Eclectic cafe with diverse menu

Red Twig, a little coffee-shop-cum-cafe, offers a generous menu and a charming sidewalk setting where it's a joy to linger. It's not uncommon to find cyclists sharing a morning cup of coffee and pastry, listening to the splash of the fountain, as their bikes lean against the artsy metal fence.

For late risers, this is the place where you can find a great breakfast all day on the weekends and until 2 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The menu: One of the wonderful things about Red Twig is the imaginative menu with plenty to choose from. Some of the offerings: crepes from lemon and powdered sugar to spinach, $9.50, not including extra toppings; huevos rancheros $9.50; and chicken tortilla or beef-barley soup, $6 a bowl with toast.

What to write home about: I had the Twig Benedict, two poached eggs over smoked salmon on an English muffin, all covered in hollandaise sauce, $12.75. Chunky fried potatoes came with it, and I washed it down with the Red Twig's signature mimosa. It turned an ordinary Sunday breakfast into a festive occasion. My friend ordered a bacon-lettuce-tomato and avocado sandwich, which came on artisan bread with a nice side salad, $9.75. She gave it high praise

What to skip: The third member of our party had the classic eggs Benedict, $11, with a thick-cut piece of ham, not the prosciutto the menu advertises. He thought the meal was ordinary and overpriced. But he raved about the coffee, roasted right there.

The setting: There's a fireplace and a mammoth coffee roaster parked inside the cafe. The interior is done in browns and taupe — the colors of coffee with cream. As charming as the outside courtyard is, the inside, while beautifully appointed, never quite makes the transition from coffee shop to cafe. You place your order at the counter.

Summing up: Overall, we loved this place. Everything is made from scratch on site. Our tab, which included a coffee, mimosa, sandwich and two benedicts, came to about $47, without tip.

Nancy Bartley: 206-464-8522 or nbartley@seattletimes.com