The Pelican Diner in Hastings

Despite arriving promptly at their opening time, we were not allowed to sit inside at any of their empty tables (all of them). Instead we were offered a table outside of which we were the first. After nearly an hour in the cold watching everyone else getting served ahead of us, we chased the wait staff. They blamed the kitchen for mixing up the order of the orders and said we would be next and wouldn't allow us to cancel our order. 20 mins later after chasing again it finally arrived but was lukewarm, slightly congealed, tasteless and generally disappointing despite our hunger at this point. Staff were completely unapologetic which topped off an already unpleasant experience. Don't be tempted by the trendy brunch menu and give this place a swerve.

The breakfast burrito is absolutely delicious. Make sure you have a good walk beforehand though as it’s a lot to eat. Great service as well.

Visited in July 2023. We came to Hastings for a long weekend. This diner was highly recommended on Google Maps for breakfast and brunch. We were not disappointed. This spot is very intimate in size but in the middle of the action on the sea front. We both went for a Lumberjack, which came with fluffy pancakes, eggs and avocado. There was fairly long wait, but everything is cooked to order and freshly. It was worth the wait. The service was friendly and warm. The price reflects the quality. If you’re looking for a great brunch place in Hastings then look no further.

A little bit of the U.S.A. in Hastings, fried chicken and waffle with crispy bacon and maple syrup, pancakes galore all for breakfast or brunch, food was cooked lovely, even the coffee tasted great, service was excellent and great value for money.

Absolutely fantastic. Super friendly, helpfulstaff accommodated a group of 12 plus a dog and everyones food (and milkshakes) were phonominal. The portions are enormous, you will not leave hungry! 110% recommend.

Great place to have brunch. Loved the Mexican eggs.

Cracking brunch! Cool looking diner and very friendly staff!

Food was slow but staff were very friendly. Good options both vegan and non vegan

We hadn’t been for a while and thought it might be under new ownership or management so were worried the standards might have slipped but - we were not disappointed! Attentive and super friendly staff, and the lumberjack breakfast was as good as it always has been. Amazing pancakes and bacon. Hurrah!

Some of the best pancakes I've ever eaten. Nice little place with good service. Every dish we ordered was very very good.

We were recommended this venue for breakfast by an outstanding waitress (Izzy) from another restaurant. She assured us it was top notch and it turned out she wasn't playing, at all. We visited on the last morning of our family getaway and suffice to say, the food was absolutely outstanding. It blew us away. For food packed with so much quality and flavour the portions were extremely generous, I had a breakfast burrito and didn't have to eat for the rest of the day..... How!? The staff were really friendly, the location is a great starting point for visiting the old town and if we'd known about this place at the beginning of our trip we agreed that we would have chosen to have breakfast there every day, without question. 10 out of 10. Absolute diamond of a diner.

Lovely breakfast this morning. Highly recommend the Vegan-Jack. The picture doesn't do it justice - comes with a stack of 4 fluffy pancakes. Waffle was huge too and mugs of coffee for £2.50. Lovely service and fresh sea air. :)

This place is a great find and I can strongly recommend paying it a visit, be in mind though it only opens Friday to Sunday. The staff were lovely as was the food. I had the Half Lumberjack it was delicious.

Excellent lumberjack brunches Great gluten free options Delicious!!

Brilliant place for breakfast, brunch, lunch etc, really nice and well presented food and super staff. Extra nice touch was a complimentary can of IPA given to dads on Father’s Day to take away with them.

