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About
Bristol's foremost family run cafe at the forefront of the regions cafe scene since 2000.
Special Diets
Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Brunch
CUISINES
Cafe, British
FEATURES
Takeout, Reservations, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Parking Available, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Free Wifi, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service
Reviews (267)
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LanguageEnglish
Traveller rating
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All reviews brunch cakes vegetarian breakfast poached eggs sandwich excellent coffee fantastic cafe movie playing full english fantastic food lovely atmosphere hot drinks costas bristol eatery
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Reviewed 21 October 2023

We were on the eve of an overseas holiday leaving very early the following morning, so we were not keen to cook anything for our main meal of the day. Fresh-food stocks had been run-down and so we decided that lunch-out was a good way...to usher-in our holiday. We decided we should walk the 0.6 of a mile to this lovely café. We hadn’t made a reservation, but it was well-before 13:00 so there was a good chance that we could get a table. Fortunately, although the café was very busy, we were able to do just that. We took some time to study the menu and the specials board; but although tempted by the all-day breakfasts, and one or two of the ‘Daily Bites’ (particularly the ‘Cajun & Sundried Tomato Beef Burger’), we both opted for the same special plate. This was the ‘Creamy mustard garlic chicken with bacon pieces, spinach and new potatoes.’ After placing our orders we sat and chatted and people-watched, whilst my Partner had a really great Americano coffee (with hot milk). I enjoyed a ‘Mango Mania’ smoothie, the latter was excellent; so refreshing! As it was busy, it took some time for our food-orders to arrive, but the plates were well-worth the wait. The chicken and the potatoes in the flavoured cream sauce was excellent, and served with really lovely fresh sprigs of thyme. This was a delicate dish and although much enjoyed we agreed that we would have been a little more generous with the mustard; a personal preference as we do like strong flavours. The meal was certainly enough for us. Service here is invariably pleasant and efficient, and on this occasion it was ‘business as usual’.More

Date of visit: October 2023
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Reviewed 13 October 2023

A lovely cafe and a gem in Emersons Green. But, the inability to order at the table is really frustrating. The cafe is understandably very popular and often really busy so there is invariably a little wait for the lovely fresh food. This means the...drink you've ordered at the till with your breakfast has gone by the time the food comes out. Not an issue if the waiting staff could take a further drinks order at the table when they deliver the food, but for some reason they don't offer that service. So you're left with the option of either just eating with no drink, or re-joining the queue to order another drink and watching your breakfast go cold. This is a relatively minor point and is intended as constructive criticism rather than a gripe. The food, service and atmosphere are otherwise lovely. I just think tightening up this quick fix would make the cafe even better.More

Date of visit: October 2023
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Reviewed 30 September 2023

My wife is a regular here for breakfast and has nothing but praise for it so we tried it out on an evening with two other couples. I don't think the name does it justice as I had visions of it being a standard cafe...but it is more like a pub / restaurant. It is very tastefully decorated, modern and clean. On the night we went they had live music, a guitarist / singer, who was very good but because of this the place was full. The staff were great but probably short on numbers as the service was a quite slow. However, the food, we all had tapas at 3 dishes for £18, was very good and overall was a very good evening. If the service had been quicker then I would have probably stretched to a 5 star. Will go back.More

Date of visit: September 2023
Helpful?2  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Costas Kkolos, Owner at Avenue Cafe, responded to this reviewResponded 3 October 2023

HI Martin. Thanks for the review and for your comments. Glad you enjoyed our evening of music and tapas. Many thanks. Costas

