The Banks of the Tyne, Wallsend

It's holiday time!  That means coffee time!  And so it was off to the north side of the river (I must not say the dark side.  I must not say the dark side) to meet a young friend.  We chose TBOTT because it was near and I was late, having parked in completely the wrong place and what did we find?  Well, it was a down to earth workaday place.  Very well used and obviously a lot of valued customers which always gets a gold star in my book.  We had coffee and hot chocolate respectively but forswore the cake.  Not because it didn't look nice, but just because the lady serving us took our drinks order and then didn't ask if we wanted anything else.  Not that I'm a shy bairn or anything like that, but it just proves the customer service point - always ask it there is anything else!

Would I go back?  Well, if I ever find myself on the dark side again I might be tempted by the £1.99 all day breakfast!

Denton Coffee House, West Road, Newcastle upon Tyne

Let's start with the cake, shall we?  Nice texture and covered with icing and cream - what could be nicer?  Nothing in Grace's world!  The nice lady that runs the Denton Coffee House told me that the cake was made with yogurt and that kept it moist and lovely.  I liked the oranges and lemons on the cream too, nice touch.

So, having established that the cake will be more than enough to draw me back to this establishment again, let's tell you a little more about the place itself.  You'll feel right at home.  Why? Because it's filled with furniture just like you have in your house (I'll pause here while you check that yours is still there!).  Yes, there were three piece suites, coffee tables and dining tables too, so plenty of choice.  Those who know me well can picture me at the proper dining table, but the young family in at the same time as me were happily seated on the sofa and chairs round a coffee table just like home.

What's more, there are things to buy too bric a brac, jewellery, books.  Do you know what - if I was running a cafe it would be just like this!  Bright and breezy, everything on the menu (if you must have savoury it's there, but cake comes first for me), and my pre-loved goods on sale.

In my wilder moments I imagine it on the site of an old Roman coffee shop where the legionaries used to pop in for an amphora or two before heading further along the Wall to Housesteads (I know, I know) but ancient or modern this little cafe is an asset to Denton Burn.