Boswells Cafe in Portsmouth

We used to visit this place very often especially when down to commercial road for a shopping. The food is always delicious and we really enjoy their jacket potatoes - big and rich of flavours. The service is great. There could be queues sometimes, be aware of that. Prices are ok.

This cafe is friendly, staff is excellent, the food is excellent the cakes are very nice. Cafe is very clean staff is wiping the tables.

My daughter took me for mother's day, and I just say, what a lovely little cafe. First off, was very clean, approached the food section and wasn't sure about ordering as it was first time, was greeted by a young polite man who was very helpful, went to get our coffees, lovely selection of food and cakes on display. Order our coffee, and they were made very quick. Sat down and shortly after our food came. We had a small breakfast each. Was lovely. The staff were smiley and polite and service was fantastic. Definitely recommend. Will be returning again.

So i wanted a cooked breakfast at 11.22 read what we wanted assistant manager i believe took the menu down i asked why was it taken down as its not even 11.30 yet . She said dont worry you can still have it . I got served quickly . When food come to the table i started to put red sauce on my dads . Food was cold so i sent it back . When we got given it again the red sauce was still on it . All food was dried up and hard where the must of left it under the light too long or even put in the microwave . It was absoutly disgusting . I got given as a sorry a card which you can get a free coffee or tea . I will not be returning . I recommed they all get training again .

First time visit. Busy as it was a Saturday. Found a seat, and the queue went quickly. The food was nice but not hot. It was very cold in there. Prices were reasonable

The food was at best lukewarm at worst cold. A cold cooked breakfast is not nice it looked lovely and I would say good quality food used but still cold. Yuk won't be going there again.

Had the American breakfast. On the plus side the staff were lovely and the breakfast came quickly. However the bacon was very overdone, the grilled tomatoes were cold, and the fried egg was really snotty and cold on top. Toast was nice, and they gave me plenty of butter, which is always a plus for me.

Decided to go with my family for a coffee and lunch .what a change since I last went there .found the customer service not that great .was not acknowledged when waiting in the queue .staff member just looked at me not even I will be with you in a minute .Also when finishing with the table the member of staff didn't even wait till we had walked away from the table and started cleaning it !..In my view the customers should be greeted with a friendly smile and better customer service!

Lovely Community feel. I had baked potato with sweetcorn and tuna very reasonably priced. The outstanding experience of this cafe is the Manager, Jamie, who was talking to all the customers making them feel valued. I have never been to Boswells before but I would certainly return. I left feeling warm and valued. All the staff friendly and service good.

Top quality nosh Friendly staff A great brew - in a mug. I love a mug. Thoroughly enjoyed my visit. Super friendly staff. I had breakfast and a cuppa and it was spot on.

Wow what can we say, me and my family love this cafe, we visit this cafe everytime we come to the cascade shopping centre from the isle of wight, we have never had a bad meal, the food is superb, nothing is too much trouble for the staff, my little boy only likes jam sandwich and they made them especially for them even though on the menu is cheese and ham, my husband and I had the all day breakfast which was filling and definitely be back again. Thank you

So got a packed lunch for my little one £5 and you only get half a sandwhich and three other small items any normal cafe still gives a child a full sandwich I am horrified

A good hearty breakfast with vegetarian options. Plenty of tables inside and out. Prices a little expensive - £8:75 not including tea/toast

This coffee shop is located in the Cascades shopping centre. It has quite a large interior with additional tables “outside” in the shopping centre. The coffee was good and cost £6.20 for two flat whites. It has its own toilets.

Often visit the havant cafe so popped in here today. Exactly the same as havant pleasant polite staff very clean and very tidy

My wife, myself and two long-time friends, all in our sixties, had lunch here after a drive down from Warwick. We were booked into HMS Victory a couple of hours later so pulled into the Cascades Car Park and took a wander through the shopping centre looking for somewhere to eat when we came across this café. Turned out to be a good choice for somewhere to eat as the staff were friendly, food good and prices not too bad at all. We would definitely recommend this café and would use it again if we were ever in the area.