A Memorable Birthday Brunch at the Pelican Diner in A memorable birthday brunch at the Pelican diner in Hastings Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5) I recently had the pleasure of celebrating my birthday with my lovely (Adult) Children at the Pelican Diner in Hastings, it was a delightful experience from start to finish. From the wonderful food to the impeccable service, this charming diner exceeded all expectations and left an indelible mark on our special day. Ambiance: As we arrived, we were immediately captivated by the delightful atmosphere of the Pelican Diner. The choice to sit outside was perfect, as we soaked up the vibrant energy of the surroundings and watched the world go by. The outdoor seating area was basic but perfect, offering both comfort and a visually appealing setting to enhance our brunch experience. Food: The culinary delights at the Pelican Diner are nothing short of amazing. The menu showcased a wide range of mouthwatering options that catered to everyone's tastes and dietary preferences. From classic American breakfast favourites to innovative dishes, each plate was crafted with care and expertise. The food itself was a true revelation. Every bite was bursting with flavour and made with the freshest ingredients. The attention to detail in each dish was evident, and it was clear that the chefs at the Pelican Diner take great pride in their craft. Whether it was the fluffy pancakes, perfectly poached eggs, or the savoury omelettes, every dish surpassed our expectations and left us wanting more. Service: The service we received throughout our brunch was great, the moment we stepped foot on to the establishment, the staff welcomed us with warm smiles and genuine hospitality. The Staff was knowledgeable about the menu and provided insightful recommendations based on our preferences. Despite the busy mid-morning rush, they remained attentive, ensuring that our needs were promptly seen too. Conclusion: The Pelican Diner in Hastings is an absolute must to visit. From the remarkable food to the impeccable service, this charming establishment has all the ingredients for a truly memorable dining experience. Our birthday brunch was a resounding success, thanks to the Pelican Diner's commitment to delicious food in every aspect. I think if anyone is seeking extremely tasty food, inviting ambiance, and kind, happy service this is the place for you. Thank you, Pelican Diner, for a happy birthday brunch. We look forward to our next visit and the opportunity to savour more of your scrumptious menu.

By far the best place to eat in Hastings. Staff are friendly and helpful. And the food is great

Really good food, decent portion size too.

Been here a few times, really great. Worth booking as it can get packed in here. It's an awesome little place!

Very rude stuff. To serve a customer was an effort for them. Very disappointed

Considering that I always come here in the summer, this time round was lacking in customer service, i waited 25minutes for someone to even take my drink or food order? To the point where I went down and ordered myself, I wouldn’t even put it down to them being busy, because there was no one else upstairs or even outside! No one apologised and then to wait even longer for the food, I gave up and asked to pay for my tea, at this point you would expect them to maybe say I’m next for the food, but that didn’t happen, no real apology! The price has gone up and I get as the cost of living, but for the customer service I recieved is questionable! In the end we went someone where else!

Wonderful staff, owner and food. Perfect if you’re looking for a filling meal. Warm atmosphere, great space.

Eleven of us went for breakfast I had the vegetarian bagel it was delicious and the pancakes where amazing everyone thoroughly enjoyed them . The staff are all friendly and made us all feel very welcome. We where lucky with the weather so sat outside. Would highly recommend. We'll be back,

Absolutely yummy food, and very friendly staff. We've visited for the first time today, and definitely will be back.

Nice pancakes, huevos ranchers and milkshakes. Recommend booking for weekend visits.

Food was delicious, every plate ordered was incredible, down to the fries being the best weve ever had. The pancakes were divine, the bacon was delicious and the mex eggs were to die for! I would relocate to hasting simply to eat here every day. Our waiter Liam was lovely, so helpful and efficient, service with a smile! Thanks Liam!

Excellent brunch, a really interesting and different menu. 😋 delicious. TexMex eggs 👍

Great food, wait time was a little long roo though

We visited the Pelican Diner during our visit to Hastings this weekend and we were pleasantly surprised. It’s such a tiny place on the seafront, we didn’t book in advance and the waitress found us a seat (it was super busy!). The waiter was so friendly and was kind enough to give some recommendations for our first visit! I had the mex eggs (so yum!) and the chilli burger is out of this world! Very reasonably priced for the quality of the food (we’re still trying to figure out how they create so many amazing dishes in such a tiny space). Thanks so much for having us, we can’t wait to return soon xx

Love their burgers, huevos ranchos and Milkshakes!

Hidden gem! I must have walked by this place hundred times but never stopped until a foodie friend recommended Pelican Dinner. I had a breakfast bagel with side of halloumi and it was DELICIOUS! Fresh ingredients, yummy handmade food, lovely staff and fun, unpretentious environment. I will be back!

Awesome Diner, great staff and location, I booked a table quite late in the evening and they messaged back within the hour to confirm the booking for the next day. We arrived a little early and they had a table for us, the staff were really relaxed and attentive and we ordered within minutes. The food that arrived was absolutely spot on, couldn’t have asked for a better breakfast on a sunny Saturday in Hastings. Highly recommended, we have been before and will go again definitely 👌. Thanks to all the staff at the Pelican Diner.

