The Shepherdess Cafe on City Road/Shepherdess Walk is the real deal, an authentically retro caff that made me feel all warm and smiley. It's got a slightly chalet feel to it, and I really loved the painted-on curtains in the windows. I mean, how often do you actually see painted-on furnishings?
Inside, the cafe has a really lively, cheerful, busy vibe. As you go in the door (which ain't that easy if there's a queue at the sweetie counter), you realise this is the genuine article: the faded-looking photos in the frames, the red table tops, the amazing green roofing decorating the servery area... It's a proper caff, with old-school, slightly mad decor and real character because of it.
Ok, so what about the food? I asked for mugs of tea as we sat down, and they arrived before I'd even got my coat off. I hadn't had any breakfast so went for a full-on fry up - even though it included chips, which I've always thought is a slightly strange and unnecessary addition to a fried breakfast - while my not-so-hungry companion had an avocado and bacon bap. He used to come to the Shepherdess all the time for lunch and this sarnie was his favourite thing to order. When it arrived, I could see why: the wholemeal bun was huge, for a start; the bacon was freshly cooked, and the sliced avocado ripe and generous, like it had literally just been scooped out of its shell and plonked in. The plate was garnished with three chips.
My breakfast was epic, a crammed plateful of the kind that keeps you full all day. I like baked beans to be soft and slightly mushy, a consistency that can only really be got from excessive cooking. Tick. Surprisingly good quality bacon, not too salty either. Tick. Crunchy, light, gorgeous chips. Tick. (So maybe they are a good addition after all.)
The Shepherdess - I say yes. I can't wait to go back.
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