Puro Gusto, Milano, Italy

Come out of the Melia Milano Hotel – which is fantastic – turn left, then left again, and on your left you'll find Puro Gusto, a light and airy and colourful place offering everything you might expect from a decent bakery and caff operation.

Inside Puro Gusto. The great thing about this shot is that you can see me
taking this photograph in that television screen top left of the shot.

I was there for a quick cappuccino and a mini Danish pastry and the whole lot, including the same order for my pal Ken came to just EUR3.90. Not bad. As we were there for a brief pitstop (I had enjoyed a rather healthy breakfast back at the hotel) the cappuccinos were served in paper cups, Normally I have tea, but I couldn't see it mentioned anywhere on the menu board behind the counter so I opted for a coffee – rare for me, being a creature of habit.

Look at those pastries! Fantastic aren't they?

Had I known that this place existed yards from the hotel I would have saved myself the EUR35 charged for breakfast and eaten here instead – if there's a next time, that's what I'll do, although I might take a wander around the locality as there were quite a few little caffs dotted here and there.

The Puro Gusto logo – hopefully, I'll be back!

The servery counter – but I couldn't see tea advertised anywhere.

McDermott's Fish & Chip Restaurant, Forestdale, Croydon, UK

I can't remember the last time I saw people queue for fish & chips. I think it was in Aldeburgh, Suffolk many years ago when I myself was in the queue, waiting for cod and chips. There's nothing better than fish and chips, especially if there's plenty of salt and vinegar at hand. And while it could be argued that fish and chips has been replaced by chicken tikka masala as the traditional British dish, I'll always enjoy it, albeit not very often.

It might look pretty standard, but that's a decent fish & chips, believe me.

Fish, chips and mushy peas. Why not? Quite nutritional as it goes and, believe it not, it tastes even better when wrapped in newspaper, although that practice has been obselete for a long time.

In Europe they have mayo with their chips instead of ketchup and that's never really caught on here; there was a time when fish and chips were served in newspaper print patterned paper cones. These are probablystill is used in some places – but I prefer mine being wrapped up after the salt and vinegar smothering.

One thing I really like is the fish and chip restaurant as it brings back memories of childhood holidays on the south coast where you'll always find a decent fish and chip restaurant – and, in the old days, crinkle-cut chips (whatever happened to them?). Remember fish knives? You rarely see them today, but if ever you do see them, it's likely to be in a fish and chip restaurant, a 'plaice' where you can enjoy fish and chips sitting down.

A local Croydon brew – fantastic!

Having said that, I didn't see any fish knives in McDermott's fish and chip restaurant, located in what looked like a seventies-built shopping precinct on the outskirts of the Forestdale housing estate near Addington in Surrey. I'd walked over to the precinct while killing time waiting to escort my wife home along the mean streets of this part of Croydon after dark and was amazed – and elated – to find people queuing for their fish and chips. It was a Friday night and the queue was at least 30-strong, if not more.

McDermott's has a good reputation for quality fish and chips and I thought they were based in central Croydon, on Crown Hill, but here they were plying a very good trade. Not only was the takeaway crammed with people queuing for their Friday night meal, the adjoining restaurant next door was heaving.

Later I decided that I had to be a part of it so we opted not for a takeaway – which would have meant standing at a windswept bus stop in the rain with greasy fingers – but a full-blown meal. But that didn't mean we avoided queuing. We walked in to a bar area (yes, the bar area) and had to wait to be seated and were eventually escorted to a table by the window looking out on the aforementioned small precinct.

McDermott's is licensed and it sells locally brewed Cronx beer. Needless to say one was ordered along with cod and chips (not cheap at £12.50) but the portion size was good and the quality of the fish and chips second to none. My wife ordered, foolishly in my opinion, a vegetarian meal. Service was second to none and the hubbub of the crowded restaurant – full with people from all walks of life and certainly not in any way 'poncy' – made the experience worthwhile. I loved it and felt glad that I'd taken a wander and found it.

