Eco-Caffe in Gwynedd

We went here by mistake, we assumed it would be busy on a Saturday morning and we were the only ones there, the smoothie machine was broken and they had no diet drinks for type 1 diabetics. I ordered eggy bread with cheese and I was served an on letter with two slices of break with cheese in the middle.x extremely bizarre and extremely grim. Overall bad experience. Ps the old lady in there was definitely a werewolf / look at the hands!!!!!!!!!!?! DANGER BEWARE

Exploring the side streets of Bala away from the high street, came across the Eco-cafe by accident. A hidden gem of an independent cafe in Bala. Friendly helpful staff. Excellent Cheese & Ham omelette and the wife enjoyed her veggie burger & smoothie (the waitress even topped up her drink with the left over smoothie rather than pouring it away). Great quality wholesome food for a reasonable price in Bala. Highly recommended and we can't wait to go back.

We approached the cafe drawn in by the eco looking frontage, hoping for organic cakes and coffee. Inside its very big but we were the only ones there which meant a slight lack of atmosphere. We had a lovely smoothie and some coffees, although we noticed they were instant. Each of the cappuccinos and lattes we ordered was met with the retort of 'hot soy' and instead we were served 3 identical coffees. A must visit for Bala.

Nice to see the Eco Cafe open again. I had a delicious lental chilli with brown rice and salad. All home made and a nice change from the alternatives of pre-made heated lunch. Simple menu options of wraps, sandwiches, baked potatoes, some sort of vegan hot pot and soup. Also cakes and coffee. Seems to only be open for lunches at the moment. I guess that's post-covid impact.

Very unfriendly and welcoming staff. Request for weak coffee not well received. Another table had been charged for our drinks in error and we were made to feel this was somehow our fault. Would not go back again.

Visited cafe for morning coffee, great place, relaxed atmosphere and enjoyed conversation with interesting proprietor! A great find!

Nice cafe with a very good menu. A good find indeed. The person working there could however have tried to treat us with less contempt. Very strange attitude indeed.

Very glad to find this cafe on a side street near to the main car park during a day out. We had our 2 boisterous grand daughters with us and while the lady serving was on her own the play area in the side dining room kept them occupied while we enjoyed a really good pot of tea first. The food was good and we all had a side salad with a dressing that was one of the nicest we've tasted. Sadly time didn't allow us to go back for tea and cakes later - but we'll be visiting Bala again soon and this will be our choice of cafe.

Popped in during our short stay in the town (we'd been for a jaunt on the railway). The home made food was delicious and the service faultless. Quite surprised by other people's negative remarks here on TripAdvisor. Very glad we went first and read about it later or we might well have given it a miss.

Before i write the review I'd like the owner not to take it personal. Its an observation. And if you can't take reviews you shouldn't be on trip advisor. As this is others peoples personal experiences.Food- Really good, fresh and hot. Had to wait a while but this didn't bother us too much.Service-Signs are everywhere about what to do. But to be honest not in the right place, so get missed. When you walk into a cafe you look for menus not how to order. Simple signs on the tables would help. Staff-amusingly eccentric...think it adds to the charm. But maybe a slight smile would go a long way.

Stopped off here for lunch after white water rafting. Lovely fresh baguettes with salad too. Reasonably priced!Service could of been slightly more friendly however I do appreciate the lady was working by herself during a busy lunch period. We would definitely return when visiting Bala.

We were camping in Bala and were having a wander when we saw a sign for the Eco cafe. It is lovely. We had a selection of smoothies, coffees and cake that was absolutely to die for. As a baker myself I am hard to please but they were amazing. The service was exceptionally good and it was reasonably priced. There was also WiFi a fab books. A perfect place to relax.

We were holidaying in the area and had arrived too early to enter the property we had booked. Having stopped on the way to our destination for food we weren't hungry, but decided to have a look round the village of Bala and get drink. The main street of Bala was very busy and we picked the eco caffe as its off the main street and less busy.We sat down and the lady came over to take our order, but seemed a bit unhappy that we were only ordering drinks and not food. That said the smoothies that we ordered were delicious and reasonably priced. I noticed that the caffe also sold locally made jam and as I like to buy local produce when visiting an area I thought I would get some. The lady from the caffe suddenly appeared from behind the counter and asked if I was alright, but her tone made me feel as though she thought I was stealing or something. A nice caffe with nice smoothies and the food menu looked ok, but just feel that the owner might need to think a little about the way they talk to customers.

