Food with a view is on the menu at Tides Café in Littlehampton, West Sussex – a small seaside resort on England’s south coast.

After dreaming of having a café of their own for years, Vicky Palmer and her mum Sue Parker opened their smart new café on Pier Road alongside the River Arun in May.

Extensive refurbishments have resulted in a modern, two-floor cafe with an industrial vibe.  Dark walls and warm brick are softened with fairy lights and trailing greenery, and there are lovely views over the boats on the water.

Already a popular spot with both locals and visitors, Tides offers fantastic breakfasts from full English to caramelised banoffee waffles, lunches, homemade cakes, Sunday roasts, and evening suppers on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

Drinks with a difference include Turkish Delight hot chocolate, piled high with softly whipped cream, a crumbly flake and more jewel-coloured chocolate on the side, smooth toffee nut latte – perfect for a cold autumnal day – and a healthy and delicious golden turmeric latte.

Themed tapas and Italian nights have sold out, and party season is booking up fast – check out the Christmas party menus and the children’s afternoon tea with Santa, which is selling faster than owner Vicky can add dates!

Tides’ Sunday roasts are also worth seeking out. There’s nothing boring about them, with far more than meat and two veg on offer.

Starters include baked camembert with homemade chutney, creamy garlic mushrooms on sourdough, and lamb kofta with flatbread and tzatziki. For mains, you can have a roast – regular or vegan – with all the trimmings – or opt instead for a rich lamb shank, cooked until it’s falling off the bone, the hearty pie of the week, coq au vin, or Tides risotto. And if you’ve got any room left, try a traditional sponge or crumble topped with lashings of custard – there’s also cheesecake or brownie to ring the changes.

“We wanted to bring something fresh and different to the area,” says Vicky.

“We’re quite an intimate place, cosy, and people seem to love it. Making people change their habits and try something new is quite difficult, but we have a lot of regulars now and it’s lovely seeing people coming back.

“We run specials daily – my chef is Italian and does a lot of Mediterranean dishes. Our warm buddha bowls are really popular, with delicious crispy potatoes, crispy deep-fried kale, chicken, avocado, sundried tomatoes – the ingredients change regularly and they always go down really well.