Stop The World Cafe in Southend-on-Sea

I have been to stop the world before and had a good experience however I was disappointed with my experience today, me and my partner came in for brunch it was busy but no busier than usual, I ordered a smoothie which I was disappointed with as it was warm when I got it so not very enjoyable and then we waited an hour for our food to come, which I just think is way too long especially for breakfast and we only ordered scrambled egg on toast and avacado on toast, didn’t get an apology for our wait or anything really so didn’t have the best experience

Lovely food and service! Good, interesting and tasty vegetarian options. Good coffee! Fab! I didn’t have any of the cakes on display as I was full to bursting, but they looked amazing!

Special ordered was not nice very small portion sides not worth being on the plate. Children’s order not edible for a 2 year old and price charged for a slice of cheese on toast to replace was £4.75 is absolute disgusting!!

Very busy bank holiday Monday, but didn’t wait too long for a table. Sat down near the counter and door which wasn’t ideal as door opening and shutting a lot and people waiting to pay and buy cakes which means bums invading your space while eating. Food: ok breakfasts , bacon a little over done, eggs poached and fried undercooked for us, sasauge was really nice but all could have been a bit hotter. Big pot of tea small apple juice.

Nipped in here for a spot of lunch with a friend. Decided to try the French Toast and it was totally DELICIOUS! Arrived with blueberries, banana and bacon plus a little jug of maple syrup. Loved it. Only comment - picture on the online menu showed 4 slices of bacon, I only got 2. However, it was enough, couldn’t have eaten any more - just saying. Friend had Croque Monsieur and was equally happy. Tables are a bit close together so if you want to talk secrets, this isn’t the place. Nice clean toilets. Don’t even think of trying to get a wheelchair in here unless you ring up first, there are steps at the main entrance but I think there may be a ramp round the side, not certain though. Do I recommend? Absolutely Will I go back? Of course

Pretty, good cake but the staff are rude. I loved sitting there whilst they cleaned the table next to me, chatted to their friends and petted dogs. Just a ‘hello, be with you in a minute’ would have been great.

Absolutely love this place, the lemon meringue is out of this 'world', I have it warm😁👌 the food standard is 👌. White chocolate & pistachio cake pretty good, the veg breakfast 👌👌my partner loves the Mexican style breakfast. What really impresses me everytime though is the bang on service from the petite brunette that just seems to have her eye on every ball🏐🏉🏈🏀⚽⚾ there is a serious lack of this in most eateries these days. She doesn't stop or miss a thing 👌 If I was to be really picky I wish it wasn't so busy all the time....🤣🤣 👌👌👌🥞🍰🥞🍰☕☕🍳🍳🍳🥞

Dropped in on Sunday 7th Jan for an impromptu breakfast/brunch, barely a 5 minute wait and seated, great service as usual, food well cooked and presented, a great place for a relaxing breakfast, not rushed at all

Despite it being a busy Saturday lunchtime, the service today was faultless. I can get a bit anxious about eating out with my 18 month old but my experience today was brilliant and me and my little one were made to feel very welcome, nothing was too much. The waiting staff made a real fuss of him which was really appreciated. The food was top notch and even had some cake to takeaway - yum! Thank you for a wonderful, comfortable and positive experience.

On arrival a loathe queue of people outside who were waiting for tables although had been seen, when I asked about a table was told we could hang around the entrance but no tables for at least 30 minutes, I asked if we could sit outside and have food there and was told yes no problem there are blankets there for you to use. Within minutes of sitting down menus arrived, that was the last we saw of any staff at our table, there was no issue serving the table by the door but no way were they going to take a dozen steps to take our order and they stayed in the warm. Could still be sitting there now I reckon it was absolute chaos. It will need to be out of desperation to return

We walked in here during our Christmas shopping. Delighted to have been seated straight despite the restaurant being busy. Our table did feel like it was slightly in the way of everyone though. The menu is basically an all day breakfast so I ate the Eggs Royal. It was delicious and possibly the best I've ever eaten.

The BEST cafe to visit! The coffee is always perfect, the cakes are insanely good, the food delicious and the seasonal decorations are a must see. Once you've visited, you'll become a regular. The service is exceptional too, which makes visiting here such a lovely experience. You must visit this December!!!

