Carats Cafe Bar in Adur

I suppose it might be nice if the sun is shining, but poor food and a tatty interior do not help. A long way to reach the place, and paid for parking when you get there. Even the disabled parking is payable.

Came here for brunch, there’s inside and outside seating, we chose inside. Rather confusing, it’s not made clear whether you order at the counter or at the table. We ordered at the counter, even more confusingly there is a small menu on a blackboard which you think is the whole menu, which it isn’t, there are actually menus with a lot more things on them. We ordered a vegy breakfast, a burger and a normal breakfast, all were ok nothing special and lots of things are charged as extras; mushrooms, fresh tomatoes etc. Also mine wasn’t very hot. The coffee was the best thing, overall disappointing, they need to make it much clearer to customers, where and how to order and make the full menu widely available, we would have ordered different, probably better things had we seen the full menu.

no vegan option for breakfast/brunch. Vegetarian breakfast featured mushrooms deep fried in oil and unpleasant veggie sausage the rest was ok. Staff were friendly and hard working. Nice place to meet but food poor quality .

Both coffee and food were awful. Coffees were cold and so weak that they just tasted like luke warm milk. Jacket potato was cold and under-cooked. Coronation chicken topping was basically curried sultanas - literally 2 tiny bits of chicken. £52 for 4 x jacket potato with coffee, which was a total waste of money. If this place wasn't on the sea no-one would eat/drink here. My advice is walk along the coast then take your custom elsewhere, unless you enjoy paying a decent amount of money for horrible food and drink!. Such a disappointment as we were taking our mums out for lunch. We will now try to find a nice place for cakeand coffee now to cheer them up!

The food is OK but had to wait forever for staff to make me hot chocolate - after them going on and on about being in a hurry to close. I think they had forgotten us but there was no apology.

Visited yesterday for breakfast, we always leave a few months between visits to see if things improve, they don’t! Breakfast used to taste fresh, but ours were definitely pre cooked bacon and fried slice, clearly by the toughness of each they were cooked in advance and kept under a heater! Bacon, as always fatty! Egg over cooked, beans had a weird metal taste, mushrooms were the perfect size for a borrower!! and for the life of me why put the whole breakfast on top of the toast or fried slice!!!!! Put it on the side!! It’s just odd, who wants soggy bread!! And please sharpen your knives if your going to serve tough food!! Needless to say there was a lot of waste from our table and I think we have finally drawn a line under this cafe! No more chances , which is a shame as we used to love it here a few years ago, if bad reviews don’t bring about change then clearly customers are not being listened to!

This is a great cafe, good value, big portions and good quality food. Staff are always welcoming and friendly. You can sit on the tables by the beach and watch the sea, or take your dog into the conservatory on a cold winters morning. The only thing I would say, is the menu could do with a little updating. Maybe look at the Drift in Shoreham, keep British breakfasts but add things like pancakes, poached eggs and oats?

Poor poor poor. Value £27.00 for 2x scrambled egg on toast, eggs like leather, bacon absolutely overcooked burnt in places, mushrooms deep fried tasteless, asked for bacon to be replaced, it was replaced with undercooked bacon as a statement. No smiles, from staff, I brought to the attention of the manager what a terrible service and food, they just played lip service to me, Don’t dine here.

Expected better than what was delivered after high praise from friends. Went for breakfast not too busy. No smile no he’ll or good morning. Breakfast was obviously deep fried for most of it. The only item on plate to have moisture were the beans and mushrooms. Not impressed at all.

We ordered prawn salad. It wasn't fresh. We left alot of it. We were charged too much as well, as there were two different prices, one on the specials board and one on the printed menus, , but after we mentioned it we were refunded. There was alot of workmen eating in there, it was more like a greasy spoon. It was very noisy with them and we couldn't hear ourselves talk. We noticed it wasn't very clean inside the cafe. It's overpriced.

A simple order of bacon and egg sandwich. With a stipulation of a runny egg and crispy bacon. What came out was the polar opposite. Maybe if id asked for flacid fatty bacon and rock hard eggs i may have got what i wanted. Completely underwhelming. Used to be THEEE place to go but sadly cant say that now. No point in asking for another one as it would have taken an age, and would have been presented with rubbish customer service response (see previous reviews) ...and i needed to be somewhere. Would I come back again?Definate no.. but the toilets are handy!

