Bru Coffee & Gelato in Waltham Forest

As said in the title I ordered with delivroo and bagels were mouldy and smell really bad it's impossible for them not to realised that they put bagels in mouldy paper containers. This isn't safe at all I might get sick.

Where to start; I have always been going via Walthamstow in the recent past en route to Work and saw this and thought it looked like a semi-posh and neat little cosy place from the outside. The main desk area was decent, nothing too arcane, just your usual urban fare with lots of snacking products and stock cluttering the front waiting for you to grab and spend. But a downgrade on even your standard Starbucks who have less clutter and have some Quality products like their amazing Jam toastie. I took a glance at the menu which seems to have a very varied range of desserts but being a 'Cafe' had an almost bewilderingly non-existent menu of 'savouries'. All I found were 2 Bagel sandwiches; one with Egg and the other only adding a measly portion of Turkey-rashers. I ordered the Egg-rasher bagel and the ''House made Hot Chocolate''. 1st the bagel: not only did it take a surprisingly long while but on arrival it was decidedly bland! The rashers on the edges remarkably were 'baked-dry' and had a horrible bitter taste on those edges. Where are the 'Crispy Bits'??! Still, I decided to continue eating to see if the egg was better; it was a bland, overcooked and unseasoned egg (omelette??) that simply tasted like a protein paper-mache. So disappointing and just beggars belief how a simple breakfast bagel can be this bad! The rashers lacked any caramelisation and so sweetness and fatty flavour; almost as if they were boiled! The bagel itself had thin wiping on butter (or margarine) on it - possibly the best part of this miserable meal. But the real shocker was to come: the ''home made'' hot chocolate, touted as 'Belgian''. The drink itself looked smart enough served in a tall glass but on smelling it the aroma profile is quickly revealed to be the same old bland mass-produced mainstream variety you find in any usual cafe and on tasting it just seemed too thin, even a bit watery. The chocolate had no real cocoa intensity to be classed a 'Gourmet' or that you associate with say, the richness of Haagen Daaz. And no corn-starch was used to give the drink body for that 'cosy' luxurious feel. Rather it tasted like Hershy's or Callebaut, melted down and diluted a little with tap water. A complete turn-off; I just left the glass over 3/4 full after giving up. I didn't bother with the rest of the desserts either as they seemed the same ideas traded around any casual store, though the prices weren't that bad. Nothing stood out or counted itself as 'excessive' to warrant my further curiously or attention. Boring and flat. Store was clean throughout though the toilets did need a bit of maintenance having being late in the day. Overall rating: 1/10. Shocking. Even Cadbury's hot chocolate or Klax from those old vending booths give you a more satisfying hit! Maybe a 2/10 at best if you really want to factor in the decent prices but really; I'd just pay the premium at a Starbucks! Otherwise, you're better off finding any other small traditional cafe as at least it does not try and be pretentious.

Usually their food and desserts are amazing but today their rainbow cake and ice cream was such a disappointment. The base of each layer was really hard. A real disappointment

Grandmas Victoria sponge: a bit dry. Way too much frosting. Srawbella waffle pop: burnt and smothered in too much chocolate Cookie dough: burnt

Came with a few friends to meet up after lockdown. Great selection of desserts and the ice creams are so tasty. Would recommend if your in the area or driving past to check out as the atmosphere is really chill and great for an evening out.

Visited with family, waited a long time for a very small order, tasted very nice the waffles are amazing, the staff will run this business down to the ground! The young lady with glasses IC1 female is so so damn rude its unbelievable! Not just to me but the other customers that was being served next to me! I hope the manager will see that shes doing a bad job. 2/5 for me! Only because the desserts tasted nice. Would not be visited again and its the staff to blame.

My brother had just ordered a waffle whilst we were at a coffee shop buying some drinks. We had just sat down and a staff member immediately told us we can’t have outside drinks with us although we had ordered a waffle and were deciding what else to order. Waffle was very hard when it came, couldn’t bite into properly. Felt very uncomfortable and inconsiderate. Would not come back here again, for sure.

We ordered: - ➡️ Brownie stack (Two waffles topped with chocolate sauce and brownie pieces with a side of chocolate gelato, flake & whipped cream) ➡️ Nutella cookie dough (Warm cookie dough topped with fresh sliced strawberries, vanilla gelato & oodles of warm Nutella) ➡️ Banoffee waffle pop (Waffle drizzled with a toffee sauce and layered with banana pieces paired with a scoop of white chocolate gelato) ➡️ Sticky walnut cookie dough (A cookie dough base with crumbled walnuts and maple syrup finished off with chocolate sauce and more maple syrup) ➡️ Chai latte with coconut milk ➡️ Classic mojito iced refresher (A combination of mojito sorbet blended with mint - non alcoholic) ➡️ Grinch hot chocolate (White hot chocolate with mint syrup, sprinkles & festive candy cane) - We absolutely enjoyed everything we ordered! My favs being the Banoffee waffle, Nutella cookie dough, grinch hot chocolate & the classic mojito 😍 The sticky walnut cookie dough was a tad too chocolatey for my liking but hey, you might love it 😋

