Riverside Tearoom in Suffolk Coastal

Disappointing, the Saturday lunchtime wall menu showed a choice of Jacket Potatoes but none were available, so we ordered sausage rolls with salad but after waiting towards thirty minutes, a waitress returned our money informing us that they had sold out of them as well. We left.

5 minute drive from the castle and a 2 minute walk from the quay, well signposted, lovely and bright inside with large outdoor seating area, limited menu but we ate excellent crab sandwich and bacon sandwich served with tasty coffee. An excellent lunch, we will revisit.

Beautiful spot (if a little windy outside) with amazing views. Considering the location the cafe prizes are very reasonable. We had 3 lovely sandwiches, served with crisps, and three drinks for £28. Highly recommended for a cheeky lunch out.

Great place, just of the Quay at Orford. Seating inside and outside, great for views across to the Ness. Good choice, excellent quality and the staff are very courteous and friendly. Would recommend the breakfast, very good value, and the crab sandwiches were very tasty. Thanks, you were one of the highlights of our stay in Orford.

Pleasant staff ( apart from the old woman) and a nice setting. The food was okay, except for the unexciting supermarket sliced bread. Nice coffee but very small cups and the cake was lovely, but such a shame the portions were so small, for nearly £4 a slice. It seems they have a monopoly in this area so can charge what they like.

Spent time in here while awaiting our departure on the Orford Ness ferry. Lovely coffee and cakes, at uninflated prices, and served with a smile by pleasant and accommodating staff. Lovely outside area which overlooks the river (as the title of the tearoom would suggest) but we visited on a day of extremely high temperatures, and headed indoors for some shade....

Lovely place to admire a seaside view. Order taken swiftly and food arrived quickly. Nice staff. Coffees and lovely fresh scones were great. Especially enjoyed the cheese scone with chilli jam. Will be back later in our holiday week.

There were a huge number of wasps in the cafe. As we had our 2 year old granddaughter with us, we didn't feel comfortable to stay. We asked if they did takeaway drinks and cakes. They said they did and seemed pleasant and understanding. We were very disappointed when we opened the paper bags containing the cake. One was a thin end slice from a lemon drizzle cake. I'm sure they wouldn't have served this inside the restaurant where other customers could see it. My coffee was also very small, although my husband enjoyed his hot chocolate. The price did not reflect lower VAT on some takeaway items.

Absolutely lovely lunch following a visit to Orford Ness. Four of us had the panini with the other having a jacket potato. All were excellent and the service was efficient. Strongly recommend a visit.

Good location for when coming off the Orford Ness boat. Can't get a wheelchair up the steps. Food is freshly prepared and tastes good. Staff are friendly. Lack of menus available meant we couldn't see what was available so made so from the specials board.

My family’s trip to the Riverside Tearoom at Orford was one of THE MOST DISAPPOINTING lunch experiences I have EVER had. We ordered 5 crab sandwiches between us at £8.45 each. The filling was bare minimal and measly, my son had a lot of shell in his sandwich and the bread was soft and floppy not decent bakery bread. I also ordered a milkshake for my son which was £4.10 with cream and a flake and it came out in such a small takeaway beaker. I would suggest not eating or drinking at this tearoom if you visit Orford. We left feeling ripped off. Not something I would ever say lightly.

Perfect lunch stop after a longish circular walk from the castle to the quay. Fresh crab sandwiches, cheese scones and other lovely stuff. Great view over harbour. Really friendly, efficient staff.

We visited here many many times over our weekend in Orford . Tea, coffee, cake and takeaway sandwiches all ordered from here . All very tasty . Lovely to sit outside with a view of the sea

Had lunch and staff very friendly and helpful. Surprised to actually have lunch there seeing as I'm a vegan, plus they hqd oat milk for a latte. So good we went back in the afternoon for a cup of tea and shocked that i could have a slice of vegan chocolate cake. Yum. Thank you.

If you would like a sweaty cheese toasty this is the place to come. I mean, just how difficult can it be to make a gooey cheese toasty? Imagine a hot summers day, you make a cheese sandwich and leave it in the car, slightly melted and rubbery. and, £6.95 for the pleasure. My partner had a bacon butty, the bacon was anemic. The tea and coffee mediocre, can’t really get that wrong can you. Needless to say, we won’t be back.

Lovely location with sea views and ample outdoor seating, very friendly and efficient staff. Reassuringly modest menu (I say do half a dozen dishes very well and not 20 badly!) and absolutely scrumptious well-presented food. Highly recommended!

Delicious coffee and cake, sandwiches, bacon rolls and many other foods. Inside and outside seating.

