Coffee#1 Clifton Down in Bristol, City of

Lovely carrot cake and lovely friendly staff, staff attitudes can very considerable unfortunately

I was catching up with an old friend over a cuppa. Perfect ambience and a good cuppa.

Nice coffee shop with hot and cold food. We asked for the softest sandwich as my friend has special needs. No issues and the breakfast bap came out quickly. Nice lemon slice too. Would recommend this coffee shop.

Not the best service but great coffee!

Quiet place for a good lunch break.

Reliably consistent coffee near Clifton Down station which is very convenient. Queues are never too long to put you off grabbing a takeaway drink before heading to the station, and service is friendly. There’s nice variety in the menu through the year with some spring and autumn changes, and right now the iced coffees out for summer are also very pleasant. There’s decent WiFi for those working in store, and also a range of seats including a fair number of cosy sofas and chairs as well as standard tables. Hygiene and cleanliness always look good which is impressive for such a large and busy shop with high turnover of tables.

First visit here quick service friendly staff ☕️ good and nice and hot 🔥 never disappointed whenever I visit a coffee1 for quality of the ☕️ but then I went to use the toilets 🚻 ugh!!! As you can see from the pictures 📸 the facilities are awful. This totally lets the place down. Seriously, it needs a deep clean, and I don't know what that yellow container is for, but it looks like a sharps bin. Would have been a higher rating it it weren't for the toilet safe to say that I won't be visiting here again. 😕

Always bright and lively atmosphere in a good location

staff used to be so friendly, what happened?

Friendly staff. Reasonable service time. Good tasting coffee. Toastie could of been warmer. Let down was the toilet had no toilet roll, hand towels or soap in there! It was rectified as soon as possible.

20 years ago as a young spring chicken attending university in Bristol, I was a daily frequenter of Clifton village’s Coffee #1. This was my happy place, the coffee was the best I have ever tasted and for six years my daily visits became as habitual as brushing my teeth. There were few other branches in those days. I remember approaching the owner in my naive but fierce entrepreneurial nature, and asked him if I could help grow his business. No he said, he wanted to keep it a sacred, boutique brand that built a loyal following. 20 years later I return to Bristol having lived in Asia for all those years. My number one priority when I return is to visit my favourite #1. It had remained unchanged — cosy, intimate, the coffee still the best I have ever had despite visiting 100s across the world in the past 20 years. But then, I started to notice over the following weeks, that Coffee #1 had spread itself across Bristol like a coffee-plague. Overtaking the monopolies of Costa, Starbucks et al. It was quite phenomenal. Fair play I thought. Good for you — can’t remember the owners name. Having been a vice president in branding, marketing, customer experience and business planning in various corporates over the past 20 years, I was eager to inspect the integrity of this brand that had proliferated so rapidly: was the quality of coffee the same? Was the froth of the same consistency? Were the staff helpful and friendly? Was the cardinal tenets of that lovely Coffee #1 in Clifton village, a blueprint of all the other branches around Bristol. Much to my surprise, and sadness, no. What I have found; — A brand that lacks integrity. All of the hallmarks of an authentic brand possess uniformity in whichever way they present themselves; they conform to brand values, the brand promise it will deliver to its customers. And to all intents and purposes, when a brand has a public facing, high street presence, customers expect the same experience in every branch they visit. After all, it’s because they have become brand loyal that they will drive an extra 2 miles just to get their favourite coffee, turning up their noses as they pass Nero and Costa on the way. — The cosy ness and intimacy of his first shop has been betrayed. The owner has betrayed what was once a coffee shop experience unlike any other. Why? Presumably all in the name of profit, squeezing the variables that all business owners have the opportunity to reduce — price and therefore quality of produce, staff wages, and the volume of staff behind the coffee machine as well as on the floor, clearing tables etc. — these “squeezing of costs” are evident. Folks that have barely passed puberty are standing behind the till, or making coffee. Their opening gambit is not a friendly, heartwarming “hey, how are you? What can I get for you today”, but instead an absent, vacant look as they wait for you to put forth your order. “You want it in or takeaway?”, In please I say, then they point at the card machine. What, on earth, has happened to this once intimate, friendly, heart-warming brand? — there are no identifiable, visible indicators that this is a coffee #1 shop, only that it says so on the window. Were it not to, I could be going into any coffee shop. — if refer here to the shop on Whiteladies next to Clifton Down. I cannot remember seeing toilets so filthy. Despite living in poverty, mother Theresa would turn in her grave if she had to visit one of the toilets. I suspect along with myself, she would pivot on her heel and employ the painstaking withholding of the desperate ‘need to go’. They are filthy, the bathrooms, interminably, every.single.time I go to this coffee shop. I wouldn’t wish my worst enemy to enter one of them, lest they catch some viral or bacterial infection owing to the volume of #1’s and #2’s ever present, unclean, the lack of toilet rolls, the filth on the floor, the tiles, the stench. It’s unforgivable. — I’ll continue in my next post — “character limit has been exceeded”

Stopped off here to have coffee with friends. It was extremely busy. However, the coffee shop was impressively clean and staff were very attentive to customers. Service was excellent and with a smile, staff were welcoming. Coffee was amazing and the atmosphere was really nice and relaxed considering it was so busy.

