Meare Shop and Tea Room in Suffolk Coastal

Truly lovely coffee and cake... a beautiful location just wish it was local to us, but worth a treat every once in a while.

Lovely tea room with excellent range of food and drink Managed to knock my coffee over and they replaced it free of charge with out even being asked. First rate

Visited on a cycle trip from Sizewell to Aldeburgh. The Meare cafe was lovely and sheltered from the wind today. Delicious bacon bap for hubby and goats cheese panini for me. Friendly, fast service and lovely coffee too.

Excellent Service, wonderful options for standard and safe Gluten Free/Coeliac choices and also superb knowledge regarding Coeliac needs too. Friendly staff and super quick bringing drinks and then food…which was delicious and plentiful. Would definitely visit again.

Busy café that's quick to take orders but painfully slow to produce them. E.g ordered a sausage roll and a pasty. Rolls were ten minutes to finish in oven. Waited 30 mins. Then they said they had no pasties. Waited again. Finally had to ask for something else. Truly awful service.

Oh wow my husband and I stopped here for a breakfast bacon bap which is served all day. Amazing friendly staff . Bacon bap fantastic value packed with crispy bacon. It was absolutely delicious and sitting outside with a beautiful view of the Meare was an added bonus.

Picture perfect place for a toasted sarnie and an ice cream. Sarnies freshly made to order and served with a smile. If you're into people watching in the sunshine, this is the place to be.

Our first visit and definitely not our last!!! The food was freshly prepared to order, efficiently delivered to our table and tasted lovely. What lovely staff, polite, kind & efficiently. We cannot say anything except we'll worth a visit

Nice cafe staffed by locals. Not pretentious! Good view over the Meare. Reasonable selection of cakes and food with a row on the Meare afterwards.

The crispy bacon baps have got to be the best my wife and I have ever tasted. It was worth the trip down from Scotland. The staff were some of the most polite and approachable people we have encountered, and they did everything with a smile. It's a shame we will not be back down that way for another year, but I know where we will be heading first, THE MEARE SHOP AND TEA ROOM.

Visited twice over a weekend - Saturday (on a dry sunny day) for ice-creams and Sunday (on a rainy day) for drinks and cakes. Both times we were happy with the service and would return again. The apple shortbread was yummy!

First visit here and will be our last. I had a Whippy ice cream which was tasteless. My friend had cappuccino and chips. The cappuccino was fine, howeverthe chips were the worst we have had in a long time. They tasted and smelt of old chip and we could not eat them, I also know when chip fat smells and tastes old, so please no excuses. We were also told that they would bring the food out for us as we are disabled and they asked us where we were sitting, however it was just left by the window to go cold. I would not recommend this place.

I had just had breakfast over the road at the kitchen where I had had to return a Bakewell it was so awful. So still in need of Bakewell I ventured across the road to this well stocked with cake etc shop. Hurrah a Bakewell selection was sited among other cakes. It was tricky to choose but I felt the cherry Bakewell was the more classic of the selection I think there were three variants. Having stopped off for lunch I've shared it with a friend and we both found it excellent in flavour, textures and overall enjoyment level. It was moist with generous large cherries plunged at intervals into the rich almond mixture, and this lay on a very short, golden and crisp pastry very buttery. Topped off with a light glaze. Only about 2.50 I think which was a full pound less that the travesty of a Bakewell over the road! Service good also.

Perfect lunch as usual we always have the Kerlan curry pasties first class . Lovely friendly staff very well organised. Ice creams for pudding first class . Such a lovely setting watching the swans and boats

A great little cafe, friendly staff. Always pop in here when we're staying in Thorpeness. Love getting an ice cream and sitting on a bench overlooking the meare, idyllic!

Rude man serving ice cream, staff had filthy aprons one, customer service truly awful.sad as lovely setting

Terrible service and cheeky comment left on google review so still get a 1* not happy with the service and the length of time it took to get the order rude rude staff but nice ice cream. Example of rude staff I asked whether the hot chocolate was made from milk or water it was clearly water and was rather abruptly told it was made from milk firstly this is a lie and secondly i was then offered no apology

Had a nice lunch lovely fish finger bap and drinks for three for £25, cannot complain. Suspect very busy in peak, but a Friday in March was perfect.