Stop The World offers everything you want from upmarket cafe: Great and interesting food, brilliant coffee and top notch service. Friendly, inviting and a great place for a catch up, you can't really go wrong. I enjoy the 'Best Bubble and Squeak' and the coconut cake.

Love this place! Staff are helpful, friendly and go out of their way to make sure I always get looked after! Can’t recommend it enough.

Took my 2 young nephews for a ‘grown up’ brunch and they loved it, Staff were friendly and really attentive to the boys, Food was lovely, well presented, boys loved their pancakes, and smoothies Service was fab and nothing was to much trouble, Boys (and me) can’t wait to come back!

The best cafe in leigh on sea. As always staff were amazing, friendly and efficient. Food was just amazing highly recommend

My family and I had not been for a few years but thought we would go for tea and cake. Walked in, three members of staff completely ignored us! After five minutes I approached a staff member to ask if we could have a table, only to be shouted out to “sit there.” It was a very unwelcoming atmosphere, as if we were intruding rather than a welcoming experience which we anticipated! We will not be returning again!!!

Have been here a few times over the years and have always enjoyed their special breakfast offerings (can't remember the official name on the menu) with homemade beans tomatoes halloumi mushroom egg etc but this time it wasn't great. The onions in the dish were almost raw and the tomatoes weren't great quality either. The rest of our orders were appreciated and enjoyed though so won't let this put me off returning in the future.

Burnt toast, eggs not very cheesy and overcooked pancetta. Service OK, considering it was busy. Chairs uncomfortable. Cake excellent

This is one of our favourite cafes in Leigh. The staff are so friendly & never make you feel rushed - even though the place is regularly full with a queue out the door. The decor is exquisite with so many pretty things to look at. The food (whether breakfast, lunch or cake) is consistently delicious!

Have wanted to visit here for ages as always heard good reviews but I know it can be very busy! Decided to visit here with a friend on a Sunday morning for breakfast about 10am! We were expecting a bit of a wait but when we arrived they had a table for two available straight away! Our drinks order was taken promptly, didn’t have a chance to look at the drinks menu but we both knew what we wanted. We were then left for 5 mins to make our decision before she came back with drinks and took our food order. We both decided to go for the smaller full English breakfast but we add halloumi and bubble and squeak. The sausage were superb, i think the sausage on a full English always makes or breaks the breakfast and these were good quality! We were allowed to swap our poached eggs for scrambled/fries at no extra cost and my friend swapped baked beans for halloumi which was great! The halloumi was cooked in some sort of coating but whatever it was, it was so lovely! The bubble and squeak was also really enjoyable! Considering I had paid an extra £2.50 per item for the halloumi and bubble and squeak they were both really worth it! I will just feedback one thing and that is the size of the juice, I ordered an apple juice at I believe £2.60, I know this is Leigh but what I received was what I can only describe as a children’s sized glass, I could of drank the whole juice in one go! Hash browns would also be an added extra! I will certainly be visiting again!

My first time here & the venue, food & staff were excellent, I had the Cheesy Pancetta & Mushrooms. It was recommended by my friend & it’s fantastic, I highly recommend a visit… very reasonable prices & great quality food

Never been before but it was worth it. Great breakfast and quick service. Cakes were good as well. Pear and apple Bakewell was great.

This was very pleasant, lovely, quirky looking cafe with a fabulous selection meeting a range of dietary needs. The veggie breakfast was particularly lovely, as was the cake selection, and the service was sunny and speedy. Recommended

We had a great breakfast here as a family group. We had two young children in our party and they were offered child size portions (a good idea) and could borrow colouring books and pens to occupy them. The breakfasts were hearty and included vegetarian options. Staff were friendly.

Came here for food, was a beautiful environment and very festive. Made dietary exceptions without any fuss and even a complimentary coffee whilst waiting. The waitress was very kind and very helpful when serving would 100% recommend.

Went here again today for my favourite Welsh rabbit, and I was disappointed I asked for my usual granary bread. When it came up it was just cut loaf granary! Thin slices,what happened to the bakers bread they used to use? With the lovely big cut slices.Thank Please don't go the same way as a lot of cafes and try to save money serving up cut loaf bread, it won't work and customers including me will not be happy!

