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Hours
Sun
9:30 - 13:30
Tue
8:00 - 16:00
Wed
8:00 - 22:00
Thu
8:00 - 22:00
Fri
8:00 - 22:00
Sat
8:00 - 22:00
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Ratings and reviews
5.0
Travellers' Choice 2024
RATINGS
Food
Service
Value
Atmosphere
Details
Someone from this business manages this listing.
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PRICE RANGE
£3.00 – £10.00
CUISINES
Cafe, British
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options
meals, features
Does this restaurant have a full bar?
Details
About
Aroma Café and Kitchen is a fresh food cafe and bistro, serving all-day breakfasts, homemade lunches, cakes and great coffee. We are also now serving Wednesday to Saturday evenings, a selection of classic bistro dishes as well. You can find us in Keymer between Hassocks and Ditchling.
PRICE RANGE
£3.00 – £10.00
CUISINES
Cafe, British
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Brunch
FEATURES
Takeout, Reservations, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Street Parking, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Wine and Beer, Digital Payments, Free Wifi, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service, Dog Friendly, Non-smoking restaurants, Gift Cards Available
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5.0
98 reviews
Excellent
95
Very good
1
Average
1
Poor
1
Terrible
0
Bwana Safari
Brighton190 contributions
Dec 2021 • none
I organised a group of fourteen friends to have a Festive Menu dinner at Aroma. it was brilliant and exceeded our expectations in all respects. We all took LFTs before going and Matt and Nat, the partners of Aroma, did the same, which was very reassuring for us and greatly appreciated. The service (Matt) was very professional and slick whilst the food (Nat) was fantastic too. How she managed to coordinate starters, main courses and desserts for all of us with different choices, is beyond comprehension! The food came out piping hot, beautifully presented and delicious. The table was laid very attractively and Matt had arranged our name cards according to the seating plan I sent him, as well as indicating who was having which course choice, so the service went very smoothly with no confusion or hiccups. The wine list is not a book, thankfully, but has a good selection and we had an excellent Viognier and a Merlot later. All in all I had fantastic feedback from our friends and we shall definitely return - I can see a tradition being born! On Friday and Saturday evenings, when Aroma opens for dinners, it becomes far more than a café and has a lovely bistro ambience with food and service which any restaurant could be proud of, no matter how many stars it has! Bravo Matt and Nat and thank you for a wonderful evening.
Written 19 December 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gilly
West Sussex25 contributions
Jan 2023 • couples
The cafe turns into a small bistro restaurant on Friday and Saturday evenings, and we tried it for the first time last night. Whilst the menu is not extensive there is still sufficient choice, including vegetarian options, and also a nice selection of wines too to compliment the food.
A small business run by a couple (Matt & Nat) the atmosphere was warm and welcoming, and service friendly. All the dishes are clearly freshly prepared and cooked to order, and all our choices were delicious. Good sized portions too, not so much on your plate that you were outfaced, but sufficient to ensure you were unlikely to leave hungry. Value was also very reasonable, with starters typically £7 to £8, and main dishes £15 to £16.
Booking definitely looks advisable, I counted 16 covers in total and all the tables were taken with reservations.
It’s good to see a small business creating a niche for itself to thrive, and we will certainly be returning.
Written 7 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
HassocksRider
6 contributions
Oct 2022 • none
Our third evening meal at Aroma and as good as the other two. Generous portions, as ever, but with no compromise on quality, we haven’t experienced better value anywhere in recent years. Matt’s attentiveness and wine knowledge complete what is a lovely local dining experience. Fortunately being so local to us, we can easily (and do) take advantage of the excellent scotch eggs, sausage rolls and other lunch fayre between evening visits.
Thanks Matt & Nat
Written 4 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
steve B
1 contribution
Mar 2022 • couples
We booked the night before, unfortunately a bad line so short conversation. My wife has an allergy so she popped in the next morning to explain, and told everything would be fine. Shame then that after being shown to our table that we were then told that we should have made them aware at least 24 hours of the allergy prior to our meal as the preparation for the food is done then. An adjustment was made for us but we were certainly made to feel uncomfortable as the 'allergy' was mentioned at least 6 times by the waiter.
Website just says please inform us of any dietary requirements before you order, so just a warning for others with allergies to plan ahead...
Written 6 March 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gillian P
1 contribution
Oct 2022 • friends
We attended a private birthday party at Aroma’s. The resto has a very cozy atmosphere and from the start we were served a variety of delicious canapés. The service was bar none first rate and the food was superb and beautifully plated. The desserts were jaw dropping in portion size and everyone left raving about the amazing evening and dining experience they had had.
Written 19 October 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Vokon
Haywards Heath112 contributions
Apr 2022 • none
We knew that Matt & Natalie had opened a small cafe, having previously been at Jeremys / Elvira's at Borde HIll. We stopped by for a quick coffee and ended up having a delicious smoked salmon & cream cheese sandwich and cake.
The coffee was excellent and the cake as light as a feather, so tasty!
