Westcliff's Quirky Bird Café ranked best on Tripadvisor

The Quirky Bird was opened in June by Southend resident, Lisa Griggs, who previously ran the Bread and Cheese pub in Benfleet, and has seen the sort of success that few new businesses enjoy.

Just five months after opening, the London Road cafe boasts almost unanimous five-star reviews on TripAdvisor ranking it the best cafe in the borough, and has a community of committed regulars. The café has made a name for itself with it's eye catching design (Image: George Pizani)
Although the cafe’s interior is as the name suggests, quirky, the secret to its success is far more simple – great food and even better service.

“We have got a lot of five-star reviews, but we’ve worked hard to earn this reputation with our ambience, service and food,” Lisa said.

“Everybody comments on the quality of the food and people have said it’s like coming for dinner at a relative’s house” she added. 

Echo reporter, George sampled the cafe's smothered chicken (Image: George Pizani)
The Quirky Bird Cafe is open six days a week, with Lisa preparing meals in the kitchen every day. Although she has decades of hospitality experience, the 59-year-old sharpened up her skills with fresh cookery qualifications before opening the cafe.

The menu of traditional, home cooked meals such as burgers, chicken and chips, breakfasts and roast dinners has proved a hit, and Lisa is currently preparing an updated winter menu.

One of the stand-out successes of The Quirky Bird has been their smaller-appetite options, smaller versions of standard menu items that are suitable for children, or just those with smaller appetites. 

The café offers a mouth-watering range of traditional menu items (Image: George Pizani) Lisa explained: “I’ve always thought that you shouldn’t be limited to a children’s menu just because you don’t want much to eat.

“I know lots of older people who might not want a full roast dinner but also don’t want to have to eat sausage and chips from a kid’s menu.”

One of those to have been won over by the The Quirky Bird’s mix of eccentric design and no-nonsense cuisine was 70-year-old Alan Perkins, who owns a flat in Westcliff and has become a regular at the cafe.

“It’s just brilliant, the food is fantastic, and you always get such great service” he said.

“It’s lovely to find somewhere where you know that you’re going to get really good food.”