Jane Eyre is a new(ish) addition to the Balmain cafe set. It's in that little space at the back of an open air arcade with brown tiles. In summer, this is a really nice place to sit - part shade, part sun, and out of the wind.
The owners are incredibly friendly, and you get the sense that it's a family business. The coffee is fairly average and there is nothing particularly amazing on the menu, but I did like the fact that a) the owners were so smiley and considerate (they were worried that we were cold), and the biscotti was fresh, rich and full of goodies (rather than being stale and dry, like most biscotti around the traps). I liked it a lot - despite the Bronte name, this place is totally without pretensions, and it is certainly not a hipster hangout. But it would be a great place to steal away to and read a newspaper in the sun (if it ever stops raining).
There is also a saxophone in the cafe, sitting around, just waiting for someone to pick it up and play it. You know, Fernside has a guitar, other cafes have chalkboards or paper tablecloths, but Jane Eyre offers a big shiny Sax for anyone feeling creative. read more