Opposite Cafe Chapel Allerton in Leeds

Needed a quick breakfast before heading home. Good coffee, great pastries (big!) and simple seating. Go here instead of the nearby chains.

We came to the opposite cafe for a bite to eat and coffee - it is located in the middle of Chappel Allerton. We were able to sit outside in the courtyard and enjoy the coffee - which was smooth and served at the perfect temperature. I would reccomend the opposite cafe to anyone in the local area!

Such a cute coffee shop that is located heart of Chapel Allerton city centre. Coffe tasted great, the shop was nice and clean! There are some outside tables available as well as inside.

Not bad not great, service let's it down a lot. Like they don't want to be there lol

I used to love this place. However, today I ordered an oat milk cappuccino to take out so when the barista just said “cappuccino” when she gave it to me, I questioned it (the normal milk was on the counter too). She went to “check” even though she was the one who made it and then told me it was oat milk. So I left with it but on my walk home I can definitely say it was normal milk due to the taste / lingering after-taste that cows milk leaves. This is unacceptable as I have an allergy. I binned the drink and wasted my money.

Tried two different batch brews - both were Rwandan from Echelon Coffee Roasters and both were incredibly tasty. The person serving was super friendly. The shop was busy with a great atmosphere.

Very disappointed. Clearly the reviews have been “fixed” as our experience was really bad, and we could hear others complaining too. Sad.

The staff here are so lovely and the coffee and hot chocolates are great.

Proud to call this place my local! How people could go to the Starbucks next door is completely beyond me. Service - Every single time I come in I am greeted so nicely by the ever pleasant staff, always courteous and always welcoming. Atmosphere - Lovely local feel, a little gentrification nation sometimes but it's independent coffee shop in Chapel Allerton so it's to be expected. Food and drink - I've never been disappointed by a drink i've had from here. Of course the sandwiches and pastries are quite pricey, but again. You're paying the Chapel Allerton tax on top of the Independent coffee shop tax so I don't mind and they're always delicious! Standouts; Matcha Latte - Yes im basic, yes im white but having had many a Matcha Latte in my time I can safely say this is the best in Leeds. Chai Latte - Aforementioned basic whiteness aside, this Chai Latte is truly so luxurious, so aromatic, so flavourful. I wish I could have this before bed every single night.

Lively little independent coffee shop/cafe. Best coffee I’ve had in a long time. Had a cinnamon pastry which was a little dry but can ignore this as the coffee was so good. Definitely recommended over those national/international chain coffee shops.

When I first went there about a month ago I enjoyed their Americano coffee The service was Top Marks which added to the relaxing ambience and soft relaxing music Its a small place but has large windows overlooking a pleasant view of the area itself and a beautiful Willow Tree So I went for the 2nd time to find out if I would experience the same atmosphere ..it past the test I hope for the same when I go again

Great coffee and the bread looks amazing!

I was eying up the cakes which were uncovered had attracted flies . A real put off. The raspberry lemonade was basically sparkling water with a red Berry type cordial..for £3 in a small glass it felt underwhelming. The beetroot salad was lovely but lacking in flavour. Service was ok

Lovely little shop with good matcha latte❤️

Very good coffee, independent and friendly staff. Seating's pretty basic

Top notch coffee. Nice pastries etc. Can get a bit noisy inside for chatting. Outdoor seats for when the northern drizzle lets up.

As a loyal supporter of local businesses, I regret to share my recent experience at your coffee shop left me feeling dissatisfied. The matcha tasted tasted more like a blend of grass clippings, and the overall pricing seemed excessive for the quality offered. Moreover, the desserts were often disappointingly dry. Additionally, some customers and staff exhibited pretentious attitudes that dampened the community spirit I had hoped to find. Joe and the juice would never do this to me. I believe in the potential of your establishment and wish for improvements that will create a more enjoyable experience for all customers. Honest feedback like this can help businesses grow and thrive. Please consider these points to enhance the quality of your offerings. Sincerity, John smithy

Such good quality food and drinks, with a friendly atmosphere.

A really nice café with a good atmosphere and with really nice tables outside facing the Chapel Allerton square. Unfortunately, they have a very limited variety of hot food and don't serve brunches. The service could be better whenever you ask about hot food. Excellent coffee, but poor selection of food.

Very impressed with the coffee. Good cakes as well. Update June 2023 - still an excellent cup of coffee.

