Leaf in East Hertfordshire

Had a lovely lunch here recently during a treasure hunt on a hot day. Efficient and pleasant staff, delicious food. Would recommend.

Very appalled with the way my daughter-in-law was treated yesterday.. Daughter-in-law was reading my granddaughter a story (unaware it was from the buy books section) when the lady (possibly owner), came over to them both and snatched the book out of her hands Now what dose that tell or even teach a 2 year old girl let alone my daughter-in-law felt like a 7yr old not 27 yr old That unsettled her for the rest of the day - after that. There wasn’t anybody else there and it was just after 230pm that I dropped them both off it was a very bullish thing todo. You know just a bit of manners wouldn’t go a miss here and I think an apology too.of The cafe itself is a good idea and looks welcoming for children/parent's it is however a shame on the disgusting attitude, behaviour of the lady behind the till. As it is my daughter-in-law doesn’t go out that much and it didn’t give her a great deal of confidence to venture out more often. My advice “put your Buy Books up high away from little, sticky fingers”!!

Had a lovely lunch here today with my girls. Very clean and good service. The food was lovely too especially the children’s platters. Good selection of children’s books too.

I’ve been coming to the Leaf Cafe for years and it’s the most wonderfully family- oriented, cosy environment for kids who love books, toys and activities in a very relaxed and friendly environment. Plus the food is delicious. Home-made cakes and biscuits, mini-lunch platters for kids that offer a really healthy mix of food and wonderful soup and adult food options. All at an excellent price. The coffee is also the best in Hertford! The perfect place in Hertford to relax and not worry about what the kids are up to. There’s a lovely safe courtyard too. There’s a real sense of focus on educating kids using the books and stories (inviting in authors to story-tell), with regular activities (playdough, boardgames and the like). There is a very wide selection of books to buy for every age group plus ‘sticky-finger books’ that children can read at the table / on the sofas.

This lovely cafe is hidden away on the main cross roads, it is lovely inside and the owner is lovely, she is called Carol and writes her own cake making books. I ordered porridge which was lush, it had raisins, cinnamon and tasted fab. What was lovely to see is that you get your choice of bread and it comes with melted butter and jam. Carol is very welcoming and I would recommend to anyone to just come in and relax. It is a nice coffee and cake shop with WiFi and outside seating.

Recently visited leave café this month it’s little overpriced for what it is. It’s a lovely establishment for A coffee and cake. I go sometimes to do some work / meeting. when I recently visited toilets were disgusting The nappy bin was full to the rim and it is quite dirty in the toilet area unfortunately. Needs a make over apart from that I enjoyed I vist. The staff are friendly & helpful. : - )

I had the pleasure to meet up with some old friends at the Leaf Cafe and we all received a warm welcome from Carol the owner and host. Her team consisting of Hannah, Amber and Jess were a delight and our orders arrived promptly and were absolutely delicious. I am a big tomato, mozzarella and pesto sour bread fan and this one ticked all the boxes for me- lush. The cafe is cosy and with lots of books to purchase or read you can enjoy quiet time or family time with your children. We ALL loved it and we will definitely go back when we are in Hertford again!

Lovely cafe! I am a particular fan of the Brie, and bacon sandwich! The cakes are great as is the coffee! They have a good selection of children’s food, which is very reasonably priced! My children love playing with the toys as well as in the garden area and play house! Plus they have started doing free activities for the children which was a great way to keep my so entertained while we where there as they had the play dough session on when we went.

Wow What an amazing cafe It’s a little jewel Service amazing and the cakes were divine The only problem is I didn’t have enough time to sample more of the beautiful cakes on offer I would return to Hertford purely for this cafe And thank you for making my granddaughter who is 2 so welcome I will be back

My family and I have been to the Leaf Cafe on numerous occasions and as my title says every town and city should have a LEAF CAFÉ. I hardly ever write reviews but when I do, I really want to share with future customers on how good it is. The customer service is outstanding, the cakes are devine and a great choice to suit all. I love a coffee and I cannot fault the range of drinks and beverages available. Thank you so much for making me feel so welcome when I am with my family and friends, to when I am on my own.

