Smith's Seaview Cafe in South Tyneside - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

Took a long time for food .. but was when I eventually got it

This was quite a disappointing chippy. We were looking for a quick fish and chips while walking along the beach, and Smith's Seaview cafe seemed like a nice place to try. I don't think we will be returning, however. The first thing to say is that this sea view cafe does not actually have a sea view. From one set of windows you can see the fairground, and from another set of windows you can seem some tall bushes surrounding a skate park. The cafe is certainly close to the sea, but not visible from the cafe. The interior decor is grey painted walls and uncomfortable black wooden chairs that seemed to be wobbling for most people inside. There just seemed to be a lack of investment in the place. The food was average and could have been found in a low grade chippy at a lower cost. The chips were quite crisp outside, but inside were watery and had little taste. The cod was quite heavy and not flaky, the cod batter was thick and crunchy and had little taste besides grease. The cafe is in a good location to pull in people from the beach and fairground, but it's only a short walk to Ocean Road where there are better options to try.

This was excellent but today it was awful, had burger and chips and the burger bun was frozen solid. Will not go again there is no excuse

This was excellent but today it was awful, had burger and chips and the burger bun was frozen solid. Will not go again there is no excuse

Came here today with kids and upon arrival I noticed a staff member sat outside smoking next to people eating and being obnoxiously loud. As we went into cafe we waited at the counter to order and I notice one of the staff members (tall with black earring and blonde hair) constantly shouting at staff and telling them to do stuff around the cafe. It had gotten that bad that one poor girl looked like she was about to burst into tears because of this. The woman who was sat outside smoking then came back in and went into the kicthen and moments later all I hear is her shouting someone’s name over and over again or shouting at other people I couldn’t even hear myself try to order!!! Food came out with sauce dripping from the side onto the napkins which we now couldn’t use and food was very bland and we even found a long blonde hair in it. Shouting from same staff members continued and every single one of them looked sick of it. Overall loud and jarring experience as all we heard was shouting from the kitchen majority of the time!!!

Good staff and food but the locals need to learn how to keep there dog on a lead when the rules of the cafe say to keep dogs on lead thank to that one person with glasses to rewen the place as he was aragant and not put his dog on lead

Absolutely had my eyes out, terrible food, terrible service, the staff were so slow I mean tbh thought two of them were statues. All Day Breakfast consisted of a jumbo sausage, about 20 beans,half cooked egg, some dehydrated mushrooms, cremated bacon and a dodgy bit of toast £7!!!! Partner had a cheese and onion sandwich, the bread was two minutes of going stale, was charged for mayonnaise and they forgot her chips, which took another 15 minutes more, than the nearly an hour we waited. £15.60 wasted. Avoid

Nice fish and chip nice place to visit will go a gen

Can't say I'd return here. I appreciate the fact that the place is dog friendly as this was ideal. However the prices don't match the standard of food, a chicken burger and chips was £7.50 but it was your basic cheap frozen tempura chicken inside an oversized bun. The chips however were lovely. We ordered 3 chocolate milkshakes and after a few sips my son said it tastes funny, so I tastes all 3 myself and realised they tasted sour. Spoke to the gentleman who appeared to be in charge and he was apologetic and replaced them free of charge after firstly offering us a refund. I had said I didn't want a refund just fresh Milkshakes. The tuna sandwich is literally just a tuna sandwich on standard white bread, small and not worth the price in my personal opinion. I ordered myself chips with a muffin on the side, they forgot the muffin and I had to ask a female member of staff for it, she gave me a foul look and didn't bring it, I asked politely. I then had to ask again when a younger male gentleman brought the last of our food over and he kindly went and got it for me. The young female member of staff I have previously spoken about above there with dark hair tied back in a ponytale, (we visited on 30th May 2024 if this helps the owner establish who I'm talking about) but she is the most MISERABLE person I've ever had to deal with. She couldn't bring herself to smile and clearly hates her job. She doesn't enjoy interacting with the public and I really wish I'd gotten her name because upon reading other reviews it seems she's regularly rude to customers. Ignored me when I'd politely reminded her that we haven't received our full order, and then we returned at the end of our day on the beach to quickly use the toilets as I had 3 children with me and an hour long journey home, the doors were still open but she quickly insisted we leave as they're closed and we couldn't use the toilet because she had just cleaned them, normally I'd completely understand as I work in retail and hate it when people come in expecting service upon closing, but I explained my predicament of the long journey home and that there didn't appear to be any toilets within the vicinity besides those. Thankfully the gentleman in charge let us quickly use the disabled toilets, I tried to keep things as clean as possible and checked the toilets after my children used them but the look on her face made me feel guilty. A little kindness goes a long way and we had been paying customers earlier in the day, we'd spent nearly £50 there after all. Anyway, we definitely won't be back thanks to her attitude but many thanks to the male member of staff with blonde hair and a black earring in, in charge who maintained a polite and understanding attitude, he's the only reason ive not given 1 star.

