Strand Cafe and Ice Cream Parlour in West Somerset

Didn’t have great expectations, it was more convenience but wow. Only had a simple ham sandwich but it was done to perfection with high quality ingredients. Just goes to show you should never judge a book by its cover.

We have taken our annual trip to Dunster Castle and Minehead for many years, and have always stopped at this café for lunch. It was never a posh restaurant, but suited us for quick lunch, and their fish and chips were always good. We returned this September for the first time since covid, and wow how this cafe has gone downhill. Areas of the café were roped off on both sides, and the menu was unbelievably in these times hand written. My wife and I were disappointed to learn that they no longer did fish and chips, so my wife had ham, egg and chips, and I had the breakfast. I went to get the cutlery and had to fish around to find some decent cutlery which was all very old. I had a bottle of coca cola and was given the smallest glass to drink from. I think I filled it up 4 times from the bottle. The glass was also scratched and should have been thrown away years ago. The breakfast was not very satisfying as I would imagine the ingredients were the cheapest you could buy and the egg so small you almost missed it. my wife's ham was very poor, and she left most of the chips. We will never visit this café again, and from the few people in the café at 1pm when we arrived I imagine most other previous guests have stopped going there as well,

I would hate to be in this sort of business, post Covid lockdown recovery still slow. Our first visit. We fancied a Knickerbocker Glory each. Short wait at the Ice counter and a fairly standard ice cream brought to the table. The sales card says the Knickerbocker should have Kiwi and Strawberry fruit in the mix. None were found. The topping cream was distinctly aerosol type rather than fresh as stated on the card. The person serving commented they didn't know how to do a Knickerbocker so another assistant made them instead. No napkins were provided at the table and we were not sure if any were at the counter. The venue is huge and even has other sections closed off, it was mostly empty on a special September Minehead Bay Festival day. It all looks rather dated but serviceable. They have a superb coast-side location however the massive frontage windows don't open, I would put in an open front to take advantage of the location. I hope Minehead Council will assist them with upgrades as it will boost tourism.

Just went in for a ice cream each. The 'scoops' of ice cream were the stingiest I have ever known! They used a small scooper then scraped it off flat so no nice rounded ball! Absolute rip off!

As always ice cream and selection of flavours was spot on! We also ordered a cream tea, the tea was half gone and scone still hadn't turned up, I had to go and ask for it. Then I had to ask for a knife to spread the jam. So it was slightly disapointing.

This place seems to have seriously gone downhill. Stops serving food at 3.00, despite being open for another hour. Menu on door is hand written. No-one serving at 2.30. No longer does fish and chips, which used to be good. Ignored for 5 minutes and then walked out. Shame - never again.

Popped in just for some lunch. Ordered two cheese toastie sandwiches and a portion of chips. While waiting for meal to arrive we both said that it was a mismatch of ideas. Ice cream parlour on one side and cafe on the other. It had no atmosphere what so ever. Just a few chairs in a empty space. Meal arrived. Toasties were luke warm at best. After opening the sandwich there was just a little bit of cheese in the middle of sanwich and onion spread over the rest. The chips were very undercooked. Still hard on inside. One of the worst meals. Don't waste your money. A greasy spoon cafe would serve you better meals.

We queued for an ice cream. My 5 year old daughter needed the toilet whilst we were queuing. The elderly lady serving together with a younger assistant slammed the partition door leading to the toilets which had a lock shut. How they can refuse you to use the toilets for a basic human right is beyond me. Avoid this place at all costs. Rude and ignorant staff especially the elderly woman that serves behind the counter. Disgusted!!

We enjoyed a lovely breakfast here. Friendly helpful staff. Lots of choices in drinks and meals. Plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. Clean toilets.

Popped in for an iceream. Glad we did. The best icecream we have had in years. Shame we didn't find it earlier in the day. Obviously popular for lunch. Nice relaxed atmosphere. Clientel were not being hurried by the staff. We were even given a voucher so we could pop back in and use their toilets. A lovely gesture when you are getting on in years

Half term and we were the only ones in there practically, should have wondered really why it's so empty. Has gone downhill since we last went , miserable staff, if you like brunch that's fine , there's really not much else, not even fish and chips!! As for kids meals....there's absolutely nothing. Was told to piece together items from the brunch menu for the toddler. I had red onion toastie,was advertised as cheese and onion but think they forgot the cheese. Left most of it. Rest of them had a brunch, awful. Wouldn't go back, no good complaining the woman in charge is miserable , no smiles , just glares as you come in. Feel sorry for the kids working in there, terrible atmosphere for them.

