When I started writing this column over 5 years ago in Seattle I named it Double Shot Buzz because I knew I would be writing about espresso. This was a natural assumption in such an espresso-propelled city. In England I have continued in the same vein, and in a city like Sheffield there are plenty of espresso cafes to write about.

But there are two distinctly different impetuses which are likely to propel a coffee lover toward a public caffeine experience. The first one, of course, is aesthetic: the desire to sit in a cafe and sip a nice cappuccino or latte or macchiato while chatting with friends, reading the newspaper or a good book, typing away on a laptop, or perhaps writing or sketching or simply cogitating behind a pair of designer sunglasses. This can happen any time of the day or night.

The second impetus has to do with hunger, i.e. the search for breakfast. Naturally a well-made cappuccino goes perfectly well with an omelette or a croissant. But a good cup of coffee is also quite suitable with the first meal of the day. The UK is full of cafes where one can get anything from toast to a full English breakfast, but espresso machines are very rare in these establishments. So the coffee drinker usually has to settle for a large mug of sometimes adequate but never particularly exciting coffee.

That's why I wanted to write about Take Five. Located on a busy corner in Crookes -- across from the Springvale Cask Ale House and next to Indian and Chinese takeaways, a Balti house, and a French restaurant -- Take Five rises far above the average English breakfast-and-lunch cafe. For one thing the atmosphere is very Continental, with a yellow and green colour scheme and large windows looking out onto a view across the hills, and on the window ledge are the latest editions of Le Monde and various design and architecture journals. This is actually a very pleasant place to sit and spend some time, as opposed to your average eat-it-and-beat-it greasy spoon. The food is surprisingly good as well, thanks to the talents of Chef Graham whose culinary creations are far superior to anything you'd expect to find in a simple cafe. Graham, who has cooked for the likes of Pavarotti and Robbie Williams, obviously loves to cook, and if you're lucky -- or unlucky, depending on your appreciation and tolerance of harmonic discordancy -- you might hear him singing away in the kitchen.

A good breakfast deserves a good cup of coffee, and owner Brendan has gone to the effort of obtaining decent ground coffee for his cafetiéres. Two varieties are available: the smooth Java and the strong, dark-roasted Continental, both from Coopers of Yorkshire. Since my dream of being able to sit and drink a properly-made macchiato in Walkley or Crookes seems elusive at this point, knowing I can get a decent cup of coffee is the next best thing. Brendan has no plans at this point for a proper espresso machine at Take Five, preferring to concentrate on providing quality food for his customers. The breakfasts range in price from £3.00 for the Small (Regular or Vegetarian) to £5.00 for the Yorkshire. Also available are omelettes, jackets, sandwiches, burgers, and Provencette hot toasted baguettes.

The building which houses Take Five dates from the 17th century. During the Blitz it was damaged but survived, unlike the neighbouring Springvale House, on which site currently sits the Anglo Petrol Station. Members of the eighties band Human League once lived in a flat above the cafe, and it's been reported that one of them still owes a bit of rent.