Hippos Cafe in Southend-on-Sea

Twice I have been here with my wife. Twice we've asked to eat in, placed our order, and waited at our table. Twice we have been brought our takeaway bag... At least last time they let us eat it at our table with the disposable cutlery. This time we were chased out and told it's a different price to eat in. A price I would happily have paid if the food was brought to me on a plate. You made a mistake, but you make your customers pay for it? Once was bad enough, but twice has earned you this review. I will be telling others about this. Arrived home to find my drink was missing from the order. I phoned in and waited 15 minutes to be told they needed the card I paid with in order to refund me. I used mobile tap and pay so I don't have access to the card number as Google uses a virtual proxy card. I can only be refunded if I go back there. I have called again since and been told they were too busy to talk to me. I have never been treated so poorly at any establishment in this country, let alone in this town. I have no idea how this business stays afloat if they treat all their customers like dirt. Not one single apology offered, not one person to take responsibility for this. I'd have dropped the whole matter for a single good natured "we're sorry about that", but they almost seem to take pleasure in this.

They do the best sandwiches in Leigh. Huge door stops of finest bread with masses of filling. My own personal favourite is the coronation chicken - yummy. My wife and I tend to go for takeaway option. Prices reasonable for the amount of food. Do go but make sure you are hungry with a capital ‘H’.

Lovely little cafe where 5 of us came for a late breakfast, which is served all day. Tables are made up for 2 or 4 persons, but they quickly adapted a table to accommodate us. Our waitress coped well with our order, despite us needing one with gluten intolerance and another with a dairy intolerance. Once she took the order, she repeated it back to us slowly to ensure she had written it down correctly. The meals took a while to arrive, understandably, but we had to chase for the final meal which arrived with apologies. Food was hot and tasty. There seemed to be more scrambled egg and salmon on the normal breakfast as opposed to my gluten free one, disappointingly. Overall, a pleasant place to visit, with plenty of warm, friendly staff on hand. There is seating inside and outside.

The senior staff/managers here are incredibly rude. We ordered a pot of tea for two and we were given the wrong sized cups. There was not enough tea in the pot to fill one cup. When I questioned this and asked for more tea I was told "I cannot control the way you pour tea" how would I know the cups were wrong until pouring! I asked to not be charged as we were not given the right order. I was told I had to pay as I had been given the pot of tea. The manager was so incredibly rude and had no customer service skills. Really awful service spend your money in other places in the broadway!

Breakfast at Hippos was very very poor. Everything overcooked and cold. I wouldn’t recommend eating there.

Was looking for somewhere to have a full English and this offered that and more. All the milk variations for your coffee, iced coffee and milkshakes. My husband had the full English which came with butchers sausages and a spare for our dog. I had eggs Benedict and the poached eggs were 10/01, still hot and the hollandaise was delicious. My bacon was cooked to order so as.i liked it. Chunky, thick slices of toast. Service was circa 15-20 mins but we didn't mind as all cooked fresh and delicious. Highly recommend.

Myself & two friends, had lunch here on Tuesday. It was faultless. The young girl serving was so helpful & cheery (little did we realise it was almost closing!) The coffee was piping hot and food was absolutely delicious. I had a halloumi salad, it was fresh, tasty & presented beautifully (I keep thinking about it now, it was so good). One friend had a wrap, it was completely full (no empty gaps at the end !) and my other friend had a sandwich, which looked beautiful. The only reason we knew it was closed, two young guys, tried to go in & the door was locked! We didn’t get hassled at all, to eat up and leave ! Will absolutely be visiting again when I come to see my friend, who’s so lucky to live there !

Just been here for a brunch and was So looking forward to having my favourite poached eggs on toast.What a shame it was a disappointment, the eggs were just warm and so was the toast, and the knives so blunt I couldn't even cut it.The other thing I was not very impressed with was to sit outside you have to spend a minimum of £6 per person. Not very nice for your loyal customers who just want to buy a coffee is it? But don't worry if you continue to maintain this charge your 'loyal customers ' will find somewhere else to buy just a drink. After all there are plenty of cafes in the Broadway.

