Tonia's in County Durham

This is the most truly awful over priced poor quality food I think we have ever had. Giving it 1 was too high! Del boys would be a better name. Milkshake had an enormous chunk of ice in more than anything else. Panini soggy and tasteless. Words cannot describe just how truly awful this place is

Firstly this place is now called North Beach Coffee Bar. Both me and my wife went here the other day. We live in Seaham so walked down to check this place out. Upon arrival it was very busy outside which was no surprise as was it was a lovely day. We walked in to be greeted by a member of the team which I personally think is an excellent touch. We were seated very quickly, explained what the specials were and given menus. They do table service here so managed to order within 5-10 mins of sitting down and paying which was great. We had the rump steak ciabatta with breaded onion rings, this also came with fresh chips and blue cheese sauce. My wife doesn’t like blue cheese and they were happy to change it for mayonnaise. We also had a millionaire short bread and 2 fruit coolers (1 strawberry and a rhubarb and lemonade). The food was incredible, chips were excellent along with the steak ciabatta. Millionaire shortbread was very delicious and we enjoyed the whole experience. Drinks were also very refreshing especially on a hot day. Toilets there were 1 male and 1 female which was good. But why I highlight the toilets is that both had baby changing which as a Dad especially is brilliant as not many places do this. But also as a parent it means you can use the toilet as well. Plenty of space for pushchair and wheelchairs. It’s a lovely place where they really have spent a good time thinking about the decor and the staff really are very friendly.

Now North Beach Cafe. Change of ownership and name. This is extremely poor value to when it was Tonias. The price of food and drink is extortionate when one considers the poor quality of the food and drink. Don’t be disappointed by visiting. There are many other places in Seaham giving good value for money food and drink. In summary, the prices are Starbucks level, and the food and drink are “greasy spoon” quality.

I regularly drop in when I visit the beach st Seaham. This was one of the last places I visited before lockdown and I'm looking forward to being able to go back again soon! I'm coeliac and there's always something I can have including cake!

In car park above a lovely beach. Lovely menu very friendly and excellent value. Coffee was magic and very reasonable prices

The food here is good and the portion sizes are great. I'm also coeliac and there has always been a gluten free cake and they have gf bread to make toasties. It's really handy for the beach and I'm sure that we'll be back.

A nice cafe by the sea. Nice interior. Had a beautiful chocolate orange cake and a nice cup of tea. There are some fantastic local photos for sale, on display.

Visited today for a late breakfast. The portion sizes are so meagre there isn’t enough to cover your toast. Surprised to see it for sale but obviously the owner needs to cut back on portion sizes to increase profit margins. Having less staff might work better!

The cafe is in a prime spot, next to the beach and on the car park. We went on a Sunday and the cafe was busy there was also a very large car boot sale going on opposite the cafe. The cafe itself was clean and tidy, the staff friendly. We ordered a coffee and tea which arrived quickly, nice selection of items on the menu. The only slight downside was that someone needs to sort the toilets out, they need properly cleaning, there was no toilet rolls and one toilet is closed off with staff only written on the door

This is a wooden structure serving a car park and beach. It isn't meant to be The Ritz and doesn't pretend to be. However, it is in a brilliant location and so handy for seeking out sea glass on the shore below. After staggering up many steps this cafe was a welcome respite for a snack and brew. The staff couldn't have been more helpful and friendly. Decent food, value for money, I'd certainly go back.

Being situated in such a prime location on the main car park at Seaham beach overlooking the sea this cafe gets plenty of custom. It has toilets, does cakes and scones and a selection of hot food and drinks plus ice creams. The decor is a bit garish and not to my taste. The food is ok and the staff are pleasant enough. The reason for the poor rating is the untidiness and cleanliness of the place. Bags of rubbish near the doorway, stickers from old posters still on the walls, chairs stacked all over the place, unclean toilets etc. It feels like the owner has just given up and not made any effort to make the place welcoming. We won’t be going back any time soon .

