Bakers + Baristas in Reading

OMG just had a cup of foam with a third coffee. Shameful. If your charging £4 for one at least know how to make it.

Very warm and friendly staff. As usual, Egla greeted me with a cheerful attitude and introduce some of the new drinks.

Incredibly rude worker kicked us OUT for being civil people and minding our own business. Apparently, you can’t sit down at a a cafe anymore. HORRID!

Jasmine and Rachel was lovely. Thank you girls for the great service. ☺️

The food here always tastes fresh and the ambiance is just perfect during the morning hours for a quite pre-work read!

Went there to sit down and have a nice view of the shopping centre as most of the cafe was empty, there were only about 4/30 tables taken up. I was then asked by a very rude employee to leave, as I wasn’t buying anything. Bear in mind there was another table that hadn’t orders food and they weren’t asked to leave. This ruined my experience and will NOT be visiting again.

rude lady very mean made my wife upset very bad and bad manner

Disappointing. Counter staff lazy and uninterested to serve. Card machine not working.

Great view of the Oracle Riverside. Good coffee and muffins. Also try the raspberry sprinkle doughnuts (no longer available?). Very friendly staff. On another occasion I somehow dropped a muffin on the floor - I went back to order another one, but they replaced free of charge. They really are nice people 😊 Relatively expensive - two regular coffees and two muffins now about £14 plus.

I went with my friends on Saturday in busy time. The service was really good and the staff was very friendly. The triple chocolate frappe was nice and sweet and the Nutella croissant was fresh and tasty. My friends took maffins with a good deal for take away and they liked all of them.

Vine aquí a tomar un café antes de comenzar mi turno, ya que Nerón estaba cerrado. El café aquí está bien, sin embargo bastante caro (3 libras esterlinas). 6 para un americano negro medio). Vista decente al río al menos. Hubiera sido una parada en boxes decente, pero el gerente fue muy grosero y se me acercó y me despidió por ensuciar una mesa después de limpiarla. Bastante mal aspecto para una cafetería en mi opinión. ¡Ni siquiera cerraba hasta dentro de 45 minutos! Punto de bonificación: Cuando salí del café, me despidió, por tirar algo a la basura en un contenedor... ¿Porque ya lo vació? Servicio ridículo. Más preocupados por cerrar que los clientes Evitar

Parece que visitamos el día de “hablar como mierda a sus clientes” y, en eso, el servidor se destacó! Aparte del estado de ánimo del servidor, todo lo demás estaba bien.

Comfortable environment to have a cup of coffee with friends

Very bad customer service from Sana , i asked her that do you do oracle discount ?!! She said yes but she didn’t provide me any discount… she had lots of attitude…

The lovely friendly young lady with the scarf who served us was very accommodating when we were placing our orders. It was our first time visiting and she made us feel welcome

I had the most watery milkshake here. It wasn't creamy at all just tasted like water with a splash of strawberry.

I was sitting there and I was accompanied by a special someone and I have to admit I didn’t buy anything but I thought we could sit there without a problem as a lot of other people were doing the same without buying anything so I assumed I could do it as well. As we were sitting there the man who I perceive to be the manager rudely addressed as telling us that if we did not buy anything for us to leave, my wife she did not hear him properly so she asked him to repeat himself and his response was so disgusting he told us to get out the shop and leave and he didn’t leave a sign to show the floor was wet which caused us to slip in front of everyone in the oracle I suffered from a sprained ankle and I twisted two of my toes because of that, my wife she hit her head really hard on the concrete she suffered from a minor concussion and I feel as if we’ve basically been assaulted I’d like something to be done about this as this is my first experience with this shop and I feel disgraced as if I have been treated wrongly as well as my wife so please get something done about this.

This coffee stop makes for the perfect little retreat while shopping in the oracle. It's set back from the main mall, making it a great place for socialising and grabbing a bite to eat. Customer service is always consistently pleasant here, and the views over the riverside are a bonus. Prices are very reasonable, and the coffee tasted fresh

They don't listen as they got order wrong. Drinks ok

if i could give this place more. i would! got a grilled cheese, caprese croissant, jammy dodger frappe and a rasp and apple crumble muffin. quick breakfast and lunch for me! I don’t get why this place would get less than 5 stars. food was hot, frappe was filled to the brim and so delicious. the croissant was so flavourful. the grilled cheese was absolutely wonderful. the muffin was probably the best yet, the fruit were 10/10. absolutely recommend. will be my new fav place to get food! 🌟🤍

Popped into bb's for a quick drink. Tried the triple chocolate frappe made by Holly which was really good. Good friendly service.

