Society Café

Featured reviews

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  Cittrarasan Vetrivelan

  ·2 months ago

  “This is my first time here and had one of the best smoothies I have ever had in town. I would definitely come again to try the coffee here.”

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  Laura Bennett

  ·3 months ago

  “One of my favourite places in Cheltenham for coffee and cake. There is always a great range of cakes available, with plenty of choice, and I really appreciate the way the non-gluten-containing cakes are kept clearly separate from the rest of the display. It’s a small detail that makes a big difference. The coffee is consistently excellent, the atmosphere is relaxed and welcoming, and the team are always friendly. Highly recommended.”

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  James Butterworth

  ·3 months ago

  “Society is in my opinion the best coffee shop in Cheltenham. Offering a wide selection of speciality coffees. The staff are really friendly, a relaxed atmosphere with chilled music, matched with the best speciality coffee in town. The short black is a great start to the day! The cakes are amazing too banana bread and white chocolate flapjacks are just the best. Always look forward to a trip to Society, great staff, great coffee!”

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• S

  Sarah Wooster

  ·4 months ago

  “I am fastidious about my coffee. I think can safely say that I have tried every coffee offering in Cheltenham! I moved here nearly a year ago and I settled into Society Coffee as soon as my experimental period ended - initially because of the quality of the coffee - which is soooo good. I am there, just about every day (wish you opened earlier on a Sat and Sun - that extra hour or so to wait can be very hard!) and the staff are always lovely and the vibe is great - music en pointe. Love it here. (and the cakes are gorgeous too - too gorgeous!) Well done team SC”

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  Marlena Gebala

  ·4 months ago

  “The best coffee spot in Cheltenham — consistently delicious coffee and matcha, a relaxed atmosphere, and lovely staff who always make you feel welcome.”

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  Barry Farrell

  ·5 months ago

  “Best coffee ive had in the UK ! I sampled the Victorian Sponge (very sweet but flavourful). Will definitely be back.”

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  Jay Sullivan

  ·8 months ago

  “I was taking my dog for a walk during a break in what sometimes feels like perpetual rain, and as we were heading past Society, the rain decided it was time to get back to work - and down it came. I took it as a sign that I should head inside and have a coffee. I ordered a cappuccino and a muffin and decided to wait out the worst of the rain. The server told me their cakes and muffins come from local bakeries and purveyors, and I thought the one I ordered was a very nice sweet treat. This is not my first visit here, I’ve bought some beans from here before and had a coffee or two. It is well regarded as a place that takes coffee pretty seriously. On previous visits I had not noticed the bike on the wall. The whole ethos of the place is what I have come to know as “third-wave”: a movement in coffee that treats it more like how some people think of wine or super heroes: lots of focus on origin stories, real fans are really into the dark and deeper versions and if you’re next level you need to have seen the training montage of the people who make it and understand their mentor lineage. These sort of places often have prominent tasting notes, can talk about grind size, extraction time and will sometimes weigh their espresso shots. They also sell hand grinders, aeropresses and V60s, whole beans. It is the sort of place of you can bring a book or meet a friend for a catch-up, safe in the knowledge the barista takes making cappuccinos much too seriously to even consider asking if you want any chocolate on it - lest it interfere with their foam sheen, microfoam texture or latte art definition. Not criticisms, as I am glad they are trying so hard, because it means I don’t have to. When I first moved to UK, I was surprised by two things: that cappuccinos don’t automatically come with chocolate like they do in Australia, and that there are so many franchise coffee shops here pumping out average coffee. Society is definitely not one of these, but it does have more than one shop. I’m told it started life in Oxford and has been growing slowly, setting up locations in Cheltenham, Bath and Bristol. My sit-in coffee was on their house blend, which I enjoyed. I still mostly prefer a coffee that tastes more like what I traditionally understand coffee to be, and this met that brief. On my way out, I grabbed a second coffee for the road, this was one of the Guest Espressos, which promised to take me on a more adventurous journey into the black forest and fruit space, and it did. Regardless of the weather, this isn’t a bad place to sit and have a coffee in Cheltenham. It is dog friendly, communal and has a good range of coffee snacks and seating options.”

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  Anastasiia Tatchyna

  ·10 months ago

  “Society is my go-to place for the best speciality coffee in town. The upmost service from the stuff that is always excited to see and welcome you there alongside with diverse delicious desserts (vegan and gluten free as well) makes my day. The music is not loud, plenty of space for everyone and they also sell coffee and can grind it for you, consult about which one is the best based on your preference. Windows and interior are always full of hand-painted pictures that change with seasonality which obviously makes the visit worth your while. If you leave the place full of joy and recharged it’s the best way to encourage that level of service everywhere. P.s. Julie is the best manager, always there to accommodate and welcome, all baristas are sweet and helpful, soft spoken and supportive. Always coming back for that feeling of being welcomed and appreciated as a customer. The coffee art makes me smile every time”

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  Phoenix Jones

  ·1 year ago

  “First time visit to recently opened Cheltenham branch, will definitely return soon! Has a cool vibe, good seating options and clean restroom. Onto the ☕ which was excellent, many speciality options, and free tastings. Our barista Julie, was friendly and attentive, suggested coffees and styles we would like, and enhanced our visit with her knowledge . For sure my kind of coffee shop, well done, Society team, you're building a good thing here ☺️”

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• C

  Cherry Brandy Kiss

  ·3 years ago

  “Lovely spacious cafe with different seating areas, love that they have labelled some tables as laptop-free tables so not every table has someone working all day on it. Loved their cake and drinks selection especially the smoothies. Just realised I had forgotten to take a picture of the smoothie 😅 I enjoyed the special mix with flaxseed and berries. Staff were friendly and seemed awake despite it often being reasonably early when we popped in.”

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