Cloisters Kitchen & Garden in Chichester

Our family of 7 had a superb Easter lunch at 4 canon lane Chichester plus I have arranged other meals at the cathedral cafe itself and all meals and service have been very good. The staff are attentive and polite so the dining experience cannot be faulted. Thank you cloisters staff.

No one greeted us so we were confused about to the process as it looks like an old school canteen. Went to the till to order food and drinks to be met with a staff member who seemed just as confused as we were. Ordered coffee and 2 breakfasts. Given a wooden spoon that said 11 ( for food) staff member at till said they would be calling the number 22...not 11... food comes out which was clearly ours as no other people outside waiting for food from a waitress shouting number 14. Maybe some staff training or basic numbers education? Food was nice but poached eggs were overdone. Strangest experience ever! Will not be returning as much nicer and cheaper places nearby.

1st visit. Will be going again.

A great spot for lunch after visiting the Cathedral and/or the city. Staff are really professional and welcoming. The food on offer at lunchtime is excellent, including home-made soup, gourmet sausage rolls and jacket potatoes with a choice of fillings. I would only say that my filled croissant was a little dry. Espresso coffees also excellent and served in authentically small cups with a tiny jug of hot milk as requested.

Ordered sausage muffin with 2 sausages and egg only got 1sausage that was sliced into 3 slithers had eaten under half when found hair in it went to counter discreetly someone then came to table said that’s not hair fromchef nobody has grey hair but it was a blonde hair I have white hair cut very short bout half inch at its longest made me feel she thought I was pulling a fast one the hair was inside my muffin a longer one I may add had to pull from my mouth the lady in question had blonde hair not tied back then she said would I like a cake I declined as felt very uncomfortable then asked if I wanted refund this I refused as again was made to feel uncomfortable I would like to say I have never pulled a fast one in all my many years so on reflection was not given what was ordered and paid for plus hair in which made me feel physically sick so would not recommend this place to anyone I will add friend who was with me shares my opinion customer service was. Awful also my friend only had 1 sausage sliced into 3 so overcharged and humiliated ,,,

Doggies table :) good selection of cakes and coffee. Nice place to rest after visiting cathedral. Convenient location.

A lovely cafe to visit whether you are visiting the City or the Cathedral for breakfast, lunch or tea/ coffee and yummy cake.

The staff were so kind to my 7 year old daughter today and couldn't do enough to help. Had a lovely lunch and was really impressed with the large children's menu.

Lovely lunch out until the waitrose leaned over my boyfriends lunch to reach for a suger bowl and brushed her uniform in his salad and all with out a sorry🥗😢

Nice and clean. Friendly service team £4 for an average cheese scone but then only £6 for a much bigger plate of food so choose wisely! Good choice of cakes. Lovely setting. Good hot choc.

Really lovely atmosphere and food. We had the beef roast, a cappuccino and a mocha. All went down so well and we had plenty of staff attending to anything we need. Excellent service from Sam and Sophie

Brilliant find. Really good quality cooked breakfast. Fresh food really well cooked, and really great staff.

Just had drinks but very nice place and disabled friendly.

Tucked away from busy streets. A great selection of food and hot/cold drinks in a calm atmosphere.

The Service was great, very helpful and able to provide alternatives. I had the Turkey and Bacon Wellington and it was excellent along the pastries and cakes

It's a hidden gem with wonderful home cooked food and super friendly staff It has a very special atmosphere and I love coming here for their delicious soup!! X

Marvellous atmosphere...lovely staff...great fare

Very clean, good service and tasty cakes. Also had a few dairy free cakes which was a good plus

How very expensive this is now! We couldn’t afford a cake with our small coffee

Excellent service from very polite and attentive staff. Nice relaxed atmosphere. Very clean. Good food. However, I did think the coffees were rather expensive.

Lovely setting, excellent cakes

Found by accident whilst sheltering from rain, what a gem. Beautiful location, lovely warm and welcoming team and the cake was fab! Lemon drizzle. The only little negative was the cafe was a little cold, but the staff more than made up for it.

I was helped by Sophie. Who was very attentive and went out her way to make my food the warning wanted. She was well educated, beautiful and with a big smile .

Great cakes, coffee was fantastic and all the staff very helpful. Maybe a little chilly inside but the warm service more than make up for it.

Unfortunately my order was nothing like what I ordered I always thought chicken supreme was a chicken beast in a creamy sauce I had a chicken leg must admit well cooked but there was no sauce what so ever only a watery gravy which has put me off ever going again

The staff are the strong point, the food while decently presented was mediocre in quality and taste.

