Makcari's Coffee Lounge & Ice Cream Parlour in Canterbury

Friendly service, although a bit cringingly ‘over familiar’, but to pay £9.90 for a soft ice cream from the machine and a tub with 2 scoops of ice cream in was more expensive than I expected. The soft ice cream did taste fabulous. The scoops of gelato were nothing special. I’d have to seek cheaper alternatives if I came with my family.

Visited on a Saturday morning, place was busy but as it was a cold February day, not exceptionally busy. Placed in a building on the seafront, I can imagine it heaves in the summer Coffee was good if not exceptional but the cake slices we had with it was huge! No table service, but clean

A nice place, my only criticism is their so called "worlds first hot chocolate bar" The hot chocolate came out of a push button machine So I was slightly disappointed by this

The bandstand food was disgusting . Chilli hot dog ?? Microwaved from frozen so went hard , covered in a cold concarni mess. Wasnt allowed a bagette as server said got to have a pannini as softer . ?? Returned it and was offered a Mediterranean pizza . Cheese tomato no peppers but smothered in olives.. 2x rolls chips 2x soft drinks , £27 please . Never again .

Very expensive. 2 sandwiches and 2 drinks £23.00 coffee was very weak. Also sat on bench tables, there was rat droppings and not very clean. Was a favourite of ours, but not so now.

Got a child’s sandwich and a tuna baguette. One J20 and a hot chocolate. Came to £23 which I thought was a bit excessive but my daughter was hungry so I thought it’s fine we can sit and listen to the music (bandstand) we waited 40 mins for two sandwiches!!!!! When it came it was not even a nice sandwhich. Definitely not worth it. Walk passed and go somewhere else

We discovered Makcaris when we visited Herne Bay as tourists. The menu was comprehensive and covered the three of us well. I did find some of the food a little expensive (£15 for fish and chips) but appreciate costs have gone up and it is a tourist destination. The staff were friendly and welcoming and one day we’d like to return to try out the amazing looking ice cream sundaes!

Spacious and airy cafe with friendly, efficient staff. The menu is deceptively simple but the sandwiches and wraps were fresh, tasty and generously filled.

Hot day, just fancied a cold drink, fridge in the shop, lyptons flavoured tea, small bottle, not even cold, £3.25?, Come on, £1.75 at best, and wonder why people stay away from these places

Sadly this establishment has gone rapidly downhill. The staff that served me were lovely, but it's a shame the food wasn't. Mushrooms and eggs dry, along with toast the same. Such a shame as I have been coming here for years, from myself as a child to 50 odd years on bringing my grandchildren. Everything needs smartening up. The toilets are dirty and bad smelling, surely with all the staff they could get a twice daily good clean. Sadly This was my last visit, shame as the place holds great memories.

This review is for the Macaris that has the fish and chip shop attached. ( there is another Macaris coffe shop up the road) This is no longer run by the Italian family that had it for years. The quality is no longer the same. A few weeks back for £15 I ordered skate and chip. No mushy peas etc. I ended up with half a wing of skate. !!!!!!! I visited again today, just for chips......cost £7 to take away for 2 small portions. Needless to say, I said NO THANKS.

Clearly stated vegan and gluten free diets catered for. 😂🤔🥴 did eventually offer spag Bol or jacket potato for breakfast.

Knickerbocker glory with no fruit or famous Makcaris wafer. Husband's banana split fell off the dish and onto the table. One grim toilet with open topped sanitary towel bin! Not going back. Not worth £10 each. (Not the bandstand one)

Disappointed Over priced. Ice cream watery Synthetic tasting cake Server coughing everywhere. Then bring in a falcon to scare the pigeons.. Inside!! .. Whilst people eating and drinking no prior warning .. Feathers & faeces could have gone everywhere.. Mortimers cafe a much better choice in HB

£17.50 for 2 coffees and 2 slices of inedible cake. No prices to be seen. Even the coffee was mediocre. Taking advantage of people walking past - definitely won’t be back!

