Details:
Based on the original coffee bars / milk bars of the late 1950's / early 1960's - take a step back in time!

We look forward to welcoming you to the Offbeat. Its style is inspired by the classic coffee bars which flourished in the UK during the era when frothy coffee, formica, jukeboxes, scooters and rock 'n' roll were all the rage! I opened the coffee bar almost 6 years ago having decided that my love of coffee and of the 1950's / 60's would be a good combination. The North Laine is the perfect location for an independent business offering something a bit different and also inspired the name, being an 'offbeat' kind of area. Since opening, the cafe has expanded to include an upstairs seating area (which can also be hired as a meeting room) and a back garden which is a real suntrap when we get good weather.

Stock & services on offer:

Fairtrade tea and coffee, freshly-made sandwiches and baguettes, breakfasts, homemade cakes, great selection of ice cream, milkshakes and smoothies. I am a great believer in offering as many fairtrade products as I can - all our tea and coffee is fairtrade, we sell fairtrade chocolate and we also do a fairtrade banana smoothie which is very popular. I also try to recycle as much as possible - it's amazing how many cans and bottles etc. we collect and send off each fortnight.

Of course, our taste in food has changed a bit since the 1950's, so we offer traditional favourites such as the ham & cheese toastie as well as a contemporary choice including panini and baguettes. All sandwiches, baguettes and panini are freshly-made to order and we also offer a telephone service so that customers can 'phone ahead on the above number for takeaway and we can have their order ready for them to pick up.

We also offer a limited delivery service to local shops and businesses in the Sydney Street area. Customer favourites include the veggie sausage melt (with cheese and jalapeno peppers on toasted ciabatta) and the Italian Job (mozzarella, tomato and pesto with freshly-ground black pepper).

We have started to offer cooked breakfasts this year due to popular demand. For example, the Full English is available at £5.50 and includes a large tea or coffee and the vegetarian version is £4.95. We also offer home-made American-style pancakes which start at £2.25 for the standard version - recent specials have included cinnamon and raisin ones which were very popular and will be back!

I have been a vegetarian for many years and like to put on some vegetarian specials each week - recent ones have included a cashew and roasted vegetable loaf and sweet potato and spinach veggieburgers.

The milk bar has been very popular during the (somewhat erratic) hot weather this year. We do a very large range of shakes - both regular ones and thick ones, all of which are made with premium ice cream. Smoothies and iced frappes are also going down well and the Coke float is still a classic choice. Ice cream cones and sundaes are also available in a wide range of flavours.

If you fancy popping in for morning coffee or afternoon tea, we always have a good selection of cakes and biscuits for you to try, some of which we make here on the premises. Takeaway coffee and tea are always available for those in a hurry - including decaff and soya versions.