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Perfectly located for weary arrivals and old ladies waiting for buses that come irregularly, this stylishly modern cafe is right next to the somewhat below par Cambridge bus station.
A trendy take on a cafe, seats and tables are spread across two floors, there are also some tables outside and big windows giving you an opportunity to watch passers by or to allow them to gawk at you having a cup of charlie. The seats upstairs offer a fantastic view across Christ's Park. Giraffe is a chain available throughout the UK and they have a cheerful, slightly comic style when it comes to their menus and signs. The restaurant was spotless.
The cafe has a laid back feel to it and they were playing relaxing jazz music at the time of our visit. The prices were a tad above my usual budget but my grandmother said it was reasonable. The staff were young, there was a waiter and waitress, the latter, like a lot of bar and catering staff in Cambridge, was Polish and appeared to be charming some of the elder customers with chit chat, no doubt keen to practice her English.
When it comes to decor, there was a wooden theme evident and a spiral staircase that lead to the top tier, where the toilets could be found. The toilets were clean and modern and in keeping with the overall style.
Tea and coffee are the name of the day but an array of cakes and sweet snacks are on offer as well as several non-alcoholic beverages such as fresh fruit juices. A cup of coffee and a cake will set you back about £6. There is in fact a full menu geared towards the hungry customer too. A steak meal costs about £15-20. Although meat dishes play a big part in the menu, there are veggie choices as well as breakfast sets.
Unless I was in search of a place to eat whilst waiting for a bus, I think it's unlikely that I'd go to Giraffe to eat. It's not that the food looked bad, in fact some of the meals coming out of the kitchen, looked very mouth-watering, it's just that the centre of Cambridge, seemed to have a wide variety of more warm and welcoming eateries and I had this down as more of a cafeteria to stop off for a short while rater than a place to dine.
From journals
The Surgeon's Bill