The Refectory Cafe

Amazingly handcrafted dishes that delight the pallet. The ribeye platter was on point and highly recommended. Additionally the coffee was simply amazing. You can spend big money at Starbucks but you still will not get the same flavors and depth.

The cake made by The Refectory Cafe’s pastry chef Rosa for our wedding was FABULOUS. We have several close family members who have gluten intolerance, so we wanted a cake they could share with us and The Refectory Cafe’s lemon raspberry cake with cream cheese frosting was divine. You would never even know it was gluten free. Rosa gave us a very fair price for the largest size (12”) round cake. It was very tall, with lots of lucious icing, and served ~40-50 people (when cut like a usual wedding cake). It was extremely fresh and moist. Everyone raved about it. She kept the decoration simple (some piping around the edge) per our request, so our florist could easily add some fresh flowers for decoration. The catering manager, Geri, was wonderful to work with. She was easy to reach by phone/email and helped coordinate getting some requested paperwork to our venue coordinator. She checked in immediately after the wedding to make sure everything had gone smoothly. We have been to The Refectory Cafe many times together for both their savory food and desserts (highly recommend both) and are so glad we were able to make this local business a part of our wedding day!

I want there with friends to celebrate a 50th birthday lunch. We reserved a table in advance and was glad for that, as it was busy and the owner set a table aside for us in the corner. I ordered the salad with grilled salmon. Delicious. Two friends ordered the chicken and waffles, and reported the chicken was moist and tasty. We got wine at the counter, and the owner and bus staff graciously took our orders for a second round from the table. The owner offered for the pastry chef to make a birthday cake, so I special ordered one. They made a coconut cake with fresh strawberries. It was moist and delicious! I advise people to save room for dessert! Great find for healthy, tasty food.

This place is worth the visit. The food was incredibly fresh and delicious. They have an excellent selection of vegan dishes at brunch time. The brunch cocktails were also creative! The staff were extremely helpful and polite and my whole group had a wonderful experience

The Refectory is a five star cafe located here in Durham! I visited last Sunday for brunch and I was so pleasantly surprised by the decor and customer service. The food is amazingly prepared and they offer many dietary options.
The inside is cozy and bright, and the outside is boast beautiful wooden table (with a cool history to Durham) and greenery all around. I can’t wait to go back!