Cafe In The Gardens

Cafe at Russell Square Gardens, Russell Square
Cafe In The Gardens image
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6 / 10 from 9 reviews
Address
Russell Square Gardens
Russell Square
Bloomsbury
London
WC1B 5EH
Map
Telephone
020 7637 5093
Region
Bloomsbury
Nearest Station
Russell Square
0.08 miles
Opening Times
Monday Open 07:00 - Closes 18:00
Tuesday Open 07:00 - Closes 18:00
Wednesday Open 07:00 - Closes 18:00
Thursday Open 07:00 - Closes 18:00
Friday Open 07:00 - Closes 18:00
Saturday Open 07:00 - Closes 17:00
Sunday Closed

Cafe In The Gardens serves light meals as well as a selection of sandwiches, snacks and beverages.

User Reviews

Frank Johnson
from London

Aug 3, 2020

Appalling customer service. Openly hostile, aggressive and rude.
Christopher Morgan
from Bloomsbury

May 21, 2018

I have been going to this family run café for about 25 years. They serve simple Italian and British food cooked there with fresh ingredients at a very reasonable price in addition to the usual cakes and snacks. The service is friendly and I've come to count them as friends over the years. They make a very good minestrone soup made with fresh vegetables varying a little according to what's available and who is cooking but not always available when the weather is hot because of lack of demand. You can meet friends and relax there and children are welcome or take a relaxed break from going about your everyday business.
Dr Heather Elgood
from SOAS Russell square

May 8, 2018

Coming here begins my day so well. I have been coming here for a very long time. The people who serve you are friendly and make me feel I am an old friend to the business. The coffee is excellent. The environment delightful. To sit in the gardens in all weathers and enjoy breakfast is a great pleasure.
Sophia Diam
from Bloomsbury london

Apr 21, 2015

It is a pity that in such an excellent location the service is mediocre and infriendly! I am local and I having been coming here for years, as this used to be one few places one can enjoy a coffee outdoors. I am aware that the quality of the food is below average and the attitude of staff unfriendly! The coffee though is very good. The management should seriously consider that challenging customers is unprofessional. I should have written this review years ago, but only tend to remember everytime I make the mistake of having to order food
Roberto
from London

Sep 14, 2014

I am a local and have been coming here occasionally for years, despite the very bad service, which is quite strange for an Italian owned establishment which usually bases it all on hospitality and service. The food, coffee and cakes are OK, nothing special, but the "service" is appalling and really "takes the cake". After today i would not be caught dead in there, even if it was the last place on earth that served coffee - absolute disrespect for the customer shown by the owner. Classical tourist trap that counts on millions of tourists coming to London, not caring at all about the guest
iain
from london

Aug 1, 2013

The great lost opportunity of this business - apart from the rather dodgy sandwiches/pastries and the prices - is the early closing - at 6pm the café could be making beaucoup de cash with early evening strollers... but it's closed. The location is great, however.
skillick24

Feb 28, 2012

I stumbled across Cafe in the Gardens when on my way to a conference at Senate House and although a little bemused and confused at the system of service (it worked, I don't know how but it did) I found it pleasantly surprising. Initially I had a cappucino to take away which was, as to be expected, hot, in a generously sized cup and actually of a standard that would rival chains like Costa, Starbucks and Pret a Manger, and at £1.60 I thought it to be excellent value for a small, Central London coffee house. During a lunch break of the conference, my colleagues and I decided to return due to our pleasant surprise earlier in the day. I ordered a rice ball which was VERY well portioned. When it came out, it was hot to the centre (promising) had a delicate crispy semolina, or similar, coating which added an intreguing variety to the texture (so far so good...) and finally, as it was listed as vegetarian, numerous and large pieces of Italian and wild mushrooms which were soft and juicy and very very tasty. To give an overview of the restaurant, although not the most practical and easy to follow system of service, the food served (to myself AND my colleagues) was hot, tasty and, considering the geographical location of the place, a lot more affordable than one may initially consider it to be.
boadicea

May 21, 2011

I had coffee and a chocolate doughnut at this cafe on 12 May 2011. Although the coffee was OK the doughnut was undoubtedly at least a day old, possibly more. It was hard, stale and tasteless. I imagine this cafe makes a living by unsuspecting customers, especially tourists, who come once and don't go back. It's a pity as it's a great location.
Szamko

Sep 22, 2010

Despite a pleasant location, and a wide range of dishes available, the Cafe in the Gardens is vastly overpriced and the quality of the food is poor. I ordered a chocolate croissant that had obviously been on display for days, with an inedbible, stale, outer crust. Only the chocolate core was palatable, just. At a highly unreasonable £1.80, it's the worst croissant I've ever had.
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