Cardiff Cafe Guide – History of Cafes

Coffee shops have exploded in the last 15 years with the advent of large chains such as Starbucks from the USA and Costa Coffee from Italy.

It should not be forgotten that Coffee bars were already thriving in Wales and specifically Cardiff and the valleys with many Italian families providing excellent coffee, even though milky coffee was favoured with the strong bitter flavour reserved for the connoisieurs. These coffee and chocolate bars and were collectively known as the Bracchi’s.

One of them owned by the Berni family who owned the Windsor Cafe shown here, went on to found the Berni Inn chain.