Waterstones Cafe in Birmingham

Just popped in for a coffee. Others have complained about the service and the coffee but I had a great coffee and really friendly efficient service. Sadly, I think this place used to be a Costa and, like most of the other Costa it's run down and mucky! The floor was clean enough, the staff were clearing the tables but the fabric on the chairs needed a good clean or just recovering completely! Waterstones need to refurbish the place, and probably get the hygiene people (or whoever) in to sort out the mouse!! I won't be going in again unless I know it's gone, I wonder if environmental health are aware?

Worst espresso ever! And it was in from of me while she was making it! Espresso needs at least 21 seconds to make not 8! And the amount of espresso is different to ristretto! It was unacceptable!

Not bad, the service can be a little slow, as the girls tend to stand in the back and have a little chat and a laugh, and so keep you waiting. You usually have to make an attempt to clear your own tables because there always seems to be tables waiting to be cleared , or customers like myself clearing the tables themselves and stacking cups like Jenga on neighbouring tables. My heart almost kept out of my throat the other day when a mouse almost ran over my foot ( I took a photo , see below). Other customers tried to draw attention to the mouse but the staff just brushed it off because they didn’t see it themselves, this time.

To use an over used phrase, this is an oasis of calm in the madness of the city and almost every shop in the vicinity. My ears are still ringing and my nerves still jangling from the short walk from Moor Street Station via Lush. Noise everywhere. Why would I enter a cafe that serves up more noise by way of loud music under the guise of ‘atmosphere’. Just don’t understand it. Keep it up Waterstones Cafe - don’t ever be bullied into serving up loud, inappropriate piped music along with your delicious coffee. 🥰

I was blown away by the quality of my flat white. I didn’t expect much seeing as it is a bookshop cafe but man, was I wrong. My wife had an iced latte and she similarly felt it was much better than what she’s used to. The drinks are on another level compared to the franchise coffee shops. The service was also very friendly and it was a nice quiet place to have a chat. Very calm and a nice escape from the hustle and bustle of Birmingham high street.

Nice selection of snacks and good tea and coffee, all in a quite quiet area of the shop. Really nice.

I cannot express how much I enjoy this little cafe in the middle of all the hustle and bustle of Birmingham. The staff who work here are friendly and really engage with the customers, particularly the two men I’ve seen working here. Although it’s always busy, there’s never a rush for you to leave, whilst this may not be great if you’re struggling to get a seat I don’t want to be rushed out! The range of cakes is great, something everybody although they are a little expensive but I’d say no more then costs or Starbucks and much more friendly and welcoming!

we often have tea or coffee in here the soup is lovely nice to look at books as well they have lift as well if your not able to do stairs. They always seem to have something differant to buy on ground floor

Was looking for a decent, quiet coffee shop in the busy area of Birmingham City Centre and couldn't really find one until I saw Waterstones. It's a quiet haven away from the noisy hustle bustle of the city. It has good service and good selection of food. It is a bit on the pricey side. My food was a bit dry but edible. Good ample seating and some comfortable seating with good views across the book shop on one side and windows overlooking the city centre on the other. I would have liked if they provided some used books/magazines to read for the short time you're there. Toilets are upstairs on floors 3&4 and you need to retain your receipt to use on floor 3 only. (These are probably better kept?). I used the top floor one and it's a single cubicle and cleanliness was ok. There are lifts. The place could be uplifted with some colour and plants. However, it's clean and it's quiet. I would use it again.

I had such an amazing visit to the Waterstones cafe in Birmingham this afternoon. Such a spot of tranquility amongst the hustle and bustle of Birmingham. The staff were so lovely, such a lovely group of ladies! Will be sure to keep returning.

Very pleasant coffee stop in the heart of the city; even better if you get a window view. Interesting point made by previous reviewer regarding the sugar- if Debenhams can offer raw cane Demerara why can’t Waterstones?

We really like Waterstones and have been going there for literally years obviously to buy books but also to visit the cafe. We have always found the staff very friendly and helpful. However we would make these comments on what we see as a deterioration in the cafe. There used to be vibrant photos around the walls of local people and events, these have been replaced by bland, nondescript painted walls with no relevance to the city. The food now offered is expensive, the teacakes are have been changed to a sugary variety( at a time when every one is trying to cut down on sugar), We now find that we cannot have a pot of hot water with the pot of tea.Whats that about? We applaud the range of vegan cakes but they are expensive and microscopic. When research points to whole milk be beneficial that is now changed to skimmed milk also demerara sugar has been replaced by brown (dyed white )sugar. It is not a fast food outlet and the pace should be leisurely as befitting a quality book shop. It is so sad to see what was an oasis of calm in the heart of the city sinking into the mediocrity of cafe chains.

