Cloisters Cafe - East Hampshire

Best breakfast ever , great place to sit and watch world go by , staff friendly and so is the owner/chef , highly recommended.

Sadly, having visited this cafe before, we can only say that it is not what it used to be in terms of customer service. It seems to have lost some of it's atmosphere during the last few months. We got there just before breakfast should have still been available and was told it had stopped earlier and no meals before 12. So we left to a more welcoming cafe round the corner where we had an excellent value for money meal.

We tried to have lunch in this cafe today, about 1.30pm, I asked the waitress if we could sit outside, with that she said “yes”, I then went inside to ask for a menu, to which, I think ! She Was about to say they were not serving food any longer, but wanted to check first, not that she had chance, because the chef was shouting at her demanding her to take food out, he was so rude to her, and she looked quite embarrassed. Very disappointed that one they were not serving food at this time, and that the male chef would treat a young employee this way. Shame because it was in a lovely location and the last food served that day looked good.

I wanted an alternative to chain coffee shops (I’m new to the area . Approached this shop, was unsure if open as looked closed, door was closed and dark inside. Tried the door and found it was open told the lady behind the counter it looks shut she didn’t comment. Had coffee and fruit cake outdoors (both okay! . Several people approached and then left saying ‘oh, they’re shut’. 2 couples questioned if they were shut or not, tried the door and then bought something. A group of 4 then sat down outside, a waitress came out and said we’ve closed as we aren’t busy enough to stay open, so they left. I pointed out to her that people think you are closed and are leaving as the door is shut and it’s dark inside. She replied ‘no, it’s not, the lights are on’. Then a second group of 4 arrived and got turned away, and then another couple, then a single lady… in the time I was writing this review. How on earth are they making money?

This looked appealing quiet, so I chose it in preference to the noisy-looking alternatives nearby. There was a warm welcome and excellent, friendly service. The coffee was great and the baked items looked so tempting I opted for a croissant, which was delicious. The cafe has a very pleasant atmosphere and is conveniently located in the heart of the town.