After enjoying our supper at Chaiiwala, we walked to Bru Coffee and Gelato for a cheeky dessert. We enjoyed ice-creams here and nothing else. There were wonderful waffles and other glorious looking desserts in tall glasses and we could have been easily tempted. They have an excellent selection of gelatos either in a tub or in a cone. Peanut butter or pistachio? I ordered the former! There is a lovely ambience in this coffee shop, where you can either sit in the front or deep in the back of the shop which did look very inviting indeed. If we were staying longer and enjoying supper as well as dessert then we probably would have sat at the back. We will definitely come here again if we are climbing at Mile End.

I found this place by chance a few months ago, it is a really good vibe and has become my go to place in the evenings when I just want some good coffee and maybe the odd slice of cake. My current fave is the apple pie and custard especially on these colder nights. It’s great in summer too with a mango milkshake to die for.

nice and lovely place with good service and tasty sweet and coffee and will always go their as im part from walthamstow now 😍

It’s my fave coffee place .... so relaxed and good service ... I love the winter maple spice latte and the rainbow cake

We had a great breakfast at Brü, every food, beverages and coffee we got was great and the staff was nice and helpful.

I stopped by this super fancy Coffee and Gelato parlour today the 8th of August as I was searching for a happy place to work on my computer and secretly treat myself with a cheeky "something". Two lovely ladies cheerfully greeted me so I got super shy so welcoming they were! Straight to the point I mentioned to Imani and Karolina (obviously I engaged with them after we broke the ice!) it was my birthday so I just said: "Surprise me, Ladies!". Et Voila'... they came out with this gorgeous "Barbie Pink" Strawberry BruShake sinfully topped with cream, strawberry coulis and a touch of rainbow sprinkles. What a birthday delight! Loved every single calorie! I love when bartenders put Love, Creativity and a bit of... "Spicy Intuition". I'm very sensitive to everything that's artistic, queer, or simply "élégant" such what I just slurped! I also ordered a flat white. Cristoff (I'm unapologetically intrusive!) with his "savoir faire", like from a distant, mysterious world, politely served me the great tasty, rich, coffee all Londoners and "habitués" deserve. Strongly recommended... ça va sans dire!

I've been a regular customer at Bru for just over a year now and it is my favorite place in Walthamstow. The coffee is great and the desserts are absolutely amazing. I would personally recommend the strawbella waffle pop (you can thank me later ;)). I've spent so many hours here studying and hanging out with family and friends, and the staff have always been so lovely and accommodating. I can't recommend Bru enough!!

We ordered a waffle and waited.. and waited.. went to ask them once they gave a snide remark and said 5 minutes. After about 10 mins asked again.. turns out they’d forgotten our order! Got a full refund but not much of an apology.

Felt very relaxed, would be happy to spend time with the kids anyday at Bru. My kids really enjoyed the deserts - toys were present. There is something for everyone.

Popped in with wife and kids to try it out. It's nice and spacious inside with relaxed but smart and stylish decor. We'd just been out to eat so just wanted to relax and have some coffee/tea/desserts. The hot chocolate was good, not watery or over strong like some I've had in the past. My wife loved the mint tea as it came in this cute looking clear jug. I don't normally like chocolate ice-cream as I have found it leaves a bitter aftertaste; chocolate ice-cream here was chocolately but smooth with no aftertaste - me and my daughter really liked it. We also had the waffles (which my sons wolfed down)! and the apple pie with custard - this was really tasty, although I wasn't really over keen on the caramel topping!

Im a regular customer at bru for the last 2 years now. I'm shocked at the recent service me and my friends have received by staff. The staff are incredibly rude, it makes you not want to dine there at all. They make you rush to order, even when me and my friends went to study there. Another time, mt friend and her boyfriend went in linking arms and they told them to "go make love elsewhere". Incredibly disappointed with this. Staff definitely need training. Other than the staff, it's a pretty good atmosphere and lovely desserts x

I use Bru to work most days, the staff make the place and the coffee is brilliant too - streets ahead of the chains. Really well designed, light, bright and comfortable. And great Wifi too.

I was walking in the Walthamstow Village area yesterday, around 40 years after living there. What amazing changes to the area. I only wanted coffee so I ventured a bit further towards Walthamstow Central station and came across this place. Super waffle and brilliant coffee. You couldn't find anything like that in the 1970s. This is a pleasant establishment and they are clearly proud of the excellent but limited range of food they serve. I'd definitely return here if looking for yummy desserts. Quite pricey but I can't fault the quality so it is good value.