The chips at £3.25 were a really big bowl. Well cooked and good value. The cheese pasty and sausage roll were excellent with tea and cappuccino in a mug which was good. Fruit cake a large slice and really good flavour. Staff are very efficient which alll made for a lovely visit.

Very reasonably priced. The location is wonderful, right by the river. You can sit and watch the antics of the swans while enjoying your food and drink

Stopped for a quick bite of lunch and were able to sit outside enjoying the view of the Meare. Would say food was basic but tasty - e.g bacon and sausage bap was brought to me in a cardboard box (fine by me but was a bot of a surprise). Lovely position. On another day tried the soft ice cream which was also good.

Stopped here for lunch and so pleased we did. Pleasant staff, good choice of food which was reasonably priced and freshly cooked. Steady stream of customers but didn’t have to wait long. Would visit again if in the area.

Given it was really busy in August the service was reasonably quick and the staff friendly. It is right next to the Meare so should be a gold mine :-)

We enjoyed our visit to this place the food was excellent value for money and the staff very efficient and friendly could not fault it

Four of us had a lovely lunch here today. We sat outside in the sunshine overlooking The Meare and ordered drinks, 3 fish finger sandwiches and a sausage sandwich. My husband said his sausage sandwich was great but the rest of us couldn’t find enough ways to say how much we’d enjoyed the fish finger version! Absolutely delicious and only £4.50 per sandwich. The staff were very pleasant and the nearby toilets very clean despite being constantly used. Highly recommend this cafe and also take a rowing boat out for trip round the Meare while you’re here.

Travelled quite a way to visit the tearoom, having checked website that it was open. All locked up when we got there! A staff member arrived and said that they decided not to bother as the previous day's takings had been poor and the weather isn't very nice.

The Meare Tea Room has a great location right next to a lake in Thorpness. You can sit outside on picnic type tables by the waterside. The staff are very friendly. We ate there is April 2021 when indoor dining was not allowed. You ordered from a window on one side of the tea room and collected our orders from a hatch at the other side. The food was decent quality and reasonably priced. There are public toilets adjacent to the cafe.

perfectly located by the meare. after a long row round the lake we enjoyed a ‘crispy’ bacon roll, a toastie, a spicy chicken and chorizo pasty and teas. all good, and seating by the lake

It’s such a lovely setting next to the Meare . The shop is now the kitchen and food is only available outside where you are called to the door/ window to collect. Had a cuppa and cake / ice cream here . No tray to carry food . Seating could be more spread out at rear. Room for improvement.

The covid rules were being strictly adhered to inside, ie no customers allowed in , everything served in cardboard containers through the hatches , no salads , but not once did any member of staff wipe down a table or chair outside, customer after customer we’re using them , I guess it only mattered that the staff inside were safe!

Spent a week in Thorpeness and the tea room was our reliable friend!Enjoyed the coffee, crispy bacon rolls and the ice cream!! The team were very friendly and the service was great!

Here I bought a screwball Ice cream which was delicious. There was a choice to have raspberry, bubble gum or chocolate source which I thought could have been more but I still recommend coming here.

We went down to get and ice-cream and the queue wasn't that long. We had 4 ice-creams for £8. The staff was also really nice and the atmosphere was great.

There was a long queue and, therefore, a long wait for food. I had a cheese and tuna toastie. The cheese hadn’t melted and the tuna was simply cold. Views over the meare were beautiful and the coffee was hot.

Lovely cakes & coffee & cream tea Staff are very friendly & Covid safe. Lovely visit 😊would go back again

Nice location and good atmosphere even with covid. Was good to be back to the area and its special walks.

Tea and cake in such a beautiful setting, tea was perfect and was just what we needed after a busy day.

