Thursday, August 16, 2012

Restaurant Review: Cafe Espresso, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, exceptional service makes the difference

My wife and I have been to Cafe Espresso in Portsmouth a number of times over the years. After our most recent experience we will probably add it to our list of regular breakfast joints. The food was very good but the service is what impressed me the most.



We arrived to a very busy restaurant on a weekend and I couldn't help but think it was going to take a long time for breakfast. Surprisingly, the hostess indicated that it would only be about 15 minutes for a booth and we were seated shortly thereafter. What I noticed for those around us was that the tables were cleared quickly and the food arrived just as fast.

The atmosphere is one of yellow walls and classy hanging pictures. They have two dining rooms with a large number of tables and booths around the walls.

We studied a menu that included omelets, pancakes, waffles along with benedicts and decided to go in a different direction from our regular breakfast. My wife opted for one of the specials, the Everything Pancakes, these were filled with blueberries, chocolate chips and coconut topped with sliced fresh strawberries. Normally I don't get sandwiches but I was in the mood and selected the breakfast croissant with bacon. We were both pleased with our choices, since my wife loves coconut the pancakes were a hit with her and my croissant was cooked to perfection, not dried out like some these days. The sandwich was served with home fries and they were well made.

I want to make special mention of our waiter. He was professional and always one step ahead of any potential problem that could occur. For example, when he found out that it was going to take extra time to bake more croissants for my sandwich he gave me the option of ordering it with a different bread or waiting for the croissants. I appreciated the fact that he informed me quickly and let me decide how to proceed. He also gave us some pastries while we waited and they were delicious, outstanding!

The exceptional service makes the difference for Cafe Espresso. If you have a chance you should check them out for breakfast.

Cafe Espresso of Portsmouth on Urbanspoon