Bridges in Cambridge

Paid 9£ for a sandwich (see picture). I have no words. On top of that we waited 25 min for that sandwich. It’s a disgrace! Just avoid !

Never disappoint about this place, very nice personnel and good food and drink

Owner kept coming up to tell us to leave despite ordering multiple drinks over the course of about an hour in an extremely rude manner. He kept saying, "Are you trying to tell us how to run my business?" We mentioned that others in the shop had been there just as long as us, and he told us, "Don't tell me what you see, I can only tell you what I see because it is my business". Felt extremely harrassed during our time there, and unsure why we were the only customers targeted. Do not visit. There's good coffee shops across Cambridge with much better customer service. Ended up having to get my unfinished drink in a to-go container because he would not let us alone.

In just over an hour here we ordered several drinks, but this didn't stop the extremely rude manager/owner from continuing to bother us and rudely asking us to leave. He kept on telling us to hurry up and get out in order to free up space, despite the fact we had bought multiple drinks (during his final rude outburst towards us, some of us still had drinks or were about to buy another). When we explained this, and pointed out that others had been in the cafe just as long as us but were not being asked to leave, he got angry and told us that we were not listening to him and then accused us of telling him how to run his business. Perhaps his business strategy is sound, but his customer service certainly isn't - unless you enjoy drinking your coffee while being hassled and talked down to by an inexplicably aggressive man (or while witnessing this happen to other unfortunate customers in your vicinity), I would strongly recommend going somewhere else.

Really upsetting experience. My friends and I had been there for about an hour, ordered several drinks, and were just chatting quietly when the owner came over and started aggressively telling us we needed to leave. We were polite and confused, but he kept cutting us off, saying things like “Are you trying to tell me how to run my business?” and “Don’t tell me what you see.” It felt personal and hostile for no clear reason, especially since there were other customers who had been there longer, were on their laptops or reading a magazine, and weren’t being hassled. We felt singled out and completely unwelcome. I’ve never experienced such bizarre and rude behavior from a business owner before. Definitely won’t be going back — Cambridge has plenty of cafés that actually treat people with respect.

I used to like Bridges a lot but I've been disappointed by the value recently - I had a slither of a slice of cake and it cost £4.20. A slice 2x the size would be £2.20 at Caffé Nero (so about 1/4 of the price). I know Bridges cakes are delicious, homemade, etc. but when you pay as much as £4.20, you don't expect a mean portion. I'd probably choose a different local café next time. A big shame, though! Also worth mentioning that there's no customer w.c.

Very nice cafe with very good homemade cakes and pastries. Staff is very friendly.

All pastries and desserts are excellent, 100% recommended

Probé la masa agria de ternera coreana, y aunque se veía y sonaba genial en el papel, fue decepcionante por casi £ 9. El relleno era risiblemente pequeño — había mucho mayo picante, pero el cohete y otros ingredientes eran casi inexistentes. La carne fue cortada tan fina, que solo había una pieza, del tamaño de una moneda de 50 peniques. Realmente debería haber tomado una foto, fue casi cómico. Sinceramente creo que este lugar tiene potencial, pero esta es mi tercera visita, y por el precio, esperaba más. Yo no elegí este lugar; fue la elección de mi compañía, y esperaba una redención, pero lamentablemente, se cayó. No habrá una cuarta visita.

The hot chocolate and smoothies were delicious, so came back for a late lunch and rather wish we hadn't ... Partner's pastry was okay but my salad had a few thin slivers of avocado, five strands of rocket if I was lucky, a couple of hard cherry tomatoes quartered, some shredded carrot and a smattering of pine nuts - the rest was lettuce from a bag which basically filled the whole bowl. Oh, and three tiny slices of bread, round, stale and without butter. I know it's a city, but for £10.95 it was a rip off - I had an amazing meal the day before in a different city for almost half the price and it was fantastic with an awesome chef. So, would go back for drinks, but nothing else.

Nice coffee shop. Food is good and so are the drinks. Friendly staff too! And dogs welcome :)

Outstanding place very good coffee ☕️

La comida aquí es deliciosa. Mi compañero tenía un pedazo de tarta de salmón caliente que le encantaba, y yo tenía un bocadillo de masa madre, pero me vi tentado por los arancini. Los pasteles también estaban muy sabrosos. Está ocupado y por una buena razón, así que si estás de paso y hay espacio, definitivamente deberías venir.

