Clocktower Cafe in Kingston upon Thames

Really yummy food and really lovely staff!

had an excellent falafel starter.. Thank you

I’d read good reviews on this place and was keen to try it out, however I should have noted the date of reviews. The cafe was grubby, very tired and unloved. Two staff were very slow and not particularly friendly. The food was extremely poor, it took an age to get it, the hummus had a very bitter taste and the falafel were dry and if not for the taste of old cooking oil would have had no flavour at all. The bread also had a strange bitter taste. We never got the water we ordered either.

Very weird & Rude behaviour by the old lady..environment is not good

Friendly place and very nice vibrant food. I had the maklouba and it was very tasty. Also the portions are generous. Definitely going back to make my way through the menu. Recommended!

Nice little caffee shop just near the Clock Tower in Surbiton. Great coffee and shakes, as well as breakfast.

Though staff were really friendly, the food wasn’t good. After reading many great reviews I was expecting good Syrian food. What messed up the dish was the canned chickpeas on top of the pita bread which soaked the canned water. Also mince meat in a sandwich did not taste good and the side potatoes were bad quality. Either I was unlucky or the quality has dropped at this place.

Came in with high expectations given positive reviews. The cafe was clean and friendly, however the quality of the food was very poor. The food was not freshly prepared, but microwaved, and was not flavourful. Would not recommend.

I always go here lovely friendly place to have coffee or eat and the staff are amazing I would recommend going and trying all the lovey stuff fantastic menu easy to get to and parking as well *****🌹🌹

Welcoming relaxed environment, spotlessly clean, fantastic coffee, lovely home made food. Couldn't ask for more.

Amazing location..really nice stuff…cheerful people..really liked it..

It was interesting to try Syrian dishes. My bowl of chickpeas, pita bread and yogurt sauce was creamy, hearty and homey. After the meal, take a walk in the small scenic park behind the cafe.

Been ordering from this place for some time now. The food always delivered hot and fresh.

Having just returned from living in the Middle East it was great to find this cafe with so many familiar foods! Fabulous menu, tons of choice and super delicious coffee too (my hubby opted for the Syrian coffee - it was superb). Minus half a star as the cafe wasn’t spotless the day we visited despite being quiet.

Beautiful family run cafe with amazing authentic food❤

I have been living in Surbiton for a while and I have finally found the restaurant I was looking for. Every thing tastes amazing from coffee to all the food Mrs Ghadda makes. Very very delicious food and by far the best place to eat in Surbiton.

Amazing food and the owners are super friendly and welcoming. Highly recommended

Incredible arabic food, coffee and friendly staff. Especially love the falafel!

Small cafe but the product are great! Went there mid September when the weathers starting to get chilly and it was the perfect drink to have! Friendly staff and overall great!😊. Specially for this coming winter. Would definitely come back here again!

الطعام جيد الخدمة ممتازة الموقع جميل تقديم الشاي في كأس طويل(تعبان) عموما يستحق أربع نجوم بجدارة

I cannot fault this cafe, maybe apart from some extra furniture hanging around. The food was amazing with wonderful vegan options. The staff were courteous which is a valuable quality currently where many restaurant are hostile to their customers. All the regulations were covered but it definitely was not in our faces. I definitely recommend and will visit again.

Great place to eat and take away, Owner is really nice and goes the extra mile to ensure you are happy. Lovely ice creams and coffee.

Lovely owner but the brown bread on my sandwich was almost comically cheap/poor.

Nice owner, good food but slightly on expensive side for a cafe

Nice environment, was a litte but disappointed with the food.

Fantastic service and staff, 5*s for that alone.

Marvellous; food, drink, service. ...etc

This isn't a cafe in the conventional sense. What were once the public toilets serving Claremont Gardens (and, for a while in the 1980s, one of the most disreputable spots in the Royal borough) is now the Clocktower Cafe; with the Surbiton clocktower itself dominating outside. The problem with this Lebanese experience is not the food (very good) or the cafe, but the opening hours. It seems to be closed more than it's open. I arranged to meet someone there at 10am last week. I arrived slightly early, at 9.45am. No sign of life. A faded notice on the door seemed to be relaying something about opening hours, but it had bleached in the sunshine and was unreadable. I left a message on my friend's phone and went to the next nearest cafe. Imagine my surprise when I got a text at 10.05am saying she was sitting in the Clocktower Cafe and what drink did I want to order. A cafe should surely be open by 10am. Maybe there's too much commuter competition for that first caffeine shot of the day. A nice spot, but unreliable. Seems to close on Fridays, completely.

Great selection of food, very fresh, cooked for you. No week is complete without going to enjoy conversation and food at the Clocktower Cafe. Favourite place to eat. Children welcome, pop in on your own, enjoy meal with OH.

Great little cafe. Owner very helpful and friendly. Outside seats. Quiet place

Delicious food. Wonderful (Syrian) coffee. Would recommend!

Maa Sha Allah beautiful food... and lovely owners

Great Cafe with mediterranean food in a converted toilet block! All hand prepared from good ingredients, this is a tasty place for falafel, chicken, aubergine based dishes. Good selection of vegan / vegetarian options.

