A few years ago a coffee-loving friend suggested a place for espresso in Sheffield that was "somewhere near the Cathedral", but they couldn't remember exactly where or even what the name of the place was. Recently another person I know, when she found out I write about coffee, mentioned her favourite place for espresso. She couldn't remember the name, either, but she told me it was on Campo Lane behind the Sheffield Cathedral. The next morning I grabbed my pipe, donned my deerstalker cap, and sat down at my laptop to Google these few clues I had. And using my powers of logic I determined that the place in question was Urban Deli. Elementary.

Last week before work I stopped into Castle Market, and as Campo Lane isn't far from there I decided to try out Urban Deli. Located down the road a bit from the Cathedral's rear walls, the corner cafe is situated directly across from the Croft Buildings. On one side of the cafe is a takeaway counter stocked with sandwich makings, deli items, and an olive bar, and to the right beyond the espresso and cake counter are tables and booths. I ordered a single macchiato and a sandwich and sat at a window table. I'm really looking forward to this, I thought as I did a quick visual scan of the items on a display shelf near me: tins of Yorkshire Crisps, jars of chutneys and deli treats, and gourmet teas. On my table was a menu featuring all kinds of sandwiches, salads, and weekday breakfast items as well as a Saturday brunch.

My macchiato was strong and robust and zippy and nearly yelling at me. In other words, it was everything one wants from a single macchiato. It was served properly as well, in a white china single-macchiato-sized cup with demitasse spoon. My "Mad Greek" sandwich consisted of foccacia bread with tasteful amounts of houmus, feta, avocado, and tomato, and it was accompanied by a very nice salad of mixed greens with a delicious dressing. Although it cost twice as much as the maximum I'd normally pay for a sandwich I was happy because, after all, I usually pack my lunch and I deserve a splurge now and then. Fortunately the macchiato was more reasonably priced at £1.50.

As I dined on my treat the cafe started to fill up with suits, most of them probably legal types, as the cafe is just down the road from the solicitor-popular Wig & Pen Pub and around the corner from Paradise Square, its offices populated with solicitors and estate agents. Most of the suits were ordering food to take away, which is probably the way to go because it's much cheaper that way. Even solicitors like to save money.

The walls of the cafe are covered with graphic-style paintings of "urban" people, and there is a coin-operated elephant ride in the corner for the enjoyment of children -- or adults like me, as I've been known to take the occasional coin-operated ride. After all, you only live once. But I didn't succumb this time, amusing myself instead with my curved window view offering a distorted perspective westward down Campo Lane. It made me want to sit here and paint. I began to fantasize about stopping in every lunchtime with my canvas, easel, oils, and of course my trusty paint-spattered beret; but alas, I don't get paid for my fantasies so I had to get off to my non-artistic job.