Bridges is a bit hit and miss. Prawn sandwich we had was quite bad but the lasagna was quite good. Atmosphere is cute

My friend and I really enjoyed our coffee and were planning on buying lunch here, but were disappointed when the owner asked us to leave to make room for others. It would be nice if this establishment were more open to students needing to study, maybe by setting aside just a few tables for this purpose.

Small and homely, tasty sandwich and hot chocolate, friendly staff

Nice bar for coffee, tea, sweets, cakes and sandwiches. Friendly people.

Try the Guinness chocolate cake. The best cake ever!!!

Favourite coffee shop in Cambridge. Love the coffee and all the cakes!

Sandwich lovers know! My friend introduced me to Bridges several years ago and it's always been great value for money. Dizzying selection of sandwiches made-to-order and they are always packed full of fillings. My favourite is the halloumi and sun-dried tomato, but I also like the hummus and falafel. The cakes are so delicious especially the dark chocolate Guinness one, I always have to get a slice. Don't sit in to eat, it's small and Jesus Green is right there. Get takeaway and eat in the park.

Esta es una excelente cafetería con excelente café y pasteles. La torta de café y nuez estaba húmeda y sabrosa. El servicio fue con una sonrisa a pesar de la presión de estar ocupado. A los lugareños obviamente les gusta esta cafetería. Bien hecho y gracias!

Sharing mainly to warn others who need access to a toilet - Bridges don't (currently?) have one available. Big problem for me at 8months pregnant, and the suggested public loo at Quayside is really horrid, and although a quick dash for an able person, still too far for someone who can't move fast. I have had tasty lunches here before and my iced coffee today was tasty, nice atmosphere looking out onto busy Bridge St, friendly service BUT no toilet is a major issue for me which will strongly reduce chances of returning. I was in too much of a rush to use the loo to enquire as to whether it was a short term problem, the reply was just 'No we don't have any' plus brief directions to the public ones on Quayside. Perhaps if its a short term problem, someone could reply and I'll delete this review, otherwise I think people need to be warned!

Always enjoy coming here for a healthy treat, fabulous fresh juices and the vegan sausage roll with caramelised onion is to die for! Delicious!

The cafe is really nice, but the staff is unbelievably rude. I went there to finish some work and stayed a while, but instead of asking me if I needed something else they approached saying I should leave immediately because they need the tables. I asked if I can order something else they said no because I have just been sitting there. The food is good, but I didn’t feel very welcome and I would definitely not recommend it.

Quería llamar la atención de la gerencia que el personal es muy mal educado, grosero y poco profesional. Fui allí a tomar café y tenía trabajo que terminar. Me había quedado un tiempo, pero quería pedir otra cosa. No tuve la oportunidad porque un tipo se acercó y me dijo groseramente que debía irme porque están ocupados los fines de semana. Para notar que no había nadie esperando una mesa. Dije ok, siento irme pronto. 5 minutos después otro tipo empezó a gritarme que debía irme porque necesitaban la mesa (había 3 mesas disponibles a mi lado). Le pregunté si podía pedir algo y quedarme, me dijo que no porque me quedo allí y no debería. Nunca he experimentado esto en toda mi vida. Entiendo que necesito consumir para quedarme allí, no tengo ningún problema con eso, pero ¿qué tal si pregunto cortésmente si necesito algo en lugar de echarme como si fuera algún tipo de criminal?

¡No puedo creer que esto me haya costado poco más de 10 libras! Sin adornos ni nada. Ojalá lo hubiera sabido antes de comprar. Qué estafa. Por ese precio, esperaría una ensalada de acompañamiento. Tenía que sacar esta lasaña. Sentarse era más barato y tenías una guarnición, pero sacarlo es más caro y no tiene nada que ver. La comida es mediocre, es realmente muy decepcionante. Sin embargo, el té helado, aunque también increíblemente caro, sabía bien. Creo que un precio de más de £ 4 por un té helado en un pequeño café es demasiado ... . Es una pena porque el café en sí es agradable y creo que el precio de los sándwiches y baguettes son justos, pero los artículos que calientan en el microondas son increíblemente caros y no se merecen. Además, más condimento a la lasaña que era soso. Sobre todo no impresionado.

Paid £10 for a wrap the size of my palm. Tiny and basically a snack. Terrible value.