Fab staff and service, amazing food perfect place for breakfast or brunch and superb cakes and coffee in the afternoon Can’t recommend enough

Lovely service and a great place to be and watch the world go by with good food and a cuppa. The breakfast is well cooked and offer different size portions

Popped in for breakfast, and sat on one of the outside tables. All seemed to be going well until a group of men, clearly connected to the business (carrying boxes of food etc into and from vans and cars) decided to have an early morning...

I always make a trip to this quirky spot when I am in the area. This was the first time I brought my 1 year old daughter with me. Staff were lovely, helpful and food (as always) was delicious. They have highchairs for children (with...

Busy Saturday vibe. Tables full both inside and out. Quirky decor, paintings crowd the walls, fringed lampshades bob from the ceiling, scrubbed floorboards. It’s the CAKES that grab your attention. Great range and delicious. Tasty lunch snacks - cheese toast and soups.

Was looking forward to lunch here with my family. I have been before and so has my daughter and always enjoyed the food. Was a treat for my parents. Opened the door and walked in first followed by the others. Was not met by a...

Great coffee shop - cakes are delicious and huge, especially the carrot cake. Service could not be faulted and good ambience inside cafe. We ended up sitting outside because it was so busy - this would be great if it was warmer. Maybe this should...

Whenever we visit the area, we always try to get in this cafe. The food is lovely, as are the staff. It can get busy so not it's always possible to get a seat. Little things are done well. For example, we were sharing a...

Even when busy, the service is always good and the good is great. We had 2 coffees, a meal each and cake.

1- I came here for breakfast on my own but was on the phone to my friend (FaceTime), i ordered a coffee which came very promptly. I was approached by a member of the staff that said ‘ I’m sure other people don’t appreciate your...

A disappointing visit. I’m a vegan and had ordered the veggie breakfast, but was told it could be made vegan. When the food arrived, there was egg and halloumi on the plate, so we obviously sent it back. When it did come back I starting...

Have always loved stop the world, went for brunch last week had lovely pancakes and fruit, could have done with some creme fraiche on the side! But big portions and tasty. Lots of yummy looking cakes in the cabinet too and selection of drinks. Interesting...

Had a lovely tasty breakfast/brunch here today where the staff were very friendly and helpful and made us feel more than welcome,the food was great it looked great to the eye and tasted equally as nice. Want to make a special shout out to the...

Stop the World has always been my ‘go to’ cafe. I’m local to Leigh and have been visiting regularly for years and always recommend it to friends and family if they’re visiting Leigh, but oh, dear, they’ve really gone down hill recently. My last two...

We had awful service, basically had to seat ourselves after younger more hip people the staff knew who arrived later. Had two cheese on toasts & two coffees for £28 🙀! No sides with cheese on toast & they were burnt. Staff seemed more interested...

The staff were friendly and efficient, the food was good and the Dark Chocolate Milkshake is to die for.

A wonderful breakfast, perhaps best ever. The food selection was amazing as is the quality of the food. The strawberry milkshake was out of this world. The cafe itself is very pretty and the service was quick and friendly. It's not cheap, but for the...

It's not easy to find vegan food in a small town by the sea so I was very happy to find quite few options on the menu. I ordered an avocado toast with pesto and tahini which was DELICIOUS but the real surprise was the...

Oh how it didn’t disappoint. Finally got back in this place on Sunday and it was worth the wait! Oh bubble how I’ve missed you, along with scrambled eggs and a sausage 😋 friend had one of the specials on the board and that looked...

We both fancied a coffee and cake during lockdown so stopped here as the cakes are famous and the portion size is huge . All served up in quick speed time . Great service we’re be back as soon as possible

As the title says - in my opinion this is the best place in Leigh for breakfast (and cake too of course) with the nicest and hardworking team. They offer suitable vegan alternatives if you want and the specials are always spot on. Love this...

Stopped here on our daily walk for coffee and cake . What a very pleasant experience it was to . The girls were so polite and the service was nice and speedy and cheerful. The size of the Victoria sponge was humongous . Yummy .

I am a regular to this lovely cafe with excellent selection of cakes and sweet treats! Bought my birthday cake here and thoroughly enjoyed it! A good price too. Highly recommend.

