'The only café at Cambridgeshire's new town promises a lot – and delivers'

The order at Northstowe Tap and Social was tall. It was to be the first site in the new town for locals to order a pint or grab a coffee. With the earliest residents moving in seven years ago, the level of anticipation was through the roof.

My visit to the café-cum-bar came as part of my second trip to Northstowe. I had spent some time in the fledgling town last year, after the opening of the new temporary community hub in July.

My overall impression back then was that there was a strengthening community spirit, ignited by ad-hoc events, Facebook groups, and the opening of the temporary hub, but that permanent facilities were desperately needed for this to be maintained. In comes Northstowe Tap and Social, one of the first of these facilities, which opened in April.

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Next to the entrance of the large hall off Station Road, the outside wall is emblazoned with a classy logo. Alongside the 'Northstowe Tap and Social' T-shirts displayed by the café counter, which cost £20 each, this gave the impression that the business saw itself as a brand.

It also suggested a sleek, well-thought-out space, which I was glad to see in light of difficulties faced by owners when opening up. The spot opened later than expected, and initially did not serve alcohol due to a delay in getting a licence.

Despite the look of an established brand, the service I received was much warmer than you would expect from an average coffee chain. I ordered a £3 flat white from the smiley staff member, then took my seat on the bench near the bar area.

It was before 11am so, naturally, the impressive list of 20 lagers, beers, ciders, sours and stouts were not yet available - but I was happy with my coffee. It was smooth, had a nicely intense flavour, and was topped off with satisfyingly neat latte art.

Peering around the room as I sipped, I discovered that the décor was muted and had an upmarket-canteen feel. The walls were painted white and customers sat at long, metal-framed wooden benches. Towards the café counter, there were four comfier-looking, settee-style seats.

A few small prints were hung on the walls, including one that told me to 'take your pleasure seriously'. Dutifully, I headed back to the counter and ordered myself a chocolate and custard pain suisse for £3.50. With such an enticing selection of open sandwiches, freshly-baked breads and golden pastries, the decision was tough.

The pain suisse hit the spot perfectly, with a buttery pastry case filled with a rich vanilla-and-chocolate-flavoured filling. It passed the crumbly test: my t-shirt ended up flecked with flakes of golden pastry.

Tripling up as a food hall, dishes are served on the site from different businesses across the week, including stone baked pizzas, burgers and fried chicken. Northstowe Tap and Social might be the only café and bar in the town, but it would absolutely be worth a visit even if it wasn't.