Popped in for lunch and was greeted by lots of smiling faces from the staff. However a big shout out has to be given to Andrea who went above and beyond and made us feel very welcome and comfortable even though it was busy. Great service. Will be back.

Family of 5 with two small children, had breakfast here. It was very nice, and reasonably priced. The lady with the purple hair was lovely.

Yet again excellent service lovely to see them back open pleasent staff and excellent food Very clean and tidy

Absolutely amazing experience. I went in this afternoon for a coffee and something to eat. I chose a jacket potato with cheese and coleslaw, and a sausage roll, with a mug of cappuccino. I was met with a smile from all staff, and they noticed that I was using a crutch, so they bought everything over for me. Everything was amazing, but the jacket potato… oh man … it was out of this world!! Nice and fluffy and came away from the skin so easily. It was all cooked to perfection and there was sooooo much of it. I would highly recommend this cafe… and I will be back there asap.

Portsmouth town is very limited for places to eat but this cafe in the Cascades shopping centre offers quite a bit of choice and is good value for money. Only problem is you still have to queue up to order food which means social distancing can be a problem You can sit outside the cafe but it is inside Cascades so this isn't a problem.

I was disgusted to discover upon checking my mobile banking that I have been charged quite different amounts for exactly the same order. The coffee is expensive, too strong and cold.

Popped into Boswells as I was feeling lightheaded due to not eating, although it was incredibly busy the staff were really friendly and efficient, the food was what you’d expect from a chain cafe

He estado aquí varias veces. Una opción encantadora en el menú, excelente comida que se sirve rápidamente y personal amable. Si alguna vez voy de compras al centro de la ciudad de Portsmouth, entonces Boswells es el único lugar al que me detendré para tomar un café, un pastel o un almuerzo.

This cafe is a great friendly place , plenty of tables , the menu is brilliant , the staff is very helpful and always cleaning the tables.

First visit to Boswell's and found the coffee and cakes tasty and good value. Pleasant busy and bustling atmosphere. Inside and outside seating. Free newspapers and WiFi. Would certainly visit again if in the area.

He estado aquí dos veces y las dos veces la comida ha sido buena.El lugar es bastante ordenado y el menú es bueno y tiene una amplia variedad de opciones.Los 3 platos que teníamos estaban bien cocinados y sabían lo suficientemente decente, lo único que me impidió dar 5 estrellas fue el café con leche de soja que teníamos no era genial.Pero aparte de eso, vale la pena visitarlo para comer algo si estás en una calle comercial.

Met up with my step daughter and her mum so decided to go to Boswells for a coffee and chat. Coffee/ tea was good. Cafe was clean. Staff were friendly

Very nice cafe/coffee shop, good value and lovely service worth a visit, a nice bacon bap and a decent tea and coffee

Fui con mi compañero para el desayuno y los cubiertos estaban asquerosos en el mejor de los casos, tomó 3 intentos para encontrar un cuchillo limpio. Desayuno? por 7. 50 sin tostadas ni té? Incluido me parece que es un poco caro. El personal era encantador, pero decepcionó con la mala higiene de los cubiertos. ¿No volverá por lo de arriba?

Nos dieron una cálida bienvenida cuando llegamos y nos fuimos y la comida era de buena calidad, excelente relación calidad-precio y bien presentada. Un hombre encantador (posiblemente el gerente) se me acercó para decirle que había una pequeña demora, lo que me pareció un servicio realmente bueno. No esperé mucho, pero debido a la demora, incluso me ofreció un segundo trago para compensarlo. Recomiendo encarecidamente este café a cualquiera que esté buscando un buen café para cenar!

Chilli Potato very good Chicken Mayo Jacket Potato had plenty of chicken but not enough mayo making it very dry.