The location is perfect for the beach. Toilets & ice creams closeby. Food is pretty good. Staff are friendly. Our only negatives, which could be so easily remedied are: clearing & wiping the tables checking the condiments are topped up & look appetising. We’ve spent many happy hours here, in all weathers. Our take out cup of tea on the beach this afternoon scored 10/10.

UNHYGIENIC! Dogs allowed up at tables! Well aware it’s a dog friendly cafe but the staff allowing people to have their dogs up on chairs at the table is quite frankly disgusting! Was looking forward to breakfast but this being seen as acceptable made me question what else they think is ok in a food establishment so only got my daughter an ice cream that was pre wrapped. Wouldn’t return

The cafe where time stood still and customer service went backwards. There’s nothing good to say about this place, from the archaic menu, To the offensive staff, to the hideously cooked prison food - nip over the dock and go to the much better and newer cafe where they have heard of things like “oat milk” and “giving you a clean glass with your drink”. Don’t go here.

Yes, it probably was a bit expensive for a couple of cups of tea, 3 cookies and an ice cream but the best part was that, unlike many other cafes, it was still open after 4pm on a Sunday afternoon - a bonus after an hour with the grandchildren on an unseasonably cool and windy beach. The staff were pleasant and welcoming, and the kids loved sitting under the (real) grapevine. We didn't have any cooked food so can't comment on that.

Expensively disappointing. Food was poor - fish and scampi were not fresh. Salad was limp Service from kids who clearly didn’t want to be there. Prices far outweighs the quality of the food. Shame, we’ve had fab visits in the past but is seems Carats is past its sell by date.

We went to Carat's Cafe today for lunch. My sister had the Carat's breakfast but the mushrooms were missing. They said they would follow but after having to remind them she had eaten her breakfast before they arrived. I had a bacon and egg sandwich which was cold but I had to eat half as I had to take medication before eating. I told them this and asked for a replacement but because I had started eating it they refused saying they could heat it in the microwave!!! I've been here on and off for a long time but the standards have gone down dramatically.

All of us ordered the Carats breakfast which has loads of options. All turned up together and was fresh and well cooked. Really great choice on the menu and a great position.

Came for breakfast and as I always do I asked for my toast and friends fried bread to be served on the side! And yet again it was put under the egg snd beans!! Breakfast is great but bread goes all soggy! Not sure what part of “ on the side” is hard to comprehend, and I’m puzzled as to why it’s not standard!! Also charge an extra £1.50 for eggs to be “scrambled”!!!! (Microwaved)!! Extra £1.50 for few mushrooms , Really!! Great coffee but won’t rush back for overpriced soggy breakfast!!

Excellent breakfast. Quick service, food hot, tasty and plentiful. And excellent value for money. Staff friendly, tables cleaned quickly between customers. Couldn't ask for more. The polar opposite of a "trendy" café in Brighton where we had brunch the day before.

So we used to come here loads some years back when meals were huge and it was dog friendly inside and out. Came today it was freezing out but we had to sit in the conservatory due to having dogs, Ordered Scampi and chips, very...

First and last trip to this place . Food was overpriced and frankly disgusting. Poor grumpy service. Lovely location but such a shame about this cafe !

Came with my partner for two breakfast and two coffees, no queue which is unusual and not busy, we stood by the till and were ignored by several young staff, no “ be with you in a minute” no “ morning , what would you...

First time here today for lunch. Lasagne tasty, well presented and homemade. Staff very friendly and helpful. Great location. A little expensive we thought but enjoyable all the same.

I love this cafe. Great breakfast and super friendly staff. Disagree with some of the reviews on the site, however, and I hope the owners read this. The conservatory area is left dirty...The seat cushions are covered in food and stains, the tables don't seem...

Great venue by the beach but that’s it really. Saw a rat running round the back of the building and told a member of staff-they said there is always problems there-very matter of fact over such a health risk. Needless to say I didn’t order...

I simply can't believe some of the reviews downgrading Carats. One of my favourite past times is to cycle down to Carats for breakfast by the beach to sit outside in the sunshine. I have never had any problem with the food, and the staff...

We had seen some reviews for Carats which were not promising, but being at the beach here there was no alternative. We thought Ham egg and chips would be a safe bet, how wrong can one be? The very worst kind of plastic ham, bright...

A great stop for breakfast with friends on a bank holiday weekend walk from Brighton with friends! Great food and friendly service. Will recommend to others and look forward to returning in the future.