Amazing delicious small full English - beautiful flavour and plenty to eat - amazing bubble and squeak - fantastic value - great atmosphere and great service

I’ve always forgotten to write a review after coming here. Me and my partner come here for breakfast or brunch every couple of weeks and have aimed to try everything off the menu. We have not been left disappointed from coming here. They offer great light lunches and brunches while set in a rustic and quirky, chilled out café style restaurant. They have great cakes too and should not be missed out on as a dessert. Look out for the opening times. Those looking for a late lunch might find yourself outside a closed café like we have once!Overall, this is our regular spot. Come here for a filling breakfast or some lunch.

Tried here as the place I was recommended couldn’t cater for gluten free and were very unwelcoming! Complete opposite here! Was made to feel welcomed, staff were so lovely, the atmosphere and surroundings were relaxing and the food was yum! Best coconut latte I’ve ever...

Me and my boyfriend visited southend over the weekend and came across this little cafe. Safe to say we had an amazing experience considering we went back for a second time during our stay here to try out the freshly made pancakes. Great food, drinks...

We had an excellent brunch here whilst visiting friends. The cheesy scrambled eggs with pancetta were really tasty and the pancakes are super! We will definitely be back!

Stop the world is a lovely little cafe in Leigh with amazing staff. My friend and I stopped for lunch on a Saturday afternoon. We waited in line for approx 10mins and then got a table outside. We reviewed the menu online and placed our...

My friend and I qued for 10 mins to be seated inside, which wasn't bad for a Friday lunchtime. The decor and ambience were good and the young waitress who was one of our servers was lovely. We both had sourdough toasties, mine could have...

A gorgeous local spot which offers great food. In the sunshine, sit outside and enjoy the lovely food and drink this place has to offer!

Have dined here on quite a few occasions and usually for brunch. So, was very disappointed on my recent visit after lockdown as the service was very blasé, it felt like they have become so popular that they No longer pay any attention to customer service as they don’t need to as customers are queuing to get in. Such a shame as loved this place but won’t rush back now.

Lovely afternoon tea all really fresh and tasty loads of food fed 3 people and had some left over highly recommended

Lovely choices hard to resist the amazing looking cakes. We had brunch and it was really delicious. Tasty and well presented. Tables a little too close together but luckily we got a window table which r a little better

How can I possibly leave anymore than a ONE STAR if you are charging £2.20 for a single mushroom!? That's right, two pounds twenty for a mushroom (singular). That is naughty.

Great selection of cheese on taost with topping and with soup and the wonderful healthy dishes as well. The cakes are truly mouthwatering.

A friend and I had a delicious lunch at stop the world, service was quick and although busy we didn’t feel rushed. Will definitely be returning soon.

Nice food.Open early on a Saturday morning.Chose the small breakfast.Nice atmosphere.Good coffee. Only complaint was the staff are so miserable. Try smiling ladies.Ok price for liegh on sea.

Filled with a great variety of food, staff that go the extra mile and fantastic quirky decor and relaxing atmosphere...this is and continues to be a wonderful place to spend time with family and friends

Breakfast fit for a king (healthy options available)modern and traditional breakfast and lunches to suit any pallet,ooh and I hope you like cake

Lovely little cafe, tries hard, have always had pleasant staff, was super busy so expect to queue at lunch time( which wouldnt be usual there if it was as rude, over priced, and poor quality as others claim). Varied and tasy menu options, with extra choices on board. People need to calm down, and stop behaving like professional restaurant critics, if you don't like it, don't order cake (prices clearly displayed, in advance !!)Rant over--- the only unfortunate thing is limited parking at busy times in Leigh, not the fault of anyone, that's how it is in popular places.

Been here a couple of times now good selection of food both hot or cold food. The Barbie beans with poached eggs were very good and tasty, really enjoyed them. Most of the hot or cold food is reasonably priced and is good. Coffee is nothing special. Staff are pretty friendly and accommodating. Their cakes look very good however are expensive £4.65 for a small slice of Bakewell tart that tasted of nothing really is a little extortionate, not sure I would buy a cake from there again.