Popped in for a drink to hide from the friday night christmas hussle & bussle. We ordered lemon & ginger tea, sour dough toast & jam, ham & cheese toastie & cookies, all really awesome, staff are wonderful. Venue is great as located in book shop, it's more akin to library, so really quite peaceful.Thank You to the Wonderful Staff :)

Lots of choice of hot drinks and snacks, and nice and quiet inside. Not a huge range of colder drinks but still there's something for everyone.

I've been a massive fan of this cafe since it first opened and have frequented it over those years. I should state here that the staff are generally lovely and the teas and coffees are excellent. But recently they've made some changes to the menu - getting rid of some of the best cakes like the Guinness, red velvet and others. The ones they've replaced it with aren't as nice (with the exception of the carrot cake) and are more expensive. They don't have as many vegan options as they used to but they do still cater better than most places. This is a massive shame as I wouldn't have minded paying more for the same cakes if that was the only way to keep them. I've reached out and explained my concerns but can't seem to figure out why the supplier has gone. I'm worried what was a lovely and independent feeling cafe is now becoming just like all the other boring chain-branded cafes :(

Based on the 1st floor, overlooking the High Street, Real Little Gem. The Coffee/Tea are Really Good, Staff are Lovely & Polite. You are allowed to Grab a Book & Read, whilst drinking your beverage (politely, please look after the books). I love this coffee shop :)

I used to really enjoy this place, it was so nice for a break and some coffee with nice views onto the street,out of the busy city quiet and relaxing the book shop is charming. The café is really good generally, But last year some...

I enjoyed my coffee very much here (thank you!) but it had to be taken away with me because this place was so busy and many of the people did not have a drink, they were just sitting talking for some time. When I asked...

Used here to have a rest in amongst our shopping. The cafe is on the 1st floor. Food is lovely. Staff are friendly. Views from cafe are over New Street/Main Street/Bullring area.

The latte was tasteless and warm. The sandwiches came almost as we were finishing our drinks - greasy & cold

We found the cafe here thanks to reviews on TA. It is hidden away on the first floor of a bookshop, and although we are natives to Birmingham we did not realise it was here. We visited for breakfast and had two rounds of toast...

Vegan cakes were delicious and there is ample room for coffee, cake and study. Proper coffee too. Nice location but busy, but a good central area for a read and snack.

Drinks on a busy shopping afternoon so a welcome pitstop. Bit of a wait to get served but not the fault of the staff, just busy. Good quality coffee and nice glass of ice to go with bottled drinks, makes a nice change.

I loved this cafe. Delicious quiche, lovely lemon cake. There was a bit of a queue but it was worth the wait. The staff were lovely and really knew about their produce and teas. Seats are nice and spread out so it doesn't feel crowded...

I usually prefer to support independent coffee places, but being on the first floor of Waterstones in the city centre, this is just THE BEST place to people watch! The food's always good, there's a great range of both sweet and savoury options and the...

We have visited this cafe a few times and have never been disappointed.It may not be the fastest service but the food is excellent and the staff VERY friendly.The prices are good too.

needed a coffee , as a diabetic couldn't resist a piece of cake . god i hate these places tempting me so much, lol okay value too .sod starbucks

It was again Autumntime when I first visited Waterstones in Birmingham a few years back. I was trying to keep dry while walking without an umbrella (as I usually tend to do) at a rainy afternoon in the city centre. At first I thought it...

Fantastic atmosphere catering for all sorts of visitors. Relaxed, clean and welcoming environment. Excellent hot drinks and food choices. Highly recommended when you need a little break from the hustle and bustle.

A good value coffee shop in relaxed surroundings. Good tea and coffee with friendly, helpful staff. My daughter wanted a fruit tea. She was given different ones to smell before making a selection. Makes all the difference

I always come here if I have the free time to do so. Very friendly staff, simple food and great drinks. Always ordered iced caramel latte ( or salted ), probably my favourite drink to have there!

This is a good place to have quality tea served by top class staff. If you are a geek this is a little gem to hide away in. Oh student discount too, £1 in the city for coffee? You can not beat that. PS; the...

Bright. Independent coffee shop. Located inside the Waterstones book store. Plenty of seating. Drinks a little cheaper than the big coffee chains. Can read newspapers which are available and chat with friends. Coffee shop overlooks bullring pedestrian shopping street, so good view from coffee shop...

Stopped in for a light lunch. Staff very friendly, simple food well done can recommend the avocado, bacon toasted sandwiches. It's got ac so lovely if it's a hot day, lots of lovely books all around you and very calm and restful in the city...

This is currently my favourite place to stop for a cuppa and a cake. The choice of teas is extensive and served in teapots alongside cups and saucers and individual little bottles of milk. No polystyrene here. Civilised! The cakes are delicious and vary from...

