Whitecliffs in Brighton and Hove

Good coffee and cakes, hope the chef's family's good soon

Went in for a cup of tea don't take cash its £3 not busy but very slow service

I went in the daytime. Love the location overlooking the sea and the art deco interior. Service was pretty slow on the couple visits I have made although that was ok as I was in no rush and staff were nice. On a day I’m popping out for a quick break I would certainly opt for somewhere else with quicker with service. I would love to try again for an event though as they looked fun!

Gorgeous decor, incredible sea views, delicious cake and first class, friendly service!

A fabulous venue right on the seafront. Staff are friendly and attentive and the view is just wonderful, even on bad weather days

Great place for drink and shelter from the weather. Didn't eat food so cannot comment looked good however.

Yummy lunch, fun buzzz and great view over the English Channel. Best of All , you can take your Pooch !

Food was good but a long wait and service was poor

Myself and a few friends came along for the Sunday roast lunch .. the cafe looks lovely with magnificent views over the sea and the food WAS hot and delicious.. but (There's always a but) from ordering the food to it arriving at our table took an hour !!! and as beautiful as the view was and it was a lovely sunny day I ended up with a bit of a headache as the sun was shing in my face for the whole time .. maybe some pull down awning outside to there is a bit of shade for the tables? ... but having said that an enjoyable experience

Ask for a takeaway cup - the regular cups are mostly chipped and cracked (and often dirty.)

New refurbishment, fantastic staff, great coffee!

Recently moved to the area and went to this lovely place on the beach for a couple of drinks while dinner was cooking. Not very busy on a Monday evening but still a nice place to have a reasonably priced drink and a chance to meet local people. Staff are really friendly and welcoming. Read the menus and we now look forward to returning for a meal.

Just popped in for brunch and had a really nice experience. The service was very friendly and prompt. The cafe had a very chilled vibe with a beautiful sea view. The food was delicious and good value for the amount that you get. Thank you! P.s. dog was very cute 🐶

I turned up just as they were opening. Nice friendly staff. Great location and views on a cold January morning. They make a great cup of coffee. Lots of seating outside if you're brave in January. Nice warm room inside!

A very usefully placed cafe to get a great cuppa after you've spent a while getting soaking wet on the prom in the middle of winter!

My daughter hired Whitecliffs for a surprise birthday party for me. It was the perfect venue. The food was great, atmosphere brilliant, and the staff were super helpful. I had the best party. During the day the sea views are amazing. In the evening, the lights and music system was great. It was the perfect party. Em hired a DJ. We had the Greek platter food wise. Everyone had a great time.

Dinner was lovely. We had steak and chips with a lovely fresh salad. The steak was done to my request. I go regularly for food and have always found the food very good, staff very friendly and the views are exquisite. Would recommend to friends to try it. The cakes are delicious and worth trying as well. Overall I love the place even just to sit and read a book with a cuppa and a slice of cake.

Went alone and chose to go for the Veggie Breakfast and a Cappuccino. Food came out cold, low quality ingredients and coffee tasted burnt. Amazing views and really nice place yet so much potential wasted. Unserious Business

Fantastic views.. And you can sit outside under cover on a settee in all weathers.. Takes having a coffee to whole new experience

Avoid buying cakes at all costs; they are of poor quality and not fresh; however, it's still worth getting English breakfast there. Coffee is served in paper cups, even if you have a table.

Tables were dirty, was told we could have the meal gluten free by the chef. The meal WAS NOT gluten free as my wife was very, very ill.

This cafe/restaurant/pub/ club or whatever it is has real problems in its ID and the business needs some help from Alex Polizzi! The owners of the business care and you can see that but they are sadly clueless on hospitality and in its current format I think this business will fail, yet I don’t want it to. I won’t make a large list of faults as there’s just too much to write, everything from staff training and presentation to the actual premises themselves and basic things like parking which are essential for them to thrive. Style of the actual place is a terrible miss match of art deco, shabby chic and weatherspoons - it really doesn’t work on any level. The chef who really should be unknown to anyone is bigged up as a Z list celebrity which all comes across as a bit desperate, he’s not Gordan Ramsey so doesn’t really need a fan fare. The restaurant is cold and really need reglazing throughout. Above all else though is accessibility and this place just isn’t accessible enough for it to work even if it was 100% a destination. I didn’t go here with much expectation but even so I was disappointed. Nice people but just don’t have a clue about the sector they have somehow found themselves in

Julieanne, Chef Mont & Sam couldn’t have done any more to make our dear Mum’s Wake such a happy & memorable occasion. They were so helpful & reassuring in the planning & on the day. The buffet was tasty with a good variety of vege & non vege food. Chef Mont made it all look so appetising. The terrace was a perfect place to be on a sunny Winter’s day & George did a cozy fire bowl to warm us after a swim. Thanks to everyone in Whitecliffs for all your kindness & all you did.