The cakes are ok but nice coffee. The place is nice and well located

Lovely little place on the street with friendly staff and good food. Coffee and freshly squeezed juices are also available. Outdoor seating as well. Would recommend it!

nice stop for a coffee, we always come here

A busy family style eatery. Not to be compared with artisan cafes or restaurants, but the wide range of homely and tasty food and drink options are good enough when I want something different outside my own kitchen. The counter is a bit slow— making coffee and then taking order, so the short queue takes time. (Food is fast in comparison.) Brighter point, some people have finished lunch in the meantime and freed up some seats. Maybe delegating tasks would help. The Chicken Chorizo Arancini is pretty nice. The filling is full of flavor, and the gooey cheese in the center is always lovely. On the other hand, the shell is no longer crispy and turns a bit soggy. ✏️ A suggestion: rehearing with oven works better than with microwave. (I am also considering taking it as to-go next time to do it my way to revive its texture) The matcha latte is hearty, unsweetened and comes with a big mug of milk — but it’s really hot— I scorched my tongue badly when I took a slurp, despite waiting for a few minutes until the food arrives. Be careful. The Guiness cake makes me cry in joy🥹 So dark, so rich, so moist. Tastes like condensed Oreo! I’m taking it home to enjoy it without the pressure from other customers. The paninis, savories, and cakes all look so enticing. Will definitely come back to try them all (on less busy days for me and for the restaurant). The owner might appear a little stern, reminds me of the way many Asian dads focus on their busy work. It’s stress and concentration, not altitude I guess. The space is tiny. Despite the beautiful deco and relaxing, there is a rushed feeling to eat fast and leave— would recommend takeaway instead. There is some student discount available. 202405 Guinness cake to go for my friend’s birthday. The pies and scotch egg look amazing!! And it’s not that crowded before noons Hope I’ll pass by again soon for lunch.

We sat out in the sunshine and had two great coffees and cakes- banana cake and carrot cake. Really delicious. Only gets 4 stars as no toilet available. Would definitely go back again.

Lovely café, delicious cakes and good coffee, and good service. Enjoyed Mother's Day chocolate bombs and Guinness cake. Food also looks amazing (it was a bit early for lunch when we visited) - so must return. Hugely popular even on a Sunday morning.

Good place to make a very short stop over with not more than two people. We were 5 people on Sunday trying to have proper a breakfast, spent above average for that place and in 1 hour the owner just asked us to leave. It was very weird experience when old guy came showing us with gesture we need to go ignoring that some people came later and didnt finish their dishes. It worthless to say, we were quite group of postgraduates who just came before our travel to have a breakfast and chat. Despite the food is absolutely okeyish, the staff behavior is unspeakably and unexplainably odd.

I ordered an extra hot flat white and a prawn sandwich on brown bread . The staff were friendly and smiley but the food and drink were appalling . The coffee was lukewarm warm . The sandwich arrived on white bread . It was changed to brown bread with no fuss BUT ,there was more lettuce than prawns which were tiny ,and possibly only 6 in the whole sandwich!!!!! It is possibly the meanest prawn sandwich I have ever had !!! I appreciate that rates are high in Cambridge,but this took the mickey !!!! I wouldn’t visit again .

Staff not polite. Very passive aggressive and not welcoming. Sweets were average and coffee as well. Do not recommend

Typical English tea room. Very good pastries.

Stopped here for the first time today. Food was delicious and they had several gluten free options on cakes as well as GF bread for a lovely toastie. Sweet potato, chestnut and cheese pie was really nice.

Pretty expensive for the food portion (would need two mains), arancini lacks flavour but the space is really cute for a coffee

The food is always nice and clean chicken and bacon. Baguette I always get the owners are very friendly couple and the staff are nice and polite. Not much room in there but what else do you need from the sandwich shop lovely cakes good coffee I always take my mum in there when she comes down to visit.

Big range of cakes and sweet treats as well as savoury lunch items, paninis/pastries etc. We were spoiled for choice when we stopped for something to eat here. Great if you're wanting cake or a light bite for lunch.

Loved it: delicious cakes, coffee and sandwiches and a great place to shelter from the rain for a little while on Friday

Good food and coffee, friendly service but very busy and hard to get a table especially during lunch times...

Had a quick bite to eat for a mid week lunch...The Arancini was superb

Staff friendly, shop cool and calm , sensibly priced good quality

I pre-ordered a number of baguettes from Bridges online for a punting marketing event I was running. Pick up was extremely efficient (I was in and out in less than a minute - everything was ready and waiting) and all of my guests commented on how good the baguettes were. Excellent service, excellent food and fantastic value. I am a very happy customer!

