Located on Sydenham High Street, a couple of minutes walk from the train station and several different bus routes, Cherry & Ice is very easy to get to. They have a wide selection of food and drinks, so you'll easily find something you want from the menu. The prices are very reasonable, with teas and coffees costing between £1-£2, which is excellent value. They also provide a wide range of gluten-free and dairy-free cakes, as well as sandwiches, jacket potatoes and salads. In fact, the staff were more than happy to make something off the menu for me which was very helpful!
The overall experience was very positive, with food and drinks that were really well priced, and a cafe that was very convenient to get to. However the cafe itself is quite small with few tables, and the atmosphere is lacking; it's doesn't have a quirky or interesting vibe that some of the other local cafes have. The counters are very appealing and exciting with rows of exotic cakes and sandwiches, but somehow this doesn't transpose across to the seating areas. The cafe also doesn't have Wi-Fi which would put some people off, especially if, like me, you often look for a quite hideaway to do some work.
Overall, I would recommend Cherry & Ice for value for money and pleasantness of the staff, but if you were looking to work or take someone to an unusual, quirky cafe, you might want to consider some other options.
I feel confused when people visit independent coffee shops and say that the 'lack atmosphere'. What are these establishments doing that are different from, for example, Starbucks. I understand what is meant in that I too feel the same but I question why I feel that way. I don't seem to expect anything other than a reasonably priced good tasting coffee and a comfortable seat when I visit the major coffee shops but see to want more from the independents - why?
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