Hero image

The Little Old Toll House

+44 7921 709902
Castle Road, Maidstone ME16 0LU United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Open Today: 08:00 AM - 05:00 PM

Quick Facts About The Little Old Toll House

The Little Old Toll House café has received overwhelmingly positive comments, highlighting its strengths and positive aspects. These comments shed light on why this café is considered a gem and a great place to visit. However, it is important to also consider some potential weaknesses or areas that could be improved upon.
Strengths: 1. Quality of food and drinks: Multiple comments mention the delicious croissants, cheese twist, Kent crisps, local ice cream, and excellent coffee. The positive reviews suggest that the café offers a variety of tasty options.
2. Friendly and attentive staff: Customers express their appreciation for the friendly and helpful staff members. The personnel's friendliness and commitment to providing a great coffee experience contribute to the overall positive atmosphere of the café.
3. Ideal location: The café's location by the river, close to a lock and on an island, is highlighted as a major strength. Customers enjoy the opportunity to relax and enjoy their drinks and food under a tree next to the water, which adds to the overall experience.
4. Comfortable and pleasant seating: Positive comments mention the comfortable seating options that the café provides. This includes outdoor seating with blankets for colder days, as well as indoor seating in the tea room. The café's efforts to offer comfortable seating contribute to the overall enjoyment of the experience.
5. Variety of menu options: The café is praised for its diverse menu options, including vegan choices. This demonstrates the café's commitment to catering to different dietary preferences and ensuring that there is something for everyone.
Weaknesses: 1. Size limitations: Some comments refer to the café as "tiny" and "cute," which may indicate a potential weakness in terms of space. If the café becomes overcrowded, it may hinder the overall comfort and enjoyment for customers. However, it is worth noting that other customers appreciate the cozy atmosphere.
2. Limited availability: While the café is commended for its opening hours, some customers mention that it is not open on Christmas Day. While this may seem like a minor issue, it could be a disappointment for potential customers seeking a coffee fix on the holiday.
3. Potential weather dependency: The positive experiences shared by customers acknowledge that the weather played a role in their enjoyment of the café. This suggests that the experience may be influenced by external factors, such as rain or extreme temperatures. Ensuring that there are provisions in place to accommodate customers in less favorable weather conditions could be advantageous.
Recommendations for Improvement: 1. Expansion: Considering the comments regarding limited space, the café may want to explore options for expanding its premises. This could involve adding additional indoor seating or creating a covered outdoor area to accommodate more customers during peak times.
2. Extended opening hours: While it is impressive that the café operates every day except Christmas Day, extending the opening hours could attract more customers who prefer evening or late-night coffee options.
3. Weather-proof seating options: To counteract the potential weather dependency, the café could invest in weather-proof seating options, such as covered outdoor areas or heaters, to ensure that customers can enjoy the café regardless of the weather.
Overall, The Little Old Toll House's strengths, such as its quality food and drinks, friendly staff, ideal location, comfortable seating, and diverse menu options, contribute to the overwhelmingly positive customer experiences. By addressing potential weaknesses and implementing the suggested improvements, the café can further enhance its appeal and create an even more enjoyable experience for its customers.


Best TL Reviews

Such a great pleasant surprise! The little old Toll House is absolutely a gem coffee house next to the river! We had the opportunity to try those amazing croissants (so yummy), the cheese twist (do not miss), Kent crisps (delicious), local ice cream (fab chocolate flavour) and last but not least the coffees… believe me; if you are either a foodie, or lover of great flavours, you going to love everything that this small coffee shop has to offer!
The personnel is amazing; friendly, with a smile, prepared a really great coffee experience. The spot; ideal, enjoying your coffee or tea, under a tree, next to water…
9,5/10
An absolute gem of a place right by the lock and situated technically on an island. 2 cream teas, massive portion of clotted cream, lovely fruited scone (which I prefer), comfy seating. Yes, the weather helped as well, but the ladies serving were so friendly too. Just the perfect spot for a pit stop.
Absolutely beautiful team room! They even decorated it up for the platinum Jubilee which was lovely. Menu options are fabulous and was pleasantly suprised at all the vegan options on the menu. Fab!
Best tea I have had in ages!
Fantastic place to stop for coffee and a snack if out walking or mountain bike riding like I was today. Had a flat white - was excellent as was the sausage roll. This will now be my preferred mid ride stop for this route. Blankets available with outside seating so you can enjoy a coffee even on those chillier days. Stopped by again a few days after this review mid ride. Coffee and steak pasty excellent. Really pleasant place to rest for a while by the river. PS be sure to look out for the bold as brass Robin who likes to snack on cake crumbs etc! June 2022 update - seats and chairs upgraded - this place continues to impress!
A super cute and tiny place by the river, with plenty outdoor seating space.Very friendly owner and staff, great coffee and nice pastries. Definitely worth a visit.
Lovely little spot on the side of the river to grab a coffee. Super friendly staff, dog blankets, the promise of soup and a piece of cake too ????
Lovely people, lovely ☕️ coffee, beautiful location. What’s not to like! ????‍♂️
Wonderful location. Great choice of drinks and cakes. Lovely new tables and chairs. Takeaways for us kayakers too ????. Open every day except Christmas Day, I'm told. Yummy ????

Place Pictures

Resim
Küçük Resim 1 Küçük Resim 1 Küçük Resim 1 Küçük Resim 1 Küçük Resim 1 Küçük Resim 1 Küçük Resim 1 Küçük Resim 1

The Little Old Toll House Info

Amenities

Service options
  • Outdoor seating
  • Takeaway
  • Dine-in
Highlights
  • Great tea selection
Accessibility
  • Wheelchair-accessible entrance
  • Wheelchair-accessible seating
Offerings
  • Coffee
Dining options
  • Dessert
Amenities
  • Good for kids
Atmosphere
  • Casual
  • Cosy
  • Romantic
Crowd
  • Family friendly
  • Groups
Payments
  • NFC mobile payments
  • Credit cards

Today

Opening Hours

Monday 08:00 AM - 05:00 PM
Tuesday 08:00 AM - 05:00 PM
Wednesday 08:00 AM - 05:00 PM
Thursday 08:00 AM - 05:00 PM
Friday 08:00 AM - 05:00 PM
Saturday 08:00 AM - 05:00 PM
Sunday 08:00 AM - 05:00 PM

How to go there

Location