Caffe Nero - Hitchin in North Hertfordshire

I don’t normally write negative reviews but someone needs to do something. The place is filthy with ground in dirt, dust and trays that have plastic literally peeling off, the staff of 3 behind the counter were so busy talking between themselves that the customers were all but ignored. The cutlery was dirty and the server picks them up from the end you are supposed to put in your mouth. Not going back.

Fantastic coffee shop! Really friendly and helpful staff. Great at advising regarding allergies. Great tasting coffee and food.

absouloutley horrific! This place is disgusting. I wish I had taken a photo of my drink before I returned is as there was speckles of green on top of my drink. It is safe to assume that it was pieces of mould inside of the whipped cream which also appeared to be very watery. This is disgusting and I hate t think that if someone had whipped cream inside a hot chocolate or a non transparent cup they could've been drinking mould. When i reported this inceddent to staff they told me that they wouldn't use whipped cream until they got a new batch. Later anther customer complained meaning they used the same whipped cream. Absoloutley mortifying.

This place is f$cking disgraceful. Horrid atmosphere, rude workers and the abouloyte cherry in the cake is the awful drinks. The place is so run down it looks like my nans living room, my nan is not with us anymore. The workers litterly mumbled under their breath “bloody hell, not again” and gave me the same drink back as I could see behind the counter. I will insert photos it tastes like my 4 year olds dirty nappies. You will never catch me in there agin hope it goes out of business. Xx

As an talian, I am passionate about a well made cappuccino...how was It? Terrible, the kind we know in Italy Is to avoid....a few mm of foam and the rest indigestible liquid

I visited Hitchin a few days ago and came to the cafe to enjoy the atmosphere and food. My coffee was fantastic, all thanks to the new trainee, he made it perfectly! Will definitely be coming in more when he's working 🤣 Overall, a nice café with a polite team.

Awful service, ordered my coffee then moved along the line to allow the server to take the next customer’s order (like other coffee shops ask you to do!) only for my tray to be shoved back to where it was by another (female) server who very abruptly told me to stay at the till I was being served at (wasn’t aware of their ‘system’). Lots of dirty cups lying around on the tables. Won’t be visiting again in a hurry.

Today I passed Cafe Nero in Hitchin, needed to rest a while, thought this looked a nice place to stop. Overlooks the square,a lovely location. They were short staffed, a trainee was overworked and rushing from place to place, I did feel sorry for him. Many tables were not cleared. However, I asked if there was anything Gluten free available. As he hadn't time to stop or chat, he was a little abrupt, but understandably so. " If it's labelled". My response "Ok don't worry". When all staff were at their posts, they were all very busy. I sat with my cappuccino coffee at a nearby table to rest and enjoy. Unfortunately the coffee was only warm and not hot, as I like my coffee. I won't be using this branch again. ☹️

Unfortuately not a good visit, tables full of dirty crockery, staff did not seem to want to be there and there was not a shortage of staff.

Great tea, great food. A really lovely place to write/work. Big windows lend loads of natural light. The staff are friendly and efficient, and there is always somewhere to sit. A few really nice cozy nooks as well with both table seating and comfortable sofas to sink into.

We had a really lovely time and we took our (borrowed) dog along, who also had a great time meeting other dogs in the cafe. Chris behind the bar is a delight and prepared us some gorgeous hot chocolates and coffee. An easy place to be and much enjoyed, thank you!

Im Looking forward to being able to come back to Hitchin cafe Nero. Cannot beat their coffee a d wonderful friendly staff who always get my coffee just right

Well done to the new staff who took it on board to spruce up the paintwork somewhat... they could see it was unacceptable...the toilet area needed it...so well done to the staff!!!! Management, the place needs a revamp, it's been a cash cow for years!!...reinvest and bring it up to date....this is in a prime location!!

Fantastic service. Staff know their customers. Noticed when I was having energy low and quickly moved me to front of queue and served me a sweet snack and sugary drink. THANK YOU!