Paramos para un almuerzo familiar mientras compras. Hacía calor una comida sabrosa y se servía sorprendentemente rápido en un restaurante ocupado. En algún lugar en el que he caminado pasé antes de comprar en Cascades, pero nunca he estado. Fue una agradable sorpresa y regresaremos

Sin pretensiones, este café sirve una baguette de buena calidad; con la oferta de dividirlo en dos platos como dijimos que estábamos compartiendo. El té se sirvió en tazas grandes, tan abundantes para saciar la sed. Estaba ocupado, pero todavía nos servían rápidamente y el personal era muy agradable.

First time visiting this cafe and was not impressed.

Went in for a quick bite to eat, staff were nice and food was lovely. The prices were also very respectable

Staff were lovely, gave us extra water as we were having a pot of tea to share between two. However waited a little too long for a panini and jacket potato.

Stopped off for lunch, the food came quickly and was incredibly tasty. The staff were very friendly and helpful too

Went into Boswells for a tea, snacks and coffee or two, while my wife and daughter did their best to empty TackyMax (TKMaxx) on the opposite side of the aisle. It wasn't busy and I was there in a long time!

Out Christmas shopping, stopped of for something to eat & drink.

It can be difficult eating out when you have to be very careful not to eat any gluten or dairy.

Stopped for lunch during a shopping trip. Good service despite it being really busy. Really helpful manager as well

This is one of my families favorite places to go and have breakfast.

I would highly recommend this venue for their variety of food and high standard of customer service.

Comí aquí con mi hija y mi madre. Teníamos 2 pollo piri piri paninis y un desayuno durante todo el día. Toda la comida era deliciosa, buenas raciones de tamaño. Las bebidas también son de primera calidad. 3 platos principales y 3 bebidas vino a...

Llamado aquí un aperitivo y una bebida. Un servicio muy bueno, con un personal amable. Buena comida y las bebidas eran batidos con gruesas precioso y frío. Restaurante limpio y ordenado.

I have visited boswells on a few occasions now. The staff are always very welcoming and the cafe is very clean.Service was very prompt even if I personally find the food a little over priced for what it is. The coffee here is fab which is what brings me back every time

This café is in the Cascades Shopping Centre. It is a spacious area with a variety of tables and chairs. We come for our usual coffee and cake. There is a good choice, and the staff are friendly. We particularly enjoy the apple cake with caramel - a good combination. Our drinks arrive as ordered. This is a good place to enjoy a coffee in a relaxing atmosphere. The café has toilet facilities, and is wheelchair accessible.

Quick service, hot food, lots of lovely choices of food and smoothies, coffee, clean restaurant. Staff were friendly and had charisma. Mango smoothie was nice, slightly dearer than I would like to have paid. On to something really good here

Delicious range of food to choose from, really friendly smiley staff, had an all day breakfast which came out hot and didn't have to wait long! Sausages were really tasty. Will be trying the milkshakes next time, highly recommended!

Reasonably priced food and drinks. Proper good Coffee, well made. Gluten Free served with a great selection. 3 of us ate a selection of food. My Panini was delicious, my wife's jacket Potato was yummy and my mother in laws gluten free toasted sandwich was really good. This cafe runs like a well oiled machine. Always a queue but it goes down fast.

Good selection of coffee, and other various hot and cold drinks, decent food although portions are not that big. You just get what you pay for, decent food and drink for your moneyCan get pretty busy so you may wait a while sometimes, but staff are fine, and seats are comfortable enough

Always calling at Boswells for a coffee when shopping at Cascades.Service is slowish, but the coffee is worth the wait.Cleanliness however leaves a bit to be desired.Tables left uncleared!!

To be honest, the only reason we stopped in at Boswells is because our usual lunchtime venue (The Trafalgar - Wetherspoons) has recently closed down! In fairness we found Boswells a cheerful and friendly place - with slightly pricey food but quick service and good banter with the staff. We will probably go back again when we're next in Portsmouth city centre.

