Top five cafes in Winchester according to TripAdvisor reviews

1. Cabinet Rooms in Jewry Street. 

Described as ‘friendly’ and ‘relaxing’ by the locals, Cabinet Rooms has a varied offering, such as hot and soft drinks, sweet pastries, and other breakfast items during the daytime.

In the evenings, it turns into a bar selling ciders to cocktails, and opens their menu to more snack related goods like cheeseboards and sharing platters.

Gary Whiter, who runs the café with his husband Marcus Roe, said: “I’d like to think it’s because people enjoy, not just the coffee here, but also the warm welcome that they get. We love what we do and that goes for the whole team, not just Marcus and me."

Gary said they are currently organising the ongoing Winchester Cocktail week alongside other events that are scheduled until the end of the year.

He said: "It’s true that you have to be true to yourself.

“We started this business because we wanted to create a safe space with grown-ups with all sorts of life to come and enjoy a coffee or a cocktail in a grown-up environment.

“We maintain our focus on high quality products and delivering good customer service then hopefully people will continue coming, that’s the best we could hope for.

“We don’t go around saying ‘we are the best at anything’, we just want to do our best and hope people love it.”

The café expanded into the unit next door last year, and now enjoys a corner unit opposite the Theatre Royal. For more go to cabinetrooms.com/

2. Cafemonde  in The Square.

Cafemonde is a owned by Phil Simmonds and offers a range of breakfasts and opens their menu to the vegetarian and vegan community.

Providing breakfast, lunch, and brunch, Cafemonde gives customers the option to sit outside and enjoy the weather, accompanied by free Wi-Fi.

Customers have described Cafemonde as ‘excellent’ and ‘a great value for money’.

3. Chococo in High Street

 Selling a variety of chocolate treats and desserts be eaten inside the shop or taken away, Chococo ranks in third of the top cafes.

Chococo produces award-winning gelato which can be enjoyed with a hot drink and bakery goods.

Enjoy a light lunch in the sun with their outdoor seating at 152 High Street.

Chococo is currently selling a limited time offer of Father’s Day gifts, such as selection boxes, hampers, and other creations. Their tasty chocolates ‘always make for a lovely gift’.

4. ProudFoot and Co in St Thomas Street

- A historic Winchester themed café, ProudFoot and Co says it is ‘Reviving British Terroir’, serving non-alcoholic drinks.

ProudFoot and Co also provides food based on a collection of old British cookbooks, with every ingredient made by hand.

The café is famous for its foraged spices, honey, which is made from their apiary, and their cobnut butter.

ProudFoot and Co, don’t stop there. Described as ‘delicious and surprising’ by new customers, they offer a foraging course for those who are interested, as well as their Woodsman Syrup, Wild Fennel Biscuits, Cobnut oil and Irish Butter.

The café provides outdoor seating for those who want to enjoy the outdoors of Winchester.

5. Josie’s in Jewry Street

Josie’s finishes off our top five, a warm and welcoming café located in Jewry Street near Cabinet Rooms. 

Serving breakfast items like pancakes and eggs benedict, it gives a range of brunch options including toasties.

Josie’s has drinks for everyone, whether a young person wants to have a milkshake, or an alcoholic beverage for adults. You can also enjoy hot, cold, and soft drinks

It allows customer to click and collect their food for those who want to eat on the go and provide free wi-fi for those who want to sit in and enjoy the café atmosphere.

• This article was written by Owen Borseti, from the University of Bournemouth.