Great place to stop for tea and scones. The cheese scones came with cheese and pickles. The cherry scones with jam and cream. Both worth a stop off and the tea came in proper teapot with cups and saucer.

Nice food and good spot on a sunny day

A lovely spot to stop off and have a light bite. Fish and chips is £10.50 which is around the going rate today and the food is great quality. Plenty of other snacks and drinks to choose from too.

We entered the cafe, all seemed well. The atmosphere was bustling yet inviting, a welcome rest from the harsh coastal winds. We planned to let our weary bones warm in this resting place for fifteen minutes or perhaps even less, before taking our drinks and continuing our journey along the beautiful but perilous coastal path. With that in mind, we requested takeaway cups to save the hardworking staff a job. However, we were informed we “couldn’t really” sit in if we chose these cups. So were then faced with the difficult decision: normal mug and a much needed rest, or takeaway cups and back to the mercy of the northern elements. We made a choice. We would soon come to regret it. The mugs we were given were hella jazzy, I’ll give them that. The teapot nestled inside them beautifully. However, at first pour we soon realised our mistake. Aesthetically pleasing as the teapot mugs were, they were grossly impractical, and half my earl grey trickled out into the glistening marble table. All in all, I would come back again, but I would come back prepared to face the interesting set of circumstances described in this review. Love you thanks for reading x ps: could use a sweep

Fantastic cafe to visit with great food and wonderful service..

Ok place to eat if your happy with dogs running round your ankles

Brilliant cafe, food good, service good, price good

Definitely some of the best fish and chips I've ever had! Bit of a wait but more than worth it; all freshly cooked, chips crisp outside, fluffy inside and fish full of flavour. Delicious!!!

Sat outside eating fish & chips looking at the sea.... ......& Seagulls

Nice fish and chips I had here , sat in and service was good and food served nice and hot within reasonable waiting time . I would recommend eating here .

Just had lunch here. Fish and chips, they were lovely. They let dogs in,so that's a bonus for us with our little dog. They even do doggy.coffee and susages. Our dog had the susagr. We will.go here again,even of.it's just for a hot coffee. Can't understand why 1 review said.it.was dirty. Its.spotless,even the toilet s. Gents and disabled. Thank you.

Forgot about us was OK with the coffee but we had to ask for money back for food as didn't arrive, They didn't seem bothered or apologetic very poor customer service will not return and will advise friends and family against.

Lovely little cafe very relaxed, food is lovely. Pets are welcome, seating inside and out with a lovely log burner inside can get busy at times but worth a visit..

Wide selection of food at a good price. Nice clean cafe area with orders processed swiftly with a smile. Recommended 👍🏻

Lovely cafe especially as it allows dogs in. Open fire is so good. Food is great and staff are amazing 👏. Highly recommend to go there.

Fabulous dog friendly cafe can recommend the cheese scones. Roaring fire in the winter too Always my recommended beach walk stop off

Best coffee and bacon sandwich on the seafront

place is absolutely honking and smells like soggy wet dogs and notice there is food on the floor swept away into the corner, under the tables and bits on the chairs and also piss all over the bathroom floor, i have been twice and ordered a breakfast, which was not cooked properly, fuming, and the second time i came i got fish and chips and found hairs in it, not only that, it made me very ill and was sick, over all the diet coke was good, i will not be coming back here, id rather have my nans toe nail instead.

