Afternoon Tease

http://afternoontease.co.uk/

I know what you're thinking: what do afternoons have to do with breakfast? Or teasing, or teas, for that matter? Well it turns out that this Cambridge foodie hotspot also does breakfasts, of a sort:

French Toast, bacon, and banana 

This cost £6.50 (not including beverages, more of which later). I'm not a French toast expert - in fact I was previously under the impression I hated the stuff - but this was very nice. Soft brioche, slight crust, maple syrup, the bacon was streaky and good quality. Not crunchy but that was OK and the taste meshed well with everything else (except possibly the banana, but then I was too scared to try that combo).

Now, coffee. Afternoon Tease is one of these gourmet places that probably have freshly roasted posh beans but insist on serving it small and tepid. Possibly this preserves delicacy of flavour, probably it matters less for espresso or milky drinks, but in any event my Americano was a gutless disappointment. Breakfast coffee should be punchy, substantial and hot; this failed on all counts. It cost £2.20.

Lastly, a word on ambience. You will be cocooned in posh hipster moronising. The seating is cramped so there's no escape. Either this will matter to you or it won't. This isn't a criticism of the staff who seem very pleasant.

Overall a good alternative to a traditional English, if you can find somewhere nice to sit and have enough company to insulate.

• Food     4
• Value    3
• Service  4
• Ambience 2
• Coffee   2 (but 4 if you choose wisely!)