The Best Cafes in Bishops Stortford, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom (2025)

Best coffee in town. I haven't had lunch here yet but I can attest to the coffees, cakes and the delicious treats for your pantry. I get my fix of Torres crisps and fancy chocolate and spreads every time I visit.

This is a hidden gem in Bishops Stortford we have been many times with our friends and were so lucky to host my husbands 65th birthday celebrations here and Ludo made it the most amazing night !! The food and wine selection made it just a magical evening and they catered for all the food allergies of some of our guests . We can’t thanks them enough.

Great breakfast, I have the full french breakfast, which is very good. A good place to have a brunch.

Found this little Gem totally by chance. Very small 'day' bistrot. Breakfast/ brunch menu as well as a basic lunch menu (delicious sandwiches). Excellent coffee, great wine selection. I had the salt beef sandwich. Freshly made to order.

Lovely people and delicious food! This place has a very cosy homey feel. We really enjoyed the Moussaka and loved the desserts, Baklava and Honey Cake! We'll definitely come back when in this area. Totally recommended!

Nostimo (delicious 😋) nice variety of hot or cold food, big choices of superb Ice 🍨🍦 creams and desserts 🍪🎂. And amazing varieties of cold ❄️🥶 or hot coffees. And dogs 🐕🐕😻 friendly that makes my day.

Been here several times now and the food is great. They do Panini's, sandwiches, salads and choice of breakfasts. They also do desserts including various cakes and an ice cream counter with around 20 different flavours. Very friendly owners and prices are very reasonable. A great place to eat in Bishops Stortford.

Lovely little cafe with a homey, relaxed atmosphere. Warm, friendly welcome with delicious, authentic home cooked Greek food. The Greek biscuits and the chocolate cakes looked very tempting - good reason to return!

Lovely place, friendly. Only place I know of that you can take your dog in. They enjoy it as they get doggy treats, too.

Popped in here for the first time (mainly because it was dog friendly) and it was superb! Family run and very friendly, with tasty, freshly cooked food and delicious (very artistically presented!) coffee. They even provided a little bit of bacon for our pupster 🥰 Highly recommended!

I visited Archers for Mother's Day afternoon tea and I can highly recommend! The food & service were absolutely outstanding and the selection of sandwiches & cakes were very delicious.

We have been here a few times now as tried the others with all their rave reviews (nothing wrong with that), but here, it’s ideal if you want to sit in pleasant surroundings where you don’t have to queue, and don’t have to shout at each other to be heard. It’s run by two people (very efficiently), who are friendly and attentive without being overbearing. Ideal in our case for a breakfast which on the several occasions we have been in now, are delivered in a reasonable time, and I’m sure it’s all freshly cooked. The food is tasty and hot, and they clearly buy good quality bacon, sausages, beans and not the catering stuff some of their competitors appear to buy. Plenty of room that includes larger tables for the larger parties. Looking around the interior discreet adverts, they offer Prosecco afternoon tea, and they have reasonable priced cakes too. I would highly recommend this place as well worth a visit. Once you go in, you’ll definitely go back again.

Don’t let the garish decorations put you off. This place is actually really good. The menu caters for almost everyone, if you don’t fancy brunch/breakfast, there’s other options available. We put this place off for ages due to the decor, and are now glad we have it a chance. We will 100% be returning. Total bill came to £33, not cheap, not expensive but pretty standard. Burger was very good, however could have done with some sauce. Fries were very very good! My only criticism is…. The service was a tad slow not major but have to be honest.

I treated my girlfriends there with a breakfast/brunch on my birthday and everyone was impressed with the food and the way staff took care of us, they even brought me 2 slices of cake and everyone from staff came and sang happy birthday. I was really really impressed. Had been there before with my friends, it sort of became our place but on this occasion they really made the effort and contributed to a perfect birthday morning. Thank you so much.

Really lovely bright warm welcoming and instagrammable cafe - had an awesome Turkish breakfast and Turkish coffee with lovely fresh feta honey and fruit but also extensive menu with lots of options. Not dog friendly but they were really lovely about it and the service was super friendly! Highly recommend 🙌🏻

Perfect for a friend gathering with kids, the kids especially love the swing! Coffee and food are good and coming quickly. Interestingly, their cappuccino with some chocolate taste a bit like mocha. Food decoration is pretty! They have gluten-free toast and sujek (beef sausage) to replace sausage.

A little smoky as cooked breakfast being served. Staff so polite almost felt unreal. Great tasting coffee beats the regular dominators. I will make this a regular place.

Very cute and cozy coffee shop. I had the Green style lemon&chicken pilaf which has been delicious. The drinks are also very nice, had a flat white with vanilla syrup, the first time it turned out to be too sweet for me but they have been kind enough to make me another one. I would highly recommend this coffee shop. Later update, I bought a sandwich the same day but had it later, it was unbelievably good (bacon, Brie and cranberries). They did not have it on the menu anymore, but as I asked and they still had the ingredients they offered to make it for me🥹, that made my day! I loved the care and I will definitely be back whenever I’m around!!❤️

Visited on Tuesday 4 March 2025. Absolutely outstanding breakfast and friendly ladies serving. I would definitely recommend. Plus the Crown Terrace car park is only 50 meters away.

Had the most amazing brunch today was served by the lovely Shaz and enjoyed delicious avocado toast and huevos rancheros that made my week!! Also had great options on the specials board and freshly baked sweet treats…Highly recommend!!

