22/30 Frankie & Bennys - Kingston, Milton Keynes, MK10 0BA

Overall Score 22/30

Food               8/10
Venue             4/5
Service           3.5/5
Value               3.5/5
Cleanliness     3.5/5

www.frankieandbennys.com

A little while ago we took the Triumph Herald out for it's MOT at Gardner & White and having successfully passed we decided to celebrate with breakfast out.  So on the way home we stopped at Frankie & Benny's in Kingston, Milton Keynes.

This was much as you would expect of Frankie & Benny's with a clean, well decorated venue.  Being a Saturday morning it was rather surprising that the service was so slow with tables waiting to be cleared and several times we had trouble getting the attention of any of the waiting staff.

We ordered Eggs Benedict and The Works Breakfast and both were delicious.  On the full breakfast though the potatoes were slightly oily and the lovely presentation of the beans in a small dish did make them rather difficult to get at.

This is a great venue for all, especially families.  With great music and a clear image you know exactly what to expect when you walk in the door.  We love the range of seating options available.  There really is something for everyone.

Remember when ordering that you can have unlimited tea and coffee with your breakfast for an extra £1.95.

19/30 AJ's Diner - Wellingborough, MK3 7RB

Overall Score 19/30

Food               6/10
Venue             4/5
Service           3/5
Value               2/5
Cleanliness     4/5

www.ajsdiner.co.uk/

We decided to revisit AJ's Diner which we had been to with TSSC Northants about a year ago.  We'd enjoyed our visit but didn't remember it well enough to do our scoring.

As with most cooked breakfasts it was the sausages that let the meal down.  The bread that came with our meals was disappointing as well.  You tend to expect plain white bread but his was spread with margarine.  Further disappointment came with the bill.  The unlimited coffee turned out to be conditional.  We'd wondered why we were asked which coffee we wanted.  Turned out the filter we asked for wasn't the unlimited (which was instant) and we had to pay a premium.

The diner itself is a great venue which has been very well themed and the waitresses dress in period style as well.  There were great 50's and 60's tunes playing when we arrived with the volume being turned up before the radio was suddenly switched off for a while only to go back on again before we left.  All very odd and not very thoughtful.

The coffee rather strangely came with two Amaretti biscuits for each cup we ordered.  This would be lovely if just having coffee but seemed rather odd with a full cooked breakfast.

The toilets were also disappointing. Very basic and not particularly clean.

That reads as a poor review but the work on the theme really makes it a fun place to visit and they run all sorts of events and welcome club/group visits.  Our return certainly didn't live up to our memories so we hope they were having an off day.

17/30 Windmill Hill Golf Club - Milton Keynes, MK3 7RB

Overall Score 17/30

Food               5/10
Venue             3/5
Service           3/5
Value               3/5
Cleanliness     3/5

www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/leisure-tourism-and-culture/windmill-hill-golf-centre/windmill-hill-golf-course

Staying closer to home this morning we set off on foot to Windmill Hill Golf Club.   The breakfast menu here has intrigued me for a while as though it looks great value for money I've rarely seen anyone eating here.  It's become a regular venue for me on a morning as I look to walk more and have discovered the lovely view from the balcony over looking the course.

The breakfast itself was pretty basic, hot and served very quickly.  It was disappointing not to have any fresh items such as mushroom or tomatoes and the sausages were not great.  (We've found this to be the most likely item on the plate to disappoint).

The service is friendly and quick and it doesn't take long for them to start remembering you and treating you as a 'regular'.

The cafe itself is very warm and it's a relief to get out into the fresh air.  Everything is very clean and functional inside but there were some dog ends on the balcony which was a shame.  The noticeboards always catch my eye as being creative and fun.

All in all a lovely place to enjoy breakfast in the sun.