Such a shame what a lovely setting! A family meal for dinner consisted of 2xchildren’s spaghetti bolognaise which came from the microwave like volcanic magma! dangerous for children! A jacket potato with a large inedible black lump in it and a plate drowning in beans accompanied huge chunk of onion for a salad garnish. A salt beef sandwich with little beef and a side of broken nacho crumbs! Service was disappointing teenagers were messing around behind the counter and in the restaurant area whilst trying to eat. An uncomfortable dining experience couldn’t leave fast enough! And to top it all they charged extra for the children’s drinks which should be included in the meal.

My family and I were very impressed with the quality and portion size of our meals for the price. This restaurant is right by the shore and has music playing, the staff are polite, friendly and helpful.

It was very busy and after eating we realised why. It is ideally placed and everything was very good. Snacks and especially Ice Cream are recommended

Lovely place to eat with huge salads and traditional hanging kebabs and fresh fish and chips. Not too busy even on BH Sunday and we’ll managed for COVID. Some of us had ice creams which were also lovely and lots of choice of flavours. Great service and owner insisted we change one order as he wasn’t happy with the quality of it.

I ordered a Hot Salt Beef Sandwich at the cost of £10. It arrived looking plentiful in cut white bread but sadly both slices of bread were thickly coated in very hot horseradish making the sandwich almost inedible. I scraped most of it off. What was left still made my eyes water and was still so over powering I couldn’t taste the salt beef. It also made the bread soggy & very difficult to pick up. I did advise the chef who told me that he had used the hot horseradish but thats how some his customers like it and next time he’d give me the cooler of one. I would suggest they ask how the customer like it or put the horseradish on the side for the customer to decide. The 2 baguettes of my companions were apparently plentiful & tasty.

Had coffee here before but not eaten. Today we chose to eat. The seafood salad was delicious and big. The only disappointment was the grated cheese on the ploughman’s lunch, WHY? It should be blocks of cheese, not grated, a meal spoiled for taking short cuts with presentation and thought.

Amazing food !!! What a find, the old bandstand has this lovely cafe. The prices may seem a little steep but when the food arrives its well worth the price. I had the seafood salad, it was HUGE!!, hubby had jacket with chilli good size portion and the children had a prawn mayo baguette, and the other had a jumbo hot day, this was the only one that disappointed me as it was a good size but nothing else on the plate at all which looked a bit sad. All the others had extras. Other than that delicious food. Staff friendly , didnt wait long even though it was busy and sat in the sun listening to the one man band. Fantastic!!

This is a second visit in the last couple of months and again very disappointed with the waffles. They used to be absolutely lovely and now again they are hard and not enjoyable even though the taste is still ok. They still look the same last time we put it down to a bad day but this repeat means an alternative for waffles is needed. The crepe however was yummy. We had pots of tea and the tea was tasteless. Garlic bread was yummy and fresh. Ice creams were good.

The food was reasonably priced and surprisingly good. The omelette could easily be shared by two people. We’ll certainly use this cafe again.

Lovely ice cream & coffees on a windy afternoon, lovely view of the sea,was very quite on the day we visited but service was fantastic

Popped in here for lunch and was really impressed by their seafood salad. Wasn't sure what to expect as it seemed quite expensive for a salad but I could see why when it arrived - equal amounts of tuna mayonnaise, prawns and crayfish.

We stopped here for a coffee and hot chocolate very nice but the only downfall was they had no spoons for the cream and marshmallows

Located in the central bandstand and sheltered from the breeze this venue is very popular with the older generation .Dog friendly and plenty of room for mobility scooters .The food is plain portions good and coffee drinkable .staff helpful .

Called in for a coffee. There are signs marking a one way system and two metre distance. The coffee was tasty. Snacks were also available. The staff were friendly and helpful. As it was a warm day, we sat outside in the interesting bandstand.

