The Best Cafes in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom (2025)

Superb coffee and just a really lovely place to hang out. James' knowledge of coffee is second to none and he has a great selection of coffee. You can also buy ground coffee or beans here, which we do because it is much cheaper than anywhere else. There is also a selection of board games to keep the little ones (and big ones!) entertained while you have your drink.

The best coffee in Hitchin. James is very friendly and welcoming. They now sell vegan cookies which, are amazing. I would highly recommend this place.

Chill vibew, real local Hitchin cafe. Not pretentious at all. Cakes and coffee are the cheapest and best in Hitchin. Owner is a champ

Coffee and cake. Amazing brilliant prices atmosphere absolutely fantastic. And if you're going for the Christmas hot chocolate club that is a definite must.

Review: I had a pleasant experience at this place. The food is freshly cooked and tastes great. The staff were very well-behaved and explained the ingredients to me with a smile, which added to the positive experience. The seating options are limited, so it can be hard to find a spot during busy times. The prices are a bit high but competitive for the quality offered. I would recommend visiting and definitely trying the Turkish delight — it’s worth it!

Gluten free cakes kept separate, the barista even double sanitised my cutlery to make sure it was gluten free - absolutely incredible service, as a coeliac I really appreciated it! Also the coffee was great, could not recommend enough

What a great find! I stumbled across this place when looking for somewhere to eat in Hitchin and I’m so glad I chose it. The food was delicious, coffee great, service very friendly and efficient, and it’s in a great location overlooking the square. I will return and would highly recommend.

Nice environment, specially weekdays is quiet. Food are decent, not cheap but reasonable. Turkish coffee is worth to try!

Thank you so much to Gabriel who welcomed my friends and I Literally with a dance. There was a small wait on the food but he gave us all the best reasons to stay. Leaving full with a loyalty card in hand and will return. Thanks again!

Amazing crepes! Lovely people with fast service. Love the quick and easy QRcodes to order. Thank you for the great meal

Very friendly and cosy place to enjoy lunch or an afternoon coffee and treat. I had vegan sweet crepes with strawberries, chocolate and whipped cream, it was super good. I love Hitchin has this vegan-friendly place, we will be back soon!

I got the pistachio waffle and it did not disappoint! Absolutely lovely and good for the money I spent! The staff was so nice and helpful I would definitely recommend!

Delicious, freshly cooked food and lovely decor. We had the masala scrambled eggs. Good coffee too.

Went there for breakfast yesterday morning but unfortunately it was closed. Went back today and the food and service were fantastic. Definitely recommend

Great coffee. Breakfast with an Indian twist. Became our favourite during our stay in Hitchin. We had the Egg Paratha , Shakshuka and Masala Scrambled Eggs. We enjoyed everything we tried.

So very excited for Hitchin Indian to open up the building 8-2 as British-Asian coffee shop. The menu is a great combination of cultures-with more traditional breakfast food available alongside Asian twists for those who fancy something a little bit different. This will definitely be a regular weekend treat for the family and cannot recommend it enough if you’re in the area. They also do a superb range of cakes, which we were lucky enough to sample and are equally delicious. It was also really convenient that we could bring a small dog in as well! Good luck in this exciting adventure!

The best baked vegan options I have ever had. Best bakery/cafe in Hitchin! Not only do the bakes taste incredible but they consistently have multiple options to choose from which feels like a real luxury. They always have a sweet and savoury option too. The owner is kind and chatty. All the staff are lovely. It’s the perfect place to spend a few hours. The prices are also very reasonable. Which is also a rare find!

Even though they were booked up, Neighbourhood Bakes very kindly fit in a last minute Civil Partnership cake. We were over the moon with our cake (and mini cakes)! It looked stunning and tasted divine! If you're looking for a 'modern art' take on a wedding cake then Neighbourhood Bakes are for you.

We have been to Neighbourhood Bakes many times as we love the cakes and the service. They also offer gluten free cakes which is always a challenge for me to find! For this reason we wanted Neighbourhood Bakes to create a variety of cupcakes for our wedding. We were able to meet with the team, discuss options / flavour combinations and they were able to create everything we wanted. As gluten free was important for me (coeliac) we opted for all cupcakes to be GF. We ordered around 80 cupcakes for the wedding day and they even lent us their cake stands for the day to display the them! The cupcakes looked beautiful and tasted incredible and our guests were very complimentary. I can’t recommend Neighbourhood enough, the team are incredibly friendly, helpful and talented. They kindly liaised with our venue and delivered the cakes on the wedding day to ensure they were fresh (and it was less stressful for us!).

