The Mardle Cafe in Waveney

The cafe has recently been taken over and it has been redecorated inside and it looks really nice and the atmosphere was great. We only called in (quite late) for Coffee and a cake and the staff were very obliging and even kept open a little longer to let us finish. Coffee was great and so were the selection of cakes and savories on offer. We will certainly go again. There are also a couple of circular walks near by which take you west onto farm and woodland (somerleyton estate?) or to the east where you can walk to the Essex and Suffolk water nature reserve which is run by Suffolk Wildlife trust.

A group of 4 of us booked afternoon tea. Was a beautiful clean place with a good atmosphere. The food and service was excellent. We had a lovely couple of hours. Highly recommended. Staff were so warm and friendly. Will definitely come again.

I ordered a cake to be made from the Mardle Café for a birthday and it was a pleasant experience no issues and very willing to cater for this. I collected the cake it tasted amazing and the birthday girl really enjoyed it too! Will be coming back. :)

I was the first customer to have the new mardle mega melt which was amazing! Staff were lovely and friendly and the Bakewell sponge was devine. Would definitely recommend.

A fantastic visit to the mardle today, due to a no show there was the opportunity to experience an afternoon tea. The ladies were very attentive and couldn’t have been be more friendlier. The food was immense and the Coffee was equally good. I will be definitely returning as there were also many options on the Menu that sound amazing.

Had takeaway afternoon tea for 2ppl , this was lovely presented and tasted absolutely amazing .... especially the brownie I've never tasted anything as delicious as that was ,staff are lovely and friendly and are happy to help, the cafe is nice and clean ,will 100% visit again and will 100% recommend 😋

We had a nice time, a group of us came for afternoon tea. There was a selection of different sandwiches, scones, and desserts, and breakfast tea. Overall it was a good experience and there was enough food. Easy on-road parking. Positives: Good value, £17 each. Sausage roll was absolutely perfect. It was warm, juicy, and had delicious pastry. The victoria sponge again was perfect, particularly the vanilla buttercream. Really nice ham sandwich. Fantastic coleslaw, would have loved a bit more. Lovely cream. Suggestions: The room was quite cold, we had to keep our coats on. We waited 40 minutes for food even though we had pre-booked a week in advance. Would be helpful to have bigger plates as they were very small, about the size of a saucer. It would be useful to have two plates instead of one, as we had to use our tea saucers for dessert as the plate we had already used had coleslaw etc on it. Or a bigger plate would probably solve the issue. The cheese scone had sugar in it, which was a bit strange, and the fruit scone's raisins were burnt on the outside. They could also have been bigger as these are sometimes seen as the main event of an afternoon tea. The flapjack was not great and was not holding together well, probably an unnecessary addition. Only normal tea was included; it would be great to have the option of a selection of loose-leaf teas, such as peach etc, but understand that this would add to the price and is a bit fancy.

My friend and I went to the Mardle Cafe for afternoon tea, which has to be prebooked. It was our first time there and it won’t be the last. Very efficient service, the food was absolutely delicious, and lots of it, lovely ambiance, and very good value for money. The cafe was packed, which speaks volumes of how popular it is. We thoroughly enjoyed it and can’t wait to go back again!

After visiting a number of times in the past for afternoon tea or just a slice of cake and a cuppa, we decided today to try the cooked breakfasts and I must say, it was absolutely delicious. It was all hot and freshly made for us and each thing on the plate tasted fantastic. I seriously cannot recommend this cafe enough. The staff are all very pleasant and very hospitable and even offered to make my toddler something and made a fuss of him too which he loved. A**** 10000% recommend to anyone and everyone

Had another lovely afternoon tea. Everything fresh and tasty. Very good value - always plenty left over to take home. Lovely loose leaf tea 🫖

Seven of us stopped at the Mardle Cafe today and the end of our 9 mile walk around Lound and Somerleyton. The cafe had just closed but they really kindly re-opened for us! The two girls were really helpful and friendly and went over above to serve us. The cakes were all beautiful and home made and the team and coffees, piping hot, would definitely recommend!