A popular cafe with a good menu to choose from and always a nice selection of cakes to choose from - which is one of the reasons we always call at Tonia's when we're visiting Seaham. Staff are friendly and helpful.

very welcoming cafe, called in for a snack before driving home, very friendly staff, food and drink good and nicely presented, would go in again, recommend - yes :-)

Was here Saturday for breakfast with the hubby the place is beautiful and staff friendly and helpful hubby had a cooked breakfast with extra toast he said was delicious I had poached eggs on toast which were cooked to perfection

Staff at the counter were not friendly, very abrupt with answers to questions, toilets not good at all. Would definitely not visit again.

visited twice now , and no hot food available once at 3pm and once at 2.30 pm staff seem to be too interested in chatting to each other .

Called in here a time or two after visiting the beach. Good value, good portions, friendly staff. This visit was on Good Friday and the whole place was a lot busier than we have seen it before when visiting out of season. Tonia's still had plenty of food and the service remained good.

I user to come here when I was little when it was just the brick building and no interior seating, how lovely it is now with good quality coffees and delicious cakes

I've eaten here a couple of times before, generally because it's really handy for the beach and because they have gluten free options.

Been here today for a coffee and scrambled egg on toast with hubby for a run out as he been poorly staff are very helpful and friendly and coffee was lovely and had a lovely view of the sea

Myself and 5 friends called into this great place for breakfast. Various meals avaliable, I had the full English and it was lovely. Price was fab too, also it's right on the sea front.

Varied menu with enough options to please everyone, nice cakes (with gluten free options), friendly staff.

Prime spot for beach trade. Ordered mozzarella and veg panini. It was dreadful, floppy undercooked veg with no flavour what so ever. Served with boring iceberg lettuce, 4 halves of tomato and cucumber. Sadly disappointing.

Had a nice breakfast, cooked to order. It's right at the beach. Clean and tidy. I had an omelet. My daughter had poached eggs over avocado on toast. Very good. Prices very reasonable.

I love this place and regularly eat here in readiness for the nearby car boot sale (Sundays - However check sale dates and times before attending. This is approximately a 10 minute walk from Tonias) or if you fancy a lovely stroll into Seaham, Tonias is ideally placed for an ideal stroll into the town centre. You can either walk along the beach if you don’t mind the stairs that lead to the beach or you can have a promenade stroll if you have any mobility issues. The car park all around Tonias is free parking with usually plenty of spaces. However I think this is only a matter of time before the Council start charging.

Situated in the car park at the northern end of Seaham this is a nice cafe to stop for a tasty, reasonable priced lunch, or just cake and coffee. The service is good, the choice of food good, and the cafe is clean and tidy.

We popped into the cafe before going down to the beach. I'm coeliac and it was nice that they had 2 gluten free cakes that I could have. I went for the courgette and avocado cake and it was lovely!

Called in the cafe for two coffees after a walk along the beach. Nice cafe polite staff and good coffee.

We enjoyed a great breakfast at Tonia's. The full works and not swimming in oil but tasty and very enjoyable. Cakes looked great too. Great service from the staff. Will definitely be back.

After a morning of collecting sea glass on the beach (Seaham is famous for it) and before a drive into Scotland we stopped for some breakfast.

Tonia’s was described as a family-run café and we needed a break after driving south in temperatures of over 30C heat from Edinburgh through the Tyne Tunnel.

Been here today for a coffee with hubby for a run out as he been poorly staff are very helpful and friendly and coffee was lovely and had a lovely view of the sea

Prices are more like pub prices but the food was lovely - definitely better than your usual beach adjacent cafe. There are posh options (costlier) and the usual basic options(cheaper)

Two bacon sandwiches and a pot of tea - the perfect way to start the day when visiting Seaham. You can park (for free) at Tonia's, have breakfast and then take a lovely stroll along the 'glass' beach to Seaham town. (steep steps to the beach)

Lovely choice of food and drinks. Not expensive. Beautifully decorated and pleasant staff! Good chocolate cake!

Tonia's was host to our new weekly business meeting and they could not have been any more accommodating and friendly. Ample parking, service with a smile, proper cup of coffee and bacon/sausage sandwiches to die for! Thank you so much and I look forward to coming every week now!

My friend and I visited this cafe recently having been recommended it by my mum. I can honestly say that the food and service in here are second to none and if you get a window seat as we did you could not ask for more. Beauty of it is the car park is just outside the place so if you want to call in on your way through Seaham as I do you don’t need to walk half a mile to it.

