Willow Tea Room in Arun

Absolutely disgusting level of customer service recieved today by the owner. The food and coffee could be really lovely but when your met with such aggression and profanities as I received today, it doesn't matter. I was sworn at, shouted at and made to feel very vulnerable when I asked about allergen information (I'm highly allergic to eggs and dairy). The owner clearly doesn't want the hassle of explaining ingredients to customer and found me to be a huge inconvenience. Rather than showing me what options I had, he got angry and annoyed and shouted at me to leave. I'll be further reporting this to environment standards, as all ingredients should be documented in a folder for every menu item, as per EHO guidelines. Never again will I come, nor recommend this cafe. Steer clear.

..Lovely owners very passionate.Food fabulous. Great our favorite place to eat

Lovely restaurant and very friendly staff. The setting is rustic but very cosy and friendly.

Having always loved the breakfast here, it was time to try the other delights on offer. My family of eight descended upon the Willow Tea Room for my birthday treat today, the guys really looked after us and the treats just kept on coming. Starting with a few hot snacks .. leading on to a great selection of dreamy sandwiches .. followed by warm scones, jam and cream .. then finally a variety of succulent cakes, all washed down with bottomless pots of tea accompanied by a tuneful rendition of The Birthday Song. All beautifully cooked and presented. We all waddled home stuffed full, big grins on our faces and with doggie bags tucked under our arms. So a BIG, BIG thank you to all, putting up with my rowdy mob for one thing as well as going above and beyond .. You made the day special. Carol and family

A small place that has gone from tea room to full blown restaurant fare. Portions are generous though service is haphazard. Open plan kitchen reveals all the clattering of pans (not unpleasant) and the hustle and bustle of service at a busy lunchtime. You can park straight outside. Everything from a full English breakfast to just a cup of tea, with everything in between. Owner/chef on the stove, which is nice to see. Beware that the loos are in a block to one side across the parking area.

I have to say that I thought we were heading to the seaside for breakfast on our motorbikes, so was surprised when we pulled in here. I think this probably ranks as the best full English I've had! I've had a few over the years, but the bacon (choice of back or streaky!) and black pudding were something else. The potatoes were great as well. The chef and staff clearly all have a real passion for food, as I saw them making up their own sausage meat squares, for their sausage sandwiches! The chef had prepared an incredible menu for a special Olympics Fri eve meal, which meant he had created dishes from each continent! And as for the cakes...😄 YUM! Easy bike parking and the bikes in view. Lovely staff. I was even given the directions to get to their butchers to get my own supply of bacon & BP (Merry Meats , Yapton) double yum!! Thoroughly recommend an out of the ordinary tea room. As Arnie said, "I'll be back!"

Having spent an evening at their Tapas evenings I treated myself a full English breakfast. The food was excellent quality, piping hot and the service superb. Thoroughly recommend dropping in for a coffee or a bite to eat.

The best shepherds pie EVER... I could eat here every day.. 100% in every way shape and form ❤️

Had a lovely lunch here today, great food and friendly staff.

Disappointed breakfast Coffee machine was broken, so had instated coffee which was a warm water only, we could not tasted the coffee at all and paid a very expensive coffee for £2.50! poached eggs tasted vinegar on top of a soggy toast. I think they did not put to dry on paper towel prior to put over our toast. This place cannot be bothered!!!!

Great place to have a meal.old style cooking and very tasty too.Very good portions.Highly recommended.

Used to go here for breakfast but stopped since they started to open later at weekends

We are regulars here for breakfast, lunch and homemade cakes but this was our first evening visit. Our evening was with another couple for tapa’s. A large selection of fish, meat seafood and vegetable dishes were available , all cooked fresh to order. Between the four of us we chose just about everything available and every dish was exceptional. Following our meal we badgered our friends into having home made deserts just to show them how good they are. Bring your own drink is great and makes for a very nice meal out at a reasonable price. Not one to miss!

