Le Comptoir

The service here is local — its good in that they remember you. However, the coffee is not the greatest compared to others nearby, and the food is average — sometimes cold, and as mentioned previously, shortcuts spoil it a little. However the husband and wife team are lovely and they do have a lovely selection of tarts and sweets. Perhaps if they focus on those elements and improving their coffee, this would be a regular for us.

This pretty little café has all the makings of being a local favourite. Its groundings as a patisserie mean its baked menu is particularly good, an entire counter is dedicated to sweet pies, tarts and muffins and there are even 4 different types of toast you can order with your breakfast.
But I think it might have got slightly carried away with itself, you can order almost anything here; pastas, paninis, corn fritters, antipastos, prawn omelette (?!), pumpkin/​chicken salad, fruit salad, pancakes soups, the list goes on. With such a variety how can they get all the details right?
They don’t.
I ordered the Moroccan chicken panini which was filled with chicken, cheese, spinach and tomato. To my horror they popped it in the microwave which bathed the whole thing in a spinach-​y sweat, while the chicken must have been dipped in a vat of dried herbs. Like my mood, it was all just a bit bitter!
Le Comptoir is also unfortunate enough to be right next to a fish and chips shop so the delicate little café is overwhelmed with the smell of deep fat fryers.
What a shame! I so wanted to love this place!