This is a lovely cafe / diner that has a large car park with FREE parking. For me this place is ideally situated within easy distance of the car boot (approx 10 minute walk) if you are attending. However there is a 5 minute walk onto the beach down some steps or about a 25 minute walk into Seaham town centre itself if you enjoy walking. The food is lovely with plenty of choice and I would recommend the club sandwich which is more than adequate for a meal. However there are a number of desserts available for the hungry traveller, with toilet facilities. On a sunny day there is also outside seating.

Located at the car park Seaham Hall car park area, North rd, Seaham SR77AG , clean restrooms, attentive wait staff , great food breakfast, lunch, or desserts ( desserts were awesome,), coffee, tea, soft drinks or specialty dessert drinks.

We were delighted to find this cafe on the beach at Seaham on a very cold, wet, windy day. The home made ham broth and cheese scone was delicious and great value. Would recommend.

Ordered homemade soup and cheese scone... waited ages and when it came it was a tiny bowl with what I can only describe as lumps of veg and ham...we couldn't even see any moisture, a bread roll and a cheese scone (with steam rising from it ). It had been incinerated in a microwave obviously! It was so hot you couldn't even touch it. We made the best of the 'soup' and left the rest! You pay at the beginning when you order otherwise I definitely would NOT have paid!!! I did approach staff at the end as we were leaving and one seemed uninterested and another older lady who had obviously heard what I was talking about said "was your cheese scone too hot" to which I said "HOT, it was incinerated" and she responded with just a grunt.... I wasn't offered a sorry, money back ...nothing! As you can probably gleen from this, we will not be giving Tonia's any of our time or money again and suggest they STOP using the microwave to heat things up and that they learn to deal with people properly in future!

1 star cause can't get lower, ordered food and drink was told 20 mins which was fine, brought food but no drinks, got up to ask were drinks where. 6 staff stood around talking eventually got warm drinks, then again at to ask for kids ice cream. While stood in queue to ask 4 staff stood about talking other 2 were stood folding up cuterly, staff were just stood watching me and another customer waiting to be served, all the while still having their conversion. On leaving nearly fell on tray of cans left on floor waiting to be put in fridge, won't be back.

Popped in yesterday with the hubby and little legs. Little legs wanted the tuna sandwich kids meal and when it came I was a bit annoyed as it’s £4.25ish and consisted of 1 slice of bread with tuna in, pome bear crisps and a fruit shoot. The hubby got a cheese savoury in brown artisan bread which consisted of a bun with coleslaw and a bit of cheese had been mixed in. I ordered the ham and cheese panini which was nice but came with salad which was 4 bits of lettuce, 3 small bits of cucumber and a little tub of coleslaw. For £16 I was a tad annoyed but when we looked around there was a queue at the ice cream bit so thing that’s where the service was. When the food came out there was no how you doing etc it was just cheese savoury, ham and cheese so maybe need to work on those skills. Table was a bit sticky. As soon as we were served she went straight over and sat down with another couple of staff and some people whom I can think were family or friend and were loudly talking about going out that evening. Overall ok but nothing to rave about

A very friendly little place. We had a very pleasant visit and we will certainly return when next in the area.

Went there yesterday and had some amazing waffles with the kids. Very helpful staff and the place is clean and spacious.

Called in here for a cuppa and quick bite to eat for the kids. Drinks were a bit pricy and service was a little slow however it was busy due to it being Sunday much time. No dog bowl provided outside however was provided with a takeaway carton when asked. Must give a quick thank you to the member of staff who helped us outside when our dog had a little mishap outside (he drank a little too much sea water and was sick) the staff member came out and helped us clear up. Staff were polite and friendly. Toilets clean. Ice cream was lovely.

Nice sandwiches and easy food. My only complaint is one of the staff was cleaning seats, the seats themselves and went and cleaned tables with same cloth. I did tell manager and he said he would have a word so hopefully resolved. Cant fault the food though

We had been walking on the beach with our dog and only went in intending to just have a cup of tea however the "dirty Chips" on the menu caught my attention. Chips, meatballs and sauce covered with melted cheese. it was fantastic at £3.95 for a good dish of it. try it!!

This is ideal if you are out for a drive or a stroll and want a cuppa and a snack or piece of cake. Had a bacon sandwich and a piece of carrot cake and I must say it was really nice. My Grandson had a sausage sandwich & an ice cream and again I was very impressed with value for money & quality! There are great views across the sea front and free parking - what more could you ask for. I would avoid a Sunday afternoon as there is a huge car boot sale in the field next door and the traffic along that stretch of the sea front at the time is absolutely horrible!

