Engine Room Café at Coalhouse Fort — Restaurant in England

I have given 3 stars because the cafe and staff are usually very good. However, today I had a bad experience, felt like I was intruding. My partner an I arrived half an hour before closing. Most of the seats were already on top of the tables, floors cleaned, no hot food, loud music, toilets locked at 3.30pm. We were given paper cups and my cake was put in a bag. I assume the staff didn't want any more washing up. The music was then turned off because one of the staff said she'd had enough of it. As a customer the music was too loud on arrival making it hard to talk, then nothing making it awkward to talk whilst the staff hung around. Several other customers arrived after us, including one family at 3.45pm, who was told they couldn't have a proper coffee because machines were off and offered an instant coffee instead. Such a shame as a lovely place to go normally and a great walk around the fort and area. This place has a special meaning for my partner, but we both left...

Simply put, this is a great café.

We visited on Sunday, parked for free in the adjacent car park and was greeted in a friendly manner by the café team a short walk away. Victoria Sponge, Cappuccino and Hot Chocolate was enjoyed whilst staff sang along to ABBA on the radio!

It's not a classy establishment but it's very clean, welcoming, informative and friendly... the food offering is high quality and varied, the service polite and accurate; cards accepted.

We didn't need to pay Fort admission fees to enjoy the café, we did stroll down to the river side and we could have made the trip much longer if we'd chosen too.

I can't recommend enough this excellent café... they even serve breakfast from 10:00am. Thanks to...

My little brother and I visit the Engine Room often when we have a coffee and a catch-up. They do some lovely, hot food, and their sandwiches are always freshly made, with quality ingredients.

We are both fans of their ham, egg, and chips (with a side of beans and bread and butter, for a chip butty at the end!)

They also have a great coffee machine, so it's nice to just grab a cappuccino and an Eccles cake for a walk around the area.

It's family-friendly, and dog friendly, too.

Lovely service from the whole team, even when it's hot out, they'll still look after you with smiles on...