The Bookcafé in Derby

I'm rather shocked at some of the glowing reviews relating to this establishment. I and a friend visited the Book Cafe today just for a hot drink and we were both alarmed at the smell of the crockery. We were told that an industrial washing unit is used to clean everything but, I can only imagine that the hot water feature is never turned on. The resulting stench is totally unacceptable, especially with the somewhat inflated prices charged.

Food was nice, 2 small breakfasts, 1 with extra black pudding and 2 teas almost £30. ... So over priced .... Will not return for breakfast

Amazing time at the Book Cafe! A shout out to Tilly she was very polite and helpful and very efficient.

Came her today with my granddaughter, had afternoon tea, it was excellent, everything so fresh and lovely staff, we will definitely be back.

I think this place has become a favourite of mine, without a doubt! Never even realised it was here until earlier on today. After finishing in town, I fancied somewhere to sit and people watch for a bit, while enjoying a drink and maybe a sweet treat too. I looked at a couple of cafes close by, but The Bookcafé stood out the most to me. Well I'm glad I chose this place, because it's awesome and super quirky! A shame I didn't bring my journal with me, as it's a great place to either catch up on some writing or get stuck into a good book for a while. There were plenty of seats to choose from, so I ended up going by the window, so I could people-watch and simply enjoy the world going by. The staff were lovely, being greeted with a smile by one of the young ladies who worked there. There's a choice, to either order at the counter or from the table which is handy. It was simple to use, and you could pay through Google/Apple pay or even PayPal. The young lady I mentioned, kindly came over to inform me that they hadn't got any of the ginger cake. However, they did have a selection of other great-sounding cakes and treats. So after refreshing my memory and having a look at what they had, I went for the coffee marble cake (deliciously moist, with a subtle coffee taste... Not too overpowering!) 👌🏻I also ordered a large cappuccino and they didn't take long at all to arrive. Another lady who brought them over, was super friendly and pleasant, which just enhanced the overall experience so hats off to the staff, for being fabulous! It was nice to sit and relax, listen to the music playing and watch the world go by. Such a great place, if you're looking for somewhere to unwind for a while from the hectic world. 10/10!!

Great location and cosy. Food is good

Always a joy to be in the book Cafe

Lovely little place,kept all the old features of the building.Food was great,wife had Yorkshire pudding wrap,with beef,garlic roast potatoes and beef gravy,I sampled it all and it was amazingly nice.I had the open steak sandwich which again was delicious. Atmosphere was very chilled,we will be returning.

Great food, excellent atmosphere

A great place to meet friends, good food, amazing attentive staff.

Friendly staff, great coffee and cakes

Great place to meet friends and good food and drinks and nice staff always go for a pot of tea when I go into town lovely atmosphere always have a friendly chat with Annie

A nice cafe/restaurant offering some very tasty food all day. One of the best sausage and fried egg sandwiches I've had in a long time. A nice quirky atmosphere. Like eating in a library or second hand book shop. The only downside was the chairs at tables were a bit hard and basic and it was a bit chilly. Minor stuff really.

If you’re looking for a place where great food meets outstanding service, Book Café is the place to be. A heartfelt thank you to the wonderful team for making my visit so delightful, but for service I’ll give 10 stars 👍I’ll definitely be back!

Some of the best food and service around will be back.

Great drinks and snacks, friendly staff and always is clean.

Brought my 10 year old daughter in for a tea and cake on a Saturday at 4:30 pm, we were told when entering they close at 5pm, we were welcomed and shown to a tables, Tea and cake came and we were not bothered by the staff wanting to close bang on 5pm Great service very friendly staff and the food and drink was very good to and well priced!

I stayed in Derby for a week and tried a few different places for breakfast. I found the book cafe to be the best. Excellent quality food. Particularly enjoyed the scrambled eggs which were light and flurry. Every item on the plate was of good quality. The location of the cafe is very central and the quirky ambience adds to the experience. Only slightly marked down service as there was no table service, only order at the bar was available but that said the staff were nice and friendly. I’d gladly return to the book cafe in the future and recommend to others

Great cafe for breakfast, super service, had the Derbyshire Breakfast, great ingredients and tasty.

