Clifton Cakes at 120 St George’s Road is no more. Now, as of August 4th, the premises is home to the Salt Café, with owners Alan and Alice already off to a flying start.
Set over two floors, Salt Café is homely in its design: think wooden tables adorned with pot plants, cushions in the window and retro tiling behind the counter.
I was surprised to see that the café also featured a small deli area, which included products such as Gingerbeard’s preserves, Ooh! Chocolata chocolate, Pipers Farm crisps plus other essentials such as tinned tomatoes, chickpeas, coffee and honey to take home.
Behind the counter is a neat row of jars containing various loose leaf teas, plus decaf coffee from Extract, who also provide the fully caffeinated stuff for Salt. Hot drinks are reasonably priced, from £2 to £2.85, and there’s also a range of soft drinks available from Luscombe, Cawston Press and Whole Earth.
On the second day after opening, the food offer was fairly limited – but it’s set to expand soon. Lunch-wise, diners could enjoy a slice of tortilla with summer slaw, which was attractively displayed on the counter.
The savoury menu, I was told, will include sandwiches, soups, salads and various savoury bakes made by Alan in the future.
The cakes and other sweet treats are all baked in house by Alice, with a choice of four available on the day of my visit: chocolate brownies, banana bread with a caramel topping, dairy and gluten free raspberry and almond cakes and slices of raspberry and redcurrant cake.
My slice of the latter was priced at just £1 for a slice, and was beautifully moist and dense – the raspberries and redcurrants adding a tartness that offset the sweetness nicely. It’s wrong to have cake without coffee, and my flat white (£2.40) was beautifully made.
There are also plans afoot to host movie and music nights on the premises in the future, adding yet another string to the Salt Café’s bow.
With takeaway drinks also available, free wifi for those who decide to eat or drink on the premises and friendly, chatty staff, I’d definitely recommend a visit.