Very busy, which is a good sign. Had some outside tables when we visited. Food was very nice, but a bit complex for small children.

Been a regular here over the last few years when I’m here in the summer (from Australia) The coffee scene has really lifted in Leeds over the past few years and you guys have been part of that. I don’t normally write reviews but just wanted to alert the owners. Previous years never had a problem but your staff were very consistent and we got to know all of them. Coffee was very consistent and of a high standard. This year unfortunately I’ve had a few bad ones. A few weeks ago my flat white was made with almond milk randomly. Another occasion it was brought out in a takeaway cup when I ordered in and I wasn’t offered a replacement. On two other occasions the blending of the milk was way below what you would expect from a specialty coffee shop. I’m assuming you’re struggling to hire competent baristas as they’re seem different everytime I’ve come in this summer. You have a lovely spot (especially in the summer) it’s a shame I’m going elsewhere for fear of not getting a consistent product. A speciality coffee shop should have competent, fully trained barista’s. The beans, the extraction, and the frothing are all fine, the blending of the milk with the coffee is where I’m finding the inconsistency. Hopefully you take this in the right way.

Staff were nice and service was quick. i ordered a chickpea sandwich which was ridiculously priced and taste of curry powder. i did mention to the staff the sandwich should be warm and have an option of sauce/chutney as it was bland despite the curry powder. coffee was good. other than the food i would recommend a visit

Incredible coffee. Have fallen in love with batch brew. Great staff, friendly, warm and welcoming.

Absolutely lovely place for brunch. Great drinks, AMAZING sandwiches.

Best coffee in Leeds. Friendly and knowledgeable staff. The pastries slay.

The coffee here is fantastic always enjoy it. My friend had a flat white and I had a americano. I had a lemon polenta cake with it that was good. It is Nicer to go here than a Starbucks.

I love coming here for coffee and cake. Always an exciting selection of retail coffee from local roasters. The staff are great and they create a lovely atmosphere for meeting with friends or sitting on my own. It's an art.

Excellent cafe to meet friends or just sit and do some work in a friendly place. Best coffee in Leeds. Always have good music on as well :-)

The best coffee in Leeds! Lovely, friendly, knowledgeable staff and a delicious selection of cakes and sandwiches. I love that it's both kid and dog friendly, good for those with dietary requirements, and the rotating batch brew is a great way to try new, interesting blends from roasters all over the UK. Cannot recommend this place enough <3

Great place good quality coffees. The food and the cakes homemade. The staffs are very friendly and welcoming , my Favorite place in Chapel Allerton .

Excellent coffee (as always) and tasty cakes /sandwiches. However, we visit on a very regular basis and the last few times we have visited we have noticed that the cafe is starting to look a little run down in places and the cleanliness has slipped. Tables aren’t being wiped, the floor is dirty with food and the shop window is filthy. This is the case when ever we visit (not just on weekends) On our last visit this morning the cafe was reasonably busy but there were quiet periods and instead of cleaning the tables etc. the staff were singing along to mama Mia! With that in mind we were told that as we wanted to sit outside they would have to put our coffee in takeaway cups because they were a staff member down and didn’t have time to wash up. We didn’t mind this but they weren’t run off their feet. A couple of little tweaks and some proper management of staff and this cafe could be spot on again.

I have mixed feelings about Opposite cafe. The coffee, pastries and sandwiches are excellent especially in comparison to the chain coffee shops on the same row. However it's a cramped and uncomfortable place to eat, which often has tables occupied by customers with laptops. There are benches and tables outside but no canopy or umbrellas so you are at the mercy of the elements. I usually drop by about twice a week but only ever get takeout as it is so uncomfortable inside.

Very dirty and untidy place. Not recommended!

Great coffees, lovely to sit for a bit and watch the passersby. Friendly staff. Lots of chapel allerton locals come in here as their local for a coffee. Nice salads and sandwiches too, almond croissants are the best!

Great coffee and super friendly staff. A fantastic local business!

Coffee is really great. Guy serving maybe a bit grumpy. Maybe that's cool? Don't really know but the coffee was incredibly nice

Knowledgeable staff, great coffee, nice from North Star and a rotating variety of other good UK roasters, sunny patch of pavement to drink it at

Aside from the biscoff blondies and almond croissants that are amazing the cafe itself is a bit lackluster. The cafe needed a good dust and clean when we went recently.

I had the almond croissant and it was amazing. They stopped serving food early at 3pm even though the close by 5pm, based on Google maps.