Good experience for birding group. Nice scones and sausage rolls. Welcoming & efficient. Plan to return.

Visited the Mardle for a birthday lunch for my mother-in-law, we both went for a panini and they were absolutely delicious served with a lovely fresh side salad and homemade slaw. The portion sizes were really generous too. This quaint little cafe has a lovely cosy feeling and the staff went out of their way to make us feel welcome - thank you and can’t wait to come back to try more of the menu!

Wonderful afternoon tea. We had a private hire for a baby shower. The food was delicious. Catered really well for multiple people with allergies. Really friendly staff who went above and beyond. Thank you

Visited today and could not have been more happy if I tried. I was lucky enough to speak to the owners who are the most lovely, down to earth people I have met. I have OCD so I am really fussy when it comes to cleanliness and I am pleased to say the place was spotless. The food was wonderful as were the latte’s. I will certainly be back again and will be recommending here to family and friends. Pat on the back to the staff, everything was amazing. You should be proud of yourselves.

Very friendly service. Spotless cafe with a cosy ambience. The sandwiches we had were jam packed with tasty fillings. My husband had a fish finger sandwich (with jumbo fish fingers) and I had ham and tomato. Both were served with salad and creamy home made coleslaw. We will definitely be back.

We had a lovely lunch. And will be going back . Made freshly enjoyed by all of use . I would recommend it to anyone

Having a free Monday lunchtime, we decided to visit The Mardle again after a very long gap. Having pre-booked, on arrival we were met and shown to a very pleasant table. The service was quick and efficient, and very friendly. The food was great: well cooked and presented, very tasty and in good quantity. So much that we didn't have room for any of the really nice looking cakes that were on display. Talking to the staff we were told that they had only recently taken over the cafe from the original owners. Whilst they may be new, they were very quick, friendly and willing to please. It won't be long before we make a return visit. Thank you for looking after us today.

Haven’t been since new owners have taken over but WOW.. The new owners are wonderful, as is the food , the quality, portion sizes & price as well as the service. Bent over backwards to accommodate my Keto diet requirements , it was absolutely delicious . Can’t thank you enough for all the trouble you went to ((with a smile & great chat) Definitely recommend

Absolutely fantastic. We had a cheese scone and a fruit scone. Both were light fluffy and tasty. Staff polite and couldn’t do enough for us. Would thoroughly recommend it.

My wife and I have been to the Mardle cafe a few times now and enjoyed everything that we had to eat and drink which is always served fresh and carefully presented to order by hosts Suzanne and Josh who always seem to go the extra mile to make sure that all is well for you. we have found the cafe is always clean, food excellent and the co hosts very helpful and polite and we will continue to use this wonderful cafe. Thank you both so much-from David & Janet G

Our first visit and made very welcome on arrival, good menu selection, particularly for vegan and gluten free options. Enjoyed our meal and will definitely go back. Thank you both.

Really polite, service. A awesome selection of options to choose from to fill your hunger needs. Bacon baps best in area. And cakes to die for.

The food today was amazing! Hot and fresh. Every time I pop in for a bite to eat at the mardle the food is always really good and the cafe is spotless and the staff are always welcoming and attentive. Would really recommend you visit if you get the chance it won't disappoint!

Absolutely amazing food amazing people amazing prices I will definitely go back again and again staff are bubbly happy welcoming and it's such a beautiful place 😀

Great place with the best cake I've ever had and so much choice that I always struggle to pick coz they all always look so nice! Will have to come back again soon to try another one! Yummy!

Where do I even begin? The Mardle is my absolute favourite place to go! I have visited a number of times over the last few months and it's been fantastic every time. I booked an afternoon tea for two as a treat for my mum...

Great time and experience yesterday at the Mardle. The staff were incredibly helpful and although very busy, made sure we were kept informed. Afternoon tea was delicious as usual and was a lovely afternoon spent outside. There was some rude customers there that should take...