This is a favourite stop for my bike rides. The tranquil view across the water is worth going for on its own; but I have to say that the recent visit was superb - the combination of toasted tea cake with jam (in a dish not those awful plastic things) and delicious coffee put me in a great mood for the rest of the ride. Great service too - friendly and, well - just nice people. A few weeks ago I took a friend there and we shared a ploughmans lunch - terrific.

Stopped here for refreshment whilst waiting for the ferry to the Ness. Great value for money and a good selection.

Visited here several times and have never been disappointed, the cappuchino does need an extra shot to be acceptable but lots of similar eating establishments suffer this issue, my sausage sandwich was freshly made and with onion relish very nice, my wife similarly was pleased with the panini she chose, this establishment will always do well because of its location and they do seem to go that little bit extra for their customers.I am a little concerned anout the number of restaurants encouraging dogs while customers are eating, the couple near us had their small dog perched on their table I would imagine the next diners using that table would not be happy if they had known that, not everyone is a dog lover despite the majority of owners thinking that they are, ( i`m sure we shall be told that the tables are wiped down after each sitting but natural wood is a difficult surface to clean.)

Dogs allowed on terrace, but not indoors. Glorious views. Very popular. Nice cakes and good for breakfast. Visited several times during our week's stay in Orford

Crab sandwich was very poor, all rather soggy, maybe frozen crab with salad and only white bread .wasn’t offered a choice but it was late for lunch, coffee and walnut cake also disappointing.

We stumbled upon this cafe just after 1pm on a Monday in June and were both really impressed. We both chose Coronation Chicken baked jacket potatoes which were simply delicious and our pot of tea was good too. Super view from the cafe and also,...

Beautiful sunny day but several customers waiting to order at 930. We were the first to order, 2 English cooked breakfasts and 2 coffees. Others were ordering bacon/egg /sausage baps etc. Waited over half an hour for our food to arrive by which time most...

Called in after a long walk. Had a Hot Chocolate with cream which was delicious. I did not have a cake, but a friend did and he said it was great.

Brilliant place with great sausage bap and espresso for breakfast. Friendly efficient service....strongly reccomended

The two of us stopped for a quick break on our cycle ride. Had a panini, cake and a coffee and chai latte. Reasonable menu choice, serving team were pleasant and service was prompt. There are seats outside so you can watch the boats and...

Dropped by today. Great cappuccino and very yummy bacon and fried egg on a white bap. Spot on. Plenty of seats inside and out. Reasonably priced too

Arrived just after opening for breakfast. The woman was most unwelcoming, customer service skills definitely lacking,. perhaps she was having a bad day! We did ask if they were able to do poached egg rather that fried, we were abruptly told no! We were over...

Nice setting but nothing else is good. Ordered cream tea coffee toasted sandwich and panini. Drinks were brought out luke warm and tasteless with a scone and butter but no cream. Apparently none had been delivered. We waited and waited for our food but had...

Called here when in Orford, for a coffee and something to eat. Sadly they could not offer anything at all that was gluten free, truly terrible given that 1% of the population is Coeliac. We bought a coffee and to be honest that wasn't great...

Great location, good food, efficient service BUT customers are not allowed to use the toilet. (There is a sign stating the toilet is only for staff use) Apart from the lack of understanding of customers needs surely this is contravening the regulations that require a...

Lovely little tearoom overlooking the estuary with indoor and outdoor seating. They offered a very good standard cream tea with warmed, fresh scones and tasty jam and real cream. Very nice setting watching the boats. Service was good and friendly. A great place to stop...

We stopped here just after it opened as other cafes in the village were shut on a Tuesday!!! We sat outside with our dog enjoying the lovely views across the river. My wife had a large Bakewell slice, which was delicious. The staff were very...

We came here on the 1st of July. It looked like a lovely little tearoom at first glance, delicious looking cakes and a good menu. We ordered a ‘bacon sausage and egg’for £7.25, a piece of carrot cake and lemon drizzle cake. As well as...

Great little Cafe in a wonderful setting. Very helpful and welcoming, they opened up an hour early for our group of 20+ Cyclists and had our pre-ordered food ready for us very quickly. Great food and drinks matched by their Staff and Service. We'll be...

We dropped into the Tearoom for a sandwich after a hot, sweaty walk around Orford. The cafe was busy and we had to sit inside but, the doors were all open and there was a nice breeze blowing through. Took a while but, we got...

We popped into the tearoom for a light lunch. They were very busy so we had to wait a little for our sandwiches to be made and brought to our table. Prawn with Marie Rose dressing made a delicious sandwich filling. Very reasonably priced.

