Cliffhanger Cafe in Christchurch

Don't go to the Cliffhanger if you are a vegetarian, New Year's Eve cost £110, starter was a plate of watery tomatoes with 3 balls of mozzarella, main was a quarter of char grilled cauliflower and beetroot and nothing else! The main meal was sent back as it was cold, the returned plate was inedible. The chef was unable to offer anything vegetarian other than a basket of chips, these were declined. Consequently I did not have a meal. Complaint not dealt with satisfactorily on the night, did not receive a refund and the Manager did not bother to attend to apologise. I was given a free bottle of wine! Letter of complaint sent, Elliot replied apologising stating the gesture of wine was not good enough, agreed with all the issues raised and said if was not satisfactory. Words! I have not been offered a refund for the meal or anything else as a goodwill gesture. The Cliffhanger management was given the chance to put things right on the night and in reply to my written complaint before this review, they didn't bother. Disheartening customer service & such a disgraceful way to treat regular customers.

I visited with my family members for lunch and was left extremely disappointed. I had been previously with a friend for coffee and thought it was great and over looking the sea. Second visit however, really slow service to then be told x2 dishes were out so had to re order and this was about 40/50 minutes in. Once food arrived burgers looked fab but two fish dishes were rubbery and the poached egg was solid. To add to this the food was cold. The arancini dish was ridiculously small for the price, four super small balls with two leaves for the salad on the side, this was also cold. There didn’t seem to be much communication between staff so I felt I constantly had to repeat myself or chase up an order. Chai lattes were the highlight really. It’s just a shame as it was a birthday lunch and we all left a bit irritated. Having said all of that I believe it’s a great place for a pit stop for tea or coffee but little else.

Quite possibly the worst vegetarian meal I have ever been served. New Year's Eve celebration was spoilt because of awful meal for the vegetarian diner. Starter of cold watery tomatoes with 3 minute balls of mozzarella; main meal was inedible cold chargrilled cauliflower quarter, bit of sauce and again watery tomatoes! That's it, awful. Management couldn't care less, despite complaints at time and written complaint afterwards. Offered a bowl of chips and free bottle of wine by waitress. Management could not be bothered or too embarrassed to visit our table. Cost of meal was £110 each for Abba tribute night on NYE. We were seated around the corner where we couldn't see band. Would not normally complain on media, but lack of interest by Cliffhanger prompts review. Cliffhanger, you had our money this time but you have just lost four regular customers of long standing.

This is what an almost £5 each hot chocolate royal (there was some whipped cream and flake) and "giant choca mocha" looks like, it was essentially flavoured water. Really disappointing and clearly not matching it's price point as it was either from a cheap machine or a sachet. Can't comment on the food as we didn't order any. The menu on the website is also out of date as the prices have all gone up since then. The other thing to note as it was busy we ended up in the dog area which is fine, but due to the fact they put a green like carpet down dogs were using that as signal to urinate and worse next to where we were sitting, never seen anything like that in a cafe before

An almost flawless experience. Brilliant location, excellent food, and faultless and friendly service.

We booked the New Year’s Eve ABBA event and had an amazing time. The staff were amazing, especially Nicky who was looking after us for the evening. The band were great fun and the food was very good. We would definitely book again.

Friendly staff, clean and comfortable with good food which is getting expensive for smaller portions. Roof was leaking badly in the extension and management blamed the wind for making the roof move? But in the summer or nice days its only a short walk from the cliff top for stunning views.

A brilliantly planned & very slickly run NYE meal with ABBA tribute band. The restaurant was full with everyone in a positive party mood, and no one was let down. It was such a brilliant night. Really well done all staff involved in making it so memorable! 👏👏

We were out for the day with my 3 year old who is toilet training the outside toilets were shut , we asked nicely to use the toilet and said we were regular customers which we are normally on a sunday in the restaurant the manager wouldn’t let us use the toilet, am very upset and our day ruined as my daughter had an accident as she couldn’t use the toilet will never come here again !!!!!!!!!

