Coffee Beach - Broad Quay, Bristol

Arriving at the city-centre early in the morning often ensures dragging my pre-caffeinated self to nearby ‘Coffee Beach’ for replenishment. Almost on top of the cascade steps, this venue is conveniently situated within crawling distance of the central area's many amenities. Subsequently, it came to be that before my shift of volunteering began at Bristol's Harbour Festival, I found myself again seeking a serious coffee-hit amidst the painted palm trees and Moby-created calm in order to jump-start my zombie-like alias into the land of the living!

Date and Time: Sunday 31st July 2011, 9:15

Name of Establishment: Coffee Beach*

Location: Broad Quay, Bristol

Reason for Visit: Substance for service!

With a mixture of wooden-benched seating and squishy sofas, both scattered with candy-striped cushions, Coffee Beach is as comfortable as it is coherent with its theme. As well as the overall blue and gold colour scheme, the back wall is adorned with a vibrant beach scene; complete with sizable leafy palms. The sporadically placed bucket and spade arrangements function ornamentally throughout the venue and the outside space has been festooned with garden furniture as well as a few brightly coloured deck-chairs. The chilled-out Moby-dominated soundtrack completes the ambiance and whisks you away, for me almost back into slumber! This was until my skinny cappuccino arrived and I was brought back down to earth with a rich-noted bump! Not dissimilar to coffee served on the continent, my beverage was hot, short and punchy – expertly made and competitively priced at £1.65, it satisfied my shameless coffee snobbery and didn’t break the bank, impressive indeed! It can also be noted here that a loyalty card entitles a free (large) hot drink after purchasing six and before 9:00am on a weekday, a regular coffee is just £1 – I challenge you to find better elsewhere! Furthermore, I can report that service at Coffee Beach is friendly and efficient, perhaps a little ditzy in places but overall, commendably enthusiastic at a time when most are enjoying a Sunday-morning lie-in!

Outside of the venue's namesake however, I feel that some of the more substantial offerings go slightly downhill in terms of their quality. Breakfast seems to be satisfactory in terms of what is plated for its cost but I’ve purchased a panini on a couple of occasions (the second to confirm whether the first negative experience was a blip) and was twice denied finishing due to the stodgy texture of the panini bread which, on both occasions, had been soaked with the abrasive vinaigrette dressing which also drowned the side-salad. Not to mention the strange ingredients that appended the fillings; gunky caramelised onion chutney liberally applied to a tuna and cheddar melt is, in my opinion, just plain wrong! The ciabbata rolls do look a little more appetising however and there is also a range of light-bites to accompany an evening tipple (due to the venue’s late licence) but all-in-all, I haven’t been majorly wowed when it comes to the savoury menu I'm afraid.

On a sweeter note, smoothies, which the servers whip up using a variety of fresh fruit, are both colourful and invigorating. Alongside this, the frozen yogurt, which is available in an array of fruity flavours including papaya, pineapple and mango, really underpins the aforementioned tropical island concept and as a result, is notably very popular with the Coffee Beach clientèle. During this particular visit though, I chose an almond croissant from the cafés naughty pastry range to supplement my coffee. This was served slightly warm, with a crisped finish and harbouring a good measure of its characteristic sweet, nutty filling. I also made a mental note to return in order to sample the generously portioned yogurt and muesli pots which, priced at only £1.80, appeared fresh and wholesome. Putting the aforementioned java to one side, drinks constitute all the usual suspects as well as a lovely range of ‘loose leaf’ teas from Oxford-based 'Jeeves and Jericho',* a company which this venue proudly promotes in a number of places about its interior.

In conclusion, it’s rather a mixed bag when it comes to reviewing this venue. Coffee Beach certainly features at the top of my list for a reasonably priced breakfast or simply, a cracking cup of coffee. However, I will be seeking savoury fulfilment elsewhere, hence, opting not to return for round three with one of the cafés poorly put-together sarnies! In my opinion, Coffee Beach has the potential to up its game somewhat, especially given its location amidst Bristol’s central buzz – come on, ‘life’s a beach’ but it’s also what you make of it!

References:

* Tel: 0117 933 8621 – Coffee Beach do not have a website at present but find and ‘like’ them on Facebook!

* http://www.jeevesandjerichoblog.com/

Grounded Café/Bar – Bedminster, Bristol

A mid-week day off with The Boy founded an impromptu trip to Bedminster and before our intended stroll around Windmill Hill City Farm, we decided to stop for refreshments in the second branch of Grounded – the first, located on Redfield's Church Road, has proven a favourite of ours in the past and therefore we hoped that its central counterpart would live up to our expectations...

