Primrose Cafe

Cafe · Hotwells

Primrose Cafe

Cafe · Hotwells
1 Boyce's Ave, Clifton, Bristol BS8 4AA, United Kingdom

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Primrose Cafe by null
Primrose Cafe by null
Primrose Cafe by null
Primrose Cafe by null
Primrose Cafe by null
Primrose Cafe by null
Primrose Cafe by null
Primrose Cafe by null
Primrose Cafe by null
Primrose Cafe by null
Primrose Cafe by null
Primrose Cafe by null
Primrose Cafe by null
Primrose Cafe by null
Primrose Cafe by null
Primrose Cafe by null
Primrose Cafe by null
Primrose Cafe by null
Primrose Cafe by null
Primrose Cafe by null
Primrose Cafe by null
Primrose Cafe by null
Primrose Cafe by null
Primrose Cafe by null
Primrose Cafe by null
Primrose Cafe by null
Primrose Cafe by null
Primrose Cafe by null
Primrose Cafe by null
Primrose Cafe by null
Primrose Cafe by null
Primrose Cafe by null
Primrose Cafe by null
Primrose Cafe by null
Primrose Cafe by null

Highlights

Nestled in Clifton, this charming cafe-bistro boasts a cozy vibe, a delightful menu of fresh, locally-sourced dishes, and inviting outdoor seating.  

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1 Boyce's Ave, Clifton, Bristol BS8 4AA, United Kingdom Get directions

primrosecafe.co.uk
@primrosecafebristol

£10–20 · Menu

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1 Boyce's Ave, Clifton, Bristol BS8 4AA, United Kingdom Get directions

+44 117 946 6577
primrosecafe.co.uk
@primrosecafebristol
𝕏
@theprimrosecafe

£10–20 · Menu

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outdoor seating

Last updated

Jul 14, 2025

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Char Baggott

Google
Came for mid-week lunch and could not have been more pleased. Very welcoming staff and a nice cosy feel to the place. I had the rarebit which was outstanding and will definitely be coming back for. The whole menu was very reasonably priced and you can tell that the ingredients are of good quality. It’s tucked out the way so whilst it was reasonably busy, it didn’t feel overwhelming or uncomfortable.

Hywel Maslen

Google
A highly regarded cafe in Clifton that did not disappoint. Situated in the pleasant suburb, this cafe is in a charming area of shops and parks. The cafe has outdoor and indoor seating. The service here was excellent and the attentive. The food was very well presented and tasty. We had the Mexican eggs and the blt. The freshly squeezed orange juice was sublime. Coffee was also fresh and tasty. Overall I can see this place being very busy without the outside area being used in less clement weather. Highly recommended overall.

Amy Horner

Google
My favourite cafe and breakfast spot in Bristol! The food is amazing, I always go for the full English. The portion size is great, the meat is great quality and the eggs are always cooked perfectly. My partner always has something of the lunch menu, and there is a huge range of option! The atmosphere is always great, I’ve never struggled to find a table and it’s very cosy (and dog friendly inside!) I’ve been here countless times and never had a bad experience. In such a lovely location, and you can explore the lovely Clifton after your lunch :) Big shout out to the lovely staff too. See ya soon Primrose

Dave Evs

Google
Great food and really good street and atmosphere. Definitely recommend.

Garima Khakurel

Google
Delicious food. Nice and cosy place. It was quite busy even on a weekday.

R Hung

Google
Average food and service (10% service chg!), wrong order sent to our table twice, full English breakfast costs £15.5 which is very expensive for the quality, nothing exceptional.

Andy Milne

Google
The barista does an excellent job. Food was great. Be forewarned that there’s no modifying the Full Monty. Perfectly poached eggs. Been here numerous times over the last 5 years, hasn’t changed. Highly recommend.

Vaishnudebi Dutta

Google
Very cozy café in Clifton arcade. They also have seating on the roof. The food was very freshly cooked and tasted really nice. Highly recommended café to visit ✨ P.S. Their soup of the day is really tasty 😋

Franzi W.

Yelp
Best pancakes and a very cute vibe. The always very friendly staff makes you feel super welcome
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Will P.

