I visited Brown Bears Coffee House in Cwmbran - a review

Walking through the door of Brown Bears' Coffee House, it was quickly apparent to me that this was a beloved and popular café for many people from Cwmbran - the queue for tables was out the door and tables were filled with the warm hubbub of chatter and clattering cutlery while people enjoyed their meals. 

There was so much to choose from and it was clear they are very popular (Image: Sallie Phillips, Newsquest)

I was quickly introduced to café manager Jake, who apologised it would be a bit of a wait for a table, so I took the opportunity to have a bit of a wander round and choose my meal from the artfully designed menus on the walls and tables. 

After a few minutes, when I chatted to some locals who were clearly regulars as they were greeted like old friends by the staff, I was shown to a table. 

I ordered a Lotus Biscoff milkshake that had come highly recommended, and a jacket potato with cheese and beans - a bit low key - but I was keen to save the best 'til last as I had my eye on one of their signature waffles or crepes. 

My Lotus Biscoff shake was delicious! (Image: Sallie Phillips, Newsquest)

The shake was delicious, creamy and full of sweet flavour - I hadn't tried one of these before, and this has left me expecting a very high standard in the future!

For dessert, I scanned the special crepe menu, after quickly realising I might be too full for a waffle. 

As part of their speciality, you can pick a base sauce, filling and topping from a varied list for any waffle, crepe or cookie dough. 

A true chocoholic's heaven - yum! (Image: Sallie Phillips, Newsquest)

Being a bit of a chocoholic, I went for a crepe with a base sauce of Nutella, a strawberries filling and drizzled with melted milk chocolate on top, served with ice cream to help combat the richness of chocolate. 

From the first bite I was in heaven, the chocolate melding perfectly with the strawberries as you'd expect, which were so juicy they made sure the double chocolate layer wasn't too rich. 

That was a delicious meal - I can see what all the fuss was about and can't wait to return! (Image: Newsquest)

The crepe was perfectly light and fluffy, not at all stodgy or difficult to manage. 

All in all, it ended up being one of the best lunches I've had out in a very long time, and it was very easy to see why Brown Bears is so popular and why it has been named the best Welsh coffee shop around!

The staff were so warm and welcoming, constantly being attentive despite the fact they were so busy with the lunchtime rush.

I couldn't have asked for a better experience, and I was impressed how they kept finding time to check everything was ok with my food while still serving all their other customers to an excellent standard. 

I'll be returning soon to try a waffle or another meal, and I would highly recommend anyone, sweet tooth or not, to do the same!