The Holywell Tea Chalet / Cafe Restaurant in Eastbourne

My parents had a terrible experience with the young staff serving . No social skills and eye contact when my parents were ordering and when my mum asked where the spoons were the girl just grunted and pointed!! Then when the food was brought to us an older lady came over so we thought oh we will get more of a decent service from her…. Oh no!!! I was shocked at how rude she was to me! She came over and said “sandwich!” I asked what was the sandwich ? And she repeated “sandwich!” And looked at me so aggressively! I couldn’t believe it! She then slammed the food down on the table and aggressively and loudly said “enjoy your meal” in a sarcastic way!! Well we couldn’t believe what we heard!! Even the ladies at the table next to us said to us “what did you do?” It was so noticeable!! So I highly advise people never to go in this cafe. It is such a shame as it’s a great spot but maybe take a picnic to the beach instead and not go in this money grabbing place with rude staff

The staff were rude, seemingly crippled with shyness and unable to speak to customers other than grunts and pointing whilst looking at their feet, the snacks were ok but the hot chocolate was missing the chocolate, and they started packing up the tables outside at 4:15, people were still arriving , even though they close at 5:30. Wouldn't recommend it and won't be going again.

Whilst we were waiting in line one of the staff members came in and said that a woman had chopped her finger off! Staff handled the situation calmly but then brought the actual finger inside the cafe!, I hope the woman is doing well and wasn't to traumatised

The best ice cream in Sussex! Amazing flavours and top quality ice cream. The girl that served us was super cool too. Aaliyah was her name.

i tried to have a private qord with the proprolietor, but it got busy. i thrn tried to contar them privately through the website but their contact form does not send the message. so, here it is hi, i have been frequenting your establishment for over a decade now, with friends. today i ordered the quiche Lorraine with chips. this is the second time in 2 weeks that i have had to leave a meal uneaten and the previous week i had to return a meal as the baked potatoe was hard at its centre. on previous occasionsi have had to request meals to be reheated. today a large group arrived just whwn i was gping to ask your manager / proprietor fir a private word. my quiche 'lorraine' was bit a quiche Lorraine at all. it had been partially heated to below lukewarn with the greasiest rasher of fatty bacon placed on top. (any chef that thought that acceptable would be instantly dismissed by me) the cheese tasted bitter, almost as if it was made with blue cheese. this is consistent and unacceptable and started as soon as your current chef took over. i know it is a popular venue and you do not need mine or my friends custom. but your chef's so called standards are placing people with less robust digestive systems at great risk. i have decided once and for all to vote with my feet now, and will disuade all of my friends from eating there. you are bound to challenge this with sales figures but we are a very polite country and you will not be able to count the number of people who have stopped dining there. i urge you to give this the most serious cojnsideration. your standard is poorer than any other outlet i have dined in in most of sussex, when you used to be excellent. best wishes.

Usually like this place but today I had terrible service my order was completely mixed up had to go up three times to correct it and young red headed girl visibly huffed at me when I wanted a refund after ordering a child’s meal and being given a adults portion instead and charged as such I even questioned the size when another young girl arrived with it! Also mixed up my food order and got me cheesy chips instead of chilli wedges 🤦‍♀️ and she also said did my 4 year old eat any of it like were they going to take it back and give it to someone else after being at our table? The owner eventually gave me the refund but they need some more experienced staff! stop hiring inexperienced college students to run a busy seaside cafe that could be amazing if managed correctly. Ice cream is awesome though and you don’t have to go in for that and no one can screw that up!

Great location, disappointing breakfast. Have enjoyed breakfast there before but this time it was not good. The bacon was hard, the tomatoes out of a tin and barely warm and I had no sausage. The toast was soggy from sitting in a pile. £12 was way too expensive for what it was.

Today I need first aid supplies due to an incident on the beach. I politely asked a member of staff (who was carrying a plate of food to a customer) if there was a first aid kit. She replied there was one by the till. I kindly asked if she could get it for me as I had my dog. The waitress shrugged her shoulders and carried on with her waitressing. Hugging and having a conversation with a customer. Unprofessional customer service and the incident needed an ambulance/police!

