Bread and Bean in Islington

What can I say.. Impeccable Customer Service! Although I do not live in the area, every time I have visited on a solo trip, I have always had outstanding service with a greeting, a smile and they’re always up for a small talk which is very rare nowadays. I spoke to the Barista yesterday, he was very polite and kindly pointed into the direction of another little popular hot spot which I won’t name, which I did try! I have tried many places that cannot make a decent flat white, you might as well call it a latte but this little gem knows their coffee! Definitely recommend and I will mention it to my coffee enthusiastic customers back home a little nudge to try it out on their next visit into London.. Don’t go into chains, support a small business like this little gem!

The food at this place is great but I'd recommend you have it at the back of the café, away from the the front. Zero effort on the table service as I had to move the drinks away from my table three times after they were finished. The two members of staff seemed more focused on singing every word to every song that was playing in the background than actually doing their job. The chat amongst themselves got so insufferable and was topped off with a large amount of effing and jeffing that I had to leave.

6 of us went to our local cafe the Bread & Bean on a Sunday morning following an engagement party the night before. It was perfect, completely unphased by our 2 vegans they produced faultless and beautifully presented freshly cooked hot breakfasts complete with unasked for simple garnishes. We were impressed with the well looked after green plants, modern furniture and tucked away spaces in the split level cafe, much bigger and lighter than might be thought. Spotlessly clean, totally helpful - the only remaining question is why didn’t we go earlier?

Began a birthday celebration with a fabulous breakfast. Great food matched equally with superb, friendly service. A fresh made, hot breakfast, accompanied with quality barista-made coffee was a superb start to the day. Highly recommend you select Bread and Bean if you are in the Archway area.

Was going to give this place 3 stars as I've had coffee there before which was nice and the atmosphere is cute but after this morning I'm having to give a 1 star as you should never have to throw away a drink you paid nearly £4 for! It was the WORST matcha latte I've ever had. They clearly skimped on either the quality or quantity of matcha powder as it tasted like warm milk, the only way you'd know it was matcha is the colour was lime green. The more I tried to drink it the more annoyed I'd get about it and I hated the taste of just warm milk so I just binned it- I hate waste! Really wanted this to be the place I f we t my matcha every morning before work but guess I'll have to find somewhere else. Would not recommend.

I'm comming of a period of acting 'cheap' over the summer, and I've had good luck being painlessly separated from my money with the Bread and Bean. The King Prawn Avocado and Aubergine Salad is a winner. Imagine being challenged to a pillow fight by a couple of your four year old cousins, and playing to lose. It was pleasantly like that. The texture and flavour contrast was made by someone who clearly eats their own stuff, as I was sat there for about a quarter hour after I finished, with my eyes glazed over enjoying the sensation of the neuro-chemical high gradually wearing off. The waitress was a little bit unreactive, but had central European cheeck bones you could use to slice tomatos, so 'swings and roundabouts' TLDR: I'll be back.

Un service de qualité dans un lieu très cosy et agréable. Les pancakes étaient délicieux, fluffy à souhait. Les boissons étaient elles aussi très bonnes. Ce fut un sans faute et nous recommandons fortement

I've been here before, but I only review when the experience warrants it. After bonding with the gently hippie waitress over the very institution of soup (yes, you read that right) I sat down to.a meal served at a sedate pace, with a sensitive balance of smiling eye contact and privacy (which is actually quite an interesting high-wire act). The soup and toast can't have been that pleasant by accident. The ideal adjective for garlic toast is 'gentle', and this was practically speaking, ideal, and although there is some very respectable 'shop bough' I've had their Avocado Toast before, but there's only so far you can mess that up.

We hadn’t been here before so just popped in in the hope of filling our empty stomachs Firstly the place is much bigger inside with plenty of seating in the rear, also thankfully some laptop free tables :) Started with coffee, mine a cappuccino and his a filter - and what a start, definitely the best cappuccino i’ve had and the filter again excellent! We ordered a full english and scrambled eggs on toast. Have to say the best we’ve had! Eggs were very special, corn fed so very yellow yolks and delicious . The rest of it just amazing - great sourdough bread, bacon, sausage and beautiful polenta triangles Must also add great music!!! We will be back! Thank you to the staff- you are doing a fantastic job here

Here for a light breakfast we were looked after by the most pleasant staff. The Granola was our choice and served with pomegranate and yoghurt was excellent. The coffee was good and this small cafe deserves to do well, against all the big 'chains'.