Love it here for a quick drink and a bite to eat. Good selection of drinks , cakes/pastries, and filled baguettes. Service is friendly, and the window seats have a great view over the canal.

Absolutely disgusting customer service at this cafe (the Reading one in the oracle). I work in the same industry as a manager and if my staff treated customers the way that their staff do I would be sacking people. The bigger lady that works there is always in a huff and is never polite. The last time I went there I was treated so horribly. I never write negative reviews but this place is beyond saving in my opinion. AVOID AT ALL COST.

Originally written 10/6/23 There are countless busy coffee shops in the centre of Reading; Pret, Gail's, Starbucks, these three are right next to each other, to start with! I found during my time at Reading that the smaller coffee shops that offer more deserve your money over these chains. Bakers + Baristas are at the back of the Oracle, situated a floor above the back entrance and below Five guys. The reason I state this is because of the unique floor plan, where a "donut hole" let's you see the People below, and you can see the balcony of Five Guys above. The food and drink at B+B is exactly what you'd expect from a coffee shop, but what sets this place apart was how quiet it was around lunch time compared to other establishments. I would happily visit again as the staff are friendly and can enjoy the small things in life, we had a good chuckle while my iced latte was being prepared.

The cafe is located within the shopping centre. There's lots of seating and options for lunch including toasties, baguettes and sweet treats. The service is quite slow and the menu is a little pricey for what you get. Unfortunately there's not a single vegan option to lunch.

The muffins were DRY and STALE Latte was more than half foam Latte was cold Tables not cleared Nice view if you sit at the window

Hot chocolate rant- The only place in town where you are guaranteed a cold hot chocolate. They used to hot some years ago. Now they aren't. We almost didn't go again because my children didn't like bringing cold hot chocolate. But we tried one final time and it was cold again. They said the had to serve it at 100 degrees. It most definitely wasn't 100 degrees. They said the would give my a hotter one and gave my something that was almost warm. Why is this the only cafe that does this.the coffee was also barely warm. It wasn't as busy as it used to be. I get the feeling they are losing punters purely because of their poor quality hot drinks. Maybe they have faulty equipment? Unlikely to return.

Great place for a coffee and chat.

Owner doesn't like card payments massive attitude problem good luck with your business you need it.

Nice Coffe and place to relax with amazing view, but I Think staff should more care about cleaning. Lady with red hair passed by a dirty tissue several times and didn't pick it up, spiders on the umbrella.

What a discovery. I didn't even know this place was here, because I hardly ever go into the Oracle. But, wow! What an unexpectedly brilliant position this coffee shop commands! It overhangs the riverside walkway on a glassy bulge, so I was sitting aloft with a superb view along the tossing River Kennet. The curved cafe has a classy, cool aesthetic and offers a respite in its niche beyond the escalators. I drank a decent coffee and ate an excellent coconut-and-jam slice. But just one guy was running the whole shop. A nice feller, but he was harried. Not fair on him. It's not possible for a single person to run the counter and keep the tables clean at the same time.

Felt uncomfortable, shouldn’t have bothered buying anything from here to be honest as the lady serving my sister and I was proper stuck up. Didn’t even answer my question. Gave dirty looks. What a pity, as the latte was nice. Won’t be coming here again.

Good place to meet people at the Oracle. Fab coffee, good service, all kept V. Clean

Crisps were nice and my colleague enjoyed his Sticky Toffee Muffin. The cups of coffee were only half full as they had spilt in the bag and all over the panini's. The panini bread wasn't authentic and the filling was bland and not very plentiful. The mustard was too sweet and vinegary, English mustard might have been better or cranberry sauce? I wish I'd tried the turkey sandwich now as this was our Christmas lunch break at work.

The service is really bad, and stuff extremely rude.

Food and drinks were average if not bad. Service was horrible. If I want rude service or being shouted at I'll be more than happy to come back.

Chai latte was not what I expected. Other places have better.

Hardly anyone in the cafe but coffee was fine

A nice selection of muffins, including 2 gluten-free options.

the people were really rude and gave weird looks to me and my friends. we had bought a drink and muffin and had some food from another place and they told us to leave because we couldn't eat even though we had bought food

Unless you want to be discriminated upon I would avoid this place as a black person. The manager refused me to sit and wait for a friend then lied to the security I attacked him and a customer which could have resulted in me being arrested or rough handled as a woman. Avoid at all costs. I already sent an email to your team and I can see that there a pattern here tracing back to previous experiences you should include in your policies black people are not welcomed if we are not your target audience .