Great little cafe with good service. Can recommend the cheese and chutney toasty. They also made a good cup of tea. We were there quite early and were served promptly and found outside seating, however later on it was busier with long queues.

Thorpeness was recommended by a friend when we were on our first Suffolk holiday and we were pleased we made the trip. The boating lake was fab and we would have taken the kids out in a boat but it was very windy and there was a competition on. This didn't spoil our visit as the kids enjoyed watching youngsters competing in boat rowing races. It was busy but the queue for the tea room outdoor serving area was reasonable, and there were picnic benches, plus plenty of grass to sit on by the pond. We only ordered cakes and these were delicious and the wait wasn't too long. Everyone was having a great time. We'll definitely be back.

3 of us in the line for coffee. One waited 25. One waited 20. I waited 15. Impressive for 5 beverages.

Due to current circumstances, you can't enter the tea shop anymore but queue and order outside. There is outside seating, mainly at the back facing the Meare but we stuck to our takeaways. Queues can be (and were) long and the service was quite slow. Tough when the day is hot and sunny. Not enough social distancing by the customers but then again, there were no markings or reminders around the tea room. Whippy ice cream is always amazing however, they often ran out of the large Mr Whippy, which after queuing for so long, comes as a big disappointment! Their takeaway menu still included much of their cakes, sandwiches and hot food as well as their ice creams. They had a smaller sweet stall that also served ice lollies, as a secondary choice. The queues are shorter but so is the selection.

Couldn’t comment much as due to current climate extrications the actual tea shop was closed but bought drinks and ice cream to have by the lake. The girl that served us was moody, rude, barely spoke and quite honestly made us feel like we were wasting her time. She needs to be reminded people are on their holidays and are trying to enjoy themselves. A smile costs nothing. Food and ice cream pre packaged and as you would expect. Picnic benches clean outside.

A longish socially distanced queue for the outside ordering point but food came quickly. A lovely setting looking out over the lake. Nice coffee (had oat milk ), large portions of chips and lovely food - homemade quiche was delicious. Public toilets open, and clean!). Only outside seating at present.

As establishments open again after lockdown we were pleased to be in Thorpeness and stop here for a coffee after walking the dog at around 10am. Seeing that they also offered gluten free toasted sandwiches we decided to visit again the following Thursday only to discover that they had not got any Gluten Free bread at around 09:45am, apparently as I heard from a voice inside he had not been to the shops yet. Now forgive me but it is not rocket science to keep some gluten free bread or rolls on the freezer to whip out and defrost before toasting. So we ordered 2 coffees and a sausage bap (again no gluten free sausages) and my partner went opposite and got me a gluten free bacon and egg sandwich, delicious.Being Coeliac is not a choice, unlike being Vegetarian or Vegan so please if you advertise it on your board, make sure you have it, I do not have the choice, if I eat gluten I get ill!Congratulations to the member of staff though who came out and offered me one of her gluten Free Schar rolls that she had brought for lunch. Sadly it was too late then as my partner had gone to see what Thorpeness Kitchen could do.We will be visiting Thorpeness at least once a week throughout the year in future but our custom will now be placed with Thorpeness Kitchen rather than The Meare Tearoom which I reckon is over £200 of sales lost this year alone

“Eggs are for qu**rs” “you immature Spanish b****h” “who the f**k orders this” three quotes of few that I overheard from a tall young lad working in this cafe. Came here with a friend to enjoy a relaxing quiet time by the lake. This was ruined by the racial and homophobic slurs and horrid comments produced by one of your members of staff. I ordered two drinks, one with oat milk to have the boy making the drinks say to another member of staff that it was “f**king weird”. Which doesn’t make me want to invest money in your establishment. Especially when there are young children who can hear him too.

On a chilly, but bright day at the end of the half term holiday, husband and I decided to pop over to Thorpeness.Delighted to find The Meare Shop and Tearoom open.Husband had glorious Blythburgh ham, with eggs and chips and I had Tuna jacket potato and salad. Good coffee, but no room for a dessert/cake.Always a good idea to buy a delicious cake and take home for tea later.Regarding the questions below about vegan or GF meals, just ask! The staff are very accommodating.

