Sostanza, Lakeside

This is a great little coffee shop tucked away in an otherwise rather dreary shopping centre, alongside a cycle shop, vet store and print outlet, among others, although there's a great fresh fish supplier and good ol' Woollies, as well as an  Italian bistro oozing wafts of sizzling garlic at certain times of the day.

At Sostanza you can sit indoors if you don't mind competing with the grumble and hiss of the coffee machine and aren't anticipating a meaningful conversation, as the stone floors and metal furniture do little to muffle voices. Or you can find a table under an umbrella in the glass roofed courtyard, browse a newspaper and people-watch.

The coffee is the real deal and my Americano was rich and strong. Two of us shared a delicious baked cheesecake, which came divided up on separate plates. We agreed that no way could we have finished a full portion, the slice was that generous. My friend's obligatory cappuccino looked good and on that day she eschewed the sweet stuff for some simple toast and jam. No skimpy slices of tired white bread; there were three chunky offerings from a health loaf baked on the premises, nicely presented in a basket with butter and jam. I was impressed and she cleaned up every last crumb, it was that good. A wide variety of breads, cookies and other wicked stuff for sale at the counter.  Perfect for a quick coffee meeting if you are in the area, but not really conducive to lingering.