I'm not the one to complain, but wow. The staff at Caffè Nero in Hitchin, UK, was so rude and acted discriminately against us. We are profoundly deaf and we scrolled in the cafe in Hitchin yesterday for tea, cappuccino and 2 pork rolls. We stated to the lady that we are deaf so we politely moved our masks down so we can explain to the lady that we are deaf and we need to communicate by lip-reading. The lady told us that we should be wearing a necklace pass to show that we're disabled but we stated that we don't have one and we would need to converse by the staff moving their mask down so we can lip-read. The man proceeded to remove his mask (please note that the plexiglass was present with social distance too so it was safe) but the lady talked down to the man NOT to remove his mask. We were shocked by this treatment and we wanted to ask the lady but she refused to look at us as if we were inferior to her. We tried to get her attention so we can explain again but she refused to look at us and that was the end of it. We were upset with this treatment and decided to leave the premise before we get further discriminating treatment by the staff.

I have to agree with an earlier post about the state of the toilets. I don't understand how the council inspections don't pick this up!! Toilets need a revamp...

Popped in here for coffee and breakfast, used the gents toilet and couldn’t believe how dirty they were, the door was disgusting!. Clearly haven’t been properly cleaned for a long time. Really put me off and so decided to find somewhere cleaner for breakfast.

Always a good cup of coffee, friendly service and free wifi. Only downside its abit of a struggle to navigate with a pram if you're sitting in. Otherwise highly recommend

Very few people in there as early however drinks took ages but this is often the case. Unfortunately they had run out of most fresh pastries. Cafe generally looked a bit tired could have been cleaner. We chose Nero’s as my husband likes the coffee here otherwise very average.

Normal Standard Caffe Nero.Good coffee as expected .Apricot croissant likewise.Staff friendly and adequately efficient

Meeting colleague for catch up. Service quite slow despite being quite quiet several tables not cleared and cafe generally looked as if it would benefit from a thorough clean. Coffee itself was fine good location to meet people, but with all other coffee shops around would benefit from higher standards

Great coffee, comfortable chairs, good food and excellent service - never too long to wait for your food order and the shelves are always well stocked. Friendly staff which is always a plus.

I like Nero for coffee. They are the best place to get a decent coffee served by a smiling friendly face! So why serve it in such a dive? You venue in hitchin is frankly skanky. You furniture is old tired and dirty. Your decor has seen better days s frankly guys your can afford better. Please sort it soon. You cannot get away with this for much longer.

Service is fine. Good selection of cakes, sandwiches and soft drinks. Great coffee.Decor is dated, it needs a good clean and bringing up to date. Given how busy this place is, I fail to comprehend why Neros can't put some of the profits back in to this place.

We went to the Hitchin Caffè Nero for coffee and cake. I ordered a toasted bun and was told she would bring it to my table. I had almost finished my coffee and had to go to the counter to ask where it was. A few minutes later the barista brought a burnt tea cake. I jokingly said ‘ you forgot me didn’t you’ and she replied in a very surly way ‘ sorry but we are busy”. If I order and pay for something, I really don’t expect to have to ask for it again because she forgot and be told ‘we are busy’ . She had obviously re heated the one she forgot and it was only just about edible. Won’t be going there again - very poor service .

We going at Caffe Nero to take a coffe for pleasure and i ask a long espresso single , the gilr she make a Americano coffe. And when i ask is long or Americano the guy with glasses was very rude to gave me answer. The Long Espresso is just Long NOT AMERICANO.

The coffee at Nero is the closest to real Italian espresso you can get in Hitchin. Food selection is limited and service may be a bit patchy but all worth it for a good strong espresso.

Good venue to meet but takes so long to actually get the drinks from when you give order, tables not cleared regularly

Coffee good but always have to wait ages never seem to be enough staff to keep cafe clean and clear cups etc

Good coffee, good friendly staff, but the location needs a good redecorating . Dog friendly too, nice cakes and sandwiches

Excellent service and great drinks. It gets very busy which is a sign of how good/popular the place is.

Good seating area to the back, easy access wifi, staff friendly and welcoming, expensive, but quality is there.

The service is friendly and knowledgeable but I'm afraid that's where the positive comments end.

Cannot fault the staff here. They are all polite and friendly. The decor is a bit shabby compered to other coffee shops in the town but the coffee is much nicer.

Have been buying coffee here for over 3 years. The staff are amazing, friendly and cheerful, quickly remember usual orders and always greet and say goodbye. They try to keep the place clean but is very difficult when it is so shabby.

Some of these reviews are so mean. Yes the place needs a refurb without a doubt, but the staff are so lovely and remember all the regulars orders. Josh is an assett to the place. Always happy and chatty .

Warm, friendly welcome. Staff helpful, listen to their customers and remember them. Nice atmosphere to enjoy coffee with friends. Feels family orientated.

