The Lookout at Lepe Beach and Country Park is still relatively new. It opened after an 11-month refurbishment in May 2018. When we are not camping in the Campervan, we try to take the odd day trip. Here, and a coffee in the Lepe Beach cafe is always one of the places we consider.
The first cup of coffee was poured for the first customer.
That wasn’t me, but having waited the better part of the year for the cafe to open, we had to pay a visit on the day of the big opening. These photos are from that day, but not much has changed.
Before I go on, I must let you know that Lepe Country Park is one of our favourite free things to do in the New Forest (free except for Parking).
A Video about Lepe Beach (but not the Cafe)
Here is a portion of a video we did when exploring all the New Forest Beaches. This was taken during the Coronavirus Lockdown, so, unfortunately, the Lookout, the Lepe Beach Cafe, was closed.
It will still give you an idea as to what the are was like, in case you were wondering.
The Lookout at Lepe Beach – What it Looks like
The Lookout at Lepe Beach
useful Information
Address
Lepe, Southampton SO45 1AD
Opening Hours
9am to 5pm, November to March
9am to 6pm, April to October
Hot food stops being served an hour before closing time. *During UK, as restrictions are eased, The Lookout may only be serving takeaways from the outdoor kiosk**
Snapshot of The Lookout at Lepe Beach
Bright, airy and plenty of seating. The Lepe Beach cafe has great views over the Solent once you have looked beyond the car park.
Simple, but adequate menu, most things at reasonable prices.
I have found the staff to be a little blunt, and slow at times, with just one server on the counter.
As a result, expect queues at busy times.
Location – 10 / 10
Customer Service – 8 / 10
Menu – 8 / 10
Food – 8 / 10
Price / Value for Money – 9 / 10
Customer Service
There are two tills set up, but I have very rarely seen both them of the being used. You queue up, choosing your food and drink as you queue, then get to the till, order hot drinks and pay.
If they had the second till open, I think they would serve a lot more people. As a result, the staff while courteous and polite, could perhaps help themselves by opening that second till. Of course, I don’t see what goes on behind the scenes, so perhaps this isn’t always possible.
Customer Service – 8 / 10
The Lookout at Lepe Beach Menu
We took a bit of time to review the menu for the The Lookout at Lepe Country Park.
On this occasion, we only had a coffee and shared a piece of cake. The coffee was good, the cake even better.
The Fish Finger Sandwich, Burgers, Gammon, Chicken and Soup all sounded appealing. We have since eaten at The Lookout at Lepe Beach a few times, and food is decent enough, and while not a massive menu, there should be something there for everyone.
There is also a children’s menu with the usual suspects on there.
Menu – 8 / 10
Food Quality
As mentioned, we have eaten here at Lepe Beach a few times. The menu offers something for everyone, from hot dinners to sandwiches and snacks. Hot food last orders are taken 1 hour before closing.
I tend to have the Fish Finger sandwich, Suzanne a Jacket potato, and Max usually the children’s chicken nuggets. All very eatable.
If it is not this time of day, the decent selection of cakes are usually sampled.
Food – 8 / 10
Price / Value for Money
It is what you would expect. Jacket Potatoes with a choice of fillings for £6.50. Fish Finger Sandwich or a Breakfast Bap from £5, Children’s menu £5.25 and sweet treats from £2.70
You enjoy all of this in a comfortable environment with views from The Lookout overlooking Lepe Beach that can suggest no complaints. The fences in the below photo are now gone, but, unfortunately, the cars will remain.
I often wondered why they didn’t build it closer to the sea, with the carpark behind.
Price / Value for Money – 9 / 10
Conclusion for our Review of
The Lookout at Lepe Beach
We visit here regularly, although at the time of typing we are enduring the 2020 Coronavirus Pandemic, so The Lookout, the Lepe Beach Cafe, is closed and our UK Travel is somewhat curtailed for now.
However, when open, it is a place we enjoy going, and will be happily returning for years to come.
My only reservation with the place is it gets extremely busy during popular times, weekends and school holidays. The queues somewhat spoil the experience, but once you have your food, and find a table, it is a great place to relax.
Have you visited The Lookout, or are you thinking of going, let me know what you think, and what your experience was like.
Photo Gallery of The Lookout at Lepe Beach