Staff were amazing, food was fantastic too. They were really busy, and dealt with very rude customers, but didn’t stop them staying smiley and cheery. a very clean, very looked after café, owners were so lovely and so friendly! Would definitely go back there again...

Dreadful place…. service staff a disgrace, place was dirty as was the owner!!! Never ever again, I think environmental health need a visit !!!!

Visited today with my family and i cant recommend it more! They were very busy but it was all handled really well being kept inform and apologising about the wait! However the food was worth the wait! They had a stuffing issue which was out...

Don't waste your time stuck up owners and staff horrible food terrible all they care about is money not service

We had an amazing afternoon tea, everything was lovely, staff very friendly will definitely be going back.

This was our first visit to the Mardle cafe today and it certainly wont be our last! our food was tasty and freshly made with the cake being really nice and I should know as I eat a lot of cake!! Service was really good...

We came to one of the psychic nights, food was lovely and the atmosphere was great! Took home some cakes and they were so tasty :) Will defiantly come back. Food was freshly cooked and a great portion.

Had afternoon tea today and breakfast last week. Everything was freshly cooked and really tasty. Great value too. Can't fault it at all and would highly recommend.

Just spent a very pleasant afternoon at the Mardle Cafe. The afternoon tea was excellent. Everything was so fresh and tasty. The lovely couple who run it were happy to provide a box for the leftovers as we couldn't eat it all in one go...

Used to visit under previous owners, now under new ownership so visited to see if anything had changed. What a disappointment. Ordered tea, both waitresses had no idea if they had an earl grey option. Tea served in a tiny pot, enough for two small...

I’ve visited this cafe for years & had several take away afternoon tea’s which have been exceptional, however I ordered four afternoon tea’s ( 2 for £25 ) today because I wanted to try out the new owners teas, however I was very disappointed, the...

I have visited this place several times with relatives, & have found the food quality & service a bit hit & miss. Most of the time food is great (cake can occasionally be a bit dry & portion size varies). One thing that does concern...

Oh my goodness we went here for afternoon tea, there were seven of us celebrating my mother in law’s 80th birthday. The food was amazing, the cakes were so delicious, the service was excellent, we couldn’t eat it all, so it was boxed up and...

Absolutely fantastic Afternoon Tea, plentiful and delicious. The best scones I've tasted. Highly recommend.

Absolutely delicious food! All home-made and scrumptious. Huge portions and lots of choice. Beautifully pretty setting. Very tentative host for whom nothing was too much trouble. Highly recommended indeed. Definitely worth a visit!

Stopped for lunch today, met Baker, had lovely chat with him. Cant fault this place..if I could give 6 stars I would...absolutely divine food, service, facilities, everything top notch, highly recommend this place.

After having a take away afternoon tea in the summer of 2020 I was very impressed with the selection so roll on to Feb this year and I at last managed to make it to the cafe for an afternoon tea with family. Great selection...

I have used this cafe for years & have dined in & also had take away afternoon teas & sometimes managed to get them whilst on offer two for £20 which is very good value but have to be quick because they sell out fast!...

We stayed with friends for a week at this lovely hotel. It is adult only and the accommodation is excellent. We had a very friendly greeting on arrival from Louise and later a chat with Jason who are the proprietors. Our room was lovely, overlooking...

The Mardle recently catered for my dads wake and the service was outstanding. They delivered 32 individual boxes with both a savory and sweet selection of an afternoon tea. Everyone at the wake was amazed at the amount and the quality. They also did a...

Had afternoon tea for 3 people as collection service. The food was brilliant really tasty home cooked not the fancy small cakes as in some afternoon teas but who would not prefer a slab of gorgeous Victoria sponge. Would definitely have this again and recommend...

We visited late morning. Just managed to get a table as vast majority were booked out and reserved . I suppose there is a fine line with keeping customers satisfied and still being a walk- in cafe and I do get that . It possibly...

My daughter treated me to afternoon tea today it was delicious ,one off the best ones l have had thank you ,and thanks to my daughter for taking me.

