The Naze Links Cafe in Tendring

What they don't tell schools on educational visits, is they don't accept kids debit cards. Not sure if it's they don't accept Mastercard. 🤔

Friendly staff and a nice little spot to hang out after a walk along the beach

An absolute atmospheric delight. Food is great. Standout options that we found were their quiche, jacket potato, and bakewell tart. All made on site. Salad or garnish is clearly freshly prepared, crispy and of good quality. Very dog friendly, indoors or outside no problem. Great views and relaxing ambience. Staff are charming, smiling and good fun, definitely adding value to the visit experience.

Today I made my annual pilgrimage to Walton. My entire journey was filled with hope that this little gem of a cafe would be open and, moreover, that they would have a homemade Cornish pasty available. Both came true! Staff here are utterly brilliant and the pasty, well, didn't disappoint through to the last flakey crumb! I sat in my car in pure pasty heaven! See you next year!!

Made me feel very sad and emotional I now have too go in therapy 😢 food was mouldy and no hygiene

My dad got me a latte today and after few mouthfuls had to bin it as milk had curdled. Well thats now me with a dodgy stomach rest of the day.

Delicious food and friendly lovely staff! What more could you ask for. Cute little cafe with a shop section for beach bits and pieces. Lemon meringue pie is a fab of mine and I had had it both days we visited. My husband enjoyed the panini. Worth coming here for lunch/ breakfast of your visiting the beach.

Great value food and drinks with a lovely friendly service. Can get rather busy when school parties arrive, but when they've moved on, it's a nice place to sit and enjoy a tea and cake.

such a lovely little shop / cafe all homemade treats 10/10 for taste and really affordable price cheaper than most chain owned cafes and you're getting homemade products

One of three places locally for eats, drinks and ices. Cornish pasties, sausage rolls and bread pudding are quite special. There is a great menu for a small shop. We'll worth a visit.

Friendly folk, brilliant value, delicious cakes. Lemon Polenta gluten free, superb.

Best spot to be in the sun and out of the wind. Good, honest food. Panini, jacket potatoes and cakes all good. And they also have doggie ice cream.

Great little cafe… went on a windy,bright day and took my grandson. Hot chocolate and good coffee. We went back for generously topped jacket potatoes and more hot chocolate… lovely friendly staff and dog friendly too😃

Nice stop for much needed intake of cake and coffee!

Great little kiosk excellent ice cream selection.

Simply the best fruit scone I have ever had, and iv had a few!! Friendly, clean and great value for money. Loverly place to grab a bite to eat after an afternoon of exploring the area, which is beautiful.

The best latte I had in a coffee shop. Very creamy, tasty, not watery..like everywhere else. And your walnut, coffee cake was a delight too. Thanks for your welcoming and friendliness

lovely historical location, friendly and a great place for a break

We stopped in this cafe briefly, to buy an ice cream before going up the Naze Tower. Ice cream was excellent. Staff were friendly and helpful. Lots of tables outside as well as some inside. The food orders which came past us looked like generous portions. Excellent location, highly recommended.

Lovely friendly staff psyched me up after a fall on the Beech Nothing to much trouble Food brilliant Great place for a coffee and chill out

Great friendly place, home cooked cakes and hot food is good.lots of choice for hot drinks and all at sensible prices. What's not to like.

Nice little cafe and visitor centre to drop in on when strolling around the Naze

Good food, fast service nothings to much trouble

Visiting the Naze on a glorious September morning and decided to get a quick drink and a bite. Chose a fruit scone. It was amazing, really the freshest best- made fruit scone I have had anywhere I have ever been! It was divine! My husband had a pasty, and we both had a drink, all for under £5. Highly recommend!

Sandwiches not good black egg and cheap coffee

Nice friendly place. Good drinks and beach gear/toys etc. available.