Had a strawberry split smoothie- strawberry & banana ideal for a very hot day, sat outside with dog, who had a good drink from the dog bowl provided.

great lady top food .trying her best .me and my partner came in last week .had a nice chat and lovely veggie burger .the two Sheffield lads with the two small dogs.see you soon .anthony and andrew x

My husband, daughter and I visited 31 March 2018 for drinks and a snack. There was just one person cooking and serving. The cafe was cold and I huddled by the radiator. The service was not very friendly and very slow. My daughter ordered tea and a cheese and ham toastie. The tea was brought first and around 15 minutes later the toastie was brought by which time the tea had gone cold. There was hardly any cheese in the toastie and it had been warmed up in the microwave as the lady was serving other customers leaving the toastie to go cold.Our coffees were fine but the bakewell slice we ordered was not very good. The pastry was like cardboard. We would not return.

We walked into this place and the first thought was it seemed slightly bizarre. The lady working there was just filling in for staff shortages, but was very friendly and the first thing she said to us was there was a kids play room in the back room. Perfect! Our 18 month old had tons of fun playing in the bee hive while we were able to sit and enjoy cake and a drink in relative peace while being able to keep an eye on him. The cake wasn't the best but it was adequate and tasty, just not as light as I'd expect a sponge to be. The children's area means that we will definitely be returning, hopefully to try a lunch next time! The only real downside was we couldn't find a nappy bin in the toilets, although we didn't bother to ask as we were happy enough to take it home with us. We can only assume this is the eco part of the caffe coming into play.

It was interesting to read the reviews of this place after we had visited. A lot of what has been said may be factually correct but we had no complaints. Yes, the manner of the proprietor could be different and the food could have arrived a bit quicker. However the 6 of us that ate all had very tasty food and would be happy to return.

Paramos en este café en una concurrida fiesta, después de un largo viaje, con dos niños pequeños. Me gusta apoyar las empresas locales pequeñas y han hecho muchas veces!

La aduana y el servicio era muy amable. El diseño del edificio está basado en la sostenibilidad y minimizar el uso de energía. La comida no es vegetariana y por lo tanto no es ético o sostenible, sin embargo, el propietario se interesa activamente en explorar esta zona, que es la razón por la que podría clasificar el restaurante.

We were wet and muddy but still got a lovely welcome and great food here: hot organic beef broth, a gorgeous smoothie, good juice, a delicious omelette and a tasty tuna salad baguette. Such a good atmosphere and looks great for families; unusual too; a little gem off the beaten track in Bala.

Llamamos a la Eco Café para un almuerzo hace unos días en nuestro camino a Cardigan Bay. Palabras escapar!

Nos topamos con este café ya que no está en la calle principal y me alegro de haberlo hecho. Había 9 de nosotros y un perro, y nos hicieron sentir muy bienvenidos.

I just came here to read the management responses ! 5 stars for comedy value. Does this place really exist ???

Personalmente me gustó el espíritu de este café y la comida era deliciosa. Así que bueno saber que la comida es de origen local y sostenible. Veo que no sería del gusto de todos, pero por favor, no juzgue a este lugar sobre la base de algunas críticas negativas. El fuego le daban un ambiente cálido y acogedor. De los niños en la parte trasera era muy bueno, me encantó la bee house. Lástima que no eran más gente de aquí. La espera por la comida fue bastante largo, pero eso es lo que esperaría con comida recién preparada. Sólo desearía que yo había pedido para bebidas se sirve primero y recordará la próxima vez. Ubicación está escondido en la calle principal, pero justo al lado del aparcamiento de co-op y no lejos de los principales pago. Ojalá esta empresa. El cierre para los meses de invierno.

We stumbled upon this little quaint Eco Cafe just last Friday afternoon and we were pleasantly surprised how lovely it was inside. The owner is absolutely lovely, she even made me a Green Smoothie free of charge so I can what they taste like.

If only we'd checked TripAdvisor first - #11 of 11 should have been a hint... but what could possibly go wrong in a place called Eco Caffe? We've always liked Eco things...- Maybe being sternly ordered to take a menu and sit down should have told us.- Maybe seeing an assortment of dry looking tray bakes with labels from the cash and carry still attached to some might have been a hint.- Maybe being told to fetch our own tap water from the sink in the next room should have rung a tiny alarm.We did start to wonder when we were given only a knife to eat a sticky iced cake with, and when we asked for a fork it was grudgingly delivered without any niceties such as "of course" or "oops sorry" or even "there you are". I guess I should have been grateful it wasn't buried in my neck in a Norman Bates fury. (Actually there is - strangely - a shower in one of the toilets - but I wouldn't risk it if I were you.)Upon leaving I quietly mentioned to the proprietor that the loo had run out of paper and of course received no "oh, thank you for letting us know - we'll sort that out" - only a glare which had been honed to icy perfection after many years of practice.Actually the coffee was quite good!

