John Watt & Son Espresso Bar & Roastery in Carlisle

My comfort place. Brilliant staff, the lovely lady serving me was one of the friendliest people I’ve ever met. Beautiful food. Delicious and flavourful butternut squash soup and egg and cress sandwich, just what was needed on a cold and rainy day.

Went for breakfast, just OK. Granola was to be home-made it was out of a packet. There was to be seasonal fresh fruit, there was none. The avacado with bacon and egg was not good value. But an interesting location.

Great beans, knowledgeable staff, fabulous takeaway coffee.

Really pleased with their coffee beans. Very good quality at a fair price, and always quick delivery.

So helpful if you've yet to buy freshly roasted coffee. Lots of time, info and even a sample.

Perfect place to kick-start your day ! This deli and cafe hosts a gazillion varieties of teas and coffees .. smelling like a pot of freshly brewed coffee, this cafe is a cosy place with a fantastic ambience! We had their English Breakfast which is served with black coffee, toasted banana bread and hot chocolate 🍫.

Good quality coffee. Friendly, prompt service. Support your independent coffee shops! . Recommended.

Love both John Watts , coffee shops .

Excellent value the filter coffee of the day and much better quality than your average high Street stuff

Went to this coffee shop only by accident, We had been on a guided tour of the Citadel in Carlisle and as we left we were given a free voucher for a coffee. we went to the branch in Blackfriars St and we had a scone to accompany the coffee , now I am a bit of an expert on scones and I had the best cheese scone ever today, we enjoyed it so much a second visit is definitely on the cards

We were here for afternoon tea, but our children were invited to see the coffe roasting process. In essence we got a great mini-tour. Thanks for a great experience!

A hidden gem on Blackfriars St.

Cafe was very quiet on the afternoon we visited, but the coffee was very good and strong flavoured. The girl who served us was also very friendly.

Chose this cafe as didn't want somewhere too crowded, it's definitely more a coffee and chat place than for lunch /eating. Thought the service was outstanding. Wish more places in Carlisle were like this. Lady was so friendly and helpful, sorted an alternative without fuss when soup ran out. Very kind and warm, just brilliant. Also there is a ground floor loo which is clean; again, something the town needs more of! 😏

Those that know John Watts will already be aware of the quality teas and coffees they offer in their cafes, but I went for something different. I received their 'Roast Your Own Coffee Experience' as a present, and sampled it a few days ago as a one-to-one with Peter Johnston (one of the owners) at the Black Friars Espresso Bar & Roastery where they now do their roasting. Started with Peter gauging how much I knew about coffee in general in order to tailor the experience, then going through where coffee is grown across the world, the types of beans, the differences in flavour due to location, height, temperature, climate and land ('terroir' for those familiar with wine terminology) and of course, the roast. There are three dishes set out with the original unroasted beans paired with the same beans roasted to light medium and dark highlighting and contrasting the colours alongside three cafetieres to brew and taste the differences in the roast (plus water to rinse between tastes if you wish). You also have the opportunity to discover some of the history of John Watts, which any resident of Carlisle will know by the wonderful smell of roasting coffee that drifted up Bank Street over the decades. Sadly now that original roaster has become a museum piece and the roasting now takes place in a much larger, more high tech machine in their Black Friars establishment. But the skill, art and passion for the product is still there. Peter and Carol took over the business a few years ago, and have saved a venerable and much loved institution from possible oblivion, and they have an eye for growth and development of the business which should see it secure for sometime to come. It is still very much a family business too with their daughter returning from a recent trip to South America with new beans and contacts for the business. The final act is the roasting, and I was lucky enough to be the first roast of some beans from Papua New Guinea. With the new roaster it only took perhaps a dozen minutes from the beans going in, to them coming out roasted, and a few more to get them cooled and packed up ready for me to take home. Having given them the minimum 48 hours to relax and exhale a bit of carbon dioxide, I have enjoyed a few good cups and can say it is excellent and the Papua New Guinea coffee will be one to look out for. All in all, I can say it was a good experience that offered a good insight into a world of coffee beyond the major chains, and into a vibrant local business. I am more used to sampling wine and whisky, but more than happy to add coffee to the list!

Friendly quiet and peaceful lovely food good customer service

Whether a beginner or a barista, this is the place to go for coffee and a hit of fresh roasting if you’re lucky

Provincial coffee shop, roast their own coffee and together with a home baked scone was a really super experience. The ethos of using local Cumbrian supplies really sets John Watts apart. We have joined the coffee club and get a couple of coffees from different origines delivered to the door every month - real treat

Great place to buy green beans.

Nice coffee friendly staff they roast their own coffee in the shop well worth a visit

Limited menu but great for coffee and a scone. Have been in several times and alway efficient, if not always really friendly. Saturday coffee tasting is a great idea too.

Ottimi prodotti a base di caffè, peccato averlo scoperto tardi. Da visitare assolutamente. Hanno una torrefazione un pub/bar e il coffee shop del museo.

Coffee shop on Black Friar Street. Excellent

Having worked at John Watt and sons in Bank Street between 1982 and 2002 I feel sure I can recommend both cafes to anyone and look forward to having a real cup of coffee when we visit Carlisle next week.

lovely coffee shop, fresh beans and they make their own blends. Been around for over 150 years! They also have a traditional tea shop on bank street selling tea blends. But their afternoon tea is what we go in for.

Very good coffee, as you would expect. Good home made scones Pleasant environment and helpful service.

Lovely coffee and the staff are fantastic been here loads now since the fella with glasses gave me a coffee guide on taste etc,very welcoming always

From the outside it looks at bit cold and uncomfortable but how wrong you would be - lovely friendly service, good food selection and really nice environment to sit - I actually prefer it to the original Watts Coffee Shop. Great for coffee and cake!!

Visited with my SO and really enjoyed having lunch here, the hot chocolate was great. The staff are good to get on with too which creates a good atmosphere.

Absolutely loved breakfast here, the bacon butties were perfect, loved the coffee too! Will definitely be back

We had a lovely breakfast and Coffee this. morning at John Watts. The staff were very accommodating for my dietary requirements and had a lovely diary free cappuccino with a delicous bacon and sausage butty upon our request. We also enjoyed the free coffee tasting session and got to try a range of delicous coffees. Lovely atmosphere and friendly staff. I will definitely be back!

Nice Coffee as they have lots of different Coffee to choose from and the slices of Cake are delicious and the Scones are good but a bit expensive. A very small Cafe so not a lot of room for Prams.

Lovely coffee and tea, and personalised bags to take away.