We visit the cosy and affordable Bristol cafe where the menu is scribbled on the walls

The east Bristol suburb of Redfield has a growing reputation as a place to visit for good food and drink and The Faraway Tree is very much part of that scene.

Named after a series of novels by children’s author Enid Blyton, this cosy and family-friendly cafe has been open since 2014 and it serves a selection of breakfast and lunch meals.

The menu includes vegetarian and vegan dishes such as cooked breakfasts, miso pho bowls with sticky ginger and chilli tofu and field mushroom and spinach melts. Some of their vegetarian dishes can be made vegan upon request.

They also have an evening menu available from 5pm to 8.30pm, which is also an opportunity to enjoy cocktails and other drinks.

We decided to pay The Faraway Tree a visit on a Wednesday lunchtime and it was very busy.

Inside the red-painted cafe, there were paper lanterns on the ceiling and the menu was written on the wall and chalkboards. It’s all very informal and relaxed.

I ordered an apple juice, a bowl of sweet potato fries (£3.95), a regular-sized bowl of miso pho with sticky ginger and chilli tofu (£5.95) and a Belgian chocolate brownie (£2.95), which was stored in a covered glass cabinet by the till along with other cakes and pastries.

After ordering, I was encouraged to take a seat, and the food and drinks would be brought to the table. The cafe was popular with different age groups and included families but since it was quite busy, it was a bit on the noisy side.

The food arrived within half an hour. The sweet potatoes were warm, sweet and soft. They had their skin on, showing that they were cut on the premises.

The bowl of miso pho with sticky ginger and chilli tofu was beautifully presented and was packed with vegetables including beansprouts, carrots, baby corn, pepper, carrots, cabbage and broccoli.

The tofu was slightly chewy with a crunchy layer of batter. Overall, the dish was slightly spicy, very filling and gave a cosy warmth.

The brownie was soft and crumbly and bursting with chocolate flavour.

Overall, the meal was very satisfying and reasonably priced at £14.60. The staff were also very friendly.

The Faraway Tree is open Monday to Thursday from 9.30am to 3pm, Friday from 9.30am to 9pm and Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 3pm.

The Faraway Tree, 136 Church Road, Redfield, Bristol, BS5 9HH.