A great menu of different goodies to enjoy for breakfast and brunch! I can recommend the TexMex eggs. The pancakes are stupendously good as well. Will be back again soon. 😛👍😊

Lovely food but prices bit steep service not great waited 20mins to be served then had to wait another 40mins for food to arrive food lukewarm when it came

Enjoyed a very nice chilli dog and burger - tasty chilli beef on the hot dog and delicious fries. Service friendly and welcoming

On probably the busiest day of the year ( pirate day) I fancied an indulgence. Didn't book, found me a table and I ate the most delicious waffles ever!! Staff friendly and attentive. So much to choose from ! A local gem

Enjoyed a great breakfast / brunch at the Pelican Diner today. Great food and a very welcoming team. Definitely a return trip on the cards.

Amazing breakfast, super kind and friendly service, and a great chef who knew how a Canadian likes their maple syrup. Highly recommend for breakfast and a nice spot across the way from the beach.

Lovely food and friendly service. Really enjoyed the Italian ambience 😘👍

Me and a few of my friends booked here for a birthday brunch so glad we did we have lived in hastings for over a year and never been before . iIt's gets busy so you have to pre book I have already re booked for the following weekend for my actual birthday I want my partner to try it. I had the half lumber Jack pancakes so good and the tex scrambled eggs a must try my friends had a burger and a hot dog both were really tasty its right in the sea front too. All the staff in there are super friendly we didn't wait long for food and our drinks came right away they do some tasty milkshakes too if you havnt tried here yet you must.

Absolutely stunning breakfast. Try the mexeggs or French toast... the butter is also sublime 😍 will definitely be back.

Had an excellent breakfast here and would highly recommend. The food and service were excellent. It gets busy and is small - we sat outside as there were no tables available inside and had to wait a while for food but that didn’t detract from the experience.

Wonderful little diner on the seafront. Nice warm welcome from the staff. Place is very cool and has a great menu. I had the Californian Pancakes which were just great, but every single plate of food the was taken past us looked amazing. Nice to go to a place that calls itself a diner and actually does have food of a quality you would find across America. Highly recommended.

The diner was pretty full, yet the staff were really accommodating and found us a table outside in the sunshine. The French toast was odd the charts, fresh fruit ripe to perfection and lots of lovely berries and syrup! Great staff who were friendly and helpful, definitely recommended.

Possibly the best breakfast I’ve ever had 🙏

Cracking little diner, we dashed in for a late lunch, they went above and beyond to accommodate us despite not having a table big enough without rearranging furniture! All the food was delicious, prepared in good time & super friendly staff. Can't wait to go back! Those hard-milkshakes!!! Wow!!

The best breakfast in town and beyond. The pancakes and huevos rancheros were amazing. I'll definitely return

Cute place for breakfast on the seafront with amazing pancakes! Make sure you book as it gets busy and i can see why!

One of the best brunches I’ve ever had, delicious food and friendly service. Came back again a year later and the Lumberjack Breakfast and customer service was just as good as I remembered! Can recommend the strawberry and Oreo milkshakes too.

Been here a few times, the food is very good, very fresh

Very nice cafe with an innovative menu. Avocado on sourdough bread with halloumi sticks, Spanish omelette with flatbread & salsa, and an awesome breakfast bun! Filter coffee made a change from them fancy ones (!), and ladies serving were charming, bringing our dogs water and colouring paper/crayons for our grandson. Inside/outside seating and clean loo in a quirky setting. Fab!

OMG. It's the best place i had my breakfast during my stay at Hastings. It's amazing and worth every penny. The staff is very friendly and gives you that extra beachy vibe. Place is perfect for a brunch or a shake. Must visit 👍

Love this place! 3rd time in this bank holiday and even better than the 1st two times. All 3 staff members were great and was a delight to watch them work so well together on the floor.They got everything right customer service wise, even down to checking we were happy. I'll be bringing all my visitors here in the future. Really impressive food, highly recommended. 5 stars well-deserved. Well done all

Definitely worth a visit - food and staff great. Heads up, though, portions are huge! I’m a big boy, but half a lumberjack would have been more than enough!

Me and my daughter love this place. Stacks of delicious pancakes with a variety of toppings. Pancakes are fresh, light and so yummy. Great choice of milkshakes. We only wish they were open every day of the week!

We fancied a "full english" for a holiday breakfast treat.... but were recommended The Pelican Diner so decided to give it a try. And we were SO GLAD that we did! It's and American diner, with a menu obviously to match. We all had a...

