Nikki's Cafe Bistro — Restaurant in Tendring

Not really what we expected, and not in a good way. Essentially, it boils down to the fact that we ordered three different dishes and there was an issue with two of them. Problem one was that they did not have ingredients for what we wanted from the menu (no hollandaise sauce for the Eggs Benedict, which kind of defeats the whole purpose of it being Eggs Benedict) and no way to get the said ingredient, so we had to pick something else (we picked the All Day English Breakfast). The other problem was that they didnt have any ham for the ham and eggs we ordered, but did not tell us so, instead they just made us wait for a member of staff to run across the street and buy some ham from a food store. We literally saw the said member of staff walk through the Café Bistro with the pack of ham and 3 minutes later we were served the dish after having waited for around 15 minutes for it! Drinks was the situation wasn't any better. We wanted milkshakes as per the drinks menu, turns out the Café Bistro was out of milk, so we had to have orange juice and can of fizzy drink instead. For a food place, they were ridiculously short on food. I must add here that we visited in the middle of August, supposedly the height of the season when you'd expect for them to be at their best. But alas! Also, beware that there is a baby changing mat, but no baby changing table, so you're expected to lay your baby literally down on the floor between the toilet cubicles to change their nappy. The Café Bistro is also quite small, so do note this if you intend on going to sit inside and want to bring your stroller in (though we did manage, that was because the place was next to empty at lunchtime on Thursday). On the plus side, the server was very friendly. However that is not enough to salvage our experience and, sadly, I cannot with a good conscience recommend Nikki's Café...

An obviously popular cafe with approx 8 tables of various occupancy. Predominately frequented by pensioners at the time of our visit. Decor. The owners have done their best with the decor, with the ubiquitous Kidston-esque, shabby chic & The Range vibe which I personally believe has been done to death now. It’s a shame for the owners as the building is in such a condition whereby nothing short of a complete rebuild is ever going to make it sparkle. Parking outside is exclusively for the disabled, with a pay & display 100m around the corner. This business is rather intimate which wheelchair users should be aware of. Staff Tracy, flame haired & clearly formidable is in charge of the cooking & is accompanied by a, “Pirate”, & a mother & daughter team of waiting staff. All are very welcoming & helpful. The food. More Cafe than Bistro style; which for the price is a little disappointing, especially considering portion size which is small for the area. I’m confident the quality is significantly better, especially looking the sausage which isn’t the typical brown paste one normally finds in a Cafe. I found the bacon was slightly & possibly unintentionally burnt, egg over cooked, while the black pudding was under cooked. The roast was a little dry & the veg over boiled. With better parking & menu targeting a younger audience we would definitely visit again, but in its current guise Tracey’s requires a little too much effort to visit with not...

100% RECOMMEND!

I know there have been many reviews on this place. However, Nikki has taken over. The food here is absolutely beautiful. Not only do the flavours inspire your taste buds to go places they've never been before, but the quality of the food itself is always of the highest standard. The curry goat is seasoned to perfection and slow cooked to the point that the meat just drops off the bone! The West Indian Chicken is one of the most authentic tasting dishes you can get, outside of being there yourself! And the coconut rice and beans are always fluffy and fragrant and hits the spot! But first and foremost, this place does the best fry up in the area, BY FAR! The butchers sausages are divine. Succulent and juicy, yet perfectly firm and full off flavour! Even the bread is high-quality bread! Nikki and her family are so friendly and welcoming! They are so happy to accommodate your needs, and when it's quiet (which is very rare), they do love a good chin wag! The only complaint I have is that the place could be bigger as sometimes I can't get a seat and am forced to get takeaway, lol.

Oh, and the homemade cheesecake! Oh my God! You have never had cheesecake like it! The expectations of a heavy, dense, overly sweet cream, is immedieatly recinded to the most heavenly cheesecake that just melts in your mouth as though you're biting into a cloud!

You will not regret...