Today’s excursion was to the venerable institution that is Fusion; this place has been serving coffee to the good folk of Herne Bay for longer than most. Located just around the corner from Ponsonby Road it’s a place worth seeking out. There are multiple seating options from pavement to inside – front of fireplace and behind – and a courtyard on two levels.

Aesthetically, it’s a curious mix of paint – panels of different hues adorn the ceiling and the walls. The flooring is that wonderful old timber mellowed to a richness and influencing the various heights of the tables – idiosyncratic or annoying depending on your mood.

The menu is interesting with the usual suspects but full of options for bagels and the like. The counter food looked great – from delicious looking mini orange cakes to sticky date cake to wonderful looking poppy seed/orange muffins and fresh cinnamon brioche. Coffee is Allpress and is good and hot although a little lacking in body perhaps although that might have been due to the size of mine (I felt like imbibing a bowl today).

Maggie ordered their muesli with fruit. I ordered bruschetta with tomato, garlic, olive oil and sardines. The presentation for both was good. Mine was a perfect size – thin slices of bruschetta and a goodly amount of the filling. The muesli likewise. Maggie thought her homemade muesli was as good however, citing the fruit accompanying Fusion’s example as a little too sweet. Perhaps it was poached in sugar syrup but the fruit looked good – pineapple, rhubarb, berries.

Bathrooms are OK – at least there are two toilets and eco-soap.

Overall we thought 7.5 to 8 and we want to return to try the courtyard which would be an inviting space in the sun.

Next week an even more venerable institution: Cezanne. Yes, that’s right, we turn the corner.