16th August, 2021 The Best American Diner! Found this place online. It's local right on the street. Big and easy to find. The staff is young, cool, polite people managing the place. We ordered half lumberjack breakfast, Halo egg and strawberry Banana smoothie I have...

16th August, 2021 The Best American Diner! Found this place online. It's local right on the street. Big and easy to find. The staff is young, cool, polite people managing the place. We ordered half lumberjack breakfast, Halo egg and strawberry Banana smoothie I have to say, as the food arrived it looked delicious. Well presented! #Halo Egg Big plate with salad, poached egg, chipotle aoili, Halloumi, salsa and avacado. Everything was scrumptious 😋😋 Halloumia was cooked perfectly and had the zesty taste. #Half Lumberjack breakfast It is same just you get 2 pancakes instead of 4. So, it had 2 multigrain toasts with butter, 1 fried egg, 2 pancakes with maple syrup, 1 veggie patty Fried egg was just so 😋😋 and pancakes were so fresh and soft. Veggie patty was flat and TOO SALTY (something for the cook to consider) #Smoothie It was thick and delicious It's an amazing diner with great staff and quality food. I bet they have 5 star hygiene rating because their toilet was super clean 👍 Would definitely revisit whenever I am back in Hastings. It's a must go for tourists #DefinitelyRecommend #MUSTGO

Awesome pancakes, staff were welcoming, friendly and attentive. Definitely recommend! Book so to avoid disappointment. Thank you Pelican!

Great burger, great fries, great shake; great place

I booked this online well ahead of our visit to Hastings. The restaurant opens at 10am. It's super small inside, but we liked the vibe and the music. We ordered a milkshake each (Oreo and M&Ms) and they were honestly delish! I opted for the...

Best pancake place in Hastings! Well worth a visit.

OMG, the Bailey's milkshake is to die for, the chips are on another level, hiiiiiiiiiiiighly recommend this place. Only one negative - it closes too early, can you stay open later please?!!!!!! 😘

Loved this place the lumberjack breakfast is well and truly a treat not to be missed

An absolute must for breakfast/brunch! Fab location, excellent service and delicious food

Had a delicious breakfast here on our last day in Hastings. The staff were attentive without being intrusive we sat upstairs which was cosy and comfortable. The pancakes were to die for, highly recommend having brunch here!

A cool little diner on the seafront, that get a lot of customers. 👍 We decided to book in advance, to ensure we could get some lunch after traveling to Hastings for the day. We were warned that food might take a while to arrive as it was fairly busy. It did take an hour to arrive, once ordered, and they forgot my food (chilli dog) and only served my fiancee's pancakes, which was a bit annoying as I was quite hungry by then! Despite the issues, the food itself was filling and exactly what I hoped for. I can't fault that. Just think perhaps a bit more solid organisation is required when ensuring customer orders are processed correctly. The staff were friendly and apologetic for the long wait, which I appreciated. ✌️

Amazing pancake stack with a strawberry milkshake. Service with a smile. Thanks again 🖤

The BEST breakfast spot in Hastings. Get the lumberjack with mex eggs, you won't regret it! Also, they do the most amazing shakes. Yummy!

Needs more vegan options but ok.

Amazing location and super helpful customer service on email when I booked in last minute. Food was delicious and big portions - would recommend the pancakes!! Would definitely go back, just remember to book in advance as they get busy and have to turn people away!

Good food, lovely setting. Service a little slow.

Great looking diner in the best location however, came here first thing in the morning on sunday. It’s 10:24 on sunday morning, 2tables are taken and every other one is reserved (probably since the doors open?). And since its been nearly half an hour the diner is not sitting down anyone. Ive chosen to take my custom to the bakery next door (which was a great idea btw). Its now 10.50 and those tables were still empty. A big opportunity to earn a lot more as a business by not holding reserved tables for an hour. Just sayin, you missing out on a profit holding onto to current booking system that doesnt work

Great place. Glad to be back. Brilliant mex-eggs.

Went for brunch, turned up at opening time as we hadn’t booked and got a spacious booth. Service was friendly and accommodating for our toddler; the waitress brought a jug of water with glasses and a plastic cup for the little one without us having...

Fantastic food and presentation - I would highly recommend the banoffee pancakes! The only negative (despite being a little overpriced I feel) was that we were the only people sitting upstairs and found it hard to get service, having to go downstairs if we wanted anything.

