The Belgian Cafe in Eastbourne

Service is always friendly, food is good atmosphere is better when live music is played

Stopped for dinner. I like the variety of mussels choices available. The house ones are particularly nice. Also a good choice of drinks. Only criticism is that the mussels portions are on the small side.

Highly recommend, amazingly delicious food , and good prices, I'm coming back tomorrow 😋

Slow service. Wouldn't head back in a hurry

Staffs are very friendly. Food is very ordinary. We had a mixed seafood linguine. Linguine is overcooked and the shrimps are very salty. It is completely different from the photo in the previous reviews but a dish like you can make it at home. We also ordered the mussels. They are not very fresh and some are even mushy. The only best dish is fish and chips.

Just drinks. My experience was this. Probably fine of you book a table. Walk in and no where to sit albeit busy saturday night. Fine. Many tables empty for the whole hour we were there. Asked or tried to sot twice but told not to sit because reserved. So didnt see the people who reserved the tables the whole time for a good hour. Comes across as over cautious. Happy to vacate when people show up but seeimgly this is not an option Would have stayed for more beer listening to the great live music but my feet got tired. Tried Twice. Too proud and shouldn't need to ask a third time so just left. A real shame. Wanted to like it. Staff could have said "would you like this table for a while". Nothing. Impersonal service. Felt really unwelcome. Cheerily was given a farewell with implications we would come again. Clearly oblivious to our previous efforts. So I challenge the owners. Make me want to come again. NO freebies please, just a genuine human reassurance that the owner cares if I visit again please, and how they intend to show this. Let me know.

Good food and atmosphere. Good music. Food very good. Great beer!

Honestly THE best mussels we’ve ever had. Not one bad dish. Great staff, very quick service and the best food ever. Would highly recommend!

Very loud music forcing people to shout instead of conversing.

Lovely place with delicious food. Service took longer than it should at times.

Great food and live music, highly recommend

Super relaxed atmosphere. Service was good, just a bit slow but maybe just a busy day so no issues!

Beer tick Food tick staff tick I rest my case

Nice beer great mussels. Skip the pasta I would say 😆

There was a good atmosphere and a choice of over 20 mussel dishes which tasted excellent! One of the very few pet friendly restaurants in Eastbourne. The Mexican mussels really stood out however the blue cheese mussels were average. Excellent fries!

Had a lovely afternoon here with family, service was really friendly and food was out quick and really full of flavour. Drinks were brought out quickly top.

Me, husband my mum and dad had a wonderful time here, watching the airshow for 2 days, great staff, especially the head bar lady, super service, very efficient, young friendly staff too collecting glasses, nice smiles all round 👍

Very good fish and chips with waitresses who speak French, which can help to understand the menu

Lovely eve of drinks before we went for dinner. Thank you for looking after us

I wonder how the Belgian cafe is not rated 5 stars out of 5! I have been eating at this lovely place on regular occasions since 2016 whenever I visit Eastbourne. The sea food is of high quality and the dishes I have tried were always delicious, tasty and very fresh. Good portions too. My favourite one so far is the succulent sea food linguine 😋 But the moules frites marinière are great and even a simple goat cheese salad was very good. The staff are always very friendly kind and smiling. Merci au chef et aux très gentilles dames qui travaillent dans ce bel endroit! See you next year! 🙏

I wonder how the Belgian cafe is not rated 5 stars out of 5! I have been eating at this lovely place on regular occasions since 2016 whenever I visit Eastbourne. The sea food is of high quality and the dishes I have tried were always delicious, tasty and very fresh. Good portions too. My favourite one so far is the succulent sea food linguine 😋 But the moules frites marinière are great and even a simple goat cheese salad was very good. The staff are always very friendly kind and smiling. Merci au chef et aux très gentilles dames qui travaillent dans ce bel endroit! See you next year! 🙏

Incredible spot, highly underrated. I was visiting Eastbourne from London and after trying this restaurant at the last day I wished I discovered it from the beginning of the trip. The inside decor is super nice and cozy, we were served by the kindest French lady who was extremely accommodating to our dietary restrictions and we ordered everything she recommended. The tapas were DELICIOUS, really good portions and the value is insane! The shrimp pesto sourdough was a dream, tasty glaze on top finished it off nicely. Greek salad was very fresh and flavourful but the highlights were the oysters which were so fresh and the clams too, they were buttery and tender. I will literally have a day trip from London just to eat at this restaurant, so worth it and the prices are amazing especially for tapas!!

