There’s no shortage of coffee shops on Whiteladies Road, but a new cafe near Durdham Down is already proving popular with locals as it seeks to offer a space where “everyone is welcome”. For owner Sophie Asghar and her husband, Coco Clifton is their first venture into the hospitality trade, but looking around at the chic, well-appointed interior and a sweeping menu of cakes and coffees, you’d be hard-pushed to guess they were newcomers.
Previously Sophie worked for 20 years in telecoms but says a career in coffee was something she always dreamed of, particularly when she was on maternity leave with her three children and would spend time in cafes daydreaming about one day running her own. As with many people, the pandemic prompted a reconsideration of her priorities, so she decided to pursue a change.
Speaking to Sophie, a self-confessed coffee obsessive, she’s spent a lot of time meticulously planning every aspect of Coco Clifton, from its location to its decor, right down to the insistence on not charging extra for alternative milks, something she says her customers are often surprised by. As her children all attend schools nearby, Sophie says she’s got to know the area well and wants Coco Clifton to be the type of place people can feel comfortable stopping in for a caffeine boost, whether with adults, with children or solo.
Read More: New vegan restaurant Pastan to open in Bristol
When a commercial space in her ideal location became available, convenient for her kids to stop by, Sophie says she knew she had to jump at the chance, despite the turbulent economic outlook for the country. Although friends and family cautioned her, Sophie and her husband believe there’s "no such thing as the ideal time" and hope that as coffee is an affordable luxury, people will still want to treat themselves.
Sophie has been surprised by the range of ages and types of people who have stopped by so far, from children and parents to older adults and professionals. She wants everyone to feel relaxed there, whether that means using the WiFi to work on a laptop or taking advantage of the neat stack of colouring books in the corner of the marble-look bar.
The shop has been remodelled as it was previously a beauty parlour, and was in need of some work when they took over the lease. Sophie, having spent so many years envisaging her fantasy cafe, knew exactly what she wanted. Immaculate, stylish and comfortable, the space blends masculine and feminine touches from a striking large faux flower wall to the huge monochrome mural of the iconic Clifton Suspension Bridge sitting opposite.
Open seven days a week from 7.30am until 5pm on weekdays and 9/10am to 3pm on weekends, Coco Clifton offers coffee and sweet treats including cakes, warm croissants and pain au chocolat, yum-yums and vegan tropical flapjacks, all made by local suppliers. For lunch, there are freshly filled paninis, baps and wraps and hot vegan samosas prepared by a woman in the community who has been hand-making them for over 40 years.
In the new year, they hope to expand into jacket potatoes and hot breakfast baps, but they already cater for vegan, vegetarian, halal and gluten-free diets. From the get-go, Sophie said she wanted to have plenty of choices so that everyone could find something that appealed, even extending to coffee alternatives.
One of their most popular drinks is a pink chai from the Kashmiri mountains, a traditional tea with cinnamon and cardamom in a very Instagrammable pastel pink shade. Comforting and spicy, it's both milky and refreshing, making it a perfect decaf option.
When Bristol Live visited, we also sampled the rich and full-bodied decaf latte paired with a deliciously decadent brownie topped with flakes of real 23-carat gold. We were overwhelmed with choice as all the cakes looked fresh and tempting, even at the end of a long day, but we settled on a wonderfully tangy peanut butter banana bread cake slice to go.
As Sophie quickly and expertly prepares the drinks, you would never guess that until now, her only coffee-making experience was using small domestic machines. After blind-tasting several different brands of coffee, she decided to use Illy to supply Coco’s coffee which meant attending Illy University in London to become a certified barista.
Does she miss telecoms at all? “No,” Sophie says, “I miss the people and my colleagues, but we’re in touch, and I told them what I've done and said, ‘come in for a coffee’,” Sophie says they’ve been blown away by the work ethic of the staff they’ve hired, all local students, who have also had Illy training.
In the future, Sophie and her husband would love to expand with a coffee van for festivals and other locations. But for now, they're feeling very content, ready for a short Christmas break, and excited to keep building a community around their coffee shop.
Do they regret taking a leap of faith during a cost-of-living crisis? “No," says Sophie," Footfall has been great; the community, the local businesses, everyone has been so welcoming and supportive. I absolutely love it.”
Coco Clifton is at 205 Whiteladies Rd, Redland, Bristol BS8 2XT and is due to re-open after a Christmas break on December 30.
Read More:
- I tried the Christmas sandwich from Sandwich Sandwich and it's a lot
- The Bristol café that sells the best festive freakshakes
- YO!'s JFC festive Christmas Bucket is a take on KFC with an added dollop of Japanese festive tradition
- Michelin Guide 2023 reveals all the Bristol restaurants on the esteemed list
New supermarket opens in Emersons Green selling Asian products and bubble tea
