The Bookcafe

Belper Bookcafe:
Well, what can I say; at face value... Books and coffee, two things I really appreciate.
However, this stop in Belper turned out to be much more than just books and coffee.

I came here with my partner on a spontaneous whim.... And I'm so glad we did, we had a lovely time and vow to return in the future.

The café is in an excellent spot, with dedicated parking which is free for up to two hours - anything more requires a permit from the café. As it turned out, 2 hrs was more than enough for us to have an elegant sufficiency :)

The building is two storey with customer dining on both the ground and first floor. There is also outside seating to be enjoyed when the sun is out. We opted for the ground floor as it seemed more sociable and we didn't want to disturb people reading upstairs.

The decor and atmosphere inside is one of the things I appreciated the most, it's rustic and industrial, with lots of interesting features.... And old books which really brings the name of the café to life.

The food was delicious, we ordered from the breakfast menu which was mostly locally sourced and was well worth paying that bit extra for.... Coupled with a coffee, it went down a real treat.

The staff were very friendly and service was what you would expect from an establishment that strives to deliver excellence. Polite and friendly which adds to the overall experience.

Before leaving we had to take a coffee and a slice of homemade cake for later on - yummy 😋

All in all, very happy with our stop and we will definitely be making a return visit in the future.
Thank you

This cafe is in the old Orangery at Belper. The refurb has brought back much of the character that was stripped out by McDs.

The food was fine - quite tasty but not outstanding. However, the quantity of the portions was not great for the price. The fried halloumi was nice and tasty but there were only a few pieces. The falafel were nice and (I think they were homemade - which is a bonus) but only a few of them. The leaves of the salad were of good variety but they felt a little soft and bland.

For the price (£20.05 for what was basically an open wrap, cup of tea, bowl of soup and a glass of orange juice) I felt that it was a little pricy.

I really do understand the pressures that small businesses are under at present but overall I felt somewhat underwhelmed.

Overpriced, slow and to go with that rude staff.

I went to grab a take out sandwhich and two coffees for my partner and I.

The coffee came within moments, the sandwhich 30 mins later. So I kindly ask for them to make fresh coffee as the ones I had were cold. However the response by the lady serving was rude and very arrogant, she should not be customer facing. 2/7/22 14:30

The coffees and sandwhich (see photo) £15 🤦🏼‍♂️

When you visit here sit upstairs it is just lovely. I am a book nerd and I just think this place is perfect for a lovely cuppa tea, fabulous food and a place to get lost in that perfect book.

Really like coming here with my friends. Dog friendly and baby friendly so suits us very well. The food is always lovely and the cakes are very persuasive 😉
Probably the best coffee in Belper. Lovely and relaxed. Would definitely recommend.

Probably the worst customer service I have received. They were clearly very busy and short staffed which meant the waitresses had an awful attitude. They kept bringing the wrong drinks or missing things off the order, e.g caramel iced latte but with no caramel, cookie dough latte but with no cookie dough. I ordered one of the smoothies, when she bought the other drinks over she said ‘your smoothie is on the way we just can’t find the blueberries’, a bit unprofessional and somthing you don’t need to tell the customer. There was no communication if things were out of stock and instead would rather just bring an average alternative. When asking for cutlery the waitress just pointed at it as she walked away, there was no service or communication. Food was extremely average for the price paid, poached eggs were cold and undercooked. Will not be returning.

Lovely afternoon tea! The cafe was really cozy and the food was delicious. We were so full by the time we got to the cakes so we took them away and enjoyed them at home.

Lunch for two today. Feels totally underwhelmed, nice atmosphere but Poor quality topping on cold flat bread £11 and £11,50, first and most definitely last visit, think twice, but avoid flat bread options would be our advice.