Reviewed 21 September 2023

This, our local café, normally closes in the late-afternoon about 17:00 this time of year; but occasionally it opens-up on a Friday evening, until late, to provide a tapas evening with live music. These are occasions which we try to support as much as we...can. Tonight was the latest of three such events that we have enjoyed supporting; it was also the last of the, I believe, four summer events have been held. The format, was as before, to stagger table reservation times to allow the kitchen to efficiently produce plates to order. This reservation system helps avoid what could be bottlenecks, that would surely result, if too many orders flood in at the more-popular times. The menu is the same for all of these events; our preferences were again to the fore for certain plates, as follows: Chicken Skewers - Greek style marinaded with yoghurt. Vegetable Spring Rolls with sweet chilli dip - crispy, crunchy rolls filled with savoury mix of vegetables. Lamb kofta balls with tzatziki dip. Patatas Bravas - crispy potatoes in a salsa brava with a creamy aioli. Skin-on fries. It was once-again a much enjoyed meal and, on this occasion, we had invited my Son to join us. He really enjoyed the plates and the atmosphere. Wine: we chose a bottle of the ‘Definition Pinot Grigio’ from north-eastern Italy: very complex and much-enjoyed: excellent. This bottle was my Son’s contribution to the evening (apart from, of course, his company). We followed that with a bottle of the ‘Pringle Bay’ Sauvignon Blanc from the Western Cape, South Africa: this was very good; wonderfully refreshing. My Partner and I paid for that one! Wine here is not too expensive, especially bearing in mind the quality. A note to say that the Patatas Bravas plate was excellent on this occasion, because the potatoes were indeed crispy. Our favourite plate, for all three of us, was however the ‘Vegetable Spring Rolls’. These were absolutely fabulous, such a great texture. If this plate was regularly featured on the menu, I am sure it would be a very popular choice. The provision of a sweet chilli dipping sauce is a masterpiece of culinary inspiration. The music for all of these events was a duo singing covers of popular songs accompanied by acoustic guitars. They use guitar mics to amplify the music an their vocals. On previous occasions the band have not been too loud; sadly tonight they were. There were times that we couldn’t hear each other speak, and my Partner had to twice ask the band to tone it down. There is a time and place for loud music and this wasn’t it.More

Date of visit: August 2023
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Costas Kkolos, Owner at Avenue Cafe, responded to this reviewResponded 3 October 2023

Hi Mikey. Once again thank you for your support and lovely comments. Hope to see you again soon. Regards Costas

Reviewed 20 August 2023

Our second visit to this excellent local café / restaurant for their Friday night event with live music. Tonight we were sat in the rear dining-area of the café. Tables here appeared not to be too tightly packed, probably because (unlike the last visit to...a Friday night event here) the conservatory was opened-up this evening. We were a tad early for our reservation, but tables are ‘yours for the night’. Reservation times are staggered in which to allow the kitchen to promptly get orders cooked and out to tables. Whilst we waited we ordered a bottle of the ‘Definition Pinot Grigio’ from north-eastern Italy. This complex Pinot was excellent, and very much enjoyed. The amplified acoustic duo had commenced their first set; their selection of gently played songs was entirely suitable for the occasion. Generally people applauded after each song, so it was obvious that people were listening-to and enjoying their performance. We studied the “Small Plates” (Tapas) menu and after a short while we were invited to place our food order, so we chose: Hummus and tzatziki with pitta bread Chicken Skewers - Greek style marinaded with yoghurt (2 servings) Garlic King Prawns - garlic butter, parsley, lemon on toasted crouton (2 servings) Vegetable Spring Rolls - crispy, crunchy rolls filled with savoury mix of vegetables (2 servings) Lamb kofta balls with tzatziki dip (2 servings) Skin-on fries For dessert we chose: Baklava with cream and pistachios (for my Partner) Chocolate Brownie with Marshfield ice cream and salted caramel sauce (for myself) The meal was excellent and the tapas met or exceeded expectations particularly the chicken skewers and the lamb koftas. Surprisingly my favourite plate tonight, and bearing in mind I am a confirmed meat-eater, was the Vegetable Spring Rolls. They were just so refreshing; having a moist crunchy texture. Favourites indeed, so-much-so that, when it came towards the end of our meal, my Partner couldn’t find room to finish one of her two remaining plates. So, either a chicken skewer or a vegetable spring roll had to be eaten-up (such a hardship for me). I chose the spring roll! It is a special plate, especially with every bite dipped into the hot sweet chilli dip; just sublime. The desserts were good, but I wouldn’t order the Brownie again; it wasn’t gooey enough. Service was excellent and we were well looked after by our cheerful and lively waiter.More

Date of visit: July 2023
Helpful?
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Costas Kkolos, Owner at Avenue Cafe, responded to this reviewResponded 3 October 2023

Thank you Mikey for another detailed and warm review. Much appreciated as always. Regards Costas

Reviewed 9 August 2023

Gorgeous restaurant/café. Beautiful decor. Very friendly staff. Food is very nice. Lovely terrace out the front for sitting outside.

