Hello everyone! It has been a while since I last wrote a blog, well since June actually... oops. Quite a bit has happened in my life during that time, well that's a crazily long story that is for another time perhaps.
Right now, it is time for the ultimate comeback blog! Brace yourself, it's a doozie!
On Friday, me and my oldest bestie (oldest in time knowing, she's not old... sorry Gem) went on an adventure to Bournemouth. I have always wanted to go to Japan to visit a Cat Cafe and well, for many other reasons too! While scouring the internet for ideas on what to do for my birthday I came across the most awesome idea. A Cat Cafe. In this country. Just an hour from me. Oh yes!
With my family not being the biggest fan of cats (except my brother and sister-in-law) it wasn't an option for my actual birthday but I knew I could convince someone to go with me. With my crazy excitement we booked it in and this is the best bits from the experience...
Pause Cat Cafe
First things first, the cats.
Of course. As a Vegan of 3 years and Vegetarian of 10 years, it is a safe assumption I love animals of all shapes and sizes. The fluffier, doughy eyed and cheeky the better!
This place certainly delivered on that front, you definitely need to keep your eyes on your food! Sweet Cheeks was a proper cheeky monkey with his Puss in Boots eyes begging at us... (as if I was ever going to give him my Gluten Free Vegan delights!)
Then there were more chilled cats like Liquorice who was elegantly splayed across his cushion dozing and Marijke the gorgeous Maine Coon who lazily batted a ball whilst laying in the comfort of his box. Cat Paradise.
Brucy Bonus!
The food. It's a completely Vegetarian Cafe which gets a big thumbs up from me. Then the majority of the menu is also Vegan and then on top of that Gluten Free. I had to triple check. I couldn't believe my eyes!
Now with that much choice, it was difficult. So many options and that was before we had even seen the specials for the day. These consisted of a warming Tomato Soup or Mac n Cheese. Yikes. How much better could it get you may ask? Well, I'll tell you. Peanut Butter, Chocolate & Banana Vegan Smoothie better.
So with this ridiculous amount of insanely decadent Becki Friendly food available to us, we decided to get two dishes and have half each. We went for the Mac n Cheese (of course - I checked to ensure it was Gluten Free too) and the Vegan Nachos. A nice cheesy combination for lunch! Naturally we both went for the Peanut Butter Smoothie too. Because, well you have to when such a thing is on offer.
The food comes in boxes with lids, so when little devils like Sweet Cheeks turn up with their hard to resist overload of cuteness you can simply close it up. Although you have to be pretty quick. Black cats are like Ninjas!
The Mac n Cheese was gooey, creamy and perfectly seasoned. It was super rich as it should be, so I only managed less than half. Very glad for the mix up with the crunch and lighter Nachos. They were great and the Vegan cheese was actually melted on too which is something to admire! The Salsa on the side was just a tad spicy which gave it a good kick amongst the cheesy duo. (Sorry for the photos, I had to be quick to keep my food safe and the cats of course)
Sadly we ran out of time, so cake was not to be. Next time we will go for Cake and Milkshake instead perhaps, there were Vegan Gluten Free Cakes galore!
Serenity in the middle of a City
Not only were the main attractions cute, beautiful and full of character. The whole place was an anxious persons paradise. Trust me, I'd know.
The cats, the minimalistic decor and the calming spa like music playing in the background made it a spot of tranquility. With the need for people to be a lot quieter and respectful, it was such a peaceful place to be. No loud noises, traffic sounds or phones ringing. Just peace, quiet, comfort food and cats! Plus the way they had created mini staircases, tunnels and bridges all over the walls was really cool. Such a lot of fun for them!
Paws down worth the trip
I'd highly recommend a visit to this place, if not only for the cats additionally for the delicious food and relaxing atmosphere. If only I lived closer, I would be there all the time and would 100% volunteer there too.
Mad Cucumber
Without our hunger for cake quelled in Pause, we had to find alternative arrangements. No complaints there - who doesn't love finding a new Vegan cafe. After a quick Happy Cow surf we found a place called Mad Cucumber, it wasn't massively clear on their website about Gluten Free so Gemma called to find out we were in luck! Over 5 options in the cabinet today, more choices! Decision making really isn't a strong suit, Bournemouth sure tested me.
Quirky is best
We arrived at this quirky little cafe with smiles on our faces. How could you not when greeted by a crazy cucumber grinning maniacally down at you? What a great logo character.
My artsy side came out with love for all corners of this place. It was the essence of shabby chic in the best way. Random chairs; chalkboard menus; local art on the walls; plants everywhere; and the most awesome motif cushions (which I so sadly didn't take a photo of). Everything that I would have in my cafe if I ever take the plunge! We even managed to get a rare selfie together, albeit we look a little alarmed by the camera.
Fancy Food
Not only do they dress their cafe brilliantly, their food is also mouth watering to look at. There were some head turners in their cake cabinet. For us though, only one caught the eye of our bellies!
This was the Chocolate Tart, it looked perfect for after a heavy lunch. Smooth, chocolatey with a little bit of crunch for added texture. It was probably the best Chocolate Tart I've had, sorry Zizzi's, you'll have to settle for second now! This one was so smooth, creamy and dreamy. Not overwhelming sweet or sickly, the sprinkling of cocoa powder on top added a tang to balance it all out.
You'd be mad to miss out
If you're ever in Bournemouth, this is a really cute place to visit. So unique, full of friendly faces and great food. I definitely need to go back to try out a lunch there. Maybe we'll swap it around next time, Mad Cucumber for lunch and Pause for dessert! Great plan.
Well. That's it, my comeback blog! I encourage anyone with stress in their lives or the constant anxiety bubble looming in the background to go to this Cat Cafe. Animals truly do help. Even my little Hamster helps me when I'm feeling blue.
Even if that's not the case for you, do it for the love of animals and a quirky new experience! It's something to tell your friends about. Although be prepared to hear them repeat Cat Cafe back to you a few times. It's not something you hear everyday!
Until next time friends, aloha!