Stephen's reviews
Review of Flat White Espresso Bar
05 Dec 08, 14:39
Phizzz, Zing, Pow - whoa there! 
OMG these guys dish up some of the best, most powerful espressos know to man.
Go there for a shot after a heavy lunch and you'll be buzzing until at least tea time.
Excellent!
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Via Cafe
21 Nov 08, 11:03
Via is Nia 
Check out the reviews of this place here:
http://www.welovelocal.com/en/se/brighton-and-hove/brighton/cafes/nia-bn14er.html
Loads of people in Brighton think this place is called "Nia" because the sign on the outside was really badly written (the "V" looked like an "N")
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Pavilion Tea House
19 Apr 08, 18:12
Greenwich Park Cafe 
The Pavillion Tea House can be found right in the centre of Greenwich Park, and as you may imagine, with such a great location on sunny weekends it can get pretty packed full of tourists and mewling kids pestering the parents for a second helping of chocolate brownies.
It's a "grab a tray and pay at the counter" kind of cafe rather than table service but don't let that put you off too much as the food that they serve isn't half bad (if a wee bit pricey).
The portabello mushrooms on toast that I for breakfast there the other day was surprisingly good though sadly the same couldn't be said for the coffee.
Finally, if it's a nice day, and the squirrels aren't occupying all the chairs, you can eat out in the large garden area that they have at the rear of the pavillion.
Other than a couple of decent dishes on the mene it's all pretty average stuff, hence 3/5 for me.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Mr Egg
10 Apr 08, 11:03
Egg, Egg, Egg Lovely Egg, Wonderful Egg
Right, think of Monty Python's famous "Spam" song, now replace the word "Spam" with "Egg" and you'll have a good idea of what this place is all about.
Mr Egg is a landmark cafe located in central Birmingham. Running a "you can have anything you want... so long as it's egg" menu policy, it is rightly famed for its er, eggs.
The food is average cafe fayre but, rather like collecting T-shirts from Hard Rock cafe's in the early 90s, if you go to Birmingham you simply have to visit Mr Egg for an egg butty and stewed tea.
I'm reassured to see that it's still in business every time I visit Brum. Rumour has it that were it ever to close down the whole of Birmingham would implode into a big crunch singularity (and no one wants that now do they).
Long live Mr Egg.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Review of Nia
25 Mar 08, 20:25
Great Cafe in the North Laines
This place is great cafe to drop in on anytime of day. It's typical of the type of cafe that have begun to usurp the old fashioned greasy spoons that used to be all that was on offer in Brighton - all shabby chic mix-and-match furniture (including school desks for some tables) and offering a good mix of cafe food favourites served with a twist as well as more up-market dishes.
However, at the moment it appears to be closed for a re-fit (as at March 08) so I can't vouch for how it looks, or what they end up serving in a couple of month's time.
Let's hope they sort the signage out whilst they're at it as, thanks to the use of a swirly italic font I've always been confused as to whether it was called "Nia Cafe" or "Via Cafe" - something this site seems to suffer from too as I'm guessing this is the same place! http://www.welovelocal.com/en/se/brighton-and-hove/brighton/cafes/via-cafe-bn14er.html
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Kensington Cafe
25 Mar 08, 20:03
Average Brighton Cafe with run-off-the-mill breakfasts 
As the previous reviewer remarked, the best things about the Kensington Cafe are its location and its outside balcony that overlooks the hustle and bustle of the main pedestrianised shopping street in the North Laines.
If offers pretty good baked spuds with any topping you could imagine, but it's the English Breakfasts that let it down. You can go for a "Big Veggie" or a "Big Meat" neither of which are anything to write home about. The sausages taste cheap and processed and both the toast and bacon had more in common with cardboard than cordon blue.
Still, you pays your money and takes your choice. Though if it were me I'd venture a couple of streets further north to the corner of Trafalgar Street where you'll find the excellent Nia Cafe instead.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Billie's Cafe
25 Mar 08, 19:35
The best hangover breakfast in Brighton bar none
For those visiting Brighton for the weekend Billie's cafe is slightly off the tourist track but well worth the 5 minute walk up the hill from the main high street where you'lll find it nestled amongst the Georgian town houses that abound in the "Clifton Hill Conservation Area" on the corner of Upper North Street & Hampton Place.
Interior wise its honest rather that salubrious and all the better for it - think of it as more of an up-market greasy spoon rather than gastro-caff and you'll have the right idea.
They're deservedly famous for their "Hash" range of breakfasts (basically a huge mound of fried potatoes with whatever takes your fancy munged on top) which (in my experience) can cure some of the most malignant hangovers known to man. This fact has not gone un-noticed and, with only around 6 or 7 tables available, it's not uncommon to see a queue of hungover-looking locals weaving its way out the door and into the street whilst they wait for a table during peak Saturday and Sunday brunch times - get there before midday though and you should be OK.
The staff are all super friendly and willing to please and you'll find all the weekend papers and glossies available to flip through whilst you attempt to conquer your chosen hash mountain (go for the "Farmhouse" if you want the works, and have the bandwidth available to conquer it... you may have to undo a notch or two on your belt mind!)
All in all, heartedly recommended!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.