Awful customer service I’m afraid. A very rude woman was training two young girls (very pleasant and clearly learning). The older woman was not only rude to us as paying customers but also to the two poor girls she was supposedly training. Had I not had my toddler (who was desperate for an ice cream) with us, I’d have left and explained directly to the woman why I was leaving. How on earth people can be so rude to customers is beyond me!!

Just had the worst fish and chips ever. When the meal arrived you could smell the oil. The fish - I have never seen anything like it. It was a tiny bit of white rubber in batter. The chips overcooked, crispy and tasted disgusting. Would never go back and would never recommend. I don't know how they get away with serving such food.

Nice bit of brekkie over the weekend, good view, sensible Covid rules, good staff, clean toilets. Thanks

Visited twice this week for the wonderful ice cream, such a brilliant selection of flavours. Service was warm and friendly too. Only slight negative is decor could do with updating.

Walked in happy, left in a mood. Staff make you feel unwelcome. Food not amazing either. A little atmosphere needed.

It was a hot day on our day trip to Minehead, and so we stopped here for lovely cool refreshing ice cream. There are so many flavours that you're spoilt for choice. The staff are welcoming and friendly, taking the trouble to point out areas...

Grot hole go if you are desperate!!!!! This place is under understaffed and terrible! The staff that are around are miserable and unwelcoming! I went here with my family and it’s the worst place I have ever eaten / didn’t eat and ended up at...

Such a lovely place to visit for an ice cream treat. We were passing and saw the ice cream advertised on the window and had to pop in. Great choice of ice cream flavours to eat in or take away - good value prices. Decided...

What a lovely place to visit for a choice of ice cream flavours. Went several times whilst in Minehead to try out many different and unusual flavours. Didn’t use the cafe but it was always busy. A bonus is that you are given a code...

No complaints , great value for money plenty to choose from the menu. Toasties to fish and chips, reasonable priced sundaes all this within walking distance from butlins

The chips were ok. The batter was oily and my fish was small and not very nice. We had he Take Away and ate on the beach. Staff were helpful.

Big and clean with a sea view. Generously filled sandwich. Clean loos...no doubt helped by the fact you need a code to access them. Great idea, as it means decent loos for the customers.Large selection of lovely looking ice creams for sale...maybe next time..

On a stag weekend in Butlins decided on a morning to walk up town for a breakfast came across this gem of a place cafe was just opening and ordered a traditional breakfast and boy wasn’t disappointed what a banging breakfast was really stunning, staff...

Came to Minehead as part of our holiday tour of Somerset and after a brief walk in the Town Centre and a stroll along the sea-front we decided to visit the Strand Café for a quick coffee and cakes. The premises were very clean and...

Been here a few times over the years when I am in Minehead. The food is always good and the property is clean and fresh. The staff are welcoming/

We visited this cafe last week whilst on holiday with my husband's family. The cafe is on the seafront; so there are great views. The food is reasonably priced and the service was friendly and quick. The meals were all really tasty.

Nice to find something of the traditional seaside resort still exists. Good meal, served without delay and at a reasonable price - staff were particularly impressive in how ploite they were.

I've been visiting The Strand in Minehead since I was born and continue to go every year! The staff are friendly and prices are reasonable. The ice creams are to die for! Brilliant!

I very quiet midweek morning and the food was prepared to order by very pleasant staff and was presented well in a clean environment

Warning! If you are on a diet, this may not be the best choice as you are likely to end up getting a bigger ice cream than you thought you were going to have.

The empty seafront cafe at brunch, should of been a bit of a clue. The till staff were cold and blunt, however the waiting staff, polite. The cheese tasted sour, the portions were small and I even had the added delight of flies in my salad. Maybe stop for an ice cream...but stay clear of the hot food.

Visited on Saturday 19th May, The Royal Wedding was in full swing so the cafe was very quiet. Good food, good prices.

We had a snack while at Minehead today in the cafe .... while it was a nice clean place and the service was good... my husband loves his steak pie !!! But this really upsets him when ordering he wasn’t told it was a helping of steak and gravy with just a flakey pastry on top !!! Not a pie ..

Lovely old fashioned family friendly cafeteria serving a large selection of food, desserts and ice creams.

It was like going back in time. The decor, service and food/drink quality was everything I expected from a 1940’s carry on film - but without the character or humour.