We called into Tonia's for a coffee as it was close to the beach and next to the car park. Lovely coffee, nice staff and clean toilets. All in all a great place to stop if need a coffee and a break. Car park is free also.

Called in to Tonias after a long walk for coffee. There were lots of young girls working in the kitchen area but none were allowed to serve. The queue was long and we had to wait to be served by the boss it seems. Poor service overall. Why have lots of staff and just one person serving?

Visited tonia's tea rooms today and had afternoon tea. Food was excellent, presentation perfect, only fault would be they could have used cloth on tables instead of paper, but I would definately recommend a visit.

We first popped in to use the toilets that are advertised in the car park after our walk along the beach. Having explored the town, we were looking for a sandwich to take away. The staff were helpful and friendly. The price was so reasonable that I thought a mistake had been made and was reassured that these were northern prices not southern ones. They had guessed from my southern accent I wasn't from these parts!

If you want to try the most amazing waffles, pancakes or ice cream, then look no more. Tonias is small and friendly, and situated overlooking the sea at Seaham so you have a lovely view while eating. I had an Eton Mess waffle consisting of 4 waffle quarters, a scoop each of vanilla and strawberry ice cream, strawberry sauce, fresh strawberries and cream, sprinkled over with tiny meringues. Absolutely delicious. Would definitely go out of my way to eat there again.

Very good breakfast, full English the works. Cappuccino good too.Good prices. It must be lovely in the summer, ice-cream and sunshine.

Visited tonias cafe on bank holiday monday with family.ordered coffee x3 way over priced and also a cold drink which cost not short of two pound.the older lady with the glasses served us and said make your mind up in or out.meaning are you eating in or out.i found her extremley rude and miserable.we waited ages for warm cappachino 2 be served i was not impressed not only the price n the poor quality of coffee this ladys manor was appauling.when we took the drinks outside other customers were talking about the same rude lady n saying they were very annoyed also.we wont be goin back again and either will any of my family.stick to the lovely fish n chip shops round the corner and be greeted with lovely friendly staff.

Situated overlooking the cliff top and the beach, this is like an ice cream parlour, with lunches served as well. The food was good and reasonable.

Really great place, very reasonably priced and always prompt service. Good variety on the menu for those with sweet or savoury preferences. Visit quite often and keep going back. Very clean and tidy throughout.

Stopped for a quick cup of tea and couldn't resist the cake, all very nice. The menu was extensive and a sweet/chocolate lovers dream.

Called in for an ice cream on way to seaham, quite a wait for ice cream but kids enjoyed will try and call in for breakfast one time

Had breakfast here on Sunday morning after a walk along the beach. Friendly,helpful staff. Food good. Nice tea and coffee. Will definitely call in again. Shame they don't allow dogs inside, luckily it was a mild, dry day.

Been here a couple of times, not really a big choice on the menu, mainly sandwiches, burgers, hotdogs and similar, friendly staff but service can be a little slow even during non busy times, food ok but think its a little pricey for what it is, we live local and think maybe as its near the coast and gets a lot of visitors that they are charging tourist prices, maybe if you live locally and just fancy a cuppa and a snack, id recommend you go to one of the cafés in the town centre where its much cheaper

Very friendly place with good wheelchair access. Home made food at affordable prices. Accessible toilets. Free parking.

Late brunch after fun on the beach, attached to a large free carpark and only a few steps from the beach, ideal:)

This is the perfect place to warm up and revive yourself before returning to the beach. Staff is friendly. Food is simple but good.

My daughter booked us into Tonias for afternoon tea and we were quite pleased with the offering. It's really pretty basic so if you're looking for a special experience better to go elsewhere but what we received was honest food that filled us up with the addition of endless good tea which was most welcome as we are both teapots. The sandwiches were delivered with no choice, which was a shame for my daughter who doesn't do mustard on her ham, but the scones were gorgeous. The only thing to let it down was the small shop bought cakes which we left on the tray.

