The Red Cafe

I was about to push back the doors of Start the Bus when I had a flashback to the night before. Shots, cocktails and singing loudly — I don’t think I could revisit the shame so quickly. I had a look around, my brain struggling to concentrate with the lack of caffeine. And then I spotted the Red Café. With a lovely outdoor patio area, filled with smiling customer’s tucking into a Panini, I’d found my recovery spot.
I was served quickly by the pleasant waitress, which was a real blessing given my self-​induced condition. My friends ate soup to cure their ailments which tasted as delicious as they looked (yes, I’d managed to pull together the strength to eat by this point) and my cappuccino tasted like a bargain at just £2.
A lifesaver in a hangover crisis, but for a hearty lunch time — I’d still opt for Start the Bus.

I’ve never been too enamoured to this city centre café. Sitting outside, you have crowds of people rushing past you and a set of traffic lights going off every couple of minutes. Not somewhere you can have a quiet cup of coffee. Things are a bit quieter inside though, so it isn’t too bad in this regard (though if you are looking for quiet I recommend the café in St. Stephen’s Church round the corner).
The food’s pretty good, as is the coffee. The prices are a little too high if you ask me. I know that this is the city centre, but you can still find plenty of cheap places around and if money’s is dictating your dining choices then there’s Tesco’s over the road and the soft grass of Castle Park for a bargain basement lunch. The Red Café doesn’t really sell itself to me but hasn’t got anything massively wrong with it.

Situated just off the fountains in the centre of town, opposite start the bus, the Red Café is a good place to grab a bite to eat for lunch. It’s quite a small, cosy place on the inside, but if the weather’s good it’s got a decent sized outdoor area which have a number of tables and chairs. It does have a cover on this front bit, so even if it is raining you can risk the seats.
Their prices are pretty good for the centre of town, around £2 for a coffee and paninis in the region of £5. The food is probably worth it, though for the standard things they offer it’s a little overpriced. I always thought the counter area was a bit too big for the size of the premises, as it doesn’t leave much room for the tables inside, but they’ve managed to cram quite a few in. I’ve seen it busy in here on a number of occasions which is always a good sign, but the times I’ve been in have been pretty peaceful, which makes a nice atmosphere and is probably when the café is at its best.