by the high quality produce used in their breakfast/lunch menu. The small details behind in the decor giving a modern but comfy vibe is well thought out. I had the “the hash” and it’s probably up there for the best fry up alternative I’ve had. I plan to return as this is a hidden gem Keep up the good work Jeffers.

Great dog friendly environment. The blue garden beef burger was lovely. Service was non existent though, had to go to the counter to ask someone to come over, we were 3/4 way through our food before I had to ask again why the drinks hadn’t shown up and the milkshakes barely had any flavour.

We had a coffee and cake and a cream tea. The scone was so dry and crumbly it was hard to spread the jam and cream on it. The cake was small and dry . It certainly wasn't worth the money at all.

After shopping in the spacious store, which had lots of interesting food choices and a lovely Christmas Animated Reindeer area, my fiance and I went to have a meal at the Cafe. We had booked, as it was my Birthday and was busy, and I requested on line a table with a view. We were directed to a table by a young lady, sat next to a window, looking out on to the large garden. There was a plant on the Window Sill with tiny oranges on it, but it's leaves were falling everywhere, and it looked as though it needed watering. There was a small glass container on the table, with a posy of flowers, but, the water badly micoloured and the flowers past there best. Not the sort of thing to impress, especially us, especially as it's a Garden Centre! The food, we both had fish, chips and peas,was nicely cooked, but I wish caterers would not add limp salad bits on the plate. Place it into a side dish, for the diner, to select, what they like. We all don't need salad relish with a hot meal! Our Milkshakes which we requested Strawberry, came in a jar shape glass. The flavour very nice, but, needs a tall handle spoon to finish scraping the base for the Strawberry juices. Finally, the open bowl of sugar cubes, is not hygienic. People use fingers to take them to add to coffee or tea. I would have had a Latte, but decided not to, due to this problem. Germs in abundance! The staff friendly, it's not really a cafe, more a restaurant or Eaterie....but very popular due to the food being fresh. Cakes looked nice...maybe next time!

Just had the christmas 3 course dinner excellent food and service excellent value fir money thoroughly recommend this restaurant.

Never disappointed by this place. All ways spot on.

We love this place. We have been many many times over the past year. We first found this place when my dad was in a wheelchair and we have continued to go since his recovery. It’s great for people in a wheelchair or who need accessible venues. Food is always delicious, especially the breakfast! Staff are lovely.

Lovely service good food but 🍟 were cold ,coffee was hot and strong, nice thick chunks of ham nicely cooked eggs not bad at all

Lovely light airy restaurant ,we had a nice meal we both had burgers one chicken and one beef they were both very taste, came with a good amount of salad and slaw.

Met up with family that we haven't seen for year, and what a great afternoon it was . Fabulous food great sevice , the glass panels over looking the well maintained garden felt you were outside. Will definitely go back

For me they got the food right, but I will eat almost anything. But for another of our party, they got it completely wrong. First attempt the 'Rosemary Sauce' had a BBQ taste to it = sent back, and on the second attempt the omelette was burnt to a crisp = also sent back. And that lady is suffering cancer. But the very worst thing was that two of our party were blue badge holding disabled people. And yes there were 3 x disabled parking spaces, two of which were occupied by non blue badge displaying cars - but the very worst of all was that the third space was occupied by the cafe's own van. DISGUSTING - and not cheap in their pricing either. The waiting staff were excellent.

This Cafe has very good food with many options for Gluten free and Vegan ,Vegetarian .There is space outside to sit and enjoy in the warmer days .The staff are very proffesional and friendly.

Wonderful food made freshly to order and first class service. Pleasant welcome from staff when arriving, and seated immediately. Great menu choices for our lunch and for afters the most wonderful cakes with so many to choose from. Very nice coffee and tea. All staff were most pleasant and all with a smile. The manager was sure to ask if we were happy with everything too as we were leaving. No complaints here! A lovely bright cafe with a good vibe.

Service was excellent showed to table straight away, took order and promply brought to our table. Staff friendly, nice for quick meal or just tea and cake. Would recommend this place for a quick snack or meal.

Another visit for brunch which we thoroughly enjoyed. The food is always lovely and staff friendly. We look forward to our next visit.