In sunny weather it is great to sit out in the garden area, but even in the rain you can enjoy the view. We had breakfast & (later) afternoon tea, on the same day. Both very good. Cannot understand reference to thin slices of cake - perfectly normal & price was also normal for Chi. Good quality of sausage & bacon with the breakfast were very notable.

I had a poor experience with a liver meal. Little liver and no Veg. I got a dried Yorkshire pudding in place of veg which was very poor indeed. Also it cost as much as the more substantial meals. I paid 11.95 as is the main price for the lunch. Can't understand why I had to pay that much for less food and particularly a dry Yorkshire pudfing. Its not really suitable for a liver dish anyway. I protested but they didn't seem to realise

Great food, photo is the sausage roll roast. I saw the roast a couple of weeks previously when meeting friends for coffee and thought, 'gotta have one of those'. So I did and wasn't disappointed!

Popped in for Sunday lunch quite late as we have been let down and was very pleasantly surprised. The mushroom Wellington was absolutely delicious as were the five different vegetables. Especially loved the red cabbage. Beautifully cooked, accompanied with crispy roast potatoes and a Yorkshire pudding. Staff were lovely asking us if we wanted more gravy. Extemely good value. My friend enjoyed the beef. Will be coming back again.

Petite pause thé au cloître après la visite de la cathédrale. Prix de théière 2,5£ cela défi toute concurrence et ce pour un très bon thé à la menthe. Bon choix de gâteaux également pour les gourmands. N'hésitez pas après votre visite de la cathédrale ou de la ville 😉

A little expensive but much nicer than a Starbucks or Costa

6.95 for a can of Gin and Tonic (3 for a fiver in all supermarkets) £4.50 for a wafer thin slice of cake. People walking out when seeing the prices on the menu. Plenty of other cafes to go to in Chichester for a lot less. . Must be better to have 20 people spending £3 than 8 people spending £5. Revisit your pricing structure quickly

The staff Laurie, Angela and Manager Lorraine could not be more helpful and have made the private dining in the Old Bakery serviced by Cloisters really a pleasure. Excellent food, service and ambiance.

Rather overpriced drinks... a 'medium' coffee was served in a somewhat stingy cup and saucer. Cakes were very expensive (£3.95 for a rather thin slice). I think portion-control is taking precedence over customer satisfaction. Was told that sugar was on the table, but there was none on the outdoor tables. Otherwise, the place has a nice atmosphere, is clean and well kept, and in the stunning location of the Cathedral cloisters. An average experience in a pleasant location.

Given a wooden spoon, but nowhere to display it. Toasted sandwich was barely toasted and salad garnish, a bit soggy. Overall ok, but not as good as previous visits.

Service OK, but food portions disappointing for the prices. Jacket potatoes were particularly small.

Food excellent but place was so very cold and very draughty.

Sophie and Henry were some of the nicest people I’ve ever met. Sophie recommended me a few teas to try and they have all been great. There is a lovely sitting spot right next to the windows that is great for reading

Nothing vegan apart from soup. Then had to wait for the bread to go with it. I had the sausage roll with salad. Sausage roll was good salad was tiny. Overall very poor especially the vegan choice considering how much is avaliable now

Enjoyed tea and cake, lovely atmosphere

Had the 'Mediterranean eggs' and it didn't disappoint- tasted excellent. The only thing I would say they could do better is have a more diverse menu- most of the other food options were quite traditional other than what I had.

All good, but expensive. £4 for a small scone. £1 takeaway surcharge, why??

Visited at lunctime today Ordered one vegan cheese and ham ciabatta and one normal cheese and ham ciabatta.When they arrived assistant unsure if one was vegan! The amount of cheese on both was about a teaspoons worth...not really acceptable.Seemed to have many staff members but very little customer service. Not as good an experience as expected. Maralyn Jackson

Often go here for lunch, always a wide choice and all very nice

Excellent service and tremendous staff. Brilliant place and well worth a visit

Lovely serene little cafe, nice jacket, proper tea.

A really nice stop for coffee and cake on our Sunday club cycle ride, good selection of cakes and friendly service

Lovely garden setting to sit in. Average food. Friendly staff. Clean toilets! Have tried 3 times now, hoping to get a well made coffee. Flat White seems to be a mystery to them. Water next time.

My friends and I had a very pleasant mid morning tea and coffee break here during our visit to Chichester, very friendly staff and not bad prices either. The garden has wooden tables in a nice peaceful setting. The tea was served in its own small teapot so plenty to top up your cup !