Lovely little cafe on the seafront. Prefect for sitting and relaxing and enjoying the view or for a quick snack from their to go hut. Highly recommend

Everything about this place is bad, it stands out like a sore thumb amongst the quality food places in and around the local area. The one thing it has is a sea view, but given you have to drive though an industrial estate to get...

Lacking any attention to detail - like clean glasses or pepper In the pepper pot - the only thing this cafe has going for it is being next to the sea. Food is awful, overpriced, absent is any presentation, variety , service or charm. Don’t...

Disappointing breakfast saute pots cold beans Luke warm rest just warm poor value wont bother again. Shouldn't be difficult to to serve food hot

We decided to visit as a weekend treat on a Sunday around 10am. The cafe was busy but not full so it was a nice atmosphere. Decor is nice. We had 2 carats breakfast and a sausage and chips. For the price we were very...

Positives; Great location, lots of parking (chargeable). Lots of tables and good selection of food. Negatives; Poor customer service. Lots of "can't be bothered" type staff who aren't professional. Waited forever for butter that didn't arrive. Asked for extra plate at the till that I...

The food isn't the best quality and is VERY overpriced but you cannot beat the location. Lovely to sit on a quiet part of the beach, dog friendly, and just a short walk from Hove Lagoon/Southwick.

was looking forward to a plant based breakfast after a walk however menu not geared towards this so chose mushrooms on toast so that no fuss ( part of a mixed group) . The mushrooms were served whole, and were greasy - tasting of cooking...

Prices need to be looked at seriously, went today and spent a fortune for very little. For example the chocolate bars are £1.60 which is ridiculous

Mad busy at 11.30 this morning , but this doesn’t normally mean a poor standard breakfast until today !! It was very small compared to the usual amount you used to get, Asked for sauté potatoes but got a few chips instead!! Fried bread was...

To charge more for choosing decaffeinated Coffee the healthier option is just plain mean. Shows little business sense as on principle won't be bringing our party group here. £3 for a coffee is top end while cafe is nice but very average nothing special just...

Southwick beach is an odd place with the industrial backdrop but here at Carats facing the sea, who cares? A good breakfast selection and good fast service in the cafe. Eat inside or outside. The kiosk outside serving ice cream, teas and snacks is slow...

Have been going here for years but lately the breakfast has not been up to scratch. The fried eggs have been hard and the beans luke warm and saute potatoes were actually cold Surprised as it was not as busy as usual today. Maybe a...

Been here a few times but not for a while! Went for breakfast and paid £20 for two breakfast and one drink. Have to eat outside(knew that anyway) but breakfast served in cardboard box with fried bread in a paper bag with useless wooden knife...

I live in London but used to live in Brighton. So I have visited Carats for years. Its a jewel that only the locals knew about...and the surfers.... Now , due to the internet its popularity has grown. But there is always space to eat....

Hot drinks labelled wrong and served cold. No apology that my 6 year old boy drank half a pint of coffee - they put whipped cream on top and labelled it a hot chocolate haha. They have this app so you order in the q,...

What a great cafe Carats is, and very popular with cyclists being on the South Coast Bike trail but well worth the trip from Brighton.. or wherever really. The menu is somewhere between caff and posh nosh.. and it does both with ease, and in...

Decided to visit this cafe while walking along the beach. Me and my friend wanted a good old bacon bap with egg. So decided to walk in to the cafe with my face mask. No Track and Trace( illegal) When I walked to the counter...

Used to be good but now a fine example of how monopolies drive poor standards and overpricing. No other choice at Southwick Beach so Carats has a licence to print money and in doing so take liberties with their prices. Poor customer service to the...

Its quite a nice spot I suppose. There are useful public toilets. The coffee was so so and the bacon was the right size and cooked more or less as requested, but over salted. Stuff I buy in Waitrose or Sainsbury the best has better...

Well just want to say I have been coming here years with no problem but today our order turned up after the people who ordered way after us so having to ask where it was she went to see! The girl was very confused with...

Every year we head down to Brighton to see the relatives, and have breakfast at Carats on the last day. With COVID knocking about, we were worried that things would be adrift - but we needn’t have worried. You get a great choice of breakfast - when ordering you need to have in mind about five different options - hash browns or sauté potatoes, white or brown bread, tinned or fresh tomatoes, beans or tomatoes etc. Make sure you are clear when you order and you won’t go far wrong. The food is great - the sausages and bacon especially. The staff are friendly and quick - although they tend to be overworked - whoever owns this place doesn’t seem to over staff it...Covid means that ordering is a bit slower, and the storm meant that some stuff was stored inside, but they were about the only issues that we had. To get here you need to go quite a way out of your way, but it is worth the effort.

