Bear Steps Coffee House in Shropshire

My absolute favourite cafe in Shrewsbury, so cosy

A charming little café with fresh bakes every day. The customer service was exceptional, going above and beyond to make our experience memorable. We enjoyed sitting outside, where they had heaters and a roof to keep us cozy and dry from the rain. It was the perfect spot to relax, people-watch, chat, and sip our coffee.

I used to really like this cafe! On Sunday I visited with my son. We sat on a corner table, but before we sat we were told it was reserved for people who were eating, we were. Went to pay the bill, and because they don’t give you a till receipt when you go in to pay you just tap and go. However, I was charged £4.60 for a small pot of hot water and a teabag!!!! Next time I will go elsewhere which is a shame because I used to really like this place, but nobody appreciates being overcharged!!!!!!

The waitress said that our group of 6 could not sit outside as that was reserved for people who order food? We then sat inside and order coffee and cakes. After about 10 minutes, they told us they didn't have any tea cakes or scones left, so we changed our order again. After another 10-15 minutes of no tea, coffee or cakes being delivered we left. All the food orders placed after our order were being prioritised. Very strange way to run a business. We went to a place called Frankies in the Darwin centre instead. Really friendly with great service, cheaper too.

Great little cafe, food was delicious, and staff were really lovely

Everything just great. All food items delivered hot and all tasted really good. The ham & mushroom especially nice. Fast and friendly delivery driver. Thank you very much

Yummiest (goats cheese and beetroot) sandwich I have ever had the pleasure to eat.

My mum and I popped here for lunch after my mum looking at the menu online, we had a Diet Coke and coffee which too a while to come but once it did it was warm and clean cups. We also had a bbq chicken panini and bbq pulled pork panini which came with salad and chips, good value for money and good portion size which came quickly after. We were served by a lovely young girl, who was polite and attentive. Although inside seems very low and tight, I would suggest eating outside if the weather allows you to. I would recommend and go back.

Good food at reasonable prices. The only issue I had was, we paid when we placed our order. When we left the young girl who I paid earlier chased us across the square asking for payment.

Just arrived in shrewsbury and had walked into the centre from the train station. Came across this little cafe on a small square off butchers Row. Great weather and had outside seating so decided to grab a quick bite and a drink. It looks a very old building, and chairs and tables outside looked like they needed a bit of tlc. Struck by how friendly they staff were despite it being only 45 minutes till closing, we opted for a couple of the toasted paninis, which to be fair were OK but average the sort the coffee chains heat up for you, the coffee was quite nice though and if I was local would probably return to try one of the home cooked dishes. I would imagine it is always going to get business due to its location, I think I expected a bit more of a home cooked experience with the food.

Lovely cafe with great coffee and cakes... Welcoming, friendly staff, and outside seating as well if it's not raining. There is a covered porch if it is raining, and this is where I sat as it was raining. I always support local businesses, and this is a great one...

Good coffee and cake, but we had to wait over 20 minutes for it, even though it wasn't very busy!

Peace small cottage coffee shop, food served at a reasonable price, outside seating area's.

I came here for a small bite and drink after the place I intended to have lunch closed. A small (and relatively) hidden cafe by the Academy of St Juliana which had a cute aesthetic, both interior and exterior. It also was not busy on a Saturday afternoon. Staff were timely in serving the drinks and small bites we ordered.

Look lovely, quaint by the Church great location. On closer look tables really need painting they were rusty, bit run down outside, didn’t go inside, but like to think it was still clean. Staff were very pleasant. I ordered Anti pasta for one and Hubby Jacket potatoes Mexican chilli. His potatoes were a couple of very small potatoes and a couple spoonful of ? Chilli…Very sad little portion and no garnish or sour cream. My Anti Pasta was a joke, 3 tiny slices salami and a slice of Pastrami, a few olives a sliced pickle and sad salad leaves, oh the tiniest bit of olive bread, no other meats no cheese. Coffee was good and I had bottled water. It’s such a shame, perhaps we were just unlucky, I hope so as this could be a little gem especially its location.

