Cafes / Reviews
Brew
Coffee drinkers of Bristol now have even more choices of where to get their caffeine fix with the opening of Brew on Whiteladies Road.
Coffee is taken seriously here, with a house blend made from Fazendo Pantano Tapazio from Brazil and Doyo from Ethiopia, with tasting notes of caramel, marzipan and cocoa.
Once ready, the single origin will be the Doyo, alongside teas, smoothies and juices.
My flat white made with the house blend roasted by Clifton Coffee was served in a glass tumbler, for sticklers the correct way for this particular drink to be served, and it was well-made.
The standard isn’t quite yet in the same league as Bristol’s triumvirate of speciality coffee shops – Didn’t You Do Well, Full Court Press and Small Street Espresso – but Brew can certainly now claim the title of best coffee on Whiteladies Road.
What Brew does which that trio doesn’t, mostly for reasons of space, is offer a substantial menu all made on the premises in a kitchen hidden behind some chipboard (if you’re opening anywhere new in Bristol at the moment you’ve got to have chipboard).
Appropriating what Spicer & Cole do so well, all the food here sits temptingly on a slate counter – salads and sandwiches next to brownies, flapjacks and an amazing custard and croissant cake.
Sticking to coffee on my first visit, on my second I tried a cinnamon roll that could have done with being a lot fresher – ironically this is the only item of food bought pre-prepared.
Suppliers written on brown paper on one wall include Hobbs House Bakery, The Bristol Cheesemonger and Buxton Butchers.
With a sun-trap area out front that was already packing in the customers throughout Brew’s opening weekend, this is one new cafe that sets its stall by good coffee and good food and deserves to be a success.
Brew, 45 Whiteladies Road, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 2LS
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