He estado viniendo a Cafe Nero durante años, de hecho desde que abrió. Mi última visita va a ser la última.

The nicest place and the best coffee ~ Absolutely love this place. Can't walk by without grabbing a vanilla latte! Far better than the main stream muck.

Staff are always friendly - Josh and Ryan make great coffee and soya hot chocolate! Clean and family friendly!

Caffè Nero in Hitchin has the best staff who amazingly remember all the regular customers orders. Friendly and lovely . I like to sit in the comfy window sofa and people watch with the best coffee in Hitchin

Servicio encantador y amable de la señorita detrás del mostrador. El café era muy agradable, como el blueberry muffins. Sin embargo los inodoros estaban totalmente inaceptable y Desagradable, sucio, que arruinó toda la experiencia para nosotros.

Así regularmente mi cafetería (familiar) está cerrada esta semana y he estado por encima de mi sellos, pero qué nerón mundo de diferencia. Los dos hombres jóvenes que abandonan prematuramente la escuela detrás del mostrador están tan ocupados pea - cocción, charlando, sin olvidar lo que el cliente pide, con acerca de su vida social. Por favor, pagar algo de atención a los clientes.

Fue el Día de Año Nuevo y estábamos buscando un buen café. Así que muchas tiendas estaban cerradas, así que después de café una larga búsqueda que decidí por Nero.

Friendly staff but tables, floor and loos very dirty. Cutlery dirty too. Won't be going back in a hurry!

Good service. Friendly staff. However.... Disgusting toilets. Full of uncleared tables. Dirty tables. Sticky floor. Totally unhygienic area to the left of the till, environmental health would shut it down. Dirty, run down and tired looking....

A bit run down but coffee as you would expect. Toilets are horrible. My only real complaint is that several members of staff have started calling female customers 'sweetheart'. I am afraid that I can't find a polite way of telling them not to be so patronising. 2016 - good grief!

What a dreadful place, tables and chairs scattered all over the place, very dirty, a long wait to be served by staff who only want to talk to themselves, cold coffee, cold food, cold atmosphere

I absolutely love it here. It's home from home for me. What makes this coffee shop so great is the staff and the coffee. I've been coming to Caffè Nero in Hitchin for 6 years. I studied for all my exams here, before and after work. Ryan is the manager now and what an asset he is to this company. The team greet you as if you were family. They are efficient and bubbly and the coffee is great too!When I'm here I'm amongst friends and when I leave they make a point of saying good bye! It doesn't get better than this. A definate visit if you are in Hitchin

We visit this café whenever we are in Hitchin. Love the coffee, and millionaire's shortbread is rich and tasty. Great atmospherr.

Whilst the premises need some updating the coffee and cakes are great as is the friendly service, been so often they know my order off by heart.

Go here quite a lot and I moan about it every time. The coffee is good. But! The tables are all on top of each other, it's cluttered and very shabby. I totally agree with other comments about toilets they are awful. Been to Nero's in other towns which are lovely, really can't understand why this one is so bad. I've filled in the feedback on Nero website 3 times but never had a response.

We bought our own sandwiches at the counter and got plates and sat down. It was pleasant enough. We enjoyed our sandwiches but there was nothing to rave about. Just an average lunch.

Very very dirty. The toilet doors look absolutely disgusting on the outside facing restaurant (heaven know what they look like from other side as didn't dare to venture in) , seating filthy as was floor. Had a pre packed croissant which looked ok when I picked it out of large fridge display but by time staff were finished with it looked as if it had been run over by a bus ! And despite five equally scruffy and shabby staff working behind counter and the place practically empty the service was very slow, they looked busy but who know what exactly they were doing ? Trying to resuscitate my croissant maybe ?

Knowledgeable Batista on duty , very helpful when quizzed on coffee ... one of the better chains ...gave me a loyalty card and was friendly and enthusiastic...i wanted a slightly weaker coffee without loads of milk and he went out of the way than the usual grunts from a teenager lol ..!! One hot day we had to abandon the visit as the air con was broken and it was very hot and clammy in there .. it's just a quick coffee and out job ..as always with These places its expensive to get just a coffee and something to eat is way overpriced

Decided to have a quick coffee before doing a bit of shopping, as there were not many people in Caffe Nero decided to go in there, big mistake! 3 young men serving however they appeared to be more intent on showing off to each other singing and dancing totally ignoring the few customers they had. Eventually one kindly decided to ask for our order only to fail to listen to what we actually wanted, we only wanted 2 drinks obviously 1 too many for them to concentrate on. When he prepared the one we asked for we then had to ask for the second one again. Anyway we had our coffees and made the mistake of using the loo, it was filthy and the floors were filthy avoid this if you want to be treated as if your custom matters as it obviously doesn't!