Yelp
Some residents of Clifton consider themselves, how shall I put it, slightly more refined than those in other parts of the city. And some of those people frequent the Primrose café. However, don't let that put you off. Whilst it does have a full lunch and dinner menu breakfast/brunch is probably what it does best. On weekend mornings, you'll see it chock-a-block with people having smoked salmon bagels and cappuccinos, and this is the best time to visit. The evening meals are delicious though. The place is candle lit in the evenings too, transforming making for a quite intimate experience. This really has got the fundamentals of a good restaurant exactly right. The service is as sharp as anywhere else I've been recently, and you can see that plenty of attention has been given to the interior design. All the food I've had has been delicious. Having gushed about it I should warn that it's certainly not cheap, which is unsurprising given the location (Clifton Village) and probably explains the clientèle. An evening meal for five tops out at over a hundred pounds - this is somewhere for special occasions, or just when you're feeling rich. A piece of toast and a coffee won't cost that much though, so go for breakfast if you haven't got a spare fifty quid lying around in your wallet. Certainly don't pass it up completely just because of the prices, it's a delightful place that's should be on the list of places to go of anyone visiting in Bristol.
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Chris B.

Yelp
This is an extremely charming little tea cafe, perfectly suited to its surroundings and very popular. This quaint cafe is perfect for people who haven't been to Clifton before, or your granny. But maybe because it is so lovely inside you expect them to the best cup of tea you've ever tasted (possibly expecting too much), but they don't and I always resent having to pay for a tea bag & hot water; I usually have that in my house. I would prefer to have something a bit more special from a place like this, like a tea pot and fresh leaves. But you go for the atmosphere and surroundings; because of the arcade next door, fruit shop across the road and beautiful flowers everywhere, it has kind of a market/Notting Hill feel, only more peaceful, well during the week anyway. It's perfect to sit here in the early afternoon and read the paper, watching the world go by, very slowly (this being the early afternoon in Clifton Village and all). Ha I have even seen some of the Bristol rugby team enjoying a spot of afternoon tea there from time to time, very butch boys.
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Yuan L.

Yelp
Good food! But coffee can be improved. The eggs Benedict and Belgian waffle (with bacon) was good!
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Laura C.

Yelp
Located in the posher end of Bristol, this cafe is a perfect for a weekend fry up. My mini monty - full English without two of everything - was great. Any meal that includes a bagel is a winner in my eyes. Others had perfect poached eggs with creamy hollandaise sauce. And the croque madame looked particularly yummy. Not that I'm partial to food envy or anything. Service wasn't the quickest. The queue for food is long if you aren't used to that. Staff seemed a little stressed by the volume of orders. Still, prices are reasonable and food more than decent.
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Rachel H.

Yelp
Primrose cafe is a cute, fairy-lit cafe by day, bistro by night located at the mouth of charming Clifton village. In warm weather it spills out onto a pedestrianised road surrounded by cute and quaint independent businesses, making it one of the most pleasant places you could choose to while away an afternoon in. The breakfasts are delicious (especially the sugary, fatty, creamy Belgian waffle), the sandwiches are good and come in a range of unusual flavour combinations and the evening French-inspired bistro serves well-acclaimed restaurant food in a slightly more formal set-up. All this doesn't come cheap mind, but then again when has a Clifton village postcode ever offered wallet-friendly eating options? At least Primrose Café's well-executed fare is worth the price.
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Melanie M.

Yelp
I'm all for locally sourced, organic, sustainable produce. However I felt a little lighter in the pocket when I left Primrose. Two average tasting meals of fish of the day (Lemon sole), a smattering of veg and a small dish of rhubarb syllabub and I was £60 worse off. The style is a bit Parisian, a bit Cliftonian and decorated with what looks like Laura Ashley panache - I cannot fault the way it looks or the helpfulness of the staff, but I like a little bit more grub for my dosh, that's all.
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Henry N.

