Rustic Cup — Restaurant in North Tyneside

Rustic Cup is aesthetically appealing and their Ethiopian coffee is outstanding. They use the same company as Boatyard (Cullercoats) - which is one of my favourite coffees.

They have gone through a lot of changes of staff and menu since we started going in 2020. It was erratic in its opening times but always worth popping in for a coffee and cake when it was open.

The discomfort began when the owner started to open up (during a pandemic lockdown) about his belief that Covid is a hoax/conspiracy.

We stopped going for a while after that - until we ended up there with some of our friends & acquaintances.

The experience was embarrassing for us. We were made to feel unwelcome for asking if certain items on the menu contained milk or dairy - as their menu was unclear on this.

We find that their food is usually unclear in its suitability for vegans. When we have asked members of staff, we have received differing responses.

It turns out that several options we have been told were vegan in the past are made using dairy. Several times we have been misled; although I'm sure it was an error and not intentional, for it to happen several different times, we find that we can no longer trust what they claim.

We were made to feel like an inconvenience. I was embarrassed when a member of staff passed on a message from the kitchen - that we shouldn't ask or expect accommodations for vegans in future visits - and said we should have called ahead to check (we did call ahead to check what was suitable; we were given conflicting information when we asked in-person).

I felt conflicted about staying despite already ordering; if I was on my own, I would have walked out.

The owner is rather rude and just a bit 'off' with people. They would greatly benefit from letting other staff learn the menus and run the café; it is a lovely looking place - but we felt out of place there.

I would be concerned if I had any allergies as their knowledge was erratic and those in charge seemed rather erratic themselves.

It's all rather erratic beneath the polished surface - with a feeling of discontent for those that simply want to know if what they are eating or drinking has dairy in it or not.

I find it unnecessarily uncomfortable.

Pros: Great Coffee, Looks Lovely

Cons: Unfriendly, Unwelcoming, Expensive &...

Very nice cafe with a good atmosphere and decor. Staff were very friendly and good vibes.

I'm not sure what the general food is like but the Vegan Food needs some improving .

The passion fruit Smoothie had good taste but it's way too small for the price.

The Smoothie bowl was quite bad tbh , the base had no flavour at all and wasn't sweet. And there was barely any fruit on top , there was literally 2 strawberrys , a few slices of banana and kiwi . I asked for the vegan protein shot in my base and that's literally all I could taste (I'm presuming it was Pea Protein but the staff weren't really sure). I had to ask for honey to mix in to the bowl to make it taste good. This whole dish needs some major improvements.

The avo on toast was okay but it needed a dressing / seasoned oil as it was quite dry . The Sourdough was very tough too and way too hard to cut with the knife they give you.

The caramel Oat lattes will really nice , and the cakes were good to. We had the passion fruit slice which was lovely ! The vegan chocolate cake could have been more chocolaty but this can be...

A cut above typical UK cafes.

The menu is thoughtfully created with interesting and has very tasty selections. This is not stodge, this is quality. If you love Greggs this might not be the place for you :).

Vegetarians seem well catered for.

Staff are extra attentive and service is first class.

Now to the important bit. The coffee. If you read my other reviews you will see I am discerning when it comes to coffee, unfortunately I find UK cafes pretty poor in the vast majority of cases. If you want tasteless black water ("black americano" - my coffee of choice) then you are lucky, almost any UK cafe will meet your needs. Similarly if you take your coffee so laden with milk, chocolate, cream etc then anywhere will serve your needs, you can't taste the coffee in such a concoction.

But not Rustic Cup, here the coffee is rich but balanced in flavour. One of only a handful of UK cafes where I have been pleased with their brew. Well done gents, keep up the good work and show people how coffee...