Have to say it's not for me,food overpriced but ok,certainly wouldn't make me rush back,staff ok,but not friendly enough for me to think,that was a great experience,I will rush back.Would I rush back,no I wouldn't.

wonderfull coffee and a good selection sandwichs and loverly cakes I would certainly go back there again

Popped in for brunch and ordered sausage egg and chips. Two nice sized sausages, which were tasty, an egg, and about 15 chips. The cheapest part of the meal, and the smallest portion I have seen. It would have been ok for a small child. It was difficult to find a table, as the staff were trying to serve, and to clear empty tables. It seemed to be a constant flow of customers, but I don't think I will visit again.

Regularly use Boswells in Havant and always impressed so stopped at Boswells in Cascades. Drinks weeny what I ordered and when changed still wrong. Food took ages to arrive.When I complained about drink to Manager changed straight away with no complaint.

Just been here and was very thirsty. Grabbed a bottle of tango and was told it wasn't cold. I didn't mind I just wanted a drink.I got back to car before opening it and found it funny why it didn't fizz, upon closer inspection and having taken a massive gulp this bottle is 7 months out of date. Unhappy to say the least and this will be going on Facebook also for all to see.

This coffee shop is really well positioned in the Cascade shopping mall. I particularly appreciate the amount of staff to customer ratio and service is efficient and swift. Unlike the other coffee outlets where the queues are ludicrice and service slow. Great bites to eat and comfortable seating both in and on the mall thoroughfare.

Very quick, and easy service for a generous price. They will offer free salad with any meal ordered which is always nice. Not a great drinks choice but for a coffee this place would be a fair shout. All in all good visit, nice interior with a tasty, good selection of food.

This has become a regular favourite of mine! The lasagna is by far the best lasagna I have ever tasted, even compared to some of the more expensive restaurants in Gunwharf. Service is always quick, polite and friendly and the food is reasonably priced. They have an excellent range of hot foods including an all day breakfast as well as lighter treats, and yummy milkshakes (I'd recommend the Oreo one)It can get a little hectic during busier periods, and the outdoor seating feels a bit out in the open, but on a quiet afternoon it's definitely worth a visit. I wish they had more branches across Hampshire.

Popped in for a quick drink and some hot food before leaving the cascades. Payed roughly £16 for a smoothie, iced tea, two baguettes and chips. Coffee shops are always pricey for food, to be expected. But the baguettes were literally just that. No garnish on either, despite one advertised with salad garnish. Blonde barista with studded Jewel wasn't impressed when we asked for some sachets of sauce. When enquiring about the missing salad she offered to slam down some undressed leaves and a cherry tomato and look scornful for us! Ta very much ☺️ go elsewhere for a bite to eat.

Had lunch there today, me and my partner both ordered coffees and jacket potatoes, one was meant to be a cinnamon latte the other a Carmel deluxe latte the cinnamon Latte was covered in cinnamon powder but had no syrup in it! We complained and the lady serving said they didn't have any cinnamon syrup!! We pointed it out the shelve which was behind her and she changed the coffee over!! My coffee had Carmel sauce and cream on it but again no syrup in it!! The jacket potatoes we had were not hot and the amount of topping was tiny!! A real let down!! Would not go back

Had occasion to visit Cascades for something else and stopped off to have a hot chocolate, staff were freindly and courteous and the hot chocolate was nice...

No trip to Portsmouth and Southsea would be complete without a visit to Boswells.The food staff and facilities are all second to none as well as the choice and of course value for money. It is always our first port of call when we visit Portsmouth and what better way to start the day than with a first class cup of tea or the Teacake Special which was particularly good, in fact the teacake was big enough for us to share!!! I would highly recommend Boswells and I cant wait to go again!!!!

3 of us had a break from shopping in cascade shopping centre. I had a mocha and a gluten free Daim bar cake. Friends had coffee, sandwiches and cakes. Service from young attentive staff - tables were clear and clean. The only downside was a dirty , smelly toilet - not good. My advice is to use the toilets in the shopping centre.