Extremely overpriced and basic for the price. Paid nearly £25 for 3 sausage rolls and 2 portions of chips. Had to ask for them to heat the cold sausage rolls that was met with a groan. Then they were only microwaved for 20 seconds which did absolutely nothing for them. Had to wait a further 20 minutes for the chips which were of equally poor quality. Total rip off, take your own food and drink to the beach instead

Extremely rude staff with zero customer service skills. The people in front of us ordered some food from the kitchen, no problem. We tried to do the same and all of a sudden the kitchen was closed and we weren't allowed to order anything. No one had come out to tell the cashier this information, so I suspect it wasn't true. No signs up to stay it was closing early. When I asked why the kitchen was suddenly closing at 15:24 on a sunny Saturday afternoon they said "there's only 1 chef who is on their own and overworked, so they're going to close the kitchen and go home. That's just the way it is.". Very, very odd.

Server came out with 2 plates of food, when we told him we only paid for one he told us to keep both. Started eating and a few minutes later an angry lady came out demanding we paid. When we wouldn’t pay she grabbed one of our half eaten plates of food and put it in the bin.

Two oatmilk cappuccinos, a ham and tomato toasties and a cheese and tomato toastie cost £17.45. Toasties were very poor. They were barely toasted. Coffee was cold. Not impressed. Dog bowls all over the place but almost empty. When I asked for more water the response was unhelpful. Shame because this is a lovely spot.

Supposed to be open at 10.00 am, confronted by man who thought it was funny that generator was broken and didn't know when would be open, even though online said open for business and sign on door to say open!!!! Perhaps in future the website could be more accurate, absolutely ridiculous in 2024 false advertising

Although there appeared to be a lot of youngsters working there was only one member of staff preparing drinks meaning that a long queue built up.

We ordered sandwiches and some cheesy chips. The chips were absolutely fine but the sandwiches were poor. We had prawn sandwiches, the bread was dry (I’d have fed it to the birds at home), there were a few prawns in a bit of sauce, not even a salad garnish for about £4.50.

Lovely spot. Took dog, so sat outside. Queueing system is chaotic (at least 20 minutes in queue to order food/drinks). Then long wait for food to be delivered (at least 20 minutes again). Lack of cutlery (no knives available). Shame they're not better organised. Once we got our paninis, they were excellent.

This place could be amazing - the location is utterly delightful. But it is ruined by the manager's bad manners, disdain for customers, and inability to plan the movement of customers through the ordering process. People complained of queuing for 30 minutes just to order a cup of tea. The food we had was mediocre. Despite some staff members clearly trying hard, and even smiling, there were too many bored teenagers working there. The whole establishment is long overdue a change in management and/or ownership.

Have been here many times over the years. Good selection of homemade food. More expensive than some places, but worth it.

No dogs inside for counter service! After a long walk in the sun I was led to this cafe. Straight away I saw the dog bowl outside full of debris and cloudy water. When I entered I was immediate “told” no dogs (I didn’t see anything on the door the door to suggest this!). My dog and I were both hot and in need of a rest and refreshments. No establishments will get my custom if this #dog-unfriendly. A bowl of stale water outside and refused counter service doesn’t cut it! I won’t come again.

The Owner is very rude he needs to work on his manners or not work with the public we will not go there again Brought out our food what was wrong then he started arguing with us

The toilets on promenade at Holywell that service the Tea Chalet were DISGUSTING/vandalised when we visited this morning, didn’t look like they had been serviced today. After reporting to couple of young staff one said they would mention to manager. Poached eggs bit overdone. Thought everything had declined since our last visit. Won’t be in a rush to return.

Expensive with long queues!! Ridiculous long queue and only wanted a drink! Waiting in line for a stupid amount of time! Advice would be get a separate till for drinks only! The prices are extortionate so won’t be returning! Shame as could be a lovely cafe if it was managed properly!