My friend and I were really looking forward to a catch up here as we hadn’t been here for months and hadn’t seen each other so it was going to be a nice treat day out . Well that was short lived . We arrived shown to a table for two so far so good . Waitress came threw some menus on the table , immediately said do you want drinks luckily we knew what we wanted so ordered two lattes , we then began to have a chat before we looked at the menu , only to quickly discuss where we would go after our breakfast but the abrupt waitress came back to take our food order so we quickly picked up the food menus as we were now under pressure to order , however another waitress came to take our order so abrupt waitress waved her away saying loudly their not ready their not ready , now we felt really uncomfortable. So we decided what we wanted so abrupt came took our order , she returned with cutlery we said thank you she said your welcome , it didn’t feel it , in fact at no point did we feel welcome except for the friendly nice young man who delivered our breakfast to us .

Just paid £4.62 for a piece of dried pistachio cake. What a rip off!! I won’t be going in there again!!

Great food; bubble and squeak, fried eggs ,tomatoes and granary toast, washed down with a cappuccino. Love this place.

It was my Birthday and I was lucky enough to of received a personal gift of a trio of cake slices fromSTW.

Popped in here for brunch and the three of us really enjoyed it. Got the last table indoors. So busy and yet prompt and polite service. If we lived nearby we would doubtlessly return. Really good menu.

I've often sat outside and always enjoyed the sun or the supplied blankets if slightly chilly but being November we sat inside for a morning coffee and chat. There's a good buzz about the place and I liked that there's a large water urn where you can help yourself to water ( in case you've had too many strong coffees).

Have visited here a few times and it’s always so nice. So thought I’d write a quick review to appreciate the little things like Halloween marshmallows in my hot chocolate and the lovely Halloween cakes they have at the front. Halloween is such a forgotten holiday as it’s close to Christmas so it’s lovely to see the effort they’ve gone to. Also the banana and chocolate cake is delicious, best one I’ve had yet

Stopped in here today to grab a quick bite to eat and a hot drink and was impressed with the choice of drinks, young lass came to our table and took a hot drink order (we ordered the liquid gold latte and a normal latte) then came back 5 minutes later to ask if we wanted food, we said no thank you to which all the menus where taken away. 15 minutes go by and still no drinks, another couple then came in sat down and had tea and coffee delivered within minutes of sitting down, we still haven’t received our drinks! & you have multiple staff members just having a good old chat behind the counter (where all the coffees are being made I should add)

For a town of its size Leigh on Sea has LOADS of eating choices. The Stop the World on the High Street offers superior brasserie food at cafe prices. We had the fishcakes (very fishy, perfectly cooked and presented) and the bubble and squeak (have leftover bits of veg ever tasted this good??). With a pot of tea and two huge and excellent Americano's the bill was well under £30.Service was first class, very welcoming and quick. We sat outside in the late Summer sun and what a joy to do without being smoked on! A top find. Will return!!

And like just a nice chilled ambience/atmosphere with lovely service this is the place to go.

I met with 2 friends and my 6 year old. We got a table outside but after 10 minutes I had to ask for it to be cleared and then wiped. We each had a drink and 2 of us had a cake and 1 ice cream. It came to nearly £25. There are lots of other options for sweet treats and coffees in Leigh now. I don’t think I’ll be going back.

Visited the Saturday of the August bank holiday weekend and managed to get an outside table ( they don’t take bookings). Friendly helpful staff. Really nice brunch menu and had the slow oaks and bubble with fried eggs. Nicely presented and tasted good. Very chilled atmosphere and environment.

Visited with a very pregnant friend and my little boy. Food and drinks were accurate and nice. Everything was cleared up VERY quickly and it was made clear that they wanted the table for new customers. It’s a shame that instead of asking if we wanted anything else they encouraged us to leave!

We always get a warm welcome at Stop the World. Breakfast is the best in Leigh - I had the bubble and the home made beans are fantastic.

I visited here for the first time with my brother and nephew who reccomend this place for a light lunch. My nephew recommend the pancakes with bacon and syrup. This was very nice and filling. I decided to ask for a milkshake strawberry flavour, I asked the waitress was there and ice cream in there milkshakes and she said yes, so I was expecting a similar quality toast five guys milkshake or the Diner or Ed's dinner milkshakes. Unfortunately this was not the case, there was no thickness to the milkshake and it reminded me of Nesquick home made quality. Even a McDonald's milkshake was better than this, and they are basic. I will not be ordering a milkshake from there again. I then asked for a Coke Cola and was offered a traditional Cola instead which I had not had before from a bottle, but tried. This was also a disappointment. I am giving 4 stars based only on the pancakes nothing else.