This is my favourite eatery for breakfast, lunch or just a coffee, although their home made cakes are delicious too. Heaĺthy, wholesome and indulgent depending on what you fancy. Full english breakfast to poached eggs on granary toast. Salads, filled jacket potatoes, wraps or sandwiches which are to die for, their bread is bought in fresh from a local bakery. Thankfully, they are still doing takeout service during lockdown so we haven't missed out on those sandwiches! Hippos attracts customers of all ages and have a mixture of seating 2, 4 and possibly 6 people to dine together including limited seating outside the shop front too. It has a 5 star hygiene rating, the decor is modern, simple and comfortable with daily newspapers available for customers to read. It is fairly small but don't be put off if it looks busy the staff are super efficient and go out of their way to help.The toilet is situated to the rear of the building in its small courtyard. I live local so rarely use it but it has alwas been immaculate and clean.Hippos is a lovely little gem in Leigh Broadway, the owner and staff all work very hard and its an ideal place to pop into on your own when taking a break from browsing the many unique shops also in the facinity.Currently operating as a takeout service only during lockdown I have bought food at the request of various family members aged 12, 15, 24, 27 and 54 and of course myself. Age undisclosed

Myself and my manager have hippos almost at least once a week! Even if it’s a salt beef sandwich or a large salad, it’s always lovely.The portion sizes are very generous and the food is Lovely and fresh. They do delivery, collection etc and it’s saved our lives working through the pandemic! I can’t fault them, especially when they have different types of cakes all the time (not good for my waistline)Keep up the good work!

Popped in for lunch, very friendly staff. Great food selection, delicious sandwich fillings, and plenty of it too!

Leigh is blessed with some of the best coffee shops in Essex. The Hippo has the potential to be up there. It was a pleasant experience, a cafe still in the midst of adapting to post Covid world. An affordable menu and happy staff there can be no complaints. It just needs a USP, there is something missing preventing it from being considered one of the best.

I'm a regular here because it is so good and so reliable. They serve even basic things brilliantly. For example a bacon sandwich. The bread is fresh and tasty and the bacon simply delicious and perfectly cooked. Always a warm welcome and cheery greeting. The drinks are great too - "proper tea "and my better half says.

Very good food and service was decent. A lot of TLC was visible in just the most basic of sandwich. Mars milkshake is a must

Really friendly and good food reasonably priced - varied menu with good selection of savoury dishes and deserts - excellent sandwiches - recommend for an easy non pretentious meal.

Visited here a few weeks ago and was quite impressed with the Club Sandwich. My wife had the same and we enjoyed our lunch very much. Would recommend.

Popped in for a quick bite to eat, very busy but served very quickly. Vegan selection was good, staff very helpful and attentive.

We had a very tasty light lunch (one had sandwiches, beautifully presented, and two had home-made soup of the day). Both meals were very tasty and the “portions “generous. The service was fast but certainly not rushed, and nothing seemed too much trouble. We’ll certainly go there again.

Have always loved the legendary doorstep sandwiches from hippos but heard about the the pie and mash so we have it a go on a Saturday afternoon. Great veggie options of veggie pie or quorn pie and veggie liquor. Husband had a super tasty meat pies & plenty of mash. We shall be back for seconds,wholesome and warming on a dreary cold Saturday!

Love eating here but was very disappointed the other day.I had heard about the new Pie and Mash with liquor now being served, so was really looking forward to having it for lunch. I went in and found a table then asked for the pie and mash menu. But was told " we have no pies today" was not happy at all so left to eat somewhere else!

Very pleasant cafe in Leigh-on-sea. Service very polite and efficient. The prices were reasonable for the area with a variety of dishes. One thing to note is that access to the toilet is through the rear of the premises so mobility or impaired customers may struggle.

Came in with some friends for a breakfast/brunch. Their eggs were cooked beautifully, and we really enjoyed the food. Love the location, and you can get a view of the sea! Friendly and very clean.

Very poor service, tasty food but over-priced. The waiting staff which comprised of several young women were very poorly organised - to the point that the chef (owner?) came out and told them off. We weren't acknowledged even when we'd been sitting for a good 10 mins, service was v slow and wrong food was being given to the wrong customers. We had mushrooms on toast and 2 drinks and I had to double check what we'd been charged as it was extortionate. Won't be coming back even though the food and drinks were good.

Met up with my Wife for a late breakfast, (10.30am)

Had breakfast here really good and staff very friendly. I sat outside as it's the only cafe in the Broadway with a sea view! Excellent.

