I’d decided to catch up with an old friend as it was my day off which gave us the perfect opportunity to try out Coal Grill & Bar.

Walking into the restaurant it was just how you would imagine a place called ‘coal’ to be, black and gold interior with low lighting but noticeably stylish.

On the left was a classy looking bar with exposed brickwork and low hanging lights, the seats not filled by many people as it was a Thursday night.

Towards the back was an open kitchen with busy chefs working to get the orders out.

We were greeted by a friendly waitress who seated us quite quickly in some very comfortable seats.

The waitress offered us drinks straight away, my friend went for a Peroni and myself the typical gin and lemonade – only a single because I had to be at work the next day.

Looking at the menu I was pleasantly surprised by the varied choice I had as a vegetarian, in most restaurants I have a choice between two options: Salad or a burger.

But here I could pick from the veggie supreme, margherita pizza (add your own toppings), mac ‘n’ two cheese, vegan lasagne, jambalaya, and many more.

I didn’t venture out much as I ordered the margherita pizza with mushrooms and Jalapeños (£7.95 plus £2 per topping), unlike my friend who went with the jambalaya (£12.95).

We had picked a good time to eat because just after our food had been ordered it was quickly filling up.

It seems the small chain of only eight restaurants across the country including Bristol, Exeter, Gloucester and Telford, it was a popular place.

Once the food was brought out and placed in front of us I could see why so many people chose to come here to eat.

Although my pizza was lukewarm it was definitely tasty and you can never go wrong with a mushroom and jalapeños combo – which went nicely with my gin.

The dough was thin and perfectly cooked, soft with a bit of a crunch.

The jambalaya was well presented, a mix of rice, spicy tomato sauce, sweets peppers, onions, chorizo and chicken with a large grilled prawn resting on the top.

He described it as 'perfectly cooked with flavours that blended really well'.

This went down well as there were no complaints from us just very full bellies after eating the generous portions.

Although there were some tempting options for desserts we were too full and this was where the choice for veggies fell short.

For me I only had the choice between chocolate and coconut tart or the dairy ice cream.

All the staff remained friendly and swift the whole night.

Even asking for the bill was easy as we didn't have to hang around for a someone to come over with the card machine.

Coal Grill & Bar was a winner for me, it has a friendly atmosphere, a comfortable interior and tasty food.

The pricing was reasonable because the food was enjoyable and presented in good portions.

The location is perfect not only because it's a five minute walk into town and from my home but it was opposite the cinema.

But the only room for improvement I's suggest is a hotter pizza and more options on the dessert menu.

Despite that it's definitely a place I will visit again and I can't wait to try all the other vegetarian options.