As you can see, the Hightaste is the lone survivor amongst the old and interesting businesses that have nestled for years next to Smithfields Market. I presume it's still there because someone needs to feed the workers rebuilding everything round here. Cafes have a complex relationship with gentrification - they're never busier than when all the builders arrive and they're sometimes there for years, but then the dust settles and all anyone wants is an artisanal drip.
This magnificence will never go out of fashion though. Look at the crispiness of those chips - solid, sharp, structural, predictable enough for a good game of Jenga. The bacon's dark and crispy enough for a goth sandwich, the beans are textbook, the egg lies like a snowy blanket on a Malvern hillside.
No fuss with the condiments.
Same with the interiors. Chairs, tables, heater, arts, the basics.
This is fantastic place. Old school. Visit while you can.