Stopped for a late morning drink. Very quick and friendly attention from staff on duty. Drinks were speedily available and there was a good variety of cakes to choose from. The cakes were fresh and really tasty. There was plenty of space in the seating area and the tables were clean. As it was close to lunch time I thought that the place would be busier. The seating area was quiet and so our party was able to have a conversation which wasn't interrupted by very loud and unwelcome noise.

Hot chocolate orders on just eat menu you can't select to NOT have coffee included. You don't offer plain. PLEASE include that option. Restaurant note was not read, it included request to not have coffee/decaff. Driver was at restaurant for very long time, late delivery. All food items were tasty, correct. Thank you.

Bardzo smaczne babeczki i fajne promocje :) 4 za 10£

A good place to dine,you should try it.

Always friendly, muffins delicious, great place to meet friends. Thanks 👍

Tables all not cleared and a few left not cleaned and wiped down . Must be a staff shortage very unusual for M & S

This is a nice little coffee place

Lots of seating. Clean and spacious. Nice selection of food and drinks.

Placed four orders now, always included sausage brioche bap and two croissants and jam. Ordered in morning and lunch. Croissants have always been fresh, lovely. Sausages slightly Herby, good not quite as thick as some but still generous enough. I used order notes to request red sauce, ketchup and was read, fulfilled. All items always arrived including condiments. (Only minor was once bap was only in small semi open paper wrap, bottom of bag with croissants ontop, may be issue for vegetarians but usually both are in seperate bags inside in addition to baps wrap.) Thank you :)

Nice place to sit back and relax and enjoy food and drink at reasonable prices

Great food, lovely friendly staff, and good value. No complaints!

Beautiful cafe with nice views of the river. In a busy shopping centre but the coffee and cookie are nice.

I recently visited Bakers + Baristas, and I must say that it was an incredibly disappointing experience. The incident during my visit left me feeling insulted and disrespected as a customer. Upon entering, I sat down to gather my thoughts and waited for the appropriate time to break my fast. To my surprise, an employee approached me and asked me to leave “ You cannot sit down if your not a customer here”. I calmly explained that I intended to order within a minute, as I was observing a fast at that time. However, instead of understanding my situation, the employee continued to exhibit an unprofessional and confrontational attitude. After a few moments, the same employee returned, this time threatening to kick me out. I was taken aback by this blatant display of disrespect and the complete lack of empathy shown towards a customer. Completely ruined my first and only visit to Bakers + Baristas. Customer service is a fundamental aspect of any business, and Bakers + Baristas failed miserably in this regard. It is deeply disheartening to encounter such an environment when all I wanted was to enjoy a peaceful meal while adhering to my religious practice. The lack of sensitivity and understanding demonstrated by the staff was truly appalling. Needless to say, I will not be returning to Bakers + Baristas ever again. The complete disregard for customer satisfaction and the utter lack of professionalism exhibited by the employee have left me with a lasting negative impression. I hope that Bakers + Baristas takes this review as an opportunity to reevaluate their customer service practices and make the necessary improvements.

Not been here for a long time and still as good as ever. Coffee good and bakery wonderful.

Very busy cafe with lovely muffins.

Went in for the first time today overall it was a great experience the Victoria muffin was delicious!

Good place to sit down for a coffee or cake and view the riverside

Lovely muffins and coffee but starting too look very dirty. Especially the dirty seats didn't want to sit on them and dirty windows.

Nice muffins. Flat white coffees were rathet weak for our taste.

This was our first visit here. Very impressed. The coffee and muffins were excellent and the service and ambience were great. We will definitely be going back.

I would give them minus 5 stars if I could. The drinks served spilled everywhere, the cookies packed all together at 1 plate. Disappointed.

Great bacon roll and drink deal. Cake did look really good but didn't try any.

The location is great. On an upper floor with a good view across the river. Comfortable chairs in the window area, but the furniture and decor look tired and uncared for. We had a cheese and ham toastie. It was OK but no more than that. Drinks were on the small side. I had a large cup, but it was not. Coffe was fine. Service was inconsistent, one member of staff interested in her customer, the other more interested in how poorly those around her were treating her.

Friendly service and lovely coffee, even though it was nearly closing time!

Great place for some relaxing time in the heart of Reading with lovely and helpful stuff.

Plenty of space nice and airy. Coffee dearer than Boswells no croissants. Staff not clearing tables when quiet.