We popped in for a late lunch and left full but a bit later than we'd have liked.The food was OK and portion size large but the service was painfully slow at times, items were forgotten and no apology offered.The staff were not rude to us - we may have been lucky...

You only need to read the response by the management to a previous review to see what I'm on about."Go suck a cow" doesnt seem like the right thing to say at a customer, especially when you are in the wrong regarding the damage plant milks do to the environment when compared to milks which are produced via animal agriculture. They were very slow and seemed not to care about it in the slightest.

We have been duped to come in by the name of the Café, And reading the replies of the angry owner i know she says Eco means different things to her but come on... Really?! First thing when we came in, the place was practically empty and 1 of the only 2 customers apologetically told us that the owner popped out for 5 minutes but it was 15 minutes ago. We waited for additional 10 minutes. In that time I as a head chef of an Eco centre had a look at the cakes (factory made) and the 2 boxes of "chef's larder" Cheap and far from local, caged hen eggs. As the owner arrived, I politely asked what time she would be closing the place because I didn't want to impose and delay her (as i know how frustrating last customers coming at closing time can be) Her response was very abrupt and rude. "depends on what you want". To witch I still politely replied, depends on what food is vegan friendly. At that point she became really pissed off and very rudely snapped at me. "You should read the menu, its not my Job to tell you what you can have" Wow. By definition it actually is if you're in customer hospitality business. At that point, the customer that was in the Café with a look of shock at the owners tone, told me we shouldn't stay there at all. We agreed and said we'll be leaving. The owner continued her angry rant saying that it was expected from a vegan. I will NEVER come back, I will spread this story everywhere I can, I will recommend everyone to boycott the place for it is a JOKE to treat any customer this way.

Visited with my partner, food was awful and mostly cold.. most people in the restaurant were sucking a cow in their coffees :)

Me and my friends are taking a trip to the area soon, and so I naturally was researching places to eat when I came across the review below.Never in my life have I seen such an abhorrent and despicable response to a customer in all my life. I haven't even visited the restaurant, and already from the customer service displayed I can see that it is not even worthy of 1 star.What a disgusting and belittling way to speak to someone who was not entirely happy with their experience.It's quite a skill to deter customers before they have even stepped foot in your establishment I must admit, but perhaps a tactic you would like to rethink. It's not entirely good for business when you aggressively reject criticism so publicly.I for one will never be visiting, and will recommend to any friends visiting the area to be sure that they stay well clear too.My word you are appallingly rude.

Glad I continued to drive on past here the other day after seeing the appalling treatment and response to a vegan customer on here. Disgusting. It is entirely the cafe owners role to mark what it suitable and what is not on their menus and to listen to what the customer is saying. Appalling behaviour and I am glad it is being shared across facebook. The word is being spread how inhospitable you are, and the confirmation is found in the managers own response. Disgusting.

I have never in my life experienced such awful customer service in my life as I have at this place. Incredibly rude staff. If you have any dietary requirements or even allergies, DO NOT GO HERE. Absolutely no knowledge and even worse, no manners. Total hovel.

Being called Eco Caffè this establishment surely attracts a certain clientele...being vegan it caught my eye! However......The service was slow but that's OK as the lady was on her own, although over half an hour to reheat 4 meals seems a little excessive. What really got me was I had said I was vegan, asked if the bean chilli was suitable and was assured that it was....it was actually delicious but came with coleslaw which covered the side salad. I asked if the coleslaw was suitable for vegans and got told in a brusque tone that it had mayonnaise in it! I cannot see firstly why she put coleslaw made with non vegan mayo on a meal expressly requested for a vegan....and then when asked why she was so rude and unapologetic. We all make mistakes but this did not seem to be so.......I won't return and wouldn't recommend this place. The other meals were 2 beef chilli nachos.....wife said chilli was lovely but the nachos were soggy as the dish was heated altogether presumably in the microwave.....Sadly disappointing

A brief afternoon visit whilst walking the dog along the lake side. We popped into the town and saw the sign for this cafe. Homemade delicious cakes and superb coffee to compliment it. Very friendly staff,. Will visit again next time.

Good value for money, tasty food and a nice and warming atmosphere. They also have a children's room to the rear of the café.

