Unfair and Discriminatory Treatment I have been a regular customer of Marrocco's, often buying take-away and ice cream. However, during a recent visit with my family (4 adults and 4 children), we were seated indoors due to bad weather and then unexpectedly asked to leave. First, we were told the table was reserved -- but then the staff admitted it was not. We were instead told the children were "too noisy," though they were simply playing quietly, as children aged 3-7 do. We felt humiliated and singled out, especially since other families were allowed to stay. When I asked to speak to the manager or get the staff member's name, I was refused both. We left and were welcomed warmly at another local restaurant, where the children were offered crayons and treated kindly. This contrast made our experience at Marrocco's even more disappointing. I have contacted the restaurant for a formal response and expect a written apology, a review of staff conduct, and clarification of their policy on children and families. Until then, I cannot recommend this place to other families. read more

I purchased a large box of ice cream worth £7.40 and sat inside, as 90% of the seats were empty. However, I was informed that ice cream was for takeaway only and was asked to leave. I found this quite rude, especially considering the abundance of available seats for potential customers. Eating ice cream can be messy at times, and I planned to wash my hands afterward to avoid sticky fingers. I'm not suggesting their product is low quality; it's just average. The only reason people queue at this place is the lack of competing parlors nearby. They effectively have a monopoly on the Hove seafront. Due to their unethical treatment, I will not patronize them again. I am washing my hands in the salty sea water now. read more

NOT DISABLED FRIENDLY. Really disgusted by the customer service. I asked the manager (her name was Christiana) politely if I can use the toilet as I have a hidden disability and needed to use the toilet. Even though I am a paying customer, she said I need to dine in and to use the toilet down the road. I explained to her that I am unable to walk right now and she accused me of not having a disability. She refused to accept my disability badge and again said that I do not have a disability. I felt so degraded and just wanted to cry after showing her the badge and she embarrassed me in front of everyone. Please be aware that these people are ignorant of hidden disabilities and are very rude. I have been a long term customer for all these years but will never be coming back again after this experience. I have attached a photo of the rude manager. read more

Marrocco's - Italian Near Me - Hove, BNH

It looks my love affair with Marrocco's just came to an abrupt halt. I went there for lunch with my better half and came out vowing it will be a long time before I go again. What went wrong? Where do I start?! The coffee was lousy and tasted like warm water and milk. When I mentioned it was weak and asked for another shot of espresso, it came back tasting exactly the same. The pizza napoletana was equally awful. The mozarella looked and tasted like it was from a supermarket packet and the tomato sauce was watery. It was so bad we ate a slice each and left the rest. The service was equally comedic. We asked for the bill twice, had to wait 10 minutes for change and didn't get asked once - if everything was okay. An Italian that can't make decent coffee or pizza? Be still my beating heart. read more

Marroccos is famous for its ice cream, id say easily the best in town. The queues outside at the dead give away as to how good it is. A variety if flavours all made in house. The hidden gem is the food. Seafood and pizza are a must. Especially the seafood platters on trays of ice. Italian menu also included, brilliant food, brilliant place. read more

Marrocco's - Italian Near Me - Hove, BNH

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Billed as the best Ice Cream Parlour in Hove (by a close friend of ours) - I have to say I am inclined to agree. The Ice Cream is indeed very good and seeing as Marroccos is Italian owned you can expect a good range of choice and the great flavours. There are no commerical ices here just traditional home made ones. My only gripe with Marrocco's (and it's a biggy) is that the place is tiny. Even in February (when it was slighlty mild) - we queued for a coffee and an ice cream (I know I know!) and we had to queue outside the cafe for 20 minutes. Surely a parlour that is this popular really should work on there counter service? read more

