The Cafe on the Common in Bristol, City of

Sadly, today's experience wasn't as good as my friends and I were hoping for. We went for lunch with 4 adults and 4 babies under 1. We sat down and used the highchairs (which are great) and started feeding the babies as we wanted to feed them first then enjoy lunch. Although polite, we were told by a member of staff that we weren't allowed to bring outside food into the cafe. I completely understand this rule when it comes to adults but they also said that this applies to baby food and that we would have to buy the baby food that they sell. We were all pretty shocked to find out that in the future we aren't allowed to bring our own baby food but must buy one of the two pouches they have on offer near the till. I think most parents would agree that not all babies will eat the two Ella's kitchen pouches available. Over the last 10 months we've eaten in quite a few cafes in North Bristol and never have we been told that we can't bring our own food for the babies. Sadly, this has been quite off putting and it's such a shame as the food and coffees were so delicious!

We had quiche and homity pie and salads. They were so tasty and really good value. The staff are helpful and there is a great choice of seating indoors and outdoors. Highly recommend

We’ve always enjoyed going to this cafe and have been going years. Unfortunately our last visit wasn’t very enjoyable. My other half and I bought coffee and cake for ourselves, however we brought our own food for our one year old as we knew there is no baby/children’s menu. My one year old has a no salt and sugar diet (as do most one year olds) We were told (politely) that we aren’t allowed to bring our own food for our baby and that they provide food for babies. On leaving I had to check just incase I was mistaken if they provide food for babies. The food they provide are baby pouches or wafers which are suitable for babies who are newly being weaned onto solids. A pouch is not nutritional or substantial enough for a child who is over one on a full solid diet. Other than that you offer cakes and sausage rolls, which like most parents wouldn’t want your one year old eating for lunch. Until you can provide food suitable for young children (low/no salt and no sugar unless natural) I don’t believe you can ask people to not bring their own food for their babies. I understand your business is a charity and that you rely on people purchasing your food and drink (which we did) I just don’t feel it’s okay to tell people they can’t feed their babies. I genuinely feel embarrassed for your staff, having to tell parents they aren’t allowed to feed their babies their own food. They must be exhausted from saying it, everyone there had their own food for their babies and every other occasion we’ve been there it’s been no different.

Love sitting with pooches and a good cup of tea.

Good choice of food and quick and effecient service.

…from an under-used, little valued space (used by a few people for tennis and bowls when I was younger) into one that, at least when we went, was really popular and busy. My friend who still lives locally who suggested it says it’s usually that busy which is great to hear. Seeing the additional spaces for things like parents’ groups and space for growing food is also wonderful. I was really impressed with everything about this new development in the middle of Horfield Common!

Lovely spot for lunch or coffee & cake. Delicious dairy free, vegan & gluten free options too. Thank you

Lovely cafe! Very popular and constantly a que. Staff were super friendly and polite. Had an iced coffee and cake! Both were really nice! Plenty of space to sit outside

Busy when we arrived, but worth the wait. Good coffee, pleasant surroundings

Lovely space, great salad and quiche.

What a beautiful setting. Gardens looked natural and well tended. A great place for local community and visitors. Can't comment on the food as they had sold out of quich and salad by the time we arrived for late lunch. Definitely return for earlier lunch and a break from the hustle and bustle.

Wonderful community cafe, with great coffee and gorgeous food, and it's a really welcoming space. What more could anyone ask for?

Wonderful hidden gem and would absolutely recommend a visit. It is a relaxing and friendly environment. Only had a drink, but the cake selection looked very tempting!

Lovely spot for a coffee. Can't fault it

Great location and well done for lifting the place up...

Brilliant cafe in an ideal location Lovely staff, food & coffee! Definitely recommend if you're passing by☕

Lovely and lively place to meet up... Fine selection of savoury/spicy foods as well as homemade cakes and coffee and other stuff...would like to see a better way to recycle our rubbish and used cups otherwise would have given extra star...Good place to hang out on a summery day with kids

Great cafe on Horfield Common. Staff are helpful and efficient. I come to visit to both eat at lunchtime or just have coffee and a cake. This is my first review for the café though. Both of us had toasted ciabatta with different fillings. We chose different salads and shared them between us. Come and try it! Laods of outside tables so if you don't like crowds there are plenty of little corners to sit in quietly with lovely plants and trees around you. I can't praise it highly enough.

What a gem! Really enjoyed the relax atmosphere, lovely food and varied mix of people in this green oasis! Check out the interesting activities they're organising.

I took my niece to the park on a cold day.went to the cafe for a hot chocolate & bacon roll.. no bacon roll but hot chocolate was lovely . Friendly staff and beautiful outside space.

A really lovely gem, introduced to me by my brother and family.

Brilliant café with top-class friendly staff.

Always have gluten and dairy free cakes available ☺️

Great coffee, lots of dogs, friendly staff and a social enterprise for the local community! love to see it

Lovely coffee and very friendly

Nice little place to find for a spot of light refreshments. Would recommend a visit if you're on the common!