Larger beer isn’t cold, prawns are overcooked

We enjoyed the beer, but not the pricing.£4 for half and £6 for a pint seems unfair. We like trying different beers and generally drink half pints.

If I could give zero stars I would. I was stood in the queue and watched a gentleman purchase a pint of gold digger. When it was our turn I asked for the same but was declined. She then said it was her friend she served and she knows them. So I politely tried ordering the Belgian triple which was also declined even though I have ordered this several times. I find this appalling that you do mates rates on beers in front of other costumers then have the ghoul to decline others. They have a sign behind the bar that states drink good beer with your friends, I'm clearly not one of their friends but I will be telling all of my friends not to go there. It's a shame as I used to enjoy coming here but I will now certainly be avoiding.

Booked the bar area for a Leaving do. Great atmosphere and staff were so kind and helpful. Would recommend highly!

We were three for a Friday lunch. We've been a few times over a number of years & try to fit in a lunch when we're in Eastbourne. It was quiet when we arrived & the weather was very hot that day. We opted for a light lunch of mussels without french fries, though we did order a couple of sides of french bread. You really can't eat mussels without french bread! Two of us chose traditional Moules Marinieres , delicious & one order of Thai Green curry style Moules.....these were delicious, but as was pointed out, extremely chilly hot. All the dishes were small, which was just right for us that day. We can't fault this establishment, it's been a mainstay for many years and is still as good as we expected. The beers on offer were interesting, a big choice, but sadly they were waiting for a delivery of I P A that day. The restaurant has had a facelift, which was needed. We didn't use the facilities this time. So we hope they've been upgraded too.

Really enjoy going here trying all the different draughts. Foods really tasty too.

Warm and friendly with great value tasty food. We felt very welcome and entirely at home in this cosy restaurant. Food was lovely, and we had a smashing evening in a relaxed atmosphere.

The best fish and chips I've ever had! The staff who delivered it were so lovely as well. I'll definitely be ordering again.

I came here a few nights ago as I’m a regular and I love it here the food is amazing however.. I wanted to have a nice peaceful evening to myself after having a stressful week and .. 1.) I waited ages for a table to be cleaned and cleared so I could sit down … 2.)… I didn’t know that for a single Not double, shot of alcohol in your drink costs £6?! And the drink chosen on top of that not as a whole ..like in most places 3.) the table opposite me allowed their what looked like 10-12 yr old boys to chase eachother around the entire restaurant all night causing chaos .. and staff seemed fine with it along with the shouting while they’re playing Uno … I’d understand if they were little but they weren’t … I overheard them swearing aswell at that age .. no respect honestly .. They nearly knocked my table over when I had piping hot food!! I couldn’t enjoy my nice meal in peace!! 😡 another lady a few tables down complained too .. Then when I went to the bathroom to check my makeup those same boys kept turning the lights off in the toilets which isn’t okay .. I came outside and checked to see what was going on and they did it again .. The parents could clearly see the loud noise they were making was stressing me out and I have high anxiety and somehow they found it amusing!! My night was absolutely ruined!! I couldn’t wait to leave! No way are they allowed back? I asked clearly several times for GF bread … it wasn’t until I ate it because I was so hungry that I realised it wasn’t GF ..do you want me to have a reaction? The chips were incredibly salty and yet wasn’t taken off the bill I barely ate them because of it 😡 My order was double checked and still wrong! Every time I come here something goes wrong so I won’t be back for a while I’m disappointed! And that’s completely unacceptable behaviour in a fine restaurant It was humiliating

Dud not have food Great selection of drinks

Excellent food and very convincing Belgian-style homemade beers. Also, the service was top-notch. We will definitely come back!

The food at this restaurant is expensive and unpalatable. The pork ribs in the drunken rib I ordered were fishy, ​​smelly, and had no other taste. They were only a little sweet and overcooked. When I told the store staff that I had a problem, they just insisted that it was normal. I ate it. I couldn't help but retched after eating a piece, and the clerk insisted on saying it was normal. The portion of my friend who was with me tasted only slightly sweet and had no other taste. In comparison, there is something wrong. Don't come here.

Our favourite place for a date night x everything about this place is stunning xx we feel very spoilt when we dine here

There's a very rude Obnoxious blonde waitress on the cocktail bar very impolite made us feel uncomfortable worst customer service ever experienced breath smelt as bad as the toilets

If you happen to be in Eastbourne and really want to eat, take the time to walk to the coast and stop by this cafe. A varied menu and a great selection of home-made beer. We really liked the pork ribs dish and not so much the beer battered cod. A big plus is that the cafe is open without interruption.

