The Tivoli - Wetherspoons

The Tivoli

It used to be a cinema back in the 1920s probably, and it's a lovely building, restored by Wetherspoons, now on three floors with many of the art deco features retained. It also serves a budget breakfast, and you can get a pint at 9am - what's not to love?!

Troby

We've had a few budget breakfasts recently - the Bailey Rooms, and Joy, but this one is even cheaper! For £2.59, you get egg, sausage, bacon x2, beans, hash browns and tomato, along with toast. Along with the 69p refillable coffee, this value really can't be beat. But is it any good?

I normally prefer to be in the dark regarding the calorie count of my fried breakfast

I was also worried that for £2.59, there might not be much of it, and was tempted to go for the larger breakfast but was a bit put off by the calorie count! - In the end I needn't have worried, the quantities were good. Particularly nice were the beans, which I usually could take or leave - quite tomatoey. The bacon was dry and leathery, but I'd prefer it like that than to be underdone. Hash browns crispy, egg was good and runny, and the toast was sort of singed rather than toasted but also ok.

Sausage a bit unflavoursome, but can't complain for £2.59

The biggest letdown is the sausage, but was certainly not the worst we've had on our breakfast quest (pardon the pun).

Free refills filter coffee was a bit weak, but also great value, and tasty enough. I had their machine coffee before, and it's quite nice.

Bean close up. They were tasty. Campfire toast in the background

• Food     3
• Value    5
• Service  4
• Ambience 3.5
• Coffee   3 

Seefud

that's an attractive centre piece

It would be fairly easy to knock this breakfast but at £3.28 including bottomless coffee, why bother? They've made a pretty decent breakfast from what were always going to be relatively cheap ingredients. I don't think I even grumbled at the hashbrowns and baked beans. I could have done with some mushrooms but they were available if I'd upgraded to a large breakfast. And 69p for unlimited refills of totally acceptable filter coffee? I don't think I can make my own at home for that price!

The service was pretty good, I had a wife and some children with me, and the barman came over with a high chair without being prompted. The ambience is fine. There's sultry foreign looking women reading novels and drinking coffee, builders fueling for a day of labour and football fans gently starting their 2 day bender on a Friday morning.

I'm starting to feel slightly better about the breakfast options in Cambridge. We need to find more places like this! It's all just "fine", except the service which was good and the value, which is amazing.

• Food     2.5
• Value    5
• Service  4
• Ambience 2.5
• Coffee   2.5