Nice place, very good tea, locally sourced products, calm environment, no music is playing, craft beer, breakfast meals 😊

Been here quite a few times now & love it every time 👌🏽 the atmosphere is great & the selection of cakes is always delicious 😍 the staff are always lovely especially one guy who is super friendly & chatty every time I've been ~...

Cafe in the bookstore, far from chain and full of book smell. A good place to relax and get some calmness.

Good coffee and entertainment.A great place to search for That Book and then take the weight of your feet.The cafe is on the first floor and overlooks one of the main streets in Birmingham.Always lots going on.They have a lift if stairs are not your...

We had not planned on eating here and were very happy we did. We ordered a toastie which came with salad, plus pot of tea for two. The waitress was very helpful and chatty. It has a lovely outlook if you can sit near the...

On nearly all my visits to the city Waterstones cafe is the place I head for. It's comfortable with cosy chairs, the staff are friendly, it's surrounded by books and you can sit and read if you want to. Most of all it's a relaxing...

A spur of the moment escape from the weather which turned out to be an excellent choice! Lovely relaxing space, good value for money and great cakes as well. Really comprehensive looking menu with locally sourced ingredients where possible. Had a nice atmosphere and despite...

I stopped for a coffee whilst Christmas shopping, what a hidden gem! I was in need of a caffeine fix whilst doing my shopping so I popped upstairs remembering that there used to be a costa coffee up there but this is so much better!...

I'm sitting in the cafe area of this excellent bookshop having just enjoyed an exquisite tea and cake in a lovely atmosphere. The staff are really friendly and helpful and what is on offer is pure quality. Thank you for a wonderful time here.

Despite being right next to the Bullring (which was heaving, with queues for some shops and escalators!) this first floor tea and coffee shop was half empty. Service is at a glacial pace but cheerful enough and the prices! £1.90 for a pot of loose...

Called in for a cuppa as our legs were aching from walking around the town. Very comfortable chairs and a nice coffee, also was tempted by the tiffin - naughty but nice.

Had a lovely snack lunch in here. We had the soup and lovely fresh bread. Excellent value for money. They also serve freshly made sandwiches, toasties and quiche with salad. (They looked very good.) A good selection of cakes were on offer. Staff were friendly...

Visited with family, food and coffee very nice. However when a member of my family used the toilet facilities on an upper floor they were very unhappy with the state of them (as was I when I also used them). My family member asked a...

When ever I'm in Birmingham I always head for this cafe. Beautiful location on the second floor overlooking the world below. A relaxing warm and welcoming environment, where the food and drinks are first class. Everything is home baked, and the pots of tea go...

I come here on almost every lunch break for a pot of tea and sometimes a snack. I love the relaxed vibe and being surrounded by books. I also love to come in if I happen to be in town on any other day -...

I have been here twice so far, but both times I have felt very welcome and the coffee has been top class. A very calming environment for a quiet drink

Not very much of good food value on offer - mostly carbohydrate stuff like bread etc whereas I would have liked something like a salad - so not a place to go if you want a healthy meal. Clean though and quite efficient.

A late Sunday morning trip for coffee with friends turned into a sandwich for one, a soup for another and hot drinks all round. A good range of fresh sandwiches which had a range wide enough to offer something for everyone. The soup was pleasant...

I come here often for morning coffee and toast to start my day off or enjoy a trip with a family member. I love the quiet and the wonderful locally produced food and drink, it makes a great change from the high street stores that...

Well, Used to be a Costa (Nowt Wrong with That), now Waterstones own Cafe W, Lovely Layout, Very Polite Staff, Epic Flat Whites, Can You Tell I Really Like this Coffee Shop, Highly Recommended :)

It's a great little haven away from Birmingham. It's designed how all coffee shops should be. There are books, newspapers and board games available for the public to use. There very good at pricing too. Can not fault them at all!!!

I've recently started drinking in here to get away from the noise of The Loft, and it's a nice little retreat. The staff are very nice and polite, and my order has always been very efficient and up to scratch. The trouble is, it's maybe...

Got a couple of books during Chrisymas shopping and fancied a break - had a cup of tea, a little cake and a sit down. Lovely place, great atmosphere to have a little read, staff remarkably friendly and welcoming.

I love this cafe for its enormous selection of tea. I'm not a coffee drinker and it's great to visit a cafe which caters for my drink preference. The Royal Earl Grey is fantastic! Great selection of cakes (locally sourced too), especially the chocolate guiness...

I've sat in the waterstones cafe a couple of times now, most recently with my mum and sister. Despite being quite busy the staff were very friendly & we were able to find a clean table with plenty of space for us to examine our...