Great little shop and cafe which serves really good food. Right on the lake so kids can have lots of fun.

Terrible food over priced miserable staff all in all a bad place to go it’s better over the road better quality of food nice staff and well priced if you want nice coffee and good food I recommend the kitchen

When me and my husband went for a coffee and cake we parked as close as we could as my husband cannot walk very well and as we came out from having coffee there was this Dutch man who claimed that he lived right near the shop and then started shouting and swearing at us saying that we could not park where we parked and even had put one of the cones that go around the outside of where we had parked on top of my car we were really frightened and will never go back there he claimed to b the owners husband a very angry and horrible man .

We stopped here on a cold winter day. We thought we'd treat ourselves with a shared cream tea. The tea was great, a large pot between us however the scones were over baked and more like rock cakes than scones. We has seen the cheese scones at the counter and they didn't look great either.

After the walk from Aldeburgh we ordered our tea and coffee and enjoyed with some tasty cakes. The cafe offers savoury options as well as a cream tea and choice of cakes. The cherry shortbread and chocolate and coconut flapjack were excellent choices. With some indoor and outdoor seating this offers a lovely spot to recuperate before the walk back.

Awful meal and bad value for money, plus lack of communication . Stopped here for lunch after walking to Thorpeness from Aldeburgh. I ordered a Jacket potato with cheese and ham and my husband a panini. Firstly the waitress brought out the wrong order for both of us then when I got my potato it was awful! It had been microwaved within an inch of its life, plonked on top of a chewy piece of ham and about a dessert spoon full of cheese was just crumbled (not grated) on top. The salad that came with it was dry and the lettuce pink. It cost £7.95 which I wouldn’t have minded paying if it was nice! Needless to say I didn’t eat much of it and fed the ham to the dog! The panini was “ok”. Shame because it looks such an idyllic little tea shop by the lake.

Lovely cafe by the lake. Sat outside with a pot of tea and a piece of cake watching the swans. Can recommend the apple and blackcurrant flapjack

Enjoyed morning coffee here & then returned for lunch. Great location with tables set outside overlooking the meare. The cheese scones are really tasty & lunch with the daily special quiche was worth waiting for. all were home made & served with a generous portion of salad. Staff were friendly, efficient & helpful. Will be returning soon.

Great spot for food and drink by the waters edge. Lovely seating inside and out and quick service even when it was very busy.

Best cream tea in Suffolk! The quality has not dropped in at least 20 years! Proper cream, lovely jam and brilliant scones and plenty of everything. Lovely big teapot too!

Went here with my family to chill for an afternoon, what a hidden gem, the food was fantastic, we had cream teas the view of the meare was great you can also buy food to feed the swans and ducks. There are rowing boats to hire while there

Popped in for refreshments and some postcards and goodies. Watched the families boating. Self service. Good coffee but cakes a bit disappointing.

When we arrived we couldn't go straight in as a swan and her 4 cygnets were sat in the front entrance mat which was very endearing. As we eventually eased past them, we both chose goats cheese quiche meal, which came with chips, salad and coleslaw, and took our seat outside on the picnic tables. You are given a number, and the food came out very quickly, we both really enjoyed the food. Really good portion sizes too... £8.95 each.

The last time we visited the tea room at Thorpeness was over 20 years ago and returning this week we were not disappointed, friendly efficient service, good menu and a lovely lunch then a turn around the Meare this really is a special place

This little place has everything. Sandwiches, scones, pasties, pies, quiche, cake, biscuits plus lots more on the chalk boards. The place is very clean and there is seating both inside and out. Staff seemed all very pleasant and accommodating. There is ample car parking across the road though I expect it gets busy like any coastal place. Well worth a visit.

