Cafe 709

This is a nice place to visit if you are after a quick bite to eat or something nice and simple. It is nothing special but ‘does the job nicely’.
The menu isn’t that extensive but they have a reasonable selection to choose from, and they serve lovely milkshakes.
I often pop in here with my son for a quick drink or sandwich and the staff and attentive and accommodating. And their cakes are delicious and more-​ish indeed!
The café itself is bright and clean although is quite small especially since they can’t use the back gardens anymore.

Nice place to eat for a quick snack or maybe something a bit more.
Food is reasonably priced for what you get and the staff are very pleasant and attentative.
The comments about the back garden are true, this is apparently due to complaints from neighbours so the facility was withdrawn.
Not a place to go for a cosy meal as the tables are all on top of eachother but otherwise a nice atmosphere.
The walls have artwork displayed on them which can be bought albeit they are quite expensive.

This used to be a fantastic place for coffee, lunch or a meal. In fact we had our wedding reception there which was fabulous. Sadly since the café was taken over a couple of years ago things have gone down hill. There is no longer access to the rear garden — sitting out the front on one of the busiest roads through town is not that appealing. Also the standard of food has deteriorated — cheap baked beans the most noticeable!
Inside the décor is not what it was. Some of the tables seem scorched and past their best, and the fake flowers would be better not bothering with.
Having said that the service is good, and it is child — friendly with high chairs and a children’s menu

Used to be brilliant with a nice garden out the back. Now it’s not so great. No garden to sit in during the summer. Food still pretty good unless you’re a kid — sausage and chips that are deep fried simply isn’t healthy!

This small café in the middle of Southchurch Village is a little gem. It’s a proper neighbourhood café but very trendy too (it is, after all, in the village). The exterior is hot pink and blue and the interior is all pale wood, smooth lines and huge pictures of flowers.
It has changed hands twice in the past few years and the last change-​over led to a decline in service, but thankfully that’s been rectified.
They’re open Monday to Saturday day-​time only, although they do sometimes trial Friday and Saturday evening openings with live music. I guess it never proves popular enough because they go back to day-​time only after a few weeks.
In addition to the tasty food, they always have a selection of fantastic home-​made cakes and pastries so it’s a nice place to stop by for a coffee and something sweet.
It can get very busy, especially during weekends in the summer when the rear garden is jammed with people enjoying leisurely lunches.
The service can be painfully slow, but it’s all part of the laid-​back vibe so you have to just accept it, sit back and relax.