Just dropped in for a coffee but had breakfast.

Christmas Party event was excellent. Beautifully decorated venue with plenty of staff. The Soul Train evening was brilliant. Amazing engaging singer. Great menu choices and the food was really good. We all had a wonderful time. We come yearly (in inbetween of course) and the Christmas events are the best

We went at cliffhanger 18/24 for Xmas party it was excellent I had the steak it was delicious the way I like was tender nothing wrong to say all good

Great food, friendly service and fabulous views - wonderful!

Chai latte with views of the sea. We weren't rushed but politely informed that our table was reserved for later (we still had over an hour before the reservation so did not feel pressured at all). Staff were very friendly and the drink was well made. Good atmosphere and they had gone to efforts with their tasteful Christmas decorations. Looking forward to returning and trying more out.

Wonderful views. Pasta dish was delicious. Panini less impressive. Overall good service, comfortable and outstanding views.

Further to my last entry, have just taken my Granddaughter to meet Santa for btreakfast. Absolutely wonderful. Food first class as were all the lovely Elves who served us, oh and Mother Xmas!! Than you for a memorable morning. Plenty of outside seating. Lovely views. Good service.

A great place to meet up with friends for brunch with a stunning view of the Needles... (on a clear day). An no parking charge until April.

Had a lovely sandwich, cake and coffee with a view.

What a lovely place, with a beautiful view. Such great service by very lovely staff. Amanda went over and above to ensure we had a great meal family afternoon tea.

I've been there many times and the service has always been good and the quality of food and drink has always been good. Keep it open by using it.

Delicious cheeseboard, don't think the sandwich was freshly made, had been premade, and chilled, which spoilt it. Great chips. Friendly prompt service. Beautiful view. No accessible entrance. My partner had to negotiate four steep steps.

Over priced food, that is just ok. View is amazing, location is great.

We went to the 70’s themed night for friend’s birthday. Was really good fun. Music brought back many happy memories, well done to everyone that made an effort with fancy dress, food was really nice and lots of it. Fab cocktails, that weren’t even on the menu, thank you barman. We won the quiz 🥳. The whole evening was so good we are waiting for the next 80’s themed one. Our prize was a Birds trifle which I made with my grandson 😋 Well done to the hostess with the mostest.

Updated, summer 2024; This place is large, having significantly expanded. It's become a high volume, tourist processing operation, impersonal and even more expensive. Sadly for us the vegan options seem to have largely been discontinued. The place is all there is on the clifftop in this area. They seem to be milking their monopoly by charging excessively high prices.

Pleasant restaurant, beautifully situated With extensive sea views. Nice food. Nice staff. On a sunny day you can sit outside, gazing out to sea, which would be perfection.

Good food fantastic veiws staff friendly enough but very slow. Beware service charge is added to you bill. If you visit bare this in mind. Good point out of season parking is free. Seasonal parking expensive

Really nice place. Friendly service and great coffee. Will definitely be back.

I was not asked if I had any dietary requirements, nor shown the specials, nor was it explained the difference in where I sat. I, in my opinion, had clearly finished my lunch (clean plates etc put to the side of the table) & no one came to take them away nor ask if I wanted the bill.

Lovely place to sit but it's getting rather expensive there! Coffees are now £4 each!!

We held a wake there for a small party. The staff were very attentive. The views from the bay windows in the restaurant were beautiful and very fitting for the occasion. We ordered a cold buffet and they excelled in this regard. It was absolutely excellent. It could not have been bettered and there was sufficient quantities of the various dishes for everyone. Well done Cliffhanger!

Visited on Friday 19th for a soul and motown evening. If you book as a couple, then be prepared to be stuck in the corner in the gallery where you can't see anything. Small food portion. I had the cod, which was overcooked and tough to cut and rubbery. The waitress was very helpful in replacing the meal. The alternative was ok. The singer Lou was average he needed the music to make up for a lost aged voice! Time to hang up the mic!

Best thing is the view, food is pretty good as well with veggie and vegan options.

