Bench Café — Restaurant in London

Looking around Farringdon on a Tuesday morning for somewhere to sit comfortably and have a decent cappuccino, and do some work.

We managed 50% of my targets, and for that, I am grateful. It seemed a hard ask to get a free chair before 11 am around here. However, as this place is slightly off the beaten track, it had plenty of options.

So, the good stuff first, great selection of cakes, salads and sandwiches, the service was excellent, and the WiFi free and fast.

The bad was the very hastily prepared cappuccino. The machines are of excellent quality and, surprisingly, for the UK, the temperature was perfect, so there are no excuses there. It was just rushed, and that seemed to be the emphasis rather than quality, which was a real pity.

In addition, I had to ask for a small cappuccino as their regular was nearer a Starbucks regular than anything else. If that's your preferred size, no complaints, however, Iiving abroad where we just don't get these large size options, I had to ask for a smaller cup, so if you are like me, ask before they make it to avoid disappointment.

Also, even with my headphones in and the noise cancellation turned to maximum, it was a loud cafe. It's not their fault as it is down to the building and design of the interior, so I can't penalise them for this.

However, I think it's worth mentioning for all of you who might want a quiet moment of reflection while sipping a coffee because you simply aren't getting it here!

If you can handle the limitations above, then it could easily be your best choice...

I come here literally 10 times a week, usually dragging a bunch of coworkers who prefer other coffee shops.

Today, one of them had just left Starbucks, and joined us for our daily morning walk to Bench. The rest of the party ordered from Bench. Then someone who works there came to us and said we need to leave because we have a Starbucks cup. Also note that the place was almost completely empty at this point.

I have no intention of bringing my business to a place that shows no respect to its most valuable customers. As the lady who kicked us out said, there are many other coffee shops out there. This wasn't the first time I got awful customer service here, but it will be...

I just tried their new pumpkin spice latte with a blueberry croissant and omg!! One of the best cafe breakfasts i had in a while. The coffee was perfect, not too sweet but with a distinct pumpkin spice flavour, just the perfect balance. And the blueberry croissant was simply divine. Perfectly flaky and soft with the loveliest blueberry jam filling, no taste of anything artificial in there, it felt very artisan, very fresh. I just came across this little hidden gem because it’s tucked away in a quiet street, but I’ll definitely be back....