Fabulous place - very good roast lunch and lovely staff

Lovely cafe for refreshing drinks with a good selection of cakes. The cafe has a super ambiance, the exterior seems to merge with the interior, enabling a great view of the garden.

Garden is small but there were a few seats left on a Friday as weather was fine. Several options seemed to include bacon meaning they excluded vegetarians. Chicken tikka sandwiches were well filled. Coffee cups were rather small. Nice coffee however.

Under new ownership since March 2023, the hot food is imaginative, the service great and the medieval ambiance excellent. Not expensive!

Food was lovely. A very tasty jacket potato and delicious mixed green salad. I think the method of delivering food to the table needs improvement. Basically there needs to be a container on the table to put the number wooden spoon in instead of the runner having to wander round everywhere shouting out the number a waste of their valuable time and food getting cold.

Para hacer una parada mientras visitas la catedral. Limpio y ordenado

Wish I could give six stars ******Beautiful surroundings, friendly staff and great food. I enjoyed a slice of homemade Raspberry and white chocolate cake (already half eaten), washed down with a frothy latte-delicious. What more could you ask for! Oh yes, dog friendly too! This will definitely be my ‘go to’ place when I am in town. Very happy customer!

I went there 2 days ago with my friend to get a cake with tea - I just wanted to say that the service was terrible - Everyone were just unfriendly and giving bad attitude towards us. I dont know whether it was a form of racism towards us or whatsover but it was not a pleasant visit at all. I will definitely not come back - Its not worth a visit The cake was dry The tea was bland The environment was unhappy The staff were disrespectful I dont think anyone deserve to be treated as such. Please improve the customer service!

Stopped here for a quick drink after visiting the Cathedral and gardens. Really lovely cafe, bright and airy. Nice outside area too.

Lovely place for afternoon tea.

Tea rooms at Chichester Cathedral. Of the many cakes, there was one that was vegan, and this was delicious. There were vegetarian lunch options, but nothing that appeared to be vegan. Dairy-free milk available, but charged at an additional 50p per drink! Overall, quite vegan un-friendly

It's a lovely setting, plenty of seating even at lunchtime in the summer. The food was OK, but such a shame that all the salad has celery in it. Celery is a major allergen so it seems surprising that I am the first person to mention it. It really limited my choices. And a can ofppp for £2.40 seems very high to me.

Came here for a bit of breakfast after staying the night close by. Very nice setting and the staff were very friendly and welcoming. Nice selection of cakes and pastries. Easy access for anyone with mobility issues.

Nice clean quite friendly place. Lots of cake, hot food drinks. Hot and cold etc.

First visit since its refurbishment and reopening. Quite a surprise when entering from the ancient cathedral cloisters as very spacious and modern inside. Good range of well presented fresh cakes and pastries. A bit of wait for my coffee (due to training a new person). Not overly busy during my visit but plenty of seating both inside and out

Just discovered this place, and enjoyed a lovely breakfast of delicious pastries and tea. We will be back on our next visit to Chichester.

Service was very slow. Lots of staff but appeared to have defined roles so didn't step in to help with the coffee machine when that person was taking out hot food. It's very pricey now. A large coffee would be a standard size everywhere else. The venue as ever is lovely but not worth the cost of a coffee.

A gem of a cafe, with a fabulous location in the shadow of the Cathedral and very reasonable prices. Now I've found it, I doubt if I'll be going anywhere else !

Used to be a regular user of the Cloisters Cafe when I lived in Chichester and volunteered in the Cathedral. Visited it today and was VERY disappointed with everything. A poor selection of food, found the staff disinterested and the soup and jacket potatoes was cold. Not a good experience and will not visit again. Cannot recommend it.

Lovely oasis at Chichester cathedral. Good food, friendly staff, space and peace in thegarden.

Very expensive cafe. Tubs of Icecream were well over priced at £4.50 odd when they were £2.50 elsewhere. All the food was overpriced. Nowonder it was empty. Very expensive treat!

Nice Café, very friendly staff and in a scenic location.

We live on the outskirts of Chichester and were so pleased to see the reopening of Cloisters in the Cathedral, as previously we use to go often! Popped in on a afternoon in May for just a quick tea before heading home and were astonished by prices!!! Two examples - a Mars bar was £2.50 and the little tubs of local ice cream by Caroline’s Dairy was £4.85…. Sadly from this outcome we will only ever have a pot of tea for our afternoon break !