We really enjoyed our food. It was a Greek salad and it was really tasty.

Pleasant experience probably more expensive than I would normally pay but worth it

we popped in for brunch , ordered @the table, what service very friendly drinks arrived ,few minutes later our food , this was delicious i had mushroom & poached egg with hollandaise sauce my daughter had mini breakfast .even though it was busy nothing to much trouble .

Always call for breakfast... excellent

Always a great venue to be alone or catch up with friends and family. Food is gorgeous.

I've been several times and I love it

I had afternoon tea for two, The sandwiches had been left out for a whole, resulting in them being dry/ crispy and margarine being used felt quote disappointing. I also felt like the staff wanted myself and my guest to leave after having spent 45 minutes eating and talking. I'm not planning to go back after this experience when there are better places in Derby and Nottingham.

This place has a nice atmosphere. It was busy but the staff were smiling, polite and efficient. The bacon roll had alot of bacon, and was delicious. Good coffee also.

Stopped by for coffee and cake - the atmosphere is nice and I had a lovely gingerbread latte, but unfortunately the millionaire's shortbread I had was dry and gritty and the caramel tasted like tinned Nestle Carnation caramel. It wasn't very nice, I didn't even finish it and I have a major sweet tooth! It also seems odd to have a "book cafe" without many books!

It was a little overpriced, but the food was good. I paid £45 for two breakfasts, a pot of tea, and a special coffee. I always leave a tip, but not on this occasion.

Nice place, great for a cream tea.... but why would a café that serves afternoon tea close at 4pm?? Was asked to leave at 3.50!

I came out for breakfast with some friends, having never visited before. It was not overly welcoming - there were a lot of reserved tables and no one to help seat us. Someone called over to us that we could go up to the counter to order food or do it on the app. Food was lovely, and it arrived very quickly. We were there for almost 3 hours and were not made to feel rushed, even when it started getting busy. Plates were cleared while one of the group was still eating. I know this is minor, but it's a bug bear of mine. I would definitely return as it was a lovely meal in a relaxed environment. Easy to find and very clean.

We love this cafe, always a great experience; we love it so much we had our wedding breakfast here. Great service, great staff and not too expensive.

The atmosphere here was nice, went for a Sunday dinner which was good but the chicken was a little dry, mix it with the cauliflower cheese and it balances it out, overall it was decent I'd go back, would probably just ask for some more gravy to drown the chicken in

Our favourite place to eat whenever we visit Derby - great food, amazing surroundings - a delight for all the senses

The bookcafe is a beautiful building with an equally beautiful interior. The breakfasts are really nice, I recommend the mushroom muffins.

Amazing food and drink. Would definitely recommend. They have games you can play, it’s a great gem in derby city centre.

Really terrific cafe in Derby. I wish I would have discovered this cafe earlier and not on my way out of Derby, could have visited more than once.

Lovely place. Food is very good and comes quickly. Good selection of food and drink

Popped in for a lovely morning drink and cake 👍

Decent cafe was a good breakfast. Did the meat well done like I asked for 👍🏽

Really great cafe for gluten free options. I’m not 100% sure where the name came from as there really wasn’t many books? But overall the atmosphere was quirky and cosy. I ordered the bhaji sandwich on the online ordering option. There was no option to make it gluten free apart from the notes section but the waitress was happy to swap it and it came out with a GF bun, the food itself was really tasty

Super helpful and friendly staff. Easy to get too. Really quirky and beautiful decoratations and delicious cakes. Gluten free afternoon tea was lovely as well.

A wonderful little cafe with a super food menu. I've been three times so far, and this was the best yet, with the pulled ham hock Benedict and iced mango smoothie (pictured) both excellent. I'll definitely be back!

food was good and quickly prepared

An excellent breakfast. Quality food at a great price. Very nice.

