THIS combined takeaway and small cafe was busy.

There was an attractive display of available cakes in the window and once inside a clear menu on the wall tells all.

I was on my own with only a limited time for a snack. Having ordered at the counter I chose one of the five tables rather than sit on a stool at a shelf.

For once there were some unusual items on the menu. Should I choose a jacket potato with Mexican tuna (£2) or a continental bread hummous sandwich (£2.20)?

Maybe in the summer a salad box (£2.10) would suffice but it was cold on the day of my visit.

What could be better than soup of the day (parsnip and apple) with a brown roll (£2.20)?

The soup was extremely thick but unlike many of similar consistency I have tried it was boiling hot and remained so to the last drop. As for the flavour, I found the combination of parsnip and apple most agreeable.

The roll, more of a bap, was soft. I was offered butter, which came in a small dish. A homemade fat rascal followed and this was also well received, with just a little butter.

A mug of tea (the tea bag was still in) at £1.20 and a jug of fresh milk retrieved from an adjoining table rounded off my snack.

The venue offers a full English breakfast (£4.50) or, among other things, eggs on toast (£1.20). Cappuccino (£1.90) and mocha (£2.40) came decaffeinated for an extra 20p.

Despite takeaway customers walking between tables and a potential draught from the opening door, I experienced no inconvenience.

Should I have been a stranger to York I may have found the painted aerial mural of the city a little confusing. Or was this just artistic licence?

Updated: 08:47 Saturday, March 19, 2005