Marrocco's - Check the queue in February! - Italian Near Me - Hove, BNH

This is an Italian restaurant that also specialises in home-made ice-cream in an impressive array of flavours, right on the seafront in Hove, close to the King Alfred Sports Centre. It has a wonderful location, just across the Esplanade from the sea. The ice-cream is indeed very good, though I've never had a full meal here. My gripe when buying both ice-cream and stopping for a cup of tea is the service. It's dire. When trying for a pot of tea of tea for two mid-morning, I waited - along with a lady wanting ice-cream who was already there - for a good five minutes. Two staff were busy preparing coffees, but there was no acknowledgement of our presence at all: in fact, it was a master class in how to studiously avoid eye contact. I know they were busy, but a cheerful, "we'll be with you in a minute" would have worked wonders. As it was, the other customer eventually asked if anyone was going to serve us, and after another minute she got her ice cream. I had to wait another few minutes before putting in an order for two teas (I actually asked for a pot for two). Shortly thereafter, my companion and I were presented rather gracelessly with two cups of hot-ish water, each with a tea-bag floating in them, and a small pot of milk. It was so bad we laughed. When the bill came, it was for two coffees at £4.40, but when challenged they apologised and charged £2 for the teas instead. Needless to say, we left no tip. OK, so I know we were only having tea, but if they can't even get that right, what confidence does one have that they would do better with a full meal? read more

For those with the fight in them on a lovely summer's day on Hove Lawns Ice cream from Marrocco's is definitely worth the queue. Located just between the western end of Hove Lawns and the King Alfred leisure centre on the sea front this little restaurant has an ice cream counter that could really be a business of its own. The prices are, as you would expect from an establishment with such a location, on the higher side. Take into account the quality of fare that you will be consuming here and the prices of the shops nearer palace pier and you'll soon find yourself happy to drop in and spend the best part of ten pounds on ice cream. I can personally recommend the Rum and Raisin, but beware, it can and will lead to stronger, figure spoiling things. read more

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If I was doing this review just on the ice cream it would definitely be higher than 3 stars. The ice cream is delicious and the selection is great. People frequently queue for a good while to be served here. Sadly, the restaurant part lets the place down. The service is pretty slow and poor. The food quality is mediocre. The menu is unhelpful - I once ordered a fish risotto and it came with whole baby octopus on it. I told them I couldn't eat it as I did not want to eat them (bleugh) and and they were confused. I said to them that octopus is absolutely not fish and they disagreed which is a bit weird considering they are meant to be seafood experts. read more

It was about 4:30 PM when I stopped by this Italian cafe with a friend for something light to eat. The cafe was empty apart from one other table. There were several staff not doing particularly very much. We were not greeted as we entered the cafe and received no acknowledgement, so seated ourselves at one of the tables. The cafe is small, so it would be impossible to be overlooked by the staff and there was only one other table that was just finishing off. We waited for somebody to come and take our order, but we waited and we waited and we waited. It was almost like an exercise in "how to avoid eye contact" I remarked to my friend that we should stay and time how long it would take before somebody would actually come and acknowledge us. I don't know if it was embarrassment or boredom, but incredibly it was over 24 minutes and still nobody had even acknowledged us and in fact went out of their way to avoid even making eye contact. I would have remained to see exactly how long it would have taken, but my friend could wait no longer, so we left (still with no acknowledgement) and went to a cafe around the corner called "SUGARDOUGH" which was the complete antithesis of the dreadful customer service received here. I would allocate zero stars to this establishment, but to post a review I have to allocate one.... I can honestly say that this is the rudest example of customer service I have ever experienced. read more

Famous in the city for it's gorgeous ice cream Marocco's can be front on Hove seafront. They make the ice cream on the premises and its always worth popping in if you're in that neck of the woods. The restaurant serves traditional Italian dishes, but I have to say their ice cream is much better than their pizza. Its another great kitch place that the city has to offer and its far enough out of town that you can make an afternoon walk out of it. Due to its popularity it can get busy in the sunshine but its open all year round. read more

Great location. Delicious ice cream. Highly recommend mango flavor. Well deserved after long walk on the beach. Five stars are for location and ice cream. Food is sub par. read more

