Hikers Rest in Wealden

Well what can I say… I rarely do reviews unless something is particularly bad or excellent and I’m pleased to say my experience here was the latter. I was informed by a reluctant local to the area that this place was a little gem, the food is all cooked fresh in house and the prices are really good. It’s very popular with the locals and I can see why. Being positioned opposite The Tiger Inn with loads of free parking this little gem of a restaurant should be put on the map!! I ordered the new Christmas Dinner, when it came I was not expecting anything more than a small plate for the price, instead of got a full plate of succulent vegetables, scrummy roast potatoes (that always a must with me) pig in blanket, stuffing a home made Yorkshire pudding and beautifully cooked turkey…. Topped off with gravy and fresh Cranberry sauce all for the cheapest price of £13.50…. What a bargain. I have tried other Xmas dinners around the area but they are more expensive and I’ve not been able to satisfied. I can see why the locals keep this place quiet, it’s a beautiful location, dog friendly and the atmosphere is very homely. Sorry local people but your secret it out!!!! Highly recommend even if you just want fresh cooked cakes, light meals etc…. It’s my new favourite place 😍

Wish I had come here years ago, stopped by for lunch, food was very nice, staff very friendly and even my dog got fuss and biscuits. Will definitely be back soon.

Great place. Under 'not so new' management now and it's improved enormously. Friendly and helpful staff serving good food and drinks at very reasonable prices. Well worth a visit.

A really warm welcome, lovely range of cakes and bakes, excellent value for money.

Have visited this place before but on our recent visit I was very disappointed in the service. My husband's drink came in a dirty cup with lipstick all over it. Whilst we asked for a replacement there was no apology and a 'take it or leave' it attitude.

As the name suggests this cafe is in a great location for walks ‘close’ to Birling Gap. The sandwiches we had were ok and nicely served with a bit of salad. In my opinion is cleanliness (tables, floor, toilets) could be improved.

We had a very relaxing cuppa at the Hikers Rest. Well presented and quick service( with a smile). We have been in on numerous occasions since we live locally , and always have excellent food and service. The cafe is always clean and has a welcoming ambience. Plus outdoor seating which is always a bonus if the weather allows! Can recommend to anyone.

Great to have some a vegan toastie option - beetroots, mushrooms and vegan cheese. I wished there would be more to choose from though. The vegan biscoff cake was fantastic. Staff was a little overstretched today with a big group on this lovely day.

Not very clean on appearance. Table was cleared and wiped down for us but basically the food was smeared across the table and not cleaned. So this could do with some basic training for staff. Coffee and cake. Drinks ok but scone and cake were dry and tasteless. Staff friendly and welcoming.

Good home cooked food in a beautiful village atmosphere. My soup was heart and flavoursome. My friend said her sausage roll was delicious.

Good airy place. Excellent food.

It is located in a beautiful spot. However, it is quite dark inside with its dark blue walls. A very empty cold place and not warm or comfortable. It is very hollow sounding. The glass cabinets are all empty and very dusty inside and outside. The counter area is also very untidy. The cabinet with the sausage rolls and other items can just about be seen through the dirty glass. Again there is still the smell of dogs due to decent floor cleaning NOT being done on a daily basis. I would not recommend this establishment any more. Did not go to the toilet as I feared that they would be dirty in accordance with the rest of the Cafe. There should be clear notice that dogs are allowed and may be inside. The approach to the entrance was disgraceful and in need of a good sweep and tidy up.

very beautiful location, staff were helpful, not a lot of outside seating, cream tea was lovely. 🐶 friendly which is always a bonus.

Very nice scones & cake and very helpful staff

Been here a few times as my family live in the village , the food is quite good and the service pretty slow but I'm never really in a rush when I come here but the thing I really dislike about this place is the dingy atmosphere and the dirty dusty glass display cabinets that should be thrown out .

The food is pretty nice but slow service and a dingy interior, dusty empty glass display cases used as room dividers for some reason , it round look and felt a lot better if these were removed !

Great cafe in this quaint Sussex village. Good range of food (hot & cold, breakfast til 12:30) and great value, we felt (for eggs Benedict, cake, hot drinks). Could do with a touch more proactive cleaning/clearing generally but very friendly and helpful staff. Highly recommend.

