The Flour Pot Kitchen Brighton Beach in Brighton and Hove

Really sad to see this prime spot so run down. The decor is so shoddy - doors all wonky on the front, paint chipping everywhere, outside furniture all rusty etc. It’s got the bare minimum on offer (used to have so much more), nothing looks or tastes fresh (sandwiches used to be amazing). The staff really don’t care, they’re nice enough but more interested in each other than customers. It feels like it’s about to close down, hope it does and either has a refit or someone else takes it over.

I have been a frequent patron of the Flour Pot for several years, since it first opened on the seafront, drawn initially by the cool but cozy ambiance, friendly staff and quality pastries, coffee and light dishes. It pains me to write this review, the few I write are usually for positive reasons, but I believe it's important to share my recent experiences which contrast starkly with those in the past. During my last visit, an unfortunate incident occurred where my normally well-behaved elderly small dog intermittently let out a few barks when other dogs came near our table. What followed was an unprofessional and humiliating response from the staff, who knew I was a regular customer and that this was not a regular occurrence. Instead of handling the situation discreetly the staff member chose to berate me publicly across the space and to ask me to leave in the manner of an unempathetic teacher ordering a misbehaving child to leave the class. I made no response to him except to stand up, gather my things and go. This was not only inappropriately handled but also created an uncomfortable atmosphere for other patrons, many of whom would be dog owners, and maybe have some sympathy with the situation. On going outside I looked among the seated customers to be able to apologise to anyone with a dog in case they felt my dog had prevented them from sitting inside (it was a sunny day however) but there was no one with a dog. I went back in to simply tell this to the member of staff who had just thrown me out and was treated to another humourless, pedantic monologue about why I and my dog were not allowed in. Immediately prior to this occurrence, I was truly thinking how much the cafe's standards and staff had declined. The once friendly and helpful staff who knew me by name now replaced by staff with an air of idleness and even antagonism; tables remaining uncleaned after previous customers for uncomfortably long periods; menu dramatically reduced and food quality deteriorated, often microwaved and delivered in soggy buns; no longer any plates, cups or cutlery, everything presented in take-away paper and no napkin given even if sitting at the table. It is disheartening to witness such a decline in an establishment that I and many of my local friends once held in high regard. I sincerely hope this feedback serves as a wake-up call for the management to address these issues promptly. The Flour Pot Cafe has the potential to reclaim its status as a quality local coffee, bakery and light meal spot, but it requires immediate attention to customer service, staff attitude, cleanlines and food quality.

Nice place but limited food menu

Returned following visiting a couple of years ago, but something has gone terribly wrong, staff uninterested, food served in paper bags and very average coffee served in paper cups - no consideration for the environment. Nothing to stir/add sugar with so staff member suggested pouring and using a straw. Had to return to counter and ask for rock hard croissant to be warmed up. Toilet out of order. Just everything felt wrong will not return.

Fantastic, nice people. Food is amazing, best quality. Never disappointed, always good 👍 ♥️

Visited yesterday (Sunday 14th January 2024) and the week before as my husband and I like to stroll along the beach and we do really enjoy the sandwiches here, but unfortunately it is not a nice atmosphere to sit in, the week before the guy was shouting so loud and showing off this week the music was so loud yesterday I thought we were in a nightclub and even when one of the young girls who worked there said to the young man ‘ it’s a bit loud’ his response was ‘I don’t care’ simply there for his own enjoyment and not the enjoyment of the customers. Coffee shops are places to chat with friends or chill out. This sadly is not that place. There was also no cleaning the tables, so makes me question if behind the counter is getting cleaned. Hopefully in time some nicer places will pop up along there which will give people an alternative to enjoying their coffee and sandwich in a nicer atmosphere as opposed to a nightclub.

The service at this branch was unacceptable. My wife ordered a cinnamon bun and after taking a bite she realised it was stale. When I calmly took it back to the counter, the staff member was rude and snapped 'it is not stale.' She argued that they were delivered fresh that morning and that 'that's just how they taste when they've been left out for a while.' We said that it tasted stale and she continued to argue with us saying she regularly eats the food and knows how it tastes and do we expect her to get continuous fresh deliveries. If pastries are no longer fresh after being left out (with no covering) it is not on the customer to simply 'deal with it' and pay an inflated price for baked items that no longer taste fresh. The woman who served us claims to be the manager, I sincerely hope this wasn't the case as the way she spoke to me was disrespectful and belittling. If she is a manager, i suggest Flourpot provide her with further training in customer service. Our family frequents Flourpots across the city regularly and I expect the quality of the food to be fresh, and to be treated respectfully.

