Bould Brothers opened on Regent Street in 2019, in a location that makes particular sense: you're arriving in Cambridge, or heading to the station, and here is exactly the right thing to encounter. The space is characterful and considered — the kind of interior that feels intentional rather than assembled, with the warmth that good hospitality produces in a well-run tight space.
The Regent Street location has been recognised as a Vogue Hot Spot and placed in the Top 50 UK Coffee Shops, which says something — though Max and Alex Bould would likely be more interested in talking about extraction ratios. The quality of the coffee is what has driven the reputation, and the space is simply a good context in which to drink it.
"Speciality coffee is for everybody — and we take a complex product and prepare it with care."
— Bould Brothers CoffeeBould Brothers roast their own coffee and supplement it with a rotating programme of European guest roasters — a model that reflects genuine curiosity about what's happening in speciality coffee beyond the UK. The house espresso is well-dialled and consistent; the guest rota gives you a reason to keep coming back to see what they're running.
Filter is taken seriously here. The approach is not complicated — you'll find a small, focused menu rather than an overwhelming options list — but what they do offer, they do with the precision that a decade of experience with speciality coffee produces. The decision not to offer wifi is worth noting: it keeps the café functioning as a café, with the kind of atmosphere that results.
Regent Street places Bould Brothers in a well-trafficked corridor between the station and the city centre — which means it can be busy, particularly on weekday mornings. The operation is tight enough to handle the volume without sacrificing quality; the queue, if there is one, moves because the team knows what they're doing.
No wifi: come here to drink coffee, not to work. The atmosphere is better for it. Opening times are approximately 8am–5pm Monday to Saturday, 9am–4pm Sunday, but always worth checking.
The Bould Brothers operation — both this site and the Round Church Street original — is one of the tightest and most consistently excellent in Cambridge. The in-house roastery combined with an intelligent guest rota gives you access to some of the most interesting coffee the city offers. The no-wifi policy is a statement of intent, and the coffee justifies the confidence behind it.
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