Slow service could be forgiven in this Covid world , but weak and willing coffee cannot. The view from the premises is great , even on a wet and blustery day like the one we had. Scone was much better than the coffee's shame really...

Stopped off here for a coffee and a bacon bap. Fantastic views across the river to Orford Ness. Service friendly and prompt, baps delicious and coffee good.

Sat outside but you order inside, and it was very clean and 'Covid careful'. Lovely spot, but tea and coffee need improvement; thin and weak.

Came here for cake and coffee. Limited seating but we were lucky to grab one when we visited. Excellent covid procedures. Food all looked and tasted fantastic. Was reasonably priced too.

The wife, her sister and me on a regular visit to the lovely Orford Quay decided to partake of a coffee each at the Riverside tearoom. A wonderful location spoiled only by the grotty standard of the coffee. One black, 2 flat whites all tasting...

Had lunch here on a breezy March day. Nice choice on the menu, good coffee and nice views of the quay and river. You can sit outside but I was not brave enough to do that!

Popped in today for two bacon sandwiches and two coffees. We were sat outside as we had dogs with us , it took over half an hour just for the coffees to arrive, pretty frozen by that stage but coffee warmed us up. Waited another...

A great hot chocolate. Had toasted cheese and onion sandwich. Waited a long time and when it arrived looked like they had just waved the sandwich over the toaster. In effect had a mildly warm cheese and onion sandwich. That's one place of our list,...

I'm not sure whats happened but it used to be one of my favourite places for a quick lunch in a beautiful location. We went over the weekend and spent an hour trying to get a toasted sandwich, when it arrived it still wasn't toasted...

In a lovely location, very efficient staff working hard and sounding happy. Great hot coffee and selection of teas. The cheese scone with chilli jam was yummy.

The young staff here are always friendly and helpful, which is difficult when you have to deal with some of the bad-mannered holidaymakers who arrive at Orford during peak season. The Tearoom doesn't do much in the way of cooked food, there's isn't enough room,...

We visited this Tearoom as a family and ordered food to eat-out (takeaway). Our order was for 5 sandwiches (3 adults & 2 children), 2 sausage rolls, 1 bacon bap, 2 juice cartons which cost over £35. The sandwiches were generously filled and sausage rolls...

Very poor menu.Jacket potatoes under cooked and burnt on one side as they had not been turned over in the microwave.Poor sandwiches with cheap bread,such a shame when one of the country’s best smokeries is just round the corner and fresh fish is 2doors away.Tepid water with no ice and my friend had a tasteless iced coffee,that was certainly lacking on the ice.The location however is good.!

Good value for money. We enjoyed a special birthday celebration in a lovely setting with excellent cake and tea.

Second trip here. Breakfast served until 11:45 and lunches from then on. Busy and popular, but a table was available. Sandwiches were a little light on content. Staff were friendly.

Useful place to get a cup of tea/coffee, baked potato, sandwich, etc, at a reasonable price, while looking at the end of the river Alde and the former Ministry of Defence buildings appearing strangely across the water.

The main car park (pay) is just 100yds before. The private riverside car park just a few yards further on is NOT for NT members' parking. The cafe is a small terraced wooden shack overlooking the river, quay and Ness serving light lunches - quiche, jackets, sandwiches (hot & cold) and a full English up to 11.45. Good disabled access up a ramp. Basic, clean toilet but there are public toilets in the adjacent main car park.

Went for a couple of scones and a drink to chill out near the harbour, really nice food, good staff, quality views.

We’d just completed a 6 mile walk around Orford which was awesome. Great country/riverside walk and we needed sustenance. The scones were divine, the service prompt, but the toilets were a bit grim!

Good food , great views and friendly service at this riverside cafe . Visited twice , just coffee on the first visit but crab sandwich and cheese scones on the second.

I really like this little cafe. The staff are very friendly and helpful and it is just a nice place to sit and eat and drink. Food is always good with lots of homemade bits like delicious coleslaw. Definitely worth a visit.

Everything a sea-side cafe should have. Sandwiches, cakes, buns, scones, coffee, tea etc. The place has a nice sized interior room with plenty of seating but enough room to get around. There are also a plenty of tables outside if the weather is up to it. As per normal we both went for the crab sandwiches and they were excellent. There are lovely views across the River Alde to the old AWRE Weapons establishment, now owned by the National Trust and given over to wildlife. A ferry is available - check times. Staff all pleasant and helpful.

Very friendly little cafe right on the River front at Orford Quay. Probably gets very busy at weekends and when the weather is good but there is quite a lot of seating both inside and out

Came here with some friends and our dog after doing the riverside walk along the estuary.