Such a family wholesome place to come have a snack to eat. Good was so good. Highly recommend

The staff are all friendly and the cakes are truly scrumptious

Just had the most amazing afternoon tea here. Sandwiches galore, all freshly made, superb scones, jam and clotted cream, plus an ample supply of more cakes. Couldn't have eaten another thing ! Highly recommended , delicious !!!!!!!

I have been here before and their coffee is excellent. Pleasant outdoor area as well as indoors. Great selection of cakes, and it's the only place you can get refreshments on the long walk between Yapton and Barnham.

I am not one to write reviews but need to say I popped in on Saturday for a late breakfast. The food was top notch. Great customer service, nothing was too much trouble. I am a fan of Yorkshire Tea and WOW they served it with my breakfast. I decided immediately to come back the following day for Sunday lunch. I simply booked a table for 2 pm on the spot. Wow Sunday lunch did not disappoint! Full of flavour, served pipping hot and with good generous sized portions. Extra gravy was provided for my roast spuds. Well I just had to stay for a dessert. Again all freshly made and very tasty. Ten out of Ten. Talking to the whole team today and yesterday it is clearly their mission to keep their customers happy and full. Great service is hard to find these days. Ten out of Ten. I will be back soon. Thank you.

Delicious food, had a burger and ploughman's followed by coffee and a piece of strawberry cake which was amazing! Will return as I want to try the full English breakfast!!

My wife and I have visited this lovely Cafe regularly since finding it 2 years ago. James and Sophie work extremely hard to provide a large varied menu, with extras on the ‘Special Board’. On Sundays they have Roast Dinner which you must book for. We were there last Sunday and for two starters, two Roast Dinners, one desert, a cake to take away and 4 coffees we paid just over £50. They also have a Tapas evening on a Friday evening which is always fully booked. Whether you go for a breakfast, lunch or just a drink and cake you will not be disappointed. Their cakes are sublime!! Their prices are very competitive with other cafes locally ( but they can’t compete with Willows quality of produce). If you have dietary needs just speak with James and Sophie and they will be more than happy to assist you as best they can.

Such a great place to eat locally. Amazing food and genuinely friendly service from lovely people. They work all hours behind the scenes and turn out a surprisingly large and varied menu from such a small kitchen, and such high quality. We visited yesterday for my wife’s birthday and had an amazing time. Huge selection of cakes and puddings for afters. Definitely book in advance as it gets busy at times, and Sundays are booking only of course (per the signage and website).

Awesome…..Breakfast amazing, coffee great and we had cakes to take away (Ginger cake the best I have tasted) Staff lovely, really friendly and nothing too much trouble. Great find we will be back again to try more of the menu. Thank you……lovely food.

Not a place I want to visit again after seeing the way they treated a young family, who had just popped in.

I have just read a short review of the Willow Tea Rooms here on Google reviews. It just says "rude staff, made to feel unwelcome". I never thought I'd see a review like that for this place! It is probably the best tea room in the country, with the friendliest and hardest working staff. Looking from the outside you'd think it's a modest little "cafe" - but you'd be wrong. The food served here is amongst the best you'll get anywhere. Talk to the ever smiling chef and you'll find out why... He has been working in the city for decades, at the finest companies. He really knows his stuff. Nothing is too much trouble. My son is coeliac - an auto-immune disease that means he can't eat anything with gluten. Usually, it makes eating out a little bit more complicated and less fun for him. But many of the items here are made gluten free as a default - their attitude is "if we can do it gluten-free then why not". I don't live in Barnham - but I travel here at least once/twice a week to enjoy a lunch. This week my wife enjoyed the best smashed avacado on toast she has ever had (with back bacon as an extra) and I had the highest quality full english breakfast I've ever had. Back bacon, plus streaky bacon, a pile of lovely fried mushrooms, some potato puffs (as light as a feather - sort of like a potato croquette but nicer), toast, beans, perfectly fired eggs, two lovely sausages. Then for desert we couldn't make out minds up, so we had three sweets. Strawberry cheesecake, a strawberry cupcake, and the best of all... a strawberry tart that would beat most Parisian patisseries. No soggy bottoms here! We're on our way to do Sunday lunch on the 28th - having booked in advance :)