Just popped in for a hot drink, ordered a Latte and it tasted very nice, in need of that so much had a second helping with a few biscuits

Only had hot drinks there so cannot judge food. Friendly place, helpful staff. Can be very busy. People can relax, read papers, work on their PC or just chat. A good mix of ages.

I have come here for ages and always loved it. It isn't very cheap but great quality, lovely drinks and food. Great for all the family!

I saw the potter, outside advertising flat white iced coffee which sounded nice. I entered and coughed up £2.60 for a small polystyrene cup of lukewarm liquid which tasted absolutely disgusting, I asked the man 'where is the ice.' He told me it had dissolved LOL. I will not darken their door again.

The staff in Hitchin are always so happy and friendly, I usually go in once a week, and they quickly get to know what you most often have. Some coffee shops feel intimidating but by comparison this one feels like home, if you know what I mean. All down to the staff x

Always good fast service and accommodating when you have kids. Good coffee, good muffins and Free wifi

O Caffe Nero é uma ótima opção para um café, minhas escolhas são sempre flat white ou chai latte. Para comer recomendo o lanche de atum, que é delicioso. O staff é um capítulo a parte, parecem sempre animados, isso é contagiante!!

Have visited quite a few Caffe Nero's and this one stood out. Good coffee and good service. Worth a visit if your in the area.

We always dropped in to Caffe Nero for a wee coffee and were always met by friendly staff who would more often than not remember our order from previous visits, says more about us than it does them tbh #CoffeeAddicts lolCoffee was always great and the cold drinks good too. If you're in Hitchin definitely drop in for a wee brew. Cheers

Friendly staff. Excellent citron tart. Very helpful. First time visit and will not hesitate to use again. Clean and tidy with comfortable seating

I visited this coffee house with a friend recently and it was my turn to pick up the tab.......and join the queue! What is it with us Brits? We seem to queue for everything - buses, shop sales, coffee! Especially, nowadays, coffee! The place was already crowded with a generous supply of prams and buggies spread all over the place. Hardly a space to be found and there were more than a dozen people in front of me standing in line for their caffeine fix. It took over 15 minutes to get served, by which time I needed the coffee! There always seem to be several staff behind the counter and all of them look as if there moving as fast as they can, but it still takes an age to get served. I now tend to find a place where I can get table service. Yes, it does still exist!

Arrived in Hitchin to try Rose Bud Cafe which had a good Trip Advisor review. Unfortunately Rose Bud was closed but Nero just round the corner had great service, expert barristers and a good vibe. Thank you to the staff.

My wife and I love Hitchin, and we have always loved Café Nero. In my opinion they make the best coffee. In the last few years we have noticed the service side has gone downhill fast. The worst bit is that we almost always have to clear and clean our own tables as there are cups, plates etc everywhere. The floors are always full of bits of food and rubbish.A couple of managers in the past did their best with the staff they had, and they were good workers. But the high turnover of staff has now resulted in two or three young guys who seem to treat the place like a youth club. They seem to mess around and play with one another, throwing things in the air as if they were Tom Cruise in cocktail. If a girl comes in it gets even worse as they shout things to each other that they all find amusing.Today, one of them got an order wrong three times because he seemed more interested in having fun than serving customers. Those ordering were getting very annoyed.We have filled in feedback forms, contacted Nero and even put comments on the facebook page. But they do not respond, or try to convince us that improvements will be made. Nothing!The coffee is great, and we go to Café Nero in Milton Keynes and St Neots as well. We are regular and established customers. But I am fed up with cleaning up before I can sit down, waiting for the fun to stop behind the counter before I can place my order, and not getting any feedback whatsoever to any comment we make. Not sure what to do now. Will have to go to Costa or Starbucks, whose coffee is not as nice, but there places are really clean and their staff efficient and polite.

A typical Nero outlet in a market town with a larger than usual seating area. The staff are helpful, efficient and provide a quick turnaround.

I had a great Coffee, but was cold inside. The staff very helpfull and nice. They have a lot of great food (healthy food too) and drink.