This is my dad's local coffee shop and has been his favourite for a while now. We visited with my toddler and step mum. It was a very pleasant experience and the food was delightful. Of course, the coffee was amazing too! Thank you!

Cold place without atmosphere(( Not much on the menu.

Would highly recommend this cafe with great service.

Only popped in for a coffee waiting for a bus. But, I liked it's atmosphere of an independent coffee shop rather than a chain. Lunchtime fare looked enticing as well. Will give it another go soon.

On,y criticism is it’s too busy I want to have the place to myself. Lol. Brilliant quality coffee! Like really brilliant delicious and chilled kind and switched on staff. Great concept. V New York style and well thought out

Tasty oat coffee and surprisingly fulfilling chocolate and almond croissant. Banana and walnut loaf was really nice and turned out to be full of flavour with a balance of sweetness

some high quality java which keeps me going throughout the day so I go whenever I'm working a day shift would recommend

5 star coffee with the friendliest service.

Really lovely coffee and friendly staff, always have vegan options. Lovely independent ☺️

Easily the best coffee in Leeds, really lovely welcoming staff, would recommend this place to anyone.

My favourite coffee shop, friendly service, great food.

The best flat white around! Spot on every time.

One of my favourite places to go. Great selection of drinks and food, both savoury and sweet. Genuine rose between two thorns!

Not sure why I haven't tried Opposite before but I've definitely been missing out. Coffee is in another league of the two big chains beside (Nero & Starbucks), really smooth and tasty. Loved the iced mocha. Really polite staff too, and they have a good system despite lockdown and the safety precautions. Will be back! 😊

I visited Opposite Cafe yesterday which was a busy Saturday on a cold afternoon during lockdown in January. I have been a regular customer at Opposite throughout lockdown and I'm a big believer in supporting independent coffee shops. Usually the experience has been great and the drinks of high quality, however, I felt I needed to write this review after the standard of service I received yesterday. I ordered a flat white and hot chocolate and after waiting around 30 minutes and seeing others who had been after me in the queue come and go, my partner went up to the counter and the server said 'don't worry we haven't forgotten about you' so we continued to wait. After a further 10 minutes, we were very chilly and had come to the conclusion that our order must have been missed off the list so we said to the server that we were going to leave it as we couldn't wait around any longer. She said the 2 drinks on the counter were ours (a latte and an oat milk hot chocolate) to which I replied that they were not our drinks and we had been waiting for a very long time. She replied to me saying that we had ordered a latte and we hadn't been missed off the queue. She did make us a flat white in the end, however, the situation which I imagine was just a simple misunderstanding of her confusing us with someone else, turned into quite an unpleasant experience. I will be coming back as 9/10 we have a good experience here, however, given that this is one of the pricier options in Chapel Allerton, I do expect a better level of service next time.

Lovely coffee shop, that has adapted well to COVID restrictions to maintain the quality levels. The Cinnamon swirls are a must!

Best coffee in Chapel Allerton and service with a smile

Staff seem up for some coffee chat, which is reassuring. Bought some locally roasted beans. Good set up outside for order and seating. An enjoyable 'eat to help out' flat white which was hot enough.

Great coffee and a nice vibe, despite the precautions which they must take

Good coffee. Reasonably priced. But small cups.

Great local coffee shop that serves great coffee

Great coffee and great service. Girlfriend reassures me the cinnamon bun was one of the best she's had, unfortunately too good to share!

Does what it says, nice tasting coffee, independant shop, small but tasty selction of food (its not a restaurant after all) and friendly staff. Apart from space at busy times I'm not sure what more they could do.

Best coffee in Chapel Allerton and quite possibly Leeds

Lovely little cafe, some nice gf options available too.

Very good coffee. Usual coffee shop selection of pricey cakes to go with it. I would tend to choose this place over the MANY other choices in Chapel Allerton, which says something, I suppose. This is a small premises, which does get pretty busy, so people with a pushchair or wheelchair might struggle.

Decent coffee just not great. The place feels tired too

Quirky coffee place with a different vibe. Coffee was expensive and place is very small.

Only been the once, but the staff was nice to us in this independent cafe and they instructed us how to drink this new tea dispenser. Lovely designs inside.

Absolutely love this place. It's cosy, the coffee is excellent, simple but well done brunch menu, great outdoor seating area, welcoming staff. What more could you ask for?

