Balzano's Delicatessen in Cambridge

Amazing sourdough pesto Parma ham and mozzarella panini lovely Italian cafe. Great service very kind. Definitely my favourite cafe in Cambridge

Stopped here for a coffee with a friend, well-stocked Italian deli also selling artisan bread, cakes and pastries, good quality coffee and pleasant sitting area. Staff attentive and friendly

I went there to get some mortadella l asked the guy to cut thin ...But no not listening to what l said...The place is expensive £7.59 for a bit of mortadella...

I'm not a fan of the general service there but I've been there a few times & there's one guy that's always super nice to me that I always hope for. Today a young girl/woman served me in what was a like a swimsuit top, took my partner & my order. I asked if I could get a different cheese like gouda on my panini, which had emmental & the challenge it was getting options from the older lady in the actual deli was frightening. Considering she would be the person to ask. The young girl turns & says you can get mozzarella. Of all the cheeses? Option, yes, I guess... but I stuck with the emmental. I just completed my order as it was. The order gets to my table & I notice there's no mixed greens in the panini as stated on the menu. I ask the guy now on the till about it & the simple answer was, "Oh, because they didn't have any..." A bottle of ketchup, 2 flat whites with oat & this dry panini at £14+ later & just because they didn't have any, or let me know this before I waste my money on did I say, a dry panini??? Father forgive me cuz I'm spoiled by good service & value for my custom elsewhere. Great looking space though! I wrote my first Trip Advisor critique, yaaay!!!

Solía ir allí para desayunar y para ir al supermercado. Siempre he encontrado que los camareros y camareras son muy groseros, nunca una sonrisa, parece que trabajan allí en contra de su voluntad. Vamos, si no te gusta trabajar allí, abandona ese lugar y cambia de trabajo. El lugar es extremadamente caro, buena comida (principalmente importada) pero demasiado cara. La comida hecha a mano es igual de cara y, si excluyes los panes y los croissants, no es realmente bueno. Me gustaría continuar por lo menos para ir a desayunar, pero si no puedo soportar más camareras y camareras malhumorados, me iré a otro lugar. Siempre me preguntan si quiero una bolsa para mi supermercado, incluso si compro docenas de artículos y claramente no tengo una bolsa conmigo. Creo que están entrenados para guardar las 10 p por bolsas.

Un lugar encantador para un café y un panini. Brillante y limpio. Lo recomiendo totalmente. No se puede batir una taza de café adecuada.

Un café encantador y un italiano auténtico Una fabulosa panadería y un montón de sabroso capricho. El wad de café como era de esperar y el ambiente era muy acogedor. Sin duda volveré aquí cuando estoy en Cherry Hinton Road

i was meeted by Mr Balzano himself and had the private suit for arfternoon tea with the wife Exelent

Luogo davvero sorprendente, pieno di specialità dolci e salate tutte italiane, compreso primizie non facili da trovare come il "Pan Briaco". Più bottega/supermercato che bar e ristorante, ma fa tutte queste cose. A due passi dalla casa in cui Syd Barrett ha vissuto per decenni.

We’ve been going to Balzanos since, well a lot of years, long before the new format. If Friends introduced the UK to the coffee shop Balzanos is our response to the American dream, reinforced with Italian elan. Service/food/coffee are all first class and the environment makes you want to turn up with a favourite read and spend a long time there. Great stuff team Balzanos - this should be franchised!

Solía amar el lugar, pero cuando me trajeron la sopa de la mitad del tamaño de la porción normal y 3 piezas de pan en lugar de 4 me siento decepcionado. Es un poco pequeño, pero decirme que es una porción habitual en un bol diferente, aunque la semana pasada fue totalmente diferente en el mismo bol. ¡Es demasiado!

Lovely warm atmosphere. Excellent authentic good quality delicious coffee and fresh divine patisserie. Never disappointed at this family run cafe which is very spacious and friendly. Feels like sitting in our own kitchen at home but bigger. Relaxing pleasant vibe. Very enjoyable.

