1878 Coffee Lounge in Carlisle

Waited approx 30 mins for a seat. Very slow service. Plenty empty but dirty tables not cleared while people queueing for tables. Staff like headless chickens and dont seem to have any organisation. We were served food to be told "WE WILL FETCH SOME CUTLERY SHORTLY" eventually had to get our own! Hot drinks served after food arrived. Staff need a shake up. However the food was very nice. Would return for the food but service needs looking at!

The quality of food at Pioneer is excellent and the surroundings are top notch. I've again had to wait 15 minutes to get a seat! Save me the "well if there's a queue to get in it must be good" line. I don't buy into it. Where you "queue" you can see prepared tables are clearly available, however staff are very slow to guide waiting customers to the available seats. Time after time my wife and I go back expecting it to improve, but it never does!. Once you are "in", service is fine and the staff do a fine job. This culture of waiting for a seat, when there are ones available - isn't really good enough. Honestly farcical. We've had enough now to be fair, and will use other alternatives. If you haven't any better things to do than stand in a queue for a coffee, feel free!

Wanted a filling breakfast before heading up to Scotland. Well this place certainly hit the spot. A breakfast bap with two fillings for an amazing £4.45, i had a cumberland ring and bacon, my fife had bacon and egg. They were both amazingly tasty and the value was brilliant. Would go again in an heartbeat.

Relying a bit too much on chef mic! Frozen fish cake, then nuked in the microwave. Never going to eat here again. Replaced with a plastic cheese sandwich. Cheap bread and nasty tasting 'butter' substitute.

Fantastic food and excellent value for money. Really like the layout and atmosphere of this place. On the down side there was a small queue as it’s so popular- but nice touch to have a seat for people to sit on whilst waiting. Really enjoyed this.

My wife and I visited twice, as the the first meal was so good, last week. The first bust we had lunch of different flatbreads, piled with pulled meat, tasty sauce served with salad and crisps. The second visit was on Sunday morning where one of use had a packed halloumi and bacon roll, with coffee and my partner having a stack of pancakes with fruits and sauce , both which were delicious. The only downside is it gets understandably busy.

We arrived on a particularly busy Saturday morning, but the queue moved quickly and the young man seating everyone was both charming and efficient. Although our order was complicated everything arrived as requested. The food was both hot and delicious and we will be returning soon.

We enjoyed our visit which was on a Friday morning, and found it to be fairly busy but easy to get a table. The service was really fast and efficient with a good selection of breakfast items at a reasonable price. The shop underneath the cafe is also good and also has dessert options, have a visit downstairs before choosing a cake upstairs!

I believe this place has the best breakfast anywhere in 30mile plus radius. Been here twice now and had a few of their options and everything has been amazing. The best ingredients perfectly cooked and really well priced, 3 of us having breakfast and drinks for £30 is good no matter where you are and for this quality is fantastic. Will come back again and again.

Called in for breakfast. The restaurant was busy but we didn’t have to wait long. A lovely young girl showed us to our table. The short wait was worth every minute. We had a delicious breakfast. I highly recommend the scrambled egg and smoked salmon. My husband couldn’t finish his mini breakfast it was anything but mini. We will definitely be returning soon to try the lunch menu. The best place in Carlisle for a breakfast.

A long wait to get in, 20 minutes. Shown to a table where there was a terrible draught and had to wear our coats throughout the ordeal. We ordered 3 soup sandwich platters and a steak burger special and waited again for 15 or so for it to arrive. Soup was tasteless and watery, no similarity to any lentil soup we’d had before, clearly had been watered down to within an inch of its life! Sent it back and we just decided to try to make the best of a bad situation just ate the sandwiches. Two of the group then ordered two cakes which failed to materialise so we had to go up to the counter and ask where they were! The manager then arrived and offered a refund for the cakes but did not appear to be bothered about the sub standard first course that had been returned earlier. Shocking lack of customer service from the establishment and a complete disregard for our appalling experience. Needless to say, we left in disgust, after spending over £60, we were not refunded but we will never return…

We wouldn’t have found this cafe if we hadn’t asked at one of the nearby car dealerships. We weren’t disappointed. The service was friendly and the food excellent. Good value, well presented and I would recommend.

I was disappointed with our visit. We were shown to a table where the chairs for me were very narrow I’m a big chap and could not sit comfortably in them. We asked to move and ended up on a bench seat but again it was very tight for room. My wife had to sit at the opposite side diagonally across. We were given one menu card between us that was all tatty and starting to drop to bits and told to order at the counter. This should have been waitress service. I went to the counter and the food looked lovely. I ordered a small sausage and onion quiche that was on display two cakes and 2 hot drinks. I paid and waited. It took a while to arrive I had to ask how long we would have to wait as we were going to be late for a hospital appointment. When the food arrived I thought that they had presented the quiche very well with salad coleslaw and crisps. On checking my bill I saw that they had charged me £7.45. All I had wanted was a quiche on its own. I asked a waitress about this and was told I couldn’t just order a quiche on its own that is why it came as a meal. I was never told this when ordering at the counter. I had a slice of Victoria sponge that was very heavy and stodgy. So all in all I was really disappointed with my visit. I will not be returning which is a shame because it has the potential to be really good.