So worth the walk when you're on the seafront! Marrocco's is known to have good quality ice cream - quite evident from the long queue out the door. I had the cheesecake and peanut butter banana ice cream which only cost $3.50! All on a waffle cone as well. My friend said that they also have good pizza as well which I hope to try in the near future. Definitely a place to go for reliable and affordable pudding! read more

Oh how I wanted to give 4 or possibly even 5 stars on this review; had I based my decision on the seafood alone, there might well have been an extra star or two... I can definitely vouch for the freshness and quality of the seafood at Marrocco's, I sampled every kind of shellfish you can think of and it was all deliciously cooked to perfection. Succulent king prawns and langoustines, deep fried calamari, mussels, smoked salmon, the list is almost endless! The only disappointment on the seafood front was the overcooked tuna steak, but that's easily remedied with a request (upon ordering) to cook it rare. Unfortunately, I can't judge the restaurant on seafood alone. We had to wait a long time for our table, and an even longer time for our food to arrive. The former is easily avoided by booking a table, the latter is both unacceptable and unavoidable. I've been told it doesn't always take so long to get the food ready, but I'm not sure I want to risk an empty stomach like that again. Oh and for somewhere that has a reputation for great ice cream, my banoffee pie was decidedly lacklustre. read more

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The Italian restaurant on the sea front... What stunning summer sunsets you can catch here on the sea front with some of the best ice-cream in town! Marrocco's is an Italian family run restaurant serving some of the best and freshest seafood dishes in town. With various delectable pasta sauces that make my tummy rumble just thinking about them, they also offer some damn fine pizzas too... Seafood soup is stunning here, along with the seafood platters... Even the salads and everything else is spectacular. Or if you're into your more traditional fare i.e. meat and veg, they've usually got something on the specials that will warrant a good look at. But what really attracts me back here is the unpretentious atmosphere that rings throughout the diner. Small but intimate and cozy, you just can help but have a relaxed and chilled out evening with friends or family here. Friendly service... Great wine... And all for a really reasonable price. read more

Dear god go here and eat the ice cream. I can't tell you a think about the food, but my friend (she's a local + loves the place) and I went there and absolutely gorged ourselves on the gigantic scoops. Make sure you're clear though. We tried to get small cones and ended up with three scoops each in a waffle cone. Lost in translation. But the best kind of lost in translation. read more

There is nothing better than stumbling across a proper ice cream parlour when promenading along the seaside. The queue was impressive, which is always a good sign. The ice cream comes in enormous scoops and is served in lovely big cones. It is not the very best Italian ice cream I have tasted, even outside Italy, but miles ahead of mass manufactured stuff. We came again on a rainy day for a warming coffee indoors. I think the rather grumpy service goes with the general ambience and the coffees were lovely. The place was packed on a Sunday afternoon and the waiting time accordingly. read more

This place is as old as the stars and just as magical in its own idiosyncratic way - for a start the homemade ice cream (24 different flavours) is delicious, and being a family run establishment there's a gentle, old school touch to the service. The staff are generally warm with a Milanese twang to add seasoning to the lovely food - from basic rustic to more sophisticated nosh. Armed with a hangover I usually slide in here for a full breakfast - I know my breakfasts and what constitutes a golden fry up and Marocco's takes the biscuit as the best brekker in Brighton. A little caveat though to those of you still unchained by the delights of children, on saturdays this place is packed with kids cramming spaghetti down their lug holes and aiming for you with spoon-fulls of meatballs. During the week it's much more quiet and a good place to snuck into a booth with a coffee and book. read more

Marrocco's - marocco's - Italian Near Me - Hove, BNH

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Disappointed with this place when we went in whilst out for a stroll with the Brighton Family link Coffee wasn't bad but the tea was awful.says Aunty Pat!! My Lyn liked the ice-cream, but expensive for one scoop = £2.20p Was going to eat here but from what I saw and the price that was being asked, I thought better of it. All quite overpriced. read more