Sadly, after having a reasonable toasted sandwich and coffee one day my husband and I thought we'd try a full English breakfast a few days later. It wasn't cheap and we were really looking forward to it. After over 30 mins. it arrived and was cold! The plates were stone cold too...couldn't quite believe it. We sent it back hoping for either a new breakfast to be cooked or at the very least having it heated up. It still arrived barely warm. I wish we had just got our money back but being polite we ate as much as we could. When I told the manager in a very nice way he didn't really want to know, saying no one else had every complained. I said perhaps they were to polite to say anything! He didn't like it one bit. Advise to anyone reading this, coffees and toasties are ok but don't fall for anything else.

I recently went here for a wake. It was a lovely village setting with great food. Great for hikers. Easy to find and lots of parking.

Popped in end October with hubby for a quick lunch on a gorgeous sunny Sunday, it was busy in East Dean - really lovely so we were pleased to find a table outside in the sun. Just a snack, drinks but I had a lovely large vegan salad with beetroot I think and it was delicious, perfect. Would definitely return!

My almond croissant was a bit dry. Coffee was OK.

Very good food, simple but well done. Popular place with Hikers and Dog walkers, so busy and somewhat noisy! Friendly service and very good value for money.

How - how do they manage to serve up such high quality delicious food for such a reasonable price? Absolutely smashing place!

Friendly shop, good atmosphere. People who work here and the customers look happy. Would love to visit again.

Such a lovely little Cafe. The food is tasty and nicely served. Kind, helpful staff. Such a nice place to stop for a cuppa and slice of cake during a walk around this wonderful village and the surrounding area. Highly recommended for breakfast! 10 out of 10 for so many reasons.

I don’t think I can ever go back. The table smelt like was wiped with old cloth. The pot I received my tea was dirty, with fingerprints all over it. The same for cutlery I received, I didn’t used because was dirty. The food I received on my plate was ok until I found black hair in it. That was it. I have leave immediately and get some fresh air, otherwise I would be sick 🤢 all over this place. I left my food and tea behind me. No way I’m coming back there ever. Still feeling sick 🤢

Very nice setting and atmosphere staff extremely pleasant We will definitely go again Only had cake but will go over for lunch soon

Can recommend the cheese and pickle toasty. Friendly service, clean establishment and a welcome stop. Recommended...

Sandwiches and a cup of tea for two walkers. Sandwiches were well filled and the tea hit the spot. Reasonably busy and served faster than expected. Only beef why do cafes assume everyone likes coleslaw! Hate even the smell.

We found this cafe by chance when driving to Birling gap. Spacious with indoor & outdoor seatings, nice coffee at reasonable price and friendly staff. Free car park nearby. We always drop by here for coffee when visit beahy head or birling gap beach.

First time visitor to this part of Sussex whilst visiting and staying in Eastbourne - popped in and picked up two almond croissants - can honestly say best ever! And, that's saying something considering I have sampled almond croissants from quite possibly every commercial provider on the high street!

Update - all still as good as before and so nice to everyone and their dogs. I'm even bumping them up to 5 stars after today. Sharing an excellent village green location with an historic pub on one side & an artisan food and crafts market in its other side one day a week, it's certainly well placed to capture walkers and visitors heading out from East Dean to Birling Gap and beyond, or on their return. Clean loos, tempting treats and his team and coffee makers it a destination rather than a diversion when walking. Nice people as well. Update - It's always good & the date slice is divine!

Man serving was grumpy, and it appeared walkers who came in after us were served before us. We had our drinks, but left without ordering breakfast. The smell of dogs was not pleasant.

I have been here many times and sampled lots of lovely items on the menu. Really delicious wonderful home cooked food. However the chairs are so uncomfortable- tiny small’ pinch your bottom chairs’ inside and so we moved to outside where the chairs were much more comfortable but the tables were far to high for us to eat comfortably!

We stopped here by chance on our way to Seven Sisters and we're so glad we did. Lovely staff and delicious food. We ordered the eggs benedict and the lasagne - both did not disappoint! Also dog friendly which was lovely, our corgi got lots of attention.

Nice staff, and a good cup of tea but the cakes were very disappointing.

Waited for 20 plus minutes for 2 cups of tea. People coming in after us were served before us. Only 1 inisex toilet in use. Car parks near by. Seating inside and outside. I had been before and food and service were good. Must have been Managers 'off day' as he was rather grumpy

Set in picturesque location and close to the Cuckmere River, this cafe ticks lots of boxes. Plenty of outdoor and indoor seating. We had a delicious lunch, followed by even better cake. Would recommend the coronation chicken baguette followed by the white chocolate and raspberry cake. Nice toilets. I think the condiments were in sachets unfortunately. With a sweet village next door there’s lots of nice walks & choice of places to eat. Quick friendly service too. Enjoy!