A brief mention of the desserts menu. With the exception of 'various ice creams' (all £3.10) there were three proper desserts in the shape of sticky toffee pudding, chocolate fudge cake and apple pie served hot or cold and with a choice of cream, custard or vanilla ice cream. We opted for apple pie and custard but they'd sold out and I was a little disappointed with the other two desserts on offer and wished there had been greater choice available. Running out of apple pie is a cardinal sin in my book.

Queuing for takeaway fish & chips – a rare sight!

The total bill for two was just over £26, but well worth it and I'll definitely return. It was great to see the place crowded out and with people queuing for takeaways next door. It was one of those moments when I felt that my faith in human nature had been restored – and I'll forgive them the lack of apple pie (but only just).

And let's not forget that a cup of tea costs only £1 – a rarity these days. Take note coffee retailers, especially Café Nero where a pot of tea will set you back £2 as opposed to Costa's £1.75. Café Nero might be a little cosier than Costa, but the tea is 25p more expensive and, as you'll see shortly when I post about a Nero unit in Croydon, milk is rather sloppily served in a paper cup (Costa tea is cheaper and the milk is served in a small, white, jug.

Café Montmartre, Paris, France

If you find yourself wandering around Paris, take a hike – and I mean a hike – to the Basilica of Sacre-Coeur in the Montmartre area of the city and, after recovering from the steep uphill climb (unless, of course, you chicken out and take the funicular railway) and having admired the view of Paris, take a stroll around and you'll find there are many different restaurants and cafés in which to indulge yourself.

Café Montmartre, Paris, France - very pleasant.

My two colleagues and I were not interested in a full-blown meal. All we wanted was a ham roll and a cup of tea or coffee, having enjoyed an amazing meal the night before. Lo and behold we stumbled across the Café Montmartre, a quaint little place offering an array of different food and beverage items. It was, in essence, a 'caff' but a caff with a touch of French class.

The sandwich selection was good: Le Norvins: poulet, crudités (chicken, tomato and salad) along with Le Parisien: Jambon, emmental (ham, cheese, tomato and salad) were both EUR6.50; also on offer at just EUR5.50 were Le Jurassien: Jambon de Paris, Emmental (ham and cheese) and Le Paysan: Jambon cru, beurre (country ham and butter). For EUR6.00 was Le Montmartre: Fromage, crudités (cheese, tomato and salad) and also Le Méditerranéen: Thon, crudités (tuna, tomato and salad). The most expensive sandwich was the Le Nordique: Saumon fumé, aneth (or smoked salmon and dill) at EUR7.20.

We ordered the Le Paysan and the Le Lyonnais (EUR5.00), the latter being French salami in a buttered roll plus a tea (always served as hot water in a cup with a sachet containing a tea bag); a can of Coke and a cappuccino. Tea was EUR4.20 and cappuccino EUR4.00. The can of Coke was EUR3.20. We also ordered a can of fruit juice (EUR3.50) and an eclair (EUR3.50). The total bill was EUR29.40.

Just a word on the way Europeans serve tea: I can't stand being given a sachet containing a teabag and a cup of hot water. I want a teapot with leaf tea, a small jug of milk and hell! I want a tea cosy too and, perhaps, some extra water to make the teabag go further. The way the Europeans treat tea drinkers – as second class citizens to coffee lovers – is simply not cricket. However, I'll forgive the Café Montmartre because it was such a nice place.

The experience overall was good as was the conversation with my pals Paul and Ken. The general vibe of the café, which was licensed, was good and it was all very conducive to spending the afternoon there, possibly with more tea, but also, perhaps, a glass or two of wine, the broadsheets and a decent paperback, like Mike Carter's Uneasy Rider, which I'm reading at the time of writing this report.

Inside the Café Montmartre, Paris – perfect!

