Cortado Café occupies a narrow shopfront on Bridge Street, close to Pulteney Bridge, where the Argentinian-British pair Fran and Sophie serve speciality coffee alongside brunch, lunch and empanadas. The menu leans on Fran's background, with beef and chicken empanadas sitting next to eggs, sourdough toast and daily cakes. Coffee is pulled to order rather than batch-brewed, and the pair buy where they can from small regional suppliers rather than national wholesalers. The café is a certified Living Wage employer, a detail visible on a small plaque by the till rather than shouted about. There is no bookings system: seating is first come, first served across a handful of tables, with steady trade in takeaway cups from people crossing the bridge into town. It opens daily from 8am, closing slightly earlier on Sundays.
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