Service very slow, and it was quite noisy. Parking nearby. Walkers, and dog walkers welcome. Seating outside and inside.Only one toilet open.

Always been good but even better today. Lovely staff and great service and enjoyable visit. Thank you.

Very friendly staff Great tasting food at a fair price. Nice place to stop for a tea or Coffee and cake.

We asked for take away latte but we could not drink the latte it was horrible, I just give you here 5 star I don’t want cut your business but you have to make better latte!!

Lovely spot on the village green (very "English village"), great coffee and cake at a very reasonable price. The nearby carpark is free and a good place to start/finish a walk to Beachy Head.

A friendly, welcoming, popular cafe with walkers and locals. Good quality food/snacks and a perfect stop off for tea, coffee and cake.

Loved it recommended to everyone

Lovely breakfast in beautiful setting

Perfect in every measurable way. Stopped off half way through a cold windy walk. Couldn’t have asked for more. Bottled beer, cake, sandwiches, hot soup.

Great food and coffee, lovely Eggs on avo and muffin bun Friendly helpful staff Free parking close by and toilets

Located at the edge of the village Green this contemporary cafe is the perfect place to pop in for a bite to eat. There is a good choice on the menu and we chose some of their excellence toasted sandwiches .Always a plus when the staff are friendly and engaging. Were very impressed by the cleanliness of the place and the toilets which were spotless.

Great place to stop of during a walk or in our case, a bike ride. Lovely food, good service and comfortable seating inside and out.

As a local popped in for a coffee with friends from Eastbourne.Great coffee/Service. Tables sticky/layers of dust everywhere. Toilet needs a good clean. Thank goodness did not order food! Cafe needs a good clean.

I read previous reviews and whilst everyone has their own perceptions, we had a very different experience. The older person in charge was very pleasant and welcoming, the tables were clean and tidy. The staff seemed very happy and the food was delicious. We sat outside in what can only be described as a sun trap. Very peaceful and calming. A great place to stop off during a hike or bike ride. A beautiful location.

Lovely relaxed atmosphere. Good menu & helpful staff. Easy parking or good place to stop if on a walk in the countryside x

Lovely place to go for food in or outside

Lovely, cosy place where you can either get some calories before hiking, or rest afterwards, contemplating comfort food. I've been here many times, the service was always excellent, and the food was fantastic. Definitely 5 stars!

Always great and fabulous coffee

Lovely food and warm atmosphere.

What a gem of a find after a lovely walk through Friston Forest. Enormous breakfast and best coffee I have had in ages for £20. Lovely friendly staff. Dog friendly. Sat in sun outside was a bonus. Will be back

Nice food - but poor service, messy/dirty and badly organised/chaotic system. At busy periods, tables are often left uncleared, and are rarely cleaned properly.

Simple et plutôt bon marché, staff sympa et arrangeant, siège bébé dispo

Boa comida, muito bom atendimento, boa variedade de opções de comida.

Beautiful place!! Dogs are welcome inside the cafe. The breakfast was amazing and the staff are very friendly. With free parking located less than 100 metres away. This is the perfect spot to relax. Will be returning! Thank you excellent hospitality

Dropped in for a cuppa and scone after a lovely walk, was advised it would be few minutes for drinks as it was very busy, after 20 minutes went back just to check we hadn't been forgotten as sitting outside, the owner raised his voice and said he had told me it would be a long wait Sadly when they arrived, the scones were stale and dry, fell apart when trying to spread the rock hard butter, V difficult to eat Pot of tea was welcome, cups were dirty, wont be visiting again

Service was excellent, food tasty and reasonably priced. Only issue was it lacks atmosphere

Fantastic experience and atmosphere, great staff always happy and helpful, very welcoming, great coffee and cakes .many thanks .Glenn 😊

Nice avocado royale with smoked salmon & poached eggs on muffin, ofcourse avocado too, a pleasant waitress served us, the cafe itself is spacious & doesn't feel crowded.

Went there on a Sunday afternoon recently and totally underwhelmed. The place was rammed, tables had not been cleared and were covered in crumbs. Ordered a black coffee (as simple as it gets!)and had to go back to the server to chase after waiting about 15-20 mins. Too busy, not enough staff and what there were ran around like headless chickens.

