Bringing a modern Italian flavour to the Roman is new internet café, Chicchi (pronounced Kiki) where both food, drink and the service are all definitely online.

Leaving the lively street market behind at the door step, the interior is bright and clean, with mellow jazzy background music punctuated by the whooshes of the hard worked coffee machine.

Friendly staff greets you at the counter and present a menu of tantalising Italian tastes ranging from toasted ciabatta sandwiches, pasta salads, pizza, salads as well as a range of specials on a board, including lasagne.

The lasagne being “off”, the family opted for chicken, bacon and tomato pasta salad, heated up, pesto, tomato and avocado salad and hot ciabatta, sausage and mozzarella.

From the long range of drinks we picked an iced cappuccino, strawberry smoothie and a chocolate milkshake and took our table in the high-tech interior.

The wall space is interestingly decorated by the work of local artists and, as well as traditional upright tables and chairs, there are also sofas to absorb the ambience.

Unfortunately for my four year old daughter we soon found she had the best drink of all which required much double checking of her seriously chocolaty milkshake. Our drinks though were more than adequate.

Our food soon arrived and all dishes were a hit with their recipients. My sausage and mozzarella ciabatta superbly warm and filling, and both pasta dishes went down a storm.

For dessert we picked chocolate ice cream with waffles and hazel nut ice cream with waffles. Apart from the lemon tart, which was a little dull, the others did not disappoint and were polished off with great gusto.

There’s the option of lingering and reading the papers or magazines held on racks or 30 minutes free use of one of the eight terminals in a room at the back of the café.

The final bill came to £26 and, following a friendly farewell, we found ourselves back on the street again, too full to eat again that day.

And if you don’t fancy a fully blown meal, why not pop in for a coffee and free 30 minute use of inter net use?

East End Life October 2005