Popped in for a light lunch for the first time. Staff were very friendly and efficient, rushing round to make sure everyone was seen to. The cafe was extremely busy with a lot of regular customers. Food choices are extensive and the prices are incredibly reasonable when compared to nearby eateries. My poached eggs on toast were absolutely perfect :). The homemade soup looked wonderful too. All of the food being served looked lovely and such generous portions. A great place to eat in Leigh !

Found this place after being turned away from another cafe as they didn’t open early. Friendly staff, lovely food, nice environment, busy little place. Will definitely be heading back!

My partner and I had a lovely experience in Hippos cafe. We both had a ful English, and were really impressed with the quality and portion size. The think sliced granary toast was my favourite part, so fresh! Our waitress was very accommodating too. Will definitely be coming back, especially due to it’s reasonable pricing.

Popped in this morning for a coffee with a friend and tentatively asked for a Flat White. Some places don't do them, and many small cafes still think a hot milky coffee is good enough!

Busy Sunday morning in Leigh on Sea and found this place was quieter than another couple of restaurants on the same street! Normally not a good sign but actually the breakfasts were good and for the price including coffee or tea were not especially expensive. Service was rather slow considering how quiet they were (more staff than customers) but food was nicely presented and of good quality.

Second time visiting Leigh second time visiting the Hippo. Their full (veggie) breakfast served all day is ace. Great value and lovely thick slices of granary bread to go with it. Staff friendly and attentive.

Best chicken wrap I've had in ages really packed full of chicken and really cheap price made it an excellent lunch

Stopped for bite to eat at 2pm. Ordered a chicken, spinach and avocado wrap. Came with baby leaf salad and coleslaw.

We had a loverly lunch today, my partner had a C.L.T. and bread looked so fresh, my son had a veggie breakfast and I had a vegan breakfast. They were all very yummy.

Nice enough staff if a little cool, but partner got home and had stomach ache all evening. He later told me he had gone to the toilet and had seen the state of the kitchen and toilet and described them as "disgusting". Shame. Thank goodness for Imodium or he'd be in A&E; My advice - be careful. And to the owners - for crying out loud - clean these essential areas. No; it's not exciting, but it makes the difference between repeat custom or reviews like these...think on.

Lunch here was excellent. Had looked at menu at establishment 2 doors down and they wanted £16 for a salad! Found hippos cafe with a varied menu. 2 grilled halloumi wraps, chicken and salad sandwiches and 4 drinks for £26. Great portion sizes. Excellent value for money and good absolutely delicious. Would highly recommend.

Liked this place but menu choice is very limited and on the expensive side. Great coffee and the bread was lovely.

Popped into Leigh-on-Sea to collect friend and stopped for lunch at this lovely cafe really great food and good prices

Haven’t been to hippos in years although my friend goes at least once a week. Meet for lunch and had a table outside as it was a lovely day. Service was friendly and just fabulous. Menu is amazing and caters for many many dietary requirements along with allergies. I could not fault it. Food was fresh and tasted great. Cannot praise this little cafe along the broadway enough. Just lovely.

Ordered 1 sandwich and 2 wraps, wasn’t busy, in fact it seemed there was more staff than customers! Waited about 45 minutes and only 2 of them came, refunded drinks instead of the meal.

This place is ‘the’ cafe of Leigh on Sea. It’s been my staple one shop when in need of a good hearty breakfast or lunch! It’s good me from strength to strength and it’s never forfeited the quality or increased the prices. Always a guaranteed great feed - where the ratio of bread and filling is calculated perfectly to create the perfect dishes - Time after time! With great prices - I can afford to take all my nieces with me too. The staff are always happy young girls who seemingly love to make great munch!

Well I have just visited Hippos for the first time in a couple of years and what a big disappointment from my last visit!!!

Had the main breakfast which was generous given the price, plenty of food on the plate and it hit the spot. Latte coffee was good too.

Went for breakfast on a Saturday morning. It was quite full with people sitting outside, even in December. We had standard breakfasts at a reasonable price. The quality of the food was good - the sausages, often a point of concern were very good, so a real bonus. Mushrooms were a bit cold, but there was plenty of food. The toast is very thick and filled with butter. I would suggest only have 1 slice as two is a meal in itself.

popped in after walking around the Broadway for a bite to eat. Looks great on the outside but not the best on the inside! understandably the waitresses where all young girls, the food was value for money however the cleanliness let this place down :(...

