Mermaids Cafe — Restaurant in Folkestone and Hythe District

2 days ago I visited the mermaid cafe after spending a while at the costal park with my niece and my nephew. We ordered at the till and the lady that had served us (red hair) was very nice and welcoming. We ordered a kids hot dog, a large hot dog, cheese crumpets and a tomato and mozzarella toastie. While ordering the food, my niece with severe autism was walking around, as she has sensory difficulties she had touched the fire extinguisher and water went onto the floor. I was then shouted at by a woman called nevea telling me to “watch your child, she has just pressed the button on the fire extinguisher and its all over the floor” she continued to say this repeatedly even after me apologising and making sure that my niece didn’t walk anywhere else which made me feel very uneasy of the situation. Me and nevea got into a disagreement when I had mentioned about my niece having severe autism which she then replied with “we all have autism” this is such a disgusting and disrespectful thing to say towards not only autistic people but everyone around that heard this conversation. With this cafe being a child friendly place you would think that nevea would have decency towards the situation. The fire extinguisher should have had a pin to remove before using which i will be taking further to resolve this issue. Thank you to the woman at the till that told me that there is books at the back of the cafe for my niece to read and the manager that come to see that everything was okay. After all this performance we had waited 40 minutes to get the worst food that I could have made in 10 minutes which I will attach photos of below. Thanks to nevea I will never be back here again because her uncalled for behaviour and being argumentative. I should have known she was going to be a problem from the start as her actions seemed like she didn’t want to be there and saying “excuse me” in an abrupt way. I hope this review reaches nevea well and she can change her attitude and negativity towards autism and realise that theres more to it. Only small minded people...

We visited this after hearing good reports. Unfortunately, it was a disappointment. The café was advertised as open from 10:00am. We were there about 5past. The staff who were there said they would not open for another 20mins or so as they were waiting for the cook to arrive!

We strolled on a bit more and called back about half an hour later. First impressions where not great. The floor and tables looked like they had never been properly washed down since they were new. It would be so easy at the end of day to keep on top things with a couple buckets of clean water just to clean the floor and tables. It looked like no-one cared! A large pile of boxes and other rubbish was stacked in the dining area by the gate again giving a poor impression.

We sat down and no one came. We went into the indoor area where the staff where - no-one even looked up. No “Good morning – we'll be with you in a minute” or anything like that. Just lots of chatting and laughing amongst themselves. We persevered and ordered a couple of coffees and two meals and sat outside and waited.

While we were waiting, we were able to watch a little black and white dog, owned by one of the staff members running around the seating area. It urinated against the entrance on three occasions before going into what turned out to be the cooking area!

After twenty minutes or so our breakfast arrived! The one saving grace – it looked good and tasted good. But for this there would be no stars at all! When we were eating, we were a little put off by the cook coming into the eating area to greet a customer who had brought a dog. The dog was fussed over and given nibbles directly from the hand of the cook before she went back into the kitchen. I hope she washed her hands but after seeing other reviews about hygiene issues I have my doubts.

Overall, it’s a great shame that the experience was as it was, this could be a fantastic place if properly managed. We were let down poor service, lack of cleanliness, and lack of confidence that proper food hygiene practice was...

Mermaids Cafe in Folkestone, Kent, is a delightful seaside gem that offers a great dining experience with stunning views of the beach. The picturesque setting alone makes it a must-visit, as you can enjoy your meal while taking in the serene coastal scenery.

The food at Mermaids Cafe is excellent, living up to its reputation. The menu features a range of delicious options, but the milkshakes and bacon sandwiches are standout items that shouldn’t be missed. The milkshakes are creamy and rich, providing a perfect treat on a warm day, while the bacon sandwiches are a savory delight, cooked to perfection and generously portioned.

Service at Mermaids Cafe, although generally friendly and accommodating, can be a bit slow during peak times. However, this minor inconvenience is easily overshadowed by the overall quality of the experience. Patience is rewarded with great food and a beautiful view, making it well worth the wait.

In summary, Mermaids Cafe offers amazing views and brilliant food, with milkshakes and bacon sandwiches that are especially noteworthy. While the service can be a tad slow when busy, it shouldn’t deter you from enjoying all that this charming cafe...