Slow service. Seating area needs a good clean. Flat white coffee really poor quality. Would not recommend going here.

Quite corner for a quick break from shopping

I've been going to bb's for years. Went yesterday with some friends being their first time. Always loved bb's, but yesterday had a really bad experiance. On the till the gril that was serving was really rude wile taking the order. Giving atitude and being rude even. I was really suprised with that, if I wasnt with my colleagues I would have walked away really . Over something that was obvious and the way she asked, it was...like she was talking to her worst enemy. If I order an americano and two cappuchino.Obvious i still want the americano. Right? ! Well not going there anytime soon. There are more coffee shops around remember that.

We have always loved it here. Sadly though recently the male manager there seems to be so rude specifically to women, muttering in his own language it’s now more expensive than costa. I’d recommend going anywhere but here, we won’t be going back as a family.

Nice and quiet but need more vegan options

The coffee was average, the muffin was dry and didn't have the toffee flavour

The space is cute and cosy. You have a nice view of the riverside. The scones we ordered were rock hard and very stale. The tea was not warm enough.

Nice view ....but the service not that great ..They're are all over the place.The cashier give me a tray to hold with my food while i was waiting for me coffee to be done..So here i was with that tray in my hands quieing to get my coffee.it doesn't make any sense to me .Plus i had a flat white that was far away from a flat white ..Had no foam was more an expresso

I had the most delicious coffee here. I can't have milk so I chose an oat milk latte with a shot of hazelnut syrup to spice things up, and it was sooo very good.. I would recommend it. 😉

Our regular snack lunch venue when in Reading. Good value and consistent quality.

Great coffee and muffins in a quiet side of the oracle. Not too busy.

Very central and convenient esp when your family is doing their shopping it’s an ideal place to sit have a coffee read a book and wait for the family to return. You can’t miss it esp when leaving the mall you will actually see it while going down the escalator. Good options of snacks, sandwiches & smoothies. Spot on….

Just poor customer service. Ordered two drinks (one iced) and it was basically Cool Minty milk. No ice chunks or pieces (as is expected with an iced drink.) when I returned it and asked for a refund as it was not satisfactory, two members of staff gave me attitude at my request. One telling me ‘I blended it…’ the other saying ‘we don’t do refunds because you don’t like a drink.’ To which i replied ‘as a customer, if a product you’re selling isn’t satisfactory, you need to provide a replacement or a refund.’ Eventually got my money back but will not be returning as I was made to feel so ridiculous for returning a beverage that wasn’t as-advertised. Iced drinks everywhere have ice chips in and aren’t just milk.

Normally love this place. This morning had a latte that was half froth. Asked for more milk, was asked “have you whisked it” Was that a joke? Got milk added but coffee is tepid. Actually felt wary of saying anything so i left.

Great service from Yash! Thanks

Had a brunch here. I loved the great service and how friendly the staff were. Food is good and very quick. The view from the windows is also really pretty

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. Service left loads to be desired.

Lovely service and milkshake but chicken pesto sandwich tasted like a garden

Had a coffee and cake whilst relaxing in comfy chair. Atmosphere was relaxed and pleasant whilst we watched the hustle and bustle of the Oracle shoppers going about their business.

It was ok but no almond muffins. Was told that almonds are seasonal ?

The seating area was lovely and well taken care off, clean and hygienic. Staff member was polite and very efficient at her job not hesitating to answer any of my questions that I had to products or the business itself. I.e. how long it had been there.

Delicious cakes.great ambience..low pricing..loved it

Worst coffee I ever had in my life. Please do not visit and waste your time and money.

The wait to get served was unbelievably long. Only a couple of people in front on me but had to wait at least 15 mins

The coffee and muffins are good, but don't go there for sandwiches

Food was really good and service was friendly

Usually like it here but the staff at the tills on a Saturday are absolutely miserable. Lady didn't listen and we had to correct our order three times. By the time we had our food and drink it was all cold. Not worth £14 for two muffins, toast, tea and a Coke!

Enjoyed the bacon bap and coffee.

Not very clean tables weren't cleared and didn't see them being cleaned.

The bacon sandwich disappointing, where was the bacon

Nice coffee and good atmosphere.

Just had a nice cuppa there, but clean and friendly

My first visit and unfortunately my last. I ordered a decaf oat latte and a toastie. The latte was basically a glass of warm oat milk (no froth) and the toastie was inedible (hard, stale bread, minimal filling, barely toasted). One bite was enough to break a tooth and it went straight back. I obtained a full refund along with excuses. The place was almost empty when I visited, now I know why.