First decent chips I've tested since moving South. Will def be back

Food ok. People and atmosphere were great. Very dog friendly

Great cafe, great service, spoilt by too many dogs in the restaurant. Had to move as guy with dog sat next to our table and dog was stinking. Dog owners coming in with 2 and 3 dogs and leaving door open. Dogs licking tables and owners with dogs on knees are spoiling a good cafe.

What a lovely place hidden away behind the fair but on sea view at the back and lovely seating area at the back as well. Excellemt service.excellent food . Lovely friendly happy staff and very dog friendly cafe. They even have dog treats for doge. My poodle fudge loved the treats .they are his favourite. The log burner in there is amazing. Lovely and cosy for them wet and windy days. Will be going again. When I'm up north soon. 5 plus stars from me ❤️

Delish fishcake with nice seaside/fair location

Excellent, clean and dog friendly both inside and out. Can’t recommend enough

We was looking for breakfast and we stumbled along this cafe 😊. I had a sausage bap and my boyfriend had a cheese scone and beans on toast. It was just what we wanted. 😊 we also loved how dog friendly it was too. 🐕 we watched the lady go outside and give out some treats to some dogs. We sat outside and enjoyed the lovely view of people walking past.

The service was very slow, however the fish and chips I had were the best in South Shields

Excellent fish and chips! Great food at very fair prices. Will certainly return in future. Many thanks. Slight downside...no fault of the cafe, was the group of screaming, out of control kids close by.

Had a quick coffee, (latte) which was one of the best I've had. Cafe food looked very appetising and people I saw ate it all. Only small inside but it had a takeaway service.

Great friendly young ladies who serve always pleasant and polite

Lovely drinks, cakes aren't home made but still nice. Dog friendly if you have a four legged friend.

Came here a few days ago with the family after a lush day out at the beach and the customer service I revived was exceptional. The two young lads working the takeaway window on the fayre side were very polite and were great with taking our orders. We had a fairly big order and only waited around 10-15 minutes and as it was busy I thought it was not too bad waiting time. They even apologised for waiting time even though it was no issue whatsoever and were extremely polite by making sure they had given me the right order and wishing me a wonderful day. Food was delicious and cooked to perfection would happily come here again!

My Wife and I have been visiting this place for many years , usually sitting inside . Today we decided to take seating outside as it was a lovely day and just decided to buy a fish lot between us . normally we buy two fish lots with tea and bread , even though prices are getting a little too high . Today however we halved the fish and I should have taken it back to complain immediately but decided not to as my half consisted of one mouthfull of fish and a long piece of bone . my wifes half although a bit thicker consisted of only a small amount of fish which she half ate before going up to the girl at the counter to point out the small amount . Even though we paid £9 for the carton wrapped fish lot (in my opinion a ridiculous amount considering we actually live on the coast) , the girl said if we had not started to eat it she would have replaced with another fish ! We are decent people and are not the types to try and pull a fast one so for the sake of our loyalty to smiths fish restaurant and the sake of good customer relations I think she could have replaced with a decent sized fish instead of what we were originally served ! The girl even had the nerve to state that prices were high but so were their overheads for potatoes etc ( well understand this , you pass that on to your customers by the high prices you charge ) I know it wont make the slightest difference to this premises business but after years of loyal service to a family business we certainly will not be returning again !

Not bad cafe. Very crowded and everyone crammed in close by. The weather was not very good so everyone was trying for an indoor seat. The food was good. Cost us just over £60 to feed a family of seven. It's also dog friendly.

Been here 3 times and loved the food and the dog friendly attitude. But only left 2 stars because of the young lady that served us on all occasions but today was the last straw 11/8/23. She is the most rudest miserable young girl I have ever encountered in such a nice place. Not only to me but I watched her with an older group of men and an older man by himself. If she doesn’t like her job there no need to take it out on the customer. I asked to speak to who was in charge and he said he let the manager no. I said I will not be back. But maybe if I do she might smile this time

The chips are lovely, but small portion and £1.40 for a spoonful of curry sauce seems a bit overpriced

Nice place friendly staff .nice atmosphere.

