Undercroft Cafe

The café is missing a trick here, so many people do not know it even exists. I met a born and bred Bristolian who grew up in the area and she had no idea a café existed here.
Its well worth the trip, its lovely inside, warm and cosy. The staff are lovely and friendly. I popped in here for a cup of coffee and a snack. They only had a few biscuits as I was there quite early and kitchen was just preparing so they threw in a few choccie biscuits on the house, sweet!
The coffee is filter coffee, fresh and tasty, although I have gotten so used to having all singing all dancing lattes that it was a bit of a surprise to have normal filter coffee. It was tasty though. The food here is pretty good too.

Right next to St Mary Redcliffe this is a popular café for those heading from broadmead/​cabot circus and towards park street or temple meads, it’s the perfect stop off point. Great service, brilliant tea (and cakes!) and fairly surprising selection of sandwiches.
Why 3 stars? well it’s not their fault, unfortunatley there is this one thing can can spoil it all, when you’ve stopped to have a nice cuppa, ready for you next step in the journey then bam!!! it starts to rain, there are a few trees for cover and an awning but that’s not how you want to spend time drinking your tea.
So unfortunatley mother nature can spoil your time at this venue, great in the summer though!

A million miles from the trendy and vapid offerings of Park Street, this church café offers a tranquil and elegant setting to enjoy your cup of tea. It’s worth the ten minute walk outside the city centre just to get a look round St. Mary Redcliffe Church, the surprisingly grand church where this café is located.
They do a decent cup of tea or coffee, with food being on the the hearty and traditional side of things. You can get a decent ploughman’s here that’ll fill you up for a good few hours, and the sandwiches are all fresh and pretty good too. They do have alcoholic drinks, but only open until four. However, if you’re walking home from Temple Mead before then the Undercroft Café is well placed for a mid-​walk pit stop before you brave the hustle and bustle of Bristol city centre.

Situated under St Mary Redcliffe Church, this is a great spot for a bite to eat with added atmosphere. Don’t worry about the rather staid reputation that these kind of places can garner, it’s often busy with a mix of all ages enjoying its unique ambience.
Menu wise, it offers simple sandwiches (served with kettle chips) and soups, with a surprisingly wide range of hot meals which change on a daily basis (I had chicken in white wine with potatoes for around a fiver when I went). The portions are large for a lunch only venue, though a stroll around upstairs is perfect to get your digestion going. A bit of a hidden gem it’s a shame it’s not open in the evenings.

The Undercroft café was a fantastic café offering fresh baked cakes, wholesome soup and meals and wonderful staff who were old enough to give that welcoming grandma feel and so charming I always felt like cracking open a photo album with them. It was pretty unusual. The café has since closed, which now leaves another secret of Bristol, which I think is time to uncover to everyone.
In the evening, the venue turns into Jazz bar, complete with a fantastic jazz band called the bluenotes, great (and generous) drinks, fresh food and the loveliest, most friendly atmosphere I’ve ever encountered in a music venue. It starts at 7 and costs 4 pounds on the door. Inside, the area is decked out with soft lighting and candles, creating a fantastic ambient atmosphere thats both extremely relaxed and very lively with the music.
It will make a great romantic evening for anyone courting, and a brilliant evening for any jazz enthusiast. Its fun for everyone, and all ages are welcome. Its just brilliant.
Visit soon, and you’ll see what I’m talking about.