Lovely setting, but sadly, I won't be returning.Midday with chairs already on the tables to stop indoor seating,no hot food,advised all food served cold.Not the best experience after a lovely morning on the i360

Lovely staff, very friendly and helpful. Felt like visiting a friend's house for a coffee. Reasonably priced food also.

Such a gorgeous spot for a cafe, they have lots of food options and our favorite pastries in town A must goto place in Brighton

The girl that was serving didn't bother telling us that they didn't have sugar as it wasn't delivered and they didn't offer us sugar either, handed us our latte and we asked where the sugar was then eventually got told they didn't any... Rather silly for the girl who was serving us to not tell us to start with

Best almond croissant ever! Friendly staff and nice location.

A good spot but service slow, coffee burned and "babychino" criminally small for the price.

Lovely spot. Had bacon and egg roll with an Americano. Nice but nothing special, but the setting more than makes up for it.

Food when available looks nice, customer service low standard, lack of communication with customers waiting apprx 10 minutes, cleanliness not brilliant, appears to lack management, promised much delivered little.

Service is what really let's this place down. The lady at the till practically holding the fort whilst three youthful staff stand around looking bored. I've seen people leaving the queue out of desperation. Shame since the location is golden.

Nice iced coffee at beach front cafe

Lovely coffee ☕️ on this beautiful autumn morning. Super dog friendly and kindly place in gorgeous surroundings.

Great coffee, knowledgeable and friendly staff. Food looked great too though we didn't try it.

Relaxing Breakfast View is important🌤️

Nice spot for a coffee or breakfast on the beach.

Very kind staff who replaced a cinnamon bun my friend had bought when it was unceremoniously snapped up by a swooping seagull. The traumatic memory of this is improved by the fact that he was given a replacement - which was a generous gesture and much appreciated!!

Lovely breakfast roll , with turmeric latte

Coffee is overpriced for the amount you are given and the service is very slow even when they don’t have to many customers. Waited over 20 minutes for our coffees and some cake. Outside is ok but not a lot of shade. Will not come again here

Coffee is okay, probably 3 stars for coffee, but the service is so slow. Have visited a few times due to proximity to the beach, but expect to wait around 15 minutes for a takeaway coffee.

TLDR; - slow service - staff didn’t know what was in the food - breakfast baps aren’t even made on site - they forgot about my husband’s drink - ‘fresh press’ juice is just a plastic bottle of juice by a company called Press Service was slow, there was a condiment in my breakfast sandwich that we could not find mention of on the menu, and the waitress seemed really confused about it when I asked what it was. She said they arrive pre-made so they couldn’t do anything about it, although she did swap it out for a sausage roll for me. By the time we finished our food we asked if my husband’s drink was on the way… turns out they forgot. The lady brought it over, and we discovered that the fresh press juice was just a plastic bottle of juice made by a company called Press. By this point we were so fed up that we just left it. Unfortunately we won’t be returning.

Delightful spot for early morning coffee and croissants - sit outside and bask in the sun!

Great beverages and yummy treats galore

Lovely staff, place looks clean and well looked after. Everyone always seems happy. Management obviously know what they’re doing! Love the coffee and pastries, would recommend :)

Lovely little cafe, staff very hard working and always seem very happy. Pastries and coffee are always amazing. Worth a visit!

Awful place. There was an odd atmosphere amongst the staff who seemed more interested in organising their Saturday night social plans, pouring themselves beer, rolling cigarettes in front of the kitchen, self congratulating on their amazing work and rota’s before proceeding to smoke on the premises wearing branded uniform. Had a lovely coffee in a paper cup - what a shambles. The owners need to ask themselves if this establishment represents the best of Brighton. It is an embarrassment.

We visited the restaurant with friends from Yorkshire for a breakfast. The food was lovely and well presented but I was disappointed at being ignored at the counter when trying to place my order - it was only when the manager asked if I was being served that the issue was resolved. The food is not cheap and the bill was over £50 for 4 x scrambled egg with variations and 4 drinks and I would expect better service for the prices being paid.

So slow!! Every time I come I have to wait 10 mins for a takeaway coffee. Won’t come anymore

Lovely bustling cafe with outside and inside seating and views out to the west pier and beyond beside the i360. Friendly efficient service with excellent cappuccino and tasty lunch menu.

Lovely little cafe on Brighton beach near to the British Airways i360. Good selection of homemade sandwiches and cakes, outside seating, table service. Nice!

Good food, nice views. Reasonable prices. Inattentive service team who had time to chat to regulars and colleagues, but appeared oblivious to several groups waiting to get a menu, pay or order, even though tables weren’t at full capacity and there were no large groups. Two couples walked away in the time I was there. Maybe just let people order via an app and collect from a counter, if the FOH team don’t have time to manage a slow breakfast service?