We found Tonia's quite by chance when visiting Seaham for the first time. We were looking for a place to park and a loo and ended up visiting twice on the same day!The toilets were spotless and most welcome after a car journey and, to our surprise, parking was free.We spent three or four hours in the town area before returning to Tonia's for something to eat and drink. I always feel that it's a good sign if a café is filled with local people and this one was. The staff were very friendly and service was speedy. There wasn't a huge selection of cakes but what was on display looked fresh and tasty and there was a good selection of various sandwiches, jacket potatoes etc which would be made to order.There was a happy atmosphere in the café and we were very happy to be there.

Just stopped off in the car park for a coffee & ice cream, and read the newspaper. Couldn't fault either of them & good service

Nice clean cafe with helpful staff.We had large bacon rolls and tea X 2 which cost about £9Well filled and piping hot thanks.Clean toilets and plenty of seats and space between tables.Ideal for the beach and car park.

Called in a few days ago , there were no menus on the tables and had to go to the counter to check prices , only wanted 3 sandwiches and coffee but when I saw the prices we left as it was going to be @ £20 some one else took the menu to their table and came back and only ordered teas , I'm not surprised , we could have had a pub lunch for not much more .

Love this place. Great friendly staff and good food. Very good for children and families. We visit a lot.

A nice location on the cliffs with seating outside the cafe. Service is slow and chaotic, and the price of food is too high. The coffee is good and reasonably priced.

Absolutely fabulous bunch of staff. Had my friends baby shower here and they reserved tables for us and bent over backwards for us, nothing was a bother and the afternoon was to die for and well worth the money. I've had afternoon teas at 5* hotels and they weren't a patch on Tonias and half the price. Keep up the good work ladies we'll enjoy back very soon.

Out for a drive and wanted to revisit the Tommy sculpture in Seaham. Tonia's is in the first car park (Seaham Hall Beach) on the north side. Modern and functional. But the home-made (and it really must be) broth and crusty dumpling was a gift from the past. Proper North East winter food. £3.50, with a big bread bun, for a real delight. If you want more it comes as a special with a ham and pease pudding stottie and I'm wishing I'd had that.

£16 gone for 2 average sandwiches and a crappy cup of coffee. Spent half an hour waiting for them to catch the fish for a tuna melt and no one said one word to me whilst I waited. Coffee was cold. Walk along the sea front 100 yards and spend your money on something worth having

Just left this place after a coffee and some lunch. We had 2 paninis, 2 coffees and 2 cakes and it came to well over £20. Place was dirty and stuff everywhere.Staff have an average age of 15 and an IQ to match- couldn't understand basic requests of no cucumber or without mayonnaise....no hope for some people.There are plenty nice places 400 years away- eat there instead!!!

Situated in the car park where you go down to the beach this is a lovely clean cafe. Service with a smile makes a difference and the tea is a proper job. Toilets are spotless.

My friend and I have just had our second visit to Tonias for afternoon tea. This time we had a 'Festive' tea which comprised of turkey & stuffing sandwiches and Brie & cranberry ones. Both were delicious in soft freshly made white bread. We also had a pig in blanket each with a sage/onion scone each with a spicy tomato chutney. We had a refill of tea to help us with 2 more scones with cranberry and cinnamon accompanied by jam and clotted cream and 6 bite size cakes! They were all delicious and well worth the £12.50 paid. The staff were friendly and the views over the sea fantastic. A little treasure for Seaham, well worth the visit. Thank you

Second visit and yet again we weren't disappointed very warm welcome had a lovely afternoon tea will definitely be back again .

We come every year or two and it does not disappoint for a reasonably priced breakfast or coffee. Well prepared food, friendly staff and good value for money in a blustery but beautiful corner of the country.

The place was barely half full but there were dirty plates and used cups on quite a lot of the tables. There were 3 or 4 staff but no one seemed interested in tidying up. When my food arrived I couldn't believe that anyone would actually serve it. It was a veggie burger that looked like it had been sat on. I can't really describe how squashed and bizarre it looked. Easily the worst looking thing I have ever been served. They did change the bread bun when I complained but I can't imagine why they thought they could serve it in its previous form. Chips were good though. All in all I don't think they know how to run a cafe. Shame as it's in a good location

Beautiful location and we were lucky to get sea view window, more uniquely nowadays Tonias includes free parking. Booked the festive afternoon tea as a treat for myself and Mam.