Love breakfast here and staff are so friendly, the eggs Benedict with ham is gorgeous and loads of ham hock on plate.

Great cafe! Always a treat going there!

Furst visit but won't be my last great food really friendly service and good value for money

Amazing afternoon tea, lovely staff , will definitely be back

Excellent coffee in a convivial atmosphere.

Good collection of boardgames 🃏♠️🎲 The coffee portions could have been more generous 👀

OK, but as a veggie pretty disappointed - the buffet option showed a listing of what was on offer, but it was anyone’s guess to determine which dish was which. Ended up eating 4 types of potato as I didn’t want accidental meat on my plate. Wouldn’t recommend for food.

If you don't know, you have to get to know!!. Lovely staff, atmosphere, food😛

We pop in here regularly when on our lunch break from work. The food is always lovely. I order on their app and the service is quick. Would recommend for a quick bite before whizzing back to work. Would recommend the Cheese Toasty 😋 😀

Had an excellent Bacon Sandwich and a Fish Finger Brioche. And two coffees. Really good food and coffee. Not much left to show for excellent food in the pix.

Exactly what I was after, great coffee and cake, lovely building, friendly staff, great music. 🙂

Really enjoyable lunch. Good service. Lots of nice, different dishes...

Lovely spot for breakfast. Had the Small Brekkie which was delicious. Poached eggs were spot on and good quality sausage and bacon. Lovely latte as well.

Busy on Saturday lunchtime but we were squeezed in at long as we took less than 40 mins. I'm not a fan of bottled beer, but the Dancing Duck 22 was a good one. There shawarma wrap was good and I'd recommend.

Such a cosy place, love coming here always perfect 👌

Really tasty, top quality perfectly cooked food in lovely surroundings. Always pretty busy, but the hard working staff deal with it all with smooth efficiency and keep us all happy and attended to. A very friendly place with a nice atmosphere and great prices that caters for all ages and tastes. One to visit for a treat and a breather and a real plus for Derby.

Visited today for birthday brunch. Food was tasty but cold, and bacon undercooked. Do you not have heated lamps or hot plated. We would have mentioned this, but there were 5 of us, it was very busy, we could only see 2 staff.

Went with a friend 🧡 Was cosy. Nice and relaxed.. Friendly helpful staff. Lovely food.. Had a really nice lunch there x

Absolutely lovely. Would heartily recommend. Food was brilliant and staff were lovely.

Beautiful food and atmosphere . Lovely place to dine. Kudos to chef rhian for such a yummy brekkie

great little cafe recommended by a friend,lovely latte.will be going there again.

Gorgeous atmosphere, a really nice, warm cosy feel to the place. Can order from your table via app if you're someone who sometimes struggles talking to strangers. The beef wrap is stunning. Tender beef brisket wrapped up in a Yorkshire pudding with red cabbage and horseradish - Warning, very hot radish. Incredibly crispy yet fluffy garlic roast tatoes with homemade gravy are a delight. I was going to go to Cozy Club next door but I am so glad I came here instead!

Lovethis cafe.. and the amazing staff make it so very speial xx

We went for a drink and food with our niece, who is in her first year at derby university, we come from Norwich. And all I can say is it was a lovely time, service was brilliant, food was good and it is a lovely place to visit. We will definitely be coming in again when we come to visit derby xx

Great place! Friendly, helpful staff, good food ans coffee. Great atmosphere busy but relaxing. Dog friendly and bent over backwards to accommodate your needs. This particularly so as I horrendous train problems and yet they kept table for me and accommodated my girlfriend while waiting for me. Well done to all and a credit to Derby😊

I absolutely love this place, fave café in Derby. Such a lovely atmosphere and nice decor inside. It's a great, chilled place to work from in the week - I've been here a few times now with my laptop. I've also taken my toddler here, it's not accessible (steps) but there is a button you can press and staff come outside to help you to carry the pushchair. So helpful when you're alone with a little one! And of course lovely food and drinks 😍

Hi, we walked in earlier today. No welcome. Sat down, grabbed our own menus, went to the bar, staff walked past, no acknowledgment. So decided to leave. Was very unwelcoming.

