Caffe Gusto

I can’t quite work out exactly what is wrong with the coffee served by all branches of Café Gusto; but it always tastes burned, stale, and way too bitter. This particular branch is no exception. Popular with young families and tourists, finding a decent seat at lunchtime was quite a challenge. Service was efficient and yet felt cold, as though my presence as a customer had to be rushed out of sight and out of mind as quickly as possible. My panini was lukewarm yet tasty, and the price didn’t leave too much of a bomb site in my wallet. The main complaint was with the choice of ambient music: does anybody really want to listen to the Crazy Frog album while attempting to enjoy a solo lunch with a book?

This chain is taking over Bristol with rather upsetting speed. For me, the expansion is entirely unwelcome and unwarranted. There is scarcely a stretch of shops in Bristol which isn’t blighted by the black and orange Gusto logo. My visit to the Clifton branch was frustrating and disappointing. There is by far too much choice on the menu, and there isn’t possibly enough time to take in all of the options written up on the chalkboards behind the counter. Fast-​moving and slapdash, the service demands of you an instant choice and order, and it’s just not possible to make the most of their «build your own» idea for salads and sandwiches.
So, selection hastily made, I retreated to a table, and my panini didn’t arrive for a whole 10 minutes. It was impossible not to get agitated and annoyed about this because it’s all on show; you can see everything they’re doing while you wait for them to reheat your panini, and you wait, and wait, while they persist in not addressing your order, so desperate are they to keep taking orders from people in the queue. By the time they get around to making the sandwiches people have ordered, they’ve forgotten whose is whose, and have to call the orders out in a shouty, frantic way.
My cheese and ham panini was the worst I’ve ever had. The cheese was absolutely boiling and had a horrible, gloopy texture that was much more like cheese sauce. There was so much of it in the panini I had to actually scrape it off. For £3.95, I expected higher quality ingredients, served with much more care.

This café may not look like much from the outside (for months I was put off by the brown and orange exterior) but what you’ll find inside it one of Bristol’s best bakeries. It reminds me of the bakers I used to visit when I was little — baskets of pastries and cakes in the window and the smell of freshly baked bread when you walk through the door.
This particular café in Clifton Village is one of many you’ll find in around Bristol. At this one on Princess Street you’ll find great service, a relaxed atmosphere and exceptionally comfortable chairs to chill out in.
Their toasted sandwiches and paninis are filling and tasty, and their tea and coffee is just as good. To any veggies I recommend The Gusto Special — aubergine, hummus, egg and parsley. It may not make you popular but it tastes delicious. An affordable and reliably good lunch can be had here are a tiring day of shopping in Clifton Village.