Came here for lunch after just arriving from Buckinghamshire. We sat outside for cheese jacket potato and a panini both served with salads. Portions lovely and generous and tasty.

Went here this morning for an outside coffee. Lovely spot, nice coffee my only disappointment was nobody were wearing masks inside the cafe while getting served.

We really enjoyed our ice cream, so many lovely flavours and good portions. The malteser, bounty, biscoff and Bueno gelato were to die for. Waffles were Belgian style and tasty although didn’t appear to be fresh made, just warmed up. Huge portion though being served with sauce, strawberries or banana and ice cream! Staff were friendly and it was very clean in the cafe.

Staff very helpful, the pizza was very fresh and tasty, unusual seating area inside,cosy, clean, bright

Went in for a quick refresh. Was immediately greeted by counter staff who on hearing that we were keen to shelter under cover ran to pull an outside table under the glass shelter and then dry it off. Cakes ordered were very large portions and yummy. Waitress also allowed us to order a pot of tea for one but with two cups as their pots are large for one. Not quite sure what others experienced but staff were very friendly and helpful.

Decided to try Herne Bay for some food had a look where we had had a couple of good curries, near the bandstand , but that was shut next door they did food as well as ice cream. Ordered the pepperoni pizza and seafood platter. Pizza was good except for the olives, the seafood platter was great except for the olives.Platter consisted of Prawns, Crayfish,Tuna, guacamole, hummus halloumi, coleslaw, bread,grilled tomato and a massive salad in the middle, this defeated me left some salad and all the olives.We were so full we had no room for the ice cream.

Ordered a large slush puppie and it came in a slush puppie football cup.....£6 and it definitely was not real slush puppie flavorings. Complete rip off. I regret not saying something at the time

Only had coffee and cake which were fine. The surprising thing for me was that none of the staff were wearing masks ! Also none of the customers queuing to give their orders, with the exception of me, were also not wearing masks. I thought the government, who I know are giving completely mixed messages, was to wear a face mask in a confined space whilst purchasing take away food. You order and pick up your drinks, food and take it to your table. That to me is take away food. Apologies if I am wrong.

Wow is the only word to describe the amazing Knickerbocker Glory that was presented on a visit here!!! The gentleman who made it was so friendly and he even came over afterwards to see if we had enjoyed it - as there wasn’t anything left apart from the stalk off the strawberry he didn’t really need to ask!! Truly wonderful

Me and my friends went there for a coffee. We have ordered small coffee and have been charged for medium. We have also been charged differently. My advise..check your receipt as you will be ripped off! Me and my friends will definitely avoid this place!

Ordered burger, chips and coffee. Burger was a decent size and very well prepared, let down by the chips though. Chips were really dry and stiff though. Surprised I didn’t have a choice for sugar in my coffee, I feel like I could have just made one from home. I’d like if they added an option to add sauces! Will have to try a pancake next time.

Located within the Bandstand on the sea front. Colourful interior, lots of seating with access for wheelchair users. The staff were very friendly and helpful. Toilets are within the Bandstand building. The menu has an extensive choice of hot and cold food and drinks. Ice Cream parlour inside with a great choice of flavours.

This ice cream parlour/cafe holds a prominent position on the front at Herne Bay. A lovely looking building with a curry house next door.A tidy cafe with nice modern decor.Had Tea coffee and cake. Drinks were hot and the cake very tasty. They had lots of options for hot chocolate which looked lovely. They cook fresh crepes and waffles there too.Can recommend.

Stopped in for a spot of lunch. Two baguettes and two cups of tea. Food was lovely and very well filled baguettes.

Jacket potato with tuna mayo was vile. The potato had clearly been left to go cold and microwaved as it could not even be described as Luke warm. So much so that not even the butter melted on it. Tuna was ok but a huge mountain of salad dumped on the plate and covered with a vinegarette. dressing. And to make it worse I can’t stand vinegarette and it had run all over the plate. Served to me and my husbands fish and chips arrived 10 minutes later !! Absolutely clueless and foul. Avoid !!!!