Don't know how I kept missing this place, but glad I stumbled across it. Visiting became a Saturday afternoon ritual. The cakes, coffee and sandwiches are great; the deli section is wonderful; and they have the best lemons in town in their greengrocers section. Always full of ideas for little Christmas gifts when the time comes for Lebkuchen. The staff are always friendly. Heads up: It is busy until 1pm on Saturday, then it quietens a bit. It would be nice if it was open an hour longer so I could pop in after work, but I understand it's a long day when they're baking too. It's nice that they have a communal table and let you pick where to sit - even small tables - treating solo customers just as well as the couples who come in to share a slice of cake or one item. Wiiink! Proper Italian custom then! Love it, guys.

I live near and visit with family or sometimes for meetings and love this place the illy coffee, food and service is great. I always recommend friends to visit. Also lots of fresh baked bread and a great Deli.

This place is close to my home and is my haven when I need a break and a decent coffee. I like how light and airy it is. The coffee is good. It’s kiddie friendly. Food is basic but dependable. Staff are efficient and helpful. Fresh bread is worth the trip and very cheap. The shop is fairly expensive but the pizza bases are amazing and well worth it. I would be very sad if this place ever closes.

Stopped off for a quick coffee and a cake. Delicious and very reasonably priced. So far so good. So what went wrong. The toilet. Above it was a sign saying that it wasn't flushing properly. The bowl was full of paper and the flush was completely broken. As a result I couldn't use it. Also seat broken. I told the owner. Sorry, this isn't good enough!

What a lovely thing to do: order an Italian pastry and a coffee at the counter then sit at a table and enjoy with a friend, and chat. In the morning, it appears a lots of parents come here after taking their children to school, and chat over a coffee. Good coffee, good pastries. They also sell delicatessen and bread, and staple foods, mainly from Italy.

Met girlfriends for lunch. Lovely atmosphere, friendly staff. Great to see what was on offer for lunch. Good choice, all freshly made ciabatta's & pizza. Shop & deli have a wonderful array of Italian ingredients to purchase. OK they might be pricey but I doubt you would find them in Tesco! Just wish the tea came in a proper pot!

Great place to take the strain out of life relax with a coffee and some savouries followed by a little sweet something or other. And then browse around all the shelves for treats to take home. A true taste of Naples and should not be missed.

This deli/cafe is really lovely, great produce and a lovely, popular little cafe at the back. Hot chocolate was just the job on a freezing cold day and got some great biscuits to take home.

Sono stata da Balzano sabato scorso e ho comprato tre etti di prosciutto di Parma veramente buono anzi direi eccezionale perché era veramente dolce cosa che spesso in Italia non mi capita di trovare. Da buona sarda ho anche apprezzato che ci fosse la fregola, il pane carasau e gli is malloreddus. Well done! I will be back

Coffee could be good, but too hot, the milk was burned. Prices of food are a joke comparing to what u receive. Friendly staff tries to make it up by very good service, but we won't be back.

These guys really live up to their Italian heritage. Great coffee, authentic bites and always something on the shelves to peak your interest. Good selection of Italian wines too! Parking is limited but we always seem to get lucky!

I would deffinitley reccomend this place, breakfasts are wonderful, really friendly atmosphere, service is always really fast and open to help You.

Confieso que soy un cliente habitual de esta delicatessen italianas excepcionalmente buena. La variedad y la alta calidad de su gama es contrarrestada por la eficiencia y amabilidad del personal. Este hotel familiar de negocios italianos auténticos productos de existencias que no es ampliamente disponible en otro lugar. En la tienda de cafe ofrece sándwiches tostados, ensaladas y un delicioso café. La tienda está a media milla del centro de la ciudad, en la carretera de Cherry Hinton. Bien merece una visita.

Precioso almuerzo - deliciosos sándwiches, buena relación calidad-precio, a la familia. Sin duda visitar de nuevo cuando en Cambridge

Me encanta la comida que sirven aquí. Estoy aún en la cafetería para estancia comida. Normalmente llevar.