Possibly the BEST view in all of Sussex, overlooking Saltdean beach with a great BoHo vibe and cozy sofas and blankets on their large terrace. Reasonable prices, friendly owner and staff, and special evening events for that chilled out Ibiza sunset experience. Yes! X

Excellent cafe and bar overlooking the beach from an elevated position - great views! Food was delicious and the staff friendly. This place has a very relaxed vibe.

Such a gorgeous doggie friendly space filled with welcoming vibes, blankets, all the things you could possibly want with a priceless view of the sea. JulieAnne is a rockstar and we absolutely adore all the changes that have been done.

Me encanta este lugar. He venido en el pasado para post-playa chocolate caliente con mis hijos pequeños, fiestas nocturnas con viejos amigos, y desayunos y almuerzos en todo el mundo. Ha cambiado de manos ocasionalmente durante los 15 años que he estado viniendo, pero las vistas al mar sin igual, y el interior luminoso y aireado son una constante. Al igual que las diferentes generaciones de personal amable y servicial, que dan la bienvenida a las familias y sus perros. Hoy, vine a almorzar después de un largo paseo en bicicleta. Era un plato grande de quesadillas de chile, con ensalada de tomate y espinacas recién picadas y guacamole casero - hecho. Muy delicioso y lleno. Estoy realmente desconcertado por algunas críticas ambivalentes en Tripadvisor. Este es un gran pequeño café con vistas panorámicas al mar de clase mundial!

I attended the Pianoman Bingo night and didn't win 😅 but I had a great night, what a laugh. The atmosphere and service was brilliant, drinks served to the table, food looked fab I'll try it next time. And hope to get a full house next week, thanks again, loved it

Beautiful place, good food and friendly feel.

I had a bike ride from Brighton to here with some friends and had brunch. The location is stunning and the food was great but for some members of my party, it took long to arrive. Maybe that can get addressed in the future. Apart from that a lovely place.

Lovely warm welcoming buzzing venue . For the old and young plus 4 legged friends. A really warm atmoshere.

Had the pleasure of eating here recently. Had a scrumptious full breakfast which was tasty. We had drinks in the bar area a couple of nights before and the place was just right for a catch up with people. Staff were great.

Great view of the water and the cliffs. Nice tasty cakes. Parking available across the road. Adjacent to bus stop

Lovely cafe with beautiful views of the sea and beach. I come here with my dog. Very nice coffee.

What more could you want - extremely friendly and welcoming staff. Match that with some relaxing music and lovely food. I was recommended the chicken curry and it was as described - exquisite, and a big portion. Well done Whiteiffs.

This place was always nice and the owner very friendly, but on 10/10/2024 at 3pm I find another people working there they are not professional and not friendly, the customers service was bad and the coffee was not good

Lovely place for a coffee and cake and watch the ocean

Hi, when I went for coffee it was a very quiet day in Saltdean, but I had a latte and it was very nice and the views are amazing 🤓👍🥳

This cafe is such a lovely cafe and in a lovely spot but their vegan choice was terrible. I didn't want a fry up vegan breakfast for my lunch and the only other option was chips!!! Really poor show for 2024!!! Get your act together guys!!! One saving grace. Coffee was nice and lovely views. Will I be back? Def not to eat unless the menu gets updated so that vegans are catered for and not just offered one poor choice.

Beautiful place. Great cakes and great views. Dog friendly.

We had a wonderful afternoon for my Mums birthday. A very warm welcome & delicious food, wine & the most delicious freshly baked cake I think I have ever had. Every member of the team could not have been more accommodating & the view was breath taking. A wonderful spot for an afternoon walk & relax.

I went for brunch, but they had closed the kitchen. So I went to Molly's along the undercliff towards Rottingdean.

Went here with family visiting and although the setting was different it was shared space with cafe visitors sitting right by us with young kids. Price for what we had was high and the baby potatoes instead of roast is a definite NO NO. Wine very expensive and for the price expected not to have family's having coffee and cake sitting on top of us. Table setting and view lovely but wouldn't go again for Roast.

