The Primrose Cafe has been under the same ownership for nearly 25 years and has become one of Bristol's busiest and best-loved cafes. We make almost everything on the premises and take the trouble to source locally, sustainably and ethically. In a perfectly-positioned suntrap, the Primrose is the ideal place to watch the world go by while tucking into breakfast, sampling a lunchtime speciality or savouring a slice of our famous home-made cake.
If you're after privacy, why not tuck yourself away in our private and secluded roof garden? It's open all summer. As most dishes are prepared to order, we can adapt many of them to suit your particular diet - just ask. Gift vouchers are available for use in the cafe any time we're open. They are sold in multiples of 10 & 25 and can be ordered over the phone, by email or bought over the counter.
If you're after privacy, why not tuck yourself away in our private and secluded roof garden? It's open all summer. As most dishes are prepared to order, we can adapt many of them to suit your particular diet - just ask. Gift vouchers are available for use in the cafe any time we're open. They are sold in multiples of 10 & 25 and can be ordered over the phone, by email or bought over the counter.
Reviews (27)
Mark Maloney
Jan 01, 2022
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Julia Fox
Dec 11, 2021
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Fabio Kruger
Dec 01, 2021
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I must have come to this place on a bad day, because it was nowhere near as good as the other reviews suggest. The service was incredibly slow even after the place quieted down. The food was served cold and appeared to have been stale, as though it was sat in the kitchen for some time before it was served. I expected more from a place like this.
Finlay Campbell
Oct 12, 2021
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We have here a bit of a Bristol institution. The English breakfast is certainly among the best in the city, but there are no shortage of delectable dishes, such as the baked goat's cheese or soup of the day, whatever that may be when you visit. Always expect a cosy and welcoming atmosphere. A lovely spot for a relaxed brunch with good company
Meryn Eden
Sep 04, 2021
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Ollie Glass
Jul 31, 2021
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Sam Wendell
Jun 21, 2021
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Chloe Pg
May 30, 2021
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Colin Baker
Oct 13, 2020
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Pandemic or not we have come to our favourite city for a weekend break! It's our 3rd day and a stroll to Clifton after our first choice for breakfast was Bill's ( it was closed ). Walked through this area many times, the cafe operates half inside and half on the street outside. It's vibrant, busy and thankfully a dry and not to cold morning meant we could sit outside. Mainly youngsters...Uni students racking up their debts but a good atmosphere. The full veggy monty breakfast was excellent as were the coffees. It's not cheap at £10.95 each but well cooked, not greasy and delicious. Its such a
Ginette Huertas
Sep 05, 2020
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Ross Northcott
Jul 18, 2020
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Greig Stuart Torpey
Jan 10, 2020
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Lovely little cafe offering a wide variety of vegan, veggie and meat meal options. From British brunch classics to Indian inspired vegetarian burgers. With seating across two floors and outdoor heated options, it has a large choice of atmosphere.
The food was tasty with quick service. Lovely place for a brunch or lunch bite.
The food was tasty with quick service. Lovely place for a brunch or lunch bite.
Yuan L.
Apr 09, 2017
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Kurtis G.
May 17, 2015
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Had lunch in this lovely little cafe and it was great. I had the Croque Madame and it was incredible. I've had a few in my life (including in France) and this was without doubt the best. My wife had the Veggie Monty and she said it was lovely: great scrambled egg and the best bagel outside of the US.
The staff were lovely, the prices were very reasonable and it was in a good location.
If you're in this part of the world, I urge you to go.
The staff were lovely, the prices were very reasonable and it was in a good location.
If you're in this part of the world, I urge you to go.
Shaun W.
Nov 03, 2013
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The staff are lovely and friendly here, and the tables are cleared quickly. Plenty of room, good food and a nice 'feel', being a bit rustic and generally quite busy. Nice blend of coffee, but our cappuccino wasn't really a cappuccino. Prices are average for Clifton: £2.30 for cappo, around £3.50 for sausage butty. Would visit again!
M. L.
Jun 20, 2011
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Wide variety of breakfast items on the menu, with a good range of prices in case you've spent out from night before.