Very friendly and helpful young staff. Fair prices. The actual fish and chips were OK but not anything special.

Been stopping off here for food for years. Although prices have gone up, it's still good value. Always fresh and tasty.

Fish & chips generous portions are the seaside mmm

Food okay, service could be better and I don't like dogs that aren't assistance dogs in a place serving food

This is our go-to place in South Shields. We personally think it's the best in the theam park area.we have been to others in the area but do not meagre up to Seaview cafe.

I just want to let you know i got a fantastic service.

It's a great cafe great food and great service and a nice atmosphere .

Always pop in for a coffee, and sometimes curry and chip are to die for.

We just went for a lunch today and I was appalled at how dirty the restaurant was. The table was filthy and the leftovers were not thrown out from previous customers. The waitress came and served our meal straight on this dirty table. When I have mentioned about the mess she was not even bother to wipe the table as well as did not appologise . I feel very disappointed and disgusted. I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS PLACE.

Lovely food and place taken there and back by Dean taxis

Been going here for years. THE best place in South Shields to go for a cuppa or fish and chips! They are the most friendly cafe going, and they are dog friendly! They always made our Labrador welcome with dog treats, and you can buy dog sausages 😋 (they are just human sausages, but you've got to make them feel special), and the chips are the best.... im just off to get some now....bye!! 🤣

Lovely fish and chips but you don't want to not like dogs because they are allowed in here but they never disturb my meal

A nice little seaside cafe that we pretty much took over when we met up with family one very wet Sunday morning. Staff are patient, polite and helpful. Very dog friendly and right next to the beach and the fun fair. Food is very good. Only gripe is them getting bigger teapots and mugs for my unslakeable thirst as the ones they supply are way to small for me!

It is a lovely atmosphere where the staff are friendly, the food is good what makes it more enjoyable is that you can take your dog in also, you can even get them a little pupachino, which our little pooch always looks forward to.

Good fish and chips 🍟 Dog friendly and clean 😊

Absolutely beautiful. The best scones I’ve ever tasted. Staff are all so lovely and nipping clean and dog friendly x

Great place to eat that is dog friendly. Food is good value and tasty. Got a wood burner for the cold days when you have been out on the beach.

Lush breakfast sandwich as usual. ❤ that it's dog friendly

On a recommendation, we ate here for dinner on New Years Eve. The chips were so chunky and not greasy. The fish was large, the batter on the sausage was cooked to perfection and the mince pie was very tasty. We really enjoyed our meals. The my also have tea cakes, large scones etc… so we’ll have to try their scones next time! Great location in the fair. Good service. Highly recommended!!

It's a good straightforward cafe,it's not pretentious but it's clean and warm. The food it served hot and the portions are not stingy. The all day breakfast is very tasty and very good value. The fish look large on the fish and chips. The coffees were nice and hot too.

We walked in for a late lunch today.quite busy From order to being served ( approximately 15 minutes ) our fish and chips arrived obviously freshly fried and piping hot, crispy batter and hardly any oil/ grease left on plate after meal Very clean inside cafe, dog , children and OAP friendly Excellent fish and chips

Visited with friends for late lunch staff made us feel very welcome service and quality of food was great and really good value would definetly visit again

Spotlessly clean. Loads of staff. Good choice of food from fish and chips to what looked like home cooked scones. Didn't expect to be able to get a battered cod with salad but it was really good. Food was freshly cooked and on the table in a very short time. Plenty people using the outdoor area as well as the cafe. Will definitely come back.

I love popping to the Seaview when in South Shields. Food is always quality. The gravy is a must. Love sitting both outside and inside. Harry 🐶 won’t let us pass with getting him a dog sausage. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Waited in the takeaway queue for 10 mins. Upon arriving at the counter was asked what we wanted, simply just two chips. (After over hearing they had run out of fish) was told they had run out of chips also. Asked why we wasn’t made aware they had run out of everything whilst stood in the queue waiting and was met with the rudest response “do you expect me to shout it” ( a simple excuse me we are closing we are low on food ) something along them lines would suffice. Nobody was asking anyone to shout, just stop us waiting in a queue for no reason. Tried to reason with the member of staff - asked if they had anything else and she just responded “what do you want”. I wasn’t in the slightest unreasonable, just met with complete rudeness. Advised it didn’t matter and just walked away. Wouldn’t return in a rush.

