Cafe Bencotto in Suffolk Coastal

Thoroughly enjoyed the food here in particular, compliment to the chefs as food was cooked truly authentically and the atmosphere/decor is superb. Felt like a gem in this area.

We had a super meal and will definitely be back. No bookings but we turned up and had no problem getting a table.

Good "Mediterranean" food, not too expensive, always worth a visit

Always enjoy a visit here. Friendly staff. Delicious breakfast / brunch options and very good coffee, (even decaf). Check the menu board for daily specials. Join mailing list and have had many offers. Around Christmas purchase a £75 card for £50 allows dining in the early part of the new year, excellent value. Interesting decor restored to the bare brick and tiled walls of the old felixstowe fire station.

Been going to Bencotto for over 18 years, still the best restaurant of its kind in the East of Suffolk.

Always an interesting choice of dishes on offer, sometimes hard to choose which to go for.

Popped in for a snack, the food was nice, the staff mostly very nice, but what really gets me is the high cost of a thimble full of coffee, and now no opportunity for a lower cost refill. I Suggest the management go to M&S to see what a proper cup of coffee looks like, because you won’t find one here.

Had a wonderful time catching up with family.

A pleasant restaurant with lovely staff. Menu is OK , worth looking at the specials

Just moved into the area, already eaten here twice, amazing food and atmosphere, served by a brand new waitress, her 1st first day and she was brilliant, totally recommend.

We have the prawn and pancetta linguine and a pizza. The food was delicious, as always. The service is friendly and we like the setting.

A great place to relax and enjoy, and the Turkish delight is amazing.

Greek chicken and Greek potatoes and Greek salad. So disappointed ! Anaemic chicken with no flavour at all and probably reheated. Slimy potatoes and salad definitely not a Greek salad but it did have some olives! but no feta cheese and drowning in dressing. Expensive at around 17 pounds. I could do so much better at home. The restaurant is a nice venue but food underwhelming.

Went with high hopes having heard reviews from friends but was bitterly disappointed. It may have been that I chose the wrong ‘special’ dish (chicken with Greek salad & Greek style potatoes). I have had many holidays in Greek Islands but have never seen salads & potatoes like the ones served here! To make matters worse the chicken was flavourless. My dessert (chocolate fondant & ice cream) was ok & the staff were friendly. I might give them another try but perhaps stick to pizza or pasta as I suspect they might be better at this.

Not been here for a while arrived at 6.30pm , had to wait 30 mins for a table , so we had a drink . The four of us had starters , just the garlic bread was a bit crispy and didn’t have much flavour to it , which we have notice a few times now , so won’t be having again , the mains were good we had pizza and duck pasta , but the seafood dish was sent bck as it was too fishy smell. Which was exchange for a salad . The only other complaint, is that it was very noisy in there due to being busy , not great when ur trying to have a conversation . Still had a nice time thou and enjoyed most of it .

We had a great time, really enjoyed it, and WILL be back!!

Really lovely place, food and service was great.

Continues to be a very good Mediterranean restaurant. Good food with excellent plant based menu. Excellent service and lovely surroundings. Highly recommended

Great disability access, accommodating staff, good menus and able to advise on potential allergens.

Very good food and very nice stuff

I visited cafe Bencotto 3 weeks ago and had an overall good meal. I had the anchovies to start, the tuna steak as a main and a nice glass of Alberiño. The anchovies were very good with the crusty bread and compliments. the Tuna was fine, but I was expecting a thicker steak, not necessarily bigger, but a thicker smaller steak would have been nice so it could have been cooked rare/med-rare. Also there was far too much balsamic vinegar, my mouth was buzzing afterwards. But it was pretty tasty. Regarding service, they ushered everyone into a corner in the back of the restaurant. Working in hospitality myself I understand partially but it's a waste of such a lovely restaurant and space. Overall a pretty nice dinner and evening

We try to get to Cafe Bencotto regularly as it is one of our favourite eating locations. The food and staff are exceptional and the location being the old fire station provides all of the atmosphere you could wish for. We have had numerous dishes off the menu and never been disappointed. Flavours, quality and quantity are absolutely great. Visit this location and you will not be disappointed. One of, if not the, best in Suffolk

Nice lunch with our family. Pasta carbonara was a bit boring

Excellent food & reasonably priced, have visited before & will visit again.