Various Viennoiseries and Patisseries were on offer ranging in price from EUR1.50 for a croissant up to EUR5.70 for a variety if pastries including a fig tart and an apple tart.

I could have stayed longer and eaten more, but I had to walk down to the Moulin Rouge to pick up a bus back towards the Arc de Triomphe and, ultimately, a Eurostar back to the UK.

I've reported from Paris a couple of times before, but this visit was by far the best in terms of finding decent caffs and boulangeries in which to enjoy a brew and some friendly chit chat. I'll be returning again soon – possibly later this week – and reporting back with some more eateries to tempt your tastebuds, so watch this space.

Prior to arriving at the Café Montmartre, I had walked extensively around Paris from my hotel to the Arc de Triomphe and then to the Eifel Tower and then back to the Champs Elysees before walking over to Montmartre. When I reached the café I really enjoyed the ham roll, even if it did have a rather pretentious French name, which made is sound even tastier than it actually was. In all honesty a glass or two of red wine and a decent book would have bolstered the experience, but time was against us and that Eurostar to the UK beckoned.

The Arc de Triomphe – I'd rather walk around it.

Coffee Bay, Purley, Surrey.

There's nothing better than value for money, especially when it comes to a coffee shop and you can't beat £1 for a mug of tea.

Coffee Bay – tea at £1 per mug and a friendly and chatty proprietor.

I'd missed my connection at Purley Oaks so I walked to Purley – rather than wait for the next train – and found myself with 20 minutes to spare.

I nipped in to Coffee Bay, having noticed a sign in the window stating that all major credit cards were accepted (I had no change, bar a £1 coin). But then, to my surprise, I noticed that a mug of tea was just £1.

The woman serving, who was also the proprietor, told me that any more for a cup of tea was daylight robbery. Not her exact words, but she was clearly taking a swipe at the extortionate prices charged by the coffee retailers (even if the Costa in the Purley Tesco's a few yards away was also charging just £1).

In the course of the brief conversation that followed I discovered that she used to work in the city, until the 1987 crash and then decided to get into the caff business. She set up Coffee Bay in 1992 and hasn't looked back.

It's a great place with a few seats inside and a couple outside for good measure.

There's free WiFi, wraps from £3.80, panini breads from £3.80 and homemade soup for £3.

In short, a worthy establishment and very convenient as it's located right next door to Purley railway station. Nothing could be finer than sitting in Coffee Bay sipping tea while waiting for a train.

I will return.

Costa Coffee, Tesco, Purley, Surrey, UK

Another bit of rule breaking. Normally I don't cover chains on this blog, but here I am about to bleat positively about a Costa Coffee outlet – although Costa has been covered before, when I travelled to Glasgow in early 2012 and raved about the lemon drizzle cake. The Costa in question was inside a Waterstone's bookshop. Anyway, I'm writing about Costa because of that great phrase 'value for money' something one doesn't normally associate with this international coffee chain where tea and a bun costs a small fortune.

A pot of tea for just £1 in a Costa Coffee in Purley

I was out early and in need of some kind of relaxation prior to a 40-minute walk home along slippery roads. I knew that Tesco in Purley – one of those huge outlets on two floors – had a Costa Coffee on the first floor and headed there after buying a newspaper.

What surprised me was the price of a cup of tea. Normally it's £1.75 or £1.85, but here in the Costa at Tesco's it was just £1... and that's why it deserves a mention. A nice pot of tea, in a Costa, for a quid and all because the coffee brand is located inside a Tesco store.

I can only assume that Tesco knew how Costa charges an extortionate price for its hot beverages and said to them: 'you can have a store here, but your prices must come down'. And Costa obliged on the basis that it would score on volume sales.

I'd say 'well done' to Costa, but I think the credit should all go to Tesco as I'd imagine Costa bosses quietly seethed about such a deal. "Tea for just £1 a pot?"

Don't forget, folks, it costs no more than 5p to make a cup of tea – or thereabouts – meaning that if tea was sold for, say, 30p a cup, Costa would still be making a huge profit!