Lovely seating area near the lake so you can watch people canoeing or rowing small boats. We were served quickly even though they were busy, we had a lovely cappuchino, sausage roll and a raspberry coconut tart - all delicious. Plenty of water bowls for our Cocker Spaniel, Poppy. Toilet facilities are also excellent

Always a pleasure to stop at the Meare tearoom. Offers a good choice of food at reasonable prices. It is especially nice if the weather is good enough to sit outside by the water. Ice cream from the shop is excellent.

Don't recognise the same place as angusyoung. We were made very welcome, the young ladies behind the counter were charming and the snack we had was excellent. Good to see young people doing such a good job.

My family a a regular visitors to the cafe in Thorpeness, it’s a good spot to walk to from aldeburgh or Sizewell. We normally come for a coffee and cake but this time we fancied something savoury instead; unfortunately we didn’t realise how long this would take and it took 40 minutes to wait for a sausage roll and a quiche, if we had realised we wouldn’t of bothered and would of stuck with the cake which you get instantly at the till.

I thought this place was expensive. The staff need training in customer service, just because you think your better than the customer, doesn't excuse bad manners/attitude.

Dropped off to look at the Meare and could not resist the cafe. Plenty of seating outside to soak up the sun and if you wasn't indoors or the weather is inclement there are also seats inside. Only had cake and a hot drink as out was late on in the afternoon, but food and drink were well priced and great value.

Friendly and welcoming staff. Lovely spot for a fishfinger bap and a coffee. Plenty of outside seating which we took advantage of to enjoy the sun.

Although my husband and I visit throughout the year, when family visit we have to take into account a vegetarian and a little girl who is unable to eat any dairy. Staff were very helpful and checked foods with my daughter before we ordered for grandaughter. Our daughter just loves the vege quiche. Grandson always finds something he likes, and son in law and grandparents are happy with the many choices. The renovations which have taken place over the winter are fresh and bright. A delightful family business with wonderful home made food and great staff.

Really friendly welcome from attentive staff. Loads of hot and cold options on a menu which also offered good gluten free suggestions.

Long walk round the Alde and what we wanted was what we got.....healthy food quiche home-made coleslaw and salad a warm welcome and no rubbish that you may get from cows

What a great place for a bite to eat. Delicious cakes and coffee at a reasonable price. Great place to sit and look across the Meare. Good atmosphere and friendly staff. Worth a visit.

We regularly stop off at this Tearoom on our Cycle Rides, great little cafe at a lovely location, Good selection of cake and good coffee (optional qualities) They also have a decent cooked food menu. Always friendly and welcoming. Great outdoor seating when the weather is good over looking the Thorpness Meare, This cafe/shop is right in the middle of the very attractive Thorpness. Perfectly situated on the Suffolk coast with several it’s best attractions close by.

Stumbled across Thorpeness whilst walking along the beach. Such a quaint village with beautiful homes and wildlife. The tea room was busy, serving lovely homemade food. We chose to sit outside as the weather was lovely. Staff there were friendly and efficient. Excellent place - the heart of the village.

After a walk in the local area and beach visit, our party of 8 very much enjoyed delicious hot chocolates, coffees and cakes here!

We had a wonderful pre booked double 60 th birthday lunch/ tea here for 11 of us (female work colleagues) we were staying nearby for the weekend. The tea room over looks the Lake.

We come here around once a year. This little café/restaurant is central, and is adequate. I recently had vegetable soup, but it was somewhat insipid. But it was OK for a snack meal before our evening dinner at the hotel. And there is a useful shop, and outside seating in the summer.

After parking the car we spent time in the emporium followed by afternoon tea. Hiring a boat on the Meare was an attraction but we walked to see the windmill and the House in the Clouds, a famous sight jutting up above the trees. Feeding the swans and ducks on the way back was an event before we relaxed to enjoy ice creams before our return drive back to our rented cottage in Middleton. Jean Jones

This tearoom is in a beautiful location in Thorpeness, but don't let that fool you. This is a terribly run cafe.

