Cafe Americano

From the outside, it doesn’t look like much. But this is by far the best place for coffee or lunch in Woking. I recommend the (free-​refill!) coffee, the bagel sandwiches, the milkshakes, and the cakes. The customization options are endless (though the recommended combinations are great), and the staff are very generous with toppings. This place gets the good parts of American restaurants without being kitsch. If this place goes away as they fix up the town center, I will find myself in Woking town center far less often.

My favourite café in Woking, Café Americano is located at one end of the Wolsey Place shopping centre and has a glorious view of the band stand, Toys ‘R’ Us car park, Woking’s second branch of Subway, and several bus stops.
Despite the unprepossessing location, however, it offers some of the best coffee you can get in Wokingalways hot, all Fair Trade (so you don’t need to request it specifically), and brought to your table after you order at the counter. The range is impressive: they do several different filter coffees as well as all of your standard Starbucks fare. There are also home-​made fruit smoothies, with and without yoghurtthese are quite expensive but they’re very tasty and quite filling.
Their food speciality is bagels, and they have a great menu: you can choose between several bagel varieties, and have your bagel toasted or untoasted with lots of choice of fillings, many suitable for vegetarians. I particularly recommend the Franciscan Veg (egg, very mature cheddar, and Hollandaise). They also have a good range of cakes and biscuits.
Café Americano now boasts free Wi-​Fi and there are a few comfy sofas in addition to the standard seating. You will never have difficulty finding somewhere to sit, as it’s quite roomy.
They have high chair facilities and cater well for children, and recently they have started putting a jug of free water with ice and fruit and several clean glasses on one of the counters, so you don’t even have to ask.
Despite the explosion in tedious chain coffee shops in Woking (Starbucks, Costa, Nero, blah blah blah) and the opening of a Subway directly opposite, Café Americano continues to thrive and I hope it will continue to do so for years to come.