Living in East Sussex for the last 30+ years this has been a place that we have been to numerous times through different ownership and it WAS a pleasant experience. Now they have ripped the backside out of the prices. We ordered a Latte, Pot of Tea and a scone and the price was £9.20 this used to cost around £6.75 after lockdown, what a rip off and they couldnt even supply butter with the scone only flora margarine. I think the scone was £3.20 whereas in a National trust cafe today the scones were £2.20 and the same order cost £7.20. We will not be supporting this business while they are charging stupid prices. I know things have gone up but the current owners are really having a laugh with this pricing.

We stopped here for a drink while on our beach walk. We had a vanilla ice cream milk shake and a mug of green tea. It was £6.00. Obviously things have gone up but this was awful. The milkshake was like sweet vanilla water and...

I don’t normally feel the need to write a review but after our last experience, I feel this place has gone down hill and felt the need to post. When we ordered, the server on the till was very quiet, you couldn’t hear her talk,...

Poor quality food overall. Bread dry, almost stale, poached eggs were terrible, so dried up they were virtually inedible. Cutlery wasn't clean. Not a pleasant experience but they are lucky where they are as there is no competition to push them to try harder.

2 visits last week. Baguettes VERY dry and had no garnish. Manager was rude Coffee with a friend a disaster 2 slices toast on one plate and waitress practically threw it on the table. Jam or Marmite are extras to be paid for. Trading on...

We've visited this cafe many times but today was very disappointing. We ordered a toasted sandwich and an egg mayonnaise baguette. They came with no salad like they usually do. Not even a piece of cucumber or tomato to garnish. The baguette was hot so...

Holywell used to serve the best scones anywhere but what on earth are they serving now?. When we suggested to the counter staff that the scones looked different we were told that they were still the original ‘home made’. They were no such thing and...

Visited today for lunch and coffee. The food was lovely but the coffee was extremely weak. I couldn’t actually taste any coffee. The waitress was very happy to put this right and brought over another shot. There was only one till open and the queue...

Long queues! Only one till open! Till for ice creams, I was told was closed whilst asking me “why is the queue was long?”Which I replied yes it’s very long! So if you wanted just a cold drink you needed to get in the same...

This is a regular coffee stop on our promenade walks. You will not find a better Eccles cake anywhere.

Used to be a smashing place, but after our latest vist! ..now things are supposed to be near normal.., its just awful. The staff are of poor quality when they used to be of worth, why employ youngsters who don't care is not sensible...

It’s in such a beautiful location and I understand the pressure of small businesses have suffered throughout covid pandemic, but nope. Not good enough. It’s super expensive for what you get. If price and quality isn’t enough to put you off, the staff (I presume...

Always loved this place, food excellent and beautiful site. However I went today with my grandchildren as it was a pre curser to my birthday tomorrow and I wanted to treat them. I was greeted by a grumpy teenager who argued with me over the...

The only thing going for this place is the location. Food is expensive and obviously they use the cheapest low grade ingredients. I’d rather spend my hard earned money on something half decent. Staff all wearing masks below their nose (what’s the point in that?)....

Excellent. Bacon roll arrived. Bun i If unknown content. Staff member checked ingredients and hmm milk. Said ok no issue will redo and check bread before. No payment for roll.

This very !ongstanding cafe is in a prime location. However the current service is dire. Orders ranging from an ice cream/coffee for one to cooked meals for a whole family were being taken at one small service hatch (on first visit by two children). No...

Great location, good honest food! The chips are lovely. The staff are very friendly. Will visit again soon!

I'm sorry to record a negative during one of the hardest times for hospitality venues, but when charging high prices for coffee I would hope it was nice. It is pretty simple really. £8 for two cappuccinos and 1 Americano. Cappuccinos weak and bland, americano boiling and bitter. Too much hassle to put masks on and queue again in order to complain direct.

