Today was a special breakfast, Thomas (our son) and Melissa (his wife) were joining us (on holiday from London - where they are greatly enjoying their OE). So we thought we'd try Vivas on Dominion Rd, it's new, and it got a superb review and a rare five out of five score from the Herald last week. We thought we couldn't miss.

However, we wondered if we'd visited the same cafe as the Herald's reviewers. According to the Herald reviewer "the tables are not too close together" - when we wanted the salt we could reach over the empty table next to us and collect it from the the people another table over. When neighbours arrived the people on the end of the row had to get up, to allow one in, as there was not space between the two tables even for a slim woman to pass. Canvas the weekend Herald's colour supplement said: "the service was warm friendly and prompt" we thought it was a chaotic muddle. They found that "the coffee was hot and strong" we thought it was bitter. Though the Soya milk (in the Soy Cappuccino) was nice, the next cutomer was told (at 10:30am that there was no more soya milk - strange as it does not need refrigerating till opened and there is a supermarket just avccross the road (in Eden Quarter). The Herald bragged "you can choose how well-done you like you eggs" I chose SOFT, one poached egg was still (just) able to ouse the other was hard poached - quite a feat for a soft egg. The mushrooms were dry, though the sausages were tasty. Redeeming feature? If you do try Vivas, take the crepes they were good, or the Melemen (Turkish Omlette) which both Barbara and the Herald agree was good!