Stopped of here on a visit to Minehead while visting the area on holiday, we ordered cream teas, I found the staff at the till friendly but it was clearly a struggle for them to be friendly. The cream teas arrived and the waitress who served us was genuinly very helpful. However the scones were the worst I have ever had, tasteless and fell apart, cleary these were bought in on the cheap. Definately one to miss if your looking for a cream tea in Minehead.

If you want food on the beach then they have a good choice at reasonable prices plus you get a code on the receipt so you can use the toilets all day, better than the 50p charged at Jubilee Cafe. Good selection of ice cream flavours.

4 of us went for lunch at this café following a walk along the promenade to the Lifeboat station and shop.

We visited here and ordered Fish, Chips and a cuppa.The fish was done in a horrid looking smooth batter. On trying to eat the fish we found that the batter inside was not cooked and soggy and runny.

This is exactly the sort of place that "foreigners" think we have everywhere in England. Thankfully this place is a fast vanishing remnant of the past. Expensive (for the food provided), tasteless, served with a grimace. Yuk. Honestly, I cannot remember the last time I had such awful chips. Felt as tasted like fried cardboard,

The strand is very good for food and service you don't have to wait long for food cheese toasties are very good the owners and staff are lovely and its very clean

To start, I can not review their service, their food or anything of that sort. My complaint is for the sheer ridiculous rule that their toilets are for customers only - especially when children are involved. My 3 year old daughter and I were in the amusements when she asked to go to the toilet, I don't know the area so quickly searched for the closest cafe of some sort. My daughter has only been potty trained for a couple of months, and obviously there's only a short amount of time before she really needs to go! I came into the cafe and asked a member of staff whether my daughter could use the toilet. She responded that their toilets are for customers only. I reiterated that it was for my young daughter and please could an exception be made in this instance, and she responded with the same. My daughter then had an accident on their floor, and I'm sorry to say that I really did not care. The lady was then forced to let us use their toilet so I could clean my distressed daughter up. I appreciate that they want to avoid people taking the mick, but surely judgement plays a part in this. So upset.

Kids loved the ice cream, loads to choose from. Coffee was very enjoyable. Cafe was clean and staff very pleasant. The burgers looked and smelled awesome although didnt try them,maybe next time. Staff were very pleasant and friendly.

We stopped here for breakfast on Friday. The food was good, service just about broke a smile. We returned for ice cream on Sunday. Again I think a smile may have popped through! However I cannot be certain :)

Have been coming here on and off for several years and never disappointed until today. We had much less of a choice than usual and what we had was not very good. Fish Chips and Peas for my husband Hard Batter obviously cheap frozen chips and hard peas. I had Tuna Jacket Potato which was OK but could have been put on a teaplate. We wont be back. Still run by the same people so not sure what has gone wrong.

( !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!NEVER AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) myself and girlfriend had chicken tikka(£6.99 each) and a bowl of chips 1 coffee and a bottle of coke nearly £22 .. the rice was bland and over cooked aswell as small portion ..and the chicken 6 pieces between us TASTED LIKE A MICROWAVE MEAL ...chips had been refried and almost burnt ... staff were unfriendly and not at all helpful in any way

we called for a coffee /cake and thought we had stepped back to the 60 era cafe reminiscent of my childhood growing up on the north east coast . saw several people have ice cream desserts which seemed huge .

When we visit minehead, we always stop here for lunch before heading into butlins. Real good food & prices x

You get what you pay for, a great brunch overlooking the sea wall, the tide was out so it was good you could not see over it. The food was all we expected and more.

It was lunch time when we went into the Strand Café looking for a snack. It was quite big with plenty of space to chill out. We had coffee and cake which was excellent. The staff were very friendly and the service efficient

The Strand Cafe is run by a lovely family that have the very best on offer. Offering breakfast, lunch, dinner and ice cream, you can feel assured that they the customer experience on top of their mind at all times. The Strand take a great deal of pride in cleanness to make sure that you have a comfortable stay.

I cannot say anything about this establishment other than that it is in an excellent location and that my partner bought an ice cream there. There was a full range of flavours except pistachio. She seemed to enjoy the ice cream.

We stopped for ice cream whilst walking on the seafront, the lady was very friendly and welcoming as we did arrive just before they were about to close. Very delicious ice cream and great value for money. We even brought some homemade fudge which was equally delicious. I would definitely go back if ever in Minehead again and I would recommend to others.