I love the view from the exterior terrace. The young staff I always find friendly and do their best. It’s a bit like they’re having their turn at the sixth form snack bar. They don’t seem to be well trained but they’re keen and muddle through. I never have more than a cliff it a tea so unable to comment on the food. The furniture is fine, big comfy sofas or normal plastic chairs on the terrace. It has a 1980s feel to it which I quite like really. I suppose young people have to start to get work experience somewhere. The management is clearly surviving with the current policy so all the anguished trip advisor reviews are unlikely to alter things at all.

What's happened to this place? Unfortunately the service is DREADFUL, you spend half the afternoon queuing to pay & waiting for food, which is quite frankly 3rd rate and very over priced. (£4.50 for a handful of chips, £8.50 for a very poor quality barbecued burger) Then join the que again for ice cream, only to get attitude & be told they're out of stock.

Very pleasant cafe to sit and enjoy a coffee. Watch the cyclists and walkers pass by. Located right under the cliff, this cafe is under recent new ownership and is much improved. Very good coffees and plenty of shaded outdoor seating.

I stopped here with a dog on a sunny lunchtime. The cafe was busy, though I was served quickly. The service was friendly and helpful, with the staff serving as quickly as they could. The food hit the spot, a BBQ burger washed down with a Sprite. The view was the best part, as it overlooks the sea and was spectacular.

Such a wonderful place to eat or drink. Overlooking the sea, in sunny or stormy weather the huge windows let you feel cocooned from the weather while getting maximum view.

Went a number of years ago. Great location, service not great. Went in not expecting much but we were horrified how bad. 3 items on the menu. Burger & chips. Hot dog & chips or chicken nugget & chips. Ordered coffee & the burger & chips, (my wife is planning a separate review as hers was so bad). Coffee arrived after a short while, no issues. 45 minutes later, the burger arrived. I asked where my chips were to be asked if we had ordered chips with it? Yes we had ordered & paid for them. Drank my coffee & ate my burger (which was very dry & tasteless). Another 20 minutes later, still no chips. We had had enough. Asked at the counter where my chips were to be looked at by a confused server that asked us had we not received them yet. We had had enough so asked for our money back for the chips. We received £4:50 for them. They must have been great chips for £4:50, but we will never know.

Dreadful food, over cooked and poor ingredients. Outside area stated as shaby chic, furniture is from a charity shop and stinks!

Stunning views of the sea. Excellent service, the manager/owner went out of his way to secure the table we preferred and organise the food which was unavailable at the kiosk. Highly recommend

Had ice cream 🍦 and drink. Lovely chilling by the beach ⛱️.

Nice cafe on the cliff top in saltdean. Water for dogs and a good selection of ice cream and drinks for us 😋

Sweet as . Nice coffee and super position by sea .

The managers and staff are wonderful and friendly, delicious and the staff are very helpful and service is excellent. On the 10th this Wednesday there is an open mic and every other week.

Carried somewhat by location and atmosphere - beautifully placed and designed area. Food was slowish and generally good, though service was friendly and chatty.

Great location, but that's all. Disinterested young staff, missing orders and tatty outdoor furniture, all in a brilliant location- what a missed opportunity

What a night. First class service, food and entertainment. Support your local business. A real community feel and welcoming venue

Great place to eat or just have a coffee . Fantastic views of the sea and cliffs . Great on a windy day !

Fantastic surprise 40th birthday party for my partner last night! Fantastic service, great chef, great food, great team!

On our second trip, the staff were awaiting a key to let us in. After 10mins we gave up. Previously, overwhelmed by such an amazing view, totally underwhelmed by the mumsy decor !!? Oh dear ...

Breakfast was overpriced and very poor quality. Thin toast, frozen hash brown 2veggie sausages, very ordinary. Staff appeared disinterested. Great views but I won’t be back.

Nice place to get out of the sun and grab an ice-cream or bite to eat.

Really enjoyed this cafe, it's very quaint and elegant. Service was good, there was a BBQ the day we went which was good. Lovely view of the beach.

Absolutely brilliant eve Jen was the best host and the Rest of the team were very hospitable. Thanku

Great view, nice service and perfect for a walk at the beach afterwards!

Nice place to sit and have coffee. But not for too long seemingly.

Whitecliffs Saltdean boasts a stunning beachfront location and welcomes furry friends, but be prepared for an enthusiastic canine reception. While some might find this charming, it can be overwhelming for others, especially with excitable pups jumping up and barking. Consider this if you're looking for a peaceful seaside escape for a meal. However, if you enjoy a lively atmosphere and don't mind friendly dogs, the location is unbeatable.