Hidden gem in a quiet area of town, will definitely be back.

Great food, and great delivery, very happy. Definitely recommend this place if you want some delicious, hot and satisfying food!

We had paninis for lunch with salad garnish. Very nice. We will definitely be back! Nice setting by the church. Pleasant staff.

We found this interesting looking cafe by accident, as we wandered around Shrewsbury, being somewhat surprised by all the independent shops therein. This little cafe is a quirky gem, which we went into just for coffee, and were intrigued by the sloping floor and ceiling, and the low beams. The coffee came very quickly, in a good sized cup, with a little Amaretti biscuit on the side. On the way in, I noticed a sign, advertising "home cooked lasagne", so we returned for lunch, and I have to say it was lovely! The lasagne itself was very tasty, the chips with it were crispy and golden, the side salad was sprinkled with balsamic vinegar which really added to it, and the garlic bread was wonderfully crisp and garlicky! I think we were lucky to receive this bread, as I understand their grill broke shortly afterwards, removing this, and other items from the menu. Clearly the staff were under pressure because of this, but they remained calm, and our experience was a good one. If ever we are back in Shrewsbury again, we will return to this cafe, for definite.

food was hot and delicious definitely will order again.

Cute place. Good value. Tasty food. Hot tea. Good service.

Haven't been here for a while,glad to see it's much the same. Lovely hidden away location with some seating outside as well as in. Yummy chocolate fudge cake served with cream and strawberry on the side. And good decaf mocha and pots of tea. Small snack menu available and always a choice of a few nice cakes. Worth a visit.

Lovely spot for a cup of tea and cake, Friendly service, good variety and price

Lovely little cafe serving great coffee, cake and small but good menu. A quiet spot at the top of bear steps you wouldn't think you were in a town centre.

Beautiful café in a tranquil setting. Excellent service by friendly staff. I would highly recommend the quesadillas they were delicious and came with great tasting guacamole and sour cream!

Coffee, cake experience in the shade. This area is packed with history. The church gsound was a mass burial durring the plauge.

Lovely, friendly welcome. Only stopped for drinks but delightful all the same.

Always welcome and food is very nice

A lovely, quiet café. Great cake! Wonderful, attentive service from the staff

A small but perfectly placed cafe in the centre of Shrewsbury. Hot sandwiches are a speciality and aimed at vegetarian and vegan customers as well as carnivores. Very busy during the lunch period this cafe with seating outside as well as inside is well worth a visit. The cake table is also highly recommended.

Food very good but service really dreadful ,I would have thought that they would have taken notice of the reviews about the slow and bad service, obviously not. Sadly won't be revisiting. Reviews are supposed to be constructive and allow businesses to take on board the criticisms if valid and make improvements this obviously hasn't happened. We ordered a pre starter which didn't come until after the lunch we ordered, we ordered 2 bowls of fries only got 1 , no apology was given.

Such a shame, think it must have changed ownership as it's a completely different place now. We used to visit every week or so but have not been for a year. They still have wine/beer on menu but obviously no longer have license as the very apathetic waitress said there was none. The menu is exactly the same but the food and presentation didn't compare to previously. One waitress saved our visit but otherwise pretty disastrous. Really hope it improves.

We only stopped for coffee but it was a good one and arrived quickly. Young staff were friendly. Beware there is no toilet facility and the public ones close by were closed!!

Cute cafe with nice outdoor area. Enjoyed a goat's cheese salad and the service was prompt and friendly.

Very nice, coffee was great and smoked salmon and cream cheese Bagel was very good

Long wait, when you have a finely cut pastrami sandwich, you expect more than 1 piece... over 6 quid for a sandwich you'd expect better... Sandwich shop around the corner next time.

Great food and nicely tucked away!

Such beautiful surroundings, deserves a memorable coffee break but what a dsappointment. Long wait for order to be taken and for drinks to arrive. Cakes ordered didn't arrive, had to re-order these. Cutlery had to be requested, given it by bare hand (not on a plate or wrapped up in a serviette-bit concerning due to covid). Staff very pleasant but please, tidy up the organising, make it a pleasant place for a visit

Great location. Wide selection of very delicious food. Very polite staff.