Date of visit: June 2023
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Costas Kkolos, Owner at Avenue Cafe, responded to this reviewResponded 3 October 2023

Many thanks for the review and comments. Regards Costas

Reviewed 19 July 2023 via mobile

I really like the place. It's got a nice vibe. We went there for tapas. The staff were great and the food choices were more for vegetarians as there were only couple of meat options. I tallied up the bill roughly in my head and...was shocked by how much more it cost for what we received. It cost £9 for two Shandy's. The food was overrated and overpriced and I'm writing this review because I'm still annoyed a week later. I'll probably only go there again for coffee but not for a meal.More

Date of visit: July 2023
Helpful?
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Costas Kkolos, Owner at Avenue Cafe, responded to this reviewResponded 8 August 2023

Hi Melc. Thank you for your review and comments. I'm glad the staff were great, they're a great bunch, always going above and beyond to give a great service. (Three stars seems quite harsh). I am however, somewhat troubled by some of your comments. Namely...More

Reviewed 15 July 2023

This café normally only opens during the daytime, but currently opens on Friday evenings. Very occasionally the café hold special events on Friday evenings. When this happens the café is transformed into a delightful restaurant, with live music. The popularity of the events is such,...that you need to book as soon as you learn about them. We were very pleased to be able to dine here this evening, and arriving promptly at 20:20 we found that we were seated at a table right in-front of ‘the band’. This wasn’t a problem as the band were an acoustic duo, and the amplification was not too loud. We did feel a bit like honoured guests as we took our seats (the last two available) and then the band commenced to play. Tonight it was a Small Plates menu (a.k.a. Tapas) and a good selection to choose-from too. Pricing was very reasonable at £6.95 per plate or £18 for 3 plates. After deliberation and debate we selected: Bread and Olives Garlic King Prawns - garlic butter, parsley, lemon on toasted crouton (2 servings) Chicken Skewers - Greek style marinaded with yoghurt (2 servings) Lamb kofta balls with tzatziki dip (2 servings) Vegetable Spring rolls - crispy, crunchy rolls filled with savoury mix of vegetables Mozzarella, tomato and basil salad with a balsamic drizzle Patatas Bravas - crispy potatoes in a salsa brava with a creamy aioli We didn’t order sides of rice or fries; a wise decision as we had chosen-well, and were well-fed by the time we finished. We took dessert; with both of us having an Affogato using a single scoop of the delicious Marshfield Ice Cream and excellent coffee: strong, bitter and caramel flavoured. Wine: we chose a bottle of the ‘Pringle Bay’ Sauvignon Blanc (a steal at £22) from the Western Cape, South Africa, and later I had a large glass of ‘Definition Pinot Grigio’ from north-eastern Italy. Both wines were very much enjoyed, the Pringle Bay was very good and very refreshing. Of the two wines I thought the complex Pinot was excellent; in fact it was the best Pinot I have tasted in a very long time (if ever). Of the plates we had chosen the chicken skewers vied with the lamb koftas for being my personal favourite. My Partner really enjoyed the prawns (albeit the croutons were a tad soggy). We both really enjoyed the veggie spring rolls; they provided a good texture change. I didn’t have any bread and olives, or the mozzarella (but I stole some of the balsamic glaze from the latter). On the flipside we found the Patatas Bravas was neither crispy or spicy enough.More

Date of visit: July 2023
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Costas Kkolos, Owner at Avenue Cafe, responded to this reviewResponded 8 August 2023

Hi Mikey. Thank you so much for your five star review and excellent comments. Your review is extremely detailed and I think anyone reading it, with a view to attending one of our music evenings, will get a flavour of what's on offer and the...More