Great staff, great coffee, love it here

I really enjoy the coffee here. It has great atmosphere to relax or escape from working from home life. Josh was really friendly and welcoming and makes great coffee!

Great coffee on a sunny Saturday morning

Gabe and Hayley always provide the best customer service and perfect coffee 💗 will be coming back soon!!

Coffee is good but wifi is garbage.

A lovely atmosphere in this always clean and tidy coffee shop. If you’re lucky enough to be served by either Gabriel or Spasimir (hope I’ve spelled his name correctly) they will always serve you with a smile and a warm welcome. Despite always seemingly busy,all of the team take great care to make the coffees to a high standard yet at speed without making the customer feel rushed. A real pleasure.

Always love coming to Coffee#1, a really lovely atmosphere, food and drinks always taste great, very clean and the staff are super lovely! Popped in today and it was the cafe's 6th Birthday! Happy Birthday to the team at Coffee#1 :)

Staff were slow and not very helpful

Hmm. Me ‘Hi, I think the cake has gone through at full price - it should be half price’ Him ‘Oh! You should have told me you me before you paid. I don’t know what price it is then.’ Me ‘full price was £3.20 so… half of that…’ Him ‘I’ll get help. Tut.’ Me.’where are the teaspoons please?’ Her ‘here’ Me (removing eight) ‘oh I think these are the dirty ones - look. ‘ Her ‘sigh, no. They .are.clean.just. stained. They just need a scrub. (Thrown loudly into sink, rolls eyes out loud). Me ‘ok, I will use a straw’ Friend. ‘Oh my cake went through at full price’ Him ‘ tut, you should have told me’. Cake good, coffee great. Staff meh, tut

I go regularly to coffee bar one. But sometimes you have to wait a while to get served. Also my teapot was broken so had difficulty pouring it. Apart from that the tea was nice. Also they had no bread for toast. Which was a bit weird.

I like the space for working and the coffee is okay, however, one of the male workers that work there usually is very rude and has made me quite uncomfortable. Hopefully this is only towards me, but it has happened now on multiple occasions, and he seems to be huffing and puffing around the place usually. Very uncomfortable and unfortunate.

Lively, comfortable coffee shop with great drinks. We were served by Gabriel, who was very friendly and professional. Would recommend!

Had to wait 5 minutes to even be looked at when I got the counter, staff standing around idly instead of serving, even though there's a queue building up, and then I ordered a dark mocha. They only gave me a regular mocha, and the chocolate powder was caked up at the bottom of the cup, not even mixed in. Didn't give me a saucer or a spoon.

Really good Customer service, very quck at serving even when there is a big queue. Friendly staff, especially Spasimir he is always extremly helpful and a warm personality, always serves with a big smile. Best coffee shop in Clifton.

Coffee Number 1 is a friendly oasis. The staff's warm service and cozy atmosphere make it a must-visit. Perfect for a pick-me-up with a smile!

Ordered a too good to go bag, and showed up to collect at 16:30 as the collection window was 16:30- 17:00 and the place was already shut and closed, which is annoying as i'd paid for the food in advance and the cafe isn't supposed to shut until 17:00.

Staff seem to be so miserable its almost impressive you get served at all

Sloppy waitress & dirty tables spoiled the time spent here. The cashier looked like she didn’t want to be there.

Handy to kill an hour while my daughter was getting a facial around the corner. Delicious, with decent prices and would rather give them my cash than the other high street, non-tax paying coffee chains. Calorie info displayed on food too.

Hard to get table as so many students using free wi fi . Lots of noise and expensive snack food.

Lovely staff, clean shop and yummy coffee! We tried the vegan Whipped cream on a caramel macchiato with oat milk and a vegan carrot cake, super delicious!

I had a great experience with the girl with a pink buzz cut. She made the best coffee I've ever had. The art was amazing. I will be back.

I had a lovely coffee and excellent service from very friendly staff. The barista with the pink buzz cut was so helpful and made a delicious oat flat white!