One of the best afternoon tea experience i have had, food delicious. Member of staff very friendly and welcoming.

I’ve been recommended to come here for afternoon tea by numerous friends so expectations were high. We booked a table for four on a Saturday afternoon and was glad we did as the cafe was full. We all had the afternoon tea which was beautifully...

We had a lovely visit today for afternoon tea. The food was really, really good. It always is to be fair... they make the lightest cakes you'll find anywhere. They were really good about adapting the tea to be suitable for a member of our...

Superb menu with Great Service, absolutely packed on a Monday lunch time so we had to sit outside however worth the visit only down side was that it was cash only, not sure if this is permanent or there was problem on that occasion, both...

Mardle cafe is small but packs a punch with the flavours of the fresh food. We had afternoon tea for 2, the sandwiches, cakes, and scones were to die for, especially the warm cheese scone and sausage roll. Will return.

Walking the Somerleyton circular walk we originally had planned to stop at the village maid pub but instead this little cafe looked very inviting and the reviews were great! Wasnt holding out hope on getting a table but as it happened, one of the little tables outside was free. We ordered a fish finger sandwich and a tuna, cheese and red onion sandwich both of which came promptly and were relative large portions on fresh thick bread with generous fillings and a good portion of homemade coleslow and salad. The afternoon teas looked amazing from the ones we saw. Also got a choc brownie to go which was soft and very fresh. Coffee wasnt all that but hot. Would definitely return when in the area. Highly recommend

Visited for an afternoon tea. All food was incredibly fresh and delicious. Great service and quaint surroundings. Would definitely recommend.

Anniversary gift from our children. Cosy atmosphere and well worth a visit. Very popular choice, recommend you book in advance to avoid disappointment. Lovely fresh sandwiches, sausage rolls, mini quiches and cheese scones. Beautiful fruit scones, quality jam and cream and a plentiful selection of homemade sweet goodies we had to bring home as we didn't have room to finish. 'Real' tea was plentiful and topped up regularly. Everything was perfect.

My son & I arrived for a pre booked afternoon tea & were shown to our table, the waitress soon sorted our drinks & brought our food & told us to enjoy, we had finger sandwiches,warm sausage rolls cheese scones & quiches which were absolutely delicious! Unfortunately what I thought was a savoury dip was in fact butter that had melted & there was only one waitress to be seen who was busy with a full cafe, so I left my cheese & fruit scones & started on my sweet things which was Mini chocolate brownies, scones (with melted butter) jam & cream also two hunks of Victoria sandwich which I thought looked a bit clumsy & quite ordinary, I've had several afternoon teas locally which had lots of 'fancy cakes' & lot's of colour as well as tasting good for less money.Not once did the waitress ask if everything was ok or if I wanted a top- up with tea even though she kept passing our table ! So when we were ready to leave I went to the counter to pay the bill & paid the waitress & she still didn't ask if everything was ok & neither did she ask if I wanted to take home our scones & cakes, so I asked her & she put a few bags on the counter for me, so my son & I struggled to put the Victoria sandwich in the bags which was crumbling up & dropping everywhere! Normally at other places they whisk your left overs away & pack them all for you & can't do enough for you but im afraid it just didn't happen here! Also a bit inconvenient with being cash only! Sorry but it wasn't special like an afternoon tea should be & rather expensive at nearly £30.

What a quaint and wonderful find. Home made cakes are amazing & huge! It's only tiny so tyenchances of getting in without a booking would be slim. It's always busy.

Visit here regularly,and never disappointed, great food ,all cooked fresh and served hot, homemade scones are fantastic, break fast is superb,and lots of yummy cakes !

Booked afternoon tea for my sister and brother in law for a Christmas present.We visited this week for the first time.We was greeted by the lovely staff and thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon tea ,it was a mixture of savoury and sweet.what can I say it was all delicious and homemade would highly recommend this place to anyone x

My sister booked us afternoon tea here for my birthday. It was our first visit and we were both really looking forward to it after reading such good reviews and we weren't disappointed. We love afternoon tea and have tried many different ones but this one has probably been my favourite! The food was really yummy and the service was good too and it had a lovely atmosphere. Would definitely recommend.