BEST COFFEE EVER, VERY DELICIOUS VEGAN FOODS WITH WIDE RANGE OF OPTIONS, VERY WARM ATMOSPHERE FRIENDLY STAFF, HIGHLY RECOMMEND.👍🏻☕️ 💯

Very good homemade food! Highly recommended :)

Great aubergine wrap made with fresh ingredients. Pleasant atmosphere.

Fantastic place. Food and service both astounding. The proprietor is absolutely lovely. Can't fault the place.

We go here on a weekly basis, owner is wonderful as well as the food and cappuccino's are the best. WE LOVE THE CLOCK TOWER CAFE!!

Why is this place not heaving?! We went for dinner on a Wednesday evening and we were sadly the only customers. The food is divine, and the portions are generous. We ordered a Mezze & Makloubeh Meal to share. Food is cooked to order so it couldn’t be fresher. But there is a little wait, obviously. But soooo worth the wait. If we lived locally we would be here every week! No alcohol is served, which is not a big deal for us. Perhaps if people could bring their own drink it might be more popular. But no one came in for a takeaway either. We just don’t get it...

....and not too bad for meat eaters as well. Surprising to see this in the middle of Surbiton. Home made stuff. Very nice and I the mince thing with cashews on a bed of hummus was nice. Service was a bit slow, though, but friendly, and don't bother with the extra honey in the banana milkshake. Just banana will do. Lots of things on the menu for vegetarians

I have visited this cafe several times now and It never disappoints. Food is always freshly made with lots of love and care and the Syrian dishes are a delight. The Syrian coffee made with cardamon is a personal favourite. Staff are friendly and welcoming and the service is attentive. Quiet peaceful atmosphere with occasional Syrian music playing in the background. A nice change from the high street coffee shops and cafes and a great addition offering something a little different. Highly recommend.

You cannot go wrong. And the breakfasts are superb. I'd never "heard" of Syrian food before but it's wonderful. Unique, fresh and very tasteful. Well at least the way it is presented here. Simply a no-brainer.

I just came across this place by chance and I was impressed! Service excellent. I had the Full English Breakfast - delicious! Very reasonable prices and a warm friendly welcome! And check this . -all halal! Can't go wrong -definitely going back for more!

Spied the mural on the outside and found this little gem. Catering for breakfast, lunch and dinner with Syrian dishes. Opted for cooked breakfast and was served quickly and cooked Beautiful. Syrian music was being played quickly & takes you away from the hustle and bustle of every day life. For something different, do try

I always visit Clocktower Cafe when I am in the area. The owner's treatment is second to none! So friendly, and the food is just amazing. Fresh and handmade. A hidden gem in Kingston, extremely underrated! Make sure to visit!

Fresh food, Homemade, Amazing quality, Superb quanity, Excellent price, Halal, Friendly staff, Perfect for individuals/friends/kids/couples/families, Indoor and outdoor seating, Delivers as well.

The atmosphere is peaceful. It is a lovely place to relax and enjoy either a meal, a hot drink or dessert. I have visited this cafe a few times now and the quality of the food is hot, fresh and absolutely delicious. I would highly recommend this cafe to all those commuting around the Surbiton area or who are locals. It is located 5 minutes away from the surbiton station.

Perfect for the summer breezy hangout area. Cant wait to come back ! The fresh mint tea is such a treat!

tasty food, tasty cofee, excellent staff . what you want more tan that. highly recommended.

We stopped for a coffee as we were passing and the cafe looked nice.

I've been coming since they opened and I've never been disappointed. Not many owners remember your children's names like they do here. Underrated Surbiton gem.

Lovely, friendly place to sit down and have a coffee and a bite to eat. The food is good and the atmosphere is peaceful (no loud music etc).

Love this place. A regular lunch stop

Lovely middle eastern food at a reasonable price, could be a little quicker though. Try the fresh lemonade, it's yum!

Friendly, really tasty food and good coffee; will be back again. Clock tower is a straightforward cafe with a great selection of middle eastern food as well as traditional staples.

Very good customer service. Food is nice and price is very reasonable compare to others.

Had a reasonably priced latte in this pleasant cafe and the gentleman working there was very pleasant and friendly :)

A friendly place with a variety of tasty Mediterranean options for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Great desserts too. Prices are probably the most reasonable in the area. Will definitely go again ..

Very nice staff and delicious iced coffee. Peaceful place and syrian music. Lovely.

He estado varias veces. La comida es casera y a la orden, delicioso falafel y kibbeh, ensaladas frescas, café excelente.

Excellent service with delicious syrian cuisine and warm family atmosphere, I highly recommend .

The freshest sandwich i had in the whole of Kingston, a very nice and relaxing atmosphere.

I first visited this (then) Newly opened food outlet, after being recommended to the place by a close friend.