Had such a great meal here, a quaint little restaurant with beautiful food and great service! was nothing short of amazed at the portion sizes for such a reasonable price. Can’t wait to visit again

If you like good food and don’t mind waiting a few minutes, then The Pelican Dinner is highly recommend. We had a walk along the sea front and then enjoyed pancakes and French Toast. Lovely

My favourite breakfast in town. Would always recommend the lumberjack breakfast. The only downside is that they’re not open every day

Amazing food nicely presented and very pleasant staff. Would highly recommend! Will come back to try more on the breakfast menu.

Location is great, food good but a bit pricey.

We tried the Pelican Diner within hours of arriving at Hastings as we had heard good things - we were not disappointed! It is fairly small but there were some tables outside and the weather was fantastic so we sat down and watched the world...

Came here for breakfast, I had the banoffee pancakes and partner had the lumberjack. He's not that bothered about food, but hasn't stopped going on about how great breakfast was since we left! 5* all round.

There was a spare table outside when four of us tried to get seated the past Saturday. Spoke to one of the members of staff who said that was a raincloud approaching so wouldn't be worth seeing up the table. Really?! I didn't hear her...

We went here for lunch yesterday and the food and service was fantastic! Only downside is that we ended up having to sit outside because my buggy wouldn’t squeeze through the table space inside which meant wasps!! But other than that it was a bloody...

They were fully booked but we decided to stay outside despite the wind. We didn't have to sit long luckily our lovely waitress found a table for us inside and I had an amazing breakfast for my birthday. The lumberjack breakfast was really filling. Pancakes were soft and fluffy. All in all a great experience.

Great pancakes and breakfast eats. Must have is the chillie cheese dog! These guys are great for brunch and lunch.

This place was excellent. We had to book and sit outside but SO worth it. Esp. the aero milkshake.

Great friendly service and delicious food. Highly recommended.

Good food, good service, good location.

Really good food and great place to sit and eat. Great milkshakes too

This is a lovely little diner that serves very good food and at good prices, the staff are friendly and polite. Even my kids are happy to eat here and they're fussy eaters. Gets very busy when the weather is nice so advisable to book ahead.

After some customers being super rude and saying how bad the service was. I thought otherwise, food was great and service was perfect. Thank you.

Love the Pelican! Such friendly staff, they called me when a table was free, as we hadn't booked. Food excellent as always, french onion melt is to die for and Halo Eggs for the healthier amongst us. Kids loved their half a lumberjack too - such huge portions!

Great atmosphere and great food. Pancakes are delicious and a great size as are the burgers. Shame you cant pay by card but that's not the end of the world

Although we had quite a long wait for lunch to be served, it really was worth the wait. We had the Mex Egg and Halo Egg, both quite delicious.No spare tables inside but it being a smashing sunny day and out of the wind it was no problem to grab a table outside.Very friendly staff.Hope to return.

This place is a little tucked away, but well worth finding. It is quite tiny so you may need to book or wait, but it is well worth it.Friendly staff, and lovely breakfast. Great big portions and very tasty.Check it out, you will be happy you did.

ok had heard good things about this place and we have eaten pretty much everywhere in hastings at this point so we thought we would give it a try. its quite small which is fine, its in the old town so most places are small and quirky. however, as we walked in, there was a massive dog laying across the main entrance near the cooking area which were had to step over to even get in.I dont mind dogs but a little bit off putting since i certainly wouldnt let animals in my kitchen at home let alone somewhere id pay to eat. so whatever, we got seated and just forgot about it, this place has good reviews so gave it the benefit of the doubt. we got seated upstairs and waited for about 35 mins, no one came to take our order. so thought we would give it another 5 mins. then a bigger group of maybe 5 people came upstairs and were seated buy the staff member. from the conversation, it appeared that these people were friends of the staff and they took their orders straight away and walked straight past us and ignored us. so since we only had a limited amount of time left to get lunch, we decided to leave. back over the shaggy mutt and went next door the the steak house where we were seated immediately and promptly served. so id recomend the steakhouse next door. note to owners* animals in a cooking area is a no no. serving your friends before everyone else is also a no no. ive seen that they sometimes leave sarcastic responses to other bad reviews so expect nothing more.

Great brunch. Friendly staff. Spot on. Did not book but they managed to squeeze us in. Seating is limited and spread over a number of narrow floors.

The whole family planned to start the new year with a great Brunch. Booked about 4 days before the date only to find the establishment closed from the 1st to the 3rd January. Thank you very much.