Cafe Alhambra, Richmond, London

I was so impressed with this café that I should have reviewed it sooner, but didn't get around to it. It was a pleasure to be introduced to one of the best cafes I've ever visited.

I'm a wheelchair user, and the staff were really helpful in helping me access the cafe, and were polite, kind, and good-natured generally. We thought the main cafe area "upstairs", was a really nice place to be; it's nicely decorated and has a good atmosphere. There's a wide selection of teas, which pleased the tea-drinkers in my company.

When we thought what we had seen already was great, we discovered a cosy little room downstairs that was entirely different, it's all done in what I suppose could be a Turkish style (please excuse here any confusion regarding geographies/names of styles). The room downstairs is a world in itself, and has clearly been a labour of love for someone. It even has windows, even though it's indoors, ornaments, and paintings of desert scenes, comfy chairs and cushions. I'm not local to Richmond, but I would certainly go here if I ever visited the area again, especially since it's rare to find a truly great café. I have vague recollections of coming here after being in another cafe that disappointed us. This, however, was a perfect fit, just what we were looking for. That "You know it when you see it" kind of thing - and when you find a place like this you know you can just relax and enjoy a good coffee in pleasant surroundings and in peace.

excellent vegetable tagine and bread with delightful mint tea and friendly service too, all at a very reasonable price

It has become increasingly difficult to find a cafe, where it is acceptable to spend great quantities of time wasting away Sunday mornings with the paper and a cup of coffee. However, Alhambra may take the proverbial biscuit for those in the local area. The cafe has a small but reasonably priced menu, which offers all that one needs - full English, and tea or coffee; in addition, to a surprisingly diverse range of middle eastern cuisine. The staff are incredibly friendly, and on colder days the downstairs is pleasantly warm, and well-decorated. A must for those after a slice of calm on a Sunday morning.