Been here a couple of times now. First occasion a bit underwhelming but latest occasion was pretty spot on. Lovely atmosphere but tricky on a clear day. The sun can be a bit overpowering, maybe some blinds in the upper windows just to take the edge off it. Service is always pleasant. All staff greet everyone with a smile and good humour. Very helpful even when running understaffed through sickness. Out waiter couldn't be more helpful. Having said that due to sickness there may be a little wait, it was no more than I would expect in a fully staffed restaurant so we'll done guys. Food wise, a good selection of treats plus the usual meals, all cooked to a great standard. Much hotter presented than my first visit and made better by the inclusion of an added item as part of my meal. Nice wide selection of drinks too made our afternoon rather pleasant and will enjoy frequent visits here.

Very overpriced. My friend's jacket potato was undercooked and hard in places. Salad slimy. Unfortunately this is the second time we have had a bad experience here - food either over or under cooked and not reasonably priced. There are much better cafés in the area which offer well priced, well cooked food.

Been here before with no issues. 2nd visit, so different. Sloppy service, sat my 100yr old Mother down, tucked her into the small surface table, THEN, we were asked to move, as other users were “ outside “ ? Offered table near toilets ( thanks girls ) Because we didn’t order immediately, It appears that’s how you get punished, lengthy wait, of 45min, seeing people who came in after us, eat, pay, leave……? Seating was perforating, rattan, basket wear, which was unbearable uncomfortable 🥴 Food was only ok, and very expensive. Wouldn’t recommend, wouldn’t return.

I am disabled and called in today with my husband as we are planning a family lunch. The cafe looked lovely, but was a let down as the tables and chairs were not suitable for the disabled. I had to have two other customers help me out of my chair. Telephoned later with my problem but staff said they were unable to help. I will not be returning and cannot recommend this cafe to anyone who is disabled.

Positive experience: waitress very lovely and friendly staff quick service little one had ice cream, me & missus had coffeee very tasty and fresh foods and very lovely atmosphere will come back again many thanks

Such a wonderful place for any occasion, we had breakfast and it was scrumptious, service was excellent! Definitely need to book as gets very busy!

Came to the cafe for afternoon tea. There were 12 of us and the food was served on a wooden board. There were two finger sandwiches each. One cheese and ham and one avocado and pepper and a tiny piece of bruschetta with tomato and onion. We then had 3 tiny pieces of cake. Carrot cake raspberry brownie and a Bakewell cake this was followed by a scone cream and jam. I was very disappointed as we were never asked if we needed anything and had to ask for a drink. As there were 12 of us by the time the food board got to our end of the table there were only avocado and pepper sandwiches on the board which I don’t like the same happened with the desserts so I left still feeling hungry. We all felt the cost of £17.50 was overpriced for what we received. It’s very difficult when you are dining with people that you don’t know well so I feel that it would have been better to do individual plates so that everyone gets a plate of food instead of being left with what’s left on the board.

A very nice, light, airy and attractive interior, spacious and inviting. I also had the very best fish chowder there you could possibly imagine !!!

Recently had a very enjoyable lunch here. There were four of us and a dog. We all enjoyed our food, and the service was good.

An excellent stop for afternoon tea. Been out for the day we were looking for an afternoon tea stopped of here absolutely great 👍

Had a lovely cream tea, best around

Great place to take doggies. Went to the garden centre while in Clacton on a holiday break and found this cafe next door. We didn't have a table booked but was welcomed so nicely and our doggies were also welcomed letting our precious little girls sit on our laps as they are tiny chuiahua s that find the floor scary .Lovely coffee and food even biscuits were offered on a plate to our doggies .Great place lovely staff Great food and atmosphere dog friendly above and beyond allowing our babies to sit in the warm instead of been left outside in the cold like alot of so called dog friendly places .A must visit if like us your dogs are your children can t praise highly enough thank you.Blue Garden cafe

Had to ask to be served but then it was good scones homemade and delicious

Went into Blue garden cafe with my family. Food was splendid and was really enjoying it but we kept being rudely interrupted by one of the members of staff. I asked one of the nicer staff members for his name and they said it was Henry. He was very intimidating and made our meal quite stressful. Surely it is not so difficult to be polite to your paying customers! I will not be recommending this to my friends and family which is such a shame as the food was very nice.

Nice atmosphere with good service. The food was ok.

Very nice relaxing place to have something to eat, food great and always fresh

Food was tasty but not 5*. Our initial server was great. He was super friendly and was obviously trying hard to make our experience enjoyable. We sat for a good 90min after we finished our food, chatting, and were never offered another drink. When we asked , we got , but were surprised that we weren't offered. Upselling opportunity right there 🙂. This place was busy but not too noisy and there is lots of natural light. Nice place overall.

