This morning I had breakfast at the Salisbury Café (opposite the West Road mosque), for my very first time.

I nearly did so a couple of months ago but after I had entered I was told the café was not ready for business but would be in 15 minutes. While I found that to be an acceptable answer (these things do happen after all) I didn’t like the put down when I said I was not willing to wait but will come back another time. That was enough to put one of for good but since I’m anti snowflake I took it on the chin.

Another potential problem (which was no fault of the café) was a lack of nearby parking, but there was a space free by the mosque and so I decided to check out the establishment. I was the only customer at the time, although a few minutes later four dustmen entered, no doubt part of a regular routine and reminding me of what happened when I was dustman aged 18. There was a range of set traditional breakfasts on offer from basic to mega, but given my appetite is less these days I went for the basic offering. The only choice was how I liked my bread and tea or coffee. I went for fried bread for a change (which I liked a lot) and tea (which was also nice). I was tempted to try my luck by asking for substitutions, e.g. mushrooms instead of beans, but this time I was happy to settle with what was on offer.

The premises was clean and the service smart and efficient even if lacking a little in human warmth. The breakfast was nicely cooked and I didn’t have to wait long, although I rate the bacon and sausage as no better than acceptable, but then the value was good – £4.40 total. I enjoyed my breakfast in peace and had no human interaction other than when ordering and being served. I noted there was a fair selection of lunch time meal choices, all of which were inviting and reasonably priced. While I was not over wowed by my experience, I liked it enough such that I would be happy to come back again.