Café No.35 — Restaurant in Canterbury

Popped in for breakfast on the checkout day of a self-catering break, after a bit of research the night before. Cafe No. 35 made first choice because it was the only one of my top three that offered black pudding - a full English essential for me.

It didn't disappoint. The cafe is very close to some of Canterbury's main tourist attractions, is well decorated and spotlessly clean. Staff offer a warm welcome and excellent service.

We both ordered the No. 35 breakfast - bigger than the standard breakfast - with the extra black pudding and a pot of English breakfast tea to share, and had a mango juice and a cloudy lemonade afterwards.

We we offered the choice of fried, poached or scrambled eggs, which was appreciated, and I picked scrambled. Other special requests were also accomadated - my girlfriend likes her bacon particularly well done. The quality of the ingredients and the cooking was exceptional. Everything was very fresh and I believe sourced from local businesses. The meat products in particular were of a very high standard the back bacon was very tasty, the sausages were a fairly coarse mix and beautifully seasoned, and the black pudding was cooked just the way I prefer it - crispy on the outside and crumbly on the inside.

For those that care about such things (my missus included) the beans are served in a separate pot. The mushrooms and tomatoes hit the spot, and the toast was made from wonderful bread that must have come from a nearby bakery. Star of the show, for me, was the homemade hash browns. Somewhere between bubble and squeak and hashbrowns, as the potato appears mashed (rather than shredded) and combined with onion, but I imagine deep fried. They are absolutely delicious and a welcome to change to the frozen store bought variety.

I do have a preference for English bubble and squeak, to American hash browns, but these exceptional examples are a cut above.

I regard the place as value for money - though I accept it's not cheap. The quality justifies the slightly above average food price. A cup of tea being £3.55 raised eyebrows, but even then, it was sourced from a local supplier, and my partner has placed an order for some of their tea for home.

All in all, one of the best breakfasts I've ever had and I am something of an enthusiast. I would not hesitate to recommend this breakfast to people...

Hairs in food - What a terrible disappointment!

We came in for breakfast just before 11am. My friend and I both had been here before and were confident it was going to be good.

Eggs Royale and French Toast took over 45 minutes to arrive, with just 2-3 tables being served before us. The eggs were good, but the French Toast was really sad, 2 pieces of basic bread with maple syrup and half a banana on top. For £10.95 that was quite outrageous. Anyhow, my friend found a hair in her side of bacon. Staff apologised and brought a new one, and took the bacon off the bill. As I was finishing my food I found a hair in my food too. Obviously, once is an accident, twice suspicious but we didn't want to make a fuss.

We wanted to pay our bill but also give some feedback. We paid first because we didn't want a discount or anything like that, just wanted to raise the concern.

The girl at the till who was serving us earlier was lovely and honestly surprised. However, another staff member, presumably the manager on duty, interrupted our conversation saying defensively that it's been dealt with and they have given us 10% discount (which they hadn't by the way). I wanted to explain that I am highlighting there was a second hair found and this should be discussed with the chef, but she was just not listening to me.

We left utterly disappointed, not so much by the hairs, obviously things like this can happen (although twice on the same order makes one wonder), but shocked with the response of the lady I presume was the manager.

We won't be returning here. The only reason I am going with 2 stars is because the servers and the overall atmosphere of the place were actually nice....

If you're looking for a breakfast that hits the spot in Canterbury, look no further than Cafe 35. Each dish is clearly prepared with care and attention to detail, setting you up perfectly for the day ahead.

However, what truly elevated our experience today was the absolutely fabulous staff. From the moment we walked in, we were greeted with genuine warmth and beaming smiles. They were exceptionally pleasant, making us feel instantly welcome and valued. Nothing was too much trouble.

It's not just about the delicious food at Cafe 35; it's the wonderful atmosphere created by such a dedicated and friendly team. They clearly take pride in their work and go above and beyond to ensure every customer has a positive experience.

If you're in Canterbury, make sure Cafe 35 is on your list for breakfast. You'll enjoy a fantastic meal, but more importantly, you'll be looked after by a truly exceptional team of people. Highly, highly...