Bracklesham Bay Tea Rooms & Garden — Restaurant in Chichester

I was fortunate enough to be invited to a pre-opening taster evening and all I can say is WOW! First impressions of the tea rooms was how cozy and welcoming it is. Clifford’s Cottage is a quaint listed building within a picturesque coastal village. The warm welcome from owners Joanne and Ian really made the tea rooms feel like home. The garden and outside seating area is beautiful and I can only imagine how gorgeous it will look in full bloom.

DRINKS I TRIED - Chichester tea: strong, rich and full flavoured. Absolutely delightful that they have included this locally sourced brand on the menu. Vanilla latte: very smooth and frothy. Made with flavoursome Fairtrade expresso beans. Deluxe hot chocolate: certainly not for the faint hearted! This hot chocolate was rich, creamy and topped off with cream, marshmallows and a Cadbury’s chocolate flake (yum). Chocolate and vanilla thick milkshakes: both were absolutely delightful! The chocolate shake was one of the best shakes I have had in a very long time. (It was such a lovely touch knowing that these shakes were creations specially made by Joanne and Ian’s youngest daughter).

FOOD I TRIED - Homemade sausage roll with homemade coleslaw and hand cooked crisps: uniquely flavoured meat surrounded by a gorgeously flakey pastry roll. Homemade quiche lorraine (also served with the above sides): a really lovely and light quiche with a crisp crumbly pastry. A perfect combination with the delicious homemade slaw. Coronation chicken jacket potato with salad garnish with house French dressing: a perfectly fluffy baked potato with the most wonderful homemade coronation chicken. Even though the filling didn’t include sultanas, I can promise it was absolutely phenomenal! (I need the coronation chicken as a permanent part of my life! So I’ll be sure to ask Joanne for her secret recipe next time I visit). ‘Savoury tea for one’ which included cheddar and fresh chive scones, Victoria chutney, cheddar cheese: a lovely twist on the traditional cream tea. A light and beautifully textured savoury scone with both the zesty and rich chutney and cheddar cheese. The perfect choice for someone who isn’t a fan of the typical ‘cream’ tea! Rustic chips: crispy and fluffy! Yum yum yum.

CAKES I TRIED - Coffee and walnut cake: a gorgeous sponge with a fully flavoured coffee buttercream. Absolutely delicious! Chocolate cake: a moist and fluffy sponge with rich chocolate buttercream. A perfect chocolate cake. Rocky road: a thick chunk of chocolate, marshmallow and crunchy biscuit. A rich chocolate bar made up of wonderful textures.

Recommendations: Thick chocolate milkshake, ANYTHING with that amazing coronation chicken and the coffee and walnut cake.

I love this place and really look forward to the tea rooms officially opening at the end of October. I’ve already made plans to take my mum, nan, boyfriend...

Feedback is important! Came here for a baby shower and afternoon tea. £15 per person. Beautiful thatched house, but a real shame about the service and food. Left very disappointed. Just because someone has an allergy to fish and another person asked for no mustard, we were told we had to move out of our seat and sit on a separate "allergy" table for 2 people like we were children and couldn't be trusted. Luckily the person I shared my food with was a Friend or that could of been very awkward. I've never been to an afternoon tea where you don't have 2 of each item to try. We were given plain cheese and plain ham (VERY DRY) while everyone else had coronation chicken amd egg with their selection. When asked why we didn't have this, she said because you wanted no mustard, I said well I could of had one, I just can't have fish, so the lady went around the other tables trying to pinch a coronation chicken off their plate. Highly embarrassing and quite Frankly, unprofessional. No-one gave up their sandwich and I don't blame them. When asked if we would like a top up of tea, we got some plain boiling water, not even another tea bag, very pointless and the tea was too weak and undrinkable with just adding water. The staff really struggled to crack a smile and made us feel very unwanted and unwelcomed. First time I've ever come away from afternoon tea hungry! I hope this feedback helps and improves...

We recently attended a private event with a relative who uses a wheelchair. While we were reassured that the venue was accessible, I now realize I should have reached out in advance to clarify the specific needs of our family member. Fortunately, the weather was beautiful, and we were able to sit outdoors, as the indoor space was far too cramped for a wheelchair, and there were steps we couldn't manage. The gravel parking also posed significant challenges in manoeuvering the wheelchair, and, unfortunately, the staff offered little assistance.

On a positive note, the food was good, and the garden was lovely. While we’ve had good experiences at this venue in the past, I would caution wheelchair users to only visit on days when outdoor seating is possible or call ahead. Also, to have someone strong to help navigate the gravel. Sadly, we were unable to use the disabled facilities due to the difficulties of getting the wheelchair inside. Some ramps would have made a world of difference and greatly improved...