We had breakfast here on Saturday. I had scrambled eggs, mushroom and bacon and my wife had eggy bread (aka Lost Bread here). Both meals were really nice and the service was also good. It was a cold morning so we sat inside but they have an excellent beach-side location so I imagine this would be a really cool place to eat and drink on a nice day.

Lovely wee place and well located. Disappointed that everything was premade so couldn't really swap out ingredients - was as it is and no changing. Saying that the food we did get was really nice. Very little options for kids as well. Sure the staff are lovely but hardly a smile amongst them especially the girl who served us. The only one was who I suspect owns or manages the place who sat us. Only visiting Brighton for my daughter's birthday but wouldn't come back here when visiting again purely for the lack of happiness from the 'I really don't want to be here' servers.

Perfect spot on the beach for a coffee with sound of the waves

We had breakfast here for my birthday. The staff were SO lovely & looked after us so well we decided to stay for a few hours. We started with pastries and coffees (they had 3 different types of vegan pastries - crossaint, pain au chocolate & coconut pain au chocolate) they had various milk replacements & other vegan options too! After a sensible breakfast we moved on to cocktails. A wonderfully relaxing morning with really lovely staff and a great view of the beach!

I was initially drawn to this establishment by its early opening hours, as I was in search of a breakfast spot. However, upon arriving, I was informed that they were only serving coffee and that I had to place my order from the window outside. While I understood the limitations, I had hoped for a more comfortable experience. After ordering my coffee, I anticipated being able to enjoy it while seated at a table inside. Unfortunately, I was informed that the shop was not open for indoor seating at that time. This left me with the task of finding an outdoor spot to sit and read, which proved to be less comfortable than I had hoped. Although the convenience of early opening hours was a positive aspect, I was disappointed by the lack of indoor seating and the subsequent discomfort of finding a suitable reading spot. It would have been more enjoyable to have the option of sitting indoors with a proper chair and backrest.

Lovely little place on the seafront, ordered a grilled sandwich that wasn't my 1st choice as what I wanted ran out. Piping hot, delicious ingredients, and a generous portion. Beat my expectations, would definitely come back and highly recommended.

Coffee was nice but they take payment first and then forgot to bring our drinks so we were waiting a fair while

Great service, lovely selection of pastries with vegan options and sandwiches. Cappuccino was perfect, throughly lovely spot to unwind on a Saturday morning.

We've visited a few times and not been disappointed with the quality of the coffee and the freshness of the pastries! The service at the take away window was a little slow and possibly even confusing for some on our most recent visit, but we had nowhere to be and we will be back!

Lovely food, coffee and atmosphere. Special thanks to Shay our waiter, can't wait to come back.... See you in November!!

Coffee once arrived is good. Pasty was good. They are not alone with the new age fragile one speed slow staff that wont exert themselves. I waited 17 minutes for a coffee and then had to wait again as the server in the window didn’t provide the croissant that was in front of them to issue. Fix up guys and the one thing we all have to teach young employees is urgency, speed and different gears. They seem half asleep and they think they are doing well!

The last three times I have stopped for a coffee at around 7:45am the staff make up excuses for why they are running late. This morning another 4 customers were turned away at the same time. It’s inconvenient to your customers. Change your opening times if your staff can’t handle the early mornings or change your staff.

My husband and I decided to go here for a mid-morning coffee and pastry with our baby boy, after seeing a review on YouTube. We waited more than 20 minutes outside for a table - we were waiting so long that my husband had to sit on a bench outside to feed our little boy. I got so fed up of waiting in the sun when I could see empty tables inside, so I asked if we could sit inside - to which I was told we could go straight in and sit down. Why no one would have offered that to a family with a six month old in the first place, I’ll never know! The table was dirty and we were still made to wait a good few minutes before we could order. Our food came out well before our drinks - my husband was also served the wrong drink. The concept and location of this place is great, and the food was good, but the staff seemed like they couldn’t be bothered to be there - it’s a real shame as it lets the place down!

Today was the fourth time we have turned up to have coffee here and been abruptly asked to return in ten to fifteen minutes as they aren't ready yet. The opening times if you Google them show 7.30am. We have arrived four times recently at 7.45 or after and been turned away along with others. Do the owners know that their team here are turning customers away after the advertised opening time? While blasting music and eating croissants inside? You should either update the opening time to 8am for this place or have closer control of and provide better training for your slow and disengaged staff. Concerning actually as service in the Hove branch is similarly passive aggressive and slow. You have such a great set up and product. Don't let the staff let your reputation down. Its not a one off incident it's an engrained culture sadly that needs remedying. Really hope you can work it out.

