Southwold Boating Lake and Cafe in Waveney

A change of ownership always leads to a slight qualm but we needn't have worried - the new team at the Boating Lake Café are just as welcoming, thorough and helpful as their hard-working predecessors. Our cheese and onion toasted sandwiches were perfect for a bright but chilly spring day. We'll definitely be back soon to test the cream teas.

We visited today. The ladies that served us were lovely, couldn’t do enough and really friendly, they also made a big fuss of our dog. I had French toast and my husband had a plough man’s sandwich. Both were delicious. We also bought some of their bread pudding to take away which was also good. If we come back to Southwold I’d definitely visit here again. Thank you.

What a delightful place, In my opinion the owner has got it just right, My husband had a jacket potato which was well served and HOT. I had a toasted sandwich which was most enjoyable. Would have liked to try the scones and cakes (what a variety of both and so fresh), however had to leave space for dinner that evening!! If it was near me I would be a regular visitor.

Didn’t actually eat here but the scones looked good. They hire out disability buggies, and I had a wonderful one for five days. £15 a day. Part of the shop mobility scheme. Wonderful machine that transformed my holiday. It was so big, even the dog could hitch a lift on the baseplate/footrest.

Three of us stopped for afternoon tea & cakes overlooking the duck/swan pond. Attractive location and a happy experience. Three different cakes were all excellent. Pot of tea also good.

We had a sandwich for lunch. Great staff, great service, reasonable prices and a nice place to sit in the sun.

Just returned home from a fabulous family holiday in Southwold, this in the main was made possible as we hired a wheelchair from the Boating Lake. My 84 year old mother it’s limited mobility was able to join in with all family activities. Many outings on the seafront, trips to theatre and restaurants, all were accessible apart from the lighthouse tour for obvious reasons. The hire was so easy and reasonable, the wheelchair perfect condition and opens up lots of opportunities so all can enjoy. Thank you from Hickson. Family

Stopped by for lunch for the first time this year, beautiful sunny day, sat on the porch, so peaceful and relaxing We both ordered sandwiches, which were delicious and a slice of the best Bakewell tart ever

Excellent facility to hire wheelchairs by the day or week £10 a day - chairs are in excellent condition and all proceeds go to charity - highly recommended

Set back from the prom it’s quite and relaxed. The service and food are excellent (scones to die for!). We really enjoyed our afternoon tea here - all the staff were friendly and helpful. Thank you

In a great location overlooking the boating lake. Lovely homemade cakes and delicious scones. We visited and had a cream tea. It was beautifully presented really lovely homemade scones which were warm and jam and cream. Plenty of tea to accompany them. Would definitely recommend this place it’s nice to be able to get homemade cakes instead of bought ones. All the food is made to order. Can’t wait to return on our next visit to Southwold.

Not recommended. First time bread for egg Mayo not fresh. Coffee small, no man size portion. Second visit sausage roll worst I've ever had left most of it looked like what a dog would leave on the pavement. Overpriced for portions.

Had a great breakfast butty, still open for breakfast when other places nearby open at 11.30. Very friendly and a great menu to choose from.

We visited after searching for dog friendly tea rooms. This was really nice. Parking in the main car park is easy as I paid on the Ringo app. We sat under cover but outside the building. Food and drinks came promptly and was perfect. Totally recommend and will return.

Great location with a verandah overlooking the boating lake. Good selection of foods at a fairly reasonable price.

We had lunch in the tearoom twice this week , excellent food & scones are amazingly light . Friendly & polite staff & apologies for taking a while which wasn’t a problem for us & we were very happy to sit & wait . Would definitely recommend if you want good quality fresh food .

Lovely place to sit outside and enjoy a prawn and crayfish jacket potato. Will be back with friends for the cream tea which looked delicious. Great value and friendly service.

It's a nice location with a relaxed feel. Service was pretty quick if not over-friendly. Prices are middling. The selection of cakes is great. We enjoyed the Bakewell Cake and the Rolo Brownies. I'm not convinced about their "Smilk Shakes", but you might like them....

