A neighbourhood cafe in Liverpool has amassed a loyal following of customers who love it for its tasty menu, coffee and delicious cakes.
Bean There on the corner of Penny Lane and Smithdown Road is regularly full with customers on the weekends and throughout the week. The independent café is split over two rooms, and sits opposite the equally popular Tavern restaurant.
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Inside the atmosphere is cosy, relaxed and family friendly, with a little corner stacked with children’s books and toys to keep younger customers occupied while parents enjoy their coffee. The food menu includes salads, sandwiches and soups, plus there’s giant homemade sausage rolls and your usual breakfast goodies included poached eggs and smoked salmon.
On a recent visit I tried Bean There’s Breakfast Pretzel Bun and it was the perfect start to the day. For £5 I was expecting it to be quite a light bite, but the bun was a generous size and you can have it stuffed with either one or two options, including sausage, vegan sausage, bacon, tomato and mushroom, potato rosti, feta, cheddar cheese, egg or beans. I opted for the bacon and - feeling in the need for double carbs - chose the potato rosti as well.
I’ve eaten at Bean There before and always found their service friendly and prompt and this visit was no exception. After ordering at the counter, my creamy yet rich tasting flat white was brought to my table within a few minutes - always helpful when you’ve got children in tow - and my breakfast arrived, freshly made and piping hot in around 10 minutes.
The pretzel bun has a similar soft and squidgy texture to a brioche roll, but not as sweet, so it’s perfect for a morning feast. The bacon was crispy and smoky, just how I like it.
But for me, the potato rosti was the star of the show. It was soft on the inside, yet lightly crisp on the outside, with a slow cooked onion flavour and perfectly seasoned. I could’ve eaten another on the side, no problem.
The bun is also filled with spinach leaves and a sweet, tangy tomato relish, which I personally loved, as it added a bit of fresh flavour to the dish, keeping it from being too stodgy. The whole thing was a joy to eat from start to finish.
There are some great foodie venues to try in this corner of Liverpool - the Tavern's breakfasts, as we all know, are legendary, and Leaf is another place that's garnered such a huge following you can easily find its tables full even on Monday mornings. Bean There's reputation is just as good and if you haven't yet tried it, it's well worth making the trip - just make sure you leave room for one of its delicious cakes.
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