When I go shopping always go to the book cafe for lunch.

OK place definitely nothing special, the breakfast was nice enough

Lovely, dog friendly cafe with lots of vegetarian and vegan options, plus friendly and helpful staff. Recommended

Nice relaxed atmosphere and great food - the service is always excellent with smiley faces and friendly staff

One of the best places for a reasonably priced lunch, with nice staff and atmosphere. Now serving an excellent Sunday lunch. A frequently visited spot.

This is the second consecutive year that the Book Café has hosted our Christmas party and as always the standard was spot on. The food was delicious and really varied. The service was great and all staff were very attentive. Highly recommend!

A great tasting breakfast.plenty of ingredients on the plate

It's dog friendly which is a big bonus and you can order from the table, which again is great because you don't have to take your dog to the counter or leave it on its own to order. I also asked for some dog treats in the "instructions" dialogue box and they sent 3 biscuits on a side plate.

Great food, great staff great atmosphere.

Lovely place to catch up with friends. Staff needs little bit more confidence while serving

Nice enough breakfast but a bit over priced, and not that warm

Met up with cycling friends for coffee and a cake and everything was great ! Thoroughly recommended!!

We had an excellent afternoon tea here after the Graduation ceremony at Derby University. The staff were excellent. The atmosphere really relaxing and the food delicious. Would thoroughly recomend this venu for afternoon tea.

I don't know what to say about this coffee shop, the atmosphere is really different in a very nice way، You order through a QR in the table, the website is kind easy and direct, but the payment, the site doesn't accept the Samsung pay, so you need to fill the card details which I really hated! The waitress that brought us our order spilt the latte, that was okay! But her leaving the mess just like that without asking, caring, or bringing extra tissue at least was so careless of her! I wanted to order the chocolate scone. A mistake happened. We ended up having the cheese one, which was so bad that I wouldn't recommend it, but after complaining, they made it for us by bringing us brownies, and that really saved the day! Thanks to the manager, I guess. She was super friendly and made sure we were satisfied. One final thing, the avocado with the eggs, was super delicious. I would really recommend it to anyone!

Amazing afternoon tea! Recommend totally

Took my mum and sister for afternoon tea. Was lovely, the staff were so friendly

Had My First Roast Here Yesterday And It Was Amazing 🤩 Will Be Going Back For Sure. Roast Potatoes Were The Best I've Ever Had 😋

amazing food was divine... will deffo for sure be going back 10 out of 10 and the service was on point lovely really enjoyed...... thank you

10/10 fantastic food. Would highly recommend we will definitely be going back again.

One of the nicest breakfasts I've had out in a long while... generous portions and nice and hot and the bacon was cooked to perfection...

came here for a roast and it was absolutely incredible! i come here for food and coffee regularly and it's always 10/10 - don't know what it is you guys are doing but keep doing it!!

Start of the new Sunday menu and it's very tasty

I'd heard great things about this place. It was ok , felt very Costa coffee'ish ordering. Could have been cleaner. The wait time was pretty good , my meal was nice , my friend found a hair in her cream topped coffee.. her water glass was dirty . I thought there would be more books , since it's a book Cafe. Very average, wouldn't rush to return. Did like the outside seating though.

Perfectly cooked poached eggs and a lovely mocha. Little bit pricey but worth it for a treat.

Brilliant service. Party of 8, food came out quick and was delicious Massive thanks to the chef Tom

Good coffee, good tasty breakfast. Nice atmosphere.

Wir waren zum ersten Mal dort, sehr interessante Bauweise des Gebäudes, Personal sehr freundlich, nur die Toiletten sind sehr viele Stufen hoch 😉

Had afternoon tea, it was delicious and we had to bring some home. Will defo be coming again xx