I have head a few experiences in Marocco's all of which have differed vastly. The first time I went was fantastic - the food was great, the service was good and my friends and I really enjoyed our evening. The second time, however, was not so good. It was extremely busy and the table I'd booked wasn't available. We were put next to the kitchen. It smelt. Bad. There was also euro dance music blasting out into the restaurant, not quite what you'd expect from an Italian trattoria-style eatery. The menu looks good, and Marocco's is now marketing itself as a seafood restaurant, but a friend of mine ordered crab and said it was terrible, so I'm not sure that's going too well. On the plus side, the home made ice cream is incredible, and that is what Marocco's is famous for. So, if it's real Italian ice cream you're after, then definitely head there, if it's a real Italian meal you're after, then maybe look elsewhere. read more

For a number of reasons, I'm sorry to even have to write this review. I dislike giving negative feedback, but what I dislike the most is wasting my dessert stomach (and dessert-allocated-calories) on bad ice cream. If I'm perfectly honest, this is the worst ice cream of any kind I have ever had in my life. I tried two flavors (the apple crumble and the caramel) and found them tasteless, but I didn't want to sample too many lest I seem an obnoxious customer, so I ordered the pistachio and some odd flavor that I think was essentially cookies and cream with a fancy name. The cookies and cream flavor was completely tasteless, like eating ice. The pistachio was the only thing that tasted like anything, but the quality is what I would have expected from a desperate 1 am purchase of off-brand ice cream from the 24 hour Budgens. The only thing I can say in its defense is that the service was fine (though it was quite a long wait in line) and that it wasn't so bad I had to spit it out or anything. I reserve one star reviews for things like bugs, food poisoning, or blatant racism, but there are so many good ice cream options in Brighton! There is just no reason to go here. P.S. Try "sort by date" when looking at the reviews of this venue. At the time of writing, mine was one of very few written in the last two years -- things change, and hopefully in the near future, might change again for the better! read more

So far the best meal I've had in the UK. I went on a Thursday for lunch and we ordered the lobster spagetti and the crab linguini. The pasta was cooked perfectly al dente and the sauce was simple but fresh. The difference between the crab and the lobster was minimal as far as how good it was, but I definitely preferred the sweetness of the crab. It was a bit messier of course but definitely worth it. I almost forgot to mention that the mussels we had to start with were fresh, grit free and plump. At the end we shared a gelato on the way out. It tasted and looked more like ice cream than gelato and was my least favorite of the whole experience. I still have to give them 5*'s coz the pasta was the best I've had outside of Italy. read more

I've been visisting Marrocco's for many years and yes the icecream is exceptional. However, the standard of food and service has declined considerabley over the past couple of years. Unfortunately, to cap it all, me, my wife and two small kids were actually turned away yesterday, even though there was clearly enough tables to accomadate us for afternoon tea. Can't really believe that it happened and me thinks that Mr Marrocco senior would be mortified if he'd witnessed the rude greeting we recieved. Can't say never again because the kids love the icecream but to actually dine inside, well THINK AGAIN! read more

Marrocco's is a real find and once you've tried it you'll go back every summer. It's an awesome proper Italian ice cram parlor, serving proper Italiano ice cream! Its also conveniently situated on Hove seafront slightly out of way of the masses, I often stop off there when promenading in the sunshine! read more

This place used to be a great little cafe/greasy spoon on the seafront. For some reason only known to the owner, it tried to become more of a restaurant. The food became overpriced and bland. Shame as I used to love coming here. read more

