The Coffee Bean. — Restaurant in England

Five of us went for a walk along Chipping Sodbury High Street. We strolled down the Left hand side, curled around the monument, turned right and finished by the Indian restaurant called The Megna (which I think was called the Sultan in another life) before crossing the road and starting to walk back in the opposite direction.

At some stage we had to decide where to stop for brunch and I rather fancied the smells coming from the Coffee Bean, so we decided to go in.

It's only a small place, but it deceptive. It has a little courtyard at the back with a few tables that were in the sun, so we chose one of those and made ourselves comfortable.

It was a bit of a squash as we had to shuffle around. Some wanted to sit in the sun and some in shade but eventually we were settled.

I went in and collected a few menu's from the counter and we were pleased with the options available.

It seems everywhere and anywhere has Avocado on its menu in some shape or form and as long as it does, the Ladies will eat it.

So, when our waiter arrived we ordered 3 x Avocado Brunches.

“A Medley of Vine Tomatoes,Avocado with Chilli flakes ,Olive Oil and Lime juice on a toasted Bagel with a Poached egg”. Vegan friendly at £6.25 each.

My brother in law who is not long out of hospital went for a Breakfast sandwich (£3.50) with Bacon (though you could also have had Sausage or egg).

All the meat is supplied by Artingstall's the butchers about three shops up the high street, so it comes with a low carbon foot print and an audit trail.

I couldn't resist the Large Full English (£9.95) and it was a great choice, if a bit expensive.

Two rashers of Bacon nicely cooked, just slightly crisp. Two delicious and very meaty sausages all from Artingstall's. A slice of Black pudding (slightly under cooked but at least it wasn't deep fried). Two 'Free Range' Fried Eggs (there may have been an option to swap with poached)? A fresh tomato grilled and cooked right through not just warmed up on the outside. Real mushrooms cooked nicely. Mini hash browns that were crisp and not the least bit fatty. Baked beans in a small pot. Why in a pot? Plus two rounds of toast (choice of bread).

My only complain was that the toast didn't come on a separate plate which always makes it easier to manage.

We had a range of Tea's and Coffee's and my daughter even had her coffee made with Almond milk. (They do make an effort to cater for allergies such as Gluten intolerance).

All in this was a really good find.

The food was modern, using good quality ingredients locally sourced, cooked well and served by polite and friendly staff in a nice environment.

What more could...

There was a weirdly unspoken sort of mania when we entered The Coffee Bean today. My partner initially misheard (the proprietor(?) - a middle-aged lady who was clearly holding the fort) the concerted efforts to beckon us deeper into the niche unoccupied ("for the next hour" anyhow) and it took all my muster to turn my party around (the in-law in tow, who is deafer than my better half, wasn't helping by acting as though he'd been cut adrift as we spun him round twice) and walk back into the "not cold". To be frank, there was no way I was going back into the street anyway - the noise of the clattering brass from the falling nether regions of all the monkies was too much for my precious pinnas to stand. Drinks ordered we sat in the snug and exchanged again words that allowed us to realise this place was so busy that ideally we should book in advance (for a coffee on the spur of the moment? I'll keep that in mind...) and allowed the picture of slow hysteria unroll itself before our eyes as we watched (mostly locals based on the exchanges witnessed) service occur. It's possible one member of staff shouldn't have even been there as he coughed (discreetly mind) but not discreetly enough to hide his respiratory tract infection whilst the rest did a passable impression of extras in Acorn Antiques. Perhaps I'm being unfair - it's clearly a bustling retail venture and I guess they're all a little worried about staying solvent in the current economic climate and I know only too well how hard good staff are to come by. My drink was great, my guests' both "lukewarm" but the toilet was quaint- I love these old buildings with ancient doors - you forget how sound-proof modern building techniques make a room! I don't sound like I'm painting a pretty picture of uk cafe culture but perhaps I read too much Bill Bryson. Heartily recommended - but don't forget to...

Reviews are so important and I have to take a moment to share my experience of being a customer at the Coffee Bean.

From the quality of the food, to the ambience and atmosphere, Coffee Bean is a great place to visit for breakfast, lunch or just a coffee, cake and catch up with friends.

What makes Coffee Bean different than other places in the area to eat and drink is simply the staff. Not only do the staff make you feel welcome but they go above and beyond to create such a memorable experience. As a regular customer, visiting the Coffee Bean for me is like a therapy session. You come away feeling positive, happy and in this country many businesses have lost that touch, they treat you like a number, this certainly isn’t the case at the Coffee Bean.

One thing to add, often people like me just want to grab a coffee and read a book solo or just have a moment to themselves. Coffee Bean is such a safe environment to do this. Being solo doesn’t feel lonely in Coffee Bean as you are surrounded by friendly faces and staff who genuinely care.

When was the last time you went to a coffee shop and had a breakfast tower or a tea cake and someone asked how are you? Food...