Early Saturday morning starts tend to be a real struggle for me, but with the prospect of a day out in Dundee infused with the bookish fun that the Dundee Literary Festival always promises, my stride was springy and light.

Having alighted from the train, I wandered around for a little while before stumbling upon Tony’s Diner, down a little side alley off Murraygate.

Upon walking in, the first thing that struck me was just how massive the place was. Tables were quite small, in the greasy spoon style, but there were nearly thirty of them, meaning you could seat almost 100.

If this place was in Edinburgh, I would be begging them for the use of it to hold events in the evening.

The table service waitresses were marvellous stern, almost to the point of being gruff. It fitted the style of the place entirely.

They offered a range of set breakfasts, with tea and toast included, for £3.25. I was happy to go with the bacon, egg, black pudding and waffle combo.

This promptly arrived and was solidly decent without presenting much in the way of surprising goodness. But this did little to detract from what had been a really enjoyable stop.

So overall, whilst the food at Tony’s wasn’t up to much, it’s a great place and you should give it a visit. Maybe then you can sample homemade stovies for £2.95, a steak sandwich for £2.40 or a mixed grill for £4.50. What a remarkable place.

Scores
Blythe scores Tony’s Diner
2.5/5 for food
2.5/5 for presentation
4/5 for service
4/5 for setting
giving an overall 13/20

I ate: bacon, egg, waffle, black pudding, toast

I drank: tea

I wore: velvet-collared coat

Total bill: £3.25

14 Peter St, Dundee DD1 2EW