Smiths Coffee Bar in Thanet

We had three generations around the table for breakfast which included chocolate brownies, waffles with ice cream, amazing cheese toasties and avocado with sun dried tomatoes and bacon! Apple juice and a mocha, white flat and black Americana. We were silent for 15 minutes as we enjoyed every mouthful, a coffee shop made with love!

Read the top reviews and had lunch. Top service, coffee and NY bagel was FAB 10/10

The challenge with coffee shops that advertise themselves as speciality is (rightly or wrongly) an elevated expectation of quality and u expect them to nail the espresso. And this place probably suffers from elevated expectations. 10 years ago I would have come here and thought how great the coffee was. But things have moved on and with more and more places doing speciality coffee expectations are higher than ever. Also when u have books inside written by James Hoffman, it goes up another notch. U can't have one of the pioneers of the 3rd wave coffee movement books in ur coffee shop and not nail it. I liked the dark decor, the atmos was good and it was a calming environment. I could imagine sitting inside or out enjoying a book and the coffee is pretty good. I thought the servuce was friendly and good, albeit we only ordered coffee and cake. The espresso was a little sour which can be OK but when it's a punchy blend with nutty and chocolate it felt like it was due to a slightly under extracted brew rather than the acidity of the bean. The flat white had just a bit too much milk but when u add milk it removes the sourness and because he espresso blend is quite punchy it goes well with milk drinks. I think milk drink lovers will rate this higher than black coffee lovers (assuming today was a typical day). We also had some banana bread which was dry around the edges but nice and moist in the middle. Really pleased to see another coffee shop and loved the decor just need to nail to espresso to get a 5 from me.

Lovely food and super quick service. Also very reasonably priced and beautiful interior ☺️

Great coffee at this busy independent establishment

Lovely, friendly little place. Excellent coffee. Music is a bit loud though.

Really great coffee, tasty food and the fact it opens early on a Sunday, amazing! Thank you for making my early morning walks on the beach, with a coffee in hand, that much better!

Lovely coffee (strong) and great they had a coconut milk for substitute. Also, the BLT bagel was perfect!! I’ve been looking for somewhere that does this for months.

Popped in for a Coffee whilst out on a stroll in this quaint town. Supeb quality Coffee really strong which I like, professionally made by experts. Good range of cakes and sweet treats. What's not to like

Nice little coffee shop, had an iced latte and a cookie brownie. Sat outside and enjoyed the sun

The best flat white, ever. My favourite coffee by far. Staff are always lovely and the food is delicious too.

The best coffee in Broadstairs. Perfect place for food, drink, ambeince, friendly welcome and excellent service .

Popped in for quick coffee before nursery run and really friendly staff great coffee and although we didn't eat the food looked tasty too!!!

I've never known or experienced rudeness like it by the owner. She is literally a female Basil Fawlty. With the unfortunate downside of not being remotely funny. She creates a dreadful atmosphere and makes you feel as though you have been summoned to the head masters office. Avoid like the plague! A big shame as the other female staff members are delightful and the food and drink is nice.

We've been here on a few occasions because the coffee is actually really great but on each occasion the customer service has been a bit hit and miss. Today however tipped us over the edge and we got up and walked out, waved off with a very passive aggressive thank you from the owner. So rude and obnoxious. We won't be returning. It costs nothing to be kind.

Disgusting Attitude and Rudeness. I brought my cousin from Canada over today. Was appalled at the arrogance of the owner. Her attitude was astonishing. And by scanning through these reviews. I am not alone in this discovery. My wife, cousin and myself walked out in disgust and was delighted to discover Forts opposite which were welcoming with opening arms and with a much better atmosphere. Avoid!!

We've been here on a few occasions because the coffee is actually really great but on each occasion the customer service has been a bit hit and miss. Today however tipped us over the edge and we got up and walked out, waved off with a very passive aggressive thank you from the owner. So rude and obnoxious. We won't be returning. It costs nothing to be kind.

Lovely coffee, great atmosphere and friendly staff.

The coffee is great, the food is OK. But the unwelcoming attitude of the staff (bar one person who was waitressing and was lovely) means I will not go back as there are plenty of places that serve great coffee (one of which is just across the road). Maybe just an off day, maybe not, but not going to find out. Would not recommend.