A super venue great parking great food sensible prices first class service. They outdoo many expensive restaurants in most areas. Thoroughly recommended. Gets busy best to book.

Had a lovely meal and then people began coming in with dogs. No sign outside to say it was dog friendly. One dog had an accident. Another was under a near table scratching. Sorry won't go back here. Such a shame as food was great.

On the whole it was good, but we waited quite a while for our food. We then ordered coffees and cake, which also took a while to arrive! It was busy, but it would have been nice if we were told there was a wait. I would visit again as the food was very nice, the staff were friendly.

Loved it. Fully recommend it. The danger is being next to a great garden centre too! Lol.

Came for lunch with my 8month yr old. Was seated quickly, got to choose if I sat inside or outside. Cafe was vibrant and clean. Staff friendly. Toilets had baby changing unit. Ordered the club sandwich, which came quickly and was great. Big sized portion. Finished off with some of their cake, plenty of options and all freshly made. Would recommend / return.

Enjoyed a really lovely meal here for bank holiday weekend. I had the eggs and salmon on sourdough which was amazing and my husband had a brunch cob which he said was delicious. Great atmosphere and lovely garden, we'll definitely be back 😁 one small thing, a member of staff called 'Harry' wandering around the outside area chastising people who had vapes (on the table, not using them) wasn't the friendliest. We can see the signs that are around so maybe don't go round barking orders at paying patrons.

Visit yesterday for lunch had to ask twice for cutlery for our meal ordered fish and chips for 3 people.soggy batter fish was bland flavour Had pot of tea for 2 and obviously the pot was cold when made so tea was Luke warm Asked for desert menu waited and had to go to counter and ask again Waited for 2 scones to arrive was about to leave and they arrived , without any cutlery to butter them had to get myself £14.50 for fish and chips was not good value Service was very poor Definitely won’t go back Shame the venue had potential and nicely laid out but poor service lets it down

Having looked at reviews I booked a table. When we arrived at 1.30 the restaurant was less than half full. It took 10 minutes or so for a server to take order and then around 40 minutes for our food to arrive. Other guests waited and were seen to complain. Tables were not cleared when staff walked by and no-one asked anyone for more drinks. Cutlery was not on the table. When we left after a nice lunch the young lady said they were understaffed. Perhaps it would be better to tell guests upon arrival to manage expectations. We will go again as the food is very nice and a pleasant environment

From the moment we arrived we were met by unfriendly and disinterested servers who do not make you feel welcome .There was a nice lady who took our order. However after our food and drink were served nobody came near to offer more drinks ask how things were or offer cake or clear our plates. Such terrible service disappointing

Second time here and was very disappointed. Extremely slow service and had to keep asking for service which came after sitting at an empty table for 40 minutes. When the meal eventually came, the coffee had no sugar or spoon, and we had no knives and forks, all of which I had to go and get myself. My table was not clean or was it cleaned for me. The empty table next to me still had the finished plates of food and drinks from the previous customers that were not cleared throughout the whole time I was there. My Panini stuck to the plate so had to use a knife and fork to eat. The staff were unenthusiastic and not very friendly. It wasn’t too busy and I saw staff hanging around doing nothing, so there was no excuse. Shame because I have recommended this place after my first visit.

Great little cafe for a spot of lunch. It was busy when we arrived and we hadn't booked but we managed to get two tables together for 7 of us outside. The food was tasty, omelette in particular was huge and the garden was lovely to sit out in the sun.

Excellent service beautiful atmosphere amazing food. We chose the Burger which was good quality and freshly homemade, and I had a panini with salad and chips which could not be faulted

Nice cafe, a bit plain, no real atmosphere a bit open and cold looking. Got all the bill wrong. They added someone else two coffees to our order. Good selection of cakes 🎂

Usually food ok..booked for lunch. Had 30 minute wait..another table arrived after us was served first. Not happy. When food did arrive my pie was upside down..have had a pie here before this was not right.! Was quite hungry having a long wait but upon turning pie over was very burnt!! Bad enough the time wait but to try to hide the burnt pie was very sneaky and underhand. Other pies came out right way up! Food wasnt that great this time but to hide a burnt pie rather than bin it and do again. Possibly if waitress came out and explained and apologised..perhaps offered a free drink..may have been pacified...It was heaving..but no excuse..worse to hide the burnt pie and hope u didnt notice. Complained..they took 10% of bill...was this fair..nothing i could do. Id waited long enough for my lunch..left remnants of burnt crust couldnt eat. Would i go again? Not sure..can you trust a kitchen that hides mistakes???

