In order to kill a little time while my sister's car was being repaired we took a trip to Panteli's in Northdown road. Our choice was entirely due to the fact that it came highly recommended by my wife and it was near to the outfit that was repairing my sister's car. I forget the name of the place but it's on the corner of Sweyn Road and Northdown Road (Google's not much help so I'm guessing they don't have much web presence yet).

Any how My wife, my oldest, my sister and I took a trip to Panteli's to eat some lunch and kill some time. It's not the worlds most impressive establishment but it has the stuff where it matters most. It feels friendly and relaxed from the moment you walk in and all the staff seem to great you with a smile.

Such a natural warm welcome is hard to to come by these days and combine that with the relaxed atmosphere and there were already doing great. Obviously Panteli's is "just" a cafe - this is no gourmet dinning experience but the food is well presented, not at all greasy and of quite a high standard as cafes go. The right balance of price and quality.

Plus they do ice creme in a whole bunch of flavours.

I vaguely recall going in there back when smoking inside such places was normal and legal and it has improved things no end now that the air is relatively smoke free however when the wind blows "just so" the strong smell of cigarettes blows in from those sitting outside. Even so this did not reduce the overall experience of one of Thanet's better non-expensive cafes.

If you like to dine in a cafe that makes you feel like part of the family then Panteli's is for you. On the other hand if you like you meal cooked by the head chief then a cafe is not for you in the first palce. Next time you are in the area give it a try and don't forget to mention we sent you.