Este es un favorito local y café el café y delicatessen, donde son siempre deliciosas comidas ligeras. Sopa casera es la especialidad. Prueba el a la parmesana! Tarta. . . ñam ñam! El propietario italiano importaciones su abastecimiento directo de Italia y también va en la panadería familiar, el pan está siempre fresco y sabroso. Una maravillosa gama de productos está disponible, a menudo cosas que no están disponibles en otro lugar. Las carnes y quesos italianos son bien vale la pena. . O los niños con deleite pasta multi-color!

The deli has grown into a local hub and, personally, I feel truly, incredibly grateful that Rocco and his close-knit team are there for the community. They are dedicated to bringing the best ingredients to the humble Cherry Hinton Road area and welcome you always with a big smile.....thank you!

We stop in Balzano's every time we are near Cambridge. Great selection in the deli and the staff are friendly. No matter how busy it is, they take time to greet us and smile. The quality of their goods is excellent and the prices are reasonable. One of the best places to stock up on Italian groceries.

I come here occasionally for coffee. It's light and airy and the coffee is good quality. The croissants are however lacklustre! Lots of Italian goodies although many of them are available at my amazing corner shop for half the price. The fresh bread is very good and the delicatessen items look good if a little pricey. Nice place to meet for a drink and a chat.

Always good for a coffee and a cake. Staff are pleasant and don't rush you around. A good place for a leisurely chat and/or business meeting. Since I last reviewed the garden has closed, which is sad. Access from the carpark is now around the building.

I tend to come here on a monthly basis and it's generally busy and for good reason. They do a good selection of beverages, Italian food and pastries. It's all freshly made and you can see the activity in the back room.They offer WiFi which is a bit slow so it's not the ideal place if you are relying on super fast internet but it is a good place to have a casual business meeting.

Friendly staff, good bakery, good Italian food. Good prices! Loads of pasta to choose from. Opened everyday except Sunday. They have now a cafe. Delicious.A local treasure!

This deli cafe raises the quality of food on Cherryhinton Feeder road to Cambridge to continental level. It provides sandwich combos and dishes for men who lunch lite not to mention yummy cakes for mummies not all yummy and some who may not be yummy for much longer.OK for me happy with a gloopy gateau au chocolat and four forks. The coffee is Illy which claims to be a blend of arabicas from six or more countries each producing great coffee except perhaps Brazil producing mainly robusta for instant coffee. But would you drink wine mixed from six countries however good the algorithm selecting the mix. Beware of blends designed to do the job at minimum cost not constrained by UK palates who drink coffee only with sufficient cream sugar cinnamon choc to conceal the taste.Nevertheless the espresso was better than most chains which no longer guarantee 100% ArabicaThe main constraints are the lack of parking nearby and the density of kiddies within.Todays children seem to be perceived as a Floor Show for which folk should pay entertainment tax.The small garden facing S is a suntrap on a good day. So great for a tasty life lunch or takeawayMy 2 yo granddaughter loved it and merited entertainment tax!

This is a perfect place for a nice cup of coffee. We sat outside which was very pleasant. Everything in Balzano's looks fresh and tasty (we bought some tomatoes that were expensive but delicious, eggs, gorgonzola cheese, dark chocolate, etc). Recommended if you are in the neighborhood.

Came here with a friend on a weekday afternoon around 3pm. Service was friendly, and we ordered at the counter. Our small hot chocolates were delicious but small. Would size up to large next time for a decent volume. We also shared a raspberry almond blondie, which was very tasty, and made in their famous kitchen. Price for a small coffee and the blondie would be £5.19, which is a little more expensive than your average chain coffee shop.The place itself is large and spacious, with a shop at the front selling Italian food goods, and the cafe at the back, with huge windows that look out into a lovely garden. The cafe was not too full at the time, and the tables were set apart with space in between. There was free table water available in bottles, and free wifi, which were nice touches. Overall this is a lovely place to meet friends if you're south of town. And the baked good are tasty! I look forward to trying more next time!