Delicious cakes and lovely coffee. Really nice atmosphere

Lovely food and atmosphere- but not child friendly as there isn't a baby changing facility on site.

This has to be the best coffee in Broadstairs!!!! Delicious pastries and friendly staff. It also has a great vibe.

Lovely coffee shop slightly off the beaten track, and the toastie was perfect

A go to coffee shop in Broadstairs with delicious cakes and sandwiches, coffee and drinks... for somewhere a little bit special. Recommended.

Truly delicious. I had the kimchi avo on toast and a hot toastie (on separate days). The coffee's good, the people are a delight. Definitely worth a visit when in Broadstairs. I didn't look for vegan options but the vegetarian selection was solid (as you'd expect)

Really great coffee shop, with nice coffee and massive pastries. Just wish there was more seating, as it can quickly fill up, and you feel under pressure to move on quickly to create space for new arrivals.

We had superb coffee here about 3 years ago when we were last in Broadstairs, so visited again whilst staying in the area. The decor & seating is modern, the coffee is superb and the brunch/breakfast was tasty. The double espressos are good quality with a decent crema & the macchiato was excellent, with the milk & coffee in good proportions. The bagel with smoked salmon & cream cheese was delicious and the sour dough toast with smashed advocado, soft boiled egg and bacon was tasty. The only minor things was that the coffee bar was a bit drafty and I thought it odd to have so many of the tables with reserved on them in such a small place.

Popped in to grab a coffee and something to eat with some friends whilst in Broadstairs and immediately knew I’d be coming back. Amazing warm and inviting feel to the place, the staff were all super friendly. Great food (recommend the New Yorker toasty) and even better coffee! 100% recommend. My new favourite coffee spot!

Fabulous coffee, delicious food and very warm and welcoming staff, good banter and laughs. Highly recommend a visit if you’re in town. Enjoy

We show up there, 2 people, around 14.30. We are asked to wait to be seated, fine so far. But the place only has 2 patrons in. Table next to us, for 4 or 6 has the sign "reserved" on it. From that, you can understand how pretentious the place is. Selling coffee, sweets, some sandwich, you need to put a sign on the table. God forbid, some high rollers will walk in. They will want that table and splash money. Order is double espresso, some other coffee containing milk or toffee and 2 sweets. Lady, owner, manager, something comes over. How is everything she asks. I reply that the cake is great, the coffee not so much. It was like thunderbolt hit her. Now I don't believe she was graced with super powers, rather ridiculous powers because the dialogue gets better and better. Lady : Then you should put some sugar on it. Storming off to some cleaning area in the back. Me : No, I shouldn't. But she doesn't let go, the super powers you see. Lady : So do you own a coffee shop ? I can't believe my ears now. Me : I don't own a coffee shop, I was in hospitality for 16 years. We then engage in some conversation over the quantity of the coffee and the size of the cup that it is served. She "informs", rather "educate" me, that if I wanted a double espresso, I should have asked for a long one, and that she pressed the button 27 seconds. I try to say to her, that you can expect to have a bad review from time to time. It goes straight over her head. So obviously in this shop, you must be qualified or graced with a coffee shop ownership to pass judgement, because we are great, fantastic, amazing here. So let's see if I am qualified. After a college degree in Tourism Business Management and 16 years of work in hospitality, I guess I know what I am talking about. Now I have worked making coffees myself with Robusta, Arabica, mixtures of the both. I have worked and tasted artisan coffees like the one in the shop from Guatemala, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Brazil, Ethiopia. I know that the artisan coffee is coming with a different acidity, because is more pure, less refined and of course altitude of the crop plays a role too. Now, why the coffee was bad. a. it did not have the sweet brown color you expect on top. Why is that ? a. machine not super clean, b. cup not hot enough when you poured the coffee in, c. keeping coffee cooling, while spending time making the more elaborate one. When I was in the hospitality business I urged guests to place complaints in order to address things that we have missed. But in this place there is a know all, no fault, entitlement attitude. Well earned bad review.

Was just what was needed, great coffee, classy but relaxed vibes, good food and a great welcome!