The service is so bad here it's almost incomprehensible. They insist you wear a face mask for 'walking around', even though you are to be seated and eating (facemasks when eating-in are not required by Govt guidelines) then you look over to the seating area and everyone is seated with no mask on. The tone and manner was rude and completely dismissive. I could understand that their approach may be as a result of cautiousness and fear etc. but then they seated us less than 1 metre away from another table it was counter-intuitive. It was really cramped and uncomfortable, it was also EXTREMELY COLD. There are lots of other lovely cafe's to go to which are not too far away and have better service. Save yourself the stress and unpleasantness.

A very family friendly place, apart from the snivelling infants, everyone seemed as calm, young and trendy as the beard sporting gentlemen behind the counter. We only stopped for a hot drink that arrived quickly at our table outside. For what seems to be such a ‘wholegrain’ establishment the drinks were sickly sweet to a degree beyond reason. I can assure you there’s nothing wholesome about a cup of their chai latte or vanilla latte.

I have missed the coffee's from here due to being in lockdown but was delighted to see they are open again for takeaway only. I ordered my regular triple shot skinny vanilla latte and a sausage roll. Both fantastic. They owner is so friendly and made sure the place was running efficiently with the social distancing rules in place. Can't wait until it's back open again properly.

Went for breakfast with my daughter. Great food, very friendly, helpful staff. Nice informal atmosphere. Would recommend.

Small. Cold in places. Efficient service friendly staff. Party of 3 Coffee could have been hotter. Lunch tasty 😋

Best polenta and orange cake in town 😍😍😍 and the coffee ☕️ is also to die for. We also had the English Breakfast with their amazing homemade beans and that’s incredible ❤️❤️❤️

Called in for breakfast. Friendly staff Food order taken and delivered without delay. Quality of food and drink was very good and all at a competitive price. Can not fault...

Thought I would stop here to do some work and sat in the front are of the cafe. It was very cold though and several people like me were wearing their coats. When I moved to the back of the cafe which was so much warmer, I was told that was a laptop free zone, which is fine, but when I explained I had moved because I had been so cold at the front, the staff member just repeated that it was a laptop free zone, I could stay but only for a little bit and that the heating was on at the front of the cafe too. I explained again how cold it was in the front of the cafe and how I had moved for that reason he still didn't offer a solution or for me to stay where I was to be more welcoming or accommodating, but just repeated what he had previously said. I didn't feel welcome at all or that something was done to accommodate me and make me feel comfortable.

A cozy and individual place for breakfast making a nice break from the normal chains. Our food was delicious and the service was very prompt and friendly.

I live just a few steps away from this place and was really looking forward to visit. And so on a lazy Saturday morning I decided to pay a visit. Such disappointment!! I read so many reviews about lovely staff, I can only wonder if...

It is very beautiful designed little place. I had breakfast 3 times in there and every time I admired interior design. As a big fan of full English breakfast, I can tell Bread and Bean have one of the best I've had in London. I...

Not too far from Archway Underground this was a great place for my partner and I to eat before she headed off back to Leeds. Staff were friendly, the service was efficient and we both loved our choices. Me the turmeric yoghurt granola and she...

We went just for tea and coffee and these were very good. The food looked lovely but unfortunately we had already eaten, but I would like to go back to try this. Conveniently close to Highgate Cemetery, where we had just been on a tour.

Went here this morning as the Bread and Bean is a short 5 minute walk from the Premier Inn we stayed in following a wedding. The café was very full when we arrived but we managed to get a table outside. The staff were friendly...

We stopped in for lunch. When we approached the counter, we were told that they had table service and that we should find a table and they would take our order. Menus were on the table. We waited, and waited, and waited, and finally walked...

This place is a little delight. I was staying in the apartments across the road and was very grateful to have it so close! The food is great, really tasty breakfasts. Good selection of loose leaf tea. Great coffee! Friendly service. It is a little...

I've tried this place a few times. I must say, the quality of the food and coffee is always top notch, but this place is lacking something. The times I have been I have been I have noticed a sea of people taking up valuable...