Date and Time: Wednesday 13th July 2011, 11:15am

Name of Establishment: Grounded Café/Bar*

Loaction: 66-68 Bedminster Parade, Bedminster, Bristol

Reason for Visit: Brunch in 'Bemmy' with The Boy

Upon stepping into Grounded, my first thought was that it seemed a little dark. Due to a combination of mood-lighting and the venue's décor, which is predominantly made up of deep reds and browns, it can feel a little dingy. This is a shame as the intended ambience is, in my opinion, a little lost. In 'light' of this, The Boy and I bagged the squishy looking sofa nearest the window and luckily this, in addition to the openly propped door, made for a comfortable and airy experience, (in fact, we would have occupied the venue's cutesy exterior courtyard had the overcast weather let up somewhat!) Seating aside, it can be said the space is smart and immaculately clean – the ‘period Victorian’ theme is endorsed by grandly hung Gothic-effect chandeliers and solid wooden furniture and yet, the sporadically arranged contemporary artwork (available for purchase), although funky, seems a little disjointed.

Attentions turning to our stomachs and at an hour whereby dining could only be described as 'brunch', The Boy and I ordered paninis (£4.95 each); he, his stable tuna, cheddar and sweetcorn assemblage and I, the 'breakfast panini, minus the mushroom and with a generous helping of baked beans to compensate! It can be noted here how friendly and accommodating the service is – staff behind the bar were patient with our picky panini customisation and, with a good measure of banter, engaged in conversation whilst efficiently preparing our order. Meanwhile, another chap hurriedly wiped over our already spotless table – again, with an undoubtedly sincere attentiveness.

Food arrived and was both attractively plated and well-prepared. The paninis themselves were crisp and liberally filled, each with an accompanying bistro-style salad which had been drizzled with a mustard-rich dressing. Unfortunately this was not to my taste as it proved a little strong for my palate and yet, The Boy enjoyed it’s punchy burn and finished my salad as well as his own! Each panini also had a surprise ingredient which had not been advertised on the menu; white onion had been added to the tuna, cheddar and sweetcorn combo which reportedly, had been appropriately measured to function as an accent flavour rather than inadvertently overwhelm the other good-quality ingredients. And, what constitutes the breakfast panini? Well, my additional element, (although admittedly something I asked for), were the aforementioned baked beans which had been added in all their glory to the bacon and cheddar within my panini rather than heaped on the side. The result...a satisfying, albeit messy, all-day-breakfast-style hit!

Whilst eating, I took another look at the menu in my usual 'foodie' fashion in order to suss out what I would choose in the event of a return visit. I found a good selection of tapas, fresh soup and salads as well as a vast range of stone-baked pizzas (averaging £12) which, made with genuine Italian cheese, flour and meats, are served after five-pm and can also be ordered to take away. Children are also well catered for with shelves of toys to choose from and even the option of a 'Babychino' which, consisting of frothy milk and chocolate sprinkles, is free of charge – this may explain why there were so many hyped-up toddlers running around! Furthermore, Grounded boasts a licensed bar and showcase live music in the evenings though, back to the visit at hand whereby it was a little early in the day to be thinking about alcohol. Consequently, I washed down my nosh with a 'skinny' cappuccino. This had obviously been carefully made but for me, lacked pizazz – I was surprised to discover that 'Clifton Coffee'* were the brains behind what Grounded serve as usually, this ensures a top-end 'cuppa joe'.

In conclusion, I think I prefer the Redfield Grounded, it just has that 'je ne sais quoi' that the Bedminster branch lacked. There is no questioning the high level of service and value for money though as, for how little you are hit in the pocket, the cuisine is generously portioned, tasty and delivered with a smile. In addition to this, the use of fresh, locally sourced ingredients is a plus-point and in covering all the bases, this venue indubitably offers a desirable range of cuisine to suit an array of tastes and at breakfast, noon or night! I'm not sure whether it was just the initial feel of the space that left a lasting niggling impression or that, on the day of our visit, the space was overrun with kiddies making for a playgroup-feel that ultimately led to a less-than-relaxing experience. Whatever it was, it wouldn't put me off a return visit, although next time, I will aim for an evening sitting when it is as dark outside as the venue's interior and the clientèle is a little more adult!

 And now for the male opinion...

The Boy gave Grounded 8/10 and in three words chose, 'Grounded Panini Perfection'

References:

*http://www.cafegrounded.co.uk/

*http://www.cliftoncoffee.co.uk/