Excellent cream tea and cakes. Busiest l have seen it, so yes, a wait, but not an issue, why be in such a hurry when the weather is lovely, and the food is excellent. Lovely staff, who are so friendly, and a special thanks for...

Called in at the cafe and had a really lovely lunch. Atmosphere was great and the staff were very friendly. Sandwiches were lovely and fresh. And cakes were delicious and so light you couldn’t hold the door open with them!!

As I walked my 4 month old German Shepard I was intrigued by the heritage golf course at SouthWold boating lake and tearooms. We had a brilliant game of golf followed by some yummy sausage rolls!

Overpriced stale food, bread was hard and rhe sponge cake xould of been used as a door stop, will not be going back

Very Good looking Tea Rooms as well as being spotless, very British. Ambience was great. A large selection of naughty treats for everyone. We have been coming to Southwold for many years and have only just tried here but this is now firmly on our...

We ordered three sandwiches and a jacket potato which for some reason took 45 minutes to arrive. Food was pretty good when it did arrive (except for the beans that came with the potato which were stone cold) but this was far too long to...

We came here for lunch after we'd been given unsatisfactory service else where. Next time it will the first place we go too. We have allergies to deal with as a family and nothing was too much trouble and everything was checked for us. Food...

I must say, initial impressions lowered any expectation - greeting a little diffident, uncertainty as to whether there was any hot food (it was just after noon), and a sign saying “we do not do fast food” (which I took to mean “expect to wait...

Two minutes from the pier this cafe is in a great location with a fine selection of things to eat. We enjoyed coffee and cake. Service was excellent - felt a bit like the 1950,s but with proper coffee and friendy staff.

Altogether a delightful experience. Delicious home baking and food all freshly prepared on site with herbs from their own garden. A very attractive family owned cafe with flowering plants on a covered balcony and a charmingly pretty interior. Attentive, helpful and pleasant staff. The owner...

When looking for somewhere to have afternoon tea we came across this little place. It was advertised as being on an island and the photos made the surroundings look beautiful and tranquil. Whilst the food was presented nicely and quality was good, it’s definitely not...

What a gem of a place. Lovely setting, friendly staff and great food. Fabulous coffee. Dogs welcome. We sat outside and it was peaceful and relaxing, a great find. We will be back.

One cappuccino, two scones and two small kids hot chocolates for £18 seems a bit on the pricey side? Maybe I was over-charged, I guess I should have checked at the time - it was only hindsight that I thought about it!

Super customer service at the takeaway window. The fella was friendly but professional. I had the lemon meringue ice cream and it was lovely! Highly recommended!

Small cafe, but with service to tables around the boating lake, offering fresh light lunches. Nicely presented and very fresh. [Sandwiches had really huge amounts of filling.]

We learned from a web enquiry that you can hire a mobility scooter from here. All the people we dealt with from initial enquiry to collection and return were super friendly and helpful, which allowed us to venture far and wide on a weeks holiday...

Stopped in here with the family - it is a nice little tea room overlooking the boat pond. Service was ok, but very very slow - at least everything seemed to be home made though. Food was quite nice. We did not order them but...

Family of four on a Sunday afternoon.. Had two cream teas the scones were massive and served warm with jam and cream. Kids had milkshakes a homemade sausage roll served with salad and a white chocolate and strawberry cheesecake which was delicious. Would definitely recommend....

Stopped here for lunch with friends. All food looks good. We had a tasty tuna sandwich and bakewell slice / scone and jam. Staff lovely. Had a great chat about stuff generally with the owner. Recommended. Walk the pier but go here to eat.

What a find , lovely home made cakes, well put together food . Really enjoyed my visit which was unplanned . Really helpful staff - well done

Delicious cakes! Scones were so nice we almost did a huge detour on our way home to get some more, but decided our waistlines wouldn’t thank us. Found staff friendly, prompt service. We will visit again!