Nice enough for a chain cafe. Staff seemed a bit miserable but might’ve just been fed up, which is fair enough. Cakes are alright and coffee’s nice enough but their almond croissants are a let down. They let dogs in though, so that’s always a plus.

Nice coffee latte ☕️ vanilla latte was so sweet not recommended

Stood waiting for ten minutes with three staff behind the counter. No apology or acknowledgement from the person that served me. Took another ten to get my order. Coffee was watery with a burnt aftertaste. Poor.

This cafe is my go-to for when I want to study or come grab a coffee alone or with friends. The food is great and so are the drinks. Pari is always very friendly and attentive when taking orders and I love that it’s dog-friendly. Would highly recommend!!

This to my surprise was not the #1 coffee I've ever had. I ordered an espresso and never before have I tasted such tastes. More bitter and foul than Caffè nero espresso & Starbucks

Always go to this coffee cafe. Tends to be busy, large selection of cakes and snacks. Good ambience.

Nice coffee, friendly staff and dog friendly too.

Popped in for a coffee and cake with a colleague. Great coffee and the flapjack just the correct texture...

Very good coffee and helpful staff but rather crowded. We were not rushed but others were waiting for our table when we left.

One of the best Coffee#1 branches in the south west. After visiting at least 15 branches, I can say that this one stands out because of its interior design and attention to detail. Hot chocolate was superb with a good taste and the right amount of milk. Plenty of natural light inside and 2 toilets. It has a terrace outdoors too to enjoy sunny days.

Amazing coffee#1. We have been in 15 different coffees of this brand and from that all this one is the best. We had 2 hot chocolates and the taste was outstanding. The staff was eficient and nice and they decirated the place for Christmas. Nice atmosphere in the inside and also terrace for the summer.

Went today for a matcha latte, and it was really bad. It was too watery at the beginning, then I could only taste matcha powder. It was clumpy, and not great. The staff was nice though!

Nice coffee and setting. Food is a bit limited - no fruit veg or salad in sight!

Ordered coffee and toast and after eating one piece of toast I noticed the other piece had mould on it, I pointed it out and said you should check your bread and the reply I got was oh OK, no sorry or thanks, nothing so check your food before you get it. Very poor service

Great place to relax, read, work and meet a looottt of dogs 🐩 food is amazing and coffee is some of the best I’ve ever had!

A cosy place to stop for a tea or coffee.

My husband and I have been here for a few times and we have no complaints. Each visit has always been a pleasant experience and we love the quiet, cosy corners where you can find sone refuge from the rain outside. I like their chai tea and the pastries. Try to check out and read the interesting trivia on the walls especially the coffee flavor wheel chart and the fascinating story of the monkeys that escaped from Bristol Zoo and were found at the Clifton College's music department nearby days later. 😊

Ordered food and coffee here. They offered various warm toasties which were all very tasty although we would have liked some ketchup which wasn’t offered. The coffee was very poor, my oat flat white appeared to not have been frothed, it was just warm milk and a shot which is not what I would’ve expected.

Great place plesent staff 10/10.

Really bad coffee shop. I've visited shop on Saturday morning near 9 and I've ordered coffee to spend nice morning time with a book. Almost no one else was in the shop, 2 people were working there and they were more interested in chatting with each other than cleaning my table and tables around me. I have been there for 2 hours and the mess was stil there. Coffee was just an average. It's just surprising how different quality each of the Coffee #1 shop is. This one here? Nah, I will not revisit it.

I am just having coffee, shakes and cakes with my daughter and her friend and I can't stop smiling. The cafe is lovely and the staff is super friendly. They know most of the customers, their preferences and can have a joke with them. After so long craving for moments like this, Coffe#1 has delivered. Thank you.

Terrible food, pre-packaged with unidentifiable ingredients, mediocre coffee and understaffed. Coming here ruined my morning.

It was busy today a lot of tables not cleared, but I think due to only two staff on. As usual coffee and toast were excellent and service with a smile..

Lovely coffee, nice employees and a good amount of space. The teacakes are massive and really tasty. Always love to visit when back in Bristol as this is the place we had breakfast at just as I went into labour a couple of years ago... We ate that breakfast very fast!

Very clean shop and great coffee. Great outside seating area too.

My favourite cafe in Bristol - staff, coffee, cakes and atmosphere all *****

Great coffee and hot chocolate today. Kept us nice n warm as we walked around The Downs. So much nicer than the mainstream Costa or Starbucks

Friendly staff, clean tables. Toilets are closed due to Covid at the moment. Download the app; it's got fantastic deals!

The staff here are so friendly and the selection of drinks are great. Would recommend.

