It was 2009 when I moved to Bristol. Since then, I’d like to think I’ve explored a lot of the city and its surrounds…but there are always new experiences to be had!
Last weekend, Keynsham was one of those – I’d never set foot in the place before. Technically, I guess it’s not Bristol, but with a BS postcode, it’s close enough.
We loved it: the playground in the Memorial Park was perfect for the three-year-old (especially the slide on the hill), a kind lady shared her bag of bird food so he could feed the ducks, and he’s already asking when he can go back.
Part of that is down to his lunch out as well. When we lived on the harbourside we were regular visitors to Grounded Bedminster with its decent coffee, reliable food offering, friendly service, suntrap of a garden and its family-friendly nature.
Grounded Keynsham is no different.
Well, it is in some ways. Inside this former Lloyds Bank building on the High Street it doesn’t feel like there’s quite as much space as in Bedminster – while there are both raised and normal seating areas, the tables are pretty close together and there’s not much room for manoeuvre, particularly for those with buggies or wheelchairs (there is a ramp up to the counter, though, so the place is accessible). It’s definitely got that same Grounded feel, though, with its mismatched furniture, cosy environment and chiller full of cakes and pastries to choose from, along with blackboard menus in Grounded’s signature style. There’s also a pretty attractive garden area out the back, which is just as much of a suntrap as the BS3 café.
The walls are adorned with artwork in a variety of styles, all of which is for sale, and which gives you plenty to look at while you’re waiting for your order to arrive.
The kitchen is open seven days a week, from breakfast through to evening on Monday to Saturday and until 5.30pm on Sundays. The menus at Grounded Keynsham are the same as in the café’s other branches: a brunch menu served until 4pm with breakfast dishes, sandwiches, burgers and other dishes, and their evening menu, which is when their pizzas make an appearance. There’s a dedicated kids’ menu too, with a choice of breakfast options as well as pretty generic kids’ mains, and pizzas in the evening.
Of course, as he does at any café, the kid had to kick the experience off with a babyccino, which he proclaimed to be “tasty”. With plenty of froth, chocolate sprinkles and marshmallows, it’s no wonder he was excited – and, unlike some places, Grounded Keynsham served it at a decent temperature which meant that it could be drunk straight away. Getting a toddler to wait when something they’re excited about is right in front of them is never easy, so it was a relief to be able to avoid the issue…
For his lunch, he picked the kids’ breakfast: £4.50 for toast plus a choice of three items from a list of traditional breakfast ingredients. I wasn’t surprised that he went for bacon, baked beans and a hash brown, and the look on his face in the picture below says it all. I was surprised by the sheer quantity of the butter he was given for one slice of toast (and the fact that it was served on top of the bread like that), but every element was decently cooked, and the bacon not overly fatty.
On the other side of the table, the adult version – £8.50 for the full breakfast – went down a storm. A pile of bacon – this version slightly fattier – sat alongside a fried egg, mushrooms, tomato, a hash brown, two sausages, toast (again with plenty of butter) and baked beans in a separate pot to prevent everything else from getting soggy. Again, no complaints here, and the whole lot was polished off pretty quickly.
I’m a sucker for a lasagne, and I’d never tried the Grounded version before. At £9.50 for lasagne, salad and a choice of chips or garlic bread, it was an impressive portion, served in its own dish and with plenty of cheese melted on top before being plated. It was a bit of a mixed bag: the white sauce, cheese and pasta were perfect, but the ground beef was in rather large lumps rather than a ragu, which was a bit offputting. The chips were nice and crispy but could have done with some seasoning, and the salad was a welcome addition to the plate!
While the lasagne wasn’t the best I’ve had, we had no complaints about the service, the rest of the food or the atmosphere. If we’re looking for somewhere reliable and family-friendly to grab a bite to eat in Keynsham again in the future, Grounded Keynsham will definitely be on the list.