The Guinness Cake, where do I begin! This cake is amazing, so delicious and moist, one slice is not enough. You eat it and just want more. However the coffee was not so good, the sort of coffee that can't be finished. Looking forward to trying some of their other cakes.

I pre-ordered a number of baguettes from Bridges online for a punting marketing event I was running. Pick up was extremely efficient (I was in and out in less than a minute - everything was ready and waiting) and all of my guests commented on how good the baguettes were. Excellent service, excellent food and fantastic value. I am a very happy customer!

We came with our hen party, the owner came to take photos and offered complimentary cake. Lovely lady.

This place is solid. I always have a great experience.

We required a corporate lunch to be provided for 10 people and as a local, I recommended Bridges who did not disappoint. The selection of sandwiches, fruit and dessert platter was very popular with our team. Quality food and service was provided and the delivery option was also a nice touch. Bridges is a Cambridge institution and one that I have had the pleasure of witnessing its growth over the past 20 years from a cafe to now offering catering services. Happy to continue supporting an independent family-run business.

We ordered catering for a work event. The food was excellent, several dietary restrictions were accommodated and packaging/ presentation was great. Would definitely order from here again.

The panninis/ baguettes were really nice

Cancels orders without explanation, disappointing…

I love this cafe! Delicious pies with Mediterranean twists.

Lovely cafe! Had the scotch egg which was delicious! Highly recommend this little place

Lovely little cafe with superb range of veggie meals. Staff are so attentive too! We'll be back for afternoon coffees!

Scrumptious stop for coffee and light lunch!

£8 arancini which wasn’t warmed through properly, and a very milky cappuccino unfortunately

Perfect place for cake and coffee, especially if you get a table outside in the sun. The coffee cake was absolutely delicious.

Food in the counter looked delicious to be fair but our baguettes were just meh. No butter and hardly any filling. What I was really annoyed about is no customer toilets. I don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect facilities when dining in. We had been walking around for a while so we’re absolutely bursting to nip to the loo only to see a tiny sign after we had ordered saying no customer toilets!! The toilets that were suggested as an alternative down the road were closed. You should train your team to tell customers at the counter, before they order and pay.

Ridiculous expensive my food was microwaved and served half cold and on the top of that not even a toilet

Amazing coffee with delicious cakes. A very pleasant environment and service. I will definitely be returning!!

I would die for the Guinness cake. The Guinness cake can have my house, my childhood and my desires. I have tried to re-create the cake at home, and it is impossible. My partner will move from Cambridge soon for work, but I don't think I can go with him. The Guinness cake must come first.

Local pequeñito con buena carta de tes y cafés y opciones de dulces (tarta de zanahoria riquísima, variedad de brownies).

Lovely place, quite out of the way from all the big tourist spots but next to a lovely little church. Lots of cake options for myself as I have a dairy allergy, plus the best chai latte I've had here so far. My partner said it's the nicest cup of tea he's had in Cambridge. Will keep coming back!

A notice for customers (inside the premises) says Bridges does not have customer toilets and directs them to public facilities on the Quayside. This contravenes section 20 of the 1976 Local Government Miscellaneous Provisions Act which states that premises serving food and drink must have adequate customer toilet facilities. When I challenged one of the staff about whether they were complying with the law she claimed they were and said that they did not provide these facilities ‘because it was an old building.’ Potential customers might like to be aware of the staff attitude before deciding to patronise Bridges.

Food was ok (highly priced)but very surprised that they don’t have a toilet for customers. Only a sign to use public toilets up the road.

Excellent coffee, baguettes, salads etc. Friendly staff, clean and well worth a stop.

Tasty coffee and cake but comparatively pricey.

Was in Cambridge for a weekend with the family shopping around the indie areas and randomly popped into Bridges for coffee and cake. Chuffed to bits with our choice and the friendliness of the staff. Having had a walk about we needed to get to the other side of town and decided to pop in again and ask the staff about directions and best way to get there. The proprietor (?)said it was a fair walk and if we took a seat out front she'd call us a cab. That's proper customer service in my book. She didn't know me fro Adam and didn't even know we'd been customers earlier in the day. Thanks to Bridges for a warm hospitality and great food. Can thoroughly recommend.

I was ignored on entering and had to wait at the counter until the server had finished slicing some quiche. No acknowledgement or apology. The cake and coffee were overpriced.