Once again went to strand.very good food staff lovely and the owners always smiles recommend to anyone

What a contrast we walked into the Strand were made to feel welcome ordered home made pie and chips chose a table by the window and thoroughly enjoyed the meal and even had ice cream afterwards

This is an unpretentious seafront cafe with an attached ice cream parlour. We called for a lunch time sandwich - which was quickly delivered to the table. The sandwich was freshly prepared and very tasty. Well done staff!

This is a good central location to pop into from the beach. The food is well prepared and reasonably priced. Staff are friendly and helpful.

We have been coming here for many years and the welcome is always cheerful. The food is essentially adequate and suitable for all ranges of family generations. Always visit even if its for a cuppa!

We were staying at butlins minehead and walked into Minehead. We came across this cafe ams the selection of ice-creams caught our view. Decisions,decisions,decisions... It was hard to make, and then the choice of cones added to the decision making. Prices varied on which type of cone you picked and how many scoops. To watch the waist line we all chose a one scoop sweet cone each. They also did small childrens ones too. 5 star hygiene rating. Would recommend a visit if your that way. We didn't make use of the restaurant bit the prices are very reasonable and it was very clean and presentable.

Have visited 6 times and always got served by the same person. Service amazing ice cream is to die for especially the apple pie flavour. Roll on next year, we will be back 😀

Have been visiting Minehead for nearly 50 years and always remember this on the front. It was where we stopped off for an ice cream to take away or on those rainy days stay inside to eat. It's not glam and glitz but it's homely and the staff all friendly and welcoming. On our recent visit it might have changed slightly the lay out but everything else has stayed the same. So if your wandering along Minehead sea front and in need of an ice cream or coffee then stop off.

Lovely unusual ice cream flavours here - never seen liquorice on offer before so had to try it - it was great!

Good fish and chips, 39 flavours of ice cream and friendly staff. What's not to like?

Nothing wrong with the service, and certainly a lot of choice of ice cream however the portions were not as generous for us as the reviews suggest and we were underwhelmed by the flavour and quality of the icecreams. We will be trying somewhere else in future

the boys serving ice cream were friendly enough, but the staff in the cafe were quite unwelcoming, bordering on rude

We had ice creams from here 2 days running. They have a huge selection of flavours. Very generous. I look forward to our next visit

Never seen so many flavours. Staff waited patiently for the kids to decide. Was well worth wait tasted as good as looked.

Popped in after a morning on the beach for a coffee and icecream.

a spotlessly clean cafe run by a group of nannas serving nice sea front food. The first thing you notice is all the grannies and the spotless polished tables , the food was nice and the toilets also spotless and are only open to spenders as they are key coded.

The strand cafe.is very good.you get a warm welcome.ordered a.meal didnt take long to come and it was hot the 3 ladies who own it are very friendly.also staff always have a smile.recommend going their

The clue to this ice cream parlour is in the question, or at least the eating! There are a host of attempts to make ice cream on any seafront and not all of them terrible but in comparison this particular parlour is not to be dallied with or hesitated about. It's straight in, no straining, and enjoy the stuff of dreams. Discern all ice cream lovers and kids because here a cone will slip down your chin, rather elegantly, and not be made of bits of held-together ice in the usual way. You know what I'm talking about. The proprietors are not mean either. You get a toilet voucher for every ice cream you purchase. Go on, you might need it if you think about it. I did. So get down to a rather good parlour and don't think about going anywhere else. Does the job.

Went in for a Knickerbocker Glory as we really fancied some ice cream, it was great and very reasonably priced, the place is spotless and loads of room, it was also dog friendly.

Went in for lunch on a rainy wednesday, lovely view from window seat, and brunch/cheesy chips and bacon baguette were all good, just over a fiver a head is pretty fair.

A traditional seaside cafe serving traditional food at a good price. They also had an ice cream parlour. Good clean toilet facilities. Added bonus of being dog friendly. The staff were very helpful and pleasant.

The decor was old fashioned, but not in a good way - definitely needs investment to improve the image. The food was good, nothing to shout about but fairly expensive and small portions.

We have been coming to the Strand every year for over 20 years. The Strand itself is celebrating its 80th anniversary. It has an excellent selection of ice cream and the meals are hearty fare.

