This area has a lot of cafes. Actually, this area has a lot of *good* cafes. In such a competitive environment, the details really matter.
Caffe-in (see what they did there?) makes a great first impression. There's a suitably shambolic selection of tables and chairs, which comes down just the right side of quirky. It feels cosy. But a coffee shop lives and dies by its coffee. And it's... fine. I think Bouche, Lock 7 and Climpsons all have a slight edge, but it's perfectly passable. Caffe-in's coffee, however, is served in pretty small portions, which in and of itself is no bad thing; Nobody really needs a pint of latte. But it just didn't pack enough of a punch for "short" drink. And it still manages to be slightly more expensive than its local contemporaries.
Cake: I tried the tahini and raisin bundt cake. For three quid. I got a pretty measily slice. Small enough that it contained precisely zero raisins. And one end was pretty stale - clearly I was the first taker of the day. A pretty underwhelming experience, but I'll give them another chance on the sweet front - there were some tasty looking treats on offer.
So a few minor details. But, you know, the details matter.
Addendum: I've since been back for brunch and the food was solid for the price, but nothing to get overly excited about. read more