My first visit. I parked up on Lady's Mile for a walk around Clifton Downs. I had googled this place beforehand. Had a cappuccino and homemade sausage roll, which was very nice. Small interior but outside seating as well.
Didn’t stop at the cafe for a drink but I had walked about 10 miles on a very hot day. I asked the waitress behind the bar if they could fill up my bottle and my dogs and they were all very kind and happy to help and very sympathetic. I’d recommend going as the staff are lovely and do a great service!
I'm desperate not to make this cafe even more popular than it is already. Excellent for breakfasts with most combinations catered for: bacon, sausage, egg sandwiches, lovely sausage rolls (with baked beans of required) etc, etc...... plus some cakes! Chai and dirty chai are addictive and good coffee and tea. A hub for thirsty walkers, dog friendly, cyclists and runners with plenty of tables outside although fills up quickly inside. Plenty of parking on the Downs.
This cafe is among our top favorites in the Clifton area. This is our go-to cafe after our weekend morning walks at the Downs and it never disappoints each visit. It has a wonderful open-air seating and a lovely view of the picturesque Durdham Downs. Staff are friendly. The toasties are excellent (my personal favorite is the brie, cranberry, ham combo. Good coffee and tea selection. It's pet friendly too, which is a plus. It even has a Dogs of the Downs photo gallery inside... quite heartwarming. It can get very busy on weekend mornings and brunches so come early. Highly recommended!
I live 5 minutes from the cafe and it's in a lovely location for when I'm walking the dog. Today my wife and I went to the cafe, it was not particularly busy, we ordered a coffee and waited 30 minutes with no sign of it. When my wife went in to find out what had happened to it she was told that they had tried to bring it out to us but couldn't find us, that it was our fault for not being there, and that they had thrown away our drinks. We were sitting right outside the whole time, admittedly around the corner from the door, but it's a very small outdoor area, and no one had come to our table with drinks. In fact there were only 5 other occupied tables outside apart from ours. We then waited another 15 minutes for the waitress who had told us off to slam the coffees down without a word (literally spilling one of them, despite being in a takeaway cup), and then after a short pause sarcastically say 'you're welcome' and storm off. Some of the staff are very nice, but I can honestly say I have never had such poor service anywhere in Bristol. It ended up being a 45 minute wait for a spilled drink. In general, service is patchy and depending on who serves you it can either be a lovely experience or an expensive and frustrating one. The drinks and snacks are very nice, but I am sorry to say that we were treated so poorly, my wife in particular, that I will be giving this place a miss for the foreseeable future.
Unfortunately, the visit was not hugely successful. The cafe seems to be run inefficiently and without any systems compared to other cafes. Food that is easy to make, takes too long and everyone gets offered the food and drinks of other customers. This is because you are not given a number or equivalent when you order. Staff are friendly and nice but maybe they might want to visit other cafes and see how well they run.
The Downs Cafe is a great place to spend a sunny morning or afternoon. They offer a nice selection of coffee (most for less than £3) and snacks (pastries etc), and also sell sandwiches if you're after something a bit more substantial. Indoor and outdoor seating are both available
Lovely place to sit and relax on the Clifton Downs while enjoying a coffee and a bite to eat. Plenty of choice for veggies, and the meze board in particular was well thought out and beautifully presented. Special mention also for the amazing eggs in my bap, now that's what I call a proper yellow yolk! Staff were excellent during a really busy service.
The Downs Café is located at Stoke Rd, Durdham Downs, Bristol BS9 1FG, UK
You can contact The Downs Café at +44 117 923 8186
You can find directions to The Downs Café by following this map link