When my fella comes up from London we like to go to brunch, usually on a Saturday or Sunday. The problem, he lives in West Hampstead and when we are down there we go to the Alice House on West End lane so finding somewhere that’s a little more than a greasy spoon can be a bit of a challenge especially in Leicester city centre.

The Narborough Road gets a lot of stick for being crime riddled and a bit dodgy. To be fair there are a few massage parlours and old pubs and I wouldn’t want to hanging out there late at night. That said 96 degrees offers one of the friendliest vibes and best breakfasts I’ve eaten in a long time; with barista style really delicious coffee on the side, homemade smoothies, and a selection of teas and chais you’ll want to return to try. I couldn’t make up my mind. Of course there’s English Breakfast too if you are a traditionalist.

They also have high chairs for Mum’s with young kids looking for a meet up and a little play area for youngsters which makes it a great offering for a mid morning break and get together with friends.

We had breakfast avocado and poached eggs, poached to perfection I must say, way better than expected for Leicester where a greasy fry up is the usual.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s nothing like the Alice House and it’s sister venue in Queens Park, they are about as different as the Champs Elysee in Paris and Ameyoko in Tokyo however forgetting the setting and location the food is comparable and the coffee just as good.

Times are a changing because when I told a pal about the great experience at 96 degrees, she told me about another place further up the Narborough Road at 210, the Cafe 210 named after its street number which she said I had to try if I was looking for a gourmet brunch experience, yes she used the word GOURMET on the Narborough Road, known for it’s multi cultural grocery stores, Indian restaurants and ladies of the night. I went to university in Leicester, lived on Bede St and the Huntsman was my local so I am very familiar with the area.

With 96 degrees and cafe 210, times clearly are a changing.