If you want soya milk in your coffee you have to bring your own. You are also treated like you are part of the zombie apocalypse for asking for dairy free.We will not be back

Just off the high street so you wouldn't really notice unless walking round the town thoroughly. Parking available in the large car park turn left opposite filling station. The cafe is a short walk from there. We're both vegetarian so thought we'd give it a go. Ordered a couple of baguettes with salad. Reasonably priced. The menu wasn't extensive but perfectly adequate for snacks or lunch. Only one lady running the cafe when we arrived, from preparing all food and drinks, clearing away, serving and taking payments, seemed a lot of work for one person hence the reason we had a 15 minute wait for our baguettes but the hot drinks were pretty quick to arrive. There was a family of five and another couple in at the same time, and I did wonder how she would have coped had it been a lot busier as there are plenty of tables, however perhaps it was her assistants day off, but it was a Saturday afternoon. The food, ambience, light and airy feel of the place on a sunny day was perfectly lovely though. I wouldn't say it was a vegan cafe, there was meat available on the menu?! So a little misleading. We enjoyed our lunch and would return again.

Parking can be a problem but its worth the walk.Only visit was in the Autumn I can see it being very buisy over the summer months.Friendly Staff.

Good coffee, reasonable prices, friendly staff. Good quality local home cooked food and cakes. Worth a visit.

Since a vegan diet is one of the most environmentally friendly diets out there, my wife and I could be forgiven for thinking that the "Eco-caffé" in Bala would offer a warm welcome to vegans. Sadly, this was not the case. The lady was pretty much clueless about veganism, and also pretty unhelpful when it came to asking about the food.When we arrived, there was no one else in the cafe. It was horribly quiet, with no music, and our every word was able to be overheard by the lady behind the country, which was really off-putting when trying to choose a meal from the menu. We chose a "vegetable tikka masala" meal, and went to inquire as to whether or not it contained any animal products. We asked "Is this meal suitable for vegans?". You'd think this wouldn't be a hard question for a café that prides itself on its environmentalism, but she didn't know what food vegans avoided. So we explained that we didn't eat eggs or dairy products, and she said "Well, it's just vegetables and sauce...", so we had to probe further to ask if the sauce contained any animal products. She wasn't very helpful, and rather just seemed annoyed. Then she offered us coleslaw, which we of course declined. So she then asked "What's the objection to coleslaw?" (umm, animal products??) If she was trying to be friendly, it didn't come across this way, rather it felt accusatory. She also didn't seem impressed when we asked if she had a dairy alternative to have in our tea, giving us a flat "No." instead of "No, sorry".We sat back down and waited for her food. We both felt that she had been rude and unhelpful, but we were unable to even discuss the encounter because the cafe was soooo quiet, we had to think of some "chit-chat" to make so we weren't just sitting in awkward silence within earshot of the counter. Put some music on!The food came out, but unfortunately it was unevenly heated, with some bits fairly warm and other bits still frozen. Having worked in a kitchen myself I understand that this happens sometimes but we were the only customers in the cafe so I'd expect the food to be cooked properly. Once the meal had been reheated, it was okay, but not at all spicy.Then we went to pay, and she started offering us cakes and deserts. We asked if she had any desserts that didn't contain animal products. She wasn't sure -- this seems a bit worrisome, since while we don't eat animal products for choice, dairy and eggs are very common allergies and so they should really know. She said we could have the flapjack, which was "mostly oats". I asked "Doesn't the flapjack have butter in?" she said "Well, yes, but only a bit". Pretty obvious at this point she wasn't taking us seriously at all. I can only imagine she thought veganism was some fad weight-loss diet rather than a protest against animal products for ethical and environmental reasons, and that we could perhaps be persuaded to "cheat" on our diets a bit if she offered us enough cake. Would she offer a vegetarian a quiche lorraine, and when they ask "But doesn't that have bacon in?" say "Well, yes, but only a bit"?? Totally insulting.We paid and left, as we left she called after us "Good luck with the diet!". Again, perhaps trying to be friendly, but after the miserable meal we'd just had it came off only as condescending. We've been doing this for quite a while, thanks, the only thing we need "Good luck" from are people like you who try to claim their flapjacks are suitable for vegans despite being full of butter!If you're a vegan in the Bala region, don't bother with the Eco-Caffé - try Bala Spice or Abul Spice up the road in Corwen - we went to Abul Spice, and they were super helpful and welcoming, and the food was amazing.

Found in a back street of the main road and was thoroughly impressed with the food and surprised to see such a child focused environment. ..would certainly recommend. ..Lisa, Iain & Sprog