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Eat My Words: We try £4.50 fry-up at Coombes Kitchen Cafe, Poulton Close, Dover

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"I'm 60 and I've got a bad back - I have to see a bone crusher..."

Such was a customer's comments to staff at Coombes Kitchen Cafe in Dover.

The £4.50 fry-up our reporter had at Coombes Kitchen Cafe in Dover
The £4.50 fry-up our reporter had at Coombes Kitchen Cafe in Dover

It sums up the jokey banter between employees and customers at the small cafe in Poulton Close.

Diners here, most dressed in workmen's jackets or overalls, seem to be regular customers with familiarity and a good rapport with the two female staff I saw during my visit.

And this place is badly needed - because it is certainly the only eatery I could find in the vast, yet remote industrial estate in the Coombe Valley.

The cafe is a large portable cabin with a couple of (free) parking spaces for customers. Free on-street parking is also available nearby.

I started my working day there yesterday and ordered, for £4.50, a single all-day breakfast consisting of a sausage, bacon, egg, beans and hash brown, toast and orange juice.

Coombes Kitchen Cafe at the Poulton Close industrial estate, Dover
Coombes Kitchen Cafe at the Poulton Close industrial estate, Dover

This is surely one of the cheapest fry-ups in Kent - offering the sort of affordability we are all on the lookout for amid the cost-of-living crisis.

The pleasant young woman who served me gave me the option of replacing the tomato listed on the menu with a hash brown and said I could choose between toast and bread and butter.

For those who want a more filling start to the day there is the choice of a double breakfast for £6.50, which would usually mean two sausages and eggs, for instance.

The bigger meal was still incredibly cheap. A lot of town centre cafes would charge you about a tenner or more for the same.

I expected a good solid meal to start my day and I got it for sure.

The menu at Coombes Kitchen Cafe in Dover
The menu at Coombes Kitchen Cafe in Dover

It was a filling and tasty breakfast, enough to get my engine ticking over at the beginning of a working day. The sausages were particularly delicious.

The drink I had was a glass of orange juice but the alternatives were tea, coffee and apple juice.

When I had walked in I smelt the heavenly aroma of bacon being cooked and when I appeared at the counter the young woman asked me: "Hello, you all right?"

Then I place my order and it only took a few minutes to arrive.

"Here you are fella," she said, as she handed me my plate, while warning me it was still very hot.

"A small pile of books were there for diners to read - but in this modern age the customers were scrolling through their smartphones..."

Workmen came in and out during my stay, chatting in their own small groups or to the staff.

The second woman behind the counter was older and was usually in charge of the cooking. Well, my compliments to the chef here.

The cafe is perfectly clean and has seats for 25 customers, usually in tables of three or six.

The pictures on the wall include three paintings of harbour scenes, though not of Dover.

There were also three large photographs of New York.

Reporter Sam Lennon at the Dover cafe with harbour paintings in the background
Reporter Sam Lennon at the Dover cafe with harbour paintings in the background

There was a striking one of mid-town Manhattan, complete with one of the city's legendary yellow cabs, plus a night scene showing the skyscrapers.

Despite that the waitress had a pullover with the words "London" and "Soho".

A couple of newspapers and a small pile of books were there for diners to read - but in this modern age the customers were scrolling through their smartphones when they were not chatting.

A table bench is on the cafe's front patio, presumable for smokers or those wanting to dine outdoors in summer.

Well Coombes Kitchen Cafe did the job for me, giving me a satisfying meal in a pleasant environment.

There are a couple of customer parking spaces available outside Coombes Kitchen Cafe in Dover
There are a couple of customer parking spaces available outside Coombes Kitchen Cafe in Dover

Ratings (up to five stars)

Food: A good hearty breakfast that did its job ****

Drink. Glass of orange juice, perfectly good ***

Decor: Some striking pictures of New York City ****

Staff. Pleasant and friendly ****

Price: A bargain at £4.50 *****

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