In an ever-growing area of bars, restaurants and cafes, it’s hard to stand out. But with great coffee and a relaxed atmosphere, The Bean does pretty well.

The Venue
Sat on a popular Shoreditch road of bars, eataries and the odd uber-cool shop, this venue has a great location in East London. With large communal light-coloured wooden tables, a long open serving counter down one side and bar-like seating across the other, as well as sandwich fridges and a salad counter at the back, the cafe has a simple modern layout with basic, but comfortable seating. There’s no sofas but, if you get lucky, the window seat is cushioned. And, if you’re into people watching, there are a couple of benches at the front of the cafe, too. There’s nothing outstanding about the decor, but it’s very functional. Take note, though, there's no toilet.

The Atmosphere
While you can struggle to get a seat during the week when young trendy professionals and the odd few suits flock to the cafe for coffee before work or a spot of lunch on their breaks, the weekend is far quieter and less hectic. Staff are also a lot more relaxed at the weekend and, while still full of smiles, they tend to take a slower approach to service. While it’s common to hear edgy world music softly playing in the back of a lot of coffee shop chains, this cafe takes a more independent approach – everything from Lady Gaga to the coolest new indie track or a '90s hit can be heard gently playing in the background.

The Food
There’s a reasonable selection of pre-packaged sandwiches and baguettes, and some you can have hot if you wish. Most sarnies are under the £3 mark, which is very reasonable considering the area and there’s bargain lunch deals which, while not the best quality, includes cheap and cheerful baguettes for an impressive £1.25 (though, remember, the cafe only takes cash only). In addition, there are also freshly baked pastries available on the counter. Be warned, these get snapped up quickly during the weekdays.

The Drink
The cafe serves a relatively large selection of coffees, teas, iced coffees and milkshakes, as well as juices and ready-made smoothies from the fridge section. All prices are pretty reasonable – you’re looking at £1.50 for a regular one shot coffee, £1.80 for two shots or, if you’re feeling super tired, they even do a mega drink for three shots for slightly more. The well-made coffee tastes suitably potent and beats a lot of the surrounding cafes when it comes to flavour. All hot drinks are served in paper cups – a bonus if you’re not sitting in for drinks, but not so good if you’re after a civilised sit-down.

The Last Word
While the paper cups and lack of toilet could arguably demote this relaxed cafe to a glorified takeway outlet, it's still definitely worth popping in if you're in the area for a good cup of coffee.

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