It’s the last week of term and my final column for Violet. And I may just have stumbled upon my favourite café. What a stroke of luck!

Someone recommended Hot Numbers to me many months ago. I had seen online recommendations and had even liked them on Facebook, but hadn’t been until this week, when I went two days in a row. One of the reasons for this is because Hot Numbers is not very central. In fact, they have two stores, but both of these cafés are a bit further afield: one on Gwydir Street, and one opposite the Engineering department on Trumpington Street.

I took a friend along with me last week in the hope that we could try as many of their cakes/sandwiches/odd bits of food as possible, but alas, we both fell head over heels for their avocado toast. Admittedly, at six pounds it’s far more expensive than it would be to buy your own avocado and sourdough – but it is 100% worth it. You can add chunks of salty feta (10/10 would recommend) or a soft boiled egg, but I wouldn’t judge you at all if you prefer to eat it au naturel. Imagine softly smooshed avocado seasoned with herby basil, sprinkled with a light dusting of chili flakes – just enough to add heat without being overpowering.

I can recommend their carrot cake, too. It comes adorned with cream cheese icing and a few berries, which, I joked to my other friend, made the cake seem much healthier. Nutritious value aside, these berries added a burst of juicy sweetness that complimented the sour icing perfectly.

I had intended to have a cinnamon bun for breakfast, but when we arrived I found that it was sold out (a good sign, I suppose). I have to admit that the croissants looked a bit sad and soggy, but you’ll be able to find breakfast in the form of a warm bowl of porridge (vegan, if you wish), sourdough toast or granola. If you want pancakes or bagels, you’ll have to trek to their Gwydir Street branch. Or you could make a stop for lunch and choose a panini, sandwich or a bowl of soup.

For the sweet-toothed among you, you’ll find it difficult to choose between all of the cakes on offer. You’ll find carrot cake, black forest brownies and lemon meringue cake, as well as Portuguese custard tarts and slices of cake from Afternoon Tease. It’s all more expensive than café chains, but costs roughly the same as other Cambridge cafés.

“Take a step away from the standard Cambridge café chains”

Hot Numbers is most famously known for their coffee. But I have to say that I found their order process rather confusing. I’ll always pick a filter coffee over an Americano, but I didn’t see a filter option until I got to my table and read about it on their leaflet – and by that stage, it was too late. Interestingly, you can choose how much you want to dilute your coffee: you can have an intense espresso in a 3oz cup (tiny), or add milk/water until you find a size to suit you. If you want to linger over a coffee, I’d say the 8oz is the perfect size, with the 6oz being better for a stronger, quicker drink. In the summer you might want to try their cold brew coffee or iced lattes, but these (as always) will be more expensive. They’ll look better on Instagram, though.

I don’t have time to talk about their dreamy décor (safe to say, it strikes the perfect balance between cosy and cool), but if you needed any more convincing to make Hot Numbers your next coffee stop, let me mention their regular music nights (Thursdays and Fridays), “Drink and Draw” events (every other Tuesday), and collaborations with local food. I sadly missed out on these events this year, but I intend to make it to as many as possible next year.

As this column comes to a close, I want to say a big thank you to my friends for putting up with me taking photos of their food before they could eat it. But most of all, thanks must go to you, dear reader. I hope you have found some light relief in reading these little reviews – and, if I’ve encouraged to you to branch out a bit and take a step away from the standard café chains, then I’ll consider my column a success