Sunday breakfast. Mine was different, smoked haddock on bubble and squeak., with poached eggs.Very tasty. However my partner had the big breakfast which arrived quickly, but wasn't very hot. Doesn't come with beans,which is odd in my book. They are extra at £1.50 for a small bowl. It was disappointing especially considering the price. £40 for breakfast for 2 seems very pricey. Plus parking to pay for.... There also seems to be a lot of waiting staff. Perhaps that's why They also add a 15 ,% optional. But it's on the bill!! service charge,which is excessive for breakfast. I am never impressed when the service charge is added for you.

We stopped by here this morning (sunday) for an impromptu breakfast. We've been before for the tribute nights and we know it's a popular place. Decor and atmosphere was lovely and relaxing, staff/service was great. Breakfast was mediocre. My partner had the cliffhanger breakfast which tasted good but seemed like it had been sat under a hot lamp or similar for a while as the bacon was hard as the eggs were not runny at all. I had the pancakes which were ok but again the bacon was difficult to cut as it was hard and egg was not runny. I made the mistake of using the loo which frankly was not up to the same standard as the rest if the place. It definitely hadn't been cleaned in a whole as there was a layer of dust on everything. The loo seat was grimy especially in the hinge area. It was a shame as the decor of the loo was nice and modern but overshadowed by the lack of cleaning. I reckon they just pop in there to refill the loo roll and soap and leave it at. Even the toilet brush had dust on the casing so that hasn't been used let alone cleaned. My partner had been before in years gone by and said it has gone downhill in the last few years. Not sure we'd go back again.

Terrible seating, placed in dark corner, food very little, and steak unable to eat due to being to tough, compensation given but didn't help.

I know, repeating myself again, but great service and atmosphere and once again lovely barbecue spare ribs, thanks Rosy and team cheers 🍻

We only had some chips "to go" from their kiosk - but how nice is it for a restaurant to offer easy and quick snacks as well as full course meals to sit down with? And those chips were probably the best we ever had, I never had such thick cut chips before. They were great. The view from the terrace is simply wonderful, and parking couldn't be easier (although not cheap).

The service was decidedly slow in a not too busy restaurant and the price of the breakfast outrageous for what you received. We both had the 'good day' breakfast which was overpriced for what you got. Obviously the drinks were extra. I think that £12 each for a breakfast should amount to a lot more than they served up. We wouldn,t use this restaurant again.

Beautiful views and some great gluten free options!

Great service and coffee was good also . Lovely views of the sea . Just missed out on a top rating because the toilets were dirty

Food good although a bit expensive

We attended for a quiz night that was great fun - albeit the quiz was run by an outsider to the restaurant. However, the food was great, 4 choices, all served swiftly to fit in with the ‘entertainment’, really tasty and good choices for vegetarians. The wine was typically priced, and we had a great night !

Lovely position but the breakfast was a let down. Ordered haddock, bubble&squeak with poached eggs and was disappointed, dry small piece of haddock and over cooked poached eggs Also when we asked to sit outside, the first fine day for a while, the staff warned us it was wet but didn't offer to wipe down the table or seats or even offer a cloth for us to sort out.

Amazing last minute decision. We had a starter to share and the Ribs with the triple cooked chips was amazing. We decided to go all in and also tried the desserts. The service was quick, friendly and got everything right.

Five stars all round! Beautiful views. Definitely take your sunglasses if you're going for breakfast.

Dine with a view! Walked in without a reservation but welcomed by friendly staff and shown to a window table with a spectacular view. The meal was very good especially the french onion soup and the burger proved to be just too much!

Fantastic experience with the counterfeit beatles, talented group of musicians - unfortunately just let down by the poor food 😔

Lovely food, our waitress Hannah was very friendly and couldn't do enough for us. However, on arriving, we had booked a table for 2pm, we queued like everyone else, when we got to the reception to say who we were and that we'd booked for 2pm, the member of staff who we later found out was the manager, was quite rude to us. We asked how long we would have to wait as it was minutes away from our booked time and he then rudely said " well there's a McDonald's down the road" Not the sort of thing a member of staff should say in an eating establishment let alone the manager! He was cocky, rude and definitely not a people's person.