Absolutely vile. Found pubic hair in the food. Avoid at all costs. Amazed it gets any positive reviews.

Popped in for a tea and ended up having soup as well.Good range of sandwiches and meals. Usual range of hot and cold drinks. They did have a wide range of homemade ice creams and desserts that looked really good - but not for me in February!Soup was okay but croutons tasted of awful processed cheese.

Wanting a cup of coffee on a wet, windy, winter's day we went into Makcari's in the art deco frontage of the Central Bandstand. The welcome was warm from friendly staff and the coffee was good. The establishment was lighrt and airy and the deco was very interesting. Unfortunately it is not dog fiendly. There are places to sit outside which ius OK on a warm, summer day but is not very welcoming on a wet, windy, winter's day.

As I was born in Whitstable I tend to go down there ( flowers on parents grave!) then enjoy the town with lunch at Farm & Harper and then home BUT we decided to by pass Whits Friday and try Herne Bay.....so we found Makcaris for lunch which was excellent!!! Very friendly staff and atmosphere and great retro decor....recommend this place and the very tidy and well maintained seafront.

When we go for a walk along seafront we always call in for a coffee never had a problem before, thought today with coffee would have a pastry on the counter were some covered in clingfilm but when l picked them up there was mould on them clearly out of date so beware before you eat anything there clearly not being checked!!!

We went to Mackari’s as we have done regularly for years but we were disappointed this time. The cost of things have gone up and the atmosphere was flat.

Offering flavoursome and the most authentic gelato I've come across in the UK, the desserts and staff never cease to impress and are well worth the drive down. Delicious, come rain or shine, this has become one of my favourite places to enjoy the sunset.

Stopped after a long walk and thoroughly enjoyed the ice cream and sitting outside by the bandstand. Will return.

Well run establishment with polite competent staff . Good selection of snacks and ice creams. A lovely place to sit and relax especially if there is entertainment in the bandstand.

Very friendly staff, excellent quality gelato with generous scopes. Wide range of flavours. Thoroughly recommend visiting for a seaside ice cream. Seating area can get busy as they are popular.

Visited here with my 2 year old nephew and 71 year old father. Was lovely to sit inside and get some shade. I have visited for the delectable ice cream in the past. Today we had lunch the portions are very generous. I ended up over ordering but that was not a problem as they gave us a box to take away the leftover delicious freshly made pizza. I also have to give a special mention to the Halloumi fries. Both tasty (and as I often order these when I eat out as I love them) I can definitely say I have never had such a generous portion before. Would highly recommend. Was also very happy to be able to get a nice ice cold glass of pineapple juice - not one you often find.

We had a coffee here and the staff so unfriendly coffee was not nice a smile would be very nice after all we are paying there wages

We decided to pop in today for a mid afternoon treat.

My mum lives in Herne Bay and when I visit her, we often walk along the prom and pop into Makcari’s for a drink. We lost my dad a few years ago and the owner of Makcari’s was very mindful of that when we first went in following his passing, as he was used to seeing us all together. Even now, 4 years later, he is so kind and friendly to us and my mum feels she can go in on her own too as there will always be a friendly face and a smile for her. Today he let us sample his home made soup which was absolutely delicious! If you’re in the area, do pop in for a meal/drink/ice cream - it’ll brighten your day!

Visited with our 2.5 Yr old today who was treated to an ice cream by the staff for helping them clean! She was spotted as a budding staff member whilst cleaning her grandads wheelchair!

Quick service and a nice to stop and have refreshment with some live music being played this weekend or takeaway.

Good quality food and lots of ice cream choices at fair price. Often music on the bandstand so a pleasant place to while away some time.

Been here a few times and it never disappoints! Absolutely love their waffles and ice creams. My son says their hot chocolate is great too.

