ANY thoughts that this caf might be a poor relation of the venue in St Helen's Square are soon dispelled. A quick glance at the menu reveals that both places provide identical fare.

Having queued for ten minutes before being seated we were trapped. Very few items were priced within our budget.

The caf, a series of connecting rooms, is upstairs. Chinese paintings in our section explained aspects of tea cultivation. Some windows overlooked the older buildings in Stonegate. Sadly all we could see was scaffolding!

As you would expect, there was a no-smoking policy. You are also requested to switch off mobile phones. For once we did not hear a solitary ring.

With the cheapest tea at £2.50 per pot and coffee priced at £1.90 to £3.10, we were restricted in what we could afford.

A Yorkshire cream tea including two sultanas scones, strawberry preserve and clotted cream cost £6.50. Scones, teacakes, spiced bread and pikelets range from £2 to £2.35. We looked at the cake trolley and shuddered at the prices!

Stem-ginger or lemon and lime cake at £2.50 might fall within our budget. So would a fat rascal at £3.50.

However Ann settled for a traditional sandwich, going for a top-of-the-range prawn and avocado at £5.25. This was offered with a choice of organic malted grain, wholemeal or white bread. The garnish and quality was just what you would expect from this establishment.

Under 'breakfast specialities', I decided to try a toasted muffin with scrambled egg and smoked salmon (£5.75). This was all I could have wished for but I couldn't help wondering how many eggs had been scrambled.

While waiting for our food to arrive we had time to read the menu in detail. 'Everything must be fresh and dainty. Our dishes are prepared to order, the traditional way; no short-cuts, no microwaves'. So there you are.

Updated: 09:02 Saturday, April 22, 2006