Great food, views, atmosphere. Delightful! Ordered 3 starters for 2 of us plus drinks. Perfect for "tapas style light lunch"

A little pricey, but it's the South Coast, but breakfast was good

Ice cream and coffee, thought was paying for the whole queue when I was given the price. Nice place though.

Fish and chips ordered. First fish inedible tasted and smelt off. Returned and complained. 2nd fish not quite as bad but still right on the edge of being off. Far from fresh. Had the taste of off fish in my mouth after. A review of the fish needed unacceptable to sell fish in the state. Front of house told me it should smell of ammonia to be off. They gave a second fish but wasn't much fresher. Waiter was quite rude rather than apologetic. Food hygiene inspection needed

Lovely views across to the Isle of Wight. Not impressed with £4.25 for pot of tea compared with other establishments in nearby Milford on Sea which are equally sited but with more affordable drinks. The hand dryers in the toilets were not working

Beautiful location overlooking Highcliffe beach. Restaurant was clean and staff were friendly/attentive. Unfortunately, the food was pretty average and therefore overpriced The Victoria sponge was quite tasty but appeared shop bought and pricey at £4.95. We paid £6 for a vanilla milkshake which was weak and tasteless. The Greek salad at £15 was virtually drowned in dressing and the feta cheese was tasteless. Underwhelming experience….

Excellent food, great customer service Sally was our server, she was very friendly and efficient. The food and drinks were piping hot, sounds simple, but so often things are served lukewarm and I find that off putting.

This was my 1st time here. The food was lovely. I ordered my food from the takeaway menu.. My friend ordered scones and a pot of tea from the normal menu, but somehow she didn't get a pot of tea she only got a takeaway one. I walk with 1 crutch due to a recent surgery. When I placed my order for my friend and I, I had to do 2 trips from the counter to our table to take the tea first, then the scones. My friend had to keep an eye on her dog, hence why I went to place our food order. No one offered to help me carry the scones or the tea to our table, hence the 2 journeys. Then , my food arrived, I had to get up again to go and grab some cuttleries as they didn't bring me any or tell me I had to pick them up. For a first time visiting this place, It was not a good experience for me with my poor mobility. I was hoping someone would offer to help, but it didn't happen. So for this reason, I will not return to this place, which is a shame because it's a lovely place with amazing views but the service ruined it for me!!

Only pop it to use the toilet, but the establishment looked clean and welcoming, pretty bust, so that's always a good sign.

Very friendly staff. Children’s meals are good value for money. Adults had fish and chips - very nice. I had the chicken burger and it was so dry I couldn’t eat it. Such a shame as it was recommended by the server to have. I should have looked at the reviews here before ordering 😔 I would have sent it back/ given feedback but no one checked in on us after we had our food delivered.

We had an excellent evening meal with fantastic views . The staff were attentive and very welcoming. We have been here numerous times now and would definitely recommend the restaurant. My only concern was the dogs sat on customers laps coming very close to tables ,very unhygienic and definitely frowned apon by environmental health. Clear signage should be in place stating paws should be on floors !

Bacon sandwich was delicious, Sunday morning, coffee, family, sea view and sunshine... Perfect

Had wonderful service yesterday from Zoe. Nothing was too much trouble. Fast, efficient service. Found alternatives for me and served with a smile and so polite. Credit to your restaurant. Thank you Zoe. You made my day and my dogs day too! Many, many thanks. Sally xx

Ran out of salads or healthy options and only had fried food left or burgers. We only had an iced coffee. The main out door seating area at the front didn't have any shade only shade was at the take away point.