Lovely food served with fresh salad and dressing 😋

Called in to pick up a couple of sandwiches to take away after a few hours slogging round the city centre. Wonderfully friendly staff and, on being handed our purchase I asked the Lady if she could point us toward a taxi rank as we were heading for the botanic gardens. She went one better than that, phoning and ordering a taxi on our behalf and then keeping us updated on it's progress. All done with a friendly smile too. Amazingly good service, can't recommend highly enough

Consistently wrong items on Deliveroo orders.

Good coffee, good Bakewell tart. Like it

Delicious homemade cakes and savouries, staff were friendly and attentive, really looking forward to our next visit.

Un buen sitio para tomar el té con gran variedad de pastelería

Amazing service and really delicious coffee. Staff are all lovely. Strongly recommend!!!!

Lively cafe. Very clean and polite friendly staff

Visited for lunch when in Cambridge with family. Small but nice cafe. Unfortunately my order was wrong twice but eventually got it sorted and food was good

We absolutely love coming here, the food is delicious and their mocha is the best I have EVER had. Friendly staff and relaxed atmosphere too. Would 100% recommend to anyone in Cambridge!

Great cafe. Lovely cakes, lovely pastries, friendly staff. Good central location.

The best matcha latte in the whole Cambridge! And the cakes are amazing. They very efficient and friendly. Lovely place!

Great selection of vegan foods and cakes. Love the location and the friendly staff and owners. Iconic Cambridge cafe. Happy Anniversary.🎉

We stopped here for a hot chocolate and cake and WOW!! Best hot chocolate I've had for a long time and the cakes were delicious!! Would definitely recommend visiting!

If I could have given 0 stars I would have done. We stopped at this cafe to get a cup of coffee- cafe was nice inside and is in a great location. However, they got our order wrong and brought me a coffee which was so full of syrup I couldn't drink it- I had asked for a tiny amount of syrup when making the order. I politely asked them to make me another (it happens- so just needed them to replace it). The waitress (brown hair but unfortunately I didn't get a name) brought a new one back over but was incredibly rude and said I should have been clear when making our order rolling her eyes with hands on hips. I told her I had explained the order twice to the lady behind the counter and had been very specific. She then went behind the counter to complain about me to her colleague. Polite manners cost nothing and when your customers are being as kind and understanding about a mistake as they can, and it's a problem with communication between staff, it's unacceptable to be so rude. Perhaps she was having a bad day but I will not be returning. Rolling your eyes, being obnoxious and trying to blame the customer for your mistake is just simply bad service.

Small but perfectly formed cafe

Best iced coffee and can never resist their arancini

Bridges is the perfect place for a light afternoon lunch or coffee & cake! They’re all so welcoming and make the best food! All cakes are homemade and the apricot flap jack is wonderful! I visit regularly and always know it’ll be good quality food with a high level of service!

Good location, good service, a plethora of items on the menu that will satisfy your every whim. From savory to sweets, from salads to sandwiches and paninis. The hummus could be better seasoned.

We visited the cafe on a busy Saturday and received really efficient and friendly service, and great food. We discovered later that the team were 50% down that day but we would never have known; full credit to everyone for going the extra mile to ensure our customer experience remained perfect.

Lovely little café with tasty cakes and plenty gluten free options. Friendly barristas and a great spot to people watch 👀

Only popped in for a quick coffee, very friendly staff, looked after us..

Expensive and very poor service (angry owner confronted us for changing our child’s order when his staff failed to inform us when items were unavailable). The extra star is for the juices which are high quality. Many better places close by which you should visit instead.

We visited Bridges in mid-October with friends who live in Cambridge. The service was slow, and the cafe was busy so we ate on the wall opposite. When I popped back in for the loo, I was blocked by a member of staff who said they didn’t have one. I’m pretty sure she was telling the truth, but it’s weird, because in line with food hygiene regulations they need to provide an adequate number of toilets and wash basins for the number for seats they provide. Which at my reconning was at least 15 inside and out.

Nice place,with a lovely ambience.Thoroughly recommended!

Good views at the window to see the world go by. Standard drinks and cakes. Could be cleaner.

Really good lunch options here but quite pricey because of its touristy location. I'm a regular here and for me the scotch eggs and arancini are the best things on the menu, but the baguettes are good everyday takeaways, and it's really hard to walk past their cakes. You can eat in too and they have a few more good options if you do.

Excellent range of pies pasties etc, great coffee and juice. Super enjoyable experience