Newtownards has a proper coffee bar. I repeat Newtownards has a proper coffee bar. Many of you will think I’ve gone mad, but if you have ever lived in Newtownards you would realise this is significant.

Haptik, opened by Johnny and Rachel last year, was influenced by their travels in Melbourne. There’s a fantastic buzz and their focus on encouraging contemporary art gives a vibrancy to the place. It’s very nicely designed: copper, exposed brick work, wood, but it is definitely not style over substance.

Coffee is the main event and it is coffee worth writing about! Square mile coffee, a small but exciting menu and a coffee bar that opens to late. What’s not to like?  When visiting home, Mr Frivolitea and I now plan evening walks around a trip to Haptik.

The coffee scene (is there such a thing?) in Northern Ireland is getting really exciting. Johnny gave us a list of coffee bars to visit and I plan to work my way through them all.

Haptik are opening an upstairs art space and they host supper clubs once a month.  Here’s hoping my next visit home coincides with one.