Always a great experience at the Belgian Cafe. Staff always brilliant, especially the young(ish) guy with the goatee beard. Food superb, drinks awesome.We'll see you again (hopefully), soon.

Absolutely banging. I'm from Leeds. Had seafood for the first time. Loved it. Great beer. Even Better Viiiiibes

Tasty food, nice vibe, good music at midday. A little bit slow service but all good overall.

My husband and I came here for dinner on a Saturday night and were greeted by great live music by singer/guitarist performing many popular and diverse songs. The food was really great: we chose tiger prawns as a starter, then I had the mussels (many and juicy) and my husband the ribs and a side of fries with cheddar. They also cater well for gluten intolerant people. We both thoroughly enjoyed our meals and found the portions generous and filling. The staff members were all really charming and helpful. Would absolutely be back if we were in town again!

Very long wait for food, that wasn't worth waiting for. Very few real belgian beers.. mostly local fruit beers in the style of Belgium.

Waited 1,5 hour before our 2 tapas arrived. They claimed it was busy. We were the first to order before everyone got in.

Very delicious food, beautiful decoration, clean place

Great seafood in a 'student bar'. Under staffed. Beware, they have live music 🎶

The fish and chip was amazing, crispy chips, fresh cod. Very friendly staff, been back twice.

We were staying just down the road, and after an awful journey down didn't want to stray too far, so went here. And ate here the next two nights too. The food was lovely, the staff were very friendly, and thr home brewed belgian style beers were delicious. Recommend the mussels - they were cooked to perfection. And also the Bloody Mary Oyster Shots. Really really pleased with our visits.

I have visited this bar/restaurant twice during my stay. Both of the times , the staff was very friendly and welcoming:) I had soup and mussels. About the food I must be honest, the soup felt like it was out of microwave, so not fresh and mussels could have had more washing, I felt sand in some of the mussels at the time, but they were really really fresh. Soooo fresh! They have a variety of mussels, they also serve Belgian beer, plenty of choices. They have live music on Friday nights and seafront views. Dog friendly. Would recommend stopping by at least for a pint of beer, paying £6 per pint here I would say it's worthwhile! :)

The seafood platter was good. The atmosphere was nice and the staff was amazing.

Really good place to visit, evening is the best...sometimes live music, great food menu(a little pricey)with loads of variety, good selection of drinks including hot chocolate(great for the youngsters)and a good atmosphere. As I said a little expensive but good for an occasional treat.

We visited for lunch at the weekend. Service was great at first, but then our server changed, and after receiving our food, he didn't follow up and ask if our food was OK?.... The prawn cocktail was dry as anything. Certainly didn't taste like fresh prawns. Also had soup of the day which was mediocre. The star of the show was the main course. We ordered beef ribs with roast potatoes. I realise it's a fatty cut, but there was seriously two mouthfuls of greasy meat. The rest was just thick fat, my arteries begged me to leave! The roast potatoes (as described) were scraps of potatoes that had barely seen any heat. When we asked for the bill, he did actually ask if everything was OK. I replied to say it wasn't right, which he chose to ignore. So we just left deflated, but will not return or recommend.

What a wonderful place!!! A safe place where you can drink and eat and listen to some great love music what not to like!!! Will definitely be back!!!

Tried to frequent this venue but refused access as told "manager didn't want anyone else in".

I gave this venue a rather scathing review, based on an earlier attempt to visit and an over enthusiastic doorman. On this stay in Eastbourne I used The Belgium Café on 4 different occasions. Great beers, very helpful and welcoming staff. Be aware that there are no disabled access toilets and these are accessed via The Burlington Hotel which is beside this café, but they are at least 50m each way. So something that you need to factor in if you are disabled and struggle with stairs. I'm quite surprised that they haven't got a friendly arrangement, with...say Harry Ramsden's fish shop...which is literally 15m across the road... and it would definitely be a bonus for someone like myself, who has mobility issues. Definitely worth a visit.

Just as good as its always been, fabulous! Seafood platter was immense for two of us, wine list v good. Service great. Thank you

Amazing service and food great place as well!

