Caffe Gusto

It's always a bit dangerous to give Itchy choices. Telling us that we can create our own sandwich using anything we want, and giving us a vast choice of breads, meats, veggies and sauces is just asking for us to build some Leaning Tower of Pisa extravaganza that Garfield would be proud of. And you just know it's going to have some 'experimental' filling, like Thai chicken with tuna mayo, or Quorn sausage with marinated feta, that no number of decorative parsley sprigs is going to make look appetising...<br/><br/> Maybe we should just leave the combos to the experts at Bristol–bred brand Caffe Gusto. They have 9 stores across the city, where you can sample steaming coffee and iced lattes, fresh smoothies zapped together from your choice of fruits, big breakfasts and omelettes made with whatever you fancy, and more hot and cold sarnies, wraps and pani–ni–ni–ni–nis than you'd find at an elephants' tea party. We particularly rate their aubergine, hummus and hard–boiled egg affair – sometimes, the quirks work.<br/><br/>As well as whipping up pretty much anything you can conceptualise to eat and drink, one of the best things about the Caffe Gusto shops is that they put the 'treat' in 'retreat'; staff are keen for you to be cosy, and understand that cafes like this are often where you come when you just want to get out of the rain and away from a crappy day. They welcome you to collapse into a chair with a consolation cake and bury yourself in a paper on a stressful afternoon, or slob out in the sunshine with a smoothie at brighter moments. From a chain – albeit a local one – friendly service like this is a real gust–o fresh air.

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