Caffé Spice (again)

After a month or so of 'Antrim Coaster' travel (i.e. no stop-over time) finally got the next opportunity. Lost the plot a bit here, and took the easy option of a revisit to the Caffé Spice (very good breakfast bagel with pot of tea). But next time will report on "The BIG Sandwich Company" (looks good from outside). Stand by........

Pepe's

On the corner of Cross Street and Main Street. Tables and chairs with a raised area with more tables and (slightly tatty) window sofas, one of which we occupied. Busy when we went in, and stayed busy. Asked for the half-sized fry again (is this a Larne speciality? - its just right anyway) a scone and two cups of coffee. Nice coffee, food good, and efficient service. All for £3.95! The coffee cups were decorated with pink rims and forget-me-knots, and one the way out I noticed that everyone else had a mug. Clearly if you ask for a cup you get a cup. Clean uni-sex toilet.

25/01/10 - Pepe's now seems to be closed

The Cross Cafe

Summer has gone! - the Inver river is a brown torrent. The Cross Cafe is in Lower Cross Street, just across the main road from Caffé Spice. One half is a bakery, the other half a cafe, recently decorated and with the 'Friends' style sofas in the window, which is where I sat. The remains of others breakfasts still on table (which I could have constructed a perfectly adequate meal out of, but never mind), plus Fridays Daily Record (or something - News Of The Chavs), which I read. No other customers, and I didn't try the toilets being on my own with awkward luggage. All morning breakfasts on the menu so I had the Mini Fry and a big cup of black coffee for the amazing price of £1.95!

Caffé Spice

Summer at last! Got off bus in Victoria Road (by church) and dropped down into Upper Cross Street. The Caffé Spice is half way down on the right. Obviously fairly recently opened with a 'Euro café' look - brown leather chairs and benches with 'Friends' style sofa areas under the windows. Half full with families and couples and more of a 'lets go for coffee' crowd rather than weary shoppers. Good varied menu in the wraps and panini way. I ordered a croissant with egg, sausage and bacon, while E had scrambled egg with wheaten bread. And two large americanos - 'Do you want them now or with the meal?' - nice touch. Not much change for a tenner but very good food. A big city café. Disabled toilet.


And it has its own website, here!

Another miss.....

Hired a car for the 12th holiday (OrangeFest).....

No Report This Week

I took the direct bus (Antrim Coaster) both there and back.

The Mulberry

Horrible wet day (St John's Eve). The bus was a fancy double decker, we got a top front seat, but it was too wet to see anything. Our visit coincided with World Food Week (or something), so there was quite an extensive menu. Tables closely arranged leaving little room for our bags, but then this wouldn't bother most customers (shoppers taking a break). We had a mug of coffee each, E had a scone and I (slightly hungover) had an Ulster fry, the smaller one as this item came in two sizes - a brilliant idea. Very good value at under a fiver. Nice clean toilet.

Country Kitchen

Got off bus (long bendy one) in bus station, not very sure of our bearings. We thought there might be a coffee to be had in the nearby Co-op but no joy. We wandered through what would be best described as the arse-end of town (flyovers and car parks), past a small vintage motor bike gathering and on towards a shopping precinct. We spotted a StrEat chain cafe in the distance, but our route around the motorbikes took us near the Country Kitchen. By this time we only had enough for a quick coffee each, and were not really taking notes, so we will have to return.

As the bus loops around the town a bit before terminating, it would be better to get off before the bus station, and drop straight down to the main street.

Our old car....

..is now a metal cube somewhere in the wasteland of Belfast harbour.

The car was mainly used for taking us from Belfast up to Glenarm, where we have a small cottage (a.k.a concrete tent) we use as a bolthole. Otherwise the machine tended to sit outside the house all week - I can cycle to work and no-one else drives.

So we thought we would try living with public transport for a while. Belfast to Glenarm is about 30 miles or so, and while there is a direct bus service, its more usual to break the journey at Larne. The handiest route on Saturdays is the 10:30 Express which gets into Larne about 11:10, with the next Belfast-Cushendun bus leaving at 12:00.

This leave just enough time for a coffee and and a bite to eat, so to add a bit of excitement to the proceedings, we thought we'd sample all the cafes in town and report our findings to the world at large.......