Marocco's is a bit of a legendary Brighton establishment, their ice cream is absolutely incredible but the service we received when we visited today was truly appalling. There is always a queue out of the door for take-away ice creams on a sunny day, but we wanted to sit down to enjoy a Gondola ice cream sundae (AMAZING - it comes served in a boat shaped bowl!). We were told by the waiter, quite rudely, that we couldn't have a table, even though there were 2 or 3 small tables available. He then changed his mind suddenly, and sat us down, immediately asking us "what do you want" without even giving us a menu. After 10 minutes, he came back to take our order but when we asked about the sauces and dips available (as stated on the menu), he replied "just strawberry", which being regular customers, we know is entirely incorrect. He then went off to check, and came back only to tell us that there were "lots, you know, hazelnuts". No elaboration, no useful information, and by that point we couldn't be bothered to ask any further so left it to luck what ended up in our bowls. We got chocolate sauce and a couple of wafer sticks, which was fine. I understand that it gets busy in there, especially during the school holidays, but that is no excuse for how rude the waiter was to us. Whilst we were there we saw another family being turned away, only to then be given a table when they pointed out the obviously empty space. It seemed that they only wanted people to sit down if they were having a big main meal, which at nearly 4pm was quite unlikely. The ice cream here is amazing, I would definitely recommend it for a nice walk along the seafront, but I'd think again before coming here to eat in. A real spoiler on what would otherwise have been a great day out. read more

What an unfortunate experience we had at Marroccos today. My mum and I walked over there in the blasting wind with my six month old baby daughter, as my mum was visiting from abroad and I wanted to take her to the famed Marroccos for a lovely farewell lunch. We were excited to go and have a 'real' Italian treat together, but alas when we arrived a very rude waiter (who seemed like he might be the manager) stopped us in our tracks at the door and refused us entry because my baby was in a pram, and he didn't want prams in the way, he told us. The strange thing was, the restaurant was mostly empty - the entire back area (which is plenty spacious) was empty, and when I asked him whether he had bookings for lunch he said no. The bottom line is, this manager-character was rude and callous toward us, he turned us away on a chilly, windy afternoon even though I explained that we had so looked forward to lunch there and that we had walked 45 mins to get there - with a six month old in a pram!! Very sad indeed really, I have always enjoyed my meals and coffees at Marroccos but am disgusted at the way we were treated and will sadly not be going back. NOT a family-friendly place. read more

The ice cream always has ice flakes in it! It tastes watery as a result and not very smooth. I've had it on 5 completely seperate occasions.

This place is awful. Tried to order 3 hot drinks & three sandwiches on sunday morning. The guy behind the counter didn't had a clue what he was doing & his english was terrible. It was so stressful even trying to place the order. The order was still wrong after having to explain it at least 5 times (how hard is "2 cappuccinos, 1 black coffee, 1 bacon sandwich, one sausage sandwich & one veggie sausage sandwich"?. The total bill came to £18.23 & what we received was disgusting.. they used the thinnest cheapest white bread & just threw the filling inside. No butter, no sauce, they didn't even bother to cut it in half... I've been to some rubbish places in Brighton & Hove but this place tops the bill... read more

The ice cream is very very good . However do not eat here the food is over priced and the quality of food is appauling. The Italian staff are very very rude and whilst we where dining 4 people up and left after waiting ages for drinks. I wish I did likewise. Stick with the ice cream they prey on tourists. read more

Its a great small restaurant with freshly cooked fresh food. We have liked it for years. Its like being in a busy Italian cafe in Italy except its colder and less stylish on the Sussex coast. Great, friendly, busy. At weekends its very difficult to get to the few tables due to the ice cream queues. Yep good tasty food, reasonable price. Week evenings are best. read more

For over 30 years I have been visiting Marrocco's and today took my son ( first taken there when he was 3) and my grandchildren here. We were refused a table (although there were 2 free) because we were not eating lunch: it was 3.40pm for goodness sake! We were about to order coffees and cakes but never got the chance. We were told we had to stand at the front! So as not to disappoint the children we bought them ice creams and ourselves take away coffees but I will not be going there again! Old My Marrocco I am assuming has passed on (though I spoke to him last summer) and I would think he was HATE what has happened to his lovely cafe..... read more

Dont know about the food but the Ice Cream is home made it says; but it is nothing special at all- you might as well go anywhere as it is the usual dross I find. read more