Blue Garden Cafe Clacton On Sea in Tendring

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!

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

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.

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.

The best coffee in town and great food. The staff and management go above and beyond to help you. Great accessible parking. This place is ideal for everyone, especially disabled people, like me. 👍

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.

Really nice place to have lunch and food is always good and plentiful

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. 😋😋

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

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

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

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.

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!

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

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

Lovely, large light airer place. Excellent staff and great food...Worth a visit.

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.

Went for coffee and cake but the cake was awful, dry and in pieces, the girl said "oh sorry the top fell off, never mind"

Went in for a bite to eat but was unaware the kitchen closes 1 hour before they close, not mentioned on their website. Decided to stay and have coffee and cake, disappointing chocolate cake, very dry, didn't use to be like this 😭

Came here for brunch and had a great time. Food tasty, BIG portions, friendly staff. Coffee was very tasty. Cakes looked good too.

Great food and pleasant service. The waiting staff are very attentive and actually look around to see if anybody wants attention. We take our white German Shepherd, Snow, there and she always gets a bowl of water and a treat, plus, she is a very pretty, well behaved dog and gets lots of attention. The Blue Garden is the best pace in Clacton to eat breakfast or lunch. We highly recommend it.

We visit Blue Garden at least 3-4 times a month for a coffee, lunch or breakfast. We normally need to book a table as popular, but they do have smaller tables for walk in folk. The staff can never be more helpful and friendly. The food is outstanding and leave room for the homemade cake. They are something you don’t want to miss.

Sadly our order was incorrect twice. I’d finished my meal before my friend received his. Can’t complain about the food though. The young waitress was apologetic, however to get it wrong twice was annoying and unnecessary.

My friend and I have been eating here for a while now and although the staff are very friendly, unfortunately the quality of the food and drink has seriously gone down hill. Yesterday the tea was cold, apparently the urn hadn't been switched on ! We both ordered fried eggs on toast. Well they came up and went straight back. The eggs were lukewarm and rubbery and the toast was cold. This has been happening a lot recently. Lukewarm breakfasts, rubbery bacon and eggs are not cooked correctly. It appears management no longer seems to care too much. This is such a shame as the staff are so lovely and are the ones that have to deal with all the complaints. Unfortunately myself and Jax won't be back

This was our second time there and we were not disappointed. Clean premises, very polite & helpful staff, great choices to eat. Food was hot & tasty prices are reasonable. I would highly recommend going they also have a small meeting room. Excellent all round experience

This cafe is one of the most friendliest, comfortable, inclusive, affordable cafe’s in Clacton. The staff are so welcoming, attentive, knowledgeable and friendly. It has a great choice of food, drink and cakes on offer, an easy to read menu which offers a good price range. The environment is light and relaxing and I have never felt rushed. Inside in the winter it’s lovely and cosy and outside in the warmer months it’s alfresco dining. Lastly I want to give a special thank you to Jess Harper whose hard work makes the Blue Garden Cafe, the lovely place it is. It should be called the ‘Happy Garden Cafe’.

Disappointing. Breakfast was tasteless and warm at best. Bacon very fatty. Disappointing after normally having a lovely experience here.

visited lunchtime with some friends. 2 had panninis , 1 had pie & mash, 1 had liver & bacon. All meals were excellent and very good price. Service was good

excellent lunch from panninis to full blown liver & bacon. service was very good & prices very reasonable. will definitely be going again.

The food was very good. The service was brilliant. Emily looked after us very well she was friendly and polite and very helpful . All the girls were all very friendly and polite. Not one of them had a miserable face.

Very disappointing, Luke warm chips and peas the batter on the cod was not cooked so could taste the raw batter. I expected a fresh side salad but sure it was one that u can buy in a bag, one slice of tomato with that...

First Visit. Blue Garden Cafe was clean and there was plenty of space between tables. Food was very good and it arrived lovely and hot. Service was friendly and present. Just a little on the slow side. Definitely worth a visit and I will definitely go back. We booked our table the evening before

Went in for morning coffee, as we were seated near the till I was watching the girls chatting and serving people. The one thing that stood out was the girl making the drinks kept putting her hand in the cups. Also she picked up a...

Food not very hot Cold bacon and mushrooms sent back came back warmer but the bacon was then over cooked scrambled egg more like a scrambled omelette

Great food, but so noisey could hear people on my table.

I like to think I make great pancakes at home but when I ask my kids now whether mine or the Blue Garden Cafe's were better, they all shout the "Cafe's". We enjoyed our brunch!

The staff are absolutely lovely, very friendly and patient, but service can be a little on the slow side. I have visited the Blue Garden Cafe several times, and found the food to be consistently good - just one time when the food has obviously...

Lovely place. Will definitely be back. Plus the salvation army were playing and sung happy birthday to me.

Afternoon tea was not good. The tea was not hot firstly. The sandwiches were far too big and not delicate at all. The sausage roll tasted ok, but was too big. The scone was huge but overcooked and very dry. The custard pastry was burnt...

Been here a few times and it's been brilliant wish we had one in Derbyshire and the icing on the cake dog friendly. I think the hospitality industry could learn a lot from this place.

We had a nice lunch but we were disappointed to find you had no gluten free cakes for my friend. Could you please make sure you have at least a couple of options to choose from in future.

Lovely cafe.. Food was really good

So disappointed we ordered 2 all day breakfasts , waited about 30 mins for food which is fine as its cooked fresh, both breakfasts were brought to the table, my partners was okay just cold beans, mine was stone cold and fried eggs were hard....

First visit, we are regular visitors to the area, staying in our touring caravan at homestead Lake Park. We will definitely be back to blue garden

Fantastic food as always. We had a Blue Garden breakfast, which was lovely, and pancakes with banana, salted caramel sauce and crunchy walnuts, big portion (sadly unable to finish it all). The only very small criticism is there could have been a little more caramel...

I had my baby shower here and I cannot sing high enough praises. We all had afternoon tea. The food was incredible, wonderful service, beautiful venue, clean and well presented and the staff were extremely accommodating, friendly and professional. Despite some last minute cancellations the...

I’ve been to this cafe a few times and can’t complain about the food as is always lovely. This time however the service was disappointing. A lot of staff lingering around and not one really knew what they were doing. One member tried to take...

Buzzing place. Awesome chicken burger, super tasty crust on the fillet, and crispy skin-on fries 🔥- the only room for improvement would be the sauce and extras in the burger. Great place and lovely people.