The Cappuccino Bar

The Cappuccino Bar

Last Wednesday evening I took an old friend from Scotland down to the Cappuccino Bar on Newnham Street, next to the auctioneers, for dinner. We were in the mood for a couple of drinks and a catch up and so I thought of this place because it is delightfully laid back. Although it states on the website ‘...it is the ideal setting for any occasion, whether it is romantic meal for two, a dinner with family or a lively celebration you have in mind..’ it’s not necessarily somewhere I would go for a romantic evening nor a birthday celebration, however it is thoroughly enjoyable for a low-key dinner, with affordable prices, nice food and friendly staff. We both opted for the ‘two courses for £9.95’ option which, unlike most restaurants with similar offers, does not exclude anything on the menu, and therefore is excellent value as the courses are by no means small. We sat in the back ‘garden’ area which is intentionally roofed with overgrown plants and flowers which creates an outdoor, Mediterranean feel where a group of Italian singers wandering from table to table would not be out of place. The only problem with that decor and the muggy summer evenings is the rise in the number of flies that are in the room, which got a little annoying whilst eating. The layout of the restaurant is also unfortunate as the narrow room can be quite noisy when the restaurant is busy- which it normally is. I have had the misfortune of sitting in the back right-hand corner of the front part of the restaurant where the cutlery is stored and it can be quite ear-piercing every time a waiter or waitress goes to fetch or replace the knives, forks and spoons. However, what I like about this place is that it doesn’t pretend to be anything that it isn’t and it works well as a cafe/restaurant for locals who want nice-sized pizza and pasta with a glass of wine, without queuing for an hour down the road in Pizza Express. One of my biggest bugbears with the British food industry, and one I have experienced countless times in Bedford, is the lack of ability to cater for customers on a busy night- restaurants will happily quote you a time of an hour or more (which is never the case if you hang around and wait) and therefore will happily lose the business to avoid being ‘over-busy’. But, in true European style, the Cappuccino bar will do everything it can to accommodate customers without sacrificing service and will gratefully receive the business, giving the restaurant a welcoming reputation.

Quality- 6-7

Price – 9

Service – 8

Would I go back again? Absolutely.