A nice varied Mediterranean style menu with lots of choice for vegetarians, and a separate vegan menu is available too. I like the seating they have for groups and there is always a good atmosphere. The staff are helpful and timings are good. I had seafood linguine which was really tasty, pizzas were also popular. I have taken one star off only because they no longer accept cash.

Absolutely excellent meal, nice to see some different things on the menu. Food was piping hot, service really good. Good value too. A couple of quite loud diners detracted from the experience but that can't really be helped. Would definitely recommend

We only popped in for coffee and a quick bite but the service was great, the coffee was great and the sweet treat was delightful.

All three of us were delighted with our visit to Cafe Bencotto yesterday evening. The food was great with an eclectic mix of dishes from around the Mediterranean. The 'boards' were especially well received, especially the large seafood one. We will definitely return, just not sure when as we live 3 hours away ;-)

Very good food and friendly staff

Great place for lunch or dinner

Have eaten here numerous times and the food and service has always been first class, plus it's a beautiful building with a great atmosphere

Very noisy as a few large groups but great food and atmosphere. Will go again.

Great food and friendly accomodating staff.

An impromptu meal out here was excellent. They don't take bookings which was good for us on a Saturday night. The meal range was good and the food we had was great. Service was good as well considering they were really busy. All in all a very good experience.

Came down to listen to the music on a Sunday afternoon. Had a super few hours, great friendly service, lovely music and good atmosphere. My tapas board was enjoyable, my friend had the chicken.

Friendly staff, lovely atmosphere and always a good selection whether breakfast, lunch, dinner or snacks in-between times

Third visit where we had to complain about the service and food - had four dishes- two where nearly inedible those being a raw pizza and a dried up Spaghetti Bolognese, one totally wrong dish and a special that looked more like a Soup than a seafood carbonara. A jug of beer that had to be returned as it had coffee grounds in it. Sadly the service attention was minimal.and in all honesty the staff didn't care. Will be the last visit from us.

Great Restaurant. Warmly greeted by the staff. Excellent service and the food was delicious. We really enjoyed our visit.

I have never been in Cafe Bencotto before. I was surprised how lovely the restaurant is. We went for a drink, with friends. I will definitely go back again. The food looked delicious. The staff are friendly. The tables set out nicely. Very welcoming.

Delicious meal. Olives followed by Pasta Salmone...so tasty! Service excellent.Cleanliness spot on. Lovely atmosphere.

Great food, good service and a good atmosphere, love this place.

Fantastic experience, couldn't fault anything. The staff were excellent and friendly 👏, food was really tasty 😋, highly recommended

It's always a good place for a meal and a catch-up with friends. My go-to place during the week.

We always love Bencotto as it has such a lovely atmosphere and a changing menu. Tonight I want to say they have gone absolutely above and beyond. My mum has a severe allergy to a lot of bizarre things which means we are unable to eat out as a family. I emailed earlier in the week to enquire whether it might be possible to change something on the menu quite heavily, which we understand is a real pain to do. They were welcoming and understanding and she really enjoyed her meal, as did we enjoy ours, and we were able to celebrate an occasion as a family for once. So thank you so much, it is so appreciated and she mentioned that something like that can make such a positive difference Thank you!

Cafe Benecotto had a special offer of two meals for the price of one so my wife and I thought this might save us £15 . We had with us my granddaughter, almost 3 . We were amazed to be advised by staff that the “free” meal would be our granddaughter’s saving only £5 . What a bit of misleading marketing!! Good food , ok service - shame about the offer

Great food well cooked especially the pasta

Great food, decent portions and reasonable price. Very polite staff and accommodating to our needs. Lovely atmosphere.

Lovely food, very friendly staff

Best place to eat in Felixstowe.