Have driven past many times and today pulled in for a coffee - lucky empty parking space outside, they are limited. The little cafe at the back of the deli is bright and airy with a small outdoor area. Nice friendly welcome from the staff. Had a coffee and pannini both of which were very good my only small gripe was that the pannini could have been cooked a little longer to melt the cheese some more.Would go back again.

Balzano's coffee is delicious and great value, and the staff are helpful and welcoming.The owners have worked hard to create a unique, contemporary venue complemented by their family's Italian tradition. It's a winning formula resulting in a bright, busy and friendly ambiance that has built a dedicated local following. One mild criticism - it'd be great to see more of the on-site bakery's breads and pastries and the deli's produce on the cafe's menu (some of us like toast and marmalade for breakfast, for example!). Balzano's is a lovely place to visit regularly and is a unique and welcome venue for south Cambridge.

Great Italian Deli. Fresh bread, and wide range of Italian bakeries baked fresh on the premises.....all yumeeeeeiii :-)Parking outside is limited 2-4 cars, as is the parking in the area. Best to cycle/ walk. The cafe is at the rear of the Deli, and there is a small sunny seating area outside.Great for mothers and kids.....

I went here with my mother for coffee and this is a pleasant local café attached to an Italian delicatessen. The coffee is superb - I had an expresso and is not expensive. The surrounding have a nice relaxed family/locals feel to them. The delicatessen sells freshly made bread, pizza baked on the premises which is cut into slices for you, cold meats, cheese and a lot of other Italian goods. The bread is good and priced reasonably, the other goods are expensive although there is a good range of items which would make a good present for a foodie.

Having been a customer for many years to this wonderful local deli, I decided to meet a friend there for coffee. It was a week day and around lunch time. We ordered coffee bug there was no room to sit, so we stood at the bar down the font, as one of the chairs was broke. No one offered to help find a seat. We were peckish so decided to order two pastries - these came to 3.50 each for a savoury pastry- I was very disappointed but as was with a friend paid and saw as a treat. I then decided to order another drink- but did not quite have enough cash, so tried to pay by card...there was a minimum payment- I asked if the lady could refund the cash I'd just paid for the pastries and that I would put it all on my card...apparently this was not possible. So I went without a second drink. Really disappointed by this service. The coffee was however delicious and a reasonable price.

A lovely delicatessen with a wonderful airy cafe at the back. Excellent coffee and nice cakes. There is an outdoor seating area. Really popular with yummy mummies and families after school. The best cafe of its kind in Cambridge.

Mi avevano parlato di questo posto, e sono andata per curiosità! Seppur italiana all'estero non ho questa smania di dover mangiare italiano a tutti I costi anche perchè COSTA PARECCHIO!!! È un locale che dall'esterno non ha appeal...in fila ad altri locali e negozi su Cherry Hinton road. Infatti, non lo avevo mai notato!!! All'interno è bello essendo "una nuova bottega fighettina" dove trovi prodotti italiani dalla pasta ai biscotti, dall'olio ai formaggi! I prezzi possono essere davvero esagerati x alcuni prodotti ad esempio barattolo di orzo bimbo che in Italia lo paghi Euro 1.50 massimo, da Balzano costa pounds 3.50 circa! Gli stesso granetti svedesi che da Tesco trovi a meno di una sterlina, da Balzano 2.90£Poi in fondo si trova la piccola cafeteria con tavoli a sedere. Caffè espresso 1.40£, se lo vuoi macchiato 1.55£. Wifi free e piccola corte esterna arredata!