I often eat breakfast at Hippos. It provides reliable breakfast fare. Service is friendly but businesslike, and generally pretty swift. Food is freshly prepared and the bread used is likewise always fresh. Drinks are fine - but nothing special. Good value for money.

We’ve been here quite a few times before and we are never disappointed. It’s always easy to get in and the food and staff are always top notch

I reviewed before and did not give the cafe a good review. However, as the food is very good I decided to try again and I must admit the customer service was much better, so I hope this will continue and I will continue using...

The food here is delicious! This has been my little 'go to cafe' for years. I don't live in Leigh anymore but whenever I'm home I make sure I pay my trusty sandwich bar a visit. I'd recommend this broadway gem to anyone!

He visitado este café unas cuantas veces y sólo he vuelto porque la comida es buena. He encontrado el servicio al cliente es casi inexistente. He tenido que esperar tanto tiempo para que una persona tome mi pedido, que parecen ignorar que estás allí. Esto sucede cuando no están ocupados y tienen unas cuantas personal de. Una vez que se agotaron de crema ensalada que tenia en mi sándwich y la chica dijo que volvería y comprar algunas, ella había desaparecido de edades y regresó con algunas otras tiendas, ojalá no hubiera molestado a esperar. Cada vez he sido tan decepcionados con cómo me han tratado, algunos de los comentarios aquí son exactamente allí parece ser una carga de personal, pero nadie toma mucho aviso de usted. Si te han tratado mejor entonces tienes suerte. Esta semana he intentado de nuevo y tenía un desayuno que debería haber venido con un té y tostadas. El té llegó, el desayuno vino pero no las tostadas. No quiero comenzar mi comida sin ella y espere y luego preguntó cuándo podría venir y la chica dijo ah esta llegando. Esperé de nuevo, comenzó en mi comida y entonces noté que la tostadas estaban cocinando tenía mermelada, colocar en ella, era para alguien más. Pedí de nuevo y finalmente nos dieron las tostadas, mi comida era casi frío por ahora y cuando ella lo compró ella casi lo tiró en la mesa, no hay disculpa. He probado con este lugar y odio no volver porque la comida, especialmente los bocadillos son tan buenas, pero no volveré ya que no necesitan ser tratados como este y sentir que sin embargo logra o el dueño de este lugar necesita para solucionar su personal. Yo no estoy en un hábito de dejar comentarios como este es realmente trabajo, sino los pueblos que necesita para solucionar su distribución y servicio al cliente, usted puede sentarse allí por las edades y ni siquiera tomen su pedido, yo sé porque es mi experiencia. Necesito otro café.

Disfrutamos de una deliciosa ensalada de gambas cuando me encontré con un amigo para almorzar en el Hippo's. La primera vez para mí, pero sin duda volveré. Nuestras ensaladas fueron muy generosos para repetir con una maravillosa variedad de ingredientes. Podríamos decir que un montón de pensó en nuestras comidas. Eficiente, limpio, agradable y una excelente relación calidad-precio.

Fuimos a leigh con mi abuela y vagamos por encontrar un lugar para comer. Vimos este lugar tenía algunos asientos en el exterior que fuimos para ya que era un día precioso. El personal era muy amable y servicial y la comida era deliciosa. Tuve el "escape" de la uva que recomiendo; batido combinado de frutas! Definitivamente, volveré a probar algunas cosas más.

My husband and I decided to stop for lunch in Leigh, and just happened to walk past Hippos and decided to give it a try.Staff were very nice and helpful from the outset.Menu was good, great breakfasts, plus omelettes, sandwiches, panini and Jacket potatoes, everything you could want. Great Cappuccino, and great panini.We will definitely pay them another visit very soon.

Enjoyed a good lunch and good service with a smile. Friend and accommodating staff. Have visited here many times in the last few months and always have good fresh tasty food.

Great takeaway salad, perfect every time! Staff are always friendly, will definitely be returning...

Nice little cafe located central in the Broadway so parking is an issue haha!! - however had a lovely omelette and enjoyed my visit- I'll be back I'm sure soon

Good sandwiches good prices and friendly staff that make you feel they are very pleased to help at all times

This sandwich bar , in my opinion , is the best sandwich bar in leigh on sea . I have been going there for years and they are just as good now as it was when it opened

I visit this cafe regularly and am never disappointed. The service is good and the the girls are always friendly and polite. It does get busy so arrive early. The mushroom soup is scrumptious not so keen on the carrot and coriander but that's a personal choice. The atmosphere is buzzy. On one of my visits I had one cool latte coffee which was soon replaced with a hot one.