A relaxed dinner with work colleagues who had travelled down from Manchester, Burton upon Trent, and Amersham. A little disappointed as we'd gone there for the Moules, but they'd had such a busy day, they'd sold out! We kicked off with grilled Halloumi and the Mackerel pate. Both dishes were well presented, and the verdict was very tasty! Mains were the Crab Salad (Specials), Butternut Squash & Goats Cheese Salad, and two Cliffhanger fish pies. Accompanied by Blush Pinot Grigio, and coke for the designated driver ( :-) ), the meals were again well presented and full of the main ingredients. The fish pies were piping hot, bursting with various types of seafood and all dishes were again packed full of flavour. This will definitely be the place we come back to in the summer.

We are in the area on holidays & saw the restaurant whilst on a walk & wanted to dine there. Booked simply online. We had booked for the garden room but were shown to a table in the restaurant & wow what a view! Stunning clifftop views able to see IOW & Needles. The food was absolutely first class, especially the chips, best restaurant chips we've ever had (and we really like chips!!). The staff were really something else, every waitress & the hands on manager. A* to you all & thank you for creating such a wonderful atmosphere. If we lived closer we'd become regulars! 100% recommended.

Lovely location, good place to sit out of the wind. Excellent service.

Excellent service and a high quality breakfast.

Perfect beach front breakfast, our old favourite doesn't do breakfast anymore. A pleasant discovery of a new option. Great poached eggs, sign of a perfect breakfast

Lovely views but the breakfast (£14) was very average. It all seemed quite tasteless and both of my fried eggs had a large amount of uncooked white surrounding and covering the yolk that had to be scraped off.

I’ve been going here for years and been impressed with the food on many occasions however the last two times that I’ve been, I’ve been more than disappointed. Today I went the haddock that was served on the Chewton Bubbles which had already started to turn in addition to it being over cooked, and the poached eggs had solid yolks. The bubble and squeak cake had probably been microwaved as it was cold in the middle. My partner just ordered the scrambled eggs that were also inedible. You pay when you order when you sit outside so it was such a waste of money. Previous to this I went on a busy sunny day and ordered Calamari. The batter wasn’t cooked through and was running out once you bit into it. I didn’t send it back appreciating that they were busy and they had said they were understaffed. I continued to eat what I could but regretted that as that night I had all the classic symptoms of food poisoning and realised that if the batter wasn’t cooked it was unlikely that the squid was too. I emailed to let them know rather than leaving a bad review as I thought that they could benefit from the feedback. They responded saying that they’d give me a call but never did or responded to my last email. Such a shame as it’s been a favourite spot for a long time.

Great service and menu choice in a very pleasant atmosphere.

£4.60 for a small glass of orange juice, not even half a litre it was more like 300ml, absolutely horrendous pricing. You can buy 1 litre of organic orange juice for half that price.

Absolutely blissful,great location, friendly service, 1 thing please a little more jam with 2 scones 😄

Lovely staff, amazing location but above all, delicious food. The fish was in lovely, crispy batter and the chips were divine. The portions were generous. I had the salad with butternut squash and goats cheese. It was very tasty. The staff were able to offer advice for people who needed gluten free food, but gf items are listed on the menu too. The Dorset Apple Cake, served warm with icecream, was one of the best I've tasted. Eating at the Cliffhanger was a thoroughly enjoyable experience and the perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon!

I have always been very well attended to for breakfast, this time they didn't have pancakes and they brought a potato cake without asking me if could exchange it, I was dissatisfied, I hope that next time they ask me if I want it exchanged.

Was an ok meal, the chicken was a bit tough but I did eat it all. Parking was interesting, loads of space just make sure you pay on the app. It's not the restaurants car park so not their fault, was just a pain to sort out. We had a nice time and would probably go again.

Had are dinner then sat outside with many customers enjoying the holiday & the breeze, as it was hot & humid. Played in archads, & loved the crazy golf. The hole holiday was a pleasure, Naishe treated us so well. We will be returning, sorry I messed up as it said buzz bingo surverywhich I completed they changed to yours, so I missed most of the important parts. But we were treated very well 100% lodge upgrade, facilities hot tub staff so friendly & accommodating. 100% on everything fantastic family break. 😆🙂🙂❤️❤️❤️🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Shocked that we had to collect out cutlery, napkins, menu's. Tables not cleared before deserts. Will mo recommend.

