IKEA Lakeside - Grays

S Y.

Great store and easily able to spend whole afternoon here. Also have kids face painting for Easter. Lots of showrooms with inspiration how to decorate own house. Amazing options for home and kitchen storage. Not as much plant options. Not much queue at self checkout but some queues at customer service

Big C. E. (. C. E.

Bring your deck chair when ordering food at ikea your in for the long haul !!
The queues are mental and your most likely not waiting for less then 30-40 minutes of which I waited
This was my first time going to Ikea but also trying the food , the shopping experience was great and easy to navigate .
But the food left a lot to be desired ! Was looking forward to the infamous meatballs but they was a bit meh if you ask me and pretty much a hype job
With the cheap tasting meatballs , although I did like the sort of cheap synthetic gravy they top it with ! I did buy some of the frozen meatballs to see if I could sort of jazz it up at home .
The star of the food show was that berry crumble cheesecake !! My god that was soooo good !!!!!
I should of just had the pudding
So overall you get a sort of okay value for money , but the quality of food doesn’t really reflect value .

The other disappointing area is the selection of drinks from the drinks machine
Many of which I’d never tried so I tried all of them and nearly all of them didn’t taste great , you can tell there watered down so much it was pretty much water , I think the only the one that tasted remotely any good was the lingonberry
Gimme some cheap coke or lemonade any day of the week then that rubbish !
Drinks selection needs to be drastically improved
For more food content follow me on socials @bigchefeats

Jack C.

IKEA in Lakeside is a convenient and popular choice for anyone looking to furnish or decorate their home on a budget. The store is large, well-organized, and has a wide range of stylish, affordable furniture and home decor options that cater to various tastes. Walking through the showrooms provides plenty of inspiration, and the layout makes it easy to visualize how pieces might look at home.

However, navigating the store can be overwhelming, especially on weekends when it’s typically busy. The layout, while designed to show products, can feel like a maze, and it’s easy to lose track of time or miss certain sections. The self-service model is convenient for some, but it means that finding assistance can be a bit challenging at times. The restaurant is a nice bonus.

All in all, IKEA Lakeside is a great spot for affordable home goods, but be prepared for a bustling atmosphere and a bit of a journey through the maze-like layout. If you’re patient, though, you’re likely to leave with some great finds at reasonable prices.

Bobby Y.

On my recent trip, I noticed less staff, some of the section had empty shelves. Not the same place as it used to be . I think B &Q has more help and choices now.

Emily

MESSY & not maintained. Shocked to see the site of the mess in the food court area on the way out. Every table full of mess with nowhere to sit. Bins overflowing so no one could empty their trays. Members of staff seen walking past and not acknowledging the mess. Never again would I eat here.

Nicholas C.

They sell lots of great stuff, but seriously I'm only there to find out what the animals are up to!
Someone really loves there job, keep up the good work!
So car park is big, food is good, food queue is too big at weekends, good range of products, plenty of trolleys.

Julianne B.

It was a bank holiday so It was quite busy. We found the item we were looking for quite easily. Checkouts are okay done self-service no problems. The unit purchased, my husband but together seemed a lot simpler than other units we purchased in the past.

Connor G.

I’ve always loved IKEA Lakeside, been coming here since I was a child, and it’s never failed to give you a real ‘experience’ when you work your way through the showroom.

I recommend visiting in the early mornings or late evenings during the week when there’s no one else really around, as the atmosphere is much better when there’s less people around.

The products are always faultless, never had an issue all my life. The food is always great too, stop by for meatballs with jam if you get a chance, restaurant closes around 8pm. If you miss that, grab a hotdog and chicken dippers at the kiosk on your way out!