Every time I come here the place is spotlesslessly clean, the service prompt and friendly, and the food is perfect. Happy times by the Sea.

We needed somewhere south of the Tyne to meet up with friends for lunch. They were dog-sitting their son’s spaniel and Smith’s Seaside Cafe advised that they were dog-friendly. All were welcomed in. Most parties dining that lunchtime had a pooch with them. Lovely light lunch, cooked fresh to order. Very friendly staff in what appears to be a family business. Can’t fault the cafe, the food or the friendliness of the staff.

Granted it is the middle of a lockdown, we waited to be seated to be just told “sit anywhere.”Staff member then approached and had zero people skills and said “Ready?” No smile; not desire to even look like she wanted to be here. We ordered and she walked off. Came back with the tray of drinks and placed them on the table and just walked away. As we waited for the food one of the staff was sweeping the floor then emptied the contents in the bin using their hand and then was immediately given food to take to customers for takeaway, no sanitising of their hands.Food arrived to our table and was just put down for us to organise, knives and forks were basically just thrown on the table by the girl who brought everything.Opened my napkin to get my knife ana fork out and the knife was dirty. People entering the building were not socially distant and there was no way to check it they had signed the book to enter.Won’t be back in a hurry. Customer service was terrible.

The portions are great, unfortunately my eyes were too big for my stomach. The fish was to be honest quite greasy, but overall was good. Two fish and chips and a can of Coke for £15.10.

at the moment building closed, use outside tables or public benches. Currently served through the take away hach on funfair side, if you require assistance they are happy to help where needed. Prepared food can be delivered to table by front door if that helps.

Stopped for coffee and scones and were delighted by service and friendly staff. The scones were absolutely delicious. We love dogs and you have too to visit this establishment . The only downside was owners letting small dogs sit on seats with their faces and mouths near the tables. We love dogs and this would not stop us visiting, but I can see some people being put off.

Traditional foods, coffee, tea, very friendly, wood burning stove, brilliant service, very cosy and homely. Brilliant crowd of people and dogs.

Lovely crisp walk along South Shields seafront. A little stop off at this cafe to warm up and that is exactly what we got, log fire on the go, coffee was to perfect and last but not least the home cooked vegetable and bacon soup with a toasted bun was absolute 5*. This cafe is perfect for all, families, couples and those who have dogs. Lots on the menu too. It’s a must if you’re along South Shields seafront

a nice restaurant but not deluxe, order food at the counter and pick up cutlery, food brought to your table when ready, I have to ask for them to bring drinks to the table as I am unsteady. they also do a traditional fried breakfast,.thet have multi flavour icecream.the entrance from the promenade is up two steps, but level access is through the funfair in the rear doors even if the fair is shut.I had my dog with me. I call this dinner others call it lunch

Amazing cod and chips. Batter light and not at all greasy, chips crispy and again not greasy. Best fish and chips in UK that I have had, the best was in Weston Super-Mare 5 years ago, sadly that restaurant closed. Seaview however is alive and kicking and takes top spot, absolutley deserves a visit. 2 large code and chips with 2 slices of bread and butter was approx £15. It was served piping hot, it was delicious. Only down side you have to pay extra for sauces which are sachets and cost 30p each!

Great service. Good food at a reasonable price. Wheelchair accessible and very clean , it's also dog friendly.

having read about the café I coulnt spot it as I drove along the sea front.Its in the fairground and you park next to the Rattler.put your reg numbe in the meter and for £2 we got 2 hours.The café is small,warm and welcoming.first time I have taken the dog so she was very happy to get her own little lunch.seems a popular venue for dog owners.I think that on busy days I might not go as both diners and dogs might get in each others way.today not so.the small fish and chips was freshly cooked and really tasty.bread and butter and tea were included.It cost just over £13 for the three of us.The waitress was lovely, polite and helpful.I think I may use the Seaview in the colder months so that I can walk the dog and warm up with a nice hot meal.