Review covers the Naze Links Café in the context of the Naze. Visit the ‘Naze’ to the north of Walton-on-the-Naze and you’re on a ‘headland’ that’s a mix of town park, open country, farmland and beach to the east and marshlands, tidal estuary, islands and open water to the west - west is the SSSI Hamford Water National Nature Reserve covering >20 km2. This is Coastal Essex in all its splendour and particularly on a fine warm sunny day mid-week in mid-September – after those family summer holidays when the children have returned to school. This is when you have the place largely to yourself. Well … that depends on whether dogs are considered; everywhere you look there are dogs leading/pulling people - sometimes two or three dogs; dogs are the de facto inhabitants of the Naze – or so it seems. Getting to the Naze from Walton is a cinch – head north, follow the road signs and pull into the Naze Car Park – airfield-like space with room for >200 cars. Ten minutes maximum. Walking will take you 40 minutes. Stop close to the pay-as-you-park machine that will give you that essential ‘get out of jail card free’. The Naze is a veritable treasure chest of delights – so much to see and do and you’ll need 3-4 hours. Four hours will cost you GB£4 – reasonable value. For us it was mid-morning and time for that coffee break. Right next to the car park there was the Naze Links Café – perfect. It was only later that we discovered there were two other cafés available on site – all within 50 m – amazing. The Naze Link Café was reasonably busy and, when we passed by the other two cafés during the next 30 minutes or so – they were equally as busy. The one was in the Naze Centre – providing the only easily accessible toilets on site - and the other on the ground/first floor of the Naze Tower. Leaving the Naze Link Café we went directly to the Naze Centre (for that toilet) and then on to the Tower – at 26 m the highest point on the Naze. From the top of the tower you can appreciate spectacular views of land, sea, country and town. And about the Naze Links Café then. It was the first café that we saw when parking/buying that parking ticket – the machine is in front of the café – clever marketing ploy. There were a handful of coffee/snack clients on the seats outside, and a sign leaning against the wall which said: ‘We don’t do fast food - but food that is delivered quickly’. At the bar inside we joked around this delivery line with the friendly woman serving, about our disappointment that we’d not be able to request our first Big Mac of the day but, after that bombed, we ordered a couple of coffees. Coffee took 2-3 minutes and cost us GB£1.90 each. We headed outside with our cups/saucer to one of those tables in the sun. From here you capture those ‘yes/no/wow’ views - the Naze covered in parked cars to the one side and spectacular seascapes to the other; green sea, wind generators by the dozens and, 16 km out, the ‘Rough Sands’ Maunsell Fort which dates from WW2. You’ll need binoculars to see the detail of the structure. Sit outside the Naze Links Café and reflect upon the diversity of the Naze and its attractions – museum, nature trails, military trails, education centre, shops, tower, observation platform, seawall, eroding cliff face. Start, however, with that well-earned hot coffee mid-morning. The Naze Links Café reminds you of times passed - typical of other similar places that once cluttered up the seaside towns/marine parades everywhere there were coastal towns within reach of an urban centre –that could be accessed by railway or by charabanc (colloquially pronounced ‘sharrabang’). There would be a shop selling all that you needed for the beach to one side and, to the other, a hot counter providing drinks, snacks, light meals, ice cream and lollipops. There were always friendly serving people too. This is your Naze Links Café. Looking back and reflecting on the coffee that we had been given, it would have made more sense to have ordered a couple of teas – teas were the hot drinks that you typically bought in seaside cafés of those earlier times. Coffee? Well, it didn’t filter into the mass market until the ‘60s and then it came in ‘instant’ mode – which we all found cool/á la mode. Our coffee that morning was hot – no issue, but it was insipid/weak and nothing like the drink that you thought you had ordered: filter coffee, instant coffee, coffee-flavoured syrup … who knows? Who out there now remembers Camp Coffee? Gripes/complaint? Of course not, there was simply too much nostalgia involved with our short coffee break that morning; this thing about the pleasure of sitting back in the sun, breathing that marine air, looking-around at your fellowman/woman enjoying themselves (dogs too) and anticipating the adventure of exploring the Naze that morning. And, it was that feeling of good-will of actually being there that lead to the 'very good' summary of the cafe, people and location - notwithstanding that terrible coffee. ‘Do you have a toilet available?’ We asked, as we left. ‘It’s in the Naze Centre’ came the reply. And thus, we discovered the second café that morning – almost next door. Looked like there was a proper coffee machine in the place too. In fact, there are toilets in a separate building behind the Naze Links Café, but they were under repair (or something). We saw them following the cliff path back to the car park later that morning. Peter Steele Maldon 20Sept19

Cafe staff friendly both to humans and dogs. Water bowls available. Best Ploughmans lunch had in a long time. My husband had a ham lunch and I had cheese. Plenty of cheese and thick tasty ham. Milkshakes made freshly. Lots of fresh accompaniments. Reasonable prices. Dogs on leads permitted inside.

