Take a chance on an independent café, says Alice Cairns
Ah, June: a month for lounging in sun-dappled courtyards, slowly sipping iced tea. Our drizzly British weather may occasionally get in the way of the al fresco idyll, but Royal Borough residents can at least take their pick from some brilliant local cafés. Forget the familiar Starbucks fare and try tucking into these...
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Bite Café
Best for: Burritos
Bite is an independent, family-run venture that opened in Windsor in 2013. Specializing in hearty cafe grub with a dash of Mexican flair, it’s committed to sourcing the best ingredients from local suppliers. Every day the chefs make fresh batches of rice and black beans, slow cook their burrito fillings and whip up homemade guacamole and salsas.
The burritos are the star of the show, coming in a tasty range of flavours (including a vegetarian option). Head to Bite at the start of the day for its breakfast burrito, a tasty English-Mexican fusion crammed with eggs, beans, cheese, salsa and sausage.
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Café Copia
Best for: Tea garden
Windsor’s Café Copia is one of a family of three, the others being in Henley and Marlow. You can sit in the quaint tearooms overlooking the castle, or take your coffee and cake into the pretty little garden.
Café Copia serves two different coffees: a house blend with a hint of caramel and a single origin coffee from Costa Rica. It also offers freshly squeezed orange juice, hot chocolate and loose leaf teas, while every morning the staff bake a tasty selection of fresh, buttery pastries.
Best of all, it’s dog friendly!
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Cinnamon Café
Best for: Cinnamon buns
Cinnamon Café is a local favourite known for its friendly service. It offers freshly baked pastries, cakes and scones, as well as sandwiches, jacket potatoes and a delectable apple pie.
It’s simple, unpretentious café fare. Don’t miss the huge, sticky cinnamon buns, served warm – they’re so enormous that half a bun makes a generous portion. And the café also has a particularly strong relationship with cyclists, who receive 10% off! It provides storage racks for bikes and pump and puncture repair kits at the till.
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Fego Café
Best for: Brunch
Fego Café in Ascot has a quirky menu packed with unexpected delights. Its brunch offerings include crunchy nut brioche French toast, stacks of blueberry pancakes and an incredibly flavourful shakshuka.
“Our place is your space,” proclaims Fego, so you’re welcome to sit and chat for hours or bring along a laptop to get some work done.
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Fresh
Best for: Juices
Fresh serves a delicious range of tasty café staples, all made with the very freshest local ingredients. It’s run by Kris and Gavin, Windsor dwellers who are so proud of their home town that they’ve developed a range of signature juices to celebrate its royal heritage.
Top sellers are ‘The Queen’ – an exotic concoction starring pineapple and kiwi – and ‘The Prince Harry’, appropriately crammed with ginger and carrot. They’ve just added a Meghan juice too!
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Madame Posh
Best for: Location
Another new addition to the café scene, Madame Posh offers outdoor seating all year round. Just sip on your tea and watch the Windsor world go by.
With its quirky rococo aesthetic, delicious afternoon tea and wide selection of tarts and cakes, this place makes a great pit stop after a long day of shopping.
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Palmieri's
Best for: Italian food
A family-run café in Maidenhead town centre, Palmieri’s specializes in freshly made Italian food. Think pastas with homemade pestos and sauces, or salads dressed in good olive oil and served with a hunk of bread.
Palmieri’s also serves an all-day breakfast – try the delicious frittatas, packed with Mediterranean flavour. And if it’s just a drink you’re after, a deliciously smooth and nutty coffee awaits.
A tasty and authentic haven for foodies.
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Teapot tea shop
Best for: Cake
This Cookham tea shop is ideal for a summer visit: just sit in the pretty tea garden and sip on one of its delicious iced teas (the secret is the hint of honey). It also serves a special hot chocolate made by stirring a chunk of Belgian chocolate into warm milk.
Best of all, though, is the homemade cake. At Teapot the counter is always laden with a mouthwatering selection – so far I’ve tried the chocolate and caramel, lemon and elderflower and blueberry flavours. The generous slices are rich, moist and melt-in-the-mouth delicious.
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