Opened in 2003, this cafe/book shop is located on the main square in town and is run by a South African couple called Steve and Deniece. They don’t do Biltong though, Bru. The cafe featured in a TV show a few tears ago where, under the guidance of a young entrepreneur, they transformed their ailing business into a thriving enterprise. The cafe is upstairs and book shop downstairs (as sort of Aparthied, sorry but I couldn’t resist that) but the caff, being more lucrative, has spilled downstairs too. Good thing because it is often a full capacity and it doesn’t help that this is housed in a wonky 16th century building.
So this has an interesting interior as you can wander around gaping at oak panelling and ‘vine’ ceilings if not browsing through the books on offer. If you are caught short though, there is no accessible lift or loo and it’s upstairs up a creaky winding staircase. The fairly basic facilities are down a crooked corridor where you expect to be passed by a headless Elizabethan ghost rather than the reality: a comatose teenage waitress carrying a cheese toastie.
Upstairs there are two rooms to sit in at tatty tables and a landing where you can lounge on sofas and read the books on the shelves (not sure if they charge you if you spill brown sauce on a Hilary Mantel) . Some seats are fairly uncomfortable making it feel like medieval torture but at least you can look through ancient windows down onto the square.
Menu wise it is mainly breakfasts, jacket potatoes, salads etc and the food is always hit and miss. Oh and so is the service. For example I ordered a gf toastie which was brought to me untoasted. The zombie waiter said ‘Oh it’s my fault’. ‘Well at least you’ve got that right!’ I thought. My partner’s jacket potato was excellent though to be fair.
Their website calls this place the ‘best bookshop in town’ – I assume this is tongue-in-cheek as it’s the only one and, unless you count WH Smiths or charity shops, is likely to be the only one in town unless it shuts down.
And they have events here too in the form of book signings and readings. I remember fellow South African Bruce Grobelaar being here to promote his book. In face he should come back but not even he could ‘save’ this cafe from mediocrity. Get it? Oh suit yourself.
Verdict: 3/5
Good: Interesting interior. Some food good.
Bad: Not accessible, cramped in places, uncomfortable, service.
Bloody love this place. Service ok when I go there.
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Think the staff are on mogadon
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Great cafe and shop
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Get well soon Steve
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Here. here!
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Love this place. Needs music upstairs though and get rid of the books lol
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Read a book, maybe write a letter. Mother things are getting better….
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Watch the mirror, count the lines?
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A very good cafe. Look D and S and the staff. 10/10 for me.
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Love D and S – great food.
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Brill cafe
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Good food and staff I reckon personally. And I go every week.
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well for me not that gud really just a bit stuck up wiv the books and snobs in there
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Have you tried KFC instead?
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Love it here
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Was in there today. Service was a bit slow to be fair but had a great toastie. Bought 2 books overpriced slightly but good to support a local book shop.
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Love the owners and staff and disagree about the ‘zombies’ but love your reviews so we’ll leave it there!
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Not been here for 5 years and it’s so different now! Much better layout and cafe etc. Loved it to be fair!
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Saw Steve going into Chatwins the other day – maybe he prefers their food lol
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Look the shop these days since the refurb. Spot on all round.
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Like the cafe but what’s with all the books?
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In the book shop you mean? Feck knows…
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Good old Steve selling his coffee on the square.
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Overrated but you can sit outside and get waitress serve u xx
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Come, sit outside and spread the virus – PEOPLE!!!!!!
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Covid central outside and would give Deniece one for old time’s sakes but nowt special?
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All pretty good – one of the best cafes in the area all in – we go cycling and stop here to annoy everyone with our bulges lol
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Like the owners but not sure about the Covid tents they had outside? Surely that keeps the germs in?
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Like the food and quirky. Agree that service is slow bit you put it in a funny way and you made me spit my scone out with laughter. Love tour blog x
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Deniece still draws my eye but I also like the cakes ams stroke the dogs outside.
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Zombie waitresses lol – like it but it’s not a bad cafe to be fair. Where else can you browse books with a slice of cake?
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