But there is a stark reminder of 2022
I love a contemporary coffee shop but I'm also a big fan of vintage tea shops - the ones that are quaint and quintessentially British. Vintage china, lacy tablecloths and doilies whisk me back to my childhood and tea with with my dear departed grandma.
The green room - I'll call it that due to the colour of the table coverings - is where I take a seat, next to an array of novelty teapots, cake stands and a vase of white roses. Opposite is a Welsh dresser decorated with pretty vintage plates and cups and saucers. A reminder that it's 2022 is the Alexa device next to me playing Smooth Radio.
It takes less than ten minutes for her to return with my food - four nicely presented triangles with a good portion of thick crinkly ready salted crisps. The description on the menu said it came with a salad garnish, which in past experience of other cafes can be anything from a few saggy leaves as an after-thought to almost an entire iceberg lettuce.
I'd asked for the bacon to be well-cooked as rashers with slimy underdone fat which I have to peel off is really off-putting. But this is spot-on. The salty bacon, tangy cranberry sauce and creamy brie are the perfect match. If this was a first date, there would definitely be a second. Later over a cup of tea, I get stuck in, kindly sharing with my other half because I'm good like that. Gooey caramel, chocolate, biscuity and crunchy from the Maltesers, it's got that magical ingredient that you only get with homemade cakes. I think it's called 'love'.