Have been a few times, lovely food and coffee, staff are really pleasant and helpful. During Covid there is hand sanitizer and social distancing is good. Less good is customers wearing face coverings, too many don't are are not challenged. I have seen staff challenge customers who have tried to eat / drink on the patio and are asked to leave. It's disappointing that staff don't adopt the same policy with face coverings!

The coffee was of the poorest quality & the scones were brick-like...they could be used for house building. Have visited this cafe a number of times over the years in the hope that it might have improved, but sadly it has not. To be avoided.

This place is in the perfect location. We found it after a long walk all along the seafront and were ready for a cuppa. Good sized mug of tea for £1.50

We came here at sat outside on their huge patio and had a cappuccino which was strong and not at all bad.

Unbeatable location and reasonably pricing.Ideal for ice cream and a drink. Cannot comment on menu but very popular in sunny days

Decepcionado por la mala actitud, la falta de ayuda y el trato despectivo de un miembro del personal mientras realiza un pedido de comida y bebida. Cuando desafié el nivel de servicio directamente con el miembro del personal en cuestión, no hubo disculpas ni cambios de actitud, solo continué mal humor y pusieron los ojos en blanco. Hablé con el propietario, quien inicialmente se disculpó, pero luego de una investigación adicional regresó para sermonearme sobre ser grosero y haber excedido la marca por desafiar un servicio tan inaceptable directamente y haber molestado a un miembro de su personal. Enfoque verdaderamente notable; impresionante servicio al cliente. Rara vez escribo reseñas, pero en esta ocasión me sentí obligado a hacerlo y, después de leer algunas reseñas similares en esta plataforma, algunas bastante recientes, siento que mi experiencia, lamentablemente, no fue un incidente aislado. He visitado este café en muchas ocasiones durante los 20 años que he vivido en Eastbourne; la comida es buena y la ubicación es ideal, pero pensándolo bien, no siento que vuelva a hacerlo. Como miembro del público que paga, espero un mejor servicio. Es lamentable que no haya alternativas a este café en esta ubicación.

Visitamos este café cuando nos reunimos con unos amigos en la playa. Originalmente íbamos solo a tomar algunos cafés, pero decidimos quedarnos a comer también.El sistema estaba bien configurado.El personal fue amable y servicial.La comida estuvo grandiosa. Había mucha variedad para elegir, no tardó mucho en llegar y sabía bien.Muy buena experiencia. ¡Gracias!

Came here for some lunch after the beach with my daughter greeted very rudely no hello or anything.was grabbed by the arm by the front of house member of staff and pretty much shouted at by going to sit at a table. Very rude

Best Latte and Eccles cake in Eastbourne, returning following the lockdown, very well organised, with social distancing being observed, and sanitizing of tables between customers, Jane and Richard are great hosts, always welcoming.

Día muy ventoso pero fui a pasear por el baile de graduación. Después de haber estado aquí el año pasado, sabíamos que al menos podríamos tomar un aperitivo y los baños también están cerca. No era lo suficientemente agradable como para sentarse afuera y era una caja de 'zapatos de hombre muerto' adentro, pero con bastante rapidez conseguimos una mesa que inicialmente se sentó en el área de tipo bar en los taburetes. Cálido y acogedor, así como popular.Ambos tuvimos un sándwich de pollo de coronación, uno en blanco y el otro en pan integral y ambos fueron excelentes.

Popped in for an afternoon snack on Sunday 29th Dec during a lovely walk on Eastbourne sea front. Very busy but well worth the wait. Service cheerful and friendly. I have never seen or eaten such good eccles cakes, they filled us up for the day !

Posición única en la base de los acantilados con vista al mar, puedes caminar desde el muelle a lo largo del paseo marítimo, aunque es una caminata, en verano hay un tren terrestre que corre a lo largo del paseo marítimo de Eastbourne.Áreas de asientos interiores y exteriores, buen menú con muchas opciones, si su exterior en el verano no deja la comida sin vigilancia, ¡los Corvins locales son muy rápidos en el sorteo!