Everyone was greeted warmly by Matt and made to feel very welcome, they are clearly building up a regular following in the area. The range of food and drinks offered is perfect with a good mix and match type menu and all very reasonably priced.
Written 6 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Maurleen C
2 contributions
Oct 2022 • friends
I was fortunate to be able to arrange a private function at Aroma Cafe with only 2 weeks before the event. I wanted to have a special welcome for my friends who had travelled from Canada,Spain and the Netherlands to celebrate my birthday.
Everything I asked for they were able to accommodate including excellent menu choices to satisfy everyone’s dining preference.
On the night Matt created a wonderful ambience with seating, lighting and background music setting the right tone for 12 friends reuniting after many years.
We had Prosecco and canapés to start followed by main and dessert. All plates were clean. The food was delicious and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. To top it off Matt took photos to memorialise our evening.
Matt and Nat excelled in creating a wonderful evening exceeding my expectations.
If you are looking for a place to host a private function or just a lovely weekend meal I absolutely recommend Aroma Cafe. I will certainly be back for their Bistro evenings.
Written 6 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jill H
United Kingdom9 contributions
Apr 2022 • none
I have been to Aroma on a few occasions now for breakfast. I would say the best around. Quality food well cooked and excellent service. Aroma also catered a lunch for 20 and delivered wonderful food before Christmas. My guests loved the food especially the Scotch Eggs and they said the mince pies were the best they had tasted. A clean cafe with excellent service.
Written 9 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Vokon
Haywards Heath112 contributions
Mar 2023 • couples
Went here on Saturday evening for my birthday meal. We knew Matt & Natalie from Jeremy’s at Borde Hill so guessed we would have a lovely evening. We weren’t disappointed. The venue might be small, but the welcome was genuine and warm. Food is definitely cooked to order and there is a good choice of menu to cater for all tastes. Prices are very reasonable, cocktails £7, starters £7-£8, mains about £15 -£16. The portions are good and the hot food arrives piping hot, always a plus point!
Booking is essential. We would certainly go again.
Written 19 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Noel P
Hassocks1 contribution
Nov 2022 • none
This was our first meal at Aroma. There were six of us in our group, and as soon as we entered the premises, the smell of good food hit us, so we knew we were in for a good meal. Matt was polite, congenial, very knowledgeable about the food and drinks, and gave us ample time to browse the menu before ordering.
His attention to detail was exemplified when he served our meals to each guest without having to ask who was having what. The food was incredibly well presented, and the taste matched the aroma in the air.
The only problem we had was to somehow choose which dish from the menu to try as they all looked delicious. The only solution will be to go back and slowly go through all the items on the menu.
We cannot rate the Aroma high enough both for service and delicious food.
Written 7 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tikka2005
Brighton7 contributions
Mar 2022 • none
We popped in for a lunch one day in March 2022 and since then we been back at least once or twice a week and even been in for a evening meals. The food outstanding and the service is brilliant. Also dog friendly which for us is must. 5 stars.
Written 24 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Cindy N
5 contributions
Sept 2023 • family
This is our local and favourite place to eat. We came here to celebrate my birthday, and everything was just perfect, thanks to Matt and his partner. The menu is chosen very carefully to allow vegetarian or vegan diners to have something delicious and not feel ' out of the ordinary ', and meat and fish dishes were really tasty. Puddings are, again, a balanced choice. My favourite wine, white rioja, was a treat. Matt is friendly and attentive, and because it's a relatively small restaurant the atmosphere is one where you can be at ease, it's not overly noisy but not chillingly quiet and starchy! Highly recommended, thanks Aroma!
Written 10 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BigJohn1946
Brighton131 contributions
Jun 2021 • couples
What a wonderful experience. Super food, smiling service from everyone and a welcoming, vibrant attitude. I’ve been there a few times especially on Wednesdays and Thursdays when the scotch eggs were the best I’ve ever tasted. Natalie, the co owner is so friendly and the young waitress, Rachel, is a real natural people person. We will return!👍👍👍👌👌👌
Written 28 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Matt P
Thanks for such kind words about our food and staff, we really appreciate them. Hope to see you again soon.
Written 28 August 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
panther384
Chichester38 contributions
May 2021 • none
Popped in for lunch at this cafe in the village of Keymer. Given a warm welcome by the owners and my wife and I were impressed by the décor. Hand sanitizer at the door and Covid check in code at the door. I had a sausage sandwich with a scotch egg on the side and my wife has smoked salmon with sour dough toast. I have to say they were both excellent, fresh and beautifully cooked. Coffee on the side. A great little find in such a small village.
Written 19 May 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Matt Penfold
Thanks very much for the lovely review, we very much look forward to seeing you again soon.
Written 28 August 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Alfred
Yamba25 contributions
Jul 2022 • couples
We decided to try Aroma whilst staying in Ditching. It's a small local cafe but the level of food and service was way above anything we tried in Ditching. Great flavours and incredible prices. Do give it a go. We tried an evening ( check evening opening and probably best to book) and yes it's not the most glamorous venue but service, food and
value are outstanding.
Written 30 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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