Advantages: Wonderful service and great coffee
Disadvantages: Location within a bookshop

...Whether I visit the centre of Reading to browse the CD shops or pick up some groceries, my journey is never complete until I have revitalised myself with a coffee in one of the ever-increasing number of coffee shops springing up in the town. Although I have visited most of the outlets at some point in the past, only three or four have had the benefit of my custom in the recent weeks. I consider myself to be a regular in just one of these few. I discovered Good Bean's existence by chance when visiting Blackwell's bookshop, inside of which it is situated. Despite not being slap-bang in the centre of the town, it still manages to attract its fair share of customers. Every credit must go to Good Bean for the excellent customer service provided. The staff treat customers as individuals, and are always polite and friendly. Genuinely... Read review

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Advantages: Excellent food, great menu, nice friendly staff, good value
Disadvantages: The food is addictive.

...Every time I go out in Nottingham they have opened another new bar or restaurant. Being the nosey, curious person that I am, I like to try as many as possible (purely in the name of research of course). I do have to say that when I found my latest restaurant Henry J Beans (Cornerhouse – Nottingham) I was very pleasantly surprised. I had just finished my Friday rush at work, when my partner, who finishes earlier than me, turned up to take me out for dinner (by way of apology/creeping as he was ditching me that night for his mates). ‘Great’ I was thinking Mc Donald’s again, but I was wrong. We had noticed the restaurant having its finishing touches a few weeks back and I had commented that it looked interesting. So ‘bless him’ he was taking me there. When we arrived I didn’t know what... Read review

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Advantages: Relaxing Place to Stop Off
Disadvantages: Closes Early

...the lovely coffee smell, fresh and ground beans just seem to give of such a welcoming and warm feeling. The only think which is slightly disappointing is that this shop shuts around 6pm, just when you have finished your expiditions for the day and want to relax with a coffee before dinner and beginning your night entertainment, so this is a slight let down. *****Food and Drink***** The food itself is wide ranged, if not slightly expensive. There are a whole selection of sweet and savoury attributes, from simple Weymouth cupcakes, to chocolate toast and sandwiches. As with the food, the drinks vary in a wide range. Obviously, the speciality it hot drinks, from simple coffee's to latte's, hot chocolates, tea, iced tea - anything you can think of and fancy really. As the staff are so friendly and well trained, they are able to make... Read review

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Advantages: Good range of very beautiful animals, a wonderful day out
Disadvantages: A little expensive, can be a sad experience

...if the boot was on the other foot, none of us lot would be seen dead pointing and staring at a boring human bean, oohing and aaahing and taking photo after photo for our album collection. God, we'd have much better things to do with our time. Ok, personal rant over and now to the point at hand. A few days ago I was approached by a lovely young lady (Oh, she should have been born an animal, what an insult to her beauty and intellect putting her in the human race), and she told me (in giraffe language, obviously, which very few humans are capable of learning) all about this wonderful opinion website called ciao. "Why don't you write an opinion on London zoo?" she said, oh so intelligently. "Why not indeed", I thought, as I dreamt of fame and fortune, and of at long last receiving worldwide recognition for something other than simply being... Read review

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Advantages: Comfortable seating, reasonable priced drinks and friendly staff
Disadvantages: It closes at 6pm

...A few months back now something totally different opened in Weymouth. It was the Good Bean coffee shop. Weymouth being a tourist town is full of cheap and tacky tea rooms with uncomfortable wooden chairs and rip off prices. Good bean is a breath of fresh air to the town. *The shop Just standing outside the store you can see that this is something different. The first thing you come across is the way that there is seating and tables outside for you to drink your coffee at, perfect if you want to work on your tan whilst relaxing. As you walk in the shop is well lit and decorated with bright colours. Taking a look round the shop you can either sit looking out the window watching the world go by, on comfortable wooden chairs or on the comfortable arm chairs. Actually these arm chairs are so comfortable you will find yourself... Read review

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Advantages: Jelly beans galore
Disadvantages: None

...If like me you enjoy the original gourmet jelly beans, JELLY BELLY, then like me you will want to know one of the best shops around to buy them. My search for the ultimate outlet for this delicious sweet finally took me to Selfridges, Oxford Street, London. Here in their sweet department is a whole range of these wonderful sweets. Pick and mix your own or buy gift packs, bean dispencer machines. They have the whole range. So if you like these sweets, pop along to selfridges and have your fill.... Read review

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Advantages: Luxury and Quality
Disadvantages: Slightly Expensive, Smoking Permitted

...Costa Coffee is the ultimate in trendy Coffee bars, with new Costa’s springing up all over the country –there should be one near you. The classical Italian design and content of the stores gives a real quality feel, and coupled with the great seats (sofas and chairs), makes an ideal place to chill out with some mates. I usually visit Costa in the morning (they open at 7.30am),where I buy a medium mocha chino and an almond Danish – which is £1.80 for the coffee and £1.50 for the Danish. Expensive – but worth it for the quality. As a coffee shop, Costa have a HUGE variety of coffees, from different regions and of different strengths and types etc…, to much to go into here. However, from what I have tasted (cappuccino, mocha chino, hot chocolates and white chocolate coffee) I can say that the beans have... Read review

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Advantages: Great fun day out for all the family
Disadvantages: Can get busy

..., although this may be different to what you are given. SOUTH AMERICAN JUNGLE Upon entering the first part of the tour, you may be quite surprised when you walk in as it is like stepping into a dark jungle! This section gives a little history of the first use of cocoa beans (which are used to make chocolate) and shows how the Mayans and Aztecs first used cocoa beans as a type of currency. There are lifelike models, sounds and boards of accompanying information. It is quite interesting to find out just how long chocolate has been around for. People I know with children who've taken them to Cadbury World have told me how their kids got scared at this part, there was an upset child when we were there too so if you have small children you may want to walk through this part. INTRODUCTION TO EUROPE The next section of the tour shows... Read review

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Advantages: A great day out, fun for kids and adults
Disadvantages: Can work out pricey

...in the shape of a bloke dressed as a cocoa bean. I was secretly pleased that he wasn't there because he attracts such a huge group of kids it's impossible to get in the doors sometimes. The entrance can get quite busy so make sure you keep a tight hold on little kids - we lost Alice last year for ten minutes till the security guard called us on the tannoy to say she was eating chocolate with him! Bear in mind here that this visit will last anywhere between 2 and 3 hours and Cadbury World is completely no smoking so if you can't go too long without a fag then grab one while you're looking at the Cream Egg cars. My ticket entitled me to priority admission so we only had a wait of around 5 minutes after showing our ticket but what you usually have to do is pay for your ticket and then you're given an admission time and won't be allowed in until... Read review

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Advantages: Very comfortable environment lots of blends to choose from
Disadvantages: the price

...ridiculously long.. all very quiet contemplating what sort of beverage (that contains caffeine) they should have and 'oh yes, whether to have an pannini toasted sandwich. It all takes so much time.. especially if you have sped directly from your bed, which looks very likely that they did you have been in the Oxford Street branch at 8.36 am. Yea, I must confess this has become my normal daily patter. I'm guilty; but some-how I feel this is all going to change and I tell you why? Starbucks, will become a victim of their own success if there price-plan doesn't change. Quality of product is very good..but if people stop going in droves - will it effect the bean quality? Or more importantly lets try and save your own at this difficult time. > The actual costs that will save you loads of beans. I can remember small coffee houses that were run... Read review

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