We arrived on a glorious sunny day ordered our food which was a combination of two scones one jam one cheese both just been made and nice and warm,I had the tastiest crab sandwich ever! And it was served with salad and crisps, the views were the best in orford ,the staff were brilliant we had to sort out there store lock as was stuck solid,it's surprising what olive oil is good for ! Not just for cooking but ideal for sorting out seized locks what have been out in the sea air ! Good.health to you all see you in about 6 weeks

Stopped off here after a pleasant walk along the river up to opposite Aldeburgh and back. Nice wooden deck to sit outside, sip your coffee and watch the boats bobbing around in the quay. The Bakewell slice was nice.

The tea room is right on the front of the news. Staff are lovely and attentive and the food is great... prices are just about right... no overcharging here. Even take care of pooches by offering treats and water. Human food and drink are excellent.

After around an hour's drive to reach the fabulous Orford I was in need of food and drink. I parked at the top end of town then walked down to this ideally located spot. The seating outside overlooking the jetty cannot be beaten, especially on a sunny day.

We had coffee/tea/chocolate/cake here several times during our week in Orford, great to come off the Ness or boat trip for a hot drink and cake. Also to view the comings and goings on the quay and Saturday afternoon yacht race.

While touring the area we decided to visit Orford & came across this tea room located by the harbour with a large car park nearby. Had a warm welcome on arrival our order was taken then after 5 minutes or so our drinks were brought out to us. The drinks were good, the only slight problem being we sat in the shade outside as it was nice weather the got a bit chilly so make sure you sit in the sun. Worthwhile stopping for a drink if in the area.

Went there this morning with a pal for a coffee. We live 10 miles away and specifically went to Orford for this cafe. I followed a lad from his previous job at the Jolly Sailors to here and that’s how we discovered this hidden gem. Unfortunately he has now moved on to pastures new but in his place today we were greeted with a bright and cheerful Latvian woman who was attentive, thorough and an asset to this place. Two coffees and freshly made very moorish warm sausage rolls eaten on the terrace on a lovely spring day for less than a tenner. There are always a great selection of home made cakes and I can highly recommend the bakewell slices.So in summary, clean, quaint and a great place to eat in Orford

.... but be prepared to wait 30 minutes to get a cup of coffee and a piece of cake. When I asked if they have forgotten me they simply told me they’re busy.

A very pleasant cafe with good service and excellent location. Hot chocolate and coffee after a bracing walk.

Very slow with the service. Ordered some sandwiches and it took 30 mins. Not that impressed - find somewhere else or take a picnic !

We live in the village & use the Riverside tea rooms 2 or 3 times a week when we go for a morning or afternoon stroll. Ok we normally only ever have a hot drink of either tea, cappuccino, late, or chocolate.

Was in Orford last week and went 3 times to the TeaRoom. They served a lovely cup of tea which went nicely with a piece of homemade coffee and walnut cake and lemon drizzle cake. Also the sausage rolls were very filling with the pastry being perfect - again homemade.

The drinks when we got them were OK but we were the only ones there and we had to wait nearly 15 mins for 2 coffee's????

We went there after a very long walk around Orford Ness and were looking forward to a lovely cream tea, we sat outside and our table had all the leftovers from the previous people, this wasn't cleared away the whole time we were there. Food took a fair time to arrive considering it was just scones and as the title says when the scone came it was as flat as a biscuit so I felt cheated. Wasn't great.

After many recommending this cafe to us we finally decided to visit. The staff are unbelievably friendly, the drinks are amazing, and the food is beyond beautiful! The effort put into the food is lovely. The staff were lovely and very friendly and welcoming. If anyone ever visits the area or even wants to visit just for this place believe me you will not be disappointed! Thoroughly lovely experience and will highly recommend!!

My wife and I had a hearty breakfast here before our long walk along the ness path. Excellent food and great coffee too, very important to us 😀 quick service and great prices too.

A lot of trade must come from people waiting for the next ferry across to Orford Ness - we certainly weren't the only ones taking advantage of the lovely little tea room! Good coffee in the morning (when it wasn't quite so busy) and excellent cakes with tea in the afternoon when it was packed! Really friendly staff who I overheard advising someone on their gluten free options. Even though they were rushed off their feet clearing tables, they gave all their customers enough time (and apologies for the wait)

We were visiting Orford with our two dogs and fancied a sweet treat rather than a full pub lunch. This venue was perfect. It has friendly staff, a good menu and more importantly good cake! All that can be enjoyed with the views across to Orford Ness. Enjoy!

We sat on the sea wall by the rusty anchor and ateour home made cakes and cold pop. Just what we needed after a long walk. The staff were lovely and prices are very good too. Not to be missed!