This place is designed for folk in a hurry and for families. The food is good and the service as would be expected. Years ago it was open early so an early start for breakfast. Now it is from normal times. There are no evening meals available. Pity, sometimes I would love a quick refreshing snack at the end of the day

We go here frequently as we always get great food at good prices. Very clean, no sticky tables and toilets are always immaculate. Good range of food, lot of choice for the kids. Nothing fancy about the food, it just is what it is, which is always good and piping hot. Have tried other places in minehead, but always come back to this place as its reliable!

Called here for lunch, the place looked generally clean and tidy. We chose the cod, chips and peas. Was freshly cooked from frozen. Fish fillet was very thin, thick batter was greasy on the outside and undercooked inside. Frozen peas were like bullets, frozen chips were just about acceptable. Much better places locally to eat.

Having spent the afternoon on the beach we popped over the road to the Strand Ice Cream Parlour. The place was pretty much empty, but had a good range of Italian ice creams. The ice cream was tasty. The decor of the venue seemed dated (like much of Minehead).

Enjoyed cod, peas n chips - chips were just perfect. Followed up with a delicious honeycomb crunch sundae which went down a treat.

A large cafe on the seafront that appeared to have a large choice so we thought as there wasn't much on offer around we would give it a try. The fish my husband had was a cod portion made by a famous Captain Birdseye or similar and my homemade steak pie was terrible. The meat was of leather consistancy and the puff pastry was a strangely shaped object which exploded all over the table when attacked by my knife. Maybe they should cut down on the vast menu and concentrate on better quality or

We had a standard meal of freshly battered cod and chips at £6.75p per portion to eat indoors and found the food to be good and hot, nicely presented and very tasty. The premises were clean and service was quite quick. The restaurant offers a reasonably priced range of food and drinks covering sandwiches, baguettes, all day breakfasts, main meals, pasta, jacket potatoes and a good selection of ice creams.

Lacking in any real atmosphere, its annoying to have to order ice cream and drinks from different counters. Excellent selection of ice cream flavours, takes a while to chose.

Couldn't believe it cost me £4.30 for a baguette which was overly dry and stale, it was full of lettuce and had 5 small bits of chicken in it! Had to have a code for the toilet which I don't see a problem with but they were filthy and absolutely stunk! The lady who served me was miserable, there was a few of us on one table but paying separate so I asked if we could have our food at the same time and she said no as we weren't ordering together. Friends had finished eating way before my food came out!

Went for a day trip on the West Somerset Railway and thought we would have a meal/snack in Minehead. Two coffees which were cold and tasteless, two jacket potatoes one with cheddar filling the other tuna, they were adequate. Grand child had a Ham & cheese toasty the cheese was untouched by the heating process of toasting. For nearly £20 this was not to be repeated. The waitress quite un-interested in what she was doing and dumped the food on the table. The lady taking the order was not at all helpful and was only interested in getting money into the till. My immediate thought was and they wonder why people do not holiday in Britain.

Located ideally on the sea front with views across the channel to the front and the railway at the rear. Nice clean and spacious restaurant with friendly staff. Serves a hot plate style breakfast priced at 70p an item, good cup of tea and a lovely cup of coffee. Food is well prepared and as importantly served hot. Don't expect nouvelle cuisine but if you want good, traditional English seaside café fare then this is the place to go. Looked like a very good children's menu too so ideal for family's. The opening hours reflect the season but open every weekend and I believe all the time from Easter onwards.

Found the staff slightly rude. Food was bland. Also having to use the bathroom is an experience can't go unless you have a code. Will I go there again hell no. Much nicer and cheaper restaurants in town. Go up the Wellington worth the walk

Went here today for lunch with my son and parents. Mum, Dad and I all had the fish, chips and peas and my son demolished a plate of Chicken Teddy and Chips!! Meal was with us in quick time, freshly cooked, nice thin batter on the fish, chips were lovely and fluffy and it was all piping hot!! Would definitely recommend this place for sea side fish and chips!! Perfect!!!!

As we were staying in Minehead for a week, we decided to visit the icecream parlour. It took quite a long time to serve us, yet we were the only customers and the sundaes were prepacked in plastic tubs which only needed placing in sundae dishes. The icecream was quite nice, with a large selection.

My family and I have had a yearly two week holiday in Butlins Minehead since 1996.

This is a large venue catering for people coming straight off the beach. Service is efficient and friendly & the food is what you would expect and perfectly reasonable value for money. A little more than you might pay further away but it is the convenience.

Greasy and tasteless. From frozen. Don't bother. Right across from the beach, catering to tourist. I deserved this experience as I should have known better.