You know you’re somewhere good when everyone who walks in asks their friends ’so where did you hear about this place?’ That’s what happens whenever I visit Nexus Art Cafe on Dale Street – visitor after visitor wondering why they’ve only just discovered the place.

The cafe is setting itself apart as somewhere nice, quiet and pretension-free to have a cup of tea in the city centre. There are loads of Teapigs flavours on offer, plus various non-tea-based drinks, and the food’s good too – last week’s spicy pumpkin soup was probably their best so far. It was recently shortlisted for the Food and Drink Festival’s Best Casual Dining award, eventually losing out to the Cup.

Nexus has plenty of space, flexible seating, great music (expect to hear the likes of Sufjan Stevens, Belle & Sebastian and Amiina), free wi-fi and very friendly staff – and it hosts regular days and nights of music and film, with changing art exhibitions too. I dropped in during one such event on Saturday afternoon and it was the busiest I’ve seen the place.

Until this week, Nexus Art Cafe has been open from 10am until 7pm on Tuesday through to Sunday. To celebrate its decision to open on Mondays as well, its promising free tea and coffee throughout today. If you haven’t already tried it, now’s the time to visit Nexus.

[Photo by Jess Higgins]