Rude staff! Made to feel very unwelcomed As the reply, you can see just how rude the staff were, as it was not clearly stated on Google, rather than it was just open. We walked in and completely stared down. An apology would have been nice or just a "I'm sorry we are fully booked today" rather than just "did you book?". Clearly the owner is very irate and has some serious anger issues. It doesn't work in your favor rather than solidify mine about the rudness. I am not a rude person and never have been. However I believe manners go a long way. In what was an honest mistake, where there was no clear signage on Google, if they responded in a polite manner I would have not left a review and understood. However being stared down as soon as we walked through the door. Eyes following us. Just very uncomfortable, cold and rude. I have dined here before many years ago and had a pleasant experience. However, not so much now.

A treasure. Delicious homemade food created in the room that you sit. Made and served by kind, calm, and good-natured people.

Behave very poorly and out right rude at any criticism, extremely bad customer service, my food had several hairs in complained and asked if any procedures were in place to safe guard against contaminating food given the apparent lack of hair nets, grunted and huffed and talked to abruptly, because of the distance travelled agreed to try something else and was very ill following should of left and saved myself a night on the toilet, clearly have a hygiene problem and a total disregard and disdain for their customers avoid at all cost.

Took the trip especially for some tea and cake on Tuesday but completely closed with no note to say why. Very disappointed. In responce to this obviously very very irate owner.... I will not be giving you my telephone number as suggested lol, although that is extremely flattering ;-) I looked and didn't see any sign as I stated. I looked on your website and in modern times surely that would tell me your closed early.... without me having to call each premisis I want to visit each day! Is this the 70's! I'm really sorry your obviously an angry dinosaur with out of date technology. I would have been happy to amend my review if you weren't so rude. I took myself off to your tea room in between cancer treatments so you aren't the only one who has hopsital appointments my poor old dinosaur. Sure I can get some cake elsewhere and maybe an owner who's a bit less angry :) happy trading dinosaur xoxo

Had a wonderful meal in there last night. 6 of us booked in for an Italian themed menu. The food was superb and the staff were friendly and accommodating. The atmosphere was informal and comfortable. We will definitely be returning in the near future.

Fantastic Hot Chocolate on a blustery, damp day. Everyone one enjoyed the Tea Willow Rooms 👍🏻 Lovely place, Great People.

Second visit here.. what a treasured find! Amazing family run tea room, that’s caters for all tastes. First visit was lunch, and it was delicious sandwiches full, bread fresh. Excellent quality and cost! Then we were chatting with the family and learned more about how they make everything from scratch, where possible. We returned for an afternoon tea for friends birthday. I love an afternoon tea, but quite often there is a disappointment somewhere.. lack of sandwiches, bland always a little gripe! Not however this time, sandwiches delightful, unlimited tea refills, cakes don’t get me started lush!!! Choice and quantity wow! Suffice so much we took a box each away with us. This is an amazing gem .. fabulous food! Thank you

The hosts are exceptional The food is scrumptious and such excellent value for money Everything is sourced locally and homemade If you haven’t been, try it and you will most certainly return!

Cosy... Big hearty portions... Very good price.... Good service..... Kind staff..... Tasty food! Clean and tidy....

Wow what a wonderful little find certainly the best breakfast around and I've had them all best quality served by friendly family run team 😀 clean and cakes wow highly recommended keep up the great work

A lovely little local cafe! Breakfast was delicious and coffee was great. The staff are so friendly and there was a welcoming atmosphere. Will definitely be coming back regularly!

Excellent service and very clean Excellent food, the best scramble egg And such lovely people Always made welcome

Enjoyed a meal for lunch with friends which was very good then took homemade pastries to take away which were fabulous. This is a dog friendly place. I would recommend eating here.

What a smashing place & run by wonderful people

You go to places like this for the food and in here you get outstanding food! My partner Jess and I go frequently to this little tea room (sometimes with the kids), and we are always welcomed with smiling faces and probably the best traditional english breakfast I've ever had! They cater to everyone's needs (my children can be fussy), and also, on special occasions, they give out free cake! Myself and Jess have been to their theme nights, which are amazing! I don't have enough words to describe how good their food is! Their cakes as well are amazing! They usually have a big cake which can be bought in slices, one day Jess decided that she wanted the whole thing! Needless to say, it went down well! Thank you!

