This has definitely been a whisper on the ears for quite some time now. All that has been heard about it was good news, and it is one of the best places for breakfast in town, and that was especially good because it is more or less a local place. Making a hit list is a dubious task, since it inevitably expands and some are left hanging there for a long time. In the end, the important part is that they were tried and there was an opportunity for the Rabbit Hole Cafe one Friday morning for me.
Again, my brother in law was town for the day and it was going to be a long one so he went to stay the night again. With that in mind, right before he was heading off back home in the morning, there was a proposal again to go somewhere for breakfast. Well, is the Pope Catholic? This time around, he suggested trying to get away from the central area as much as possible, so what this meant was that I went in the south and east for possibilities. Much like last time, the decision was a shortlist and here won in the end. That was that.
Going past here by car, without it being in mind, this would get passed by so easily. It is a bit off to the side on the main road, and it is a small cottage that they are using to house the cafe. There is something old style about this place, along with being undeniably up-kept to modern standards. With this place getting so popular, yet the area being small, they have managed to think out well regarding the seating. Inside, it is cosy and outside the views are not too bad plus it is well situated. There is a cute quirk to it that will appeal to some, and the side areas house a few tables themselves. It possibly is a bit bigger than initially anticipated, as there is a whole other level apparently.
You know that kind of service where they are admittedly quite hard-working, and are managing to clear the tables and get everything done as effectively as possible? And in saying that, it is decent and they have the knowledge about professional service and everything, yet it is not with being personable. I can relate to that, wanting to get the job done - it works here. I have not got any gripes on that part. The point being, it was quick and effective getting the meals, plus this is counter service. Considering how popular it is, this is more or less appropriate.
It is essentially the usual business concerning cafes with their menu. That meaning the breakfast seems to have the most focus, being available all day. Nothing really too new or exciting is there; the menu is a collection of all the old and current favourites. A good feed is able to be gotten for a decent enough price. There is a small lunch menu where the same idea goes - usual cafe favourites, which are burgers, sandwiches and salads. Completing that all is a small lot of sweets available in the cabinet.
Getting to the drinks, they have coffee juice and all the usual stuff. That is during they daytime period. On the days of the week that this is open for business, it becomes a bit of a bar. Wines, beers, ciders, whiskeys, cocktails, and plenty of others are available to sample.
So, it is now onto the main part, the breakfast meal. Well, for one plus that they have is the choice of coffee. While opinions and tastes have changed in more recent times, I will admit that Campos was the favourite of mine and always got me intrigued when I saw the sign for it. This is generally a tad stronger than most coffees and will guarantee a good and well-balanced coffee each time. It is especially good for cappuccinos, and has a mild and slightly chocolatey taste. As for me now, it is all about the black coffees and a doppio it was for me when starting business here.
And more or less with the doppio that I ordered from here, it was a pleasant one. The strength was still apparent, and it got me awake pretty quickly, along with the extraction and everything being done right. It was hot, it was slightly nutty, and the texture of it was rich and smooth. This was good enough to order another one, and that is always the case with Campos. Coming back to it each time, it is definitely a reliable blend.
With my order, I went to build my own breakfast - something that is quite nifty to do from time to time. It starts off with two eggs done in choice of style (as always, poached and the yolks were requested as runny) and toast. From there, the choice of three sides is possible with extra cost for more. That I could do. For the choices I made, they were haloumi, corn fritters, bacon - which was ordered crispy as per usual, and as an extra I got some savoury mince. Also, this is the brother in law we are talking about, thus there was the swapping at the start with various items to get maximum tries of items. From his plate it was some hashbrowns, sausages, cherry tomatoes and mushrooms.
Whether or not it has been said before, it has to be said yet again - few things can go wrong when ordering the big breakfast option, or a variation thereof. This continues this trend, and the best thing about big breakfasts was apparent - it was ultimately very filling. Every aspect about it worked a treat and to its own merits. First up, the eggs were fantastic with nothing to critique about them - the pricked yolks bled out very well and went everywhere exactly as they should.
While smaller in size when comparing the rest, both the corn fritter and the haloumi were both good. The haloumi was like something from olden times when it often had a strong and distinctive taste (which is why I fell love with it way back when) and the texture was soft and moreish, and the corn fritter was also good with a slightly sweet flavour. For what was the highlight - or just a really good part of the meal - it was the bacon, which when requested as being crispy you can bet that it was crispy. The flavour was fantastic, the characteristic saltiness of bacon was readily present, plus the amount of it was generous, and when cooked to being crispy it was almost like eating a chip. The sausages were small ones, and made of pork, plus tender and delicious. Hashbrowns are hasbrowns, the tomato was sweet and plump, and the mushrooms were decently cooked. That most latter one might have needed some kind of seasoning or something to spruce it up a little more. Lastly though was the savoury mince. My goodness was it a generous serve, complete in a small bowl. And it was absolutely delicious - the meat was good quality and had a great flavour, the sauce was thick and a little bit spicy plus it was mixed well with tomatoes and onions. All this made for something very tasty, filling, and gave me energy for the rest of the day.
If you know who this is here - the two of us, then it will definitely be apparent that something sweet was on the agenda afterwards. Also, it is an excuse to get another coffee as well. One begets the other if you ask me, and it is a good, sneaky way to score more food. I let my brother in law take charge this time, and with what he returned with it looked a lot like rocky road - with white chocolate, pistachios and cranberries mixed through. This was a combination of sweet (the white chocolate), tart (the cranberries), and nutty with the pistachios. It was a great flavour combination, and the chocolate part was thick and hard. Again, not a bad sweet to end the meal with.
Here at the Rabbit Hole, what he have is another solid cafe that provides pretty decent fare, even with service that might not be as inviting as most other local places however it is equally effective and efficient. The breakfast I had was filling, and value is something that is certainly present - both contenders to make it a solid 4.0. This has been engineered well as a local watering hole, that is just as effective for grab-it-and-go, or to spend a while. Either way, it should not disappoint.
TL;DR: After taking so long to come here, with it being both close and popular, it was one place that did live up to standards. More or less some place that takes out the checklist and begins to tick the boxes, it is a step up from having better quality produce plus more substantial servings - subjective, but I will never not consider that when critiquing. This is decent cafe fare that is not so bad if you are in the area sometime.
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