Reviewed 13 July 2023

Such lovely, friendly staff, who are always happy to help and so accommodating. There’s a really lovely vibe and delicious coffee :)

Date of visit: July 2023
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Costas Kkolos, Owner at Avenue Cafe, responded to this reviewResponded 8 August 2023

Thank you so much for your five star review and lovely comments. We very much appreciate it and I will pass this on to the staff. Kind regards Costas

Reviewed 18 June 2023

Very nice venue, staff friendly, but food was not as good as we have had before. For a change I had Bubble and Squeak with Streaky Bacon and 2 Poached eggs. This this dish was so bland with really hard slices of bacon and not...a true bubble & squeak. It was too dry and was just based on chopped up pan fried potatoes and no veg or seasoning. I left some in the end as could not digest. Didn't complain at time as did not want to spoil my wifes experience. Please review this dish as its not bubble and squeak.More

Date of visit: June 2023
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Costas Kkolos, Owner at Avenue Cafe, responded to this reviewResponded 20 June 2023

Hi Michael. Thank you for your comments. I'm sorry the dish you had didn't meet your expectations. It's a shame that you didn't say something at the time and allow us to offer you an alternative dish so that you leave happy. It's not often...More

Reviewed 26 May 2023

Super friendly staff, a pleasant atmosphere and great food. A perfect spot for a relaxed lunch. They also have a range of delicious cakes.

Date of visit: May 2023
Helpful?
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Reviewed 5 May 2023

I was recommended this place by a friend. He said it was great and we should visit. I think he undersold it because it was far better than great. This is a fantastic place. The staff are wonderfully polite, friendly and professional, the food and...service faultless. It was busy and we had to wait a few minutes for a table, but doesn't that tell you something about just how good this place is? We had the full English, but we could easily have had a proper lunch which also looked fantastic, judging from the neighbouring table, as did the cakes. It was good to meet Costas on the way out to whom I apologise for calling him the manager. He's the owner. I hope he makes millions. With a café as good as this, he deserves to.More

Date of visit: May 2023
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Reviewed 28 April 2023

Been here many times and always great food! Today I had the eggs florentine and all I can say is wow! It was absolute amazing, never had anything like this before always been put off by the spinach and sauce but I will definitely be...having this again! 10/10More

Date of visit: April 2023
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Reviewed 12 April 2023 via mobile

Went for breakfast food was great, really enjoyed old movie playing in back ground. It was a bit noisy as they we having work done but service and food was amazing.

Date of visit: April 2023
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Costas Kkolos, Owner at Avenue Cafe, responded to this reviewResponded 14 April 2023

Thanks for the five star review and comments. Apologies for the work going on when you visited. Hopefully you will see the result on the terrace when you next visit. Kind regards Costas

Reviewed 12 April 2023

Superb and friendly service, very good selection and quality of food and a great atmosphere. Menu has good options for vegetarians, the vegetarian breakfast is great.

Date of visit: April 2023
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Costas Kkolos, Owner at Avenue Cafe, responded to this reviewResponded 14 April 2023

Many thanks for the review and comments, much appreciated. Regards Costas

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Questions & Answers
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Quest62999756702
13 January 2019|
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Response from christineg056 | Reviewed this property |
Sorry but I cannot say for sure but I have never seen a dog inside in all of my visits.
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Lauren H
28 July 2018|
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Response from jamesmM2473HE | Reviewed this property |
As a frequent visitor to the Avenue, I can say that the owners will always do their best to accommodate if you don’t have a reservation however as it is very popular, I would advise making a reservation for Friday evenings... More
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AVENUE CAFE, Emersons Green - Updated 2023 Restaurant Reviews, Menu & Prices - Tripadvisor

Frequently Asked Questions about Avenue Cafe

Yes, Avenue Cafe offers takeaway services.

Avenue Cafe is rated accordingly in the following categories by Tripadvisor travellers:
  • Food: 4.5
  • Service: 4.5
  • Value: 4.5
  • Atmosphere: 4.5