Love it , fresh and tasty , poched eggs are perfectly done 🥰

Popped in for coffee snd cake and will definitely be back. Lovely atmosphere and delicious treats.

Always so welcoming the team at Willow tea rooms. Home cooked food and amazing cakes. Dog friendly with doggie ice-cream.

Been here lots of times with husband for coffee and bacon sandwich, which is always great. Went today for same thing but then decided to take some cakes home. Chose the cheesecake and lemon drizzle cake. Just had the cheesecake and it was absolutely gorgeous! Wanted to go back and get the rest of it. Drizzle cake later!

Fantastic breakfast, all items hot, and brilliant value for money Would recommend if If in the area.

Fantastic tea room with delicious choices of food and friendly service. Every time I visit it is excellent. Afternoon Tea is particularly good value.

This unassuming tea room, tucked away in a unexpected place in Barnham is an absolute delight. The owners are so friendly and the quality of the food stands this place apart from so many other tea rooms. There is a chef here who knows how to cook! Day time lunches/dinner and cake are stand out delicious, reasonably priced and generously portioned. Sometimes special events are held and so a group of us attended the recent Friday night Mezze event and were instantly transported to Greece with the amazing and delicious array of Greek delights, including the Moussaka, lamb, Greek salad. It was a fantastic feast and we could not eat it all so took some home with us. As we were celebrating Birthdays we also had a wonderful Strawberry Birthday cake which was absolutely delicious. Selfishly this place is best kept secret but really it is too good to keep all to ourselves.

Lucky enough to try the delicious mezze last night - all freshly cooked by James and Sophie. The special Friday evening menu was wonderful. From the Greek salad with dips and stuffed vine leaves through to the slow cooked lamb, haloumi kebabs, chicken kebabs, and kofta the tastiest of food just kept on coming. The stand out dish was the moussaka which was succulent and rich with cinnamon. If you get the chance to get to one of these events, go for it - but make sure you book ahead! There is always a warm welcome from Karen and the team.

Today's visit was very disappointing as I took my grown up daughter after telling her how lovely the staff were here only today's experience was not one we wish to repeat......My daughter has dental aligners and is embarrassed to sit facing too many people however we were made to feel bad about our table choice? We waited a very long time to served and it seemed we were given "the silent treatment " for choosing a table which needed a quick clean! Such a shame especially as my daughter was on holiday. The food was lovely but the grumpy service spoilt our experience today sadly In response to your reply (Better not to sit in judgement of people)My daughter is recovering from a tooth accident so as you stated NOT cosmetic! Thanks for confirming your character/opinions.....Better not to sit in judgement of others especially when running a business?

My goodness, forget the eateries in Chichester and Bognor Regis …… this delightful cafe/restaurant near to Barnham ( behind the Windmill ) is surely head and shoulders above all the places we’ve experienced over time and clearly a “ warm welcome “ is assured. We would prefer to keep it a closely guarded secret, but really it should be recognised for the gastronomic delight that it has to offer. We shall make it a regular part of our future days out. Hugely commended.

Fantastic food, very relaxed & friendly atmosphere. As for the cakes they are scrumptious & mouth watering 😋 Thank you Karen, James & Sophie

Friendly staff. Quick service. Homemade food. Very tasty

Gorgeous food, so beautifully presented. Lovely owners so happy to stop and chat. What a lovely place to have so close to our home. Will be back many times

SUPERB The best meal we have had out in the uk for a long while. Homemade fishcakes with lemon mayo was divine., ploughman's amazing and fishfinger sandwich WOW. Wonderful service. Beautiful ambience sitting in the sun. Wow wow wow. Thank you to Willow tea rooms. We will be returning with family and friends.