A popular cafe and take away with a large choice of freshly made sandwiches and large good value all day breakfasts etc. Friendly attentive staff with table service if eating in.

Although Hippos can become quite busy, It is definitely worth the wait for their home made lunches, staff are friendly too!

My friends and I are regular visitors to Leigh on Sea for breakfast after a brisk walk along the sea front. This cafe is one of our favourites on the Broadway as the food has always been excellent and extremely good value for money compared to others in the area. We normally visit on a Friday morning so can't speak for other days/times but I would highly recommend it.

I like hippos a lot. They do some excellent solid food. They can get quite busy which slows down the service a little but the food is good quality and great value. Recommended.

Went for brunch on a Sunday roughly 11.30 am, very busy but lots of staff. there were 4 of us. we ordered and I ordered Egg Benedict which was on the Breakfast special menu. We waited 45 mins for our food but they were busy so understand. when mine arrived there were 2 small muffins with a little slice of ham on each and a poached egg on each - no hollandaise sauce!!!! when I asked the waitress advised that they didnt have any? I sent food back and did not eat. I eat here quite alot and was very very dissapointed.

Service is fabulous and the food is lovely. Quick, efficient service and with a smile. Generous portions and reasonably priced. Very highly recommend

Have been going here for a while now and when I eat in there is no problem except sometimes the wait. The problem I have now is that I ordered 2 sandwiches to takeaway as the bread is fresh and cut to order but the last few occasions I have been here they have ran out of bread so have had to have my sandwich on shop bought bread without being told. Also I am a meat eater and my friend is not. My sandwich was chinese chicken and made first. My friend had a cheese salad sandwich but did not eat it as it was cut with the same knife as my sandwich was and had chicken pieces and the bread had the red stain on the sandwich. Will not be ordering sandwiches from here ever again.

My friend and I visited yesterday for lunch and coffee. All the under 25's staff obviously needed someone to take charge. The food arrived on chipped and improperly washed plates. They were out of knives & saucers. I went to the bathroom (through the kitchen) and understood why. The sink was overflowing with unwashed plates. On the way back from the bathroom you can see into the food preparation area. The floor and counter were filthy with food & crumbs. When we paid the girl gave the bill without any eye contact, no please or thank you. I rate your manners zero and won't go again.

We went to hippo's for a late breakfast on a Saturday with our one year old daughter. They were very accommodating for our daughter and brought us a high chair over and sat us near the books to keep her entertained. We asked for her food to be brought out as soon as possible which they did. We had a bit of a wait for our breakfast but we seemed to have hit a brunch rush as it was extremely busy and they were very apologetic. We weren't in any rush so it didn't bother us and it was nice to relax and chat. Staff were lovely and friendly, especially the owner and chef. The place is nice and clean and the breakfast was of a very high standard. We will definitely be back!

After a weekend stroll with my partner we fell across Hippo's for a tasty early lunch ....and now very thankful we went here and gave some alternative places a miss!Staff are attentive and friendly and the manager has a wonderful nature and ability of professionalism for his customers and can see this rubs of on his staff.The sandwiches were very tasty with nice thick bread and fresh tasty ingredients washed down with a very tasty coffee-believe me I never usually frequent cafe's but on this occasion came away very glad that i did and will be back when visiting Leigh on Sea again and would highly recommend-finding it hard to digest the poor reviews left on this website and in my my opinion and recent visit totally unfounded.Hippo's had a varied menu for snacks, breakfast or lunches and ticks all the boxes for me :)

If you like to be treated totally indifferently by the waitress staff, this is the place for you. There are few redeeming features. Decor looks tidy enough and you might get a newspaper to read. The coffee is bland. I was served a bacon sandwich - had to asked for a knife, serviette and ketchup. No food hygiene rating - hmmmmmm !!!!

staff smashed glass- some went over food.. they thought it was funny. joke! service was rubbish- food was the same.

We decided on a late breakfast and this was worth walking too. A good menu was on offer and although they were busy our order was taken swiftly. The food was excellent. The staff were attentive . The place was very clean would happily go back for a return visit. We also thought it was reasonably priced.