Visited your establishment on Saturday 13th April, and what a terrible experience it was! The overall quality certainly does not reflect the prices you charge. Your staff are abrupt, rude, and have no understanding of customer service. And how you present food, no salad garnish with the whitebait, and French fries that were like the dregs from the bottom of a packet, it’s disgraceful. Even my ale tasted off….. At the best part of £30 for some baked Camembert, fries, and whitebait, and £9.00 for a pint of beer and a pineapple juice & lemonade, this place is a joke.

Fantastic mussels - we were lucky to be there on the mussel night. As many mussels as you can eat in different variations. Great staff. What else can you ask for

Had a burger and chips here and it was horrible. Really cheap ingredients and badly made. The beer/nacho sauce was good though but the rest very sub par

Absolutely disgraceful prices for beer £4.50 for half !! Other then that the caramel vodka is to die for !!

Soggy fish and chips. Worst i had in uk so far.

Food was really delicious and staff was very nice and helpful l.

A lovely venue on the seafront with a warm and inviting interior. The owners are always present and engaged in the day to day running of the business. A good mix if seafood, Belgian traditional dishes and burgers. The dressed crab with fresh bread os a great light lunch. Or a huge pot of mussels with their homemade fries is a safe option.

Good food and selection of drinks but certaim bar staff members do not make you feel welcome

During my week-long trip to Eastbourne, I'll definitely revisit this restaurant, probably on a Friday or Saturday evening, to enjoy mussel platters, beer, and live music! The seafood tomato pasta was as rich and delightful as a dish found in a high-end hotel, and the pork ribs were sweet with a hint of tanginess and saltiness, served in impressive portions. The beautiful interior of the restaurant is perfectly suited for Instagram photo spots, and the serving staff always maintained a friendly demeanor with smiles.

Last 2 times the seafood linguine was superb, but this one was just okay. Not as many prawns and a bit overdone - perhaps there were a few other deliveries before mine.

Havn’t had food here yet so can’t leave a rating on that (Menu looking tasty!!) however the atmosphere and service is amazing. You gotta try the little taster of belgium beers. Absolutely amazing selection of beers and different alcohol suited to your needs. Thanks guys 🍺❤️

Perfect place for our valentines meal. Platter of fish was phenomenal, if you want seafood, this is the place for you! And we were gifted a chocolate rose 🌹 Thank you for making our valentines special!

Came here today for a spot of late lunch greeted at the door wonderfully by a member of staff and seated stright away. busy! ...... I'm giving 5 stars for service purely because their were only two members of staff at FOH, working their bottoms off. And well done to them !!!! 👏 Food took a while understandable during short staff and time of day. Location beautiful and quirky inside. Food was tasty.. The goats cheese and caramelised onion was a little disappointing. (Recommend more caramelised onion !!! Would of been spot on... ) The ribs where pretty dry. Could of done with a salad on the dish to help break it up abit. Mac and cheese tapas on the other hand was bloody epic and so flavoursome highly recommend this dish! All over experiences was ok and I would come back again I think short staffing didn't help matters and we'll done to those who where working today. Thank you for your service and friendliness

Initially came to purchase take away beer when visiting Eastbourne. Been back a few times. Excellent atmosphere and service. Thank you Stephanie for tonight's amazing food. Mussels, Oysters. Escargots and, of course, fantastic beer. So glad we came on Friday 13th. Music was super 😃 Returned on Thursday 9th Feb Mussels 👌

Ate there a few weeks ago with the wife. Both had burgers which were good and large. My wife went back last Friday with 2 of our neighbours, they all enjoyed it, so we'll go again.

Excellent food, service was great with live music on the day we went

Amazing place in Eastbourne! Excellent service, amazing food. The mussels are *chefs kiss*. Would highly recommend!!

£6.30 for a 1/2 pint of beer.....NEVER AGAIN !!!

Our male server immediately asked if we had any allergy and proceeded to tell us a list of all the menu items that were off! Not a good start! The Belgian menus were inviting but mayonnaise was in a sachet. A Belgian kitchen that does not even make its own mayo! Sadly the mussels with cheese were lacking in cheese. We were not impressed with the cooking. This restaurant has a great site on the sea front with views of the pier. Had some great meals here in the past but today it was very disappointing. We will not return.

Lovely friendly atmosphere and the staff are amazing. The food was very good probably made wrong choice on the langostine I like to eat not pick...my fault but the rest was so good 👍🏽👍🏽. Thank you will be back to try the mussels soon.

We were a big party so the food took a while - worth the wait. Have the moules.

