The Tin Cat Cafe has always been a favourite of mine. Visited on several occasions and the food, service and ambience has been top notch.

Having heard positive reviews about their breakfasts, some mates and I decided to meet for a Saturday morning catch-up.

It was a wintery morning as we entered the café, and after a short wait, we were greeted by one of the staff. We were shown our table and the conversations began immediately. As I knew I would be in conversation mode, I had a prior look at their online menu – meaning more time to talk rather than being the indecisive food blogger who spends too much time deciding what to order – first world problems, right?!

Still experiencing trouble deciding between the Porridge and the French Toast special, I asked the waiter for advice on which they would recommend - the waiter didn’t seem keen on either of them. Fair enough, they was being honest, but I found it very surprising they weren’t more enthusiastic about selling the menu. Since no other recommendations were provided – I opted for the rhubarb porridge – always an oats lover!

The café’s interior is simple and pleasant – although, it was chilly sitting in the main dining room. The cafe was quite busy at this point; fortunately, it wasn’t a long wait for our food and beverage’s.

I should have listened to the waiter; the porridge was bland to say the least. It was a hearty serving, but let down by very uninteresting elements. The rhubarb provided some flavour, but the entire dish lacked that wow factor that I know (being an avid porridge maker at home) is not difficult to accomplish.

Unfortunately, when the waiter arrived with my friend’s order of scrambled eggs, they arrived poached (even after confirming the order!). At this point, he was ravenous, and accepted the incorrect order. The actual eggs were not bad, he said - just disappointing they weren’t the way he wanted them.

B ordered bacon, eggs and baked beans that confusingly arrived without eggs. The beans were served with maple syrup, which he said tasted quite odd.

Sadly, on this occasion, the Tin Cat was a letdown for me. I’ve visited numerous times for dinner and have continuously had an enjoyable experience, but this weekend morning breakfast left a lot to be desired.

Give it a try for yourself though….they might have just had a off day!

Until next time, happy noms :)

rhubarb porridge