Top quality ingredients well cooked great place

Well I'd like to leave a zero star review so know one finds this absolute hidden gem ! Recommended by friends and we've popped in a couple of times for some cakes to take away. The cakes themselves are absolutely divine. Today we decided to have a roast dinner there to, wow, just wow! The only way to described how nice that was is that it felt like your Nan or Mum had cooked it. Generous portions but. It over the top , but everything was cooked to absolute perfection. We all like a roast dinner as brits and you regularly see recommendation's of all the local pubs doing a carvery online - but his is so much more. All meat from the local butchers (Merry Meats ) where we shop anyway so you can be assured of the best quality. Roast potatoes to die for (I don't believe you just cooked them in oil) They are perfection, home made stuffing which is delicious . Top that off with an Eton Mess with the lightest meringue ever - 100% delicious . All the staff and the chef who came out to chat to us are just lovely , extremely knowledgeable and hearing about the special nights we will certainly be back . Wonderful place , delicious food and amazing cakes. 10 outta 10 is not enough . An absolute hidden gem that does not need to advertise (which is why it took us 2 years of living in the area to find you!)

Lovely cosy place with outdoor seating. Friendly staff with great knowledge of gluten free and coeliac. Nice gf sandwiches, presented with some salad and crisps.

Great little find with the bonus being we can walk there. Had a couple of cream teas loved it. Will be returning.

Best breakfast I've ever had. Managed to get three in in a two week stay in the area. Lovely people that run it too.

Lovely place and dog friendly. Had fresh Sandwich, so large no room for gorgeous homemade cakes on display. Will be back as easy to park and lovely countryside to walk dog too. 🐕

Been here many times always a lovely welcome and food is always first class.

Amazing place, tapas tonight was amazing again, also the cakes and tarts are to die for, see you again in the week Sue and Graham

Just experienced an absolutely wonderful evening at this gorgeous establishment. Wonderful setting, excellent tasty food, Spanish tapas, great portions, beautifully presented and prepared. Lovely Friendly staff, family business, great cohesive service. Highly recommended 👌 👍 xxxxxx well done James Karen and Sophie xxxx

Popped in for coffee and toast whilst in the area looking at properties . Very pleasant easy going atmosphere and great coffee . Went back later for some late lunch and it was very good too !

We have been here a number of times now for snacks and cakes. There has always been a warm welcome for both us and the dogs. We haven’t had a meal yet but the sandwiches are very good quality and the cakes are fantastic. Set in a small retail site near the windmill parking is good which is handy. As well as the good food the owners are always up for a friendly chat and the prices are very reasonable for the service and quality. A well worth a stop if you are passing.

Lovely cafe we found by chance on a dog walk very friendly staff great coffee only had a bowl of crisps which they provided just for us. Excellent x

Very clean with friendly and efficient staff. Well worth a visit.

Excellent food, great service, friendly staff, and chefs will prepare your food to your preference. Indoor and outdoor covered eating areas. Dont be fooled by the name Tea Room. This is a serious cafe with delicious hot meals and naughty cakes alike. Bookable sunday roasts and special friday evening food events with an international theme are often held and booked up fast. A hidden gem well worth a visit.

This is the most perfect tea room. The food is amazing and the family who run it are so friendly and kind. We love going here. James is an amazing chef, who worked at a top London hotel, and his wife and daughter Sophie are very attentive. The special menu changes daily but the problem is trying to choose as everything is so great. We have had sea bass, Greek lamb, smoked haddock, ploughman’s and lots of cake! James has also made two birthday cakes for us and they were perfect. The tea room is also set in a super peaceful spot. So relaxing. In a way I’m loathe to praise as everyone will discover our favourite place and we’ll never get a table again as they will be so busy! Dying to try their roasts.

Thanks again guys for an amazing afternoon tea. I fully recommend willow tea rooms for private functions. Nothing was too much trouble. Everyone had a great time and we all took home plenty of left overs.

Been there twice now. First tea normal and second time for a private event. The food is amazing and the service is excellent!! It’s worth every penny!! Highly recommend to anyone who can get there!!!

Came here for breakfast after hearing good things, didn’t disappoint. Delicious food/cakes and friendly welcoming staff. Will 100% be visiting again, fab little local cafe!! Thank you! 😊

The food and service is always excellent. Sunday lunches are hard to book as always extremely busy . Lovely food lovely people .

