IT'S not the sort of place you might think of visiting, but what an interesting find. Recently opened, it trades from 6am to 6pm. Ceasing to be a signal box, and perched on the stairs over the lines, it became a lost property and operating inquiry point. And now... the shiny wooden floor, smart servery and coloured drapes masking the old roof lights all make for an attractive, modern appearance. Comfy upholstered seats with cane backs accompany round copper-topped tables.

The menu is limited and is clearly aimed at people who may have only a short time to spare. Coffee in all usual varieties and in three sizes is on offer. For decaffeinated add 15p and for a speciality flavour 25p.

The menu and signs are chalked up. Responding to the request to make a neat "queueue" (that's a new one on us!) I ordered a hot bacon roll (£1.70), a croissant filled with tuna and sweetcorn (£1.50), a small cappuccino for Ann (£1.25) and tea for me (£1). These would be brought to the table when ready.

The short wait passed quickly as we watched trains come and go, with passengers either scurrying over the bridge or struggling with laden luggage.

Ann was very taken by the artistic way that chocolate had been sprinkled over the top of her coffee which was served in a very wide cup.

My tea came in an equally wide cup, plus tea bag, together with fresh milk. Despite the size of the cups our drinks remained remarkably hot.

Ann said her croissant was fresh, hot and with a tasty filling. In fact one of the nicest she has had for a long time.

The same goes for my roll which could better be described as a baguette. Fresh, warm with ample lean bacon. We were offered sauces and seasoning, but decided to eat our choice neat.

We couldn't resist a piece of chocolate gateau (£1.50). Absolutely nothing wrong with it but we prefer a moister version. As for the contuccio ciocolato chocolat biscotti? Hard, very dry and essentially Italian. Filled baguettes and savoury paninis (£2.45) compete with sweet and savoury pastries.

There is custom-designed china. The plates say "Hi I'm Larry. I'll be your plate for this course." Perhaps unwisely the saucers say "Please smash cup down really hard." We didn't try!

Unusual yes. Comfortable yes. Value for money, definitely.

Updated: 08:25 Saturday, October 19, 2002