There is easy parking around the corner at £1 an hour. It's quite close to the station. Look for Waitrose and walk towards the ornate clocktower. This independently owned cafe is well run. A warm appreciative welcome is forthcoming and there are some very interesting Lebanese breakfast dishes plus the usual offer of ice creams, cakes, coffees etc.Food is made fresh on the premises.I'll definitely be back with others to have a great breakfast which is served all day.Seating inside and out.2 drinks & 2 ice creams was £6.90

Visited with my dad as we didn't know where else to go and often parked nearby. I had a halloumi sandwich and my dad had a cake. We both tried the Syrian coffee which was delicious - especially as were both fans of Turkish coffee. My halloumi sandwich was generous in portion and freshly made from scratch with a salad with delicious dressing on the side. I returned with a friend for more Syrian coffee and cake and again was hugely impressed with the quality of our food and drinks and the hospitality and friendliness of the staff. I will be returning to try the Syrian breakfast later in the week as it is one of my dad and i's favourite places now to meet.

We had walked past a few times and it looked intriguing. We came for breakfast with the family. A superb menu if anything it's a little too large. We choose different dishes and were not disappointed. The Falafel were outstanding so fresh and not greasy. It's a very friendly place and very good with a young family. My only criticism would be that it's not quick but I suppose they cook from scratch unless you want coffee and cakes. We ordered and went for a walk to the shops and came back. Caffeine Conissures will love the Syrian coffee. It's also perfect for Veggies. Nice and clean, warm service I'll definitely go again.

Very good choice of Syrian or Lebanese food , I particularly like the houmous with mince meat and pitta bread , as well as their chicken shawarma. It all cook on demand and the service can be quite long , although recently speed has improved . The decor is nothing special but it is conveniently located not far from surbiton station but yet in a quiet place. Food is really good value, bear in mind no alcohol is served . But as cafe well worth visiting for a tasty meal .

First visit for lunch Good menu selection Tasty chicken soup with fresh herbs, friendly staff Will be back to try something else

with waitrose nearby , competition is fierce there is a five pound offer and the sitting outside on a sunny day to compensate

We found this cafe by chance and pleased to see it so clean. The staff were pleasant and we were the only two customers. I ordered two decaf lattes, shown as £2.10, and the man said he'd bring them over and to pay later. When I went to pay on our way out I gave £4.20 but was told that it was £5.20, £2.60 each. While I accept that £2.60 for a coffee is ok, nowhere else that I know charges extra for decaf, let alone 50p extra. When I queried it he said that decaf was more expensive! Nice place but won't be going again.

After having a stressful morning it was so lovely to come to a relaxing place that served excellent food.

Great orange juice. Friendly staff. Eclectic mix of yummy in the tummy English and Syrian cuisine.

Run by a couple who are keen to please. Really nice staff who are willing to be flexible about the menu, e.g. tonight they made me something that isn't on the menu just because I was in a rush and fancied a halloumi wrap.Food is well-presented, tasty, and there is a good selection of savoury meals and sweet things.

Been here twice at night because they're open late and it's a lovely cafe. The staff are friendly and the English breakfast was great. Took a little while to make but it was a big portion for a cheap price. Perfect place if you want to get out at night be alone.

There is an interesting and tasty selection of food and we always enjoy our lunches also have had our morning coffee sitting in the sunshine as there are tables inside and outside for customers. We recommend the Clocktower Cafe.

I was in town with a friend and suggested trying this place for lunch. She had already been before for the veggie English breakfast and said she was disappointed but was happy to go back and try the Syrian food for lunch. It was very quiet in there but the food took ages to come and we'd only ordered a sandwich each! They also charge quite a bit extra for you to eat in. When the food arrived, I had a bit of grilled halloumi inside a massive white baguette. I thought it would be just 2 slices of bread and found the baguette too stodgy. It came with some lettuce and cucumber on the side which was already covered with salad cream. My friend said her falafel wrap was average and again, the wrap was too big for the contents, so made it too stodgy. I'm glad to see the building being used but it's not quite there yet on quality. The staff were lovely but I think they could improve on efficiency and food quality.

I finally tried this (quite) new local cafe after walking past it every weekday on the journey to/from work. Better late than never! Found out from the menu that the owners are Syrian and include home-style Syrian dishes as well as the usual variety of all-day UK breakfasts and sandwiches . This includes really interesting looking Syrian breakfasts (various ways with chickpeas, broad beans, hummus, halloumi, tahini, etc). I went in the evening so enjoyed 2 delicious lamb and chicken kebabs with a generous portion of nicely cooked rice, salad and a delicious bowl of garlic and mint-infused yoghurt as dressing. All freshly cooked. Pudding was another yoghurt dish with a layer of jellied orange juice on top. Sounds unusual but it was tasty! Drinks were a generously-sized glass of freshly squeezed orange juice and absolutely lovely Syrian coffee - similar to Turkish coffee, but infused with cardamom. The service was friendly and there was no loud music (often a problem in some local cafes).It's fantastic to have a cafe offering this kind of food at a reasonable price in the Surbiton/Kingston area. If you like Lebanese or Turkish food it will be right up your alley!