We found this by mistake and certainly glad we did, had quiche with a garnish, which was more like a full salad and it was delicious, staff friendly and obliging and really good value.

I thought something was a bit fishy at the time! I went in to purchase two ice lollies for me and my partner, and paid by contactless. I have just looked at my bank and have been charged £12.25! Disgusting! Avoid these crooks!

Ideal for when you visit and stroll around the naze area. There is parking out side. Toilets. Prices are not to bad

A wonderful little cafe that brings back memories from childhood. Beautiful cakes and friendly staff.

Visited on a fine, sunny day when it was busy, with lots of school children making it even more so. As a result, it seemed that more staff might have helped. However, the ladies managed well, didn't seem to be stressed by it, and kept a sense of humour. Our order of hot drinks & cakes was reasonably priced and enjoyable. Sat outside in the sun and had to clear the table ourselves, which was understandable in the circumstances. Shame the toilet block behind (nothing to do with the cafe) seemed locked and out of use!!!

Triggers childhood memories of bucket and spade holidays! Much more character than the visitor centre. The cafe is spotlessly clean, food home cooked and the service is efficiency and friendly. Mid-October and the cafe was packed to the gills inside and outside - demonstrates how popular it is. Our regular stop for lunch or tea and home baked cake when we visit.

A favourite with dog walkers, this is a proper old cafe as I remember them being as a child 60 years ago. Sandwiches and mint cake with tea and coffee in mugs. Cheap and cheerful and a characterful little place staffed by lovely people who always have a smile for you. Nice place to sit outside when the sun shines. It's the sort of place that should be supported when new, subsidised fancy 'centre' (and expensive cafe) is built right across the green from them! Long may thay prosper!

My husband and I had a lovely cream tea here today. It was only £2.50 each. Really lovely and such good value for money. Staff are so friendly too. Highly recommended

I just can not agree with the previous reviewer "lovey", my family and I found the food to be extremely reasonably priced compared to the other Naze cafes. The Paninni filling was plentiful, tasty and cooked to perfection (bacon and cheese), cooked fresh with not too long a wait either....it was also presented nicely with a side salad. No complaints about the coffee either. We were apprehensive about trying this cafe because of this previous review but are so glad we decided to give it a go. All the staff were friendly, pleasant and efficient. We sat at an outside table and our food was brought to the table. We noticed several orders were for Paninni's so most people must be like minded to us, will definitely be returning and will be recommending to anyone that will listen!

The cafe is on the edge of the Naze, with about 6 tables inside and a few outside. Like many typical seaside shops, it sells bucket and spades etc., but also has a cafe. We had a light lunch of jacket potatoes and drinks, which were surprisingly tasty, and the coffees were fine too.

Visit this area a lot. The gift shop is small and the seating area inside is good but the coffee is v weak. Understaffed at times and staff don;t seem to know whats going on although they are all very pleasant.Overpriced snacks cakes and sandwiches. We ordered hot food which took an age, therefore we had finished are hot drinks by the time it was cooked.I wont rush back as the quality of the food and drinks are of a higher standard at Hipkins cafe on the Naze,Sadly it is open through the season rather than all year round.This cafe was clean and good for families

Had tea here after a lovely stroll round the Naze, lovely gift shop and great staff, food looked good too.

Excellent cafe for the family at a reasonable price , The bubble and squeak is very excellent and like to visit this establishment at least once a fortnight good car parking in the vicinity and good beach and Pier around the corner

Nice cafe where you can sit and enjoy the views out to sea or over the water to Harwich and Felixstowe where large container ships can be seen towering out of the water. Tea, coffee, cold drinks, snacks etc at reasonable prices as well as sual seaside gifts. If it turns wet there are a few tables inside.

On the Naze at Walton on the naze this is a simple but nice cafe/gift shop with surprising good simple food and is open most of the year. We have been there often and have not been disappointed.

At the top of The Naze, there are 2 places to eat/drink. The Tower, which is okay for teas, coffees, and small snacks, and the Naze Links Cafe. The Naze Links Cafe is open all year round (weather permitting), it sells a good selection of fast foods and drinks, and also has a small shop with seaside goods eg bucket, spade, fish nets, and post cards. It is nothing exceptional, but a most welcome refuge after walking around the Naze and the beach. Many people arrive in the car park, have a snack in the cafe, and then drive off again, as if it were their weekly treat.