A proper all day café on Coggeshall Road in Braintree, serving early breakfasts from 7am, hearty classics, Mediterranean-style breakfast options, and a big choice of sandwiches, wraps and comfort food mains.

Braintree Cafe is one of those places that does exactly what you want a local café to do. It opens early and runs all week, it keeps the menu wide enough for everyone to find something, and it leans into familiar, filling food that suits real life, not special occasions. The café is on Coggeshall Road, slightly out from the busiest part of town, which makes it a handy stop if you are commuting, heading to work, or just want a no fuss breakfast or lunch without trekking into the centre. The venue describes itself as cosy with friendly staff and quick service, and the menu backs that up with straightforward options that are easy to order and easy to enjoy.

The first thing to know is that it is not just “breakfast only”. Yes, breakfast is a big part of the appeal, but the menu also covers wraps, salads, jacket potatoes, grills, roast dinners, and a solid list of homemade style meals. That makes it a good all rounder, especially if you are meeting someone and you want a place where one person can go full English, and the other can pick something lighter like a salad or a halloumi wrap. It is also family friendly on the food side, with a dedicated children’s menu that includes simple classics such as egg and chips, sausage and chips, chicken nuggets and chips, fish fingers and chips, and mini burgers with chips.

If you are ordering for the first time, the set breakfasts are the obvious starting point. They are built around the classic combination of egg, bacon and Cumberland sausage, then varied with extras like beans, mushrooms, grilled tomato and hash brown. There is also a Chef’s Special that adds black pudding, which is a great choice if you want the full works without needing to customise anything. For something a bit different, the Mediterranean breakfast is a standout, with two poached eggs alongside Turkish sausage, Turkish feta, halloumi, olives, tomatoes and cucumber. It is a nice change of pace if you are bored of the usual fry up, and it still feels like a proper plate of food. Vegetarians are not left out either, with a veggie breakfast that includes scrambled egg, veggie sausage, bubble and squeak, mushroom, spinach and grilled tomatoes.

If you like brunch style eggs, the special eggs section keeps it simple but appealing. You have Egg Benedict with poached eggs, avocado on sourdough toast, bacon, spinach and hollandaise, and Egg Royal with smoked salmon instead of bacon. Both sit nicely in that mid morning sweet spot, when you want something more than toast but not a full grill.

For lunch and all day options, there is a good mix of café staples and heartier meals. Omelettes are a reliable choice here, served with chips and either beans or salad, with fillings like cheese, mushroom, bacon, ham, sausage, or a Spanish style option. If you are after something quick and budget friendly, the burgers section offers everything from a basic hamburger and cheeseburger to chicken and vegetable burgers, plus a homemade gourmet burger. It is not trying to be a fancy burger bar, it is giving you the kind of café burger people actually order, especially when they want comfort food and a hot plate.

If you want something more substantial, the grills section is where the café really shows its range. There is sirloin steak served with mushroom, chips and salad, a mixed grill that includes liver, lamb chop, sausage, mushroom, grilled tomatoes, egg, chips and beans, and options like gammon grill with egg, chips and peas. There is also chicken kebab served with chips and your choice of rice or salad, plus pork chop and lamb chop meals served with roast potatoes and veg. It is a strong menu for anyone who likes classic British plates and does not want a tiny portion.

One of the more useful parts of the menu is how it covers “lighter but still filling” choices. Jacket potatoes are served with salad and come with toppings like cheese, beans, tuna and sweetcorn, chilli con carne, prawn mayonnaise, chicken mayonnaise, chicken tikka, and bolognese. It is an easy lunch option, especially if you want something warm that is not fried. Wraps are also served with chips and include chicken, chicken mayo, chicken strips with salad bits, and veggie friendly choices like halloumi with pesto and falafel with hummus. If you are trying to keep things a bit fresher, the salad section is better than many local cafés, with options like halloumi salad, falafel salad, grilled chicken salad, prawn mayonnaise salad, and smoked salmon avocado salad.

Sandwiches and rolls are clearly a big part of the day to day offering. You can go simple with an egg, bacon, sausage or cheese roll, or pick fillings like tuna and sweetcorn, chicken mayo, chicken tikka, ham, and even liver. The same fillings show up across sandwiches, baguettes and paninis with salad, which is handy because you can choose the bread style that suits you. There is also a “make your own” section where you choose a sandwich, roll, baguette, wrap or panini and decide how many items you want in it, which is ideal if you are picky, or if you want something specific without having to explain it at the counter.

If you are the sort of person who likes a proper roast, the roast dinners section is worth noting. The menu lists roast lamb, roast beef, roast chicken and roast pork, and they are served with roast potatoes, carrot, cabbage, peas, broccoli, Yorkshire pudding and gravy. That is a strong shout if you want classic comfort food without cooking at home. The homemade dinners section continues the comfort theme with options like steak pie, shepherd’s pie, steak and kidney pudding, chicken ham and mushroom pie, lasagna (including a vegetarian version), spaghetti bolognese, chicken curry, and chilli con carne.

For something sweet, desserts include chocolate fudge cake served with ice cream or fresh cream, apple pie with custard, cherry pie with custard, and pancakes with maple syrup plus ice cream or fresh cream. Drinks are also covered well for a café, with hot drinks like cappuccino, latte, americano, mocha and hot chocolate, plus cold cans and bottles, smoothies such as Pineapple Surprise and Blueberry Bliss, and classic milkshakes in banana, strawberry and chocolate.

Dietary options are mixed. There are clearly vegetarian friendly items on the menu, including a veggie breakfast, vegetable burger, halloumi wrap, falafel wrap, halloumi salad, falafel salad, and vegetarian lasagna. Vegan and gluten free options are not stated. Allergen information and cross contamination guidance are not stated.

For the practical bits, Braintree Cafe is at 268 Coggeshall Road, Braintree, CM7 9EJ. Opening times are stated as 7:00am to 4:00pm every day, Monday to Sunday. Parking is limited, with a small number of spaces at the front. Toilets are stated as available. Payment methods are stated as cash, card, Apple Pay and Google Pay. Booking is not stated. Takeaway and delivery are not stated.

Overall, Braintree Cafe is a dependable local café that covers a lot of bases. It is early opening, all week hours, classic breakfasts, a genuinely varied lunch menu, and hearty plates for when you want comfort food rather than a light snack. If you want a place where you can get a quick bacon sandwich, a proper Mediterranean breakfast, a jacket potato lunch, or even a roast dinner, all without fuss, it is an easy option to keep in mind.

Food Types: Café; Coffee Shop; Breakfast & Brunch

Dining Type: Dine In

Area: Braintree, Braintree