Went crabbing on Orford Quay and had a spot of lunch at this tearoom. A real little gem right in the harbour and very pleasant staff and good quality food.Really good freshly made sandwiches well worth a visit if your in the area.

Eight of us visited for lunch, ahead of our river cruise on Regardless.

We visited today, and it was very quiet. Plenty of seating area inside and out. The staff was lovely and friendly and the cakes was so delicious. I can imagine this gets very busy.

We have spent several holidays in Orford and always pay a visit to this cafe, it’s lively to sit outside with all the other customers enjoying the food and view! It was the best cup of tea all holiday almost as good as when back home in Yorkshire

This is a cute little tearoom with inside seating or outside on elevated decking overlooking the waters edge with sailing boats, sea birds and the sounds of nature.

We visited on a Saturday, sat outside but soon had to abandon that idea due to swarms of wasps we along with many others went indoors. Staff did nothing to address the problem.

After a walk along the estuary we found the perfect place to relax with a sandwich and pot of tea.

We visited here on 20th July prior to going to the castle. We were hungry on arrival in Orford but didn't want to go to a pub or have a big meal so we opted for the Riverside Tearoom. It's exactly our kind of place - simple and unpretentious with friendly staff and a relaxed atmosphere.

When we arrived after our journey we went on the recommendation of a friend, he’s a chef so we listened.

Nice little tearoom however bread for sandwich very thin small amount of cheese for £4.75 Milkshakes a small cup for £2.50 each Can drinks £1.60 on menu which too me would be more like London prices

On the waterfront of the small harbor. Friendly local staff and authentic choice of British style tearoom bites. I personally would have enjoyed the scones to be fluffier. The tea was fabulous. Cheers, Andreas, your frequent traveller

We visited here thinking that the tea room looked nice, facing the sea. We thought it would be a nice place to eat to pass the time as we waited for our boat ride to orford ness . There was plenty of time and we only ordered small food dishes like a cheese scone or a cookie. However unfortunately the food came out veeerrrryyy slowly and when it did eventually come out, it arrived in random instalments.

Coming from a hospitality and retail background I have, in the past, know that there are times when you can be a little grumpy/offhand especially when you may be a little short of staff. However I learned to mellow out and the guy who served us need to learn that too. Every table had dirty plates and cups on from I presume a lunchtime rush. However. the guy who served us came out and started to clear an empty table rather than the one we chose to sit at? When the waitress came out and delivered the drinks, she left empty handed when she could've cleared our table of the previous occupants cups,saucers and plates. The guy making the sandwiches was amenable when my daughter asked for a different cheese in her paninni, while all I got from the guy who served me was 'It will cost more'. I've given this 4* rather than just the one it deserved on this occasion because I know it's been better in the past and with a little kick up the butt so to speak will be back on form.

Full english, quality products, well cooked and a reasonable price for a town that is outrageously expensive.

Orford is a lovely spot. It doesn’t get the publicity it deserves so is perhaps unspoiled as a result. Like most, I visited the quay while I was there and went looking for some refreshments.

Visited here twice, once with my 20+ son and once with my wife. The cafe is a basic raised wooden shack near to the Orford Quay but the staff are friendly and the simple fare is tasty. On both occasions I have a jacket potato with salad and it was cooked properly and included ample salad. There are very few cafes in Orford so unless you want a proper meal this is the best choice.

Lovely place to sit and watch the people/boats/water........... decent coffee, and pleasant service, we use this tearoom whenever we are in Orford.

I stood at the order hatch for 5minutes just 3 metres from the staff who were chattering about boyfriends and girlfriends whilst wiping up dishes and fully aware I was waiting - a colleague had said someone will be with you in a minute. Eventually one of them could just about be bothered to ask me what I wanted. When I asked for a coffee and cake he unapologetically said all the cakes I could see were spoken for. I walked out and told them not to bother. I walked up the hill and got an ice cream from the friendly general store.

We came here Sunday of the bank holiday weekend. We ordered 4 cooked breakfasts , 2 lattes, 1 cappacino, a flat white, orange juice (in a kids type carton) and a coke. This came to just over £40.00 all of the coffees came out looking exactly the same... Like grey gravy, there was no froth on the cappacino etc, they all looked and tasted like bad instant coffee. When the server bought them out he spilt one of them all over the saucer, there was no apology, offer of replacement or even a cloth to mop it up. The breakfast although OK, it was nothing special, the bacon looked like it had been sitt8ng for a while as it has the white lard type look once fa5 has gone cold. I think you are essentially paying for the view and surroundings as the food and drink leaves a lot to be desired.