Called in for coffee on our walks up and down the promenade. Knew this was a good find as it was always busy. Dog friendly with water bowls outside and treats inside, our old boy definitely approved.

Everything you would expect from Fish and Chips beautiful Cod fillet no bones High quality tea Clean toilets Great staff Next to the fair ground Perfection And great value less than £8.00 per plate and half price for kids portion

Fabulous chips and the cutest little teapots! Will definitely return next time we are in Shields! Staff is really nice!

Visited here after finding out it was dog friendly. It’s a lovely cafe, really nice food and excellent speedy service it was also reasonably priced. Thank you for the free treats for dogs too! My girls enjoyed them 😊

I pop in regularly and sit beside the very welcoming log fire.

Nice friendly and clean cafe, my only complaint is that dogs are roaming the cafe freely, they should be kept on leads and not allowed to walk around, my son is allergic to dogs and wasn’t very nice for him.

Started frequenting Smiths and won't go anywhere else now when in the area. To say it's so dog friendly it is immaculate. The staff are efficient and friendly. The service is efficient, prompt and the food and drinks are fabulous. Even the dogs are catered for. The warmth of the wood fire just finished it off. It's always busy.....says it all! Well done Smiths. You're fantastic.

Only pace i will use for fish and chips amazing service by a family run business. Smiths Cafe has the best curry sauce and scones i have ever tasted ! Great place for people wanting to take their dog also Henry loves his visits :)

Vlak aan het strand. Leuke tent voor een hapje en een drankje. Het 1e heerlijke bakkie koffie in 2 dagen en een warme scone met jam op het terras. Vriendelijke bediening en het zonnetje. Wat wil een mens nog meer.

The Sea View cafe has been run by the Smith family for generations. The warmth of the place is palpable as soon as you walk through the doors. (Nothing to do with the fabulous log burner for the chilly winter months!) Although it faces, to one side, the fair ground, and it serves that particular client group very well, it also has scenic views of the beautiful South Shields sand dunes and beach promenade to the other, where the customers are much more likely to be dog walkers than dodgem drivers! The food is wholesome, home made and inexpensive, (the scones are just like me mam made,) The young staff are charming, helpful and cheerful, they may not know your name but they will know, and remember your dog’s name. If you are looking for a skinny frappelito made with Tibetan llama’s milk served in an antique sailors welly, look elsewhere, but if you are looking for a friendliness, coupled with value and a quality rarely found these days, make the Sea View your watering hole of choice. I love the place and so does my “frenchy” Co-Co.

Great cafe, friendly and efficient staff and probably the best fish and chips in the world! Really excellent fish and chips, the batter was full and crispy throughout with succulent fish and the chips which were real chips (cooked to perfection). Lovely ! Highly recommended

4 adults 2 kids ordered 3 fish & chips 2 fish bits & chips waited over 30 minutes for food to arrive fish very small & thin batter over cooked fish was dry deffo not worth the wait

Good points- very tasty food esp the gravy was gorgeous, service was swift and food arrived quick and hot. Negative points- tables very close together , felt like people were sat with you, glad I didn’t bring my sons wheelchair in.

Very nice Cafe, Nice location, Clean, Nice Staff. Good Food, and very good Value, Good sized Cod and proper Chips £6.95 ,will be visiting again.

This was our first time visiting this café with 29 of our residents from our extra care scheme in Chester le Street. All the staff were super helpful, the café was really clean and the food was lovely and fresh. Not one person from our group could find fault with anything, in fact before we left I was asked when we would be coming back!. Massive thanks to all and will be visiting again as soon as we can.

Friendly, cosy and clean! Excellent food, super clean and super friendly. Love coming here! Best millionaires shortbread EVER!

we have now visited this café a couple of times now and every time the food is excellent and staff are very helpful and polite. the food is very reasonable and sell the best slush I have ever had TOP MARKS

Great atmosphere especially as it's dog friendly, fantastic food and reasonably priced, they don't skimp on the food and its home cooked