A pesar de estar en un lugar destacado en el sitio web de "Sedes para perros", el letrero NO SE ADMITEN PERROS en la puerta de entrada nos vio incapaz de encontrar si los nuevos propietarios mantienen los estándares de sus predecesores. .En términos de acoger a una proporción significativa de su clientela fuera de temporada, obviamente no.

Welcoming cafe at end of walk along the promenade. Varied choice of cakes, snacks, drinks. Dogs welcome . Good value, friendly staff.

Después de una mañana muy ocupada caminando hacia la Galería Towner desde Holywell, caminamos de regreso cuando nuestro automóvil estaba estacionado allí. Ahora nos sentíamos picantes. Entonces, como todavía estaban sirviendo comida y el clima aún era cálido y soleado. Encontramos una mesa exterior y fuimos a pedir comida. Un aspecto negativo es que no tienen menús en papel. Para solucionar esto, tomamos fotos de los menús. Tuve una tostada de pollo coranation. Mis 2 amigos tenían papas con frijoles. Disfrutamos mucho de nuestro almuerzo y volveremos a visitar.Había un buen servicio y comida a buen precio.

The Holywell Tea Chalet is a fantastic place, a little bit hidden close to the beach, where I had a wonderful breakfast and bought a lunch pic-nic for a long walk. The food was great but even more impressive was the service from the two (young) ladies that had a great smile and made me feel very welcome. I will definitely go back as soon as will be in Eastbourne!

Tasty food. Busy at lunch time in summer holidays but the queue to order moved swiftly and our food was served to us relatively quickly. High chairs are available. There is WiFi. Friendly staff.

Visited here a couple of times for a coffee and ice cream.Sat outside both times but went in to order once.The cafe is in a lovely location and the outside area is nicely tucked away.Felt the prices were a little steep but cannot comment on the food as we didn’t eat. Inside smelt of greasy fried breakfasts that was a little off putting so we just stuck to drinks and ice creams outside.Tables outside could do with a quick check over every so often as both times dried on and fresh bird muck was on the benches and tables.It is very popular and a nice little spot at the end of the beach.

Popped in for a coffee. Long queue as the Dotto had arrived. Too many summer staff not coping well with the orders. Decaf coffee forgotten and had to remind them.

The staff are unhelpful and due to their age, training, interest in the job (or all 3) are borderline incompetent. I ordered a bowl of chips for my daughter and although they came out quickly the service was pitiful, no condiments available and the staff had to go round all the tables asking who had ordered what. As a local resident I am lucky that I can chooses to not return but if you are visiting Eastbourne, don't waste your time here.

Taking the grand-children to do a spot of rock pooling this cafe is in an ideal location.

We visit the Holywell Tea chalet a lot. However on a hot day in July we discovered that they served a doggy ice cream made especially for dogs. So we treated our dog Sasha to one so that she could join us with our ice creams. The staff are always very friendly and helpful. They always have a good selection of cakes as well of other lots of homemade food. The service is always good too.

The Hollywell breakfast is delicious. We often have breakfast there before heading the the beach chalet for the day. Full English is delicious. There is always a selection of real homemade cakes, which are divine.

Mi esposo y yo pasamos cuatro días en Eastbourne y tomamos el tren Dotto, que iba de Princes Park a Holywell. Este chalet de té está situado en Holywell y sirve comida caliente y bebidas frías y calientes. Asientos también está disponible fuera. Preciosas vistas desde el Tea Chalet.

Visited cafe after a long walk and sat inside as although sunny and warm it was quite windy. Not many tables compared to outside and many had the same ideas us.

