Cafe A Roma

I was having a headache while walking up this street and really needed a break of a good cup of coffee and something sweet to munch down. I have to admit, at times like those, a good cup of coffee needs to be a good cup of coffee, and not something generic from a coffee house chain.
I did walk on past this café as it looked slightly dingy, but popped in here after I couldn’t find anywhere else that persuaded me enough that their coffees were good, and boy am I glad I came in here. The dingy exterior doesn’t reflect what it looks like inside; it is small and very basic but exudes a lovely simplicity and a strong smell of coffee — and oh, it was good coffee. It was perfect really, with a muffin, and prices here aren’t expensive at all. Aside from that, they serve up baguettes, soups, lasagna, quiches and pastas too. Needless to say, my headache disappeared by the time I left the café.

With its somewhat tacky black, red and chrome colour scheme and uninviting interior, I had never thought to stop by Café A Roma. Until one day we were walking past and the smell of bacon and eggs wafted up the nose of a ravenous friend, who promptly ordered we stop by.
I was reluctant, hoping to continue up Gloucester Road in search of somewhere a little more accommodating, but eventually caved in the name of new experiences. And what a surprise. The bacon, egg and sausage sandwich was delicious, and the array of salads and other foods on display equally appetising looking. To my surprise, the café turned out to be authentically Italian and with the food to do justice to the nation’s reputation.
Such a shame then that it’s situated in such a tiny little cubby hole and that the décor is so uninspiring. Very, very almost a 100% exceptional spot, what a shame it loses on atmosphere.

Café A Roma is a pretty average coffee shop located on Cheltenham Rd just a short walk away from the bustling Gloucester Rd. I have been here a couple of times and in my opinion its absolutely fine if you just want somewhere to grab a coffee with a friend and if you aren’t fussed about a great atmosphere — their coffee is good, and they have a nice selection of cakes too.
You might find it difficult to get a seat as there aren’t many going at all, however if you come here on a weekday during the day time you will probably find one — otherwise on the weekend I would say definitely try somewhere else, as this place isn’t brilliant enough to be waiting around for a table. Pricewise this café is fairly standard for a coffee shop, you can expect to pay just under £2 for a filter and around £3 for their special drinks — the staff are also really friendly which is a definite bonus.
This is a long stretch from being one of the best coffee shops in the area though, and there’s nothing particularly special about the place — but then again it serves a purpose and is pleasant enough, so if you’re in the area you might as well try it out.

With a name like Café A Roma, this café is very misleading. I expected to get a piccolo slice of Italia on Gloucester Road, and pictures of the Colloseum and the Vatican displayed on the walls. Because of my expectations, Café A Roma was very disappointing.
The food and the staff were perfect. A great selection of paninis, muffins and ground coffee and friendly staff were all plus points. However, there was not even space to eat, drink or chat. There was barely enough space to exhale. This is such a shame because thecafe has really good potential.

Café A Roma is a really nice little Italian café on Gloucester Road. Their coffee is good, their food is good, the staff are good, the inside… not so good.
Unfortunately it’s insanely small in here and there is barely enough room to get your purse out of your bag let alone use a knife and fork. There are a couple of metal chairs near the door and one sofa next to the ordering counter but apart from that, zilch.
This is why it has dropped a couple of stars. Its a shame because had there been a few tables, it would be a lovely place to have a sit down and a coffee. But disappointingly this is impossible.

A multicultural blend of flavours, this café provides a slightly different slant on the coffee, panini and muffin type establishment. With freshly ground Brazilian coffee, Sicilian street-​food and a whole range of fritatas (fancy omlettes), there’s something for everyone. (and still paninis for the panini mad like myself.
The staff in here are pretty helpful in deciding what to get from the rather extensive menu. I’d recommend this place if you want an Italian flavour to your lunch.

Café Roma is just across the road from Amici, and continues in its Italian trend — perhaps this part of Gloucester Road has a theme. This is a café rather than a restaurant though, and serves a ‘little taste of Italy’ as it says on it’s front façade.
I’m not entirely sure how truthful it is to this claim though — I rather got the impression it was a pretty standard café offering allbeit very tasty looking food such as paninis and focacias. In fact the focacia I had with ham and cheese was really very nice, and a particularly good strong coffee really hit the spot that lunch time, and reasonably priced too.
The staff were fairly friendly — the only slight downside about the place I could see is that I’ve never seen it particular busy, but my experience had no major faults so I’m not sure why.