It was a very wet chilly day in Southwold but this tea room cheered me up no end. Great service, great food and covid safe environment... so nice to have tea served in a china tea pot and cup & saucer just how it should...

Very pleasant cafe with socially distanced seating. Food ordered and arrived quickly on a very busy day of our visit. Will visit again.

Cream teas so good I visited on two successive weekends. Fabulous scones, which I discovered were baked fresh on site every day, along with other goodies of which I am yet to try and can’t wait to go back to do so. They also have...

The scones are a thing of real beauty, light and fluffy with cream and jam, not cheap but very tasty. Unfortunately the same cannot be said of the staff, there isn’t a smile among them, charmless and dour, it’s a pity as this would be...

Lovely freshly made scones with coffee on a boating lake , lovely setting and service. Very well laid out lots of outdoor seating and clean.

This place was recomended by a family member. It did not disapoint. Good quality food and reasonable price. If you are in southwold by the sea front why not get in a cream tea , sit down and watch the world go by . Be...

Cream teas of beautiful scones and Victoria sponge and plentiful cups of English Tea in the comfortable setting of the Boating Lake and Gardens. Perfect Southwold

Thumbs up to the new owners of this delightful seaside cafe, the new owners blew us away with their kindness and dedication to customer satisfaction. The ice creams are amazing and we would urge everyone to support them in their new venture as they are...

I am not one for posting negative reviews but I am really disappointed by the treatment and food we received yesterday at the tea rooms. I was so looking forward to coming as we have lovely memories of a previous visit about five years ago. Firstly, I tried to book and make contact via email. I did not receive a reply and had to try the mobile numbers posted on their website. Only got a reply on my third attempt. I was advised that there would be plenty of tables and chairs and that is true. When we got there, the social distancing was done well and the menu described some of what they had. The specials were inside and not obviously displayed when you first arrive. Moreover, we waited over 40 minutes for sandwiches and tea with barely an apology. To add to which, the children's meals we had ordered were forgotten about and we had to ask for them. My husband's cheese and onion sandwich look like it had been badly made and the waitresses made few apologies for the delay or the error in our meal. On the upside, the sandwiches were huge, there was plenty of tea and the sausage roll my daughter eventually got was given the thumbs up from a very hungry person.Overall, I was sadly disappointed by the whole experience. We did get some lovely photos there; I just think they didn't manage our table very well at all.

Visited this little cafe for the first which is just behind the pier. My husband and I both had cream teas and they were lovely. The scones were massive and served still warm. Good choice in sandwiches as well. Everything was well presented and speedy service taking into account COVID19 regulations.

Fab friendly and scenic. Lovely fresh home made food selection. Definitely recommended this little gem near the pier.

I love this place to sit by the boating lake and chill out by having lovely cream tea. Sun's out its such pure bliss for me. Before the long seafront walk to the shops. Food is great, OK prices, wheelchair access not got one, ramp is getting into the entrance but not up to place where u order n pay. Can sit outside. Staff are OK.

Great little café with the boating lake in front, you sit on the terrace and although you are behind the car park, it still feels serene and cosy. Great scones and cakes, good coffee, nice people.

Had a gorgeous visit this morning with my pooch. Enjoyed an amazing generous slice of bakewell tart with cream accompanied by a lovely coffee in great surroundings. Very lovely ladies serving; thank you! Xx

This is a traditional type seaside cafe but a bit nicer than usual and a bit more expensive ( well it is Southwold !)My wife likes a jacket potato but is often disappointed with what she gets presented with . Not so here and an unprecedented 9 out of 10 .Baked properly with crispy skins ; cooked but not overcooked ; beans+ cheese+ butter + coleslaw all in seperate pots and a generous amount of fresh salad.Tuna sandwich was very good too and the service was very good/pleasant.

A quaint little cafe serving drinks and snacks, we called twice in our day at Southwold. Staff very pleasant.

