Wednesday 1 May 2013

Primo Cafe - Norwich

72 Magdalen Road
Norwich
NR3 4AQ

Open daily
8.00am till 6.00pm

Breakfast served all day

Parking available on street


Primo Cafe can be found North of the city on Magdalen Road.




Unusual but very clean tables and chairs.




If you are stopping by for a coffee you can relax by the window on the sofas.




The homemade cakes at the counter looked rather nice.




All day breakfast fans are well looked after her, vegetarians may well despair though..




The coffee was great costing £1.50, the biscuit was a nice touch too.




The sauces and mayo arrived chilled from the fridge.




Toast comes with each breakfast.




Baked bean overload was my first thought.




The eggs were a bit underdone on top for my liking.




The sausages took me right back to my school days.



My wife informed me that Primo Cafe had opened not too far from where we live so we decided to visit for breakfast...

Upon entering - The cafe looks quite small from the outside but once inside I realised it was bigger than I was expecting. There is seating along one side, sofas by the window and when the weather is good seating outside too. It also looked like there could have been further seating upstairs but I didn't venture up there so couldn't be certain. Everything is spotlessly clean and the bright red tables and chairs are unusual to say the least, like nothing I had seen before in my life. The menu's can be found on each table along with sugar, salt and pepper. Place your order and pay at the counter whilst trying to resist the wonderful looking homemade cakes displayed there. Everything will be bought over to you when it is ready including sauces and cutlery. 7/10

Service - The staff here were lovely and very efficient ensuring we had everything we needed. My wife wanted a vegetarian breakfast which was not listed on the menu but they were happy to sort something out for her offering additional items to replace the meat items. When the food arrived they informed us the plates were really hot and were quick to get us any sauces we required. 8/10

Contents - 2 sausages, 2 bacon, 2 fried eggs, 1 hash brown, mushrooms, half a tomato and way too many beans! 2 slices of buttered toast. 8/10

Presentation - Everything filled the plate but the bean overload situation was a huge concern, the eggs were drowning and the poor tomato was struggling to stay afloat in them. The sausages I could see where just like the ones I remember being served at school, these ones had exploded a bit at the ends though! Everything else looked very greasy, deep fried maybe? The eggs were nicely formed with good shape but not cooked enough on top. 4/10

The food - Everything on the plate was piping hot except for the sea of beans, these were just warm. The sausages were squashy and cheap quality, the bacon was quite nice though. The fried eggs were ok however being a bit runny on top meant I ate them but tried not to look. The crispy hash brown was rather nice with good texture and the tomato had good flavour. The mushrooms were holding lots of oil, the toast was ok and bean situation just insane! 4/10

Value for money - The large breakfast cost £5.50 and this included toast, the coffee cost £1.50. The breakfast will fill you up for sure but I didn't find it that enjoyable due mainly to the cheap sausages and over enthusiastic portion of beans.. 4/10

Veggie option - No veggie breakfast listed on the menu. You can choose a combination of eggs, beans, mushrooms, hash browns and tomatoes served with toast though.

Overall - I have eaten some great breakfasts now so the one served here did feel disappointing. I am always happy to pay more and get a better quality sausage and a proper veggie option would make a good addition to the menu, baked bean lovers will be in paradise though! This place has potential though with its clean interior and friendly service, the coffee was good and those homemade cakes looked delicious! 6/10


6 comments:

  1. I have the same problem with underdone egg yolks . The method I use is to spoon the hot oil over them while frying so they develop a thin white covering. That way you know they're ready (at least to may taste)
    .

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    Replies
    1. There is another method if you don't use too much oil, but its a trade secret (haha).

      I met the owner of Primo whe they just opened, he wasn't doing breakfast then, but was keen to offload the business quickly. Perhaps they're under new management and have not long been doing the breakfasts, in which case, they're still learning. I don't think their kitchen was ideal for breakfasts, so they might be doing well considering.

      Now, whereabouts do you live inspector Fry-up? I think you might be close to me... (I shall discover your identity mwahaha...)

      Delete
    2. My method is to use a lid on the frying pan. About 30s is all it needs to ensure the top's firm.

      Delete
  2. We could be neighbours Chris! I will look out for you as we must live fairly close!!

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  3. Awful place run by Human Traffickers!

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  4. Agreed! Albanian mafia are taking over NR3. Take a look at the Tians meze restaurant at St augustines gate. They're all coke dealers and are money laundering!

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