The Old Rec Cafe in Brighton and Hove

I have been in Hove for a few years now, and I have never stumbled across such a lovely gem of a cafe as this! Leah is thoughtful and kind and provides outstanding service, delicious coffee and tasty treats. Best of all, this is a local community run cafe. Rocky road is the best I've tasted. 👌

Lovely cafe in a local park, very friendly owner. A little bit of calm just off the old Shoreham road, nice deck for sitting on.

Great drinks and food. Very dog friendly. Takeaway and outdoor seating.

Very nice cup of coffee in a nice park. Take a walk round the perimeter before or after.

Had a delicious iced coffee here today, couldn’t have asked for more from my visit. Good coffee, beautiful weather & amazing service

Would definitely recommend visiting here when in the area! There’s a lovely outdoor seating area with a view of the whole park, it’s perfect for bringing your kids for a day out! Today I had a caramel iced coffee which paired perfectly with the sunshine. All sorts of coffees available as well as homemade cakes & icecreams. Even do icecream for the dogs & water bowls outside!! Also a toilet which you can never take for granted!! Had a great day here with the family. & 5 minute drive from the beach!!

This place is a little gem. Real people real food and amazing coffee. The lady working here takes so much time to talk to the customers, and that’s also why people keep coming back. We call it the fairy-caf and have been coming for years 🧚‍♀️. We love an independent business and we love this place ❤️ Leah your an important lady to this area you make people smile every day.

Long time customer there my fav cafe in Brighton and Hove !

Well where do I start .First off the lady who was serving was to busy talking to a friend rather than serve her customers secondly the place is not very clean and needs a clean .I had a sandwich and coffee and I have no clue how old the bread was but was not fresh and the coffee was warm .I walk past this cafe daily and feel that it open and closes when ever and has no set times .One of the worst places I have been to never ever will I return to this place

Visited couple weeks ago. Coffee was v poor. The gruff 'barista' did not pour a fresh shot but used one she had already had on the side, she also used pre-steamed milk which she reheated using wand instead of preparing. Lazy. This is the second poor experience I've had here, will not be returning.

I take my children to Hove rec every Sunday. Whilst my son is busy playing rugby I treat my daughter to the most amazing hot chocolate and a rocky road. Leah is really friendly, bubbly and makes us feel very welcome

Never been here befor and will not return .Young girl Working was not helpful at all and had dirty clothes on and the other member of staff was to busy talking on her phone .The place is dirty and needs a clean .cup dirty cake old and stale

Great cafe tucked away in corner of park. Owner friendly and bakes great cakes. Well worth supporting small local business's like this rather than going to boring large corporate chains that have no individual character. Handy for walking the dog or exercising the kids in the park.

This cafe is my happy place... beautiful surroundings... Amazing food... Great coffee... Awesome people. You should go :)

We visited with my elderly auntie and the staff could not be more helpful or freindly. We will definitely come again.

Attended with my elderly auntie and the staff are very helpful and friendly. They could not fo enough. We will be back.

Tasty cake and coffee at tables spread apart from one another!

I loved it! Fab coffee and cake (homemade). Beautiful old, restored building. Sitting in a park in the sun, chatting with friends. Just perfect.

in lockdown, takeaway stuff can be a bit institutional. But Leah runs the cafe with such a personal touch, I ordered inside and then she served me from a hatch so it all felt sensible and correctly safe. Cheese toasties and a coffee - all melty-gooey and rich deliciousness. Thanks Leah, your little sanctuary in a corner of Hove Recreational Ground is very special and hugely appreicated! And your amazing cakes are superb!

Summer may be fading but the warm welcome people always receive at The Old Rec Cafe never does! Neither does the quality of coffee, the food and cake - great quality at decent prices - something you don't always find in Brighton and Hove. This is the type of place where I could take my elderly mother and still end up talking to the lovely people who come here. I can go and my own and enjoy myself - so it's always a place you look forward to going to because of this fab combination of quality and the personal input of Leah, the owner, who greets everyone as a friend. It's its own community where new people come along and visit again. There's so much space outside from bench to chairs and tables - plenty of safe distancing for sure! If people don't want to go inside the cafe to order (which is so quaint!), Leah will take orders when you've taken your seat outside. Room for wheelchairs and dogs welcome.

Spent well over 3 hours here whilst waiting for my daughter who was in Hove for the day. Absolutely delightful manager, so friendly and welcoming, nothing was too much trouble. Delicious bacon sandwiches - highly recommended - gorgeous cakes and proper tea (as well as a range of alternatives.) A brilliant little gem that you would be foolish to pass by 😀

Great coffee and a great atmosphere

Lovely owner, so welcoming and has done an amazing job with the original building!

A total haven for great coffee and a friendly chat. Someone else has already compared this place to Cheers and that’s exactly how I feel about it. Arrive as a stranger, leave as a friend. Thanks Leah, you’ve created something really special!