Perfectly situated near the church, outside is great in the sun. The drinks came quick, but slow with the food. Food was lovely though.

1st time I've been there.Very friendly staff made you feel welcome.Will be going again.

Lovely little cafe in a genuinely old Tudor building. Eating in is probably not advised for tall people. We had a nice lunch at a very reasonable price.

We visited this coffee shop for lunch and I had a very nice quesadilla with pesto, tomatoes, feta and garlic mushrooms with a side salad and fries and husband had a spicy Cajun chicken panini with fries which he said was nice. The location is lovely and scenic and there is an outside heater and good outdoor seating. It all looked very Covid safe as well. We enjoyed our visit and would visit again.

The attitude of the young waitress stinks. Huffed and puffed when we asked to sit inside - then, as there were 4 of us, we were expected to sit on a table made for 2 people (there was only a 2 seater bench). When asked for 2 more chairs again there was more huffing and puffing from the same waitress. Sorry, but please sort the attitude of the staff out and we would have stayed. Clearly didn't want us in there so we didn't want to spend our money in there. Find somewhere else that actually wants the custom. Reviewed one star too many unfortunately.

Nice place to have lunch, good food

Waited at the entrance as hadn’t eaten here before, no one acknowledged us, we saw sign table service so chose a seat. Waitress arrived and wiped table but didn’t speak then left menu. Ordered drinks and food. I went to use the bathroom whilst waiting only to be told to use Starbucks ! Returned to my table somewhat taken aback. I couldn’t have waited for food and eat so had to let waitress know we would be leaving, must be a regular occurrence as she didn’t bat an eyelid or care !

Visited for the first time today. Had sandwiches and drinks with cakes for dessert. Nothing special. Had to ask for sugar with my cuppa and tired of waiting for staff to ask for a knife for my scone so I used a fork! Food was ok but nothing worth returning for.

Not taking part in the promotion ,as other places are . The food and drinks were wholesome ,which make make us come back . The loo's nearby were not open ,the only ones near are in the shopping centre .

One star too many. I have visited this cafe once before with no issues. Sat outside recently due to inside being closed we waited over half an hour for 2 coffee's, but not even busy. Told 3 times "oh" they are on their way. Eventually arrived luke warm. The bill arrived £27.00!!! So they also got that wrong. Another couple had one meal arrive and waited so long for the other meal the poor lady couldn't remember what she had ordered. We will not be returning which is a shame because it is in a lovely spot. Try the indoor market it's fab for food and great service.

Good coffee & staff.Surprised to be told (when we asked & having already ordered) that the toilets are closed ... as are the nearby public toilets.A bit disingenuous of The Bears Steps not to make would-be customers aware beforehand e.g. with a simple sign !!

Why in heaven's name aren't you taking part in Eat Out to Help Out?

While the food and drinks are first rate, when I visited today it was not taking part in the Eat Out to Help Out scheme - which seems really odd (and annoying) as virtually every other eating establishment in Shrewsbury is.

Having never visited Shrewsbury we were just wandering around the lovely streets and came across this lovely little cafe. We sat on the patio which is just about in the grounds of Saint Alkmunds Church. The owner was very welcoming and brought us some complimentary garlic bread which was delicious. We had a panini and a quesadilla which we're both delicious, highly recommended for the food, location and friendly staff.

Great little coffee shop. Nice cakes 👍😊

Delicious cakes and coffee, lots to choose from this is really central place well worth visiting, cobbled streets with eaves of houses almost meeting overhead and many little traffic free alley ways to walk up or dow, this is a little gem

After looking on trip advisor for a spot of lunch, we decided to go here, so glad we did. Amazing building, very wonky... Almost like being in an old ship. Great sandwiches & service. Well worth a visit. ♥️

We had just checked into our hotel across the road from this cafe and wanted a fairly quick lunch. This had been recommended by a local and proved to be an excellent suggestion. It's a tiny place and as it was towards the end of the lunch service, we were probably lucky to find a table as we understood it to be a very popular place. I can certainly see why. My friend and I opted for the quiche of the day (bacon, onions and Brie). The service was very friendly and prompt.It's a tiny place and anyone over 6' tall would probably not be able to stand up straight because of the beams but it is full of character. There are also a few tables outside on a verandah which would be a lovely area to eat lunch on a sunny day (or at least warmer than in January).

