Overview

I popped into Restore for a bite to eat and an iced coffee as I was working locally on College Green, which is a particularly beautiful part of the city, home to the City Hall and the Central Library. The café has a great offering of food and hot drinks, and pleasant, helpful staff. It's let down a little by the accessible toilet, however. Still, if you're looking for a cold coffee on a hot day, I'd recommend popping by.

Transport & Parking

Bristol Temple Meads Station is around a mile away, though be aware that there is quite a hill on the way up to College Green. There are cycle paths on the way, so make sure not to wander onto them. The nearest bus stop is right across the street from the café. The Cityline routes 1, 2, 2a, 3 and 4, as well as the Temple Meads Connection 8, routes 5, 71, 72, 77, the U2 Unibus and the Y6 South Glos Lynx all operate from this location. There is no dedicated parking, but a small car park and some on-street parking can be found locally on Frog Lane, 100 metres away. There are no specific accessible parking spaces here, however.

Access

The door was pinned open on my arrival and is wide enough for my manual wheelchair, though it may be a challenge for a larger mobility device. Inside the café, there is level access throughout. It’s spacious, with tables and chairs as well as high stools. There are also plastic seats and small round tables outside, looking onto the City Hall area, which is pleasant when the traffic clears. There is a fridge to your right as you enter, stocked with cold drinks and pre-prepared sandwiches. Some of the items are placed high up, so I had to ask for help to reach them. The counter doesn’t have a lowered section, but the card reader can be reached from a seated height, or the staff can bring it down to you. I moved some chairs and was able to get my wheelchair under the table. My food was brought to my table, and the staff were quick to ask if I needed help, which I appreciated. There were no alternative formats in use.

Toilets

This is one part that lets the café down. There is an accessible toilet, which I'll always appreciate, but there is a large bin in the right-side transfer space, which renders it useless. On either side of the toilet seat, there are silver grab rails. The red cord hangs to the right when seated, but it’s tucked away, making it hard to reach. There were also a lot of used toilet paper tubes lying around the room. The sink has a lever-style tap and a small basin, which is awkward to get into when using a wheelchair. Grab rails are installed on either side. This is a toilet for all, so there’s no need for a RADAR key. The door opens outwards.

Staff

Very helpful and eager to make sure I was comfortable.

Photos