Nice little coffee shop just off the main road. The place is really well decorated and has a classy feeling to it. The drinks and bagel we had was good and I’d probably go back again.

Popped in very early on a Sunday with family. Made to feel welcome and although there are no croissants available on a Sunday or Monday there were other options to choose. We had the toasted banana bread which was lovely, waffle and granola. More savoury options available too. Happy we tried.

We regularly pop down to Smith’s for a coffee and a bagel or toastie. Today we tried their new dish with the pesto, fresh tomatoes, balsamic glaze on toasted sourdough and I have to say it was absolutely wonderful! We even treated ourselves to extra streaky bacon today. The team there are kind, the coffee is fantastic so much so that we have their beans in our machine at the office. Happy to recommend this wonderful healthy establishment to all of our guests!

Top rank coffee. So much so, we bought some to take home. Charming and helpful staff too.

Great coffee, breakfast and service. Always got a good feel about the place

Got coffee here a couple of times. Very nice coffee shop

Great little coffee shop with super friendly staff! Prices also really good too!

This place has a lot of elements that are great, but there’s room for improvement. There were a lot of staff when we visited and they were all just chatting, despite people needing to be served. Food was also disappointing - the waffles are not fresh and come with a dollop of yoghurt and genuinely about 5 blueberries 😂 Coffee was great and it’s a beautifully decorated place on a nice pretty street. Lots of potential, so worth a visit and hopefully it’s 5* for you ✨

One of our regular cafes when we're in Broadstairs

Great coffee, incredible services, went every day while in Broadstairs. Divine granola, cheese tostie, juice. Super friendly

A family business, ran by a great team of women. Locals love it, and as a tourist felt welcomed and looked after, got top tips on where to eat. Fresh produce, great granola, toasties, and pastries. Couldn't recommend more.

Really excellent coffee and service by very pleasant staff.

Lovely breakfast and croissants as big as your head! 😂😂

Nice coffee shop a bit away from the front. Quite small, busy inside but, it had been raining so outside seating was not being used. Decent coffee, largest pan au chocolate ever, good service.

Lovely little place a stones throw from the beach.

Fantastic coffee, and great service. Would return, and highly recommend to others!

My wife and I tried Smiths for the first time for a morning coffee and pastry. Both were of excellent quality and the almond croissant and cinnamon bun were delicious. The staff were lovely and friendly (not sure why there have been a few negative reviews about this). I only wish we didn't live am hour away otherwise I'd be visiting more often.

Nice little spot in Broadstairs to get breakfast, coffee, or tea.

I love this cafe. Always such a great atmosphere and the staff are fantastic. Great coffee and lovely food options. The croissants are worth the visit alone.

The best cake I ever had chocolate cake yum yum. You have to try the cake. The mood is chill a bit quite.

We tried the place again. I've visited the cafe several times before with friends, but they had already given up on it and the frosty attitude among 'the team' at Smith's and now go to Artfuls as a local indy coffee shop. I should have heeded their advice. There's friendlier cafes with better choice of food in Broadstairs now. Won't be back.

In the best Broadstairs coffee shop shortlist, for sure. Super friendly staff. Lovely sunny spot too.

Only visit here , as on holiday . I had the cheese toastie with pastrami and pickles, hubby had the plain cheese toastie. All very tasty , tea and flat whites also good . Reason for low score … the wait for toastie was a bit too long , but what I found a bit much , was when we went to pay , my husband was handed the card machine , he said to the waitress /owner to add on a couple of pound tip, to be told that it automatically adds a tip on if you have food and you can remove it if you want to. We wouldn’t have known this if we hadn’t been told, because you don’t get a paper bill , so I find it a bit rude , to just presume that you deserve a tip, which to be honest , they didn’t. I had thought of getting a pastry , but saw people at the counter ordering and paying , having to lean over the pile of croissants, not very hygienic when they aren’t covered up

Visited this cafe a few times while staying locally, recently. pleasant food and coffee. The biggest croissants you’ve seen. The wait staff were nice, however the manager/owner was hostile and unfriendly. She was doing the books at one of the tables and was clearly annoyed at our grandchildren chattering on one occasion and refused to let us take a table at the back of the cafe, insisting on squashing us all round a window table on another visit. There’s plenty of nice cafes in Broadstairs and I would suggest trying others instead!!

