With the number of coffee shops and cafes in Bristol, it can often be difficult to stray from your favourites. While I was in the Southville and Bedminster areas during a busy working day, I stumbled upon Sweven Coffee on North Street and thought I’d give it a try.
Through the window, the venue was bright and welcoming, with light walls and wooden furniture bringing a Nordic/Scandi vibe to the place. There were just a few tables dotted around, ensuring it wouldn’t get overcrowded with people, and at the counter, sweet treats like brownies, blondies, cookies and cakes, sat tempting morning commuters and passers by.
Sweven describes itself as a cafe ‘committed to serving a beloved community and creating a safe, reliable hub that motivates individuals to strive for excellence. Here, you can connect with us, share wonderful stories, reunite with friends, and savour exceptional coffees’.
For me, being someone who loves a coffee shop but isn’t a coffee drinker, I wanted to know the hot chocolate options on offer and I was pleasantly surprised to learn that there are two to choose from – priced at £4.50 each – a sweeter milk chocolate, or a dark chocolate with sea salt.
I opted for the dark chocolate and sea salt version. It arrived to my table soon after and I can honestly say I’ve never been handed a hot chocolate in such a stylish fashion before. The hot chocolate was served in a double walled glass cup, on a wooden tray alongside a small glass of water and a gold spoon.
Wonderfully foamy and topped with flakes of chocolate, the hot chocolate itself was delicious. The sea salt and dark chocolate combination providing a wonderful flavour for a connoisseur of the drink, like me.
It was also a lovely addition to be provided with a small glass of water and a spoon. Sometimes when you’re at a coffee shop with your hot drink, a water is just what you need to cleanse your palate – but they can be harder to come by than one would expect. The same can be said for spoons (you’d be surprised how often I have to ask for one in order to mop up the last foamy remnants of my drink).
The attention to detail here cannot be ignored, and the staff are knowledgeable about their drinks menu. Several customers ordering coffees after me had questions about which coffee would be best for them, and staff were quick off the mark with answers.
The price for my hot chocolate was reasonable too – £4.50 is cheaper than the likes of Mrs Potts, and other places on our list of favourites in the city. Coffee prices on the wall ranged from £3.40 for an espresso, to £5 for filter, while a tea would set you back £3.60 and a matcha £4.50, too.
The only fault I could find with my drink, despite the flavour being incredibly moreish, was the temperature. I don’t know if it was the double walled cups or another factor, but my hot chocolate was more ‘warm chocolate’.
Either way though, I’m still glad I popped by for a visit. And I’ll certainly be back to sample some of the sweet treats here, when I’m next in the area.