Yelp
I came here a while back for breakfast and found it to be a bit pretentious and pricey. Sitting outside the front with a paper was undoubtedly a pleasant experience but you have to pay a premium for it. Unfortunately, the Primrose is above just giving you a fry up, they serve bagels and you then choose which of various breakfast staples (sausages, bacon, eggs) you would like to accompany it. This costs around a tenner and with a bit of a hangover it didn't really hit he spot either. Still it all looked very pretty...
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Jon B.

Yelp
In a quaint part of Clifton Village resides Primrose Cafe. Expect high prices and a bit of pretentious. With that in mind, it's a more than adequate cafe, with a slightly middle-class hippy vibe. The menu is quite wide ranging, with some smaller sandwich and baguettes which won't set you back as much as the main meals. The outdoor seating area, which spills on to the road (the cafe is at the top end of a cul-de-sac), has a distinct continental feeling, whilst the inside areas are more grounding, but not lacking in class. I always find the downstairs a little bit cramped, with too much going on, so I would suggest to opt for one of the two quieter rooms on the first floor. It's a good place to catch up with a friend, maybe go on a civilized date, and just generally feel like you're a bit privileged for hanging out in Clifton.

Mark M.

Yelp
This quirky little Clifton café is immensely popular, especially in the summer where you'll be hard pressed to find a table even out front on their pretty road side seating area. Can't quite put my finger on the lure of the place, maybe it has something to do with 60's boho laissez faire feel of the place, or perhaps it is the delicious gastro style lunches and dinners they serve, or maybe it's the equally delicious and flavoursome coffee's you can order. Whatever it is, this place is a big hit with Cliftonites and you can see why. It really is one of Bristol's highlights, great for breakfast, lunch or dinner, you won't be disappointed whatever time of the day you choose to check it out. Pricey of course, but well worth it.
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Briony S.

Yelp
Firstly, I love this area, and generally speaking the cafes here tend to be pretty good - and this place is no exception. It's a great café and actually has more of a restaurant edge to it, especially with the kinds of meals they offer on their menu which include lobster and pheasant! The place itself is very 'cute' with a bit of a bohemian decorating theme going on, and it's a great place to relax and have a meal as their food is always very tasty. The ambience is fairly chilled out, and it's often quite a quite place so not too buzzing and noisy - a good get away for an hour or so! I actually don't have anything bad to say about this place, except that it can be on the slightly pricy side. Also, in the summer months the outside seating area often gets quite busy as it's a great place to sit on a sunny day!
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Rebecca B.

Yelp
You're spoilt for choice when it comes to cafés in this lovely part of Bristol, but the enduring popularity of this one probably comes down to its quirky décor and the bistro style food it serves up - albeit rather expensive. It's a decent place to grab brunch, and if you're going there at lunch time the sandwiches are made with delicious bread and fillings that justify their slightly inflated price tag - while I haven't tried any of the bigger salads or main meals, so can't comment on those. The outside seating terrace is really popular in the summer so it can be hard to find a table, but if you do manage it this little sun-trap almost transports you to more exotic climes. Primrose is also open in the evenings, lit with cosy candles for a more romantic atmosphere. This place is doing all the right things: creating a charming café atmosphere in a lovely part of Clifton Village; sourcing local, organic ingredients for its menu; and charging suitably high prices to its customers for the privilege of enjoying it all. You can't blame them!
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Yvonne G.

Yelp
Lovely little place if you're brunching with friends or popping in for a light lunch after browsing in Clifton Village. Have had many a late breakfast here after a heavy night out and the service is excellent. It all goes downhill when they book you in on a large party. They squeeze you into the upstairs room where they normally fit on around 4 or 5 tables. Our group of about 25 felt very claustrophobic and the party girl was quite upset. They took over an hour getting orders for starters and then they arrived staggered so whilst some were near finishing others were just receiving theirs. This then delayed the main courses arrival. Subsequently guests had to leave before the bill arrived which then caused more upset trying to ascertain who had eaten what. Great place but they really should think about booking large parties or put a limit on party sizes. Didn't help that the toilets were downstairs, so with the copious amounts of wine flowing, a lot of stair climbing was done by all.

M L.