Met up with a friend I hadn’t seen in a while. Restaurant didn’t rush us. We had brunch and a few coffees whilst chatting. Food was delicious, service was great. Would recommend for brunch and lunch. The cakes look divine!

You want for nothing.... even the loos are well equipped. Very friendly and helpful staff!!😀 Will return in a heartbeat!! I'm on a dessert challenge.... so far the white chocolate and raspberry layer cake is the bomb

We visited today sat outside (prams not allowed inside) I am told by those that had the breakfast that the sausages were delicious, I can report that the oats were filling and delicious too. The only thing that could have been improved would be for the staff to have been more friendly.

We eat a lot of cake and drink a lot of coffees and were out as a big family group in Leigh on Sea. This place saved the day with the biggest slices of delicious cake we have ever seen and much needed iced coffees on a blistering hot summers day. Staff were lovely and we paid around £4 each for 3 cakes and 8 drinks. Next time we will try the Lemon meringue and the cheesecake. They looked amazing. We had the blueberry cake and the carrot cake. The blueberry was the favourite! Decor is lovely too.

Fantastic toasted banana bread, nice coffee’s, very good service, bit noisy(outside seating) as positioned by busy road, but worth calling in for the bread

My friend introduced me to this place and I really like the atmosphere, menu choice and food here. Staff are efficient and friendly. They have a good range of drinks including coffees, teas and smoothies/milkshakes. Love their range of cakes and they do a good brunch menu too. I'll be back next time I'm in the area. Only wish that it wasn't so busy so we didn't have to queue for a table haha!

We had Fathers day breakfast here for 6 Excellent service and breakfast. Lovely atmosphere. Being a "anorak" i noticed the teapots were from closed old hotels some from the twenties adding to the uniqueness of this patisserie establishment !

Lovely breakfast or lunch spot. The menu stays the same but there are occasion specials. Coffee and smoothies are lovely.

Stopped by for lunchtime snacks today and experienced really speedy and friendly service, enjoyable (and silky smooth) coffee, and indulgent treats.

It had been some time since we had been to Stop The World. Luckily we were able to get a table without having to wait. Our order was taken promptly and we didn't have to wait long for our food. We had the toasted sourdough bread sandwich with sausage, caramelized onions and three cheese. It certainly was a filling sandwich although I thought the cheese and caramelized onions rather overpowered what for me should have been the best part, the sausage. Unfortunately I wasn't overly keen on the sausage which was rather bready and moist and I just couldn't really taste it above the cheese and onion. Perhaps I would have done better with something else as I saw dishes passing by that looked very nice. Good fresh leaf teas served in proper pots with strainers etc which is nice. The tables are quite small and rather crammed together but the place is always busy and has a nice buzz to it. At £8.50 for a sandwich it's not cheap but it was as I said a large size and comes with a small side salad.

Living locally we often try and pop in but struggle to get a table at Stop the World. Recently we had a mid week day off and thought we’d give It a go. We were not disappointed! Service was friendly and attentive, food was delicious. I went for the Eggs Royale and my other half went for the full English

This is where I think Tripadvisor is so useful as I would never have known about this place had I not read the reviews. It really is a lovely little cafe with great food including the most amazing cakes and the staff are very efficient and friendly. They have fabulous cake boxes if taking cakes away which just adds that special touch. Menu choices were really good and varied. We will certainly be returning here again and again!

Here they don’t need to take bookings as this place is very popular with the locals so are guaranteed to have diners.

Visited this cafe for a drink and cake. The cake portions are very big and I couldn't finish my slice. However, the waitress very kindly boxed what was left and I took it home to finish later. Delicious. I had a strawberry milkshake, which was also yummy. Will be back

..it's important to start your day with good food and company..Stop the World provide both with superb food and excellent customer service..there's nothing more to say other thank thank you ladies, much appreciated..

A very lovely place to have lunch or breakfast. I have been eating here for years and have never been disappointed with the food or the service.