Just had a afternoon tea at the Mardle, a family affair, the food is freshly made and delicious, the cakes are freshly made by the owner and does not do the waistline much good, but who cares? If you are thinking of going than you need to book in advance. As well as afternoon tea sweet or savoury, they are also open all day until 4pm, they do a big breakfast and the usual sandwiches or toasted melts. Well ! well ! worth a visit.

We hadn’t booked but as we were early just nabbed the last table that hadn’t been reserved, ordered homemade soup tomato and marscapone I believe we over indulged as we also ordered sausage rolls so no room for the wonderful selection of cakes and scones. Will definitely go again but try to be a bit more controlled next time. Lunch and coffees reasonably priced and staff very friendly and accommodating.

Lovely little cake shop / café. All homemade cakes etc. forget your waist line and give it a try. Very busy so you are better to book

My wife and I used to love popping into the Mardle at Lound for a relaxing snack, but times have changed now in that when you go in, you are faced with a mass of "Reserved" tables and if you are allowed to sit at one of the tables you have to keep an eye on the time for when the people who have reserved the table turn up, so it is no longer a relaxing cuppa. I know we could pre-book like the rest, but it is nice to decide to have a break when you are in the area as a last minute decision.

This is the best café in Norfolk. The food is all homemade by the beautiful Jane and family and the staff are very very friendly. Would recommend a high tea here especially if you are hungry anyone visiting Norfolk visit this quaint little village to indulge in the delightful cakes at the Mardle Café

Lovely place with lovely food. It was a nice sunny day when my friend and I went so we could sit outside. They have nice big sofa's there to chill and relax. Highly recommend

Went for lunch and thoroughly enjoyed my lunch followed by a generous portion of cake. Lovely friendly atmosphere and staff.

We'd got caught out with the weather whilst out walking so were in need of something warm but were greeted with the news that hot food had finished. We had to make do with coffee and cake. Not a huge selection of cakes but what we had was very tasty.

Delicious sandwich and panini lunch, as always, excellent quality food. We finished off with the most delicious carrot cake, and we were stuffed.

This little cafe is so poplar and busy, booking is a must. My friend and I had lunch here today, prawn jacket potato/prawn sandwich both with homemade coleslaw and side salad, absolutely gorgeous and good portion sizes. Followed by homemade cake (various cakes on offer). Staff here are lovely and very efficient. Highly recommend. Please note that at the moment this cafe accepts “cash only” (there is no cash machine nearby).

Took mum to marbles today for afternoon tea for 4 of us, was absolutely Lovely! All the savourys were fresh and warm and the cakes were delicious! Had to bring some home as couldn't eat it all. I will now not need to eat for a week! Will defo be back

A superb relaxing place with fantastic food and cake , we had a lovely experience and will definitely be visiting again soon 😎

This place does excellent pancakes and with gorgeous streaky bacon. The coffee is good and the staff are friendship and kind. I recommend.

Absolutely fab ... what a lovely selection of homemade food ... afternoon tea is pre booked and is plenty for two people and I even took some home! Home made sausage rolls are to die for, cheese scone freshly baked and still warm, mini quiche, 4 types of finger sandwhich ... prawn, ham, cheese n tomatoe and egg, then brownies, shortcake, scone with clotted cream and jam, lemon pot, big slice of the best vanilla Victoria sandwich ... all with a massive pot of proper leaf tea! A lovely treat from my friend who is a regular visitor from the wild duck holiday park in Belton ... we have walk to it before ... the service is excellent and there a little area outside which is where we sat with the dog ... who got a treat too ! Perfect !

