The Cloister Cafe’

It is a nice place to stop in for a snack after visiting the church. I love the atmosphere of the location. I did not eat anything but did enjoy a nice cold soda reading several leftover newspapers. It was so quiet I loss track of time. Unless you know where St Bart’s is or looking for this place, it is a great gem hidden away to relax.

Were you to come here for the food alone, you’d be disappointed. The menu’s limited and the coffee isn’t fantastic. For the latter, you should go to Dose nearby. The food is itself average, but, it is all lovingly made by Florence, the friendly lady who runs the café.
However, let’s be honest. You’re here because where else in London can you sit in such an ancient space, admiring the architecture and what they’ve done with the space? The furniture they’ve chosen matches the surroundings well and it’s great just walking around and looking at the paintings on the wall.
It’s also nice and quiet if you want an unusual and private place to take a date. It’s also good for people who just want to take some time to catch up on their thoughts or read a book… or even write one!
There are some nights where live music is played here. I’d imagine it’d be quite an experience, what with the acoustics and the atmospheric surroundings.

The church opened the café in its cloister a few months ago. I had been wanting to pop in for some time. This is one of the loveliest churches in London and the cloister, located off to the right immediately after the entrance to the church, was very little used.
They’ve put nice stuffed chairs around decently sized tables and have their food catered by Macondo Café’ Bar Gallery (Shoreditch and Islington). Unfortunately, the menu was very small when I was there — tomato soup with blue cheese, bread and butter. But, I didn’t go there for the food or coffee. I went to see how old spaces become new and I was not disappointed. It’s a granite, grey, serious space. The light comes through the thick green and blue glass of the cloister’s windows, which on a grey winter’s day adds otherworldly colours to the space, making it inviting. It’s quiet and restful in there. There is a bit of a musty, mouldy smell, but it’s a 15^th century church (I think the cloister is a bit older), so that’s not unexpected. I felt as one should have a quill pen and parchment while sipping a beverage. I’ll definitely come back.