The Copper Kettle

http://thecopperkettle.weebly.com/
King's Parade
Fare: English breakfast, paninis, etc. during the day; Mediterranean at night
Price: £/day; ££/night
Service Tips: Often the waitress will leave your receipt on the table as soon as or before your food comes out--just take it up to the register when you're ready to go

[This review focuses on their breakfast experience]
The Copper Kettle is one of those places that tourists pack into for the excellent view of King's College, which is perfectly framed by the huge windows looking out on the street. It looks especially pretty if you happen to be there early on a foggy morning, but snag a window table regardless of the weather. Because they get so busy, the best time to go is probably for breakfast on a weekday. I can't authoritatively speak for other times, since I've avoided them, but what you're really here for is a proper English breakfast anyway (surprise!).

Of course, ambiance isn't everything. The food is usually decent, nothing too fancy, but they're not doing anything cruel to their toast. Full English breakfast involves eggs, local sausages, bacon, a hash brown, beans, toast, and a grilled tomato. The vegetarian English breakfast is all of that, hold the sausages and bacon, add mushrooms. For Americans: English bacon is a little closer to Canadian bacon, in that it has less fat and more meat, so you're probably being a bit too optimistic if you expect seriously charred, crispy bacon. There are other options on the menu, like pastries and parfaits, and they also have an espresso bar, so you can order a cappuccino (again, decent but not spectacular), or opt for a simple pot of tea. If you go when it's slow, food comes out quite quickly, which is nice.

All in all, the main glamour is in the location, but you probably won't leave disappointed unless you absolutely hate beans.

Caffe Nero *Needs Revising*

Website: www.caffenero.com
King's Parade / Market Street
Fare: coffee, tea, pastries, desserts, sandwiches, juice, smoothies, hot chocolate
Price: £
Service Tips: leave dishes on table, water is self-serve, whoever takes your order will also ring you up, make sure to ask for milk when you order, sizes are regular (12oz) and grande

Caffé Nero is basically the place where you will live in the morning if you happen to require coffee and like working in coffee shops. As a general rule, we all like the one on King's Parade better -- they're just nicer and seem less stressed, plus the one on Market Street manages to feel really cluttered, even though it's much more spacious. The americanos are cheap (£2.10 for a regular to have in), and if you're a big coffee drinker, they have a frequent buyer stamp card so you can get your tenth coffee free.

If you like to enjoy your coffee shops in peace and quiet, try going in before 10. They start filling up with students and friends who are meeting up around that time, and it can get pretty noisy. Ultimately, unless you're a serious coffee snob, go to Caffé Nero, because they won't mess up your coffee, and it's a million times better than Starbucks.