So lovely and friendly! Fab coffee too!

This little cafe is a must. Lovely, friendly service and great food and drink. The lemon cake is fantastic!

De vez en cuando el clima británico te regala un día radiante. Sí te encuentras por la zona una de esas mañanas soleadas acercarse sin prisa a esta pequeña y coquetuela cafetería merece la pena. Cómo si de un cuento se tratara la casita del bosque, aquí es el café en el parque. Según se entra, a escasos pasos a la diestra. Detenerse, sentarse fuera, tomar un buen té o café con una porción de tarta casera; sea de limón, un brownie o un flapjack... Charrar con la dueña, los lugareños, tu acompañante; relajarte viendo los campos de rugby al fondo, o contemplando algo más cerca a los perros enredar; sacar quizás un libro, pasar el rato. Los días lluviosos o invernales también se adivinan agradables, en su saloncito con chimenea.

Friendly, quirky great food and fantastic choice of teas and coffee a real community cafe

A great place for a coffee and a naughty slice of home made cafe. Very friendly and pleasant place to watch the world go by.

Amazing cafe. Wonderful and welcoming owner, makes you feel like you're her best friend. Homemade food, lovely coffee, reasonably priced, dog and family friendly. 100% recommend a visit, much nicer than the Hove Park one!

Lovely cafe! The food and coffee is amazing and great value for money! I would recommend going there if your out with the kids at Hove Park! Miles better than the food around.

I have walked past many times thinking it must be really small inside but was surprised to see the place full up. The owner Leah was really friendly and the coffee was excellent, really good value too at £2.30 for a flat white. Dog friendly and the cakes look great. Everyone was tucking in but I'm in a diet. I can really recommend this place.

Great little place for a coffee and a break from walking the dog

What an amazing little gem! Hidden in the corner of Hove recreation ground this beautifully restored gatehouse sells fantastic coffee ,amazing sandwiches/panini and delicious homemade cakes & bakes. The tranquil surroundings make for a wonderful place to while away the afternoon with friends or alone. A delightful find

You know the TV programme "Cheers" .... where everybody knows your name etc. Well, at this lovely Cafe it's the same! And that is in addition wonderful coffee and food. My mother just especially loves the homemade cakes and caramel slices and the dog gets a watering bowl too! Thank you - and see you again later in the week!

Truly loved The Old Rec Cafe! Feels like a real hidden gem and an absolute unexpected delight! Loved the decor, log burning fire, delicious hot chocolate special and friendly staff who were more than happy to help. We didn't have food but would love to return to do so! Would highly recommend!! Enjoy people!

Nice Cafe Great Food Nice Staff 10/10 Best cafe in Hove very cosy. 😄😄😄

'O.N.E Nutritional Fitness' Kitchen just opened! The Jerk chicken was perfection 😍 and healthy 2!

I have been here many times now and the place is amazing. The owner Leah is a wonderful friendly lady who makes the most delicious coffee. The homemade cakes and bakes are delicious . The made to order sandwiches and Panini's are fantastic. I really can't rate this place high enough, a beautiful little Gem in the heart of hove.

A little gem in the corner of the rec. Nice coffee and snacks, friendly staff and nice seating. Dog friendly.

Mostly sandwiches and cakes (superb). Friendly, chatty hostess, Leah. We now walk the dog in Hove Rec instead of Hove Park because of this cafe.

Had some proper tasty sandwiches in this lovely little cafe. It's a real hidden gem and deserves to be a success, so get down there to support it.

What an amazing and quaint cafe with friendly staff. Although right on closing time, we were still made to feel welcome and served tea and enormous slices of delicious homemade cake. Next time we are in Hove will definitely make time to revisit.

Si quieres una cálida bienvenida con su taza de té, entonces no busque más que café leah la Vieja Rec. Me encanta estar aquí, se siente como un segundo hogar. Me gusta caminar a mis perros por el parque, lo cual es genial porque es más silencioso que la mayoría de los parques, y luego ir a la cafetería para comer o beber. Yo y mis perros siempre he tenido el más encantador y amable bienvenida y probablemente podría residuos horas pasando por allí, pero necesito conseguir en vigor con algunas obras, así que yo para salir. Leah tiene una bonita variedad de bebidas y tortas. Estoy deseando ver lo que hace con el lugar. Ve aquí!

Went here today while watching the Rugby. Wow! what an amazing friendly little place. excellent coffee, fantastic bacon butties and really friendly service. I'll definately be going back

Recommended to try cafe when taking dog a walk, staff were friendly and everything made to order. We asked for the bacon to be crisp, the bread , bacon and eggs were fab. Best sandwiches tasted . We will call in again. The dog enjoyed the bowls of water after the run around on the rec.

Finally managed to visit here today, what a gorgeous little place . Fantastic coffee , wonderful friendly staff, beautiful decor and an air of complete calm. I'll definitely be going back. 10 stars