Very nice atmosphere due to the attractive building and fittings, and the surrounding green space. Coffee and cake were reasonably priced and tasted very good. Staff were efficient and friendly. All cutlery and containers are reusable or recyclable, and customers can bring their own containers for takeaways.

Lovely cafe with great cakes and food. Lots of outdoor seating.

Such a lovely place, very child friendly with a great pots and pans sensory section for toddlers to play in. Good selection of sweet and savoury snacks. Sadly the Coffee isn't the best but otherwise great

Actually a good cup of coffee. I was impressed.

A lovely little community place. A good outside seating area and everyone friendly

Best kept "not-so-secret" in Horfield. Beautiful location, delicious food and refreshments and very pleasant and amenable staff. Loads of outdoor seating with umbrellas to enjoy the fresh air only a short distance from the bustle Gloucester Road and Kellaway Road.

Loved it just me and my 2 year old Grandaughter we had a fab time.

I used to love this little cafe, it’s a great place to sit outside and enjoy lunch/a coffee/drink. The service also used to be very good. I think its popularity has eroded the service a little, it isn’t what it used to be. As an example, I just asked for some ice for my drink and was told they don’t give out ice for that, only ice coffees. I’m now drinking a warm Cawston Press on a hot day. Strange policy! Perhaps just don’t buy cold drinks from here as the hot drinks tend to be fine.

My 1st visit on Sunday on a trip from midlands. Lovely coffee and cake with very friendly staff. I will return.

I was just passing through and stopped for a coffee, what a lovely hidden gem of a place it is. I will definitely pop in there again.

Great for coffee and cake. Has a wonderful community feel in a great setting

Great area for relaxing with a coffee and cake. Perfect for the kids.

Excellent park, cafe, gardens etc...

Great little cafe in lovely surroundings. Can sit inside if needed, but the best seats are outside either looking at the beautiful flowers or at the back which has a kids play kitchen which is perfect. Usually go for coffee and cake

I have no idea where this is but Google seems to think I do. Get your act together Google I'm managing to trick you.

Lovely setting and staff, cakes also delicious

Set in a lovely garden environment and currently a blessing of sun and good light food and drink

Excellent little cafe lovely surroundings pleasant and friendly staff

great place to meet up for a quick meeting - plenty of seating outside and great if the weather is good Relaxed space and went for coffee/tea

Amazing space now great for chilling out or taking the kids

No he entrado. Solo he pasado por delante y tiene buena pinta. En un día soleado, me sentaré a tomar un latte.

Have always loved this but now, Just wow 👏 great menu , lunch, coffee and cakes , and my dog 🐕 fell in love with the Scottish lady who spoilt him with treats ❤

Nice venue for a coffee and cake break

Excellent- Latte, Shortcake, Book & Sun👌

Great location , service is slow they need a push button machine as 2 busy for full barista and staff slow, but friendly except for young chap who always seems bored. Would go more and spend more it I did not have to wait 20 mins to be served. Hope it improves.great idea.

Nice spot for open air coffee. Normally I order an extra shot in my coffee but unwise here it is decently strong to start with.

Lovely little cafe, only had a coffee, but cakes looked good too

What a lovely place, great cakes and tea

Worth a visit, if you can find a space as lots of other people will likely have had the same idea.

The cafe is warm and inviting, the staff are always friendly with a good knowledge of the menu items.The food is fresh, using local ingredients where possible. The vegetable samosa are delightful, warm and spicy. I love the frangipane slice but my little girl favours the rocky road. Come on in and decide for yourself with a selection of hot and cold drinks, you'll be spoilt for choice !

Its nice here, plenty of places outside, good setting. Why ive taken star off, is to me, is a bit overpriced, but all seems to be going that way. Would keep going there, its in convenient location and good parking.

Coffee was terrible, perhaps the worst I have had in Bristol, staff member who served me looked like he hated every second of his job. Probably a nice place to sit outside in the summer, hence two stars rather than one.

Lovely cafe with a community atmosphere., great indoor and outdoor seating and nice coffee. It's great to see the space being developed and improved by the Ardagh group.

Great community atmosphere and the coffee is excellent.

So nice to see the the space opened up to the local people and not the exclusively of a "Club" although I do hope they will thrive in their sporting activitie and the tennis courts get some help. And some other sports get a chance.

Lovely, peaceful community cafe to come and enjoy a coffee next to the Ardagh bowls green. A nice cappuccino in a compostable cup. Some beautiful flowers surrounding the outside seating. They also have a food bank collecting items on a Tuesday morning 11-12:30. Support local!

Great to have a lovely cafe on the common, thank you

After a long time being outdoors only we are now allowed to enjoy a lovely drink and snack in the warm. Bit late for tea cakes so had a coffee and croissant. Home made cakes looked delicious but I resisted temptation

Very nice environment and facilities. Nice coffee and snacks. Tables in and out, even a mud kitchen for the kids to play out! I loved it

Great range of snacks and hot drinkd. Good family place. Lively, relaxed and range of age groups.