Took mam for afternoon tea today was absolutely amazing food was all fresh and very tasty,great value for money and will definatly be going again. The staff were also very friendly Highly recommend going here. :-) x

We visited Tonias this weekend with my Partner and 2 boys, it was really cold I entered the cafe with my children while my partner went to get the money out of the car. When I entered the cafe 3 girls and 1 lady were there I smiled and not one person said hello or smiled very unwelcoming.We ordered 2 coffees and 2 hot chocolate for the children, a girl in her 20s came over with a tray of our drinks and never even said hello just left the tray and walked away. How rude and not in the right job to deal with customers.Children's hot chocolate came tasted like it was made of hot water full of sugar in the bottom, absolutely disgusting and it wasn't even drinkable, even the children asked where the cream and marshmallows were aged 4!!! Service disgusting. Staff very despondent staff. This cafe should and could be lovely ran by the right set of people. Shame on you.

Over £7 for two coffees and one very small piece of cake which was very dry. We wont be returning here.

Lovely warm welcome and the best afternoon tea I've ever had a great selection of sandwiches , savoury and sweet scones and cakes well worth a visit . The view of the sea is just a very nice bonus !

My first time to Tonia's.Nice view, nice food (the smoked cheese and caramelised onion panini is delicious!) nice coffee, friendly staff and overall a clean place. Would definitely go back. Plus parking everywhere is free which is a big bonus!

Nice place to call in in after a good walk along the sea front,easy access friendly staff and good prices.

Our cycling so stopped off here for some refreshments Lovely little cafe with nice food in an ideal spot

This cafe is clean and friendly and has a wonderful location overlooking the sea. My wife and I came in for a cappuccino which cost as much as you would pay in a specialist coffee shop and it was nothing like a cappuccino but just a milky coffee so rather disappointing. I saw someone having a full English breakfast and that looked excellent. The cakes also looked good but next time I will stick to tea.

I visited with my 2 year old daughter. The food was unreal I had a full English cooked exactly as I asked for (I'm very fussy with food) my daughter enjoyed hers too. I know this as she ate it all and asked for more ! We then enjoyed an ice cream (there was loads of flavours to choose from). I had parked my car there and we walked down to the beach which wasn't too far away. The service was fantastic even when my little one had a tantrum staff where helpful and I didn't feel uncomfortable as I've been made to feel in other places when eating out with stroppy children. Will definitely be visiting again ! A lovely relaxed environment perfect for family's !

Only called in for a cup of tea , wish I hadn't, £3.60 for two cups of average tea to take away .Staff surly, toilets not clean , won't be back.

Been to this cafe a few times, it's just a good place to have a coffee and use the loo. (It takes us nearly 2 hours to get there) there's a couple of tables outside, and always a dish of water for the dogs, it's situated on a very big FREE car park

Asked for a bacon sandwich well done. I ended up cutting all the fat off. My mrs ordered egg mayo sandwich she left most of it. Said she felt sick. It to sloppy. Expensive for a snack! Budget food.. service could be better holding plates upto there apron didnt look clean... positives nice surroundings. .. need to be abit more presentable/cleanleness. Lower prices . 3/10

Tonias is very handy for the beach and serves lovely fresh food at reasonable prices. Suitable for families.

Appreciate there are alot of people using the toilets but floor is wet and filthy, no loo roll and huge queues

Paninis were huge, and tasty. Reasonable view of the sea and ever so conveniently located. The ice cream was delicious although a bit soft and melty.

Situated in a large free car park on the coast at the north end of Seaham, this cafe provides a welcome stop whether for breakfast, lunch, or just a snack. Pleasant outdoor seating and plenty of indoor seating. Also toilets in the establishment. This is a good vfm cafe.

It's often difficult to know who is working and who is just a regular coming to chat, or work on other business plans. The food is average, nothing to write home about, however the cake was pretty special. The staff aren't particularly friendly or enthusiastic. Ok for takeaway, not great atmosphere to sit in.

Tonia`s is conveniently situated with free car parking and access to the Beach.We called in twice during our 3 day stay to the area and enjoyed drinks and cakeand had no problems.We did feel that the staff were very quiet and miserable and when I pointed out a hazard that someone had spilt sauce on the floor, it was met with silence and took a further 5 minutes before it was dealt with.