What a waste of a prime beach cafe location. Tatty and not well kept. Handscrawled menus with 50% blanked out and half the dishes they say they do serve, they actually aren't. Staff on the ordering till have no idea of the food prices so everytime you order they have to go and ask on the kitchen. Food was ok but at nearly £14 for a burger needs to be a lot better. Burgers advertised as "all come with onion rings and salad" and they don't. Coffee poorly made by someone who clearly has never had any sort of barista training. We came in the end of June on a nice sunny Sunday and it was half empty.....which tells you everything. The whole place is run by very nice but clueless teenagers who need an experienced manager. Such a shame , this place should be making a killing if only it was being competently run.

Came here for an all day music event. Event was great but the one toilet situation was pretty dire once the public toilets closed. I know it's not the venue's fault because of zoning, but it does make the later part of the evening a bit uncomfortable.

Only had chips icecream but they were nice. Was pretty busy so service was very slow, when ordering theh did warn us that it was slower than normal. Staff were friendly, view over the sea was as good as can get. Decoration and chairs were nice and comfortable. We liked it here for a rest stop and a snack.

Used to be great but now only serves sausages or bacon in a bun as well as some sausage rolls. Staff seem a bit disinterested. Coffee was good but what happened to all the old menu and food. Sausages were cold and blatantly reheated not cooked fresh and the brioche is weird. Expensive as well. Gone down hill im afraid such a shame. Used to to do an amazing salad and pies with a decent menu. Seems like different management the old friendly staff don't seem to be there anymore.

Where to start 🤔 we ordered £15 for an English breakfast with a cup of tea. We waited 20 minutes for he drink to arrive in a small cardboard takeaway cup....for £3. We waited another 20 minutes for our breakfasts to arrive my friend had ordered beans on toast....for £7. Let's start with the beans on toast, there was about 20 beans on 2 slices of toast!! The bacon was nice and the mushrooms aswel tasted nice. I didn't no it was possible but the eggs where solid on the yolk and undercooked on the white. The reminded me of weatherspoons eggs. The sausages reminded me of cocktail sausages and the toast never arrived. I waited for 5 minutes at the counter to ask how they get away with charging that much for an extremely poor breakfast let alone not receiving all the items and how it takes 40 minutes for breakfast to arrive with about 10 other customers inside the building. Not surprisingly nobody arrived in front of me to ask these questions. Not surprisingly I won't be going back and would recommend the nearest weatherspoons for anybody that wants breakfast.... I no the foods poor but the price matches and the staff are present.

Sofas out front a treat on a sunny day

A treasure right on the beach below the white cliffs. So many areas to enjoy. I was in heaven, sea and cliff views, a huge pot of Earl Grey £3 for 4 in pretty china cups and saucers, comfy, tasteful lounge chairs and sofas with cushions and throws favourite songs in the background. I'd be there every day but I live in North Kent

Walked in at few minutes past 9am, staff member seemed very unhappy to be at work, bear minimal interaction. Place advertised as open 9am, but kitchen not open till 9.30. After still slow. We were the only customers. Food arrived, sauages overcooked, bacon overcooked. No condiments. No sugar with coffee, had to get up and go ask for it. No follow up 'how is your food'. Place looks nice, looks like most stuff bought from the range. Lovely location and view. Shame about food and service.

Not cheap and not speedy service, but good quality and very comfortable, so you don't mind the waiting. The view out to sea is superb,and very relaxing. It's also dog friendly which is a big bonus to me. AND they sell dog ice cream. My hound absolutely loves the vanilla, but not the mint flavour :-)

Update - I'm sorry, this place is off my approved list now. £3.50 for a tiny cardboard "cup" (part filled) of coffee (see photos) is not acceptable & certainly not good value, especially given the competition locally. Historic Saltdean cafe with a boho vibe, & good coffee. Sadly, the pastries are no longer made in house. Use the new outside stall for drinks, snacks and ice creams, or dine in, (private parties by arrangement) and enjoy great views. Nice helpful staff too! Highly Recommended. Update -Still everything as before & what a staff! Some places just have it; this one certainly does. Update: A wonderful warm welcome for my walking group with two long tables found & excellent friendly service. We all decided to go to one of the events there as a group we were so impressed

This was the venue for the best wedding we've ever been to. The staff were wonderful and could not have been more welcoming and friendly. THANK YOU for a magical day.

Found the service a bit slow but, server was polite & friendly. Prices were a tad high. £9 for 2 coffees and a can of coke. £2 for a packet of crisps - admittedly, they're 'posh' crisps but still in a small bag.

Has so much potential… and yet… Great outdoor sitting!