Nice little place. Terrific coffee.

Fantastic coffee, however limited space inside. Staff are unfriendly and extremely arrogant. Very abrasive and standoffish with customers. Pity for such a beautiful place. My friends and I ordered coffees and were staring at the advertisement wall with cards within the coffee shop. The lady behind the counter raised her voice so loud and asked us to leave and wait for our takeaway coffees outside in an abrasive tone and repeated “Did you hear what I said or am I talking to myself?” We felt ushered away in such a rude manner.

A lovely coffee and banana bread

On arrival we were were told to sit by the door even though there were other tables available - the weather was not nice at all so being sat by the door with the door opening every 5 minutes wasn’t enjoyable - while we were served the lady was speaking to other people about how hard her week was and slagging off her suppliers rather than giving her full customer service to us - on payment the lady didn’t even acknowledge that the transaction had gone through - not a pleasant visit in terms of customer service . I will not be returning here

Quick food and drink stop. Good food. And different to normal Limited on space inside. But otherwise good.

Delicious cake and delicious cappuccino!We stayed in Broadstairs for Xmas break near this coffee shop and we found amazing coffee .So every morning we started the day with coffee at this place Beautiful decor

Beautiful little cafe/ coffee shop in Broadstairs. Definitely worth checking out. Beautiful food and drinks, lovely staff and prime location. Will definitely recommend to friends and family 💖💖

Loved this cafe, you can take your dog in with you. The wrap I had was fantastic, it had bacon, halloumi, avocado and egg, almost like a breakfast in a wrap. It was heaven. The chai latte was lovely and sweet too. Will definitely be back.

Warm and friendly welcome, excellent Long Black, buttery, crispy croissants and deliciously moist coffee cake.

Lovely Coffee but no pastries left 🥺.

Lovely friendly owners, tasty food, recommended 👍🏻

Lovely, friendly atmosphere and staff. And deffo one of the best dirty chai's and I've had in Broadstairs 🙌👌

Only passing by just leaving Margate and we heard good news about this private coffee place. I ordered a ristreto and omg, it was perfect. The balance of the coffee and the bitterness, absolutely amazing coffee taste. I can drink more, I want more, even the flavour carried on the taste of my tongue. I'm so sad I only can stay for one drink. If I pass by again I'll for sure will go again. The best coffee brew I had in my life.

The brunch options are really good and the coffee was fantastic, very chocolatey mocha. The interior is also lovely

Given the reviews and look of the place, I was excited to give it a try. Sadly, didn’t live up to the hype. Maybe I’m spoilt for great coffee being from London, but good coffee it ain’t. Perfectly serviceable, but I’ll never understand why a place that advertises itself as a coffee shop doesn’t put in the extra effort to do incredible coffee. But it was the experience that really let this place down. A collection of women with sour faces “greeted” my daughter and I. Nobody seemed to be knowing what their role was, and it made for an uneasy transaction, at one point having the card machine thrust in my face when I actually wanted to grab an orange juice. And the piece de resistance was the way they bruskly treated my 4YO. The moodiest of the lot came over and snatched the cutlery pot from our table, saying to the effect “she’ll just get it all out” referring to my daughter. Just plain rude and complete lack of ability to gauge and engage a child/customer. Won’t be going back. Would maybe grab a coffee as it’s alright but service is the heart of any business, and at least today, we saw a very bad example of it. BASSLINE.

Really enjoyed our lunch - we all had different sandwiches or Bagels. They did gluten free bread too. The salmon and cream cheese sandwiches were delicious. The other flavours we had were smashed avocado with bacon, smashed avocado and halloumi. Delicious smoothies. Would have preferred all the food to have come out at once but apart from that all good. Would return.

I rarely drink coffee, but I spotted this place on my travels just as I needed a cup. Friendly staff, good service, nice little spot.

Great double espresso and cortado. Friendly service and open after 2pm unlike the place on Albion Street. Will certainly be back.

Wonderful place. Had brunch here, lovely food, friendly, smiling staff. We sat outside, at the front, under their canopy, on a hot busy day when everyone went to the beach!

