Review: 10 Green Bottles, Retford

Located on The Square, next to Retford Town Hall and amidst the bustle of the market, the coffee shop is an ideal spot to take a break from shopping or enjoy a light lunch.

I had previously visited 10 Green Bottles in Mansfield and was looking forward to checking out the Retford branch.

The coffee shop is attractively presented from the outside with sandwich boards advertising its wares and informing customers that Wifi is available.

There are also a few outdoor tables, but with a northerly wind howling I headed indoors.

Here the decorations include old prints and images of Retford landmarks, such as the town hall, with dark wooden tables and red and green seating brightening up the scene.

I approached the counter, and after perusing the various options ordered the soup of the day, which turned out to be chicken and vegetable, with a latte and chocolate brownie to follow.

Also on the menu were a selection of different of cakes, scones and pastries as well as fresh sandwiches, ciabattas, paninis, wraps and salad - all very much designed for the lunching office worker or shopper.

There were also all the usual different types of coffee, including cappuccino, Americano and macchiato.

I also found out later that Ten Green Bottles uses Italian coffee beans roasted in the town of Conegliano.

There was also the option to try a shot of liqueur or sweet syrup with a coffee, and the impression was the shop took its coffee making very seriously.

English breakfast tea, speciality teas, hot chocolate, smoothies, milk shakes and juices were also available, along with some alcoholic drinks.

The attentive waitress took the order and informed me she would bring the soup over in a few moments.

The price came to £5.50, which seemed pretty reasonable and almost certainly cheaper than a similar selection in the likes of Costa or Starbucks.

I took a seat close to the window and with the busy market outside it was a good spot for a bit of people watching.

There were several other people inside the cafe, most enjoying tea or coffee but some also having one of the lunchtime options.

The atmosphere was relaxing, with easy listening music and the chatter of fellow diners, and felt like a snug escape from a cold day.

The soup quickly arrived and was well presented with a bread roll and packets of butter to the side.

The waitress told me to let her know when I was ready for the coffee and cake.

The chicken and vegetable soup tasted fresh and was piping hot, and just what I needed to warm me up.

Shortly after I had finished the waitress returned with the latte and brownie.

Although she spilt the drink slightly it was also well presented.

The latte was served in a tall, thick glass and as promised it tasted much better than the average tasteless coffee you are often served in chain coffee shops these days.

It was well complemented by the chocolate brownie, which seemed to be freshly made and was packed full of chocolate chips.

The latte was also served with an Italian-style biscuit which rounded off the meal nicely.