Southwold Boating Lake tea room is the best place to go for a delicious lunch or cream tea. The food is beautifully prepared and served and freshly made each time. The cakes are all made on the premises and are all wonderful using the best ingredients, and the scones served with the cream tea are the biggest and most delicious I’ve ever tasted. I’d recommend the tea rooms to anyone wanting good efficient service, delicious food and wonderful views over the reed beds and boating lake.

Superb; best home cooked sausage rolls & cheese scones in East Anglia, you'll find none better. Staff are lovely & the service 1st class. 110%

I’d driven for over 3 hours and was really looking forward to a proper cream tea by the lake Reviews seemed good tooNot so for us £7 for 1 scone and a tiny jam that wasn’t enough coverage and whipped cream that looked like squirty cream (surely it should be clotted ??) and weak tea was a real disappointment My daughter asked for more jam and got charged another 50p for a tiny pot smaller than the first !The lady who served us wasn’t very cheery either Wouldn’t go again

Escaped heavy downpour in pleasant sheltered surroundings. A scone and pot of tea passed a pleasant three quarters of an hour before the sun came out again. A great location for a snack and the ducks on the lake with bottoms and legs in the air were a hoot!

The staff were nice but really! £7 for one scone, shop bought jam and a little whipped cream! It was a disappointment. It's not horrible just in par with a supermarket cream tea. Also the earl grey was the cheap supermarket type too.

A spotless, lovely place to eat , the staff were so friendly and the prices very reasonable, we will definitley recommend it to our friends..

This is one of the nicest spots for a drink and a snack, It's like a little oasis. David & Penny put in such an effort to making it look good, with plants and encouraging wildlife, it's a credit to them. The food is all home cooked and nicely presented too. I hope they eventually get all the lakes back into use, I know how much effort David has put into this already.

Stopped here after a long journey sat on the grass to take isulin with a quick bite of food..

Was looking for somewhere to eat and came across this. Had a lovely scone and my daughter had a sausage roll and cake. Staff were very friendly. Would defiantly come back if we are in the area. Highly recommend

A delightful cafe by the boating lake. Real 1940s feel about the place. Very pleasant and friendly staff. The afternoon tea is a must. Well worth trying

Lovely seasonal cafe offering hot and cold meals & snacks with a great menu. Scones were to die for. Lovely views over the marshes & great for bird watching.

Mye and my two friends went there on Saturday just to get c cup of tea the decided to have a cheese and Onion toastie not a Brian teaser! 7-50 each toastie then when we got them they were cheese and pickle.. could of had crab salad and new potatoes for 1-50 more.. never again to dear!!!

Very dissappointed found one woman serving very rude when we walked up to the cafe lots of the tables had not been cleared not a good impression pot of tea was like dishwater the cakes looked nice but I think what I saw very overpriced it's not the Ritz it overlooks a car park where the coaches park so if you want nice tea friendly faces go to to cafe on the green excellent wont be recommending boat lake cafe to my friends and family

Good location by the car park and pier and on the boating lake, prime position. Thought the drink and food prices were a bit excessive but friendly staff.

Ideally located very close to a huge car park. Pleasant staff in this "step back in time" tea room. Excellent bread pudding, good selection of snacks, light lunches, etc. Seating inside and outside overlooking the boating lake. Would definitely revisit. FYI no toilet facilities on site but clean public toilets very close by.

It was a damp cloudy Sunday which we made the most of.

Right next to the beach car and coach park behind the boating lake site thie sweet little cafe. The staff were very nice and the prices OK.

Very busy in Southwold today but this cafe was a haven of peace and quiet. Great service and excellent cake all served efficiently and with a smile.