One piece of criticism...

In fact, one piece of criticism that has to be levelled at the coffee chains – all of them – is the amount of time it takes to get served, normally because some nob cheese has ordered a complicated coffee drink that requires somebody wearing a shirt with the word 'barista' on the back to make it. Every time I've ever visited a Costa Coffee outlet, there's always been a queue of people at the front of which can be found the 'barista' concocting some complex coffee-based drink on the espresso machine. Sort it out!

Café Brood, London Bridge, UK

Paella and a Catalan meatball stew plus a glass of Tempranillo. Lovely!

It wasn't easy finding a decent caff in London Bridge, although I'm guessing that's my fault as I'm not familiar with the terrain. I was in town to attend a meeting at 2pm, meaning that lunch was out of the question as I'd be travelling when I should, by rights, be eating. So I left the office early in order to find somewhere to grab a snack.

My dilemma was this: should I venture over London Bridge – where the meeting was to be held – and find a caff there, or would I better finding something south of the river, bearing in mind that Borough Market was on the south side and there were more shops. I opted to staying south and, fortunately, stumbled across Café Brood at the foot of the bridge and down a few steps. Quite a secret as it's pretty much concealed from view. I spied the signage: Café Brood and decided to give it a whirl.

A giant paella – wonderful!

In all honesty, it doesn't qualify for Teashop and Caff as it's licenced, but I was desperate for food and decided to break my own rule. But this was an amazing place with a strong Spanish theme to it and freshly cooked food. There was a giant paella cooking outside as well as a giant Catalan meatball stew and it was possible, I was told, to have a bit of both...so I did along with a glass of Tempranillo.

What else was on offer? Rib Eye steak for £6.50; Café Brood burger for £6.00; Grilled Chorizo at £5.95; Marguez Sausage, £5.95; Lamb Kofte at £5.95; a hot dog for £3.65 and a vegetarian option too (Mediterranean salad, £6.50).

Well worth a visit, but better on a warm day. My advice to these people would be 'build a wall and add a door' and that way you'll keep the bad weather out of the customers' faces.

Top notch establishment offering quality food at reasonable prices.

Café Piazza, Redhill, Surrey, UK

Shopping mall cafés leave a lot to be desired, especially when they have chairs 'outside' as if al fresco is ever an option.

Café Piazza, The Belfry Centre, Redhill, Surrey.

The Café Piazza is located on the first floor level of the Belfry Centre, a smallish shopping mall in Redhill, which is kind of half way between London and Brighton on the southern outskirts of Surrey.

Redhill is best described as 'a funny old place' full of a sizeable contingent of the sort of people you might see in the movie The Hills Have Eyes. It is, if you like, the poor relation of toffee-nosed Reigate, which is just up the road.

Not that the Café Piazza reflects anything; it is, after all, just a shopping mall caff that could be viewed as a little pricey until you think hard about it and realise that it's alright in terms of value for money. I spent £8.15 on cottage pie and beans plus a cookie and a pot of tea (which came with extra hot water).

Cottage pie, beans, a cookie and a pot of tea with hot water.

The big question: is it value for money? The answer is 'just'. Why? Because there were free newspapers, that extra hot water meant more than one cup of tea and the food quality ain't bad either. I've been here before and I've enjoyed it, they take plastic and overall, that's all fine with me.

The cottage pie was piping hot and by that I mean it was too hot, thanks to being microwaved and it did have a slushy texture to it, but it was filling and just what the doctor ordered so I wasn't complaining.

The service was straightforward and friendly too – a fast food/cafeteria set up with display counters, a hot servery area and a till point at the end of the process. A good selection of food and pastries too so all in all, top marks to the place.

Inside Café Piazza – note servery in foreground.

8th March 2019: Readers will be sorry to hear that Café Piazza has recently closed its doors and nothing (at the time of writing) has replaced it.