For some reason there are quite a few cafes at this end of junction road but this one stands out. It looks fresh and slightly rustic serving very good coffee from a roasting house in East London (Union Hand-roasted). The polenta cake looked homemade and...

Whilst in the area we visited this coffee ship for a bit of lunch and a coffee. Service was quick and the coffee was so good I had a second one. Will certainly pop in again. Enjoyed a chat with the serving lady..

Wonderful full English breakfast everything was really good and homemade and the coffee was good too. Really nice environment peaceful and warm at the same time. Nice staff.

Cozy comfy simple cafe with Great choice of breakfasts.i had the pancakes and my daughter the scrambled egg. My portion was generous but thought portion size of scrambled egg a bit small. We shared. Coffee and juice excellent as was the service!

After a bit so pleasant experience in the past I decided to give another go in this place. But there is no point. Today I’ve tried to have eggs royal but without the eggs. I don’t eat meat and the vegetarian options have some ingredients...

Nice independent cafe, had good breakfast and coffee, though latter rather strong was given extra steamed milk. Waiting staff good only rather cold environment and steep prices- over £9 for full English breakfast...

I love this place because they serve great coffee and cookies and dogs are welcome. Great WiFi and just a lovely place to chill.

The staff were very friendly, the food was amazing quality with big portion sizes to reflect the price. The food looked fresh and a vegetarian twist with bbq flavoured beans and polenta triangles in the english breakfast, a welcome difference to brunch. Would definitely recommend.

Popped in for a quick snack and was taken by the ingredients in the vegetation breakfast. Really light and bright interior with very friendly and helpful staff. The ingredients were freshly cooked and delicious, would highly recommend.

We visited this place several times, as it is regrettably the only one of its kind within a mile radius. Indeed, the management seems to be perfectly aware of this, and provides very low quality food for hefty prices. About a year ago, they served...

We stayed in Archway for two busy days of meetings. Needing breakfast and an early tea we were delighted to find Bread and Bean. The food was delicious- absolutely spot on. Between us we tried the Eggs Benedict and the full vegetarian English breakfast. SO...

I orderd avocado on toast with roast tomatoes and I was expecting to be able to clearly taste it but no there was to much garlic and chilli and it was more like a guacamole and it was slapped on with no care but nice...

Friendly, great atmosphere, great food and coffee and the staff are knowledgeable about gluten free options.

Nice food choice, good healthy menu, the full veggie breakfast was ok, liked the interesting choice of flavoured waters

Attended with my family to celebrate a birthday as it is our favourite place in Archway. Food was great. This time we had a few (untypical) issues with the service, which the manager dealt with responsibly and maturely. Would recommend and we will be back.

The best coffee I had in London! A bit more expensive than usual. The space is sweet and cozy but also lighted and spacious. Food looks great though did'nd try it. Next time for sure.

This place has such potential and since it’s refurb this is even more so. The coffee is good. Unfortunately the unfriendly and unwelcome staff let it down. I’ve only ever seen one of the barristas smile. They say work attitude is top down so maybe...

Great new place in Archway - came here with my teenage kids and we were all happy - tasty Mary Berry smoothies, homemade lemonade and fabulous Royale! Good for meat eaters and veggies.

My daughter had to go to Whittington hospital and I needed to go out for an hour or two. I found this little cafe and to my great surprise and satisfaction they have great Eggs Benedict, simply because they can poach an egg and make...

We visited on a sunny Saturday morning after a late night looking for breakfast to set us up for the day. The full "Breakfast for champions" and an omelette fitted the bill. Both amazing plates of food, tasty and well presented. Would definitely recommend this...

Brought my wife in here for lunch. This is a lovely little cafe which is bigger than it looks as it has seating at the back. The jacket potatoes were large and nice quality and the fillings delicious and served with a small amount of...

Although I am a meat eater, today I thought I would try the veggie option here. My first time at Bread and Bean. ...and it was absolutely incredible. Healthier and tastier than any greasy fry up I've had… Other than the ones I cook at...

Breakfast for two people and one coffee came to about £20. I think it opens at about 8am if my memory serves me correctly. I would recommend it if you are staying in the Archway area.

I don't know this area well and so had a walk West of Archway station looking for a cafe and was surprised to see a varied selection of good looking places. This place is trendy and friendly and does coffee cakes and snacks. My flat...