Visited on the 31/12/19 and following my meal my card payment apparently didn’t go through twice, so paid for with cash. Subsequently found on my statement the payment was taken twice on my card, and living over 4 hours away was unable to visit the café to sort this out. Called the café but the number online does not work. Called the next door gallery and someone kindly went over to them with my details but still have not contacted me regarding this which is very disappointing.

Character and amazing coffee! A wonderful character coffee shop right next to the church in the town centre. It’s only a relatively small place but very cosy and the coffee / food is amazing. Can not recommend enough.

Addition of heaters outside were very welcome

A delightful little lunch spot. Friendly staff good coffee and super Panini

I am a regular visitor to the Bear Steps Coffee Shop. I am never dissapointed. Coffee, cake and service is always great.

Not much room and pure chance if you can get a table. Good tea and coffee and a range of cakes. Overpriced. No toilet

This is a fabulous coffee shop in a beautiful historic building tucked away in a quiet corner of Shrewsbury. Great coffee and home baking in very atmospheric surroundings. Just watch your head on the beams!!

Great atmosphere and lovely friendly staff. Coffee was lovely and the food was fabulous. Would definitely pay another visit next time we are in Shrewsbury :-)

An absolute gem of a place. A very small building, but the food there is amazing! The is prepared and served quickly and is delicious.

Very good coffee, excellent table service, all fitted into an ancient building. Maybe several cottages or shops knocked through. Watch your head on the beams if you're average height or above. Ample outdoor seating too.

Very friendly staff, quick service, comfortable and warm (as long as the door stayed closed), a quirky little cafe with a nice atmosphere.

Popped in for a cup of tea as we wondered around Shrewsbury. A Small and woderfully quirky little cafe.Has a cosy interior with very low ceilings and seating outside for those who don't like confined spaces.Well worth a visit.

Sat outside with the heaters on and enjoyed an amazing coffee and walnut cake. Lovely little cafe, highly recommend

We came in for coffee and cake at 15:00. We were initially impressed as it was such a cute place. After sitting down we were told that the kitchen was closed (despite being advertised as open until 16:00) and that there were no hot drinks available, but we could order a cold drink. It seems very strange for a coffee shop to stop serving coffee one hour before closing. We decided to leave and didn’t order, and as we left we could see everyone outside has teas and coffee. Such a shame, so we went elsewhere and will not be returning.

Sat outside, good food and drink but service was slow, luckily we wanted a sit down mostly!

Oh wow. I visited this cafe on recommendation of a friend, I was not sorry that I did. The food is prepared while you wait it's really beautifully presented and a really good portion. The staff are really polite and extremely efficient. I will certainly be going again! Highly recommend

I like the quirkiness of the cafe and our food was freshly prepared and tasty but I thought it was slightly overpriced. Might choose a different café when next in the area.

A super place to sit outside and take in the atmosphere of the square, much of which dates back to medievel times. We visited primarily to have a bacon sandwich, as several people had suggested it was the best in town. The service was good, the coffee excellent, but the bacon, although tasty, was a little tough as if it had been kept warm too long. All the same, flavour was excellent and and the portion generous.

Fell upon Bear Steps Coffee House and what a superb little find. Bacon++ brunch for me and Bagel and Bacon + chive cheese fort wife; great coffee.....started a day of sighting off perfectly.

A nice meal. Well worth a visit.

Set in the historic centre of Shrewsbury this comfortable cafe offers a wide range of drinks and food.