I have been a long-standing customer at Leaf - frequenting the cafe (sometimes daily) since its opening. I was so excited when Leaf opened, even though I didn't have children at the time, as I love cafe bookstores and the coffee and cakes were always top notch. Rebecca created such a warm and welcoming atmosphere that kept me coming back, even after she had moved on. So, I was extremely disappointed today when I was (politely) reprimanded for bringing food from home for my 15-month-old. This is a tricky matter, I understand, as the cafe is a business, but as my child is still young and sitting in a highchair I didn't really feel that the "cafe food only" policy needed to apply to me. My child also has an egg allergy, which means that I can't simply order from a menu. In addition to speaking to me, two other mums with babies who couldn't have been older than 8 months, eating purees, were also spoken to... The sign on the wall clearly says that baby food is the exception. The owner mentioned that they sell baby food - Ella's Kitchen pouches - which is lovely, but it is a parent's right to decide what they feed their babies, so to insinuate that these mums should have been giving their babies anything other than what they felt comfortable with was taking liberties. I would also understand my having been spoken to if I had been sitting there with a glass of tap water, but I always order something for myself - at least a coffee and cake - and I am reasonable about the amount of time I spend in the cafe, so as not to take tables from others. Today, there were plenty of empty chairs and tables. When I left I decided to share my thoughts with the new owner. She did not apologise or attempt to make amends, but instead blamed the former management for creating the policy and tried to defend herself by saying how difficult it is to manage parents who don't order food and use the cafe like a free soft play. I think, perhaps, that this is discussion better had with a business advisor or with colleagues than with me - the customer. I have had plenty of pleasant experiences at Leaf cafe and I won't let one unfortunate incident overshadow years of the kind of customer service which makes a place feel like a second home. Sadly, though, it seems as though the once welcoming atmosphere has faded and the response I had to my frustration made me feel as if they would rather see my regular business go than to concede that perhaps they've been a bit hasty. That's fine. I don't claim to sustain the cafe on my own and I am not trying to ruin a business, but if they continue not to discriminate between long-standing, respectful customers and those that are taking advantage they are going to alienate a very large and powerful percentage of their clientele - Hertford mums.

Wandered into Leaf for the first time today. Lovely little cafe/bookshop, we had fabulous milkshakes, pot of tea & amazing brownies. My wife said it was the best cup of tea she'd had in ages!

Always love going here. Lovely staff, pleasant, never pressured. Yes it has families with kids but kids are nice, enjoy being around them. Unless you are a not nice person, in which case stay away please

I went with my mum thinking it wild be a great local coffee place. To be met with friendly staff and then screaming children. Not the kind you can ignore, but loud screaming. Looking around I saw the parents gathered in one corner not paying any attention to their little ones who were playing by the wooden gate which leads onto a road. And visiting th food place next door for relief, you can still hear them screaming. I feel sorry for their neighbors who taking to say they have to listen to children screaming for hours as their parents neglect to do anything.

This is the first time I had been into The Leaf and was pleasantly surprised. The service was warm and very friendly. Two decaf coffees were ordered, one with only one shot, plus a slice of banana cake. I was asked if I wanted hot or cold milk. Details like this deserve an extra point. This was delivered to us whilst we were sitting outside in the warm sunshine. Whilst we waited for the coffee, we watched the young children and the antics of the mothers trying to keep them in order. None were excessively noisy and made a change from the usual chatter we hear. The coffees arrived, but both were of the same strength. When we pointed this out, it was replaced with an apology, that was hardly necessary. The banana cake was moist, but with little flavour, but with a total bill of £7.30 I wasn't complaining. We will definitely go there again.

Came across Leaf Cafe when stopped in Hertford en route to Peterborough, prefer towns to service areas! A lucky find. Coffee very good value and friendly service. Love the idea of a cafe cum bookshop, great selection of children’s books. Also a range of toys and ‘sticky fingers’ books for patrons to enjoy before or after eating. There are also a range activity afternoons. Fellow customers had toddlers and babies, tables set out on edge of room offering buggy parking. Homemade cakes looked good, but didn’t try as headed out to lunch.

Have visited many times,a lovely place to take children for lunch.Good healthy food toys and books for youngsters to play with.Pleasant outside area to sit in good weather.Can purchase children's books and many activities for children to join in Hosts a book club for children and once a month a book club for adults one evening a month with refreshments.

Pasteles deliciosos sándwiches, sopas y hacen de este un excelente lugar para parar, incluso si no tienes hijos o nietos. El personal es súper amable y servicial y hay un ambiente informal y si no te importa que algunos niños pequeños mansos deambulaban con alegría. La librería organiza eventos de lectura/libro/artesanía para niños también. Es un auténtico lugar de la comunidad.

I visited the Leaf cafe with a friend for the first time very recently . Despite the fact that I have lived in Hertford for over a year, I was excited to discover what I thought sounded like a real hidden gem. Unfortunately it did not live up to my expectations at all.

Hojas de Café es una librería infantil y cafetería que combinado ofrece un ambiente relajado y refrescos bien (no comer pero el menú parecía muy atractiva). Hay una buena variedad de libros para niños que se puede navegar, que incluye algunos de los favoritos estándar, pero también un montón de títulos que quizás no alcanzan. Nuestras bebidas trajeron a la mesa por Rebecca - todos conocían su nombre que por ese maravilloso capacidad de parecer a todo el mundo pero no intruso. Ella tenía una forma muy buena con los niños (por supuesto) y adultos, a pesar del hecho de que ella era claramente ocupado. Había un montón de espacio para carritos (+ ruedas). Había incluso una selección de libros para niños de adherente dedos" mientras que comer. Más cafés deberían ser como este. Más librerías deberían ser como este!

