Coffee + Beer — Restaurant in Bristol

Ask most people to list their favourite hot and cold drinks and it’s likely two familiar candidates will come out on or near the top… coffee and beer, anyone? As a fan of both of these esteemed beverages, we thought a visit to Coffee + Beer was in order. Positioned on a pedestrianised section of Cotham Hill in Bristol, this espresso bar/tap room combo opened in 2017 and is now firmly established as a popular local hangout.

As we made our way in and walked towards the counter, we were greeted by a warm smile from the barista. He was more than happy to discuss the drinks on offer and seemed to have an extremely high coffee IQ. After some deliberation, we plumped for a latte (shock) and, fearful of being judged (it was 8:30am...), limited ourselves to having a good look at the wide array of craft beers. We took in our surroundings while we waited: the interior of Coffee + Beer felt clean and modern with a decent amount of comfortable seating at the rear. There was also a small decked area outside the front that looked to be a nice place to sit and watch the world go by.

The beans used on the day had been roasted by Square Mile but we also spotted a few bags of local Bristol favourite Triple Co Roast. The coffee lived up to our expectations (and the barista's description!): richly flavoured with a smooth, creamy body. It went down a treat and left us wanting more.

In summary, the staff are friendly and knowledgeable, the ambience is just right and the coffee hits the spot, so you should definitely think about checking out Coffee + Beer when you next need a morning caffeine hit. Even better, the beer gives you an excuse to go back in...

We went into the shop around 17:05, not knowing that the shop had closed at 17:00. The member of staff told us that they were already closed, but if we chose quickly he would still serve us, saying that he didn't want to stay any later than he had to.

We totally understood, and felt it was kind that he was still willing to serve us after they'd technically closed, so we made our decision quickly, and made a purchase of 3 cans of beer. On the way out, we spotted a cardboard gift box for 3 cans, so I went back and asked if it would be possible to get one.

The member of staff gave a long, exasperated sigh, and said "I could go and get one but I really can't be bothered".

This felt like an unnecessarily rude reaction. It would be perfectly fine if he had told us that he couldn't get one because they had closed, or even at the start when we entered say he's sorry but he can't serve us because they were already closed. But to say he would serve us, and then be so rude, seemed like really bad customer service.

The selection of beers seemed great, but I don't feel like going back due to the lack of...

Truly excellent independent craft beer and specialty coffee shop. The barista and presumably owner is well versed in his chosen profession and it shows. Lots of enthusiasm combined with knowledge lends itself perfectly to the way the shop is run.

We tried the excellent Red Brick a 50% Columbia 50% Ethiopia bean roasted by Square Mile.

The barista capably crafted us two excellent espressos that had the perfect "crema" and a delicate balance of flavours.

Excellent choice of machinery too, the shop features a nifty Marzocco espresso machine. Great range of local craft beers on tap and available...