This is a place with split personalities. By day it is a coffee shop with a good range of speciality coffees and teas, with delicious cakes and pastries to tempt you. You can also enjoy anything from a light bite to a full English breakfast in the mornings and a limited range of sandwiches, paninies and jackets at lunchtime. As it is licensed you can also enjoy a glass of wine or a beer to help your lunch go down. By night, this place really comes into its own. The coffee shop becomes a bar, but beware the atmosphere can vary from either very quiet, to lively, to somewhat rowdy, depending on what clientele happens to be passing at the time. Food is not served downstairs in the evenings, but the real strength of this place is the restaurant upstairs. I would stress that the above marks relate to the restaurant. The food has a continental twist and is always excellent as is the service which is efficient and understated. The restaurant overlooks the Strand gardens and the atmosphere is calm and candlelit. Ideal for romantic meals or dining with family or friends. Whilst downstairs during the day is a great place to hang out during the day, the restaurant is thoroughly recommended.
