The Downs Café

After waiting another 15 minutes, the waitress who had reprimanded us finally delivered our coffees, slamming them down without a word and even managing to spill one of them, despite it being in a takeaway cup. She paused briefly, added a sarcastic "you're welcome," and then walked away. While some staff members are friendly, I can honestly say I’ve never encountered such poor service anywhere in Bristol. In total, we waited 45 minutes just for a spilled drink. Overall, the service seems inconsistent; it can range from a delightful experience to a frustratingly expensive one, depending on who is serving you. The drinks and snacks are quite nice, but I regret to say that my wife and I were treated so poorly that we will be avoiding this place for the foreseeable future.

Unfortunately, my experience at the café was disappointing. It seems to be poorly managed and lacks the organization found in other establishments. Even basic dishes took an excessively long time to prepare, and it appeared that customers often received the wrong orders. This confusion is likely due to the lack of order numbers or identifiers. While the staff were friendly and pleasant, it might help them to observe how other cafés operate more efficiently.

I gave my overall experience 4 stars mainly because the main room tends to get quite crowded during peak times, making it challenging to move around the closely arranged tables. During my last visit, my dog Arthur was startled by another dog, which caused the tables to shake and led to my coffee spilling! Fortunately, the staff were amazing—they quickly restored order and promptly refilled my cup.

Greated with a lovely smile, very efficient service and great products. Customer toilet was clean and welcoming with a modern design. Great quality hand soap too.

Very popular and busy at noon on a Sunday. Great range of coffees and teas and some tempting cakes/cookies. Spiced pumpkin latte is seasonal and tasty.