The Refectory Coffee Shop

Quaint and traditional — that’s how I’d sum up Refectory Coffee Shop. Tucked away in the City United Reformed Church off Windsor Place, this charming little diner is the perfect hideaway for enjoying a coffee or quick bite to eat before work.
With its muted colour schemes, low lighting and austere furnishings, Refectory Coffee Shop reminds me of what Thatcher-​era Britain would have been like, and I mean that in the most complimentary way — I tire of glossy, contemporary chain coffee shops (that means you, Costa, Starbucks, and Café Nero), and often search for good ol’ home-​style food at modest prices.
The ladies who man the shop are absolutely lovely. Not sure how busy it gets in the early hours and around lunchtime, but around 10 am, it was a quiet haven from the surrounding bustle of Queen Street, as a few patrons flipped through their daily newspaper and enjoyed cups of tea with their meals.

Inside the lovely City Church on Windsor Place this coffee shop is always bustling and warm. The staff are fantastically friendly and are one of the main things I love about going for lunch in here.
The menu is standard café fare with jacket potatoes, sandwiches, toasties and then hot meals as well. It’s nothing cordon bleu but its hot and tasty and best of all really easy on the pocket!
Get a tray and queue up to order and have a natter with the lovely ladies on the till, they make me smile everytime I go in! It’s full of all sorts in here: local office workers, lots of older folk having a cuppa and groups of tradesmen sat outside usually!
Also do breakfast fodder.