The Gardens - Reading

I really enjoy this place! The coffee is excellent, the food looks delicious and appetizing, and the staff is very friendly. And all of this is in addition to the beautiful location!

A fantastic hidden gem to find space and peace in caversham. always well maintained and even in the cold and wet these gardens are pleasant. beautiful, a view of the river with places to sit and relax for a dae. the teekiosk offers hot drinks and cakes, while the time away. destined to visit to decompress from the hessle and the bussle.

I visited this restaurant on a Saturday morning while I was in the area. I was impressed with the service, the variety of cakes, and drink options available. The staff was friendly and took the time to explain their menu offerings. I appreciated that all the cakes on display were covered, which I think is a good precaution during the current situation with COVID-19. Although there were no prices listed, the staff was willing to provide pricing upon request. I found the prices for the cakes to be fair, especially considering the generous portion sizes. I would definitely return to this restaurant.

I am particular about my coffee and rarely find a cup from a coffee shop that compares to what I can make at home. However, since I am not always at home, I recently moved nearby and decided to explore the selection of independent coffee shops. The Gardens of Caversham was a pleasant surprise. Don't go there for the decor - which can be somewhat distracting - go for the coffee. They offer pour over coffee, which was a pleasant surprise as it requires some special instructions. The staff, especially Marie, was polite and efficient, and receptive to my suggestions. Unlike some baristas I have encountered in the past, she was not egoistic and made the coffee to my liking with a slightly coarser grind and extra hot water. Their standard pour is 24 grams, which is generous and follows the guidelines. I tried the Stark blend, their darkest roast, and found it to be excellent. Coffee is subjective, so I won't go into detail about the taste. On my second visit, I tried the washed Ethiopian blend, which was also good but not quite to my taste. I had the opportunity to speak with the owner briefly, who is clearly passionate about coffee, roasting, and quality. Their strong coffee comes from Burundi, a rare and expensive bean that I particularly enjoy. Overall, compared to other independent coffee shops I have visited, I would rate The Gardens of Caversham an 8 out of 10.

No obvious signage easy to miss. Inside cavernous and yet sparse. Not particularly welcoming or comfortable and a bit chilly as well. An intriguing looking but untried jumbo sausage roll. May well be investigated in future What was outstanding was the real quality of the coffee; a suggested Guatemalan espresso. Wow! Really strong with no bitterness and a brilliant flavour. Worth travelling miles for which one of us did just that.