This is a nice cafe for lunch but, I had a wrap served on what can only be described as a plank of wood which had a crack running through it. This was a shame because the food was nice and tasty but when I looked at the cracked wooden plank, I thought “what is wrong with a nice plate. Why this unhygienic bit of wood”? However, I would be happy to return but will ask for a plate next time.

We visited today, Sunday 7 November, with three in our party. I have to say, we were all disappointed with our visit. We queued for 30 minutes to get a table for three, which we didn’t mind to be honest, as we thought it would be worth the wait. How wrong we were! We ordered our food, which did come fast and the drinks arrived five minutes after the food - which wasn’t great as we needed a drink when eating. There were no spoons supplied with the drinks, so my daughter had to stir her sugar into the coffee with the end of a knife. My daughter had eggs Benedict but the muffin wasn’t cooked properly and was just doughy. My husband and I had the big breakfast, which is value for money, but just wasn’t that nice. The Cumberland sausage tasted awful, and we thought it might be off, the bacon and black pudding were dry, the mushroom was cold, and the egg was more like a hard boiled egg, than soft and runny. I left over half my breakfast. Not once did any of the servers ask how our food had been, but in all honesty they were run ragged and probably fed up! They looked it. Not the best experience today, I think more staff is needed and if you can’t cope with the amount of people you have, then have a booking system and don’t be greedy! Also ask how your visit has been. It will be a long time til we come back!

Excellent breakfast and extremely friendly service. I never knew this place was here but will definitely be back. was here as it opened at 8am but lunch menu looks good too

The "1878" English fried breakfast very good; superb pancakes, freshly squeezed orange juice and decent coffee. Good value too. Also very efficient and friendly service. Not surprised at how busy this place is! Will return.

What a wonderful little cafe tucked away above pioneer food hall! They serve local coffee & very tasty cakes & traybakes. The food is very fresh & mostly from the food hall downstairs. The prices are reasonable given the quality of the food & size of the portions. It’s very clean & the staff are all friendly & accomodating to any additional needs you may have. We love it here, highly recommend!

Visited this lovely cafe today I ordered the chefs special and i must say it was beutiful and i will be back to try out some more of your menu and the staff couldn't have been any more helpful than they were highly recommend

We visited the cafe there today and experienced really poor service. We wore our masks as we waited to be seated, and only took them off when we got to our table and sat down. The signs coming into the cafe and at the till said masks to be worn unless seated, and the lady taking us to our table didn't advise us otherwise. A moment later, someone from the cafe kitchen came over and practically shouted at us that we had to keep our masks on even when seated until our food had arrived. She was rude and angry with us and spoke to us very rudely. Other tables who had just sat down before us hadn't got their masks on and no one told them to, even the staff member who came to see us. I questioned this with another staff member and she said she would check and then came over to apologise but asked if we could keep masks on until food was delivered to our table. That is fine if it's their policy, but staff shouldn't be shouting at customers when they're following all the signs and guidance otherwise how are we supposed to know? We are happy to be advised in a polite way if we're supposed to be doing something different to what all of the signs in the cafe say to do. After our discussion, I heard other staff members then asking new tables to keep their masks on at their table so it sounded like they'd changed their policy halfway through without telling their customers or some staff members. It ruined the visit and made us feel uncomfortable.

After seeing rave reviews in a local magazine we decided to go for a snack/lunch. Toasties were our order - haggis and cheese with a side salad included. Service and quality of the food was superb.

We’ve been a couple of times now, and it was fantastic on both times. It is reasonable, service is fast and the food is delicious.

Went here today for lunch with my mam.found it very clean and the choice on the menu was great!. I went for the cheese savoury sandwich which came with a nice side salad but my bread was very dry to the point I just couldn't...

If you looking to have pancakes out before 11.30 then head here. Adult and kids 😋 They do good brunches. Good portions. Watch the shoppers while you eat and dream up some different meals for your week ahead.

Called here today 17.10.19 to have some breakfast with hubby, as he has never been. This is about my 5th visit here, usually go with work colleague for lunch. Food is always great flatbreads are amazing....anyway breakfast was lovely. Everything is freshly made. Husband had...

Have been to this lovely place above the new Pioneer shop twice now. Last time went for lunch for a delicious homemade flatbread with pulled roast chicken, haggis and black garlic relish. Recently had the 1878 breakfast which I can only say was excellent and...

The food was absolutely lovely, we had travelled for some shopping and a catch up with some friends. Service was prompt and place was clean and welcoming. It is a bit pricey but the food is delicious.

Not nice which is a shame because everything else is gorgeous Couldn’t cut into it - middle full of grease and soggy Second time of ordering- such a shame

Wow what a breakfast! Very tasty and so filling. I have eaten here a couple of times and I can highly recommend the cooked breakfast and the eggs Benedict. Lovely, clean and friendly environment with quick table service. I really like that you can see...

Nice and new and clean. I liked the surroundings my friend thought it was a bit supermarket cafe but that's what it is- only better. Tea, coffee nice. We ordered cream tea style scones, I couldn't believe the cream was not cream but some tasteless...

Went with several friends for lunch as it had just opened. Very impressed with the food but was very disappointed as it was freezing cold everybody was sitting with there coats on. I mentioned this to a member of staff and she said it took...