Double poached egg on bubble and squeak/hash browns, with tomato and mushrooms - just what the doctor ordered (not your GP of course, this was the Doctor who says he can fix your squint with warm spoons).
Delicious food, well cooked and best of all, well seasoned. Lots of it too - felt like money's worth.
Had to hang around a bit for late 9.30am opening (in fact, there was actually a queue! Sunday morning and queuing already, like the soup kitchens, not that I
Double poached egg on bubble and squeak/hash browns, with tomato and mushrooms - just what the doctor ordered (not your GP of course, this was the Doctor who says he can fix your squint with warm spoons).
Delicious food, well cooked and best of all, well seasoned. Lots of it too - felt like money's worth.
Had to hang around a bit for late 9.30am opening (in fact, there was actually a queue! Sunday morning and queuing already, like the soup kitchens, not that I
Rebecca B.
May 13, 2010
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You're spoilt for choice when it comes to cafés in this lovely part of Bristol, but the enduring popularity of this one probably comes down to its quirky décor and the bistro style food it serves up - albeit rather expensive.
It's a decent place to grab brunch, and if you're going there at lunch time the sandwiches are made with delicious bread and fillings that justify their slightly inflated price tag - while I haven't tried any of the bigger salads or main meals, so can't comment on those.
The outside seating terrace is really popular in the summer so it can be hard
It's a decent place to grab brunch, and if you're going there at lunch time the sandwiches are made with delicious bread and fillings that justify their slightly inflated price tag - while I haven't tried any of the bigger salads or main meals, so can't comment on those.
The outside seating terrace is really popular in the summer so it can be hard
Chris B.
May 05, 2010
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This is an extremely charming little tea cafe, perfectly suited to its surroundings and very popular. This quaint cafe is perfect for people who haven't been to Clifton before, or your granny.
But maybe because it is so lovely inside you expect them to the best cup of tea you've ever tasted (possibly expecting too much), but they don't and I always resent having to pay for a tea bag & hot water; I usually have that in my house. I would prefer to have something a bit more special from a place like this, like a tea pot and fresh leaves.
But you go for the atmosphere and surroundings
But maybe because it is so lovely inside you expect them to the best cup of tea you've ever tasted (possibly expecting too much), but they don't and I always resent having to pay for a tea bag & hot water; I usually have that in my house. I would prefer to have something a bit more special from a place like this, like a tea pot and fresh leaves.
But you go for the atmosphere and surroundings
Pollita M.
May 01, 2010
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In the sunshine the Primrose Cafe always winks at you becomingly, enticing you in for one of its hearty salads. You'd be hard-pushed to get a seat outside on the chock-a-block sun-trap terrace area but I have been known to glare at coffee dawdlers until they vacate the area. This place is a little gem and I don't care if I have to deal with pushy Cliftonites when I'm here- the grub and atmosphere makes it all worthwhile. The emphasis is on healthy, hearty food- lovely big salads and a range of healthy breads as well as huge chunks of cake and fresh juices. It does get extremely busy
Aniela M.
Dec 18, 2009
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Walking past the Primrose Cafe, you'd be forgiven for thinking that you had just been trasported to some other continental city. With people sat on the rickety metal tables and chairs on the cobbled pavement sipping coffee, it would be a fair assumption! In an area not unknown for its pretentions, you can get a mixture of the horrendously posh with those in search of a lovely quaint place to lunch. Don't let the location put you off. With its homely interior, the Primrose Cafe is a long established business that will forever continue to draw in a varied crowd looking for the same thing
Mark M.
Dec 10, 2009
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This quirky little Clifton café is immensely popular, especially in the summer where you'll be hard pressed to find a table even out front on their pretty road side seating area.
Can't quite put my finger on the lure of the place, maybe it has something to do with 60's boho laissez faire feel of the place, or perhaps it is the delicious gastro style lunches and dinners they serve, or maybe it's the equally delicious and flavoursome coffee's you can order. Whatever it is, this place is a big hit with Cliftonites and you can see why.
It really is one of Bristol&apos
Can't quite put my finger on the lure of the place, maybe it has something to do with 60's boho laissez faire feel of the place, or perhaps it is the delicious gastro style lunches and dinners they serve, or maybe it's the equally delicious and flavoursome coffee's you can order. Whatever it is, this place is a big hit with Cliftonites and you can see why.