Smiths has become my new favourite go to for breakfast/brunch, my husband loves the toasted sandwiches and I love the avocado on toast with bacon. Plus their coffee is the best!

We love coming here. Lovely food and drink. Friendly staff and the atmosphere is delightful. Great ambiance. Its definitely a favourite of ours!

Best cappucino I have had for years. The New Yorker on toasted sourdough was expensive (£8) but worth it. Excellent pastrami, proper pickles and good quality American style mustard. Well worth a visit.

Excellent coffee, like excellent. Nice range of snacks as well, pickle and cheese sourdough toasties were perfection. Lovely atmosphere, will be visiting again!

Really good coffee. Food was excellent. Homemade cakes. Staff friendly and polite. Great atmosphere and decor. Revisited 07/03/22 As above, high standards of service have been maintained. A busy, buzzing venue. 👍🏼

When your menu is tiny (sourdough and bagels) you have a real opportunity to nail it, sadly not unless you like hard and chewy stale bagels and no alternative as they didn’t have any bread on Saturday. And ice cold mashed avocado just isn’t pleasant especially after you’ve waited half an hour for it. Sick of paying good money for ‘bougie’ substandard food, come on Thanet independents - pull your socks up.

Friendly employees nice decor. Horribly overpriced the coffee was no better then instant and had a foul singed odour and the brownie to my great disappointment, was drier then aldi homebrand jaffacakes. they won no award from me my mouth has not felt such violation since my poorer days.

Great food and drink and lovely staff. We'll worth a visit x

Excellent! Delicious food and latte. Super efficient staff and service.

We were staying opposite. Good range of teas and and fine coffee. Interesting, healthy range of sandwiches and the cakes looked good.

Being local so pleased to have found a place that offers excellent coffee, even a baby Chino for the granddaughter! Dogs allowed also so perfect

Gem of a cafe just off the high street. Great lunch menu.

Lovely atmosphere, very London feel (Hoxtenesque) good networking place.

Happened upon this place by accident with parking nearby & what a pleasant accident it was. We called in for breakfast on spec & what a great little place. Lovely food, attentive staff, great music & a really cool atmosphere. We went back again the following day even though we weren't staying in Broadstairs as we enjoyed it so much. Best coffee shop we've been in for a good while.

Just sat outside for a quick coffee, which was very good. The cakes looked delicious, very nice staff

The staff were rude, the food was tasteless with the avocados being old and rotten. The smattering of seeds, that were not even toasted cost an extra £1.25 and the marinated tomatoes were not really marinated. A horrible experience, we will not be going back

Great coffee, great food, great place and most importantly lovely staff! Highly recommended for coffee and a bite.

Very pleasant sitting in the courtyard,food home made,a helpful waitress and very clean👍

Great vibe, lovely food, friendly service

really lovely friendly atmosphere beautiful decor and most importantly the best flat white I have had in a long time well worth a visit x

A little off the beaten track. Does decent toasties and snacks. No staff wearing masks, though most seating outdoors and lots of ventilation. Popular spot with all tables filled at lunchtime

Just what was required as a refuge from mid-summer wind and rain. A great, cup of coffee, and although we did not order food, those who had were tucking into generous portions.

We visited this fabulous and friendly coffee shop everyday during our family holiday in Broadstairs - and one evening we all had cocktails.I can’t recommend it too highly. Thank you to all the staff and particularly the “main” lady for making us so welcome. I’m sorry I didn’t get your name.

Been asked if we wanted food menu. Only few minutes later to be informed that the food is finished at 3 pm. It was after 4 pm, so why bother giving me a menu? Staff are clueless.

We had a veggie lunch of avocado and hummus on sourdough and really good coffee. It’s a small cafe but tables are nicely spaced and decor is modern yet comfortable. We’ll have to return to try the cakes next time!

This is such a nice place - the coffee, the food, the people. We came here for lunch the other day, for the first time since lockdown - had toasted bagels and flat whites - and really enjoyed it. In a town that was long overdue an Australasian coffee bar, Smith's has made its mark over the last few years and earnt itself a good reputation in the process - so good that newer businesses on the high street have been inspired to do the same. Broadstairs has got some lovely contemporary cafes now and it's all thanks to Smith's doing something original and paving the way. We owe the owners a big cappuccino!