Have seen this place advertised and we visited today for the first time. Enjoyed a fresh cooked breakfast and coffee. Was busy but we were served quickly and the food was delicious. Particularly the leek and chorizo hash for breakfast, have never had anything like it. Can’t wait to visit again. Great find

Perfect place for a fantastic breakfast, a wonderful lunch, or a tasty afternoon tea. This is fast becoming one of my favourite places.

A lovely gem beside Clacton Garden Centre Delicious food cooked fresh to order, well presented with friendly service. We'll definitely pop in again when we're nearby. 😋😋

Family run place, brilliant staff, food excellent (do have to wait for the food freshly cooked) Fish chips, omelet, was great. All staff very helpful, friendly 👍. No deserts as such but lovely cake etc

Would recommend.....and dog friendly too!

Terribly slow service. Half an hour for coffee. Second time I've been and service slow both times

Had another group get together where some had drinks, some had breakfast and some had lunch and everything was superb again. I bought scones to take home and having just eaten it have to say it's the best I've ever had x so delicious x

Fantastic service, food delicious.

We booked a table in advance. When we turned up was just told to go and sit anywhere. We went and sat down and waited to be served. We had been waiting a while when another group came in, got taken to their table and asked what drinks they wanted. They then got their drinks and their food order had been taken also. We sat there another 10 mins and still no one had come over to us. It wasn't even very busy in there so no excuse for bad service. We left after about 25 mins of waiting. Will not be returning.

Very slow service considering it wasn’t very busy. dirty tables and chairs. Staff seemed to be standing chatting rather than attending customers very disappointed

Been here a few times, nice place but seems short on staff. Waited ages before order was taken, food came prompt but only warm.

I have been here several times, but did not enjoy my last visit. The food was not up to standard. The eggs and mushrooms were cold, bacon was over cooked and tea was so weak. The staff were pleasant even though they were clearly under staffed. Was really put off by the number of dogs in the premises, especially as one guest had his dog on his lap. Not too sure that I will want to revisit.

Lovely place to meet friends food ok i had a hacket potatoe would prefer cheese to ve melted (personal choice)and not very expensive staff friendly, waiting time for food to arrive was a bit long, as well as cleaning tables when people left (probably short of staff) nice and clean would visit again. Recommend you book a table

We visited by chance for a coffee however when looking at the menu we decided to stay for lunch. We are glad we did the meal was lovely very tasty and plentiful which was excellent value.

Went to this establishment on Sunday 11th May with my daughter and mum we had pre booked when these establishments have as many covers as the blue cafe does when fully occupied they will always struggle from producing quality service to presenting high quality food if they are going to run a Sunday breakfast with a fully booked restaurant they should reduce what’s on the menu and have a cut of point so they can get ready for a busy Sunday lunch also they need a very confident front of house manager as customers were coming in there was no one explaining to customers how long the wait would be the food we ordered took 45 minutes at least to come out I don’t mind the wait as long the food is served hot and fresh my bacon was cold and hard eggs warm toast rock hard the bowl stroke plate what come with the food was very difficult to cut your food my daughter Spanish breakfast was really nice this establishment as got to realise they are not a back street cafe they are charging quite a good price for there food either cut the covers down when fully booked or cut the menu down and they really need a experience front of house I’ve eaten in this establishment before and it’s been a lot better the staff was trying really hard but no one guiding them

My friend has visited many times so we thought we would give it a try lovely cream tea ,very nice will come again

Took my aunt and some family members here on Saturday for her 90th birthday. They really pulled out all the stops and the waitress was wonderful, couldn’t have done more for us. I’m sorry I didn’t get her name but she was amazing. The afternoon tea was really lovely, the vegan option was great too. I also took my two little dogs. Nothing was a problem, and they even set us up outside in the sunshine. Great place and I’ll definitely be going back. 10/10!!

Just had a very disappointing Sunday lunch at the Blue Garden. Waited at least 45 minutes, after ordering, for our food. My husband’s all day breakfast was ok - nothing special. My Cajun chicken burger was almost inedible. Curled up, overcooked, dry and tough. The chips served with it weren’t much better. I ate a small amount of it and passed my comments to the waitress when she came to clear the table. I presumed she would pass these on to the kitchen. She didn’t bother to come back to me so we paid and left, deciding we wouldn’t wait for dessert. I don’t like writing reviews, I much prefer to make my comments, usually good, to the staff in eating places. However, as these were ignored I felt I should comment. Won’t be going back in a hurry.