It really is one of Bristol&apos
Brooklyn B.
Nov 02, 2009
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Overpriced, curt service and small portions of average to above average food. We came here for lunch while apartment hunting, having been reccomended this place. I got a piece of something hard in my salad too. It felt like wood but it may have been the tough exteriour part of a beet. I tried to chew it but no, it was definitely something inedible. My husband's sandwich was reportedly "just ok".
Jon B.
Oct 31, 2009
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In a quaint part of Clifton Village resides Primrose Cafe. Expect high prices and a bit of pretentious. With that in mind, it's a more than adequate cafe, with a slightly middle-class hippy vibe. The menu is quite wide ranging, with some smaller sandwich and baguettes which won't set you back as much as the main meals.
The outdoor seating area, which spills on to the road (the cafe is at the top end of a cul-de-sac), has a distinct continental feeling, whilst the inside areas are more grounding, but not lacking in class. I always find the downstairs a little bit cramped, with too
The outdoor seating area, which spills on to the road (the cafe is at the top end of a cul-de-sac), has a distinct continental feeling, whilst the inside areas are more grounding, but not lacking in class. I always find the downstairs a little bit cramped, with too
Melanie M.
Sep 29, 2009
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I'm all for locally sourced, organic, sustainable produce. However I felt a little lighter in the pocket when I left Primrose. Two average tasting meals of fish of the day (Lemon sole), a smattering of veg and a small dish of rhubarb syllabub and I was £60 worse off.
The style is a bit Parisian, a bit Cliftonian and decorated with what looks like Laura Ashley panache - I cannot fault the way it looks or the helpfulness of the staff, but I like a little bit more grub for my dosh, that's all.
The style is a bit Parisian, a bit Cliftonian and decorated with what looks like Laura Ashley panache - I cannot fault the way it looks or the helpfulness of the staff, but I like a little bit more grub for my dosh, that's all.
Will P.
Sep 05, 2009
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Some residents of Clifton consider themselves, how shall I put it, slightly more refined than those in other parts of the city. And some of those people frequent the Primrose café. However, don't let that put you off.
Whilst it does have a full lunch and dinner menu breakfast/brunch is probably what it does best. On weekend mornings, you'll see it chock-a-block with people having smoked salmon bagels and cappuccinos, and this is the best time to visit. The evening meals are delicious though. The place is candle lit in the evenings too, transforming making for a quite intimate experience
Whilst it does have a full lunch and dinner menu breakfast/brunch is probably what it does best. On weekend mornings, you'll see it chock-a-block with people having smoked salmon bagels and cappuccinos, and this is the best time to visit. The evening meals are delicious though. The place is candle lit in the evenings too, transforming making for a quite intimate experience
Yvonne G.
Oct 01, 2008
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Lovely little place if you're brunching with friends or popping in for a light lunch after browsing in Clifton Village.
Have had many a late breakfast here after a heavy night out and the service is excellent.
It all goes downhill when they book you in on a large party. They squeeze you into the upstairs room where they normally fit on around 4 or 5 tables. Our group of about 25 felt very claustrophobic and the party girl was quite upset. They took over an hour getting orders for starters and then they arrived staggered so whilst some were near finishing others were just receiving theirs
Have had many a late breakfast here after a heavy night out and the service is excellent.
It all goes downhill when they book you in on a large party. They squeeze you into the upstairs room where they normally fit on around 4 or 5 tables. Our group of about 25 felt very claustrophobic and the party girl was quite upset. They took over an hour getting orders for starters and then they arrived staggered so whilst some were near finishing others were just receiving theirs
Qype User Bristo
Dec 16, 2007
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A great little spot, down a side street in clifton village. The food is great, the staff friendly and the atmosphere very pleasant.
This is not a place to go if you are looking for "fine dinning" with silver service and posh stuff, but thats why we like it.
In the evenings it turns into a bistro type environment with good food and atmosphere. Well recommended.
This is not a place to go if you are looking for "fine dinning" with silver service and posh stuff, but thats why we like it.
In the evenings it turns into a bistro type environment with good food and atmosphere. Well recommended.
