The One Cafe, Grainger Street

Another day working in the city centre, so naturally another cafe to visit, but which one?  I had in mind Kaffeccinos as it was a regular haunt but I couldn't use it last year as it wasn't new territory.  Imagine my horror when I found it closed and repossession notices slapped all over it!  How can this be?  It seemed so go-ahead and always so busy.  Doubtless the cafe trade is suffering along with the rest of us - I've taken to glancing at the businesses for sale in the Journal and have spotted several eateries that I recognise on the market - and perhaps one of the first things to be cut out is eating out.  To the owners and former staff, I wish you good luck and good fortune.

But life goes on and I headed past the bus stops to The One Cafe.  I'll confess that I'd looked at this previously and decided against as I thought it was just the two tables in the window by the deli counter.  Oh no, it's right at the back of the shop.  Bizarrely you walk in past the newspapers and groceries and order your food at what appears to be the off licence.  I breezed in like a hurricane (only an hour for lunch and plenty to do) so didn't see the menu, didn't read the signs about finding a table then ordering, in short - chaos!  The lad at the counter was unfazed and soon I was at a side table waiting for a cheese and ham toastie and a cup of tea.  I took stock of my surroundings.  There were small tables and chairs, neat and functional and a couple of sofas.  An ancient bicycle strung with fairy lights marked the entrance to the toilets and the walls were covered with the flags of all nations and posters/cardboard cutouts of stars from the world of entertainment. While I was waiting for my food, the waitress came round and lit tealights on each table. The floor was thin darkwood planks that somehow reminded me of the floor at Woolworths in my childhood.  Do they sprinkle it with silver sand in wet weather to prevent slipping, I wondered, just like Woolies used to?

My sandwich came promptly, white bread, coloured cheese, chunky ham; accompanied by even chunkier homemade coleslaw and some salad.  The tea was Ringtons.  I ate in the company of a table of young professionals and some older (yes even older than me) couples who might have been killing time while waiting for the bus.  Lordy, this is yet another cafe that I loved!  It might not be the Cafe Royal but it was interesting dammit, and at £2.79 at today's prices for the all day breakfast I fully intend to go again.

Mark Toney's, Grainger Street

Wasn't too sure where to head for this week so decided to wander the town centre and see what turned up.  And what turned up in the time available was Grainger Street.  I've been in Kaffecinos loads of times so couldn't credibly use that one (nice though it is), which left me heading across the road to Mark Toneys.  I have to say I was expecting functional, possibly a little down at heel, but it was none of these.  It was more like a slightly over the top granny's lounge.  A bit chintzy, plenty of artificial flowers, 60s/70s music going.  NO sofas - imagine that!  everywhere has sofas now!  But Mark Toneys has escaped the madness and you have to sit up at the table and eat properly just the way I like it.
I ordered tea and a cheese scone (two lots of butter - yay!) and settled down in a corner behind the artificial flowers where I could admire the dark wood, ceramic tiles and carpeted floor unobserved.  The menu looked good too and the place is open till 8pm, so if you're in town after 5 and all that this may be the place to head.
There are several seating options:  introverts like me can head past the counter, down a couple of steps to rows of tables at the back, leaving the raised platform with its brass rails opposite the counter to the extroverts.  Not sure?  then settle for the tables alongside the counter.  Deranged?  then you can choose to carry your food down a scary flight of stairs to the windowless basement where you can enjoy the claustrophobia and watch everyone coming in and out of the toilets.  There's no waitress service downstairs according to  a notice on the counter - I didn't mention the waitress service?  I didn't get it, maybe it's for full meals only or for the aged and infirm.
What else?  Teatime specials!  I didn't notice that until it was too late or I might have opted for the buy a large coffee, get a free cake routine.  Loyalty cards!  Advertised, but again I wasn't offered.  All day breakfasts!  I could have done with one of those.  You know what?  I think I'm going to have to...