Went there for first breakfast out since lockdown and can honestly say it was the worst meal I’ve ever had. They charge extra for scrambled egg which looked unappetising and tasted like rubber. We ordered beans and fresh tomatoes and only got beans and when we asked for tomatoes they sent tinned so we had to ask again for the correct things. I won’t be going back.

We had a walk along the front at shoreham harbour and as we had been there before for breakfast we thought that tea Waukesha be a safe bet... how wrong we were. It was takeaway due to Covid, nice little window where you order your refreshments. Looked nice and clean but a little tatty round the edges. Two takeaway teas were ordered plus two Kit Kat’s. They arrived and we left the area. Finding a place to drink the teas and eat the Kit Kat’s we both noticed when the lids were removed one had like a fatty deposit on the top and the other one was almost the same colour of water but with milk. Tasting it it had an underlying taste which was not tea. By this time we were to far away in the wrong direction to return them and even get them to taste them. The Kit Kat’s had also been in the sun and the chocolate had melted somewhat. In all a wasted £5. ...Not sure what the problem was really... we may go again. Sorry Carats...

We were fortunate to visit on a sunny day and were able to sit in the seating area outside the main cafe - an enclosed glassed area which was wonderfully warm (it is also great on a bad weather day actually). There is a very good variety of food available - snacks, sandwiches and full meals. We had gammon egg and chips. The service is excellent, friendly and quick. I should also mention the location - less than a stones throw from the beach.

Great little cafe. Nice veggie brunch. Not sure why but couldn’t do a poached egg. However, we didn’t have change for the car park (cash only, NO cards or app payments, 24/7) so the owner gave us change for the machine. Unbelievable kindness; very much appreciated!

Good, basic food but pricey. Not too welcoming but OK. The sea view is basically the shoreside view of the shingle bank with a ribbon of sea above. Some view !?!We arrived hungry after a beach walk. I ordered a £6.50 fry-up with extra eggs (£1 each) and coleslaw (£1.50). £10 for an average lunchtime snack. Mmm... Looked at a small bottled beer but at £4.50 I asked for tap water instead.Table not clean and not cleaned by staff bringing out the food. My good lady did it with a couple of napkins and table water (now I know why it's called that). When my meal arrived I had a kid's portion of chips. Asked for more. A robust woman appeared from the kitchen with some chips but humiliated me in front of everyone in the place, telling me the portion I got was what came with the meal and if I'd wanted more I should have ordered a side order at £3, as if I was some sort of chancer. Not a chancer, just hungry. That should have been obvious from the plateful I ordered.As for the coleslaw, my wife had a baked spud. Beautiful. Lots of salad including coleslaw which she neither ordered or wanted. I could have had that instead of paying £1.50 for a couple of tablespoons of the stuff. First visit. Ain't going back.

All except one meal came out, waited a short while and then was told it was on its way. We asked for a refund as we had finished ours and my poor friend was still sat there without hers, they honoured it and told us it was on its way. 10 more minutes passed and nothing whilst we watched other orders go to tables.When we asked for a third time where the food was (a jacket potato- how long can that take?!) The kitchen staff were openly shouting at the young waitresses, incredibly unprofessional and horrible to see as the waitresses were polite and well turned out. The chef looked dirty and he was aggressive and clearly didn’t know what he was doing.Once it finally came out (about 20 mins after everyone else had finished their food) we ordered cake to keep her company as it’s not pleasant eating alone. One of the kitchen staff members then came out practically started an uncalled for argument about how this is the 4th jacket potato they had sent out and that we should be listening as people keep stealing them?! Very bizarre. And unnecessary as it had been resolved. Couldn’t accept fault, whilst the lovely polite waitresses had already apologised despite it not being their fault and had been shouted at.She also said that they refunded it and thought we didn’t want it. My friend still wanted to eat?! And we did make it clear we wanted the order, they made poor excuse one after the other.Asked for well cooked bacon, received jelly like bacon which had been charred so just blasted and fat still like jelly. Had given them another chance as this happened last time.They also got the order wrong the time before but we gave them another chance.Hate to leave a bad review but they really did ruin a day out we had planned with my partner and his family weeks before.Only come here if you’re prepared to wait and receive mediocre food and they most likely won’t come out at the same time.

