I like to think that as a caffeinated Seattleite residing in Sheffield I keep track of new coffeehouses, especially on the western side of the city where I live. I'll admit I haven't been in Hillsborough for at least a year. But on a recent walk down the hill from Walkley I was surprised to spot the Java Lounge prominently located on the busiest corner of Hillsborough. As it was a Sunday and the place was closed, I made a point of returning on a weekday morning to investigate.

Originally called Owlerton, Hillsborough was renamed in the late 18th century when Thomas Steade built Hillsborough House, named after his stately home in County Down, Northern Ireland. A hundred years later the estate which had grown on the site was split into lots, the largest becoming Hillsborough Park, with the Hillsborough Library in the former stately home. Hillsborough was one of the areas severely damaged during the Great Flood of 1864.

Famous as the sight of the Sheffield Wednesday football ground, Hillsborough is not exactly the sort of place one would expect to find a popular coffee house serving proper espresso drinks. But then being a hill dweller who doesn't get down to the valleys very much, what do I know?

As I descended the curvaceous Walkley Lane and neared the bridge under which the River Loxley gushes, the cafe was easy to find. Inside I found a single room filled with little tables, the obligatory coffee-house coffee table with two sofas and cushy chairs at one end, window ledge seats, and two tall window tables. I sat at one of the window tables with a grand view of the chaotic Hillsborough Corner, with a constant flow of cars, lorries, buses, and Supertrams, the curving tram rails dominating the street. Beyond was a view back up the end of Walkley Lane past the Freemasons Arms, toward the left a view of Legends Sports Bar, William Hill, HSBC, a fireplace shop, and the back of Rawsons Spring. A surprisingly large number of pedestrians were walking everywhere on this Friday morning. I never realised Hillsborough Corner was so popular, so busy, with so many people rushing here and there. Where were they all going?

My double macchiato was served in a perfectly sized and shaped macchiato cup with saucer and demitasse spoon. The shots were nice and strong, just what I needed to clear away the misty haze outside. The foam cap was a bit bubbly but that could be the effect of the churning river just across the road.

As I sipped my spro I perused the food menu, which starts off with bagels, including one with smoked salmon and cream cheese: something I could easily be tempted to order. There are also jacket potatoes, cold sandwiches, hot paninis, wraps, and ciabatta sandwiches with no less than 6 vegetarian creations and a hot tuna choice. Also on the menu are salads, deserts, speciality teas, smoothies, milkshakes, breakfast bagels and paninis, cheesy crumpets, and croissants which are served with butter and jam like they should be -- sorry, you fat-cutting dieters, but it's true.

So I do like the style of this place. My double macchiato was £1.95 which is a bit pricy, but that's my only real objection. The cafe was packed as well, albeit with mostly OAPs and mums with prams. But it was a Friday morning and the working people were probably all at work.

And then there was me, of course. But I was off to work as well, once I had finished my leisurely pause to enjoy a coffee and muse over the twaddle floating around my brain. After all, as the famous Dr RP Jasinski once said, "if enough people talked twaddle, there wouldn't be time for wars and hatred."