My boyfriend and I came to the Toaster for breakfast this morning (first time trying here) and I must say it was absolutely lovely. It's a small cafe that had a cozy feeling and a good atmosphere. We were greeted by a lovley girl named Lily and was given a seat. She was the sweetest and served us quickly. Our coffees were out and were delicious, (oat Vanilla flat white and a pistachio latte *EASTER SPECIAL* food came out soon after. I'm not a take pictures of food kind of person but I had to send my friends picture of the food for our next brunch spot! It was really yummy food, my boyfriend and I treated ourselves to a dessert to share afterwards which was heaven! Roll onto the next time we are there! Food we had: Feta and mixed leave avo on toast Bacon and poached egg avo on toast Brulee'd banana, salted caramel and clotted cream Croffle

Absolutely amazing food. So happy we came across this cafe. Mom and I had the meaty breakfast. Such good portions. Definitely will be coming back again. The staff are so friendly

Checked the place beforehand, and it actually delivered everything we could hope for. The staff was really nice, food looked and tasted awesome, and I especially liked the pay-at-table technology (you could scan a QR code that lead to a website where you could see and settle your bill without having to ask for the staff, and you could even split the bill among yourselves). If you are ever in Bishop's Stortford this place is a must-visit. For the menu check their Instagram site @wearethetoaster.

Stopped here for a bite before a flight out of Stansted, just from a quick Google search. And wow. This place is good. Prices are reasonable, very friendly atmosphere, good music, modern and clean. Drinks were brilliant and the food selection was very nice (all bread of course!). And the ability to pay at the table, easy to split the bill too.

Great choice of drinks, lots of non-alcoholic options which I appreciated as I don’t drink. The food was good, nice presentation and quick service. I would say was a little bit expensive but the atmosphere and the service was really enjoyable

Been to Paisa twice, 1st time just for cocktails, the 2nd for food and drinks. We love this place. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable. They’ve nailed the authenticity! We love the ambiance. A great atmosphere for a bit of sophistication or to impress on a date.

Paisà Wine Bar is a must-visit for incredible food, seasonal drinks, and a cozy atmosphere. The dishes are fresh, flavorful, and expertly crafted, while the rotating drink menu keeps things exciting. The staff are friendly and attentive, adding a personal touch to the experience. Perfect for a casual night out or a special occasion, Paisà is a true gem.

A friend visiting and pick this place, it is a great to have sharing board with friends and some drinks. Dessert is a surprise with their gluten-free options of pistachio cheese cake. It is highly recommended 👌 easy booking with their online system too.

Excellent fish n chips, nicely complemented with small amounts of pickled red onion, kale chips and charred lime. The chef made it even better with excellent service, friendly help, even a tour of the kitchen for an inquisitive guest. Top shelf all round!

The food at the Smokey Egg is fantastic!! Three of us visited this morning for brunch and we were all super impressed with our meals. It was fresh, full of flavour and beautifully presented. We can't wait to visit again and would highly recommend (particularly the avocado and poached eggs on sourdough)!

This was the nicest food we have had in ages, had the beef brisket and full English, tasted with every bite. Don’t often write reviews but felt completely to as the food was so good.

I have visited several times and each time outshines the last. The food taste, atmosphere and presentation is tops. It's a true delight! Chef is so friendly, it feels like he's your own personal CHEF!

Really lovely food with good quality products, amazing hot chocolate - one of the best in Bishops Stortford! Very good customer service too! It’s a great little place!

I am so happy this coffee shop has opened, it is now is our go to now for the best coffee in town. Always super friendly service, whether you are sitting in or taking away. The food is lovely lots of lovely fresh breakfast and lunch options. Also dog friendly which is perfect. There are a couple of seats outside if your pup is abit muddy.

The coffee is amazing as usual.. we order the sandwich (gluten-free), and the portion is very small. It would be better if there are better gluten-free bread options.

Incredible coffee, lovely fig ricotta and honey open sandwich and hugely dog friendly - warm friendly and helpful service. A delight! Highly recommend

We hired Rainbow Softplay (at the back of the café) for my son's 3rd birthday party for an hour and a half - wow! What a wonderful venue and wonderful staff at a very reasonable price! The softplay is perfect for the age group, a safe environment, not too big and able to see the children from all angles. The parents complimented the great choice of sandwiches, fruit, veggie sticks and crisps with squash on tap. We would highly recommend Rainbow Softplay and would not hesitate to book again!

We had an amazing 2nd birthday party at Rainbow Soft Play in Bishop’s Stortford—the staff took such great care of everything, and Alice was an absolute superstar! All the parents could relax while the kids had an absolute blast in a safe and fun environment. If you’re looking for the perfect soft play party venue, I couldn’t recommend this place highly enough!

My dad and I had the Spanish Sourdough Toasties which had chorizo, manchego cheese, red onion and red pepper chutney which was ABSOLUTLY delicious! We also added halloumi inside because we’re massive halloumi fans and they were very generous! It was divine and no faults. I also had the regenerate mango orange and honey smoothie and that was really yummy too!

Another visit here.. We absolutely love the food choices, freshly squeezed orange juice was the best I've had. Breakfast was perfect and the staff are a credit to the owners.. Highly recommend Chateau coffee shop. Plenty of seating. Clean place. A*