We tried the Caribbean breakfast at Coventry’s 2-Tone caf – and it was completely different to a full English – Coventry Live

When it comes to going out for breakfast in Coventry there is plenty on offer. Be it a much-loved greasy spoon or a favourite batch bar, there is always somewhere to go to satisfy your cravings.

But outside your traditional eggs and bacon, there are some fantastic alternatives in the city should you feel the need for something a bit different. So we popped along to Coventry's 2-Tone village in Ball Hill to try a Caribbean breakfast.

If you haven't been to the 2-Tone Village, it is squirrelled away between shops on Walsgrave Road. A little path takes you through to a courtyard which somehow manages to feel a million miles away from the bustle of Ball Hill, despite only being a few yards.

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The 2-Tone Caf is placed at the heart of the small village opposite the much-loved Coventry Music Museum. As you would expect, it is adorned with memorabilia linked to The Specials, The Selecter and a slew of other Ska legends.

I checked out the menu and settled immediately on the Caribbean breakfast, which at 6 seemed reasonably priced. The menu told me it consisted of a jerk sausage, ackee and saltfish, hardo bread, fried plantain, seasoned beans and choice of tea or coffee.

I instead opted for a cold drink of ginger beer. I did see cans of Red Stripe in the fridge, but as it was still early I made the grown-up decision to stick to soft drinks.

The caf is small but, as it was still early, just after 9am, there was plenty of seating to choose from, with each table themed to a specific 2-Tone icon. I sat and waited, taking in the room around me, and it struck I was sitting in perhaps the most proudly Cov eatery in the city.

A reassuring wait of around ten to fifteen minutes confirmed the food was cooked fresh. The plate was delivered to my table by the same staff member who had taken my order and I was struck straight away by how different a Caribbean breakfast looked to your traditional fry-up.

Asides from the sausage and the beans, and even they were totally different, it was worlds away from a full English. The chap told me they were out of hardo bread, so they had replaced it with a 'bake' which he explained was a bit like a dumpling, all the same ingredients, only cooked differently.

Intrigued by the bake, I tucked into this first. It was crispy and delicious and fell somewhere between a dumpling and a flat bread. The beans were flecked with spices and had quite a satisfying kick.

The ackee was delicious and again had a lovely kick, and was thick with peppers and onions. The fried plantain, which had caramelised slightly, added some sweet relief to offset the spice of the rest of the dish without being cloyingly so.

But the winner of the plate was the jerk sausage, which was girthy like a giant's finger. It was obviously of good quality with a high meat content as it was fairly solid.

The meat was seasoned with jerk and was head and shoulders above your standard sausage. A visit here is almost worth it for the sausage alone.

If you like a breakfast, but find your standard fare lacking flavour, I would definitely recommend a Caribbean version at the 2-Tone Caf. The surroundings alone are so ensconced in Coventry and its history it made this city boy feel right at home.

But the food was fantastic too. And they have lots more on offer as well as breakfast. But they also offer more traditional food, breakfasts included, if you like the sound of the surroundings but have a palette suited to more mundane flavours.

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We tried the Caribbean breakfast at Coventry's 2-Tone caf - and it was completely different to a full English - Coventry Live