Encontramos este lugar en una tarde a Hertford porque siempre busca la independientes. Sólo un miembro del personal nos ignoraron cuando significaba llegar y luego tenía un 25 minutos de espera para un sándwich y una ensalada. Probablemente no es su culpa como un chico agradable, pero mi esposa tuvo que ir y pedir lo que estaba ocurriendo en el final. La comida parecía muy caro - tuve que cambiar mi primer sándwich de queso elección porque el café estaba fuera de chutney (?) y mi esposa me dieron houmous cuando el menú dijo olivas. Tanto las porciones eran pequeñas y no cubiertos de servilletas. He dado tres estrellas cuando realmente se merecía porque parece buena idea con los libros y sospecho que era un día. Ciertamente que no regresaremos. Es una pena.

Visited here last weekend with friends. This cafe is perfect for adults with children. Books to buy and read. The choice of food is really good too. Well worth a visit.

Fantastic independent children's book shop and café. This is an amazing asset for Hertford and around - friendly, efficient and knowledgeable staff and a great atmosphere that is totally loved by children. Go buy books and coffee!

Cafe de la hoja es ideal para familias. Es la única cafetería donde podrá tener una excelente comida y bebidas y nuestro hijo pequeño pueden jugar en la esquina. Me encanta que podemos comprar libros para nuestros hijos aquí. Hace que sea una auténtica delicia! Además, el personal es muy simpático y amable que toda la experiencia es precioso. Nos encanta tanto que están arrojando nuestros hijos primera fiesta de cumpleaños aquí :)

Lovely Gluten Free lunch with quality ingredients and excellent choice. Friendly staff and nice ambience. Good choice of home made GF cakes too.

Small place to settle down with a child or two, some books some toys, and snacks. friendly service, but may get crowded if more than 3 families are at tthe back room.

I love this cafe and their wonderful cakes and drinks! I don't have children but have sat in a few times with friends and enjoyed the atmosphere. They do craft sessions for children too and it's a lovely bookshop. Staff really nice too. There is a cute courtyard to sit in or a comfy sofa area.

We come here most weeks for lunch - our two boys love the children's platters and babyccino or children's hot chocolate served in mini cups. Lovely emphasis on the joy of books and stories. Been to some of the children's sessions when work allows and these have been fab. Some lovely themed things in the cafe too eg World Cup flag hunt, designing football shirts for the children to do, plus toys to play on the wooden floor. Also books for children to look at with messy fingers as well as the books for sale. Delicious soups - some of the best plus we love the sausage sandwiches in fact all the sandwiches are great. The granola and banana bread are yummy too for breakfast. It can be busy and sometimes the service is delayed and muddled but it has never stopped us coming. Lovely range of children's books too for all ages - we always buy something!

I drink my coffee black so can really taste when a quality bean has been used. I was pleasantly surprised how nice the Americano was that I drank here in their courtyard. The croissant was tasty too! What a nice idea to have all the books and community information. I will be back to try a cake!

We go to this cafe a lot and love it. They have quite a lot of toys for children, books they can look at and read, colouring sheets and loads of crayons and a children's bookshop at the back. The food is lovely and really reasonably priced and the staff are really helpful and attentive.

What a wonderful place for a little kids birthday Absolutely faultless, the food was all fresh, made in house and not a single sweet in sight.. The kids loved it and so did I.Ps: also serves the best latte in town

I met my family here for lunch one day and we all thought that it was very good. It's brilliant for families with young children. There are special events such as book readings and craft activities for the young ones to go to. Aside from that they also have a very good selection of books to buy and even a "sticky fingers" shelf with books and toys for children to read and to play with. There are sofas and space in the book area for you to sit down and read.The food was good and the platter they do for young children (a sandwich, a few crisps, some fruit and a yoghurt) went down very well with my daughter.For a family lunch with young children it was brilliant, it's one of the very best places that I've ever been to for that.I will definitely be going again.

Popped in here on the way to the doctors which is over the road and not what I expected. I assumed this would be a normal, predictable coffee shop but instead a little haven for parents with young children. This coffee shop is very family friendly, offering a safe place for the kiddies to wander in (outside fenced off to stop child running into the road). A well kept and modern childrens book library in the back which the shop encourages the children to use . The coffee shop also offers childrens reading time sessions where the staff read to the children. What a lovely idea. May have to bring my nieces and nephew here.

The cafe is fab for day to day use if you have children. They have a great selection of books for sale much better than WH Smiths. The coffee and cake selection is excellent and very tasty. They also have a lovely outdoor area which is gated. Its very clean and the staff are friendly. An easy place to stay and relax.We have also recently hired out the Leaf Cafe for my sons christening (Aug 2013). From my initial contact with the owner Rebecca all the way through to the actual event itself the service and day we had was amazing. Any questions I had leading up to the day were promptly answered by Rebecca in e-mail form. The buffet Rebecca and her staff provided was fantastic (not a sausage roll in site). Staff catered for any dietary requirements. Many of my friends and relatives commented on how tasty the buffet was not the usual platter you might find at these sorts of events. The staff were well organised and helped make the day a success. We were allowed to decorate the venue and provide our own Christening cake. I thought that the price for the buffet and hire was very reasonable, much less than other venues in Hertford. I cannot recommend this venue enough, perfect for birthday parties, Christenings etc