You may recognise the name – The Hatter House Cafe is not new to Bristol, having boasted a cafe venue on Clare Street for some years now. But following the opening of its second site in Broadmead recently, we thought it was the perfect opportunity to pay a visit and treat ourselves to some of what the cafe has to offer.
Situated in the heart of Bristol’s Shopping Quarter, across from Lidl and the Odeon, you’ll be immediately drawn to the navy blue cafe frontage, with huge windows letting in plenty of natural light. Stepping in through the door, there is no graffiti from Nick Walker as you will find in the first Hatter House Cafe just 10 minutes away.
Instead, it is a warm and welcoming mix of rich blue hues, natural wood, and warm cosy lighting and furniture. Fresh sandwiches and salads are on display in the chilled section, while friendly smiling staff welcome you through the doors.
The menu is filled with a multitude of different varieties of hot drinks – coffees and hot chocolates with a whole host of novelties to adorn them. There’s also a vast array of delicious looking pastries and other treats by the counter, while on the board above, the menu advertises an entire pistachio range, a selection of waffles, and – with a standout photograph all its own – an iconic looking ‘skillet cookie’.
I ordered a regular hot chocolate to have in – priced at £4.40 – having umm’d and ahh’d for a long old while as I tried to decide if I fancied something like a ‘popcorn hot chocolate’ on my first visit here. My hot chocolate was deliciously rich, and free from those syrup flavours that you might find in the big chains nearby.
It was also served with a Biscoff biscuit, and the mugs that Hatter House use for their hot drinks are impeccable at retaining heat – again another issue that many a chain has nowadays.
My dining partners ordered their drinks – a mix of hot and cold coffees with various levels of extras, from a simple flat white (£4), to a latte (£4.55), and caramel frappe (£4.50). We sat at a table that was the perfect mix of cosy and bright, with the window allowing us to people watch as we enjoyed our refreshments.
One of my group tucked into a rather hefty croissant (£2.85), enjoying every bite. While another devoured a decadent slice of chocolate cake (around £4.95) drizzled with chocolate sauces.
And then the pièce de résistance arrived, piping hot and served with a glass of cream. The skillet cookie, which is priced at £8.50, had a marble-esque effect of colour – a mix of plain and double chocolate cookie doughs, topped with flakes of white and milk chocolate.
Our server told us that usually this delight would be served with ice cream, but our cream offering was nice too. The cookie dough was hot, melt-in-your-mouth, and something I’d describe as a chocolate – and cookie – lover’s dream.
It’s definitely one for sharing though and, even with four of us, we couldn’t finish it all. That could have been down to the other sweet treats certain members of my group couldn’t resist, too, however.
All in all, the food and drink offering at Hatter House Cafe – and we barely touched the surface of the savoury items – is top notch, and the new cafe is a perfect hideaway for anyone looking for some respite, be it from shopping, work, or from the elements. I’m excited to head back to try the rest of the items on the menu – sandwiches, pasties, waffles, you name it.