Cafe Bar 26

Cafe Bar 26 has a comfortable setting and a great atmosphere, and the owner was lovely to chat with. The staff were friendly too. My wife and I are visiting Keswick and chose it mainly because we’re vegan and like trying plant-based places when we travel. The tapas-style menu was fabulous. For testing purposes, of course, we ordered plenty and ended up with eight plates, including ‘meat’ balls, ‘Fish’ Goujons, Vietnamese Fries, Mock Duck Pancakes, Chick’n Nuggets, and more. Everything was faultless: tasty, plentiful, and clearly made with care. The owner deserves success with this brilliant place. We’re very taken with Cafe Bar 26 and will definitely return next time we’re in Keswick. Don’t miss it.

The service was terrible. Our server threw down one menu for two of us, struggled to understand our order even though he wrote it down, and mumbled so much we could barely hear him. He didn’t seem to have any hospitality training. The food was mostly poor too. The coffee and breakfast sandwich were both burnt and tasted awful. The hash browns were nice, but just heated from frozen, nothing special. The waffle was delicious, though £9.50 for one felt like daylight robbery. The prices were outrageous. As a vegan from Manchester, I’m used to paying a premium for vegan food, but £3 for two slices of toast was absurd. The £6 breakfast sandwich was one muffin with one Linda McCartney sausage and two slices of This! Isn't Bacon. What kind of dream world are the owners in to charge so much? The bill was £36.60 for two sandwiches, one waffle, two hash browns, a coffee, and a lemonade. It was a hugely disappointing experience. I’d recommend saving your money and choosing one of the other vegan places in Keswick. I wouldn’t recommend Cafe Bar 26, and gave it one star only because that’s the lowest available. Avoid.

The brunch waffles are great, and the food and coffee were lovely. It was quiet when we visited, and the place was nice and clean. We brought our dog, who was welcome. The staff were lovely too. We’d definitely come back.

My partner, little boy, and I went here while on holiday in Keswick. The young man who greeted us was very friendly, looked after us well, and was efficient. There was plenty of choice, and the food was tasty. I had lovely waffles. The young woman who served us when we paid was friendly too. I’d definitely recommend it 😀