Harpur's Cafe - Cambridge

I've been here a few times now for breakfast and lunch. I absolutely love the cappuccino! It actually tastes how it does in Italy everything is super fresh, from the baguettes to the pastries and cakes!! The chocolate truffle brownie is out of this world!! Very good value for money, I highly recommend a visit!

Stopped for a takeaway egg and bacon bap. Nothing freshly cooked. Reheated, rubbery bacon and hard egg (obviously also cooked previously) in a cheap bun. Vile! Chucked in bin after a mouthful. Tasteless flapjack accompanied. Won't return.

I go to Harpurs regularly for lunch and it is hands down the best and most delicious food I’ve had in a Cambridge cafe!

My wife and I got a loyalty card each about two years ago. We have popped back in from time to time ever since because we liked the food. We deliberately did not use one loyalty card when it was full because we wanted to use both loyalty cards together. We were very excited today because finally both our loyalty cards were full, we’d been having a very difficult few days with our daughter in the hospital and we thought we would treat ourselves to a free breakfast bap, that we had earned over two years of being loyal customers. I went over there, and the woman who owned the place said that I could not use both loyalty cards at once. She was very hostile from the get-go. I explained that the two cards were for two breakfast baps, so I should be able to use both loyalty cards. She begrudgingly agreed but said I would have to pay an extra £1.50 per bap. I told her that I thought that kind of sucked and she flew right off the handle. She started having a massive go at me in the middle of the café. I told her that whilst I did not like it, I would just pay the fee and be on my way, as I did not want to argue. She was not having any of it, and called me out for being rude, using the specific term “sucked” to describe her loyalty card system. I conceded the point and apologised for using the word “sucked”. However, I stuck my ground and said that I did not think her loyalty card system was very good because it had provisos attached to it. At this point all she had to say was, “Well sorry you feel that way, but that is how I run my business” and left it there. If she had said that to me, what could I have really said in return? However, she really wanted to argue. I again said that I did not want to argue but she was not having any of it. She started going on and on and on about fillings. “Breakfast baps have extra fillings. It is not fair because of the extra fillings. Fillings, fillings, fillings!” Why do I care about fillings? I am not counting fillings when I come in to buy food, all I want is food. Unfortunately, I did allow myself to get drawn into the argument, which was my fault. I called her out on her hypocrisy, that if I had been rude to her, she was now being rude to me and she should stop, but she was not prepared to accept that. In the end one of her employees had to literally come between us to end the argument. She did come out when the food was ready and thanked me for my loyalty, which was nice. I suggested we end our conversation amicably and she agreed to this. However, Harpers has definitely now lost two customers. I know it is no skin off their nose as neither my wife nor I were frequent customers, but still it is kind of sad. It is a shame really because I remember that lady being really nice to us when she first gave us the loyalty cards and it was a really good vibe in that café. Times change, I guess. Ultimately, I do not care overly much about an extra £1.50 per bap, although I still do not think it is good to have those type of provisos in a loyalty system. What I am not prepared to accept is being argued with like that in the middle of the café. Both my wife and I did enjoy getting Harpers food and we had both recommended the café to other people as well. Obviously now neither my wife or I will be going back and the recommendations that we used to give will turn into us telling this story. However, it was a nice breakfast bap to end our two-year run on, so there is a positive

Only been here for breakfast but full English was good value and well prepared. Sandwich menu looks good!