Went to Bru in Walthamstow with my family. I was so disappointed with customer service level with both stuff before counter however the manager Paola needs to be sent on a course for customers service. I have been a long time loyal customer to Bru however I'm so angry & upset that I am finding it hard to put it in to words. Manager called my sister a liar over a scope of ice-cream. Waffle had a hair in it instead of handling the matter the manager was making an issue over one scope of ice-cream. My sister had receive one scope of ice-cream in a separate tub. Half a scope had been placed near the waffle. When waffle with hair in it was return the tub with half a scope was return to. We had ask for a fresh waffle & another ice-cream scope to been given at same time. Manager refused & said only half a scope of ice-cream can be given with new waffle as my sister liar about half a scope being on the waffle plate. These no need for this matter to have gone further if manager had received correct training this issue could have to dealt with in a simple way.

Looking for venue that serves great coffee and waffles?, here it is! Really friendly staff, great service and a varied selection of teas, coffees, cakes and snacks. Pretty good value overall. With easy access from Walthamstow Central, it's a great place to meet, slightly undiscovered so enjoy.

We've been a few times and find the service and food great. Love the interiors. Child friendly with books available to read... Great idea! Great service no complaints X definitely we'll back :)

We were down for a wedding and on the morning of the wedding , myself and my daughter in law went for a coffee here . The service was fantastic, staff really friendly and couldn't do enough for us . The coffee was really good too, so many to choose from, the cakes looked really yummy, we had to give those a miss sadly . We were sat outside and we had a great time people watching . Would definitely recommend this place .

A perfect example how customer service can deteriarate over the time. I heard one staff is offering job to a customer because he noticed the slow service. Seriously! Only thing is they serve a good coffee. Average waiting time for a icecream is 25 minutes.

Delicious coffee, excellent pastries, impeccable service. Definitely recommend if you’re in the area or even out of the area.

Warm Walthamstow welcome at Bru. Quick brunch stop before checking in. Amazing toasties that will more than fill you... apart from Gary as they were so good he had two. They let us try the ice cream flavours (not all) 18 to choose from and delicious. Reasonably priced (more expensive in Cheshire) friendly staff and great food what more could you ask for - thank you.

Good place for quick meeting with friends. Big choice of teas, nothing authentic as it just seems bought off the shelves. Overall for what they do as a coffe shop, i would receommend them.

I have been to Bru a couple of times and I can recommend the place for gelato and desserts. Breakfast is however below standards with very average coffee, hospital canteen food and long waiting times (first comes coffee, then porridge and after a while eggs).

Lets start with the free wifi, a fantastic eclectic collection of sofas, chairs and booths, but the best bit is the home made cakes, wide selection of ice creams and drinks. Very warm and welcoming with a personal yet professional touch. This is one of my favourite places to go and its open late so its easy to find the right time.

This is a friendly cafe, ideal snacks, coffee and desserts. The staff are friendly and the cafe is quite big, so ideal for a big gathering of friends in a homely environment.

I really like this place. It's comfortable inside with a sofa at the end and another one at the entrance. Their coffees and teas are really nice and they have got good cakes and desserts. A good place to have an afternoon tea or to come after a meal. Highly recommended. I'm giving 5 stars.

Nice surroundings, great choice, order whatever you like and get SERVED unlike the conglomerates! Swift friendly service. Popped in with a few business colleagues and thought we support the local business community. We were not disappointed.

Excellent value - only £1.00 on weekdays for breakfast and a drink!!! Amazing selection of ice cream flavours and different teas. Nice atmosphere.

I recently visited Bru with my wife and kids and I must say they were really patient with 3 kids being quite loud. There waffle was really nice, better then most of the local offerings and the kids loved their ice cream and sorbet. The decor of the place is nice with a friendly atmosphere.

We came here for a hot beverage on a cold day. The hot chocolate and mocha were tasty, the cookie dough was too good to be true.

I have been here 3 times now & can't rate them enough ! Best waffles & desserts ever at very reasonable prices, lovely decor in shop, I personally found the desserts better then creams & Afters. once you come here you will forget the rest :)

Lovely coffee and lots of sweet treats. Lovely atmosphere in the well presented shop. Order at counter and they bring it to the table. I'd go again.

Been to Bru 3 times and the overriding impression is how nice the ice cream and waffles are and how lovely and enthusiastic the staff are about making customers experience a good one. Really enjoyed the coffee as well, so much nicer than creams!!

Enjoyed the food. Better than afters. Only thing is the last time I was there. Customers children's were running up and down the place. It wasn't safe as did not want our drinks spilt when these brats ran past multiple times. Staff occupied with serving.

A really nice cosy desert n coffee place. Really liked the choc cake n ice cream. Very old skool, delicious n the honeycomb hot chocolate..Wow! Reasonable prices n excellent service make it an overall great experience 😊

I have been there a few times already. The place is really nice. They have a great range of coffee cake and even ice cream. The menue is a bit expansive though but can be nice place to have a coffee with friend

Absolutely the best waffle I've ever had..went for the strawbella, was awesome. We tried the raspberry rush cooler and the mango sorbet..fabulously rich and full of flavour. My sister demolished the cookie. Will certainly be eating there again and again and again!