Awful experience, never again. A simple coffee and cappuccino for two. The chap behind the counter asked me if I wanted the mince pies warmed, they arrived cold as was the coffee. I had to remind the waitress we ordered cream also. I know they were busy but there us no excuse for incompetence. I can’t trust them with a simple coffee and mince pie I hate to think what would have happened had I ordered something more elaborate.

Good atmosphere and snacks but a very poor staff attitude from one in particular; Abigail. Would be better without her

Lovely food, reasonably priced. Friendly staff

Table's could of done with a good wipe down.

Lovely coffee ans amazing carrot cake!!

Nice nibbles and drinks, however a really rude waitress called Abi; spent more time on her phone then attending customers with a poor attitude. Would not recommend due to staff like her

Grear place, plenty of seating. Good quality food, could do with more vegan options. Cakes are amazing.

Das Hikers Rest liegt in der Nähe vom Birling Gap. Es ist ein einfaches Café. Alle Speisen werden frisch zubereitet und wir hatten einen leckeren Mittagsimbiss. Am gleichen Nachmittag sind wir nochmal zum Kaffeetrinken eingekehrt. Die Bedienung war jederzeit überaus freundlich.

A pleasant cafe for afternoon tea in a picturesque

Great cream tea, luckily it fairly local so will be going back soon.

Well worth a visit! Lovely Café

Lovely coffee shop, a welcome site after a long hike.

Probably nice when it's not busy as the facilities are good and spacious and good location. Problem was, when we were there, they were clearly too busy, one of the toilets blocked the whole time we were there, food was quite dry and the cutlery looked like it had just been wiped after clearing of another table as there was food still on the fork and part of the knife. Had to go and clean them myself in the toilet. For the price on that day, I wouldn't recommend.

Went there today. Food wasn't to bad. And young waitress who served us our food was lovely. The woman who took orders. Never looked up or smiled once. And when I had cash asked if I had change politely said no. And answered I have to give you coppers. Though it was a problem paying cash. No thank you or bye. Shame as lovely setting.

Lovely food & service, dogs welcome & treated really well by staff. We love it here

I’ve been back home visiting family and this place became my local cafe for my morning breakfast. The staff are lovely and the food is brilliant with great coffee. I look forward to my next visit home!

Good food, I enjoyed a salad nicoise and delicious piece of cake.

What a tranquil setting to have lunch. We sat outside and enjoyed the scenery. The Tiger Inn looked beautiful and I just enjoyed the peace. Stunning homes and traditional shop fronts. There were lot's of options food wise on the menu and the cake counter was extremely tempting. Reasonable priced and with those settings definitely a must for a return visit. Fabulous walks nearby to work up an appetite!

Had a lovely cappuccino yesterday and food was delicious, staff were lovely however I witnessed the owner being rather horirble and raising his voice at the young members of staff which resulted in them crying, very sad to see, disappointed.

Great choice of cakes, snacks and light lunches. Free parking nearby. Outside and inside seating in a picturesque location.

Good place for all day English breakfast . Nice place to stop before walk to cliffs . Big variety of cakes , if you want smth sweet

Ordered a avocado, salmon and egg muffin. The avocado was green and hard as a rock. Not possible to eat. The rest was good. Told the waitress and person serving at the counter and the only response I got was we sorry. Expressed my concerns re the cook who must have known it is green when they cut it how could they serve it to customers. The other half of this rock must have been served to another customer. They were not concerned at all about my complaint. Great pity because it is a lovely place.

Virkeligt skønt sted i en ualmindelig dejlig landsby. Dejlig te/kaffe og kage før og efter hike på Seven Sister’s rundtur

Food extremely competitively price and very nice. Staff helpful and friendly and nicely spaced out tables. Thank you

Food good and friendly helpful staff.

A quaint village with a perfect stop. Cakes and coffees were delicious. Sitting outside was heavenly.

Nice stop for coffee . And a tea cake very busy . Nice and clean . Right next door to the pub the Tiger Inn Friston /East Dean

A great place to stop after a walk over the beautiful downs. Good food, good coffee and good, friendly service.

Would 100% recommend this lovely little cafe in East Dean. We went as much as possible during our weeks stay in the village. The cakes are fantastic and the staff are lovely!

Excellent service, clean and pleasant cafe, good selection of food and drinks at very reasonable prices. Really lovely location with free parking about 100 meters from the cafe.

Dog friendly, service a little slow but why rush!

Had great Coronation chicken sandwich and pot of tea

Nice area at back outside which is sheltered from the wind. Coffee nice. Can have to wait to get served though.