Vestry Cafe - Stroud

Best Stilton, spinach spring onion toasties ever! Thoroughly enjoyed washed down with a great cappuccino we’ll be back to explore such an interesting menu. Great friendly service too!

It is not often I come home feeling compelled to write a review straight away. But I 've just had a lunch experience which might have been good except for service. And what a shame. I arrive on my own, small place, say hello as I walk past the large group of staff, approach a free table and see a reserved sign, go to the next, again reserved, turn around and am told 'Yes I 'm afraid they 're all reserved '. I feel a bit lost for a few minutes, but decide to brave an outside table in the cold and rain. My coffee comes and I wait 30 mins for my something on toast lunch. When I query it inside, the order had obviously got lost. It will come, I 'm told, apologies. I look round desperately (I 've got cold through waiting) and see some free seats, but oh no they are reserved too. After a total of 40 mins waiting, my something on toast arrives, again with apologies. I wolf it down in 2 minutes, without a drink (coffee was already 25 minutes gone and cold even then as I 'd been waiting to have it with my food). I make a dash for the car to retreat from the cold. And feel disappointed; I 'd have done better to go home for lunch. I 'm moving to the immediate area and had high hopes for this independent little place having heard about it for a good while. But I will think hard before going again. First, I 'm not sure of the logic behind a cafe a cafe no less allowing all its tables to be reserved and leaving them to wait emptily for 20 mins, half an hour, 45 mins for scheduled occupation. More importantly, while friendly, the staff seemed to have no eye whatsoever to customer service, the customer 's perspective, and I wonder if this comes from a place of complacency. With a bit of presence of mind, here 's how it might have gone: 'Hello, do you have a table booked? No? Oh, I 'm afraid all the indoor tables are reserved. But we do have outside tables, some with umbrellas, if you 'd like to brave the weather, and I can bring a towel out to dry the chair if it has got wet. Or we can offer take away '.... 'I 'm so sorry your lunch got delayed. You had a coffee with it, didn 't you? Can I offer you a top up so that you have something to drink with your lunch. Again, I 'm sorry for the delay '.

Everything about this cafe is just lovely. It’s a beautiful building in a lovely setting with plenty of seating under a marquee too. The coffee is excellent and the cakes divine ! On this occasion We had a delicious breakfast (salmon, poached egg, avocado and choice of toast). The menu is quite extensive. We took the cakes to takeaway to eat later (delicious millionaires shortbread and rocky road). Friendly service. Love it !

Nothing here is ever less than spectacular, can't think of anything that could do better. Even something as simple as a bacon sandwich is wonderful, and Nic's specials are always exactly that, special.

A lovely cafe in a historic building within a beautiful setting. Called in for coffee while visiting the area. The coffee was excellent. We took away a slice of leek, mushroom and Stilton quiche for later. It was delicious. Can't wait to return. The cafe is in an Arts Centre which is also worth checking out.