We regularly visit Cafe Nero i Hitchin.However the service and general cleanliness is worsening every time we visit.Today was the worst to date!Filthy floors, dirty tables,crockery piling up everywhere. The tables that were eventually wiped were done with just a wet cloth,no cleaner..Two male staff were messing around as per usual.A trainee barista was working so hard to keep the queue down all by herself!The two male stafg only seemed to come to life when young girls came into the queue...Sadly,this has seriously put us off visiting this cafe again.Such a shame as the coffee is great.

This is my favourite coffee shop in Hitchin the staff are always so welcoming and friendly they are always eager to help and there coffees pastries and sandwiches are delicious no hesitation in recommending Cafe Nero.

Always polite lovely staff. Comfortable, sofas especially ! Good coffee, love their cappuccino Good cakes, sandwiches etc also

There are lots of coffee shops around and Hitchin has more than their fair share but Caffe Nero is head and shoulders above the rest in our opinion. The seating is so comfortable and the atmosphere is really relaxed and there is something about the coffee that we cannot get in other shops. It's always exactly as you want it and if for any reason it's not 100% to your liking, just take it back to the counter and staff will gladly make it again. Having said that it has always beed spot on first time for us.Caffe Nero will be our first choice in Hitchin.

Il caffè si può anche prendere in piedi dopo aver fatto ordinatamente la fila per pagare anticipatamente e poi al banco rimarrete soli....perché tutti si porteranno la consumazione ai tavoli. In proporzione costa più una tazzina di caffè che una fetta di torta ma sia l'uno che l'altra meritano. Anche l'ambiente è piacevole e il personale cortese.

I popped in here for a cappuccino today with my mate. It was a busy Saturday & the guy serving was a trainee barrister. I have him feedback on his really good service & fabulous attitude to customers. Well done. Great coffee & snacks.

Highly recommend the muffin and hot chocolate, just the thing on a cold day! Be sure to sit far away from the desk, unless you want to be deafened or are immune to loud coffee machines.

I was in Cafe Nero on Hitchin, high street, on Monday and We had a coffee from here and it was terrible. We ordered a 3 flat whites and got 3 extermly cold coffees! like it was made with cold milk!!! with a load of foam. It was so bitter I threw it away.

This is a fairly large Nero near the town square in Hitchin. Really good customer service and mochas. The Nero also has a few cool seating areas with sofas and chairs that are great for catching up and chatting with friends. A good, clean Cafe Nero.

Hitchin centre abounds with character & cafes, some better than others, Nero is up there with the best. Friendly service, charming atmospheric interior with excellent fresh coffee & pastries to match; try it.

Great coffee and cake but the real stars are the friendly and extremely efficient baristas. Also , unlike some coffee chains, the tables and floor are kept clear and clean

Probably the best of the chain coffee bars. Quick service, good range of cakes etc and light snacks. Pleasant bubbly staff. Free wifi

Used to be a long time fan of Costa down the high street but quality seems to be deteriorating with the many staff changes. Starbucks make the worst coffee out there. Something wrong with people's taste buds if they prefer that weak pond water to the tasty aromatic coffee at Nero! This particular Nero which sits just off Hitchin's picturesque square is definitely the best in the area. The staff are fantastic, coffee is good and the food is better than both Costa and Starbucks. Get's a solid 4 out of 5 from me. Only slight niggle being inconsistency in the cappucino's. Well worth a visit but go early morning or late afternoon if you want a more relaxing break.

yeah, the big player is just down the street. Nero's trying, but the pour was too fast, and that = thin espresso. S-bucks has it figures out, but still, just adequate. For GREAT, you must round the corner @ s-bucks and find GROUNDWORKS - the Best!

Great place to relax read the newspaper and have a coffee .....nice comfy chairs a bonus. Many coffee shops in Hitchin to choose from but this is one of the nicest

Another coffee shop in Hitchin with very good coffee. Some people may think its a bit too strong - but that's Nero coffee... Very helpful staff, polite and reasonably quick with the service. The place is frequented by mums and prams of course - so may be a bit noisey. You can sit and enjoy your coffee without being rushed.

I had the chance to have a coffe there.Was ok. Not very special, but they have great people working there.

Nice little Cafe on the Market Square. Perfect for a quick lunch time coffee. Standard chain quality and prices.

Can't understand why this delightful Cafe hasn't been reviewed? Located just off the market square you sit with a coffee & cake and watch the people bustle by; Hitchin has such character !