Coffee Bean

Coffee Bean is exactly what you'd expect from a high street café in a north London suburb: functional, cheap, and unpretentious. The salt beef sandwich is the star here—it's hearty, properly seasoned, and worth the trip if you're working up an appetite between shopping stops. The coffee is passable, nothing fancy, but it hits the spot when you need a caffeine kick without breaking the bank.

That said, don't come expecting warmth or hospitality. Service is self-serve, which feels a bit like a cafeteria from the 90s, and the kitchen's attention to detail is... inconsistent. Some days the croissant is fresh, other days it's questionable. The interior is basic but clean, with enough seating for a quick bite. It's the kind of place you visit when you need to grab something fast and cheap, not when you're hunting for a memorable meal.

If you're a local, you'll probably have your own take on it—some swear by the salt beef, others avoid it entirely. Either way, it's a fixture on High Street, and its low prices keep it busy even when the quality wavers. Just go in with realistic expectations and you'll probably walk away satisfied.