Great place to chill and what the sea with your dog on the sofa

Well, just got charged £3.00 for this small cup of tea, so there’s that…. Edited to add 12/04/24. In response to the manager's doubling down on his disingenuous excuse that it was "due to staff costs", when I had the temerity to question him about the £3 cup of tea on the day, I have been sort of unconsciously logging the cost of a cup of tea from various other places for the past couple of months. From the literal buckets full in a motorway Starbucks to the regular good ol' proper mugs, to the cups with a pot to refill from 2 or 3 times. From on trend la-la's in Brighton, to railway stations to National Trust tea rooms, none have come close to being as small, and not one single one has been Three Whole Pounds. The closest was £2.99 in central London, and even that was a full size take away cup.

Excellent staff who were very attentive and accommodating to us. My granddaughter had an 18th birthday here yesterday and it was a brilliant experience. Food was lovely, and great atmosphere. Thank you to all staff who were in attendance.

Friendly local cafe with the best view in Saltdean

It was sunny and a great place to eat, the food was delicious and good service

What a great location plus the food and staff where incredible, highly recommend it

Lovely place - the staff are really friendly, the coffee tastes great and the food smells good, although I'm yet to try anything from the menu . I like the decor and the views are amazing . They seem to have regular events and live music too so I'll be back 😎

Went twice in February after walking from the Marina (once morning coffee & snack, once for lunch), both times a disappointment. Incredibly limited menu. SUCH a shame, this place could be SO much more. Indifferent staff, all very happily chatting to each other and ignoring customers. Very expensive food options, whioch are also extremely limited. Real pity - this place could be awesome!

Attended a private event at Whitecliffs Saltdean and had a lovely evening! It was so organised, the three staff members - Robbie, Sharna and John, were so polite and accommodating! There were many guests, but the three of them ensured the night went smoothly - amazing customer service! I don’t live locally but would definitely visit again when I’m next in the area

Very disappointed. Having rung few weeks before we were coming and discussed there would be a 10plus of us, and booked, we arrived to be told no food, kitchen shut, shown to a table outside no heaters, strong smell of gas, asked about the smell of gas told not to worry. Over priced cake that wasnt the best. Great locations such a shame would have been a regular place for many of us to come weekly and would have been promoted to a large amount of people..

Great bar staff, great food, 10/10 setting. Would 100% recommend

Nice place nice views serving staff average, cook needs to do better. discretion on menu was poor, food mainly over cooked, looking at other people tables and plates and also having other friends in cafe a lot of people leaving there food half eaten.

been here many times, normally pretty good. Yesterday, walked in to find three young women behind the counter, two talking to each other, one absorbed in her phone. Completely ignored me. I waited for about a minute, then left and went to Molly's in Rottingdean instead. Beautiful place, but the staff need training.

Interesting place to take a walk by the sea, you can see how glamorous this place became in the 30s.

Awful coffee, dreadful service, music too loud and we were served paper cups in the main cafe.

Lovely cafe. Cordial and warm atmosphere. Courteous service. Heart-warming view of the sea through the long glazed storefront. Nice for a relaxing coffee or tea on a sunny day.

We called in post walk to try this cafe as we already use a couple of others in the area. No menu available for drinks,vno price list visible either. Two coffees ordered, asked if we were inside or out we decided to sit in despite the sunshine as we hate paper cups. No other customers waiting but the man was holding an impromptu staff meeting while doing the drinks. He then walked off to the bar leaving our drinks to cool on the counter. Finally we collected our own drinks! The coffee has cooled and was dire. Worst coffee I've had out. The place looks nice but the staff incompetent. He had made the drinks in paper cups too.

The one star is for the lovely location and view from this cafe but what a great disappointment after hoping for an enjoyable lunch with a friend. Dreadful food and coffee. The large coffee only had extra water added so was watery and tasteless and required an extra espresso. The 'chefs special' ( couldn't have been a chef!) was a portion of scampi and frozen chips with a few spinach leaves. The roasted veg ciabatta was full of greasy butter and mushed, reheated veg. The advertised coleslaw was missing and the 'salad'was a few spinach leaves. Overpriced at £35 and without any form of quality to it. Top Tip..... Just keep on walking along the beautiful underclff path instead

Nice position above seafront. Very poor, overpriced food. Just turned out frozen or previously cooked and reheated sladash food. Clearly not a trained cook on the premises. Some cakes covered but others open to the air.....uuurgh! Coffee weak and tasteless despite a decent machine. Couldn't care less service. Will walk right past next time