Wonderful friendly service, the cakes and scones are delicious,all made on the premises....warm and friendly service, bone china teacups, and pretty view of boating lake easy access

Visited this beautiful tea room in Southwold on a cloudy day after exploring the pier and beach. We had a very warm welcome when we came through the door, I was mesmerised by the display of cakes on show, too perfect to eat. But they needed to be taste tested, being spoilt for choice with the options on offer I went for a cream tea with Hot Chocolate with cream and marshmallow. The staff were very friendly and took our order and offered for us to take a seat, we didn’t wait too long before the order arrived and my oh my! The scone appeared to have doubled in size from what I saw in the cabinet, delivered with fresh clotted cream, jam and strawberries. The scone was by far the best I’ve ever tasted and were delivered warm which made the experience so much better. The hot chocolate was also huge and delivered with cream, marshmallows and a chocolate flake. Complimented the scone very well and a nice rich hot chocolate. One thing is for sure is you are getting top quality food and drink at a high level of service.

When we arrived we asked a young girl if we could just sit down she said order first. So we asked for the menu and was told they are on the tables!! We then chose our order went to the indoor counter and was ignored so went to the outside window which was shut as we approached after a few minutes our order was taken we had afternoon tea, the sandwiches were lovely but only 3 fingers each, the cake was small and dry and the cream was synthetic not clotted, we then asked for some foil to wrap our spare scone after a long wait the young girl came in to clean so we asked again she then returned with a bag and literally shoved it in my husbands face!! So not horrendous but service could do with a bit of training and clotted cream please an afternoon tea is all about the scone and cream so disappointing

Pet friendly sitting on the covered patio with blankets provided if its a cold day. Very friendly staff.

What a gem. We have been to the Boating lake tea room in the summer and sat on the veranda with the dog which is wonderful but yesterday the weather was cold and windy so we ventured inside. We had a lovely welcome from the ladies running it and had the most delicious cakes. They were all homemade in the morning and sooo many different cakes to choose from. The bakewell tart was absolute perfection and large and came with a choice of custard, ice cream or cream. Speaking to one of the ladies we found that their cakes are made from the best ingredients and you could certainly taste that. My sister in law had a scone which was also large.

You must visit this cafe when in Southwold.Omg try the homemade Brownie made by Mark(the 0ther half was amazing warmed up.lol).My word what a selection of Cakes,,Sausage rolls,Scones,Coffee good too!(Bang goes your Diet).Lovely friendly staff,lots of outside seating,Also fun crazy golf!See you again soon Penny.(Thankyou).

So I came to southwold and whilst I was waiting for my passengers i thought id go to this tea room, now I was queuing up like anyone else, and there was this gentlemen talking very loud in a posh accent with his wife, they werent in the queue they were just discussing what they'd like, now I get to the front of the queue with my intention of going to order and this gentlemen goes inside and the lady about to serve me puts her attention to this chap and starts taking his order, then she goes thats such an such to him and even he replies this gentlemen was before me and even then she still begins to ignore me.

On a quick visit today (17/10/18) I popped in here for a pot of tea and just loved it. How nice to drink from a china cup for a change. Thank you.

I first visited over 40 years ago when I was a child. It was wonderful to find somewhere that has kept the character and atmosphere over the years. Although it is situated just across from the pier there is a sense of being 'off the beaten track'. We enjoyed tea and cake - delicious.

We just had tea in the morning and it was very peaceful and the tea was good and reasonably priced. Nice staff and good ambience.Nice views over the lake.

Visited this lovely little tea room and had Afternoon Tea. Whilst not your usual afternoon tea, it offers a sandwich, some crisps and a beautiful scone with cream and jam for the very reasonable price of £12.95 per person. We were not disappointed. Everything tasted lovely. Beautiful setting just opposite the pier with a small boating lake.

Southwold Boating Lake has become a firm favourite in our annual trip to Southwold. Lovely place for lunch and the children always enjoy the pedalos and crazy golf. I hope we can continue to visit for many more years.

The boating lake has become a staple of our annual trips to Southwold. We're a big group but always get a comfortable table thanks to a table being set aside for big groups. The food is always freshly prepared and delicious and the staff are efficient and friendly. The kids love the pedalos and the crazy golf and it's a great place to put in a few hours when the weather isn't warm enough for the beach. The café has lots of information about which wildlife has been spotted nearby and I hope we can explore the walks when the kids are a bit older. Wholeheartedly recommend!