Quite possibly the best cappuccino and Tiffin cake I've ever sampled, excellent little cafe with amazing staff and atmosphere :)the mural by @davidfirth66 is tremendous

Dreadful. Sloppy service. Sandwiches are tightly wrapped in some sort of film wrap, actually they're squashed. My ham, Cheddar cheese and Branston pickle was manufactured, beige, fatty ham, I can't be certain if the square cheese was Cheddar but it had little taste, the pickle couldn't be found. There was a scattering of green leaves in the sandwich and on the plate, a lot of which were not fresh by several days, they were yellow and brown! Our tea arrived with milk in a clear glass bottle, the bottle was not clean. I asked for a glass of tap water and was presented with a bottle without the lid on, which was half full and had clearly been on other tables. It was so grubby around the inside of the neck and around the outside. There was no way that I would have drunk water from that bottle. The staff don't inspire confidence when you look for cleanliness. There's plenty of them but not once did we see any tables being cleaned between customers, we'd had to clear crumbs from the table we were sitting at. All in all this place spends too much time concentrating on gimmicky things like putting baked beans into a tiny clear pot with a lid when one orders beans on toast along with a cube of cheese and a tiny cheese grater so you can grate the cheese yourself, with difficulty. Tea is loose leaf tea and served with 'infusion-type balls' in mugs. However there's nowhere to put this infuser once the tea is brewed and removed from the chunky white mug, because it doesn't fit in the provided saucer! One thing that did bring a smile to our faces was that the Earl Grey tea came served in a very different tea-infusing pot. But once again once this was used, where did one leave it? Great little idea, makes good tea but lack of staff thought! There's a need and place for an independent coffee shop/cafe in this area. Done properly and well it thrive I'm sure.

Just wonderful. I feel very lucky to have this place within walking distance of home. Great coffee, friendly staff. It's not vast, but it's independent and cherished by me and my girlfriend.

Cosy place that always delivers a great coffee, and has vegan options for snacking

Can be hard to get a table as it's quite small, coffee is great, limited food menu but all done well, lots of regulars, friendly service, just an ideal neighbourhood cafe. Big chain options nearby but don't bother unless Opposite is very full / you need lots of space!

Always shop local on my occasional trips to Leeds and I love the coffee, Brownies and afogato from here. Good place to relax and read the paper.

Excellent coffee and great customer service. Very friendly and helpful team. Highly recommended. Dr Dalghous

Good coffee, bad atmosphere, too small and everyone seems like there ready for a fight, good if your taking out!

Best place in Chapel Allerton (don't go to the franchises nearby!)

Good café, nice staff, unique decor

Great little cafe, fantastic coffee!

Love coffee here. Small place though so never stay long

Coffee nice ...no chocolate sprinkles for the top of cappuccino ....not my kind of coffee shop ...too many people sat on iPads and on their mobile phones....shame really....lots of competition around !!!!!

Great food, good coffee, and a good price.

Great coffee and food in the centre of Chapel Allerton!

Great little coffee shop, staff are on point and the coffee is too! It's definitely my personal top 3 cafés in Leeds!

Great Coffee shop! I got a Turmeric Latte & it was beautiful! Nice atmosphere & friendly staff.

Lovely little cafe and dog friendly! Really helpful staff and great toasties. Nice to see some vegan options too :)

ALL GOOD! It seems like staff like working here... a big plus. Main thing... the best coffee. Great vibe. Oatley Hey Barista vegan milk alternative is a great choice. If you are fussed about coffee quality come here. PS food is great too.

I come here regularly... always great. Lovely coffee, great service and a warm atmosphere. highly reccomend

Fab little cafe, amazing coffee, good choice of food and dog friendly

Went here when I was feeling rough.. made me feel a tad better

Lovely to meet up with friends in a lovely warm cafe with great coffee

Lovely place for some healthy food, or yummyy cake :) would be nice to have some freshly squeezed juice though.

Good example of nice local cafe, Great coffee, friendly staff

Ginger cake is amazing and a very nice americano. Staff pleasant. This is a welcome alternative to the chains. Could be even better with more low sugar and organic alternatives.

Lots of sunshine in the morning if you want to sit outside. The chairs are not very stable/comfy though!

Bit pricey, but decent coffee and lovely lemon polenta cake. Good range of magazines.

Lovely coffee and sourdough toast with cheesy beans, would reccomend

Amazing coffee, salads and soup