Found this cafe when walking along the seafront . Very friendly . Lovely coffee . Just lovely sitting outside in the sunshine

Have visited here several times and never been disappointed. After a long walk along the prom it’s a lovely stop for tea and cake. Eccles cakes highly recommended full of fruit. Nice to sit outside on sunny days, always a friendly welcome

El personal es lento y falta atención. Se pidió una toastie de queso y cebolla, y se entregó a la mesa como tal, pero después de morderla, ¡se encontró que era salchicha y cebolla! ¡Imagínate si el destinatario hubiera sido vegetariano! ! Hice cola para un helado en el quiosco y vi a no menos de 3 empleados de pie en el interior y, a pesar de mirarme directamente, no tenía la intención de servirme. Solo cuando grité "¿no va a prestarme servicio alguien?", Un par de empleados me ofrecieron un servicio a regañadientes. Una cometa voladora 'ave de presa' no hizo nada para evitar que la gran cantidad de cuervos y gaviotas molesten a los clientes externos. No me molestaré en detenerme aquí de nuevo.

Popped in for baguettes and cake, perfect as usual. Friendly helpful staff, good atmosphere, tables cleared quickly and always very clean. An excellent place to go for light bite although they do have a large menu.

Un lugar encantador para tomar un té o un café y muy limpio. Personal agradable y amable Sin embargo, me gustaría que la gerencia considerara tener un expreso hasta para bebidas solamente. Tienes que hacer cola con aquellos que quieren pedidos largos de comida y aquellos que buscan en el menú. Así que si quieres dos tazas de café puedes esperar mucho. ¿Por qué no abrir el kiosco frontal solo para bebidas?

In the summer you can eat outside here and in the winter it is warm. It is the only cafe at the West end of the promenade and therefore has no competition. You wait in a self-service type queue to be served. It is not memorable for either food or coffee but is a welcome place for tired legs.

We walk from the pier towards Holywell and enjoyed a lovely bit cake and coffee in this lovely tea chalet great service lovely area to sit outside.

Tucked away at the end of the Eastbourne prom, away from the pier end, is Holywell, here you will find a good old fashioned seaside cafe. Serving hot and cold snacks and meals at reasonable prices alongside hot and cold drinks and ice creams. Plenty of seating indoor and out with good access. Toilets next door. A lovely destination to take a walk along the prom to, or down the sloping walkways to. In high season the Eastbourne Dotto trains turn round here. Well worth a trip to. Dog friendly.

Qué lugar tan encantador es este. Buena comida, servicio amable y muchos asientos dentro y fuera. En un lugar perfecto en el extremo oeste del paseo marítimo de Eastbourne. Un excelente punto de parada para comer y beber algo antes de caminar de regreso al auto. Muy recomendable ya que también es muy limpio y ordenado.

A must when visiting Eastbourne. A brisk promenade walk to find a wonderful sun trap. Always busy, dogs welcome outside.

Un lugar encantador, semi - escondido. No sabía que estaba allí, no es obvio desde el paseo marítimo. Esto lo convierte en un lugar bastante protegido, y uno excelente para una taza de té y un bocadillo, aunque los desayunos parecían tentadores (lamentablemente ya lo había comido, ¡si lo hubiera sabido!)

Estos salones de té se encuentran en el extremo occidental del frente marítimo de Eastbourne. Si el clima es agradable, hay amplios asientos en el exterior y, si no es así, hay mucho espacio dentro.

We have been coming here for many years now. For coffee or tea or ice cream or lunch. The position is lovely. Sheltered and yet you can see the sea.

Having walked for a couple of miles along the seafront parade, you come across this charming tea chalet, nestled in the side of a steep hill. My wife and I have been coming here for years. Now they try very hard here to discourage the jackdaws from grabbing food from the people eating at the outside tables. They even installed one of those sinister bird of prey kites, which fly furiously from a wire on a pole.

We stopped here on our walk to Beachy Head, The fruit scones and cheese scones are home made and tasty. Walked here again for a cream tea along the sea front, although they do not advertise cream teas they will serve the scones with jam & cream which you pay for as extras, thought it worked out quite expensive for 2 scones, cream, jam & 2 teas came to £11.60. There is a good choice on the menu. There is plenty of outside seating

Mi esposo y yo amamos los pasteles Eccles aquí. Solo queda una esta tarde y él amablemente me dejó tenerla:) llena de fruta, untuosa y deliciosa.

