If there's one name that instantly transports Southampton locals back to decades past, it's "Cadena." 

The mere mention of this iconic cafe sparks countless memories of a time when Above Bar was brimming with traffic.

Situated between numbers 33 and 35 Above Bar, on the same side as the old Daily Echo offices, now replaced by Westquay shopping centre’s entrance, Cadena was a beloved institution. 

It was a haven for the poached egg, a go-to spot for afternoon tea with sardines or grilled tomatoes on toast, and a place to indulge in the extravagant "Cheltenham Tea" on payday.

The original Cadena premises, dating back to 1922, were sadly destroyed during the Second World War. 

Undeterred, the cafe returned in 1951, operating from a mobile shop for three years. 

In 1954, the new Cadena opened its doors, featuring distinctive wooden elements salvaged from London's Waterloo Bridge and murals depicting the majestic Queen Elizabeth sailing from Southampton to New York and a serene Hawaiian scene.

“On the ground floor there is a self-service cafeteria and a cake shop which also sells midday snacks for office and shop workers to take out,” said the Daily Echo on the day the Cadena opened. 

“The restaurant is on the first floor, and runs the full width of the frontage. Most of the 160 diners can look down on the traffic in Above Bar.” 

Mr J. G. White, a director of Cadena Cafes, at the time said: “We shall meet the needs of the average customer and luncheons will cost from about four shillings (20p) upwards. 

“In the cafeteria people can spend from sixpence (2p) for a sandwich up to five shillings (25p) for a cooked meal.” 

The “Cheltenham Tea” which cost one shilling and nine pence (8p) consisted of a pot of tea, a “petit Cadena Grill”, a roll and butter, together with a slice of plain cake. 

Those looking to spend a little less could order fish and chips, bread and butter, and tea for one shilling (5p), but then the take home pay for someