I met a lovely friend for a lovely walk along the seafront and a coffee at the recently opened Reading Room.

When we reached the café, we found it pretty busy. There was a queue out of the door, though plenty of seats were available. As I stood in line, I realised it wasn’t particularly well designed for queuing customers — one of the waiting staff kept asking people to keep clear of the kitchen area.

Once we’d ordered, the food arrived pretty swiftly. All of the waiting time was just getting to place the order. I chose the chickpea pancake with smashed avocado and peas, along with a cappuccino. My friend had the overnight oats and a cortado. I couldn’t resist buying a cherry almond slice for us to share.

It’s a nice spot with fresh, tasty food options. I was impressed with how quickly they turned the food around. But I do wonder what it’ll be like in summer, given how busy it already was in March.