We first contacted Neighbourhood Bakes about our wedding cake after they were recommended to us by a friend (who is also a pastry chef - so he knows his stuff!). They were brilliant from start to finish, showing patience with our numerous emails and questions (we’re a very indecisive couple!), and we were grateful for them offering their expertise and advice to ensure that we had the perfect wedding cake. They were happy to accommodate any requests, from making separate gluten free mini-cakes for our guests with dietary requirements, right down to matching the colour of the flowers (used to decorate the cake) with the bridal bouquets and bridesmaids’ dresses. On the day we were so pleased to see our beautifully-presented, three-tiered wedding cake - it was just as we’d hoped! What’s more, it tasted AMAZING! We opted for full buttercream icing and a different flavour for each tier - rocky road, blueberry and lemon, and raspberry ripple. All were delicious and our guests were commenting all evening about how tasty the three different flavours were. Amy, Helena and the rest of the team - you were all wonderful and we will certainly be recommending Neighbourhood Bakes to everyone! Dominic

Good food at very reasonable price, got served quickly. Nice place to eat just before browsing the markets

Fantastic cafe in the heart of the Hitchin Market, Great Value for money, friendly staff. A Proper Greasy spoon

Didn't eat but will next time. Very good coffee, staff really welcoming, prices are so reasonable. Great outside seating area with cover and heating. Don't go anywhere else.

Nice breakfast in the Hitchin market. Good value for the money. Was nice and fullfor the day. Top food top service.

A lovely coffee bar with beautiful freshly Made Sandwiches to order. A stunning selection of cakes very friendly helpful service and a great atmosphere. Highly recommended excellent value for money compared with others in hitching.

Delighted to hear that Chilli B’s is now open Sundays, so took my bestie for breakfast. The American pancake stack with crispy bacon and warm blueberry compote didn’t disappoint. No better way to enjoy a lazy weekend. Good friends, great food in a fab cafe with super staff. 10/10 😋

Best sandwiches we've tried in a very long time by far. Found out about Chilli B's by recommendation of an English friend of mine who knows the area well. I've been told this is frequently visited (and with good reason). I went for the Raging Bull sandwich (roast beef -with mustard sauce in my case) which is the one shown on the pictures. This is just one example of the amazing stuff they make at the Chilli B's! The staff was efficient, kind and polite. In fact, we were initially assigned one table with stools , then another was empty and called us so that we could be more comfortable. It was worth every penny. It was our first trip to the UK and I must say coming all the way from Barcelona and finding a place like this is a real joy. Hope to come back at some point because we know where we will be stopping to have lunch! Congratulations to the Chilli B's team and I encourage them to keep up the wonderful service they offer!

Just blooming lovely grub, massive portions and very tasty, highly recommend 🤪🥓🥓🍔🥪🥞🍳🍳🍳

My first time visiting, was so impressed with the whole experience, all exceptional!! Will definitely be going there again! It was also spotlessly clean! Everyone was so nice & friendly, food spot on!!

I love this cafe, the best cafe I’ve been to, delicious food, and good value for money, I do recommend using the cafe to anyone 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

Given the very reasonable (low) prices, you'd think there would be compromise on quality and quantity. Wrong. If anything, it exceeds the quality and certainly the quantity of much higher-priced restaurants and cafe. It's a true local gem. Outstanding.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | Hitchin Coffee Lab: A Hidden Gem (Literally, If You’re Parking) Ah, Hitchin Coffee Lab - where the coffee is smooth, the food is spot on, and the parking is a test of nerves worthy of an F1 driver. If you’re rolling up in a Chelsea tractor, best of luck squeezing through that blink-and-you’ll-miss-it side tunnel. It’s the kind of entrance that makes you question both your driving skills and your life choices. But hey, countryside girls need their caffeine, right? Once inside, the vibe is effortlessly cool, the staff are friendly, and the coffee is worth every sip. The only real challenge? The seats. Let’s just say they aren’t designed for long-haul lounging. Great if you’re here for a quick caffeine fix, less great if you’ve accidentally fallen into an extended date that’s going really well. Before you know it, hours have passed, you’ve lost all feeling in your backside, and you’re debating whether to order another flat white just to justify your continued occupation of the table. Would I return? Absolutely. But next time, I’m bringing a cushion and a smaller car.

What a beautiful place. After searching all over hitchin for affordable vegan options on a I stumbled across this place with the most insane options and amazing foood! Dog friendly and my boy even got a pup cup! Most amazing treatment and friendliest staff, will definitely be back🤘🏻

The focaccias are delicious!! We had a really lovely lunch. Staff were friendly and welcoming And it's dog friendit's

By far my favourite coffee (cappuccino) out of anywhere I've been. There are good cake choices for vegans and also Gluten Free options. Nice relaxed cosy atmosphere. Staff always very friendly and welcoming.

Cafe Elite is my go to breakfast location, absolutely amazing. First time trying something other than break fast, sper quality as always :-D

A great caffe where you feel at home with the most delicious food and the friendliest staff. Cheff Yusuf makes sure the food is to your liking and a very lovely person to speak to. It's also safe to say Caffe Elite has the highest quality of coffee served in town. Keep up the good work! ♡

Came here today and had the omelette which was served with chips and salad. Best omelette I have tasted and the coffee tastes so good. Staff very friendly and very clean. Highly recommend

Lovely coffee,. Not tried food yet but looked nice, very busy will definitely be going back!