In the very heart of Newport is The Blue Door; a busy lunchtime café in the most convenient of locations. Inside, at the bustling bar the staff flurry about in seeming confusion - and yet everyone ends up getting served the right item, paying the right bill, and on their way in a moment. The very friendly and helpful staff even take the time to advise and assist the indecisive customer - in fact, it is far from obvious but observation shows that they are experts at getting people to make their minds up: a necessity in the tiny serving space. Those who wish to eat in can try to get a table in the modest interior room - although small, it is clean and bright, and the turnover is so quick that the patient would-be diner can usually find a place. However, except in the very worst weather many chose to sit at the many tables outside in St James' Square, where there is a lot more room. Certainly for those with buggies or wheelchairs this is the only option.

The Blue Door, St James Square, Newport

Matt and Cat found a place indoors and ordered a light lunch. The menu is reasonably priced and remarkably extensive, with page after page of enticing choices, including almost any type of cold lunchtime snack and drink, and a decent variety of hot meals. Cat chose soup, and with four different fresh soups to choose from, chose chicken and bacon. Matt had a large baguette with chorizo, chilli and melted cheese. Both were ordered at the bar but the friendly staff brought it over to the table when it was ready.

Matt and Cat also ordered tea, and watching how they and other customers were served, detected an interesting approach to the perennial tea dilemma. Regular readers will be aware that Matt and Cat prefer to have their tea from a pot. Others have been quick to suggest that they, by contrast, like it with a bag in the cup. The Blue Door has obviously considered this and provides a very satisfactory solution. At the Blue Door it is possible to order tea in a cup, or a mug, or a pot (at a slightly greater cost). When ordering it in a mug, the bag is in the mug, but the server prepares it right there under the nose of the customer, and asks them whether they want the bag left in, or mashed, and then how much milk they want. Thus every possible tea combination can easily be accommodated. Matt and Cat had tea in a pot, of course, and the server quickly suggested that they could come back at any time for more hot water - although, with easily three cups to the pot, this proved unnecessary.

The food was delicious. The warming soup was a generous portion of at least partly home-made provenance; the baguette was a crunchy delight with a novel and enjoyable combination of fillings, served with a modest fresh salad. Matt and Cat ate up with relish and continued shopping, much refreshed.