As I sit precariously at my desk I manage to get a sea view. Counting how many people are walking along the promenade, I try to gauge if the weather is fine. More than ten in a minute and boyfriend and I are out of the door to join them. With lungs full of sea air, it doesn’t take long before our conversation turns to food.

Leaving the sea behind us we move inland, weaving through the streets of assorted Victorian houses to Albert Road, our sights firmly fixed on The Garage Lounge. Our destination has everything you want in an independent coffee house; a melange of beautiful and capitulating cakes, great coffee and an eclectic mix of people. As you enter a glass cabinet of gateaus greets you; swirls of colour and intoxicating sweet smells. Far removed from the mechanics garage it used to be, the ambiance and decor is a rework of vintage with sophisticated class. We sit, sip, eat and enjoy.