Excellent service and really nice staff and food

Delicious cakes, nice setting, especially the garden. Plenty of shade. Reasonably priced. Very clean. Only had a cake so can’t comment on other food but it all looked very nice. Would definitely return & recommend.

Lovely lunch and drink. Would definitely recommend and visit again.

We visited but didn't stay to eat. We were sitting outside and had to go inside to try and see what was on offer which was not easy as it was very busy. There weren't any menus inside until you got to nearly the front of the queue and had to decide quickly. It doesn’t seem to have the same quality of service it used to have before its closure caused by the Covid lockdown. We were told there were no menus as the choices change frequently. Surely there could be a blackboard inside and outside with the menu on them.

Haven't been here since before the pandemic. It's open and airy with a relaxed atmosphere and a choice of seating either inside or in the charming cottage style garden. The garden has plenty of shade and is secluded and quiet. Inside the tables are well spaced and there's a couple of comfy sofa style seats too. I only had tea which arrived in a pot. It was piping hot and lovely. As others have said, the prices can be a little high but it's Chichester and the cathedral so to be expected. This wouldn't put me off returning for lunch. Accessibility: I'm in an electric wheelchair and hate crammed places where you're made to feel awkward! Cloisters is light and spacious and I saw plenty of customers in wheelchairs, crutches and using walking sticks. Toilets: at first I didn't think they had a disabled toilet because it's not advertised! The door to the toilets doesn't have a disabled toilet sign so unless you actually go inside you'd never know! I went inside to investigate and found an accessible toilet but it was only accessible using a Radar key - which I didn't have with me! (Note, you can purchase Radar keys from Boots). I don't know why they felt it necessary to have a Radar key for a bathroom inside a private venue?! And why they don't have a disabled toilet sign on the outer bathroom door!? I can't comment on the actual toilet since I couldn't get in.

Do not cater for GF. Very disappointed.

There was a long queue but no menus to peruse, which added to the wait.

Tasty cakes served by friendly staff and lovely historic location

Poor Hygiene as we watched a member of staff at the serving hatch re arrange food on a plate with her fingers. No plastic gloves were worn and she wiped her hands in her apron afterwards. This is not good enough!

Make sure you've plenty of money! You certainly pay for the location! I felt like I'd bought part of the cathedral!!

Absolutely lovely cafe set near the cloisters of the cathedral. Staff very friendly and our cappuccino and tiffin was absolutely delicious. The outside seating was delightful...in a pretty garden. Highly recommended.

My first visit back since lockdown. Arrive at 1:30pm for lunch alas hardly anything left to eat which is odd as it’s lunch time. I had a toasted sandwich which there was only two options left also which was unnerving the tortilla chips which was added to my plate where stored in a cupboard where I could see plastic piping not boxed in ! Not good food hygiene I would have thought. The staff member was quite matter of fact telling me what she didn’t have . Very over priced for average food.

Nice to be in a quiet place to have a break. Spacious inside and lovely garden to take your drinks & food out to sit.

First time at thi caffe but I definitely won’t come back as the staff is a bit unfriendly and the food is not good. The only nice thing about this cafe is the garden that is very pretty

Lovely cafe with lots of space and tasty food.

Nice place to sit and have quiet coffee and cake

A downgraded review simply because of price. It's excellent but fully priced. They charge just under £5 for the small tubs of ice cream which are normally £2.50. All other prices similar.

2 stars for position and ambience only, otherwise way overpriced, disorganised, amateurish staff, specials unappetising, was like a mothers potluck at a school soccer match....

Nice place to sit in the sun, but way overpriced for average food. First time back here since they reopened. £11.10 for two americanos and a thin slice of average fruit cake. Lots of better, and cheaper, places in Chichester.

Nice little lunch, local food and just what we needed!

Went for lunch with my mother as a treat. She has to use a wheelchair. The staff were very helpful and could not do enough for her. The food was great, very tasty and served with a smile would go again.

£18 for 2 cream teas, very expensive. £4 per scone which you then have to buy cream & jam separately for an extra £3. Scone was dry and tasted a few days old. Only good thing was the pot of Tea for £2. Very disappointing....

£18 for 2 cream teas, very expensive. £4 per scone which you then have to buy cream & jam separately for an extra £3. Scone was dry and tasted a few days old. Only good thing was the pot of Tea for £2. Very disappointing. ☹️

Fresh local ingredients and great service - would definitely recommend a visit!!

Enjoyed a good, affordable lunch. Team was great, as was the coffee!

Delicious Food! Beautiful garden! 100% would recommend :)

I had a 1st class lunch and enjoyed the great surroundings