Caffè Nero

You know the deal with Nero — walk in on High Street Gosforth and you'll clock the familiar setup: counter, till, rows of beans and branded cups. It's not trying to reinvent the wheel, and honestly, that's fine. The coffee is solid, the pastries are fresh enough, and there's usually a table free if you're after a quick caffeine hit between the shops. It's the kind of place locals pop into before popping down to M&S, not somewhere you'd make a pilgrimage for, but it gets the job done. The staff tend to know their regulars, which counts for something.