Often go here for tea and scones. Also do a good range of food options. Reasonable prices. Cash only.

Took a stroll along the prom on a very hot day. Ended up at the cafe. Lovely selection of food and drinks. I chose an ice cream milkshake and it really hit the spot. Would highly recommend this place.

If you're visiting Eastbourne, you can't go wrong stopping-off at this eatery - for all sorts of reasons. True, access for less ambulant folk could be difficult - but reaching this venue on a mobility scooter no problemo.

I used to come here about 30 years ago and it was fairly basic but now it is modern and comfortable and serves delicious looking cakes although we just had tea on this occasion.

great little cafe, in excellent location right on the beach. Honest, cheap food that keeps us coming back. Breakfast a hit.

A nice spot for a break. I pop in with the grand kids (aged 6 and 2) of an afternoon after school. Polite, attentive staff and nice food. We can recommend the chips and the wide selection of ice cream.

Always been a favourite place to stop for cake, coffee, ice cream etc. Coffee today tasted rather bland but usually very good. Dotto train stops directly outside so very handy for tired folks after a long walk, or elderly/ wheelchair users.

After walking right along the sea front this place was a very welcome sight. We only stayed for refreshments and sat outside. The Ditto train terminus was at this point too. The only problems were the amount of birds scavenging on people’s leftovers. The staff were trying to tidy up as quickly as they could.

After a walk along the promenade on a wet and windy day we went to this fantastic cafe. Excellent service, quality food, great views. Well worth a visit.

We will often walk along the beach and stop for a drink at this cafe.

A little family walk down to this beachside cafe. One person did not want the full breakfast and, although not on the menu, the cafe toasted a tea cake specially. That is typical as if you don't want , say, the baked beans or grilled tomatoes they add for example an extra sausage. The cooked plate of food is not greasy and has been cooked specially. It is bargain priced as well.

We’ve been visiting this cafe over a number of years. It used to be really good and my husband really liked the lovely scones they used to serve. Of late we’ve noticed that the food hasn’t been nearly as good and that is a real shame. The scone my husband had a couple of weeks ago was dry and crumbly which made it difficult to eat. Last week we bought a piece of shortbread and that was so awful we couldn’t eat it. I think the owners need to remember that although there are lots of tourists that they don’t need to impress, there are lots of locals that they do need to. If they want the locals, like us, to keep returning, especially out of the main holiday season, then they need to raise their standards. For now, we won’t chose to eat there, which is a shame because it’s in a beautiful position and has such potential.

After walking down from the pier we were ready for a drink and thought that there was only public toilets at the end of the path as the cafe is hidden from view . Great little find , lovely home made scones and coffee and delicious thick milkshakes served by happy friendly staff .

what can I say. Its the last stop at the end of a long walk. A good place for a tea or a coffee. As long as you dont have any dogs or young children with you. They dont serve outside despite having the facility to do so (a hatch). The service inside is poor, a long wait. Waiting stuff make you feel as if you are doing them a favour. The tea and coffee is average and the food is nothing to write home about. It is edible. Filthy outside. Its been there a long while and needs a refresh. Maybe a new layout, a fish bar with a bit of atmosphere; wine, beer and a good selection of teas and coffee to go with it. I will watch and wait.

Tucked away behind the cliffs, what a great find. Superb cakes and very good service. Will happily return.

went for a walk to Holywell with family and stopped at the Holywell tea chalet for a lunchtime snack. Lovely day so sat outside and it was sheltered so lovely to sit in the sun We had tea, juice and I had a BLT baguette which was very good

After a walk from YHA Eastbourne II stopped here to have a break before walking along thr front to the centre of Eastbourne. Set at the bottom of the cliff at Holywell with outside spaveds to eat as well. varied menue to suits most needs . The black birds that congregated there were unusual and a welcome change from seagulls.

We were surprised to find this beach-side cafe open in the middle of January, but we were very glad it...

Great service, friendly staff, pot of tea with pot of hot water to refresh, good selection of cakes, delicious ice-cream....