Queue took longer than usual due to a newby on the till, maybe put new people on at times when not so busy, not at lunchtime when some people only have an hour for their lunch.Over priced food & drink, coke is £1.70 for a can, that's ridiculous!Had cheesy chips which were very nice but my hot chocolate was lukewarm, when I asked for it to be reheated the server touch the cup as if she didn't believe me, she said she put some hot milk in the top but it didn't feel any hotter, same with friends coffee, lukewarm............ & these aren't cheap drinks.I guess when it's the only place on the beach, some people will pay the prices!

my first visit to Shoeham Harbour and the Carat Cafe. It's a popular place, especially when the sun is out and the surfers are riding the waves along the seafront.I had morning coffee with a bacon sarnie and then came back for lunch. The staff are very good, the service fast and efficient and the food just what you'd hope for in a seafront cafe. Surprised how good the seafood pasta was at lunchtime.

Tried to come in for lunch and a drink today. Queue was out the door and people were walking away because there were no tables.... yet half the restaurant is closed off?! Asked why and told its because its not summer. Not sure how that makes any sense at all! More like the staff didn't want to clean it. Won't be coming back again.

Thought I would indulge in a full English breakfast and recalled that Carats had a good reputation... anyway, was OK, just. Nothing special and sausages were pre cooked. Must better quality breakfasts available, so will opt elsewhere next time.

Good location on beach front. Great food and good service Recommend carrots breakfast 👍 Been going her for few years still no the money

When visiting relatives down south, we always come here for breakfast on our last day. Every time the food is outstanding, and good value given the quality. The staff are lovely and the service always prompt. I’d thoroughly recommend this place for breakfast. They also do evening meals (at least for part of the year) and lunches. If you drive here, you’ll need 2.50 for the council car park.

Secret gem for location and tranquility as this beach spot avoids the crowds experienced at Hove or Brighton, the cafe however does take advantage of its monopoly through its marked up pricing.

Having deciding to take my wife for breakfast we headed to carats in shoreham,we decided to sit out side,I went to order breakfast,I looked at the board and decided to order 2 carat special breakfast,when eventually after twiddling my thumbs for ten minutes someone eventually came to serve me the lady was foreign and it was difficult to understand her, I asked for the breakfast then I must have been asked ten questions regarding the order did I want this did I want that i thought the £7.50 breakfast would include toast I asked could one breakfast have scrambled eggs any way to cut a long story short I took the £15.00 pound out to pay only to be told that the bill was £ 23.65 after I got back off the floor I asked the lady how she had arrived at that price,she told that scrambled eggs there was an extra charge the same with tomatoes I told her that I was not happy with the extra charges and told her to forget it.nowheredoes it tell you about the extra charges,just another cafe that thinks it can charge restaurant prices,needless to say I definitely won’t be going back just a rip off

We chanced upon this unassuming cafe on a slightly neglected stretch of the coast path during a 12 hour circular cycle ride on Brighton's rather rickety street hire bikes. Stopping in late afternoon for a much needed cup of tea, we found ourselves unable to resist sharing a plate of the seafood spaghetti we spotted on the day's specials board. Unexpectedly we enjoyed one of the most memorable meals we've had this summer. Our compliments to Anna, Carats' friendly Italian chef/manager on serving up such an 'assolutamente deliziossa' plate of pure summertime heaven' !

We were there for the day and decided to try this cafe for food. I was impressed with vegetarian breakfast advertised so thought I would try it priced at 7.50 I got sautéed potatoes generous portion tomatoes generous portion also then to my dissapointment 1egg 1veg sausage 1 slice of toast. My friend had cheese burger this was OK however pricey for what it was. I understand location is a good one however Shoreham cafe which is a drive away is far more generous. What we had food wise was flawless just not enough in my opinion.

Good location,good coffee,breakfast good also had an evening meal which was lovely ideal place to visit if you like a beachside location

Was really looking forward to a lovely breakfast at this very nice café, but when ordering my food was met with a lady who could not be bothered to greet me or even look at me well she took my order. I felt almost like I was in the way. I asked for a bacon sandwich with an egg and a cup of tea. On receiving my order it was just placed in front of me minus the egg. Such a shame when all it takes is a smile and a good morning to make you feel really welcome but I do not feel I will be returning.