I have been to Boswells a few times now as it's one of the few places where, despite being gluten intolerant, I can pick almost any sandwich from the menu & they'll make up one from scratch as they always keep gf bread in stock. I have never waited more than 10mins either. I have always received excellent service & particularly love their vast range of drinks too. When I last visited on 31st Dec I was even given the option of brown gf or white gf bread. I've never been offered a choice of gf bread in any other restaurant & I was this that prompted me to finally get round to giving Boswells the 5 star review that it deserves. Thanks Boswells! Keep up the good work!

Great for stop off after shopping, very fresh food from early morning they do get busy. But staff are charming and very efficient we met for breakfast which was good best coffee around. Bacon baps go very well.

I've been to this cafe several times after our shopping; the food was always good, service good too...I found that new staff has been trained every time...mostly young people; always full with people; better choices than starbucks; family friendly; will keep visiting

I've been in this cafe several times recently and I can honestly say I've not had a bad meal yet. The porridge with banana and raspberry compote was delicious. So are the filled jacket potatoes. The portions are a little large but the friendly staff are always willing to adapt. Prices are very reasonable too. It's always clean and food is served quickly. A great find in Cascades shopping mall.

My wife and I visited today and order a breakfast bap. My wife did not have anything as she is a coeliac and they have previously stated that they can't be 100% sure that the food is GF or not contaminated from cross contamination.I ordered an egg bap and when it turned up the egg looked like it had been cooked using kitchen utensils like a machete, a baseball bat and a small tank!!! The yoke had been smashed beyond repair.If this is how you cook a fried egg, then I would hate to see how they cooked anything else

just come out of interview and need a coffee, first place I came to was Boswell's. Staff still recovering from lunch, but they were patient while I sorted through for change. A warm welcome, quick service, two at the till, one doing coffee's and the other taking money, very pleasant staff that brought my snack out. Very impressed for my first visit.

Recently took my wife,my daughter and grandchildren there,the food was of a decent standard,but the service was a bit shambolic,lots of staff running around like headless chickens,no organisation,we also had a complaint about our food,and the way it was dealt with was not satisfactory to say the least,customer service seams to have gone out the window.a bit of organisation is needed.

Boswell's is never going to win any prizes for its groundbreaking coffee however in general the service is quick and polite and the coffee is of a good standard. Plenty of vegetarian options but not much for vegans. They do a fair amount of gluten free feed and appeared to understand the basics when it came to potential contamination of gluten free food.

I popped in here to see if they had anything suitable for me to have for my breakfast. I asked the chap what was GF and he said I could have a fried breakfast and that any items that contain gluten can be substituted. I ordered the English Breakfast and had extra bacon and mushrooms in place of sausages and toast. The lad cooking it even went label reading in the kitchen to confirm the beans were ok. Absolutely lovely bit of breakfast. Im definitely coming more often.

Friendly, organized and chatty service. Nice coffee, not Italian and bitter. Tastefully decorated café shop. My husband find the baked potato dry.

Came here for one of the all day breakfasts and whilst it was a little pricey for that and a pineapple smoothie we weren't disappointed. The breakfast was lovely and the staff were brilliant in dealing with our adaptations to them. Also the smoothies are freshly made in front of you and taste wonderful. Would definitely go back.

A variety of hot and cold food some cakes a little expensive but food tasted good coffee great ,staff friendly ,clean would definitely visit again

If you are looking for an ultra trendy cafe then this is not for you, but if you are seeking good quality food and drinks at a fair price in the centre of the Commercial Road shopping area then go to Boswells. Friendly and efficient staff, regularly cleared tables, in a roomy setting with a good range of comfortable seating. Toilets, newspapers plus free wifi. Recommended.

Reasonably clean, usual Boswells range of food, order food at counter get drinks a bit along the line and hot food is delivered to your table. Reasonable range of cakes, hot and cold savouries and drinks. This Boswells was clean, plenty of seats and some slightly too loud background music when we visited.