I eat/ drink here regularly and buy groceries. The decor is really nice, it's airy and spacious, they have a nice garden and cater for children. There is enough space for prams and baby changing.The coffee and italian pastries (sfogiatella) are excellent. The fresh bread sold in the deli is amazing - the best bread ever. However the lunch options are not great, I have enjoyed some of the paninis (Parma ham, cheese pesto) but they are light on fillings and the bread /filling options are limited, I don't understand why they can't make up sandwiches using their delicious white crusty bread. The best item on the menu is the cheese meat platter but there is still no tasty bread just a dry brown roll.This deli sells some great produce and service is friendly. A nice touch is the chilled bottles of water you can grab from the fridge, if the lunch menu were refreshed this could be an amazing place to enjoy lunch.

I've been a few times to meet with a colleague. Good coffee (and you don't know how difficult it can be to say this) and all of the cakes have been fabulous. Lots of choice at the attached delicatessen.

My work colleagues and I visited here on my recommendation for lunch. Never again. The Spanish Tortilla which was £4.95 came with a small handful of brown salad leaves - no sign of a slice of cucumber, tomato, dressing, an olive (and yet they sell such great looking produce). We asked the girls behind the counter to change the salad, which they did - bringing fresher looking salad leaves on separate plates but leaving my colleagues with the brown stuff. We also ordered 2 paninis. Much like an earlier reviewer the tuna and olive option was tasty but very very light on filling. The cheese and chutney looked better, marginally, but skimped on filling. In total these four meals came to over £20....what would you pay for the following pictures??

Having 40 minutes to kill and a hungry teenager with me it seemed a good idea to pop in for a couple of snacks and maybe a coffee. What a mistake.Two 'ciabatta' sandwiches cost £4.50 each and the bread was tasteless and certainly not anything like ciabatta. Goats cheese was very dry and 'roast vegetables' dry and tasteless and almost not there at all.I took a takeaway 'cappuccino' on my way out and bitterly regret not returning to explain the following:1, it was a big cup of hot milk that cost me more than a chain coffee outlet would charge me for a proper cappuccino2, Cappuccino should be 2 x espresso plus some frothy milk and no liquid milk.If a deli is 'Italian' then the staff should be educated about how these things should be.On the plus side, the air conditioning was welcome on a hot afternoon and the service was good - hence one star.

Balzano’s - Cherry Hinton RoadVisited May 15 but have visited previously.Coffee - cappuccino, Illey - grade5, very good as to be expected from an Illey coffee.Cake - Malteser cake - grade 5 out 5 - fabulous and a must for all chocolate lovers. All very reasonably priced.This is a bustling little cafe situated at the back of the deli shop area. There was a good choice of drinks and cakes, many of them Italian. Even though i visited mid week the cafe was still busy and had a lively atmosphere. It was laid out with a mix of smaller tables and a long table with tables and a bench which would be great if you were meeting a group of friends. There were loos and this would be suitable for someone with wheelchair or a walking frame. The deli was also full of tempting treats and there was a variety of breads (clearly made locally, possibly on site). I would definitely recommend this cafe/deli. I will be returning to get some edible Christmas presents.

Best panini in Cambridge, shame they have a tendeny to run out of bread halfway through lunchtime. Limited choice of food but everything is homemade and great quality. On a good day this is my favourite deli/cafe in Cambridge but from time to time I leave bitterly disapointed!

Balzano’s is in a small local parade of half a dozen or so shops and eating places and attracts a catholic array of passing and regular customers. I was in company with: a couple doing The Times crossword (‘Oh, good clue!’); two women trying to arrange to have their car serviced; two young people engrossed in their lap tops; a businessman taking an undistracted few minutes over a coffee; two pensioners debating the Women’s World Cup; a backpacker writing postcards home; and a Chinese lady feeding her baby. The light and airy café area and small enclosed outdoor garden is reached through the deli where the array of good things to eat and drink – especially the bread cooked in Balzano’s own bakery - starts the appetite working. The menu is limited, but appropriate to the sort of place this is: sandwiches (e.g. Parma ham, mozzarella and fresh pesto, Mortadella and Provolone cheese) including childrens’ options; pizza, tortilla, melanzana parmigiana; vegetarian and meat platters; and cakes and pastries. There is a good range of coffees and cold drinks.On my latest visit I had a good black Americano and a sweet and sticky Chelsea bun. No complaints. Previously I’ve had the tortilla, which was excellent. Contrary to the complaints in some previous reviews, the service was fine.Local artists exhibit in rotating exhibitions on the wallsBalzano’s always seems to be busy, which says a lot about what it offers. It benefits from being with other local shops and it’s clearly popular with parents whose children go to the nearby primary school – it sometimes feels as if one has stumbled into a local branch meeting of mumsnet. As I said, it enjoys a catholic clientele.

