Me and my mum recently paid a visit to the Shakespaw Cat Cafe in Stratford-Upon-Avon. I'd wanted to visit for a while, so when my mum told me she had some time off work just before Mother's Day, I thought it would be the perfect time to go.
For those who have never heard of a cat cafe, they originated in Taiwan and became popular in Japan before making their way over to the UK. The way it works is you pay £5 per person for a 90-minute slot, which goes towards the cats' food and general upkeep. You then order your food/drink and are free to wander around the cafe and meet the cats.
The food
After browsing the menu, we opted for the afternoon tea which was £15 per person (it's £18 to include a glass of prosecco). This included a selected of finger sandwiches, pot of crisps, a scone each, unlimited tea/coffee and our choice of cake slice. My mum went for the carrot cake and I had the peanut butter stack.
Although the main attraction to Shakespaw's cat cafe is its furry residents, the food was delicious and they even do vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options! We were stuffed afterwards and I couldn't eat anything for the rest of the day.
The cats
The resident cats are all named after Shakespeare characters which I thought was pretty cool! When interacting with the cats there are strict rules in place, for example you're not allowed to pick them up or disturb them if they're sleeping.
It was a lovely sunny day when we visited, and it was so cute to see some of the cats sunbathing in the window. People walking past outside kept stopping to point and take photos!
There are two levels to the cafe, and although we were seated upstairs, we were encouraged to wander downstairs and explore. The cats are free to roam around as much as they like, and there are some more secluded spots downstairs where they can hide if they want to. All the cats seemed happy and comfortable around humans which was good to see. Bottom (the gorgeous little Persian cat) in particular loved to be fussed! I fell in love with all the cats, but if I had to pick a favourite he would be it.
Booking your visit
Booking in advance is essential, especially if you're looking to visit on a weekend. We went on a Monday and booked the night before. The main lunchtime slots were all gone, but we managed to get a reservation for 2.15pm, giving us a little time to wander around Stratford beforehand.
Me and my mum both really enjoyed visiting Shakespaw Cat Cafe and I would highly recommend it to any fellow cat lovers! This definitely won't be my last visit.
what a fabulous review!
I was there this afternoon and fell in love with the place!
I have never been to a cat cafe but it something I would love to do one day! This one looks like it has some really delicious food - that afternoon tea yum!
It has bubble tea as well I had strawberry bubbles and mango juice lol it was amazing
oh wow this looks fab - the afternoon tea, as well as the adorable cats everywhere. What a fun idea!
Oh my! I need to pay a visit! What a dream!
Shakespeare and cats This sounds like a dream!
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I really want to go to a cat cafe as I love kitties but don't have one of my own at the moment and it's so nice that these ones look happy to be there and surrounded by people as this is what I always worry about x
How lovely is this!! Cats and Afternoon tea Ooo yes please count me in xx
This looks so lovely! I love the pictures and love Stratford! I haven't been to a cat cafe - I know there is one in London. Intrigued.
I’ve never visited a place like this before but it looks amazing! I’d love to spend 90 minutes there with all the cats x
I would love this! Afternoon and cats, two of my favourite things!
I’m not a cat lover so not somewhere I would choose to eat but they do look pretty cute
I've been meaning to visit my local cat cafe for such a long time now, I'm in love with these pictures!
I love the idea of a cat cafe and I'm glad to see there's one close (ish) to me. Stratford is one of my favourite towns so it gives me a great excuse to go back. Not that I needed anymore, haha.