Felixstowe lacks good places to eat and Bencotto is always popular as there are few other places to go. It’s situated in a very nice building and the ambience is very good. We were there on a busy Friday night . We have been to Bencotto several times but have never written a review so thought it was about time to do so. On every visit we have received ok service in very nice surroundings. But each time the food has been very average and overall disappointing. We will be back again I am sure as Felixstowe has such a lack of choice. There is a golden opportunity for someone to open a top quality establishment in the town and apparently someone has recognised this opening !,

Very busy did have to wait for a table but food was well worth the wait.

In Felixstowe High St, always busy it seems no matter which day of the week. Good food, good range of drinks great for a night out.

Lush setting inside, making you feel warm as soon as you walk in. Staff are very polite and attentive. Food of high quality. I’d highly recommend this place to anyone. Parking isn’t far away, which is an added bonus.

Great staff, great food, consistently good & the kids love it

Very lively Italian style restaurant with varied menu. Good service. Food good but quantity on the small side. Parking in nearby local streets.

Lunch with friends, it was nice

Popped in for an impromptu lunch , very impressed, friendly staff, good menu, certainly wasn’t disappointed. Lamb Kofte was fresh and full of flavour , definitely would recommend. And will definitely return

This is our favourite place to eat - the breakfast menu is amazing. Everything on it is filling and looks great. Staff really help make this our favourite restaurant, they are very attentive. Would rate this higher if I could. Keep up the good work Bencotto!

Nice little place to stop for a quick lunch or light bite

Amazing as always. The only place I visit when in Felixstowe

Lovely restaurant. Amazing vegan options. Delicious food. Lovely service

Wanted to give all 5s but although the food was lovely the portions are a bit on the small side for the price

Absolutely fabulous service and great food highly recommend. Very nice atmosphere in the restaurant The food is freshly cooked and well presented. They do a really nice peach sangria

Very nice layout and atmosphere, food was very good and a broad selection of Mediterranean dishes

Great place for Quality Italian food. Friendly staff and good menu choices. Great atmosphere just the right amount of hubbub.

Food lovely and tasty all staff were friendly and polite apart from 1 who was a bit abrupt and short

Good food at reasonable prices and friendly staff. Let down by the recent price rises on the wine list.

The restaurant was super busy when we arrived and as you can’t book we were lucky to grab a table, a real bustling feel to the place. Service was really good, friendly and efficient. Would recommend the salt cod starter, lovely calzone with a nice soft dough, Pizza really good. A little unlucky with the ricotta chocolate crumble dessert not so keen on the texture! Creme brûlée was superb! Really enjoyed only thing we thought could have been improved was the kitchen end of the room was very loud music wise, a little hard to be heard, but we still loved the place!

It was okay, not great food but certainly not poor. Disappointing range on menu - specials board offered a little more choice. Restaurant had run out of mussels and ice-cream - I mean seriously, was it too much like hard work to pop to the local supermarket for some bloody ice cream?

My favourite restaurant! Food is absolutely superb, all cooked fresh. Menu varied and changes often.

Perfectly relaxed environment with attentive waiters and great food

Very poor vegan choice, plant based brownie was awful & really stodgy. Had to wait a very long time for food.

Lovely retro retreat...a good all rounder place to go.. shall be returning soon 😋👍

Nice venue in Old fire station, good coffee and brioche

One of the best restaurants in Felixstowe, menu changes seasonly, very often the specials are the best

Lovely coffees and cake, good service. Delicious brioche and Panettone.

An excellent lunch served by lovely staff. We will continue to drop in for replenishment when we are in the area. Nice ambiance.

Great food and friendly service. Arrived about 4.30pm so was fairly quiet so no problem getting a table. My husband had rump steak with roasted beetroot and I had the hake with lemon couscous, both were cooked lovely. Lovely decor and conveniently situated in the main street.

Great place easy going, time to sit and chat

Wonderful welcome from the staff who are very professional and attentive. The food is incredible value and excellent quality.

Very slow service. Otherwise good is good. Just takes about an hour or longer each time before getting your food.

The food was fantastic and that's why I kept the score at 5...but I found the service a little frosty ! We went on a Friday lunchtime when it wasn't busy so I would expect the service to be a bit more personable.

Food was superb and service friendly, yet still professional.

