Hannah R.
Yelp
My boyfriend, very kindly, has a habit of popping in to my work and asking if I would like to head out for lunch.
"For you, darling, anything... As long as it fits within a 30 minute time frame."
This means we almost always end up at Riverhill. Just moments from Central Station, and a hop, skip and jump from my shop, Riverhill offers those with a mere 30 minute window the chance to grab a sandwich and coffee before having to power walk back to their responsibilities.
The selection of sandwiches change on a daily basis, but they're mostly what you would expect from a cafe almost exclusively staffed by young guys with beards. The Cuban (pulled pork, ham, pickle and cheese) is my boyfriend's favourite, while today I went for smoked salmon, egg mayo, mustard and salad. They also do cous cous, salad, pasta bakes and I believe I once saw a crayfish and coleslaw packed bagel that teasingly begged me to eat it. It's not exactly cheap, with most lunch options costing between £4-£4.50, but you do get bags of flavour, and something altogether more wholesome and homemade than anything Starbucks could offer.
The coffee is Dear Green, which I have to admit is not my favourite, but I routinely order it anyway. I always gaze longingly at the display case of cakes, which tower over me. They seduce me, telling me that they're gluten-free and full of poppy seed goodness, when really I know they're thick with cream and icing and the sort of delicious things that cause me to put on 10lbs just by setting eyes on them. If you don't have as complicated a relationship with cake as I do, then I urge you to try one and tell me in great detail what i'm missing out on.
At lunch time the cafe is always mobbed and you have to either give up any hope of eating in, or patiently wait for a stool to become available. I'm a big fan of the "embarrass the selfish business person" technique, which involves loudly asking some idiot to move their bags so other people can sit down, but if you're not so bold rest assured that the customer turn around is so fast you'll probably get a stool eventually.
The only real gripe I have with Riverhill is the service. It has a tendency to be a bit all over the place, with very little communication between staff and a bit of general confusion. On several occasions I've had to remind the blank-faced guy at the till that he hasn't actually charged me for my food yet, and only some times does he remember to give me my card back afterwards. But hey, it's part of it's charm I suppose.