Freemans

The 2013 edition of The List's Eating & Drinking Guide is out now – only £5.95 (+p&p).

This review is taken from the current (2013) edition.

Bright, airy and shabbily chic, Freeman’s coffee shop is another worthy local café in an area that’s positively breeding them. It’s an impressive venue, with clusters of comfy armchairs and tables surrounded by schoolroom seats spread around the wooden floor, and their stated friendliness to both dogs and children (there’s a chalkboard and a range of boardgames for the latter) makes this a week-round haunt. The coffee is taken seriously and there's plenty of unashamed geekery going on – there are different espresso blends depending on whether you're taking it black or with milk, while brewing options include Chemex or Aeropress. There are also daily soups and stews, with a range of fresh baguettes almost challengingly crammed with fillings such as pastrami, cream cheese and spinach. Scrambled eggs on toast and a mix ‘n’ match brunch menu are also available from early on to the very civilised time of 2pm.

• High point: A hip local hub for coffee and bites
• Low point: You can ask for decaf, but you may feel embarrassed