Great food, great atmosphere and service I'd recommend this place 👌

You walk into another world when you enter this restaurant- it’s a renovated fire station with beautiful brickwork and a warm atmosphere. Service was spot on and the food was good and tasty. We had hummus to start and pizzas for our main, although there was a great selection of other dishes available and a few specials on the board which we were tempted by. We enjoyed a beautiful bottle of Gavi de Gavi white wine - highly recommended. We enjoyed the atmosphere so much we went back for coffee and brioche the next day. Again the food was fresh and tasty. Overall, you can’t go wrong with this place, all age groups seem to be the clientele which is good to see. 10/10 for the toilets too.

We are lucky that this is our local restaurant and local bar. The staff at what makes this restaurant outstanding. Always welcoming, always friendly, nothing is too much trouble. Excellent wine list, even better menu. Bencotto we adore you. Thankyou xx

The food is always excellent. The staff are very friendly and the ambience is wonderful. I am never disappointed eating there.

Been here quite a few times and always good. Tonight we had a vegetarian pizza ,and farfalle pasta that had broad beans, peas, mint, lemon, and cashew cream- as a vegan option. A side dish of sauteed potatoes and a small green salad finished things off. Pizza was stacked with peppers/courgette red onion oregano and fresh basil and the chiil oil provided was a very nice addition. Both mains served nice and hot - the 1 litre bottled water on site is very good and very cheap compared to named water. Staff, as always, polite and professional.

Not been for some time but we saw that pork loin was on the menu. I started with calamari, which was very oily and my wife had the blue cheese bruschetta, very tasty. We were both disappointed with the pork loin as it was bland and had a band of unchewable fat on the edge. The accompanying blue cheese sauce had no taste at all but the veggie was cooked well. We had a bottle of 'house' vino blanco, which was ok but vastly overpriced at £22 - I can buy this quality wine for £4 a bottle at Lidl. We decided to cut our losses and skip the desserts and just have coffee. Service was very good by a young lady but the total cost of £70 is not something we will be repeating.

A bit disappointing to be honest. Visited with family friends on a Monday night. Admittedly not the best night usually for a restaurant visit. There werw 6 of us, we bought a bottle of Prosecco for aperitif. Decided against starters. My main, Lebanese chicken breast was tasty. Others were not so thrilled. A seafood pasta had a few mussels and a couple of shrimps. Another had a tough old pork Chop. Never mind, we all looked forward to affogato deserts. Waitress took our order, then came back to the table to say the freezer was broken so none of our deserts available. We paid the bill and left. By the way our Prosecco was a tad over £32 for the bottle. A bit of a pricey surprise. Our fault though, we should have asked the price first before ordering.

Lovely decoration and clean restaurant. Staff very friendly, food fresh and delicious. 5 stars! The seafood linguine was a real show stopper!

Had a lovely meal. Crab cakes delicious.

Very welcoming,drinks first followed by a lovely tasty meal fresh ingredients.cafe spotless Tom looked after us very well .definitely recommend

Very delicious food, fast service

When in Felixstowe I generally gave lunch here. I had not been for a couple of months and the waiting staff were friendly. Not a big point but I dropped my fork and before k knew it the Waitress was handing me a new one. As for the food excellent as usual. Very nice hone made soup and the mains I had was well cooked and tasty. A pleasant lunch.

There,s no pre booking available so you just turn up to see if a table is available. On arrival we were told there was a forty minute wait for food but we were lucky as our main arrived in about 20 mins. One couple on one side waited over an hour for their mains while on the other side another couple had been waiting well over an hour and was then told their food order had been lost and would the like to reorder. We will not be back.

Dried sauce on fork, hair in water glass, poor service, food took ages. Wont be returning

I met with family for lunch. Food was really good. We all enjoyed it

Looked inviting from outside and nice inside. I have been served quickly. Only because of that 2stars. Otherwise food was bland and tasteless. No flavour at all. Near me people have been eating meat balls and said the same. Not only it’s not worth the money but also if it would be half price I would not come back for a meal. Definitely need to improve dishes.

I went here with my wife and not only was the food impeccable, the service was excellent! We were served by a handsome young man who was very attentive and extremely friendly, it felt like we’d known him for years! 10/10, will definitely be visiting again.