Pleasantly surprised to find such a great place for coffee in such good surroundings. The coffee was some of the best we have had. Had not had a rum ba-ba for ages but would certainly recommend them.

Lovely place with lots of ice cream and drinks options. Delicious hot chocolate with cream on the top!

Visited in the winter when too cold to eat ice cream. however good selection of hot drinks in a fantastic beach front location. will come back when warmer

We had been disappointed at the shopping and food and drink opportunities for lunch when passing (quickly) through Herne Bay on a sunny, cold, windy day in February and went reluctantly back to Makcari’s having seen it as we walked past earlier. First impressions were not good, with the counter lady being disinterested and unwelcoming and the ambience less than we hoped but when our sandwiches came (speedily), we were pleasantly surprised with their size, filling and presentation. Good value for money! I suppose it will look better in summer when the outside is available and the bandstand area properly presented.

Came away after our specialality ice cream when served didn't look like the one on the menu, staff couldn't understand us and our clothes reeked of burnt cooking oil as there are no extractor fans in situ. I had to wash my hair and change my clothes to get rid of the smell!

First visit to herne bay, a lot 2qs closed so we visited here to keep warm , grabbed 2 cod and chips 1 burger, a spag bol and some non alcoholic drinks was £45 wish I'd gone for a nice local pub instead, bad coffee at 3quid a cup, fish was ok, burger was burger van quality, i would advise to wrap up warm grab some takeaway chips( somewhere else) and head to the beach for the seaside experience

Totally disgusting. Sausages no taste and under cooked. Eggs, bacon too. Plate full of grease. Bake beans swimming for there life.

My friends and I visited with my 2 young daughters at the weekend after finding Herne Bay pier almost completely closed. We stayed for tea/coffee and some lunch. The food was very nice and the portions were very generous indeed.

As we entered the coffee shop, we were warmly greeted and then served extremely quickly despite it being very busy.

Went to Herne Bay for a late lunch and found this place on the seafront ..food was excellent and large portions..pretty basic food but very well presented..jacket potato with homemade chilli and chicken salad were very good.

First time I’ve got an ice cream here and it did taste nice. 3 scoops for a fiver is pricey (5 scoops in Copenhagen, a capital city). Very much an occasional treat.

Came here for a quick bite before going on the pier. The food was ok nothing special but unfortunately my daughter's ham panini had some long black hair In it which put us all off the food. Wouldn't use this place again as in the age of hair nets this shouldn't happen.

Actually drove from a near by seaside to Herne Bay just for an ice cream !

We love going to Herne Bay with a splendid pier full of attractions, nice quiet beaches and plenty to see along the front. We always pop in to this delightful cafe where you can enjoy proper Italian gelato ice cream and shakes. the food is usually well presented too. Dogs are allowed to Stuck in traffic with you on the patio area in front of the bandstand where you sometimes see craft stalls or can listen to a local band. Lovely day out in the Summer.

MaKCaris in Herne Bay give a good welcome and friendly service. A sensible range of lunches and amazing home made ice-creams!

ordered a waffle and when we asked where is it made the guy replies here, I saw them open a packet and put in microwave, home made my arm! so what is home made? well I don't believe anything they say if they can lie about homemade waffles, I understand rents are high and they are in business to make money but don't lie to people,

The servings at Makcari’s are large and very attractively presented.

We came especially for their fantastic deserts.... they beat kaspers hands down ...would recommend the waffle with Nutella and fresh strawberries absolutely amazing.... staff and atmosphere also amazing ... live music and sunshine we could have been abroad ...thank u

We had walked to Herne bay and desperate for a coffee. Someone recommended Makcari's and wow we were not disappointed. My husband had an iced coffee which he said was the best iced coffee he had ever had (and he drinks a lot of coffee).

Three of us had waffles. OMG creams and kaspers don’t even bother going there after having a Makcaris waffle. Not only bigger but tastier, more ingredients ie peanut butter, Nutella etc. Ice cream really flavoursome. Knocks socks of competitors. Service was friendly and efficient. Yes pricier than an ice cream but no more than the other restaurants that serve these. Worth it as a treat. Lovely coffee as well.

