Jaq At The Provenist

Impromptu visit for lunch today as heard this cafe had reopened. Lunch was gorgeous! I had a delicious tomato and basil soup, and my partner Will, a veg. Pastie with salad. It is his birthday, so we had to have cake! Oh my - very special fruit sponge with meringue, and carrot cake - absolutely fabulous. Would highly recommend and looking forward to brunches/suppers here in the future. Great to meet you Jaq and all the best for your new venture.

I love the provenist and would call myself a local. I would agree that the cafe is on the expensive side however the portion sizes and choices really do make up for it! The coffee, tarts and cakes are amazing.The customer service is definitely mixed at times, some very attentive staff members including the man, Adrien who is always joyful, considerate and creates a wonderful atmosphere, he also remembers what you like to order which is a lovely touch- a real asset to the provenist. However, some others give you the cold shoulder, I would say that because of the layout you get to hear a lot of staffs conversations and sometimes it’s about other members of the team and I found that quite off putting. Having worked in customer service for 9 years It’s an occupational habit to be aware of do’s and don’ts but apart from that I would highly recommend.

This cafe is conveniently situated for the city centre and has a pleasant patio area with planting and inside has several separate dining areas. The menu is somewhat limited with light snacks, cakes with drinks. When I visited there was virtually no cakes as they had been busy and had sold a lot. It adjoins a furniture shop so is stylishly setup with the furniture. Personally I think they should increase their menu.

Exceptional in every way. It was such a pleasure eating here. The service was excellent and the setting was so lovely. It's dog friendly which was a huge bonus. The food was delicious. We had the courgette herb fritters and smashed avocado cannellini beans on toast - both with added poached eggs. Will go back!