"I was curious about this place because of all the really bad reviews and because I like visiting places with a long history. When I stepped inside it was like being transported to a different era, with the old style of decoration, furniture and layout. They even have a real fireplace, perfect for a freezing December day. I thought the atmosphere was quite cosy, but there were some food boards and random stuff lying around, like a wooden pole below the counter. The place seemed clean besides that.I ordered a latte and a chocolate fudge cake for a total of £2.95, I thought it was so cheap I'm still wondering if it was a mistake. The coffee was pretty good and the chocolate cake too cold but edible. Staff were very polite, chatting with customers, holding the door for those leaving and generally being very pleasant. Except for the lady taking orders at the counter, I found her a bit abrupt. Maybe she just wanted to be very fast with the orders to not keep customers waiting, but she could have rushed a bit less and maybe ask if I wanted my cake microwaved. She did prepare my coffee extremely fast though.The toilets were not as dirty as described in other reviews, but they are pretty old and could use a refurbishment. And you do have to go past piles of dirty dishes to get there, maybe because of lack of space in the kitchen. They do need to do something about that too.In all, it seemed to me like they are trying to respond to all the bad feedback they have received. If they keep it up and with some more changes they could start earning a lot of positive reviews. I would like to go back and try the food as well and to see if it will be a pleasant experience again or if I happened to catch them on a good day."