Small, unusual place, historic, but make good food and a great cup of coffee

I always bring my friends here as it's a lovely quirky cafe that serves great tea, cakes and snacks. You have to duck to get in and the floor is sloping - wonderfully quaint. The situation is gorgeous, right in the middle of town on a leafy green between churches and 15th century buildings. Highly recommend.

Came across this little cafe during a walk around Shrewsbury & decided to stop for coffee. A lovely young man served us and the iced coffee was fine. My only criticism was that the owner(?) started putting up the metal security grills & instructing the waiter to move the outdoor tables whilst we were sitting there! It was only 4pm so this came as a bit of a surprise. It meant that we felt quite unwelcome and we left rather quicker that we'd planned.

Nice place to get a light bite, just far enough from the high street to make it peaceful but still enough people passing to watch

Set just off the main shopping centre, this quirky some coffee shop is great. Service very good. We only called for coffee, as it was mid morning, but as the weather wasn't that good, it was very full

Great place for coffee almost heart of Shrewsbury town. I love the buildings and cobble streets around hear and little art gallery. Great coffee cakes, snacks, friendly staff. No bears!

I'm usually a 5 marker on places we visit. We use this cafe at least 3 times a month and always had a good snack and tea. But not sure if it's changed hands. Tables uncleared and staff are a bit chaotic. We ordered two Paninis and tea and received one? I eventually explained the problem and still waited my partner had eaten hers and I again asked where was my lunch. It never came so I cancelled it and the waitress said it's done now! Don't normally moan but not impressed this time? Pity it was a lovely cafe

Took 45 minutes to get a hot chocolate and a coffee. Wasn't impressed when we finally got them.

Great place for coffee and a panini!

Beautiful location. Shame the things we wanted from the menu were either no longer available or ingredients were missing. But that aside, a lovely roast chicken salad.

Nice friendly cafe. Chilled atmosphere. Seems popular and gets quite busy towards lunchtime so worth getting there earlier.

Service was slow, and food was cold

Whilst on holiday in Shropshire we were recommended this cafe for its coffee and cakes and so whilst visiting the area yesterday we looked forward to sitting in the sun enjoying our drinks and eats. ....sadly this was not the case, it is table "service"!!!!! We ordered 2 flat white coffees, 2 hot chocolates and a piece of cake and a scone and butter plus 4 glasses of water.They were not busy and so there was no excuse for our order not arriving, after half an hour I left the table to go inside to ask what was going on, and before I could say a word the girl that had taken the order said " I'll be out in a minute to take your order" .....what???? Does she suffer memory loss or what?? I returned to my seat after being reassured that it wouldn't be long. 10 minutes later 4 glasses of water arrived but nothing else. 10 minutes after that I mentioned once again where is our order? A chap brought out 2 flat whites and we

Very good coffee, excellent table service, all fitted into an ancient building. Maybe several cottages or shops knocked through. Watch your head on the beams if you're average height or above. Ample outdoor seating too.

Quirky, slanty tudor cafe. Lovely food but mind your head!

Really quirky little cafe. Very friendly staff. Probably the best bacon sandwich I’ve ever had 😃😃👌🏻👌🏻

Nice food and drinks, friendly staff. For once not too busy as it often is.

An easily missed tiny gem. Lovely food. A great atmosphere. I wish it had been warm enough to sit outside. But do mind your head if you are anything other than short! Well worth a visit

Had a lovely meal here, food was fresh and very tasty and the building is great! The team here were also very efficient and very friendly! Will definitely return

I am a bit of a regular at this restaurant. Usually I pop in for coffee and cake. Both coffee and cakes are super. Today I had BBQ chicken panini which was delicious. The staff were very friendly and helpful.

Can't help. Waited 10 minutes sitting outside but no one came to us. Nice location though. Nearby Costa came to the rescue!

We went the whole family for a brunch, it was bussy but the waitress tried to serve us and that we have everything we asked for. The drinks were at the table in less than 10 minutes ( Nutella hot chocolate, Coke and lemonade) and although the waitress told us we would have to wait for the food but it was only 15 minutes approximately ... completely understandable considering it is fresh food. favourite place.