Tried this place 3 times. The one time we ate it was good, the other two times I lost the will to live trying to get served. They need to concentrate on the customers, show some urgency and not keep chatting amongst themselves.

Myself and my girlfriend visited Hippos while on a stroll down Leigh Broadway. The cafe is very tastefully decorated and the customer service is superb. The owner sets the tone for this with a very friendly and warm approach. We found the food to be absolutely first rate. Fresh tasting produce and excellent hot beverages.We were recommended by a friend and were certainly not disappointed.Having been a frequent visitor to many cafes can honestly say this stands alone for quality, value, variety and customer service. Highly recommended, you will not be disappointed!!

I pop in here for a lunch and a coffee about twice a month. Always good well cooked food and very enjoyable. Wide menu with plenty of choice. Waitresses are always friendly and helpful.

Myself and my son often take a stroll down here on Saturdays morning’s to have one of the best breakfasts ever and to set us up for the day.My son’s favourite is definitely the poached egg and salmon and mine unfortunately is a little less healthy the fried breakfast (which is to die for).The staff are always so attentive and happy. They have great customer service and even remember what our favourites are.All in all a great place to visit!

Eaten there 4 times in the last month and service is always very slow.Staff appear miserable and no signs on any leadership going on.Waited 45 minutes for breakfast today and when it came it was cold , bacon/ sausage over cooked and items missing.It's a shame , but it's down to management and they clearly have little clue how to run a business.

However let down again. After poor previous visits with poor service I decided to try again. Nice early morning and thought a breakfast treat. Was quiet so though ah well I'll give them the benefit of the doubt again after previous poor visits with poor service. The place itself is ok food wise as cafes go. The food isn't amazing but it serves it's purpose. Will say nice bacon though. What really lets this place down is the service. You can sit down and not be noticed for 10 mins even though it's quiet and there are 4/5 staff on. When you do get served its almost with a grunt. The staff don't seem to have any level of customer service and can't even get the basics right. When behind the counter it's like a gathering of friends having a natter. It's a shame as this place has all the right ingredients just need better customer service, some kind of work ethic (or a rocket up the rear). Personally spend a quid more and go to stop the world or even into Leigh road with some lovely little cafes.

Frequently visit this establishment at various times of the day for breakfast, lunch or coffee and snack. excellent and varied food with lovely fresh sandwiches, salads, to full English breakfast. Food is well presented, good value and the staff are friendly. Spotlessly clean and highly recommended

Myself and my partner have been to Hippos many times over the years and always find the staff polite and helpful. Their doorstop sandwiches are somewhat legendary; the bread is always fresh with plenty of choice of fillings. We have been to several places along the Broadway and Hippos is defiantly our favorite for price and quality!

I ordered the Egg Florentine benedict, which is part of their new breakfast menu which tasted amazing. Definitely recommend for breakfast and much more reasonable than other over priced places on the broadway. Will be visiting again!

My wife and I popped in for a coffee and quick bite.I has a sandwich, she had a sandwich with salad30 mins later at home her meal came out very quickly. .....if you know what I mean. Maybe someone didn’t wash their hands properly.I will give this place a miss from now.

Been to this cafe quite a few times over the years, & yes, it's fine. Friendly staff, very quick service, what more do you want?We had thick, chunky toast & jam today, great!!!Reasonabely priced for Leigh, which is quite an expensive area.

Arrived 11.30 on a Saturday morning, quite busy, couple of empty tables though, this was our first visit with son and his girlfriend, they love the place and can see why. Menu varied lots of different choices of breakfast, son had egg and sausage sarnie, it was huge and our 3 fry ups were good as was the thick toast. Price includes a tea of coffee, £4.95-£5.95The bill for four was just over £20 which I think was good value and next time would like to try the cakes which looked yummy.

Ok for a snack. Very small and medium quality. Quantity large but not quality. If you want a fry up or jumbo bread slice sandwich ideal but if you are looking for quality this is not the place for you. However it has its own market to suit the cheaper choice in an area that is generally pricey. Take your choice.

I often op in here and have a salad, or sandwich or anything always fresh and quick. in the summer you can seat outside, and watch the world go bye.Really enjoy, my takeaways.

been here a couple of times and it's a nice, neat little place that does good food, great lunch place, and good service.