17/30 Ace Cafe - London, NW10 7UD

Overall Score 17/30

Food               6/10
Venue             4/5
Service           2/5
Value              2/5
Cleanliness    3/5

www.ace-cafe-london.com

If you haven't been to the Ace Cafe yet its a regeneration of the original 50's cafe. There is a vibrant scene for both cars and bikes, and on the day we visited it had just finished playing host as a final control for the ACU National Rally.This finished at 8am and as one lot of weary motorcyclists made their way home, the parking lot was rapidly filling up with those coming in for breakfast. The Ace Cafe operates on a counter service system where you order and then find a place to sit and wait for your number to be called out. The seating arrangement is mostly on long benches (a bit like Wagamamas) which can be friendly, or intrusive, depending on your viewpoint. Service was quick on the day we visited although the attitude could be described as more functional. The breakfast was good but basic with no frills or fresh items. This is a place to come primarily for the scene rather than the food, and if this is your objective then you won't be disappointed.

23/30 Premier Inn - Kingswood, Hull, HU7 3DD

Overall Score 23/30




Food              9/10
Venue            3/5
Service           2/5
Value              5/5
Cleanliness      4/5

http://www.premierinn.com/en/hotel/HULKIN/hull-north

A journey north for a family wedding gave us the opportunity to try breakfast at a different venue (thanks Tamara and Scott).  We stayed at the Premier Inn Hull North and Sunday morning was breakfast time.

I don't think either of us were expecting the fantastic choice available and the great value for money.  I'd certainly not realised just how generous it was until it was explained to us as our order was taken.  Check out the menu.  There really is something for everyone.  I'd just started on a change to my diet eliminating dairy and wheat and yet here I still had choice and certainly wasn't going hungry!  When you order a full english you still get to visit the buffet table with the continental range and can have as much as you like.  You also get to order exactly what you want from the cooked menu AND the number of items.  The only way that you are not getting value for money here is if you don't take a good appetite with you!

The room itself is as you would expect from this type of venue.  Clean, tidy and functional.  Laid out well with lots of separate dining areas so you don't feel too on top of your neighbours.

Service was variable dependant on the member of staff.  As it got busier it did feel that there weren't enough staff available and it took ages waiting to pay to the point that we had to spot where the till was and go up to pay.  Such a shame as it did spoil the experience.

20/30 Cafe Pacific - Cranfield, MK43 0AL

Overall Score 20/30

Food              7/10
Venue            2/5
Service           4/5
Value              4/5
Cleanliness      3/5

www.thecafepacific.co.uk

Today we set off in Trumpy (our Triumph Herald) and headed out in the sunshine to Cranfield Airport.  After searching round and checking a campus map at the university we finally reached our destination.  Cafe Pacific is set at the side of Cranfield Airport and is hidden and doesn't look much from the outside.

On Sunday the cafe doesn't open until 10am and as we were there a little early we had time to look out across at the planes and enjoy the sun while we waited.  There were chairs and tables outside but unfortunately these are on the other side of the building to the airfield.  It would be nice to sit outside but by the time it got busy the view would have been blocked by the cars as parking was between the building and the field.  What a shame.

Inside the decor was a bit of a mixture.  The room had been decorated with fake beams but the furnishings were rather 70's.  It was however really clean and spacious.

Service was prompt and efficient.

The breakfast itself (let's face it this is the important bit) was really good and had plenty of options.  We both chose the Full English with tomatoes rather than baked beans, poached eggs not fried or scrambled, I had hash browns and Mike chose the potato cake.  Both opted not to have black pudding and Mike had my toast.  This breakfast comes with tea or coffee before 11:30 and we both had coffee this morning.

It was all well cooked and only the potato cake and hash browns seemed a little greasy.  The mushrooms could have done with being drained a little more as there was a lot of juice which could have made the potatoes and toast soggy.  The tomatoes had been sliced and cooked which was really nice as they were cooked through and it was good to have fresh and not tinned.

All in all we enjoyed our morning and our breakfast.  Would we come back? Yes

Scoring Guide

The meal itself is most important so we've weighted the scoring in it's favour.

Meal - scored out of 10.  We consider the quality of the ingredients, the way the food is cooked and it's presenation.
Venue - scored out of 5.  This includes layout, furnishings, atmosphere and location.
Service - scored out of 5.  Both speed and friendliness are taken into account as well as any extra special treatment.
Value - scored out of 5.  Value for money.  What is included in the meal price and the quality of the ingredients.
Cleanliness - scored out of 5.  Consideration is given to the overall cleanliness, state of the cutlery and, especially, the toilets.