'Cycling-themed café in town named one of the best in Cambs inspired me to dust off my bike'
There's no end of quotes about journeys, from the enlightening to the excruciatingly eye-roll-worthy. Ancient Chinese philosopher Laozi is thought to have said: "The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step." More than 2,000 years later, Miley Cyrus sang: "Ain't about how fast I get there. Ain't about what's waiting on the other side. It's the climb."
As its name suggests, The Commute Café in St Ives, Cambridgeshire, appreciates the importance of time spent getting somewhere. The town of St Ives was named one of the best places to live in 2024 and 2025 by Muddy Stilettos so there is a long list of reasons to journey to the area.
The café owners' vehicle of choice is a bike, with one print on the wall encouraging coffee-sippers to "bike to nowhere, to see nothing". Of course, if your route to "nowhere" happens to travel through the pretty village of St Ives, you can lock your bike up in the rack outside The Commute and power yourself up for the rest of the journey. For me, however, the spot was not discovered en route: it was the destination.
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The inviting promise on the cafe's website of a "cup of perfection", referring to "quality" coffee, is what led me to the guided busway on a Wednesday afternoon. It takes just three minutes to walk to the building on The Broadway, which used to house a flower shop, from the St John's Road stop along the busway's 'A' and 'B' routes.
The journey from Cambridge Science Park took around 45 minutes, which was faster than the hour-long bike trip and meant I arrived at The Commute in a much less sweaty state. As I walked in, however, I realised this was not a place to worry about a red face or a shiny brow.
A welcoming atmosphere was created not just by the smiles of staff members and the fact they chatted happily with customers - it was part of the décor. While the colour scheme comprised cool whites and greens, warmer hues were brought in by an orange autumnal wreath in the window and sweet mini pumpkin decorations around the fireplace.
'Doggies welcome' was written on a sign next to the door, while a little bowl of treats was offered at a 'doggy station'. Not for the first time, I found myself wishing I had a little border collie by my side.
So, canine customers were well fed, but what about The Commute's less cute patrons? I ordered a £6.95 ham and cheese sourdough toastie with a £3.30 flat white to find out.
The flat white arrived after a couple of minutes. Its strong, rich flavour and smooth texture validated The Commute's claim to offer a "cup of perfection".
A friendly member of staff served my lunch after a wait of around five minutes. I had picked the toastie from the fridge to be cooked and, like most of the other sandwiches and toasties, were made by The Soho Sandwich Company.
This business won a manufacturer award in the 'Sammies' in 2022, for its contribution to elevating the sandwich industry. The tangy wholegrain mustard, contrasting with an indulgent mix of swiss cheese and cheddar, certainly elevated my lunch from its typical sad sarnie situation. The ham was pretty thick, and had a lovely salty flavour.
I considered the cost of my meal to be reasonable, and was glad to see that the menu offered even cheaper options. A chicken fajita or mozzarella panini, for instance, would have set me back just £5.50.
Those craving a snack could buy a cake or pastry for between £2.75 and £4, or one of three sausage roll varieties - the classic, the pork and Westcombe cheddar or the pork and smoked chilli - for £4.80.
As I looked around at the bike-themed prints and reference to the 'joys of cycling' on the cafe's window, I was inspired to dust off my bike. Next time I visit The Commute for another delicious caffeine hit, I'm sure it will be on two wheels.