Great location,food is always well cooked and presented. Menu quite good also. Very busy during summer months,good to book in advance for the restaraunt.

I wish zero stars was an option, 90 minute wait for food. Incorrect food taken to tables. Staff walking around like headless chickens, genuinely awful experience

Excellent food (as always). Very busy with a function so we had to go to a till to order anything we wanted, 1st time here that it's happened but food,(scampi, fish & chips and a fish pie) piping hot, smashing chips. We will go back, we always do.

AWFUL ICE CREAM Hardly tasted any cream, mix must be incorrect, too watery! Live minutes away but will stick to the Beach Hut in future

Good food and service. Lovely location.

We love this place! Food is always freshly cooked and tasty, and all the staff are a warm and welcoming! The views are to die for. The outside food cabin is an added bonus to grab a coffee or an ice cream after a hard day on the beach. Would highly recommend and look forward to returning very soon!!

Everything was lovely. The only thing wrong was the seating. It was very uncomfortable, I could not sit back in the chair and it was very hard

The Cliffhanger restaurant is a wonderful place all round. Food is delicious, the views are amazing, and the staff are friendly and so helpful. Well worth a stop here.

We visited a little while ago for breakfast. The food was beautiful, great service and lovely views. Will return soon.

A disappointing visit to the outer eating area where we had to order a the till and pay before eating. The leek and potato soup was flavourless and the tomato just tasted sweet. Both were accompanied by sliced bread, which is very unusual these days. The ciabatta was reasonable but extremely hard to bite and chew. My nephew did enjoy his scampi and chips. We were surprised that condiments were offered in small plastic packets - not only are they difficult to open, but they are also extremely bad for the environment. We have had better experiences in the past.

Great service, lovely food and fantastic views, what's not to love 😁

Thank you to TJ, Erin and the team at Cliffhanger for a fabulous 30th anniversary celebration meal. You made our evening special, food and service was first class!

Excellent customer service by Patrick this morning. I ordered a coffee and wanted a dog ice cream for my dog. As they didn't have any in the take out, he went across to the shack and got one. Patrick is polite, good customer skills and exceeded customer expectations

Simple menu but the food was cooked perfectly. Will consider going back again when we're down that way next year.

Terrible. Sunday morning, early, so nowhere near full. Order at the bar but still put 'tip' option on the pay terminal (I've come to you) Tasteless, lukewarm unappetising vegetarian breakfast. Despite its location, I won't be returning.

Lovely place with lots of seating. Indoor or outdoor, the choice is yours. Sat in the garden room by the window overlooking the amazing views of the Isle of wight. Great food selection, reasonably priced. Ordered the Chewton Bubble and loved it. Lots of flavours. Friendly staff. Our hot drinks took a little while to arrive but that did not bother us. Lots of parking (£3.80/2hrs) I will definitely return next time in the area.

Visited for breakfast and was not disappointed. It's not the cheapest but very good food. If this place was an animal, it would be a mountain goat wearing a top hat and a monocle and a great moustache.

Lovely location, overlooking the sea. Well organised and friendly.

A lovely outlook, good service, mediocre food

Highly recommend The Cliffhanger Restaurant! The staff were super friendly and made us feel right at home. The cocktails were fantastic – especially the passionfruit martini! The menu had lots of great options, and everything tasted really fresh. The place gets even more fun later in the evening with a DJ, and the conservatory area is really nicely decorated and has such a nice atmosphere. Definitely coming back! Thanks to everyone at Cliffhanger!

Very good. Came here years ago and didn't think much too it then but, things have changed and the food etc was very nice. No complaints at all.

Holiday meal , first time at restaurant, very enjoyable. Excellent

Nice views, service good, food is basic nothing special but Very over priced. Wouldn't go again lots of good restaurants in the area.