Am amazing little tea rooms with the most fabulous breakfast. Great and friendly and helpful team. You can find them on a little shopping village right by the windmill.

Lovely afternoon snack, sandwiches, jacket potato, teas, coffee, juice and scrummy cakes! Lovely friendly service at this small cafe. Plus a super selection of cakes! Soya and oat milk available as well.

Amazing experience for afternoon tea, the most wonderful service and did everything to make it perfect for us. The owners have a wealth of experience, and the lady speaks French also! Can’t wait to come back!!

The food was lovely. It's a nice little restaurant with friendly staff

Friendly and helpful as always. Amazing sausage sandwich.

Stunning little Cafe. Great food and great people, moving into the area and can't wait. Looking forward to the Tapas night!

The poached eggs with smoked salmon and hollandaise sauce is excellent, I love a soft runny poached egg.

Top marks great quality coffee and cakes.

Really nice place to eat and drink , nice selection of cakes , happy and friendly staff , will be back.

Best Breakfast I have ever had. Cakes are unreal all homemade.

Very nice breakfast and a good selection of cakes. Staff were nice and friendly.

What a little gem of a place. Lovely people, so friendly, food delicious (just ask if it’s not on the menu) and homemade cake to die for!.

Excellent poached eggs on toast + very friendly.

Lovely coffee abd cakes after walking the dogs. Hot meals if required,bdigs on leash allowed

Amazing family run business, you have to eat there, food is amazing, don't miss out, you're regret it

Visited again today, having visited many times before. As always the service was great, staff very friendly and the food was amazing. We love the place and would highly recommend it.

A gem of a place! We have been there quite a lot and tried three of their themed nights (indian, tapas & french) which were all superb. The Sunday roasts are amazing and well worth a try but you must book! The family owners (James, Karen and Sophie) are a wonderful trio and work extremely hard to provide a fabulous & varied menu. Myself and my husband devour our food every time we go there and would highly recommend that you go along and try it out!

Found this great little café whilst visiting another business at the Windmill had tea and a cheese scone, was impressed and thought we’d try their Sunday Lunch. My wife had beef and pork and I had chicken. It was as a loverly meal and reasonably priced. the cakes and puddings are to die for. You can take your own alcoholic drinks, and we finished with a coffee all for £15 a head. Great food great venue and attentive staff what more could you ask for. Hopping to get back for the tapas evening.

I was undecided about writing a review as it might make booking a table even more difficult. We enjoyed remarkably good tapas on a hot summer's evening. We brought our own wine. (No corkage) It is a little gem that can't be faulted.

Cakes, breakfast and tapas superb. Great people and dog friendly. Highly recommend 🥰

Amazing food and great service 5* can't wait to come again.

Had an fantastic tapas evening with friends. Food was delicious and cooked to perfection. A real hidden gem. If you are in the area a visit a meal here is very highly recommended.

We had a cream tea for my mum on Tuesday for her birthday Wonderful service superb sandwiches and amazing cakes highly recommend Sue

Always very good food. Cooked to perfection. Friendly family owners.

Tucked away by the windmill is this incredibly friendly and welcoming cafe. The coffee is perfect and the delicious meals and the sweet treats are some of the best you’ll find anywhere.

We are staying near-by for a family weekend & wanted somewhere for brunch, I booked us in here from the reviews & we were all very happy with the choice. The owners are really lovely & friendly right from the moment we arrived & when we left, nothing was too much trouble. We sat outside & they moved tables & chairs to accomodate the 8 of us. We all had a variation from full Englishes to scones & all requests for variations were no trouble. The food arrived in good time & was hot & delicious. I would highly recommend this little gem & will be back when we are next in the area. Thank you to you all who made us feel so welcome.

Sandwiches excellent choice, scones first class, and cakes were incredible everything well presented, well done throughly recommended

We have visited the Willow Tea Rooms on several occasions and have always received a warm welcome from James, Karen and Sophie. The food always tastes fantastic and the service is second to none. We look forward to seeing you on the tapas evening.