Good coffee but consistently very slow

A lovely coffee early Sunday morning watching the world go by and super service.

They’re giving the coffee ☕️ in plastic cups . We all know the consequences

3 members of staff but I didn't know who to order my coffee from. It was confusing who was doing what. When I ordered my coffee I was asked to sit outside because they were supposed to close soon. 3 tables were busy and the others were untidy. The tall girl promised to wipe the table for me but she never came back.. After a while a was served my coffee in a paper cup. I took my time to drink my coffee. When I left there were still no signs of closing and the staff members were laughing and chatting inside. I was disappointed how unprofessional the staff were.

When I ordered my coffee I was asked to sit outside because they were supposed to close soon. 3 tables were busy and the others were untidy. The tall girl promised to wipe the table for me but she never came back.. After a while a was served my coffee in a paper cup. I took my time to drink my coffee. When I left there were still no signs for closing and the staff members were laughing and chatting inside. I was disappointed how unprofessional the staff were.

Food bang average. The staff were lovely but Forgetful . Stunning outlook though

Service was a bit off, the pastry I got was tough but the coffee was good.

By far of the best ice coffee we’ve ever had in town. Also, the staff are super friendly. Will definitely come again. Thank you, the Flour Pot!

UNHYGIENIC. !!!!!! My daughter bought takeaway iced coffee. A MEMBER OF STAFF IN THE CAFE WAS STROKING A DOG WHICH WAS LICKING HER FACE AND HANDS . When the drink was ready the lady that was stroking the dog PICKED UP THE DRINK AND PUT A STRAW INTO THE LID Her hands obviously touched the cup , the lid and the mouth tip of straw SHE DID NOT WASH HER HANDS !!!!! My daughter took the drink and put in the bin. Emailed, not even a coffee refund !!

Arriving in Brighton about 9 am this was one of the few beachside cafes open. After initial confusion about having to make an eat-in order at the takeaway counter, we were able to relax at our outside table. The coffee and croissant were good and we loved the location close to the beach.

Ages to get served then a 20 min wait for a coffee and to top it off rude service. Best avoided.

One of the amazing locations of this brighton and hove institutions Brilliant food and service plus they do beer and cocktails at this site, almost as good as the view

Very limited choice of anything, the menu is already basic, but most of the stuff was not available. I’m not paying £6+ for a dry and cold baguette with some ham and cheese sorry :(

£3.75 for an oat latte! Extortionate! Tasted okay.

Really enjoyed the whole experience. Staff were helpful and friendly. It's probably my favourite coffee/bakery now

My friends and I who meet for brunch as a treat on our birthdays decided to go to the Flour pot - The Beach as the view is great. We had been before but they now they make you queue outside even if you want to have brunch or lunch and sit inside. We waited for one hour and when we got to the counter the only baguettes available were three cheese and ham which we had to share between four of us. Apart from vegan sausage rolls or a slice of cake everything was sold out. The floor was filty with spills of drinks. people were complaining about the service and obviously the staff were unprepared for the fine weather. hence they were sold out. The system of queuing outside even if you want to eat is a disaster! very, very disappointed and will not be returning.

We've visited a few times and not been disappointed with the quality of the coffee and the freshness of the pastries! The service at the take away window was a little slow and possibly even confusing for some on our most recent visit, but we had nowhere to be and we will be back!

Lovely location, tasty pastries and very welcoming stuff. Almond croissant is a must !

Very good Tasty food Fantastic Atmosphere Nice Customer service

You have to queue to order your food outside but the only menu is on the wall inside. Unhelpful passive-aggressive staff.

The atmosphere was good The service slow The espresso was really really bad,I couldn't drink it I am afraid.

Winter service at the moment but lovely to sit outside and watch the world go by. Coffee is good selection of hot or cold sandwiches also pastries avaliable

I enjoyed a beautiful vegan coconut pain au chocolat (wishing I’d asked to have it heated up!), my boyfriend had a breakfast sandwich which he enjoyed apart from the tomato sauce which he said was too sweet, and the coffee was nice but not hot enough

Despite asking for two times I was served lukewarm long black coffee. In the end left the coffee at the serving counter. Staff eye rolling to my basic request. Coffee tasted stale and badly made.

