Catherine, JoAnne, Nina, Luisa
Cafe Hula
A small Spanish-themed cafe, the Cafe Hula is situated across from the Theatre Royal. Because of our early start we were the first customers of the day. We thought the staff could have been friendlier but it didn't effect our experience. The interior had a deceivingly warm and cosy appearance, but the front door was wide open and none of us felt comfortable enough to take our jackets off. The first thing your eye is drawn to is a large statue of a skeleton with a halo which we later found out had been a prop in a show at the Theatre Royal. As far as decor goes wood was the main feature, along with earthy colours, plants, Spanish pottery and lots of scattered cushions. We felt more obligated to order food when we saw the nice menus, and food was on constant display which made our mouths water. The food we ordered seemed expensive, but we were pleasantly surprised to find it was delicious and of excellent quality. We even got a student discount. All in all a pleasant experience.
The Victoria Cafe
A complete contrast to our previous experience straight from the beginning. Being situated in the GSA it was a student cafe and wasn't visible from the street. There was no advertisement or windows or signs - you would have had to previously had known it was there to reach it. Once inside (via the maze of corridors) we were plunged into an almost gloomy atmosphere - the lights were low, the walls were dark, but overall surprisingly comfortable. A large screen on the wall projecting the Flintstones held our attention while we sipped out student-priced cups of tea and coffee. In the background we could hear the soundtracks of various movies with the occasional holler from the barmaid alerting customers that their roll and bacon was ready. Strangely, beyond the gloom, disco balls could be made out decorating the ceiling. Overall we felt comfortable drinking and snacking, but not eating a meal, it would be a good place for a night out.