Great food and lovely atmosphere! We went for a family dinner ! We’re served by a staff called Sandrine who was very good at her job! As we was not sure what to order, I asked if she can tell us more about their menu, She was very kind to answer our questions and recommended us which one to order based on our preferences. She also made sure to ask if everything was ok and if we need anything ! It was one of the rainy and windiest day in Eastbourne ! Took us 15 mins walk under the rain to arrive their ! it was worth it! Would love to recommend to others and definitely come back next time!.

Nice after meal bar. Not very busy. Good selection of Belgian beer.

I absolutely love this place. Great taster selection of taster beers. Good food and pleasant staff. It's definitely worth a visit if you are ever in Eastbourne.

When I overnight in Eastbourne just to visit this place is testimony in itself. Superperb, varied food - mussels to die for, staff so friendly that they could almost be your brother and sister. Home crafted Belgian style beers that are just so quaffable. Great atmosphere - recommend without hesitation.

Great service tonight, thanks 😊

One of the best restaurants in Eastbourne. Attentive service, great food selection, mussels were fab and good portion size. Homemade beer was lovely, buzzing atmosphere. Very very happy with our dinner, will definitely be back!!

Fantastic bar/restaurant. Stephanie is always so welcoming. Great choice of beers. Great food. Great atmosphere. Great location. Well worth a visit.

Fantastic bar/restaurant. Great choice of beers. Really warm atmosphere. Stephanie is always so lovely.. She works so hard. Food is amazing.. A must visit when in eastbourne.. If i lived in eastbourne i would make it to my go to place.(my local). 👍👍👍

Visited on a Monday evening after a four hour drive to Eastbourne and couldn't have picked a better spot. Very relaxed atmosphere, great staff and the food was tasty. Tried the four tapas option and my wife had blue cheese mussels from a choice of 25 different mussel dishes! The rest of the menu looked great too. We also had dessert, shared a bottle of delicious wine and I had a cider all of which came to a very reasonable £78. Definitely worth a visit!

Great beers on tap and some great recommendations from the staff

Dinner and a vocalist what more could you wish for a cold Friday night , the food is fresh and delicious , the muscles are their speciality and come in a variety of sources. We will certainly be back

Poisoned with out of date crab second time. Oysters had just old skin on the shell. You can’t serve not fresh seafood on sea front!

Little gem of a restaurant / bar on Eastbourne seafront. Reasonable prices and lovely cocktails with deals on during the week.

The food was really good. The place was quiet while we were there. Early on a Monday evening. Great selection of beers.

An excellent place on the sea front road, with outdoor seating with vews of the pier and promenade.. Good food and large selection of alcoholic drinks. Definitely worth a visit.

Great Cafe. Sell Belgian beers which is a big advantage. Great staff and lovely food. Well worth a visit. The mussels are fantastic.

First time in Eastbourne and sadly it was a disappointing trip to The Belgium Cafe. Seafood platter came out - mediocre sauce with the mussels, 2 undercooked langoustines that we had to tell the server about. Immediately he said he’d speak to the chef but didn’t take them with him. On return he said “the chef says they are cooked” There’s no way he’d know unless he opened them himself. I showed him the raw langoustine and said that it wasn’t edible. He came back 25 minutes later with 2 langoustines that were so over cooked I didn’t eat them after my wife cut her finger opening the rock hard shell. It very much felt like the chef was angry and decided to take the piss! Not great for £25 a platter! Shame this wasn’t rectified or compensated. We left without saying anything more. Beer was ok, but nothing special in the fierce competitive market of craft beer.

Really enjoyed their own beers and excellent tapas! This place is a real gem and reasonable prices too. We are locals and rate it highly.

I had been wanting to go here for a long time, but what a disappointment. The mussels were served in what looked like grey dishwater (was meant to be beer and cream) tasted not nice at all, the bread was hard, the fries looked and tasted like the scraps from the bottom of the fryer tasting only of oil. Seafood linguine, very bland and hardly any sauce. It wasn't busy at all there were dirty glasses all over the bar. Such a shame, it could be so much better.

Nice spot to sample a couple of beers from the extensive range.

Very learned staff about their drinks, we only had a couple each. I tried their 9% drink, can’t remember what it was called(triple something) and it was delicious. Give it a go for something different. Didn’t sell Hoegarden so a bit disappointed.

Love the atmosphere and live music always has me singing along

Fantastic service and the food is amazing!!!