The beans and sausages are under the eggs

We were sitting in Cafe 94 on Beeston High Road when we felt as if we had been here before. It turned out that we had, several years ago when it was called Coffee Cup Cafe. The place has had a bit of a face-lift to bring it into line with the trendier coffee culture establishments, (while ironically removing the word 'coffee' from its name). Recently, Nottingham city centre has lost two really good traditional cafes, both in Broadmarsh shopping centre, and in the last few years we have lost Denise's Gingham Kitchen (now a Subway) and the much missed Hollies. This is a worrying trend because we are losing these proper cafes in favour of faceless chains, not only that but as the world gets more health conscious then we are breeding a generation of people who think that fruit and yogurt washed down with a carrot smoothie is an acceptable breakfast. Why aren't schools educating children in the art of moderation? Of course you shouldn't eat fried food every day of the week but a fry-up is a treat to have at the weekend because you have the time to enjoy it. On a Saturday, Sunday or Bank Holiday Monday (or Sunday +1 as it is now referred to), everyone should be having a treat. 

None of the above plight of Nottingham's cafes has been reported in the local media because apparently there isn't a breakfast critic around to turn to and ask for an article to be written. There is some kind of blackout as far as the press is concerned, and more often than not they will turn to someone unsuitable. Go to my (inexplicably underfollowed) Twitter account and check out my #lostmynumber hashtag for evidence. 

Anyway, to return to Cafe 94 in Beeston, it has been updated but thankfully nobody has told either the staff or the customers. I am happy to report that this is not somewhere to find the rolled up trousers and silly hat brigade all drinking elder flower and sweet potato craft ales out of old gardening boots, it was business as usual here with a mixture of old and young eating all day breakfasts and things with chips. It wasn't until I looked at the blog from the last time we visited this place in 2014 that the big breakfast was exactly the same as it was before. Our orders were taken fairly quickly despite the fact that the place was busy, and as mentioned in the last blog they did that trick of bringing the tea out well in advance of the breakfast. Points were lost straight away as the waitress brought me a dirty cup that had to be changed, gladly without a problem. The breakfast was faultless and for once the bacon was nice and crispy, as a bonus the whole thing came quicker than it did back in the Coffee Cup Cafe days and if that is the only thing that has changed in this Emperor's New Clothes eaterie then all is well in Beeston.

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