Visitited from Cheltenham whilst our friend had an appointment at Southmead Hospital. Nice coffee, plenty of outdoor seating by the bowling green and spacious common land to walk around. Nice antidote to the stress of driving to the hospital.

Great cafe with decent enough prices. Moved to the main building for some reason but still good service. Great park just around the corner as well.

Good selection of hot and cold drinks and snacks. Bring a reusable cup for a discount on hot drinks. Plenty of park bench style seating where you can watch people play bowls on the green.

Lovely setting and community vibes. Great coffee!

What a fantastic little quiet spot, away from the busyness. Lovely cafe and green space to sit and be comfortable and calm in. Lots of benches and grass to sit on. Realy nice cakes and very good coffee I thought.

This café is on Horfield Common Bristol Plenty of seating outside (great if the weather is good) Service pretty quick Disposal cups at present great space in the middle of the common and tennis courts and a children's play area near by

We must have arrived at the wrong time, as at 10.30am there was a huge queue and it took well over 10 minutes to get to the front. 20 minutes later there was no one waiting at all! To be fair, they did process the orders reasonably quickly. There appears to be no indoor seating, so you need the weather to be good. Also, being in the middle of a park/common, there were quite a few customers with dogs, many of which were not particularly well-behaved or seemed to have ever been trained. The coffee was pretty good for what was in effect a takeaway, and there was a very small selection of pastries etc.

Outstanding venue and lovely coffee! Good for people and dog watching. Nice park with friendly staff.

We always enjoy coming here. It’s a homely oasis for a coffee or toasted sandwich and a bit of cake. Hugely recommended.

Great little place to stop for a cup of tea and a cake after a nice walk around the Common (or a not-so-nice trip to Tesco). Plenty of outdoor (and some indoor) seating and a good selection of drinks, cakes, ice creams and hot food.

A cracking venue for s cup of coffee and a bacon butty.

Great food, nicely cooked. Nice place to go with dogs also which is great around Bristol.... But totally put off by the lady serving so will not be returning which is a shame. Felt as though it was one of those places " if your face fits" ours clearly didn't. Said they only had two pieces of bread left then minutes later pulled out a whole loaf out infront of our face. Were not made to feel welcome but could clearly see regulars were.

Great place to sit in the sunshine with kids or dogs.

This cafe is what community is all about! Always a friendly welcome, excellent tea/coffee/sandwiches/wraps, and dog friendly. Love it!

Very friendly helpful service. Really nice to relax over coffee and food. Long may it continue.. sarah and the team are ace .. There is always a warm welcome

A friendly relaxed cafe where you can relax with your dog and enjoy a coffee and sausage sandwich after walkies.

The Cafe on the Common is fab! Tucked away next to the Ardagh on Horfield Common it is a real treasure. The food offered is fairly straightforward, bacon sandwiches, paninis, wraps etc plus a wide selection of drinks. The staff are very friendly and always welcoming. It is dog and child-friendly but if you're not keen on dogs there is a dog-free area too. It's outside which is great in the summer but if the weather is not too good there is a light and airy large cabin.

Lovely people... Sarah and Jamal(sorry if spelt wrong) go out their way to make you welcome. The food is excellent and just the perfect place for a cuppa. There are numerous picnic benches with umbrellas on them, shading from sun or cover from rain. A lot of the tables have dog lead attachments so you can have your snack in peace. As for the dogs, they're more than welcome with treats regularly given out :) the garden is surrounded with beautiful flowers, and vegetables very therapeutic place to sit. There is a wee bucket of water with small watering cans so that the children can water the plants, budding new gardeners in the making. Oh and there's a non dog area who prefer to be separated.. there's also a fairly large indoor area just incase the weather changes. shout out to Sarah, Jamal, Fiona and Mitch, thanks for all you do.

Lovely outdoor cafe right in the middle of the common. Great community effort

We enjoyed coffee & breakfast at the Cafe on the Common which was very good value & delicious. The cafe serves freshly ground coffee from local merchants, Wogan & salads which are grown in the gardens at the cafe. I had a ‘healthy breakfast’ - granola with berries, yoghurt & honey & my partner had a bacon sandwich which was tasty, served on a choice of white or granary bread & used bacon from Dalton’s - a local butcher on the nearby, independent Gloucester Road. Lots of community events and activities take place at the cafe - it’s lovely to see a place where there is such an obvious care for the surrounding park & facilities for the community are championed. Dogs welcome - ours enjoyed a snooze under the bench while we finished our breakfasts & then a hurtle around the park - fuelled by treats from the staff in the cafe! We’ll definitely be back & be bringing or friends!

The welcome you receive is warm, the atmosphere is lovely, the food and drinks are excellent and it's completely dog friendly. Perfect place to have an outdoor meet up or a pit stop during a dog walk. Wish this place was open everyday all year round as they would have my custom. Definitely worth a visit!