Yelp
Wide variety of breakfast items on the menu, with a good range of prices in case you've spent out from night before. Double poached egg on bubble and squeak/hash browns, with tomato and mushrooms - just what the doctor ordered (not your GP of course, this was the Doctor who says he can fix your squint with warm spoons). Delicious food, well cooked and best of all, well seasoned. Lots of it too - felt like money's worth. Had to hang around a bit for late 9.30am opening (in fact, there was actually a queue! Sunday morning and queuing already, like the soup kitchens, not that I'm familiar with them, but maybe a Qype review next time). Anyway, back on track, excellent location, inside or out, good food, reasonably priced, great. Go there.
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Lucy G.

Yelp
I Went to primrose last weekend for brunch with about 7 acquaintances. Set back from the main road by the Clifton arcade it's a cute little place! Tables outside with blankets, natural wooden tables inside with bar area and 2 floors for dining. It is difficult to seat large groups we had to do a bit of table hopping, the Que does get huge, out the door on occasion BUT- the food is utterly delish and the staff are the nicest! We all have varying levels of breakfast and we all said the same- give me more! They run a reward stamp scheme where you get a stamp for every £5 spent, once you fill up the card you get a free meal between 6-8 which is really amazing usually you just get a crappy free coffee from costa! I'll def be going back its great :)
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Kurtis G.

Yelp
Had lunch in this lovely little cafe and it was great. I had the Croque Madame and it was incredible. I've had a few in my life (including in France) and this was without doubt the best. My wife had the Veggie Monty and she said it was lovely: great scrambled egg and the best bagel outside of the US. The staff were lovely, the prices were very reasonable and it was in a good location. If you're in this part of the world, I urge you to go.
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Qype User (Bristo…)

Yelp
a great little spot, down a side street in clifton village. The food is great, the staff friendly and the atmosphere very pleasant. This is not a place to go if you are looking for "fine dinning" with silver service and posh stuff, but thats why we like it. In the evenings it turns into a bistro type environment with good food and atmosphere. Well recommended.
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Vero P.

Yelp
This is a pretty cafe, in a very pretty location in Clifton Arcade, right next to Victoria Square. It's perfect for weekend breakfasts or afternoon coffees - I've had both and it was really nice. The terrace is lovely and just busy enough, and upstairs is equally lovely and just quiet enough. Food and coffee are good. If anything, it's a bit too lovely and pretty to my taste. You'd happily bring your mum (or maybe even her mum) there and she'd enjoy herself. Crowd-wise, expect yummy mummies discussing SUVs over a cup of tea.

Aniela M.

Yelp
Walking past the Primrose Cafe, you'd be forgiven for thinking that you had just been trasported to some other continental city. With people sat on the rickety metal tables and chairs on the cobbled pavement sipping coffee, it would be a fair assumption! In an area not unknown for its pretentions, you can get a mixture of the horrendously posh with those in search of a lovely quaint place to lunch. Don't let the location put you off. With its homely interior, the Primrose Cafe is a long established business that will forever continue to draw in a varied crowd looking for the same thing. Serving up local produce, it is a real defender of local community. It makes such a nice change from going to the Starbucks and Cafe Nero's of this world. Their sandwhiches are glorious, with interesting seeded breads and fillings that include, for example the likes of (*insert fancy cheese here*) and onion marmalade ( is that a reasonable way of stereotyping the kinds of fillings they serve?) rather than your standard cheese n' onion. I wish I could write up their menu in the space I have, but go, you'll be in for a treat. Though it is slightly pricier than your average sarnie, for a special treat, every now and again, it is worth it! Alternatively you could opt for their main meals if you're feeling flush. At night, the place transforms into a candel lit bistro, with fantastic food that has obviously been cared for. Although the service is not the best in the world, there is a very 'homecooked' feel about the way the staff are, complimented by the lovely interior design. It just works. At a price, but it works.
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Brooklyn B.

Yelp
Overpriced, curt service and small portions of average to above average food. We came here for lunch while apartment hunting, having been reccomended this place. I got a piece of something hard in my salad too. It felt like wood but it may have been the tough exteriour part of a beet. I tried to chew it but no, it was definitely something inedible. My husband's sandwich was reportedly "just ok".
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Pollita M.