Friendly sandwich bar and more! Polite staff, great coffee and fresh food. Definitely a Leigh place, busy and caters for everyone.Always love to pop in when shopping

We popped in for lunch today we sat at a table for about 10 min before a member of staff came up to take our order it was not busy .We waited another 10 min before our drinks were bought to the table after asking for our table to be cleaned.The food was excellent as always.It's a shame that the sitting in service mainly at a weekend is so bad .

Called in for the first time this morning - the service was was slow and the staff very unfriendly. I asked for a doggy bag for half of my sandwich - a BLT only to find that the paper bag that they put the sandwich in had disintegrating during the time it took me to get home leaving the lining of my handbag and my book ruined - covered in tomato. Having complained the owner just offered his apologies - a place I wouldn;t recommend although it was good value for money and the food was good

Have been visiting this cafe bar/take away for a few years now. We just love the salads. We always treat ourselves to a large one, so much on the plate, and so tasty. Lettuce cucumber tomato beetroot sweet corn pasta tubes gherkins jalapeños cress red onion potato salad or homemade coleslaw and plenty of it. We prefer either a smoked salmon, crab stick or prawn topping. If you feel extra greedy an extra topping is only £1. So we sometimes have crab and smoked salmon. It takes ages to eat and it's fresh, tasty and most enjoyable. Deserts are homemade fancy cupcakes or home made sponges. All made by one of the girls there called Hannah and the owner James also works on site. We love the friendliness there, and the warm welcome. You can sit outside in the warmer weather if you prefer. I've noticed they have a large clientele that take away. Workers from nearby offices and shops. Menu consists of various cooked breakfasts, panini' rolls and sandwich's to the simple beans on toast and eggs on toast. Give it a whirl if in the area, you will not be disappointed.

Best sandwiches around, the bread is amazing, and very generous fillings! Only ever had takeaway, but food is great. Would recommend!

A nice little café. I often visit there and they offer a good fry up for a very affordable price. The waitresses are friendly and are willing to help out.

Popped in for Sunday morning breakfast, cooked breakfast and smoked salmon all very nice food, polite staff, good menu, will return.

We went to this cafe for brunch, we have never been there before and was pleased on how clean this was and how pleasant the ladies were.I ordered 2 poached eggs on toast which was cooked very well and my partner ordered the full breakfast. It came up hot and he said it was very tasty with not a speck of grease on the plate.A very nice cafe and we will definitely visit again.

The staff although very smiley and friendly didn't seem to know what they were doing. We had to confirm our order or parts of our order about six times and waited a long time for a quick bite (poached egg on toast and a scone). The scone appeared to have been microwaved and was molton hot. The coffee tasted vile and on seeing the kitchen area I'm not surprised. The coffee machine looked like it hadn't been cleaned in weeks as did the rest of that area, crumbs everywhere, a pile of old tea bags spilling out all over the worktop and just generally pretty disgusting. There were about six members of staff in this area, there was no good reason for it to be that disgusting. Had I seen the state of it before sitting down I would have run!

As opposed to the Estuary this is very good value. Whilst not the surroundings the food is as equally as good.

We entered hippos for a quick bit to eat. Sat down on the pavement area and waited for out table to be cleaned and out order taken. That took 15 mins. We ordered a couple of sandwiches with their homemade coleslaw. They severed us our drinks. And we waited. And waited. And waited. After 30 mins I had a word with the waitress and bingo. Out the food came. I could understand the delay if we had ordered something special but a couple of club sandwiches I don't thing so. Pretty poor really.Just one more tip. The Tesco value range of coleslaw has more taste.If your in a hurry, eat elsewhere.D

Visited Hippos on Monday 04/05/2015 as Stop the World was so busy. Found the food was great and slightly less expensive than STW. Smoothies were a perfect wake up before indulging in our breakfasts!I had the full English whilst my other half had a bacon sandwich. The bread on both breakfasts was to die for! So soft and fresh! The only negative we found was that during our meal the staff had communication issue with the kitchen and brought out the wrong meal to a table, to which the staff swore on the restaurant floor, very unprofessional! Saying that the food was tasty and will definitely be heading back soon!

OMG this place is amazing!! All the fillings for sandwiches are fresh, the bread is cut so thick its what dreams are made of and its as fresh as it was baked in the morning!I highly recommend the Chinese Chicken with Mayo on Granary Bread.Only wish would be for Hippos to take card payment as they only accept cash which can be a pain. Wouldn't let this stand in the way of anyone who wants an amazing lunchtime sandwich!!