Always a pleasure to visit for a coffee and cake of a morning, visiting has become a regular part of our weekend routine. Friendly staff and excellent service.

This is a great cafe, and I drive or walk out of my way to get to it. The coffee is great it is a lovely building with a sweet little garden and parking round the back and sometimes at the front too . The staff are polite and very friendly, and my son who lives in London says this is London Standard. I visited the cafe just before the previous reviewer who said the owner was rude. We were also disappointed that the coffee machine was being cleaned and we could not have a coffee. But WE understood, and had something else instead. The previous reviewer was extremely aggressive and made such a drama and a fuss and I think the staff handled themselves with politeness and dignity and this review is unfair. We heard it and the customer behaved really badly. Although I love this place and would love it to be open when ever I want it to be, I respect the owner for having a life and letting his staff have a life too. A cafe on Mill Road is open long hours but the staff have always been rude and grumpy on each of the four occasions that I have been in there. I won't go in there again. But maybe they are shattered from opening long hours. This is a cheerful happy friendly place and if to maintain that the owner recogonises that the staff and him don't want to be standing around watching 4 customers drink coffee at the end of a busy Saturday taking just £10 and that they need to clean up and get home that is fair enough I would rather have shorter and sweeter opening times, then open all hours and bitter and unfriendly. Again the way YOU two behaved was unacceptable and way over the top and you wrote an unfair review. Also the owner then had a meeting with all his staff which we heard to see what he could do to extend the times that coffee could still be made. Also I must add you two were so wound up I think you should switch to some herbal teas !! Please think about the other customers next time you want to have a big scene in a cafe. We went for a nice drink not to hear you to going off on one because you didn't get your own way,. And no I am not best friends with the owner I don't even know his name. But it is unfair to give a good place a bad name.

We came at 3.25pm on Saturday 9 May 2015. They advertised that they close at 4pm yet at 3.35pm they disabled the coffee machine. So much for a cappuccino ! The owner was also rude and did not do anything about it.

Love Balzano's! Great place to stop and have a coffee. Be careful not to time it when the Mums have dropped off at school or you will not get a table.

Balzano's on Cherry Hinton Road has been part of my life since I was a child having lived only 5 minutes away from birth. I often meet my friends for a coffee and a catch up and Balzano's is convenient for us all. I met up with a friend yesterday and decided to have a quick bite to eat white we were out. On arriving the owner was putting stock in the shop and greeted us pleasantly. Unfortunately the 2 young ladies working behind the coffee counter didn't turn round to deal with us, but carried on with their conversation. We took a menu and sat down to decide what we wanted to eat and drink. After we had decided we went back to the counter and I asked if the ham for the sandwich was smoked and could I have a taste. "Sorry are you talking to me" one of the girls said!She gave me a small taste of the ham and I decided to have tuna! Disappointed to say the least! No butter in the Ciabatta and to be frank no tuna!! Ok there was a small spread of tuna but there was a good inch of plain bread round the whole roll.....And for the privilege I had to pay £4.50... £3.50 to eat. I was going to speak to the manager but he was nowhere to be seen!! In summary.... Overpriced, stingy, greedy!!

Live nearby so having not only a good Italian deli close by with a bright modern cafe to enjoy good coffee is a blessing. Also has a garden area where you can relax and enjoy the sun.