Popped in at lunch time. Ordered a cheese and tomato melt, very nice, came with homemade coleslaw and salad with dressing. Reasonably priced. The staff were very friendly and helpful. The afternoon tea looked good, must try that next time

We have been meaning to give this establishment a try for a while. Checked out the recent reviews which looked good and shows as open. Unfortunately when we arrived the cafe was closed. It clearly states the opening times on the door, just a shame they are not updated on tripadvisor.

This is a place not to be missed, I went here for a second visit which was for a birthday brunch. The food was very nice and the staff are always helpful. The stars of the show are the homemade cakes though, they are amazing.

We fancied late 'dessert' after our post-lunch walk so decided to give the Mardle a go. I must say we had tried many times before but had been faced with a full cafe or found the cafe had shut early due to a pre-booked function.

I thought I would treat a friend to a coffee and cake at our local café as have biked past it many times and it always looked very tempting . On arrival at 11.30 there were a few tables free , but ,were told they were fully booked and come back in half an hour . Can anyone arrive drink tea and eat within half an hour of our return ? Felt very silly , so we walked up the road to the pub where we had a very nice lunch !

Excellent staff, and food. Reasonable prices. Will go back again. Small cafe, but incredible choice, and all freshly baked.

We went here in the afternoon on Saturday and managed to get a lovely cake and cup of tea. Cake one of the best I have tasted!

Had a wonderful Afternoon Tea today which was a treat for my mum for Mother's Day. We weren't disappointed, it was delicious! Excellent food, friendly service & great value for money. I will be returning!

We went in and there was only a few people in and plenty of empty tables. We were told that we could not sit at any of them as they were booked for afternoon tea at 12.30, it was 11.10 and we only wanted a coffee and piece of cake. We were told there was only 2 places at a sofa so we took them and waited for the waitress to come, which was a good while, my friend went to go to counter to order but the waitress said she would come and take our order. We ordered 2 coffees and 2 pieces of cake.

Went for afternoon tea with family cakes and sandwiches was lovely especially the tea nice and clean but very small and could of been a bit warmer in there but would go back

Had a nice lunch with the family. Sandwiches were good and plenty of filling.Tea was great and you can top up when you get low. Cafe was very clean and busy when we came. Large selection of cakes to choose from if you have room. Well worth a visit if you have time.

I had given this place another go after having a poor experience the first time.. this time myself and a couple of friends went for a spot of lunch and a coffee.. the young lady seemed nothing but flustered .. place looked messy.. chairs very uncomfortable and not very well set out or to many tables fitted into a small space.. I think they need another member of staff instead of it seeming like your coursing an inconvenience when arriving. I don’t think I’ll give this place another go.

I pre booked the Christmas afternoon tea well in advance and informed the lady on the phone that I was a vegetarian. She said no problem and asked me if I ate fish (which I do) so they would give me tuna and prawn sandwiches...

Wow! Great food, great coffee, friendly and helpful staff !! Can get busy so might be advisable to book. Visit...

My partner and I were given a gift voucher and came here for afternoon tea. The spread was amazing! Lovely...

The Mardle is without doubt one of the nicest cafe's I have been to, the food was delicious and plentiful...

Visited in a Friday afternoon. Some lovely cakes available and portions were very big . Had a comfy seat with our dog cake and a lovely catch up with friend. Downside was there were several things missing off menu and pin machine was not working but friendly staff and nice atmosphere

In the old Post Office of The Street, Lound you'll find a small, but very nice place for home made food. The name is 'The Mardle Cafe' and we found it to be delightful.

Lovely Cafe, well worth a visit.

Love this cafe . I have visited lots of times each experience enjoyable. Fish finger sandwiches and cherry bake well cake ..... fantastic

Got taken by a friend for my birthday. Lovely afternoon tea with more savoury bits which is what I prefer. All freshly made and tea on tap!! Cute little place and very friendly staff. Would recommend!

Was treated to afternoon tea by some friends, absolutely delicious, would 100% recommend, delicious cakes and a perfect choice being a vegetarian my husband loved the sausage rolls the little pastries very tasty and the delicious scones and not forgetting the lovely staff