Our first ever visit to Herne Bay, on a very hot sunny day. It has a charm of its own.

It's the first time I have visited this cafe and was very impressed. The food was really good and there was a lot of it, but the staff were excellent. Friendly, helpful an very accommodating. I would definitely return and recommend others to give it a try.

The chocolate ice cream is sorely lacking in chocolate flavour. The abundance of sugar ensures that the taste buds are unable to taste anything other than sweetness. It’s not rocket science to improve a fairly basic commodity like ice cream.

This Ice cream parlour and cafe, in the renovated Band Stand is a reminder of years past. There is a good selection of teas and coffees and then there is Gelato.

I ordered a chicken breast club sandwich and what came out was definitely not a club sandwich. It was an overcooked bit of dry chicken breast with some overpowering parmesan cheese. For £6.99 I would expect it to at least match the definition of a club sandwich nevermind be half decent as a bland chicken sandwich. Not only that, we ordered two sandwiches and two diet cokes and it took 20 minutes. Not impressed, would not recommend.

Sat across the road in a little area next to the road but fenced in.Nice to look out to sea while sipping coffee

Pricey but you get what you pay for, ice cream is made on site and many delicious flavours to choose from. Sitting in the bandstand in the warm weather is also a delight. We enjoy visiting throughout the year.

Down to earth Seaside café style restaurant, with good food with large portions and always fresh.

Visited the town for first time and came across this cafe when in need of a sit down. We had cakes ice cream teas and coffee all ok. The bandstand setting was very nice and a good spot to watch the world go by.

Had a spaghetti Bolognese which was lovely. Portion was pretty generous. Tried the ice cream as it looked promising but wasn't a sundae but just a couple of scoops which were still good flavour. Good location and very satisfied

Always a nice experience here, very friendly staff always and the best ice cream! Great terrace outside with music and lots of tables, large lunches and snacks at good prices, the inside of the cafe is always busy winter or summer, great choice of paninis and sandwiches and salads, jacket potatoes etc, steps up to the front difficult to access for wheelchairs and pushchairs bit of you go to the front beach side it is road level with plenty of spaces and tables on the terrace

My wife and I just the Luxury Seafood Salad which was brilliant. Huge potions for around £9 each so well priced and am stuffed after. Nice drawing on the salad too as dislike it when they have nothing plus the cabbage coleslaw was fantastic.

We had the Cheese and Tomato Panini for lunch with a portion of Chips between us,could not fault this meal ever ting was just right,would recommend this place to anyone,great service,great food

Belle terrasse et établissement bien placé sur la promenade

Makcari's serves a great coffee and does a wide range of activities for the community such as sponsoring musicians to play in the bandstand and supporting local initiatives (such as the beach cleaning). It has both an inner section with solid, comfortable chairs or a section in the middle courtyard (Uncovered) with chairs and tables. On a sunny day , a great place to sit out for an ice cream or coffee.

Certainly not the last visit! I was taking a sixteen year lad out for brunch type food, we had seen the icecream and puddings out side and decided to go in. He had a American breakfast, and I chose a tuna jacket, with a milk shake and large tea as well, All our intensions went out of the window! Both too full! Which says a lot for a 16 year old! Not even room for an icecream. We will be back. Perhaps for pud and icecream only! The fish and chips looked fantastic too!

We had coffee and ice creams at Makcari's. The coffee was pretty good for the appearance of the cafe and the ice creams were home made. Sadly some of the ice creams lack much flavour (eg. cherrry) which was very disappointing, but the ice cream itself is good. We did not sample other menu items (main courses), but they looked good value for money and we will certainly re-visit.

Burger, baked potato, sandwich and baguette....all ok. Lovely chips. Can’t help but think that everything is just a bit overpriced