We ordered 2 adult and 1 child breakfast. The bill came to around £35 drinks inclusive!!!

Have had fabulous breakfast here many many times, full English, omelette etc, and can't praise them enough. However, have had Sunday lunch on two separate occasions, and been disappointed both times. Last occasion, supposedly had roast beef. Potatoes raw in the middle, Yorkshire pudding like cold cardboard and the beef was tough chunks, more like stewing steak. Will still go for the breakfast though.

Mothering Sunday, on a fresh Spring day, by the sea - great! And what better place for a family lunch than Carats at Shoreham? It’s one of our favourites. Carats is an unpretentious café, clean and simply furnished. You queue to order and pay, and your chosen meals are served to your table with friendly efficiency. The menu offers a wide variety of good British comfort food. As often, I went for the sumptous all-day breakfast (two rashers of bacon, sausage, egg, tomato, toast and chips - to which I added mushrooms), someone else had a toothsome veggie lasagne with generous and colourful side salad; one child had sausage chips and beans, the other toast with grated cheese on the side (children are well looked after); and, it being Sunday, the two other adults opted for a roast chicken meal (half chicken, carrots, parsnips, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, roasties and Yorkshire pudding) and pronounced it excellent. Carats omelettes are also something to write home about. We emerged well-satisfied to stroll along the prom, or across the locks to take a look at the little working commercial harbour. What’s not to like?

We came yesterday morning, it wasn’t busy so we ordered straight away, the staff are very young but always seem on the ball, the latte and Americano was lovely and hot this time , which certainly isn’t always the case! The breakfast was delicious, we’ve never have a bad one yet and we visit at least twice a month, the toast however should come with butter and not buttered before you get it and waiting times at it’s peak are really frustrating, sometimes 20 mins or more,but overall we love it here

Popped in here on our way to the East Arm at Shoreham Port, hoping for a cup of coffee and a sarnie.

I’ve been to Carats cafe many times over the years and it used to be a reliable place for a veggie breakfast/brunch. After today’s visit I won’t be going back.

Went to this cafe on a lovely sunny day sat outside with my fiancee and had an ommlete with chips and salad. Good service and nice food. Definitely recommend to friends and family.

Car park you now need a pay and display ticket. If you don’t know where to get into the place it takes a few moments, outside could do with a paint and tidy up. Once inside things change tidy and generally clean. A tad expensive for the food which was ok.

Lovely brunch although super busy being the first sunny Sunday. Awesome setting walked over from coast road.. saw the mechanics of ship passing through the locks .. Beats the perch hands down for value portions and location . Well worth a leisurely stroll.

Come here regularly and it never disappoints! Chris and the team have always provided a top service, even when it was half the size back in the day. I can honestly say I’ve never received poor service or bad food, and always look forward to coming back. Even after 15 years!

Very prompt and polite. Food, mushrooms on toast delicious. Worth the effort to visit for sure.

I arrived at 15:35, tables were still outside. I went in and asked if they were still open. I was told yes. I chose a cold drink and attempted to order a bowl of chips and a sandwich only to be told they have finished serving food 25 mins before closure. The young waiter was quite off hand. Over the years I have spent hundreds of pound at Carats. I’m not sure I’ll be going back. Really disappointed

What a joke not servicing food after 1oclock waited over 15mins just to get a drink for family,no staff and what was round rude and unhelpfully.just like so called boss,this is second and last time here will not be back to waste my money here.

A 55 minute wait (at Sunday lunchtime) for a veggie breakfast including poor quality veg sausage, unbuttered toast and cold watery tinned tomatoes and a mozarello and pesto panini with thick uncooked cheese, little pesto and undercooked chips. I was hoping for better, especially as they're making an effort by giving free water refills and money off for using a reusable takeaway cup.

Had some pretty bad news this morning and decided to treat ourselves (my wife, me and my two year old) to lunch at Carats. A beautiful sunny day and a very busy cafe. Queued for almost half an hour. Asked, before I ordered, what the wait time was. I was conscious of the fact that my two year old had already been waiting 30mins. I was told it would be 20mins.