This is now a "must" on our annual trip to Southwold. With 6 kids and 3 adults to satisfy it's often hard to find somewhere that meets everyone's requirements. With it being a little bit off the beaten track it is somewhat of an undiscovered gem (in fact we didn't come across it until our 4th trip to Southwold!) and consequently despite being a large group we have never had to wait for a table. The kids love the pirate lunch boxes and of course a go on the pedalos and a game of crazy golf afterwards. Indeed, we have easily whiled away a couple of hours here. The adults love the coffee and delicious sandwiches/jacket potatoes. Portions are a good size which means we never have room for one of the delicious looking cakes (the vintage cream tea this year looked amazing).

Good cafe for lunch and afternoon tea. Great food like cakes.. you can relax and enjoy the boats very friendly people waitress and very clean

The cafe is generally VERY busy, which is usually a good sign. The food is fresh and tasty, and they try very hard to cater for individual needs, including gluten free cakes. Menua is small, but it is a very small place, so they stick to what they know they can cope with, and it is all freshly prepared to order, so you might need to wait at busy times.

Stopped here for some tea and cake on a quick visit to Southwold. Lovely cafe and even better food. Had pot of tea for two and there was plenty enough that our two girls had some too. Scone came out hot as did my bakewell cake. We sat in the covered area with view out to the marshes. Definitely recommend this place.

I attended with my wife and two young children. We ordered two sausage rolls which we then waited 45 minutes for. When my wife asked why it was taking so long the staff appeared rude.

On a visit to Southwold it was pouring with rain i was wet through the cafes on the pier were packed with no empty tables just about to leave then spotted the Boating Lake Cafe although busy i soon found a table undercover on the veranda,now out of the rain I had an excellent lunch,a very varied menu served by very friendly helpful staff.

If you didn't really know about this place, you'd miss it, as it's to the left of the car and coach park. BUT don't let that put you off. Once you're on site, there's a de-commissioned fire engine, a nine hole crazy golf park and a boat lake for the small ones to use on their own. Which is a welcome advantage,as you'll be sampling the menu here. So many lovely dishes (I would personally recommend the makeral pate and the cream tea) both of which are second to none. Take time to visit this place - you won't be disappointed.

Pretty little tea room. Cream tea was a tad expensive but worth it. Service was very good. We sat an enjoyed ourselves while the kids (11 and 12), played on the paddle boats. Now, my only complaint was, they squeezed my 11 year old into a tiny boat, saying they only had one big boat.....But by the end of our tea, they had suddenly managed to find a few bigger boats which would have been more suitable for her.....Anyway, they had a nice time and so did we. Would go here again. ♥ FYI, no toilets here. They tell you to use the ones on the pier which are not far, but kind of gross.

Friendly staff, good choice of food. Very nice cream tea. Children's choice very good too. Would go back again

Was on holiday and popped into Southwold so visited here. Lovely place with great outlook onto a little boating lake. Reasonable prices too. The scones were delicious and came out hot. Will return in the future.

This is a lovely little cafe and the staff are very friendly. The scones are amazing and the other cakes look pretty good too! Well worth a visit

We stumbled upon a Model Yachting regatta and were captivated. Great boating lake with seating and lots of fun had watching the races. We discovered that anyone can use the lake all year round - so prompty came home and ordered bot for us and the kids - think we've found a new hobby.

What a hidden gem away from the crowds of people lovely tranquil setting we were greeted by the staff as we arrived they were all smartly dressed and found us a lovely seat. We ordered 2 smoked mackerel pates the presentation was superb would not have got better in a high class restaurant. And for afters the most amazing bakewell tart ever we were so sorry to leave we will definitely be back .

On our visit to Southwold, it was suggested, by our courier, to use this tearoom as most people seem to use the tearooms on the pier. This we were quite happy to do. Found it very expensive for what you got, the tiniest cup of coffee, costing £2.50. Wished we had gone to the pier café to have a mug for about the same price. Two mouthfuls and it was gone!