Family Review | Cherry Tree Cafe

Location Location Location

The Cherry Tree café has this in spades; set in the heart of Brighton Marina, with a sun trap of a terrace, and pricey yachts within touching distance. With two very hungry children in tow – they had been up since 6am, little darlings – we strolled through the Marina’s spacious piazza in search of The Cherry Tree, and brunch.

We clapped eyes on the café and my husband’s heart sank. He knew that for the next hour I would be singing the merits of yachts, and how maybe, just maybe, we should just take a little look- as they were RIGHT THERE and all…

The setting

As we were ushered into this welcoming café on the corner of the Piazza his heart lifted a little, the comforting smell of breakfast, fresh bread and brewing coffee took hold. We contemplated sitting out on the ample terrace, but the weather wasn’t playing ball. We did make a mental note to bring the girls’ scooters when summer finally arrives, the flat open space would lend itself perfectly to two parents enjoying coffee whilst the little treasures burned off their seemingly never ending energy!

I wasn’t expecting to see the vibrant and popular café culture that Brighton’s lanes typically enjoy, in the Marina. However, The Cherry boasts mismatched, Ercol chairs surrounding random-but-somehow-totally-matching tables. Local art lined the walls, with a big dresser full of café essentials, plenty of local magazines were dotted about and copper pendants set the tone for a truly Brightonian Brunch.

My husband’s heart lifted further still when my attention switched to the interior – a few chairs were certainly more manageable than a yacht.

The Food

There isn’t a child’s menu as such here, instead the menu is just scaled down for our little ones. I rather like this idea, it means they don’t have to miss out on the best bits. Like French Toast, which is where Darcie had set her sights. With bacon. And maple syrup! The full English breakfast was too good to ignore for me.

With Brunch ordered, we enjoyed cups of The Small Batch coffee. Gabi, the owner, is proud to support other Brighton businesses by stocking local brands. Their fresh bread is from the hugely successful Flour Pot bakery. Orange juice arrived in little glasses with straws, to squeals of delight from our 3 year old. Suddenly she felt very grown up indeed!

Delightful Presentation

The presentation of the food was a real delight. This was far from a classic greasy spoon full English. Every element has been locally sourced before being cooked to perfection. Halloumi was my husband’s highlight: It is one of his favourite foods, and to have it with brunch was jackpot for him. All presented in a tiny pan on his plate.

The French Toast was dreamy. It was a rather large portion for our 6 year old, thankfully she has an appetite to match. We all benefited from this dish – it was delicious and we all tucked in, much to her disgust! The maple bacon set off the subtle cinnamon. This is brunch at it’s best; hats off to Tom, their resident chef.

It was easy to take in our surroundings through the huge windows on both sides of The Cherry Tree. Quirky shops have set up in the area and the buzz was all of the holiday feels. Our little girls loved filling their tummies with scrummy food, in a gorgeous new setting.

The Cherry Tree is all the reason you need to head to the Marina.

They are a little piece of Brighton in the heart of the Marina. Let your children wonder at the boats, play table tennis and run around whilst you watch on from the terrace of this friendly Café gem.