I am local and I use to come here for breakfast with my friends... Never left a review but today I really want to, I had the breakfast for Champions... So yummy and the soya cappuccino.. Soooooo amazing!!!! I will recommend you and I am...

Lovely selection of cakes, good size portions and reasonably priced. Coffee pretty good too. Small but very friendly cafe

Beautiful breakfast with a great coffee. Friendly staff with a great service. I recommended this place.

My house mates and I spent most of our time here in our final year of university (this academic year). The food is great - particularly the breakfast - and with very good quality coffee. So cosy and with yummy food, but quite expensive. However...

My family loves this coffee shop. When we travel to London, since my sister lives there, this becomes our unofficial headquarters! The coffee is delicious, the food is great and the treats are yummy too. The service is wonderful and attentive. We just love it...

Loved the coffee here and marked it right away as our go to cafe during our stay at the Premier Inn around the corner. All the food we had was quite good and we especially enjoyed the full English breakfast. Thanks!

There's a lot to recommend this restaurant, food was really very good. The serving staff were friendly. The atmosphere was lovely and relaxed, although one chap , obviously the owner/manager , was a bit scowly . However, one small quibble: having spent 31 pounds on...

Drove past this lovely looking corner cafe on the way to work and thought 'why not' so dropped in. Excellent mocha and fresh croissant, nice atmosphere and nice people behind the counter who smiled and were friendly. If you find yourself in archway or nearby...

From outside it looks a nice place. It's very small and you can listen all the other people conversation because is very intimate . But Anyway, this is not a big issue. We ordered some bread toast with jam whitout mentioning any butter. Then, they...

Dropped in for a coffee after dropping my daughter off and decided to have a breakfast. Excellent is the best word for the full English. Homemade baked beans, homemade hash browns and sourdough toast. I thorough recommend the independent coffee shop. Well worth a visit...

Great service, food and coffee. Can't fault this little gem in North London. We were staying near by and had our morning coffee here every day!

Friendly staff, but cold back room on a very wet day. Not welcoming. My hash breakfast was fine, although small size for the price. Tiny portion of sough dough bread, and no butter. My cappachino was luke warm. Delightful lemon drizzle cake to follow Upstairs,...

I wouldn't normally spend over £8 on a breakfast but I gave it a go at Bread and Bean in Archway.. nice food, but I thought it was still overpriced. Plus I didn't feel welcomed by the staff.

This place quickly became our local coffee shop when we moved to Archway in 2013. It wasn't only because of the great coffee and food, but the lovely staff made it a stand out favourite (so much so that a couple of them ended up...

Had the flippin chicken, and the full english... so amazing. Sounded like they have a lot of regular guests, it felt nice and cozy.

First time in this area I was heading to Costa for a coffee fix ( not by choice but force as I could not see any other coffee place ) I spotted this place , full house .. with no question asked me and my...

We went for breakfast , we had omelette and coffee/tea. The place is usually busy which is a good sign. Bit pricey but tasty

This is my local coffee shop and I love it! The coffee is wonderful, breakfasts and sandwiches are delicious - so are the cakes. Especially the salted caramel brownie. The fro-yo is great too!

As Italian and as a lover of coffee this is the best coffee shop in London! cappuccino is just outstanding, even in Italy, I have difficulty to find the same quality. The staff is lovely and friendly I felt home every time. About the food,...

I always think that when locals use a restaurant it's a good sign. We have been here a few times while visiting London and it's always very consistent. Decent variety on the menu, something to suit everyone.

I visited Bread and Bean for breakfast, looking for somewhere I could have a nice meal and get some work done. The staff were lovely and the coffee was pretty good, but the food was slightly disappointing and wildly overpriced. I had the vegetarian breakfast,...

This place is very expensive and the quality of food is not the best. Portion sizes are very small. The coffee is ok but is served in a small glass, so you need to buy two to be satisfied. The back part of the restaurant...

I paid nearly £8 for an extra hot latte and a fish finger sandwich on sourdough bread. The coffee was tiny, it was about three mouthfuls and was luke warm. The sandwich finally arrived and it was actually half a sandwich. The waiter dropped it...

I have waited for my order for 45 minutes. When I lost my patience and had to go and wonder about my order, the waitress told me they "forgot about it". However, receiving no apology whatsoever was the key point. The long-awaited order came, and...