Good friendly service.... they even laughed at my stupid jokes , a good place to go for coffee

It is a very welcoming place, quiet, with good service.

Excellent social distancing procedures. Very clean. Friendly staff.

Don't know how to do a flat white...way too much foam!

Basic description: A cosy coffee cafe, serving a tea, coffee and cakes. Traditional interior design, but plugs available. Personal experience: Staff are friendly and attentive. As you walk in its warm, the menu font is a nice large size, you won't have to squint your eyes. They have a good variety of teas and coffee. The prices are as much, if not cheaper than the more international chains. The fair trade sourced tastes delicious. They have wooden furniture with leather upholstered seating and specific spot with and without plug for people who want to work on laptops and for those who want to avoid them. There is also facts on chalkboard around the cafe about the local area. They also provide a good choice of temptingly sweet cakes slices and squares, with some suitable for alternative dietary restrictions. Overall: Friendly, warm, good variety of warm, cold drinks and cakes. Accommodating and comfortable interior with a sense of community to the atmosphere. With sensible prices and public restrooms and disability accessible.

You don't find many cafes this large that will accept dogs and that's a huge bonus it's hard to find a place that we can go and take your dog and have a coffee with your children, it's a WiFi friendly place with a lot of cakes for the kids and lovely lovely Coffee & close to every other amenity you need..

Comfortable place to meet a few friends and share coffee and croissants. Right next to a few shops too.

Excellent staff! I had a very good decaf short black!

Lovely cafe with very friendly staff and a good selection of food and drinks, including vegan options. I would say that the seating is a bit squeezed in - this is fine when it's not so busy, but midday on a weekend, it's potentially hard for buggies or wheelchair users to navigate.

peaceful and cosy atmosphere. does a great oat mocha too 👌🏼

Very good indeed. Peaceful oasis in a busy part of Bristol

Thought I would give them a try now Costa has become part of the Coca Cola family. The Americano is gritty and tasteless.

The smoothie and food was very bland so thoroughly disappointing. They have tried to cram too much furniture in there so it is really awkward to move around especially with a mobility problem.

Good coffee friendly staff, relaxed environment, well recommended

Place is a mess! Clearly run off their feet & don't have time to clean the tables or make the coffee nicely. The woman just threw the milk on top of my coffee. I can do that at home! So disappointing.

Very slow service, my second piccolo was not good at all (the first one was ok), basically a shot of espresso topped up with tepid milk.

Relaxing, friendly coffee shop with healthy food and drink. I used to like it when the one on Queen Square was open till seven pm on a weekday and would like to see the late night opening come back.

Nice atmosphere. Well spaced out good products and helpful staff.

Very pleasant coffee venue with good coffee. Under staffed.

Great staff were really helpful and loved that they were selling raffle tickets for the samaratians

Excellent cafe with friendly staff and good vegan options, although the seating and tables in this location are a little crowded and it's not very easy to navigate a pram around inside!

The freak shakes they sell here are incredible!

My husband and I love this coffee shop, - the quality of our soya cappucinos are exceptional! The staff are extremely warm and good natured inspite of the stresses of busy periods and obviously enjoy working well together as a team. I really value their service with a smile. The seated environment is spacious and creative and attracts a huge range of people throughout the day. We come here at least 3/4 times a week. The only reason I cannot give 5 stars is the toilets! Not only did it take over a month for the second toilet to be repaired but more importantly the toilet tissue dispensers constantly come off the wall!*! They simply are not fit for purpose and this fantastic coffee shop deserves better.

Wonderful service by the lovely ladies that work here and the tea cakes are huge

Nice location, good coffee and nice people. Just a bit too loud the music to be able to work well.

Relaxing environment to meet - I use for business meetings but would happily go for coffee with friends. The BREAKFAST burrito today was delicious!

Coffee not exceptional and the place was full of people with laptops and talking loudly into their phones. Not relaxing

Very nice, good atmosphere and nice coffee

Good alternative to the Starbucks and Costa nearby. Nicer atmosphere

Nice coffee shop, very friendly staff and a convenient location

Good ambience , reasonable coffee

Decent cup of coffee and very cosy

I really fancied a coffee with my Dad, but would could hardly concentrate on our conversation with the amount of noise of clanging dishes and dish washer loading & unloading. Anyway, if you looking for a noisy place (above normal good coffee shop levels) this is ideal.

Love coffee#1 and haven't had a bad experience yet. Would like a bit more choice on the house filters as only seem to be one on offer in every cafe.

Nice atmosphere, nice coffee, friendly service, very pleasant visit.

Great atmosphere good coffee and good food.