We have used Carats for more years than we can remember and always had a really good experience. Unfortunately, the last two visits left us very disappointed. Our most recent visit the waitress asked as she cleared the table of our half eaten breakfasts if everything was OK (the clue was on the plates). I explained the breakfast was spoiled by the undercooked saute potatoes and hash browns and she muttered something as she started to walk away. I called her back to tell her I hadn't finished and said the bacon was overcooked. Now she was looking a little embarrassed so I didn't have the heart to tell her about a hair in the fried bread! Paying premium prices I think it it is reasonable to expect premium food.

I live near this cafe and love to be by the sea, which of course it is but you can't actually see the sea from the cafe as it is set down a bit which kind of makes it not count so much. I have only had breakfasts and sandwiches there and the breakfast is pretty good, quite expensive as it doesn't come with Tea or Coffee. The staff are friendly and the front of the cafe is dog friendly. I wouldn't bother going here at the weekend as it gets crazy busy but during the week it's fine. I think my dogs love it more than I do !

have to say since my last visit ,the place has gone downhill. Food is poor and I was served by the most surly staff members ever. Her red hair certainly matched her mood. 100% awful service

Speedy, tasty, huge portions. A good place for breakfast if you are hungry. Will definitely be back for more.

Nice cafe just behind the sea wall, can see the sea from it. In an unexpected place at the end of a road into an industrial area, but follow your sat nav and you'll find it at the end. Car park reasonable daily and hourly price. Large nice portion of 99 icecream, tea was nice too.

Came here as a group of six with the dog and had a great Full English breakfast. Vegetarian breakfast is available too. Good sized portions and friendly people.

Great place for casual business meeting or just with friends. Good quality food, licensed with outdoor seating as well as conservatory. Easy to park (Pay&Display;) Great setting on the beach.

I am a regular at carats and highly recommend their breakfasts! Lovely cafe on the beach with lots of seating and always great fast service.

Had yet another breakfast here and, once again, it was awesome. Great location. Really good ingredients. Friendly staff. What more is there to say? Counting down the days until I go back again...

We waited an hour for our breakfast with two hungry children. It was obviously a busy Sunday morning but we should have been warned that the wait was this long. We asked for scrambled egg instead of fried on one of the breakfasts and were told this was fine but didn’t realise were charged £1.20 extra until we looked over our bill. It seems a bit excessive!

Not as expensive as I thought it was going to be...ciabattas are worth it,chips were a bit dodgy though, perhaps cooked in old oil. Shame really.

Have visited a number of times. very popular locally. Does a great breakfast. Always friendly. Good for families and whilst walking your dog on the beach, dog friendly in the outer cafe.

We had our third private party at Carats Cafe Bar last Saturday evening - After the regular closing time, it became our own venue for a little greyhound gathering. The staff were more than happy to move tables about and get the cafe sorted to our requirements. We had a beach walk at low tide returning to the cafe for a lovely buffet - Also catering for vegetarian and vegan members of our party.

Went there last week for the first time and family had breakfast one vegetarian and one full English they both said it was very good and very reasonable so will be going again and it's dog friendly in the conservatory, plenty of outside seating as well right by the sea!!

On entering the premises we were greeted with a warm smile from friendly staff member Cheadam who immediately made us fell welcome. On taking our order we had a great lunch with excellent service. Value for money too! Will always recommend to friends! Thanks Carats! RF

The Food was good, can't say more than that. Apart from a rogue lettuce leaf hidden right at the bottom of my salad, that was soggy and looked more like seaweed, the rest of the salads were fresh and the chips and burger, panini and toastie of good quality. but I must say very overpriced. I was shocked at the prices on the menu, for a small beach cafe it really was ridiculous. A simple jacket potato with cheese and beans £7.50! and with prawns £9.00! A bottle of ribena £2.00!, and a can of coke £1.60!! Really?? That is ridiculous! And shocked at grated cheese as an extra priced at £2.50! Why? It's such a shame that prices are hiked up so much. it will definitely deter me from visiting again. My pet hate is being ripped off when there really is no justification for it. No labour costs are involved in preparing a bottle of ribena or can of coke! Which we took to our table. I understand this is different when pricing food items on the menu as labour and overhead costs etc have to be taken into account. It cost just over £26 for what we had, which was a lunch time snack, and for me this is far too much. I would expect this of maybe a London cafe, which I call rip off city, but not southwick. We had chicken burger and cheesy chips, a ham and cheese toastie (came with extras, we did not ask for them), a brie and bacon panini with salad and chips, a coffee, a coke and a ribena.