Known locally for its late-night cocktails and lively atmosphere, Nightjars has undergone something of a daytime transformation. Since June 2nd, the venue has been opening as Cafe Nightjars from 10am Tuesday to Sunday, serving speciality coffees, elaborate iced drinks, breakfast dishes and pastries, giving Bury St Edmunds residents another tempting option for breakfast and brunch.
With free WiFi available, I decided to take my laptop along and spend a morning “working from home” while checking out the new offering.
The first thing that struck me was just how extensive the menu is. Alongside coffees and teas, there’s a huge range of signature iced matchas and other creative cold drinks, many of which look tailor-made for social media. Breakfast is served from 10am until midday, with everything from breakfast muffins and loaded croissants to lighter options such as granola with yoghurt and berries.
I’d spotted the Strawberry Cheesecake Iced Matcha on Cafe Nightjars’ Instagram before visiting and knew I had to try it. Priced at £6.80 for a 14oz or £7.50 for a 16oz, it combines matcha, strawberry puree, white chocolate sauce, vanilla cold foam and biscuit crumb. It’s certainly Instagrammable, but thankfully it’s not a case of style over substance. Every element came through beautifully, with the earthy matcha balancing perfectly against the sweetness of the strawberry and white chocolate. It looked fantastic and tasted even better.
For breakfast, I opted for the Bacon, Brie and Chilli Jam Croissant (£7). It’s a flavour combination that’s hard to beat and Cafe Nightjars does it justice. The croissant arrived attractively presented with rocket leaves on the side, and they certainly hadn’t been stingy with the filling. At £7, it felt very reasonably priced too.
My only minor criticism was that the croissant itself, while rich and buttery, was slightly chewy in texture. It wasn’t enough to detract from the dish, but it did remind me of the consistency you can sometimes get when reheating a croissant at home in the microwave for a little too long. A fork alongside the knife would also have been useful given the generous filling and the rocket on the side.
Those small points aside, I thoroughly enjoyed my breakfast and can see why the new daytime menu has already been generating plenty of attention on social media. Cafe Nightjars has successfully created something that feels different to many of the town’s existing breakfast spots, with a menu packed full of creative drinks and appealing food options.
It’s always encouraging to see independent businesses trying something new, and based on my visit, Cafe Nightjars’ daytime venture looks like it’s off to a very promising start.