Has gone from being an ok place to have a morning drink to one of the worst. I do not want my drink in a disposable cup. It's not eco-friendly and there are cups and teapots on display so why not use them. One week they say the dishwasher is not working, then they say they don't have the staff to do the washing up, then they say it's the new policy. Well guess what - my new policy is to go elsewhere

Gab made a delicious mocha coffee

Been fairly regularly to this coffee shop on Brighton Beach. However last time we went to visit it was closing at lunchtime on a Saturday. Today also a Saturday they were making people queue outside for coffee and food. They had a note on the doors saying that they were trying to conserve heat yet had a set of double doors and the other doors to the takeaway section wide open. All coffees served in paper cups, no napkins or cutlery on tables. We had to ask for them. Staff were unapologetic. When I asked what was wrong the boy serving us said he did not know. Owner seemed very grumpy. Food mediocre. Cold inside cafe anyway. Would not return now. Hugely disappointing.

Great coffee, great sandwiches, great vegan options too. Beautiful place to sit and enjoy the seafront.

Great coffee and snacks, lovely meet up spot

Finally! Specialty coffee right at Brighton breach! I am usually very sad that there aren’t any good coffee options when walking around beaches in the UK but Imm happy to say Brighton has The Flour Pot Bakery. Wonderful selection of baked goods and really good coffee. If you are a specialty coffee or independent coffee shop lover, this is the cafe for you when around Brighton beach.

Been coming for years, don't know if it was an off day, but the coffee was tepid, the croissant was a day old, as was the roll my sandwich came in. Really disappointed.

Good coffee. I can't eat a single thing though being keto.

Not sure if the croissants are just bad or they are selling day-olds without mentioning it but was quite disappointing, so I'd skip the pastries. Coffee was fine.

Lovely cafe by the beach. I had a grilled sandwich to takeaway for Lunch, it was nice. However, the wait was 20-25 mins to get a takeaway sandwich which was not what I would expect - hence 4 stars.

I like this cafe, but the opening times don’t reflect the ones advertised which is really disappointing. Quite often you visit and they are closed over an hour before the closing time advertised.

Was ignored by rude and unhelpful staff

Nice decor. My sandwich was delicious. Lovely view.

Just percent and superb service and food. Best coffee in Brighton Beach

One of best chicken/chorizo sandwich I've ever had. Pizza amazing, thin, but not paper thin, like others trying to copy the Italian style pizzas. Just perfect. Staff wonderful. Absolutely recommended. Thank you chef, again. All the best.

They didn't have my first two choices on the menu but the pulled ham hock, mustard and conte focaccia roll was very tasty. The chorizo and cheese toasted sandwich was enjoyed by other friends.

Pizza was burnt. Not a pleasant experience to order. I’ll go for a drink and maybe a cookie with someone but nothing they have to make on demand.

Lovely coffee and generously filled toasties!

Hottest day of year and they refuse to put up substantial sun shades. Very slight breeze ,no chance of them blowing over! That was the reason given....the wind.. What wind?

The coffee and the food are pretty good but ever since they started “table service” the service has been diabolical. You can easily wait 20 minutes for anyone to notice you are there, and then the service is truculent or downright rude. In the past I was a regular customer but had so many bad experiences I won’t be back.

One of the best coffee brewing company in Brighton. You surely will not disappointed after having a Coffee here.

Best toastie ever (comté and leek)! Best margarita ever! (From a very tough judge too). Great coffee and cakes too - what a find! Need to come back for a margarita and pizza to watch the sunset!

Fabulous vegan croissant and oat cappuccino. We had a super relaxed breakfast sitting by the sea on a summer morning. The service was lovely and the setting is picture perfect.

Cake and coffee, delicious! Front of house manager, vile! The rudest lady I have ever met and having her be your first point of contact to welcome customers is a big let down for the FP. We had 2 pushchairs, and wanted shade, so instead of making every single customer move we entered from the side rather than the front to make it easier for everyone (please note another member of our party was waiting at the main entrance to let her no we were entering from the side but she ignored her). Your FOH manager decided to shout at us in front of all your customers saying she wanted us to come back out and enter from the front and to make everyone move, to then sit us at exactly the same table we were already at. We did politely decline this ridiculous idea. She also then served us our food in polystyrene containers whilst everyone else got plates! We love the FP bakery, but your manager at the seafront branch absolutely ruins the experience and brand for your company. Maybe some customer service training wouldn't go a miss!

Love this little place. I had a coffee and pastry here whilst working for a few hours. Unfortunately there isn't any wifi so I had to hotspot, but other than that this place is great. Staff were wonderful too and very friendly.

I paid a quick visit to this place with friends for lunch and was disappointed. I ordered a pizza slice + a lager (a value deal at £10) but the pizza was drenched in thick balsamic vinegar so the parmesan and rocket couldn't be tasted...