Veg breakfasts tend to be boring. This is amazing... so flavourful. The coffee is pretty good too. The staff are friendly and efficient. i couldnt fault it

I popped in here for a fantastic breakfast, which was an off-menu request and they had no problem doing. Their cafe lattes are excellent. Warm and inviting atmosphere and staff. Free wifi is a bonus.

Lovely breakfast Friendly staff Delicious breakfast served in an instant. The smoked salmon eggs Benedict was lovely as was the full English. Good selection of cakes and beverages.Great breakfast spot!

Went there for brunch and enjoyed the most perfect eggs florentine. Lots of nice gluten-free options as well.

We came here for breakfast after a late night. The place was packed but we quickly got a table. The eggs benadict and the American pancakes with bacon and maple syrup hit the spot. The downside was the rude and noisy table beside us who...

Went here for brunch, ordered the Xmas sandwich which tasted AMAZING but was so greasy I felt very guilty afterwards (it was actually dripping). The service was terrible from one person in particular but I think he was a one off. I'd recommend here.

It's weird to find a place like that in Archway, it's cute, is nice and tasty. Good service and delicious dishes, perfect for a break and brunch, honest prices for this quality. I advice Champion Breakfast!

I have visited here a couple of times. The coffee is nice but it is extremely small - quite expensive for the amount you are given in a small beaker. The baked potato I had on my first visit was delicious, the home made baked...

I came here the other day and had the best coffee ever. Came again today and was pleased to have the same experience. Grrat job!

What a relief to have a proper coffee shop in Archway! Its opposite Costa - a chain that I try to avoid - and on a different planet as far as the quality of its coffee is concerned. Great cafe food too, and friendly service....

Cosy place with great coffee and delicious pastries and staff is very friendly. Would definitely recommend over Costa

clean and easy going - lovely coffee and a great selection of juices and smoothies - really enjoy this place and its got a great random crowd from cool hipsters to yummy mummies! they do a lovely guiness chocolate cake and also their fish finger...

Surprised at the negative reviews. The owner greeted us warmly and the service was good - my friend had a really nicely-cooked and generously-sized mushroom omelette with roasted tomatoes as a garnish, and I had a baked potato with cheese and beans, again well cooked...

Excellent food, excellent service, great coffee, we love having breakfasts there... Much needed local cafe in the neighbourhood

Felt let down by the customer service of this cafe; waited 25 minutes for food to be cooked, when I asked how long the food would take I got a rude reply of "you came at the wrong time" - I had come at lunch...

From the outside, Bread and Bean looks like a lively spot with interesting food. However, although the coffees served were OK, the food was dreadful. The pork sandwich was completely burnt on one side; the meat looked like it had been incinerated. When I pointed...

Fantastic coffee and very friendly staff. My regular. Full breakfasts are good too with their home made baked beans. Highly recommended!

Excellent food, pleasant cafe ambience. Specially liked the Welsh rarebit - best I have ever had. Great place for a hearty snack or lunch in an otherwise slightly dreary area.

It's easy to miss with understated signage but a great independent cafe with more style than you expect in Archway. Yes it's pricey but my pork sandwich was lush and the 'artisan' coffee was neither too bitter or too foamy (a common issue with this...

Oh yes - I have found a brilliant cafe near were I stay in London. Oh no - I'm going to spend a mortgage in here. OH YES - worth it! I just had a delicious Eegs Benny with a cheeky and welcome addition of...

Lovely cafe, with a choice of breakfast and drinks. Coffee is great. Staff and very friendly and welcoming. Just what the area needed.

great little find in archway. right opposite costa coffee so game on! great service, coffee done perfectly and nice little vibe.

Best BLT and latte around! Fast,friendly service, tasty reasonably priced food with free wifi! Being able to help yourself to the mint/cucumber water at the counter is a nice touch! Have just moved to the area and look forward to becoming a regular

We stopped for a late lunch. My husband got the full English breakfast, which he devoured...even the mushroom, and he doesn't like mushrooms! I had a wonderful cheese omelet and lots of good, hot tea. We weren't in the area to eat there more than...

Great place! They managed to fit in six of us for an amazing brunch on Saturday. Great food, friendly service. Highly recommend.