Yelp
In the sunshine the Primrose Cafe always winks at you becomingly, enticing you in for one of its hearty salads. You'd be hard-pushed to get a seat outside on the chock-a-block sun-trap terrace area but I have been known to glare at coffee dawdlers until they vacate the area. This place is a little gem and I don't care if I have to deal with pushy Cliftonites when I'm here- the grub and atmosphere makes it all worthwhile. The emphasis is on healthy, hearty food- lovely big salads and a range of healthy breads as well as huge chunks of cake and fresh juices. It does get extremely busy but the hassled staff are always smiley and pleasant. And, although I have never visited it in the evening, friends tell me the food is great and the intimate little venue comes into its own. There's something really authentic and heartfelt about it, which stops it from being too bijoux and self-satisfied.
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Shaun W.

Yelp
The staff are lovely and friendly here, and the tables are cleared quickly. Plenty of room, good food and a nice 'feel', being a bit rustic and generally quite busy. Nice blend of coffee, but our cappuccino wasn't really a cappuccino. Prices are average for Clifton: £2.30 for cappo, around £3.50 for sausage butty. Would visit again!
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Qype User (nicjay…)

Yelp
Went here for relaxed Sunday morning breakfast and can thoroughly recommend it - excellent eggs benedict. And... once breakfast's over you can wonder through the Clifton Arcade with its bijou antique shops etc. which is right next door.
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Pete C.

Yelp
Popped in for lunch with my partner and two children. Great choice of food, speedy and polite service. Reasonably priced. Will definitely going back soon to sample the evening menu. An unexpected delight!
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Shellie J.

Yelp
My husband and I had breakfast at the Primrose Cafe last week. The food was quite good but the service was horrible. The waitress was incredibly rude! You are better off going to Boston Tea Party down the road.

Sadie C.

Yelp
A good place for a weekend brunch although the evening bistro is what makes this place really stand out. Intimate with rickety tables, its informal yet pretty appearance may belie the quality of the food which is pretty top-notch. With plenty of fresh fish on the menu every dish is tempting! On my last visit I had mackerel with dill yoghurt and a vegetable pilaf which I could not fault. (If you're not a fish lover there are plenty of other dishes to choose from). The puddings are also pretty great. I'd love to come back here more often - it's not the cheapest place around but in my opinion, it's well worth it. They also used to sell home made ice creams and sorbets in the summer, although I haven't seen these for some years - they are sorely missed and I'd love to see them again!!
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Qype User (loum…)

Yelp
Quirky Clifton Village favourite, offering yummy, reasonably-priced, home-cooked bistro food all day. Its popularity can probably be gauged by the fact that the outside seating is packed all year round, especially on a Sunday brunch time. Prepare to fight Cliftonites (including Justin Lee Collins!) for a table.

Qype User (CRITIQ…)

Yelp
It's unique location in the 'village' is what makes this place PLUS the 60's style bohemian decor and down at heel 'French' cafe atmosphere. Whilst they still can't make good coffee (that accolade goes to Coffee 1) you don't come here for the coffee. The atmosphere's good, they supply papers, the customers are interesting, the immediate area could be an atmospheric corner of Paris and as for the food etc read the other reviews. In summary, it's far better as an interesting daytime cafe than as an evening resturant when limited space means it can get very crowded, somewhat expensive for what is offered and probably no better than several other places in the area. Well worth a cafe visit.

Qype User (findiz…)

Yelp
This is one of my favourite restaurants in Bristol, its small however has a homely kitschy feel to it. The menu is varied, favourite dishes have included lobster, scallops with mushy peas and pancetta, and roasted pheasants. Brunch there on Sundays is also very good, had lovely eggs hollandaise. Everything is uberfresh. Comes highly recommended
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Qype User (justbr…)

Yelp
My fiance and I dined at the restaurant on a Friday evening. What can I say? Quite a lot actually, the food was exquisite, the atmosphere cool and divine and the service excellent. I love my food and Primrose cafe did not disappoint. What a delightful gem of a bistro. My finance a keen chef himself commented that it was clear a lot of love is put into the food and the menu with acute attention to detail to taste and presentation. You must go this is really for those that love food enjoy!