Friendly place to stop for a quick bite and they make a lovely cup of tea! We had some cheese and ham (huge chunks) toastiesGreat selection of cakes, including gluten free, all home made and yummy looking. Much better than the place across the road at the Thorpeness Emporium.

The food here is good and you can either sit inside or outside by the meare. The ice-creams are particularly nice.

This is a lovely spot for a bit of lunch after a bit of boating on the meare. Really reminded of the seaside tea rooms we went to in the 70s.

Outside tables overlooking the Meare on a Sunday morning, drinking delicious cappucino and watching the dogs trying to growl at the swans, what's not to like? We thought for its position and view it was reasonably priced.

This is a little old fashioned 'Tea Room' It was a lovely sunny Autumn day. We sat outside in the fresh air. A bit close together on BBQ tables & benches but amongst all very nice happy people some with well behaved dogs. Typical well used outside boatshed type area with no aires & graces.

I visited with family last week and was well impressed with this little place! The menu is quite varied - everything from snacks and sandwiches to meals like ham, egg and chips. The food arrived quickly and was lovely and hot - very nice chips! Staff all very friendly and efficient. Nice view of the Meare lake from our indoor table as it was too chilly to sit out.

We stopped in Thorpeness for a coffee and it is so pretty. Nice tearooom but quite expensive. Large outdoor seating area just by the Meare

Was a hot afternoon decided to stop for a tea... wished we hadnt.. the tea was not nice at all.. Tables were packed in tightly outside on very poor uneven ground.. but better than sitting indoors with the flies. Crockery was chipped... not a great experience.. use The Kitchen across the road instead

Stopped for lunch on a sunny afternoon, sat outside as it was really busy inside, I ordered jacket potato with tuna mayonnaise, it was nicely cooked and came with a generous salad garnish, my husband ordered a toasted sandwich and fries, plenty of filling and salad garnish. The only criticism is that it was pre sliced bread, crusty bread would have made it five stars, service was quick and friendly, next time we’re in the area we’ll be back to try the cakes, they looked lush.

This place has the potential to be something special but I think I visited on a bad day...

Lovely relaxing lunch overlooking the boating lake. friendly efficient service and great value. Well done.

Called in for an early lunch. My sons sausage and chips looked very unappetising and a bit dry and overlooked but he said it was ok. At over £8 it was a bit expensive for a plate of what looked like overlooked frozen food. My panini was nice enough. The staff were all so miserable , not even speaking or smiling at each other let alone the customers. Its certainly not recommended if you are looking to cheer yourself up.

Went here after boating to have ham and chips and a hot chocolate which I recommend as a nice relaxing lunch, especially for my friend who rowed us round the lake for an hour😂

Stopped here for a snack lunch while "investigating" Thorpeness. Plenty of tables outside overlooking the lake, or on the green on the other side of the building....a lovely relaxing view lakeside. We had three Jumbo rolls with different fillings, they were all large and well filled, served with a nice side salad. Our dog loved her sausage roll too!! The young staff were very pleasant and efficient, even on a very busy day. Well worth a visit.

The food was what we expected for an outlet such as this one. Service was not bad considering how busy the staff were.

Me and a friend was walking around thorpness and enjoying the view .There are birds swans ducks and the rawing boats which can be hired there's even the house in the clouds and golfing for adults and kids and the beach . We decided we was a bit hungry and popped into this cafe was greeted by the lovely staff we asked for tea for two and had scones and tea was very morish with clotted cream and jam yum

Went here for an afternoon tea. Huge choice of different teas, very very interesting. Delicious home made cakes and scones and really quaint little place. Good and friendly service.

If you're spending an hour or two here you have to visit the tea room. Life bites and a cream tea that is second to none.

The girls and chaps who served were very helpful and cheerful. They cleaned up after everyone and took great care of the beautiful flowers on display.

My wife and I found this delightful place and what a view right next to the lake. Just found the outside seats were taken by people who were not eating and tables were hard to get at times.

Lovely tea room to eat inside or out with a great view of the boating lake , scone with clotted cream and jam was to die for