What a beautiful cafe to attend our friends Christening. Absolutely gorgeous food and the quality of the cake was amazing for how much they charged also! Great value for money and it’s like a conservatory setting so it’s so warm and cosy even when it’s raining and cold outside. The only negative which I won’t down rate them at all was the back door was very heavy to open and I had a 2 year old who was wanting to go back and forth in the gardens but I’m sure that will most likely be down to fire safety possibly :)

Beautiful restaurant. Amazing food, can't wait to go again .

Lovely Garden cafe good food and service. Special board is recommended along with homemade cakes. Well worth a visit

Quaint little cafe with great food

Been here twice now and have enjoyed it so we'll worth a visit

Worth visiting for the friendly atmosphere in a beautiful building.

Not the best experience as a first timer, service is slow even though it’s not busy and the food was awful . Bread soggy and eggs cooked in vinegar which tainted the whole of the food Nobody wants vinegar soaked bread and eggs . I didn’t ask for brown seeded bread either . Not impressed Very quick at taking payment though

Just love it here. A fabulous place to go to catch up with loved ones and enjoy some you time

I had heard a lot of good experiences about this Tearoom since it opened and thought I would give it a visit with my elderly mum in her wheelchair. The door entrance is a push button with easy access for pushchairs, wheelchair and electric chair users. The atmosphere is very calming and inviting with large areas of glass and double glazed doors to a patio area and we could see the area to the garden centre. We were approached with a smile and asked to sit anywhere there wasn't a reserve table notice on it. Not one to sit right in the middle of the room we chose a table on the far wall, where it was not imposing on other customer sitting. We took a few moments to get settled and looked over the menu and after about 5 min we were approached and asked if we were ready to order, this did not delay and I tried the best Capaccino I had tasted ever. We ordered breakfast which came on flat round plates that I never expected but the food was immensely enjoyable and filling, the staff were really friendly and the costs was reasonable for what we ate I would definitely recommend Bluebird Tearooms for a visit. One more thing the matching chairs are oddly set out but it does give the room a talking point!

Nice food and good outside area that looks like it would be great in the summer.

A bit load with so many children in will go at a different time next time

Been coming here since it's opened. We have brought our son since weeks old to nearly 3yo. They are very understanding and helpful. The food is quality is outstanding and reasonably priced. The cake is amazing too!

Excellent food, carrot cake, delicious. Toastie lovely too.

I love Blue Garden. Always great service, always great food. My friends and I visit regularly, by far one of the nicest establishments in the area.

Fantastic service, ambience & delicious food. Having been going to this Cafe since they opened, we really feel that the management have upped their game! The food is delicious & the service is always polite, friendly & attentive. We cannot think of a better place in & around Clacton that serves our needs better.

Wonderful place to eat. Thoughly enjoyed my food. Generous portion sizes reasonably priced. Would recommend a visit.

I'll recommend it to friends and family nice place very tranquil

What a pleasurable experience visiting this cafe. Fantastic food. I highly recommend the carrot cake.

I was disappointed with my visit today. The table where I was going to sit was not cleared. Once cleared it took 10 minutes before I got a menu. My all day breakfast took around 20 mins. The baked beans were cold and I asked them to be reheated, they came back luke warm. There were two tables near me who had just finished when I sat down. Their tables were not cleared all the time I was there. When I went to pay, one of the servers were getting some drinks ready on a tray to be served - the tray they were taking them on had a coffee spillage on it. This should have been wiped! Very disappointing visit today

We went for afternoon tea ,which was brought for us, the staff where amazing unfortunately when booking it we told them one of us was gluten free this did not come up they had to quickly prepare something the sandwiches came up on thick cut bread the scones were dry not enough jam ,this came up in little pots not good quality, nice pots of tea though would not recommend afternoon tea as in my opinion not value for money we have eaten here before and food was good very disappointed with the afternoon tea cannot fault the staff

Have been before and this time had gift vouchers from our eldest and his partner. Nice and airy venue, plenty of tables we'll set out. Very friendly staff. You can book a table online but we took the risk of just turning up. No problem and were immediately shown to a table. We both had the club sandwich with fries and salad. Excellent choice we thought. It was delicious. The only minus point is that as the restaurant filled up, the noise levels increased but we realise that is going to happen given the high vaulted ceiling. Was enjoyable even so. Thanks to all staff. We will return. Nicely situated next to the Garden centre so makes a nice visit.