Today I am reviewing ‘The Winchester Orangery’, another atmospheric cafe in the timeless, heart of Winchester.

Whether you’re a local who already associates this eatery with the constant queue for a table or its overwhelmingly floral aesthetic, or perhaps you’re looking for a brunch spot whilst visiting Winchester for a day of historical sightseeing, I hope you find this very honest review of one of Winchester’s most popular cafe’s useful.

The Winchester Orangery labels its food as sourced responsibly, it claims to support small local producers and suppliers and praises its menu for featuring organic, local and sustainable produce that changes throughout the seasons.

Needless to say I was very excited to try its vegan options of which there are three on the menu; an avocado and tomato toastie, avocado toast with figs and a vegan English breakfast.

The first time I dined I had the smashed avocado and tomato toastie on gluten free bread.  My expectations were very high but unfortunately the dish was a big let down.  The toastie was small and the bread was very think and dry resulting in the filling still being cold, it was served with crisps and a rather uninspiring side salad.  My saving grace was the fact that my sister ordered the Vegan breakfast which was huge and so we shared that which almost redeemed my dish.  The butter beans were delicious and the tofu scrambled eggs were cooked perfectly, this is a dish that I have messed up many times so I ought to ask for their recipe!

The second time I ate out at The Orangery I ordered the avocado toast off the lighter bites menu.  I was thrilled with the portion size as it definitely wasn’t a light bite however on tucking in realised the mistake I had made, for the second time.  The bread was again very dry and tasteless, actually ruining the dish.  It was at this point I regretted my choice of the gluten free bread as I tried my mums smashed avocado toast on seeded granary that was incomparable.

I don’t usually like extras on my avocado toast but the rocket, balsamic glaze and figs toppings were an excellant accompaniment.

Unfortunately The Orangery does not currently serve any vegan desserts so I was forced to watch as the rest of my party tucked into huge slices of cake and waffles served with an array of especially indulgent toppings including lemon and blueberry meringue.  Due to having this big of a sweet tooth and the lack of dairy-free alternatives, I cannot score the menu at the Winchester Orangery particularly high.

Please do bear in mind that each time I have eaten at this cafe half my party have not been vegan and they have all claimed to have thoroughly enjoyed their food.  However, these restaurant reviews are written critiquing the vegan options so I cannot take this into consideration.

In short, if you do not order the gluten free bread or expect to satisfy your sweet tooth, the vegan food at the Orangery is very tasty, however as a whole, the menu lacks substance and variety.

The design and aesthetic of ‘The Winchester Orangery’ has been curated to evoke an ambience that is efflorescent.  Plants made to the likeness of ivy, aliul and orange blossom are drapped across the walls and ceilings and flowers similar to a carnation are cased in glass and used as tables.

This somewhat zany use of artificial forestry does work very well in a city like Winchester, where eclectic chic is on the rise and there is no shortage of millennial’s like myself that love nothing more than dining at photogenic locations, fit for a feature on their Instagram.

The cafe’s open front gives the illusion that you are sat outside and the large windows in the back let in so much light that despite the restaurant being fairly long and narrow, it still feels large and bright.

On dry and sunny days, although remember these are a rarity in the UK, tables are set up in front of the cafe in ‘The Square’.  However, unless you arrive early getting seated at one of these is a struggle.

In fact ‘The Orangery’ is well known for its difficulty to get a table and majority of the times I have been there has been a half an hour wait.

The Winchester Orangery is situated in Winchester, a historical little city in South West UK and one that happens to be my home town.

It can be found right in the centre, just off the main high street, in ‘The Square’.  This is actually my favourite area in the whole of Winchester due to the particularly cute collection of artisanal cafes and boutique shops.  Make sure you don’t miss a trip into The Hambledom, when visiting the Orangery.

There is parking on the street, however nearly impossible to snag and only permits an hours stay so if you are driving, I would suggest leaving your car at Colebrook Street Carpark which is just a few minutes walk away.

The Orangery’s accessibility and central location definitely scores a 10/10.

I found the prices at ‘The Winchester Orangery’ to be a little disappointing.

Considering many neighbouring cafes are charging approximately £5 for an avocado toast, paying almost double that seems steep.  Obviously I expect to pay more for higher quality service and food, however the vegan options in my opinion were not.

A cappuccino is priced very competitively at £2.90, however I cannot score this any higher than what I have because there is an extra charge for dairy-free alternative milks.  As I have explained before, this is inadvertently contributing to the dairy industry which is something that I am strongly against.  Unfortunately most establishments still add an additional 30p for oat milk which I am prepared to pay because I am aware that alternatives to cows milk are often more expensive, but I hope coffee shops will start changing this is in the near future.

The service in ‘The Winchester Orangery’ is really great.  Considering how busy it gets in the restaurant especially at peak times over the weekend, they do a fantastic job of taking your orders efficiently without you feeling in the slightest bit rushed and try to get your food and drinks out without delay.

I am very aware of how tough the hospitality industry can be, so I always hugely appreciate and respect restaurant staff that serve with a smile and work hard to ensure a pleasant experience for the customer.  This is something I continuously find the staff at The Winchester Orangery excelling at, which definitely adds to the overall experience of dinning out at this eatery.

Now onto the coffee. As I mention in all of my restaurant reviews; I strongly consider this to be the most important section for a coffee shop to score high in.

There is a reason that I justify spending more for a rich blend and don’t drink from a franchise.  Coffee is sacred and quality coffee is a must, I will not accept a mediocre cup of coffee when I am paying more to drink from somewhere that should be specialising in the art.  As harsh as that sounds, remember you are paying to have a great, barista made coffee, otherwise your Nespresso machine at home could have done the job.

So my go to coffee order is an Oat milk cappuccino.  My issue normally lies around the quantity of milk that is judged as acceptable.  I have been known to send back a coffee because it was a) cold and b) somewhere around 3/4 oat milk.  Where? The Winchester Orangery I’m afraid.

After this very disappointing cup of coffee on my first visit, my expectations were rather low for the second time.  However, the coffee I was served was absolutely delicious.  I was informed that the use River coffee’s bespoke blend for The Winchester Orangery; Blossom, a blend of Columbia, Ethiopia and Brazil, that produces a bold, juicy and sweet espresso.

This time the oat milk to espresso ratio was just right, so that the coffee was creamy without sacrificing the strength. This cup of coffee definitely deserved a 10/10. I’ll add my third experience once there is one.

Reading this review back through I find myself being rather critical quite often.  Which almost surprises me as I have really enjoyed both visits to dine at ‘The Winchester Orangery’.  However, when dissecting my experience and reviewing the eatery in such detail I do believe there is a fair amount of room for improvement.

Reconsidering the prices and adding one or two more vegan options would hugely help their score.

Although, with all things considered ‘The Winchester Orangery’ remains a beautifully aesthetic cafe in a great location that serves a delicious cup of coffee to accompany a pleasant avocado toast.  For these reasons I believe that it thoroughly deserves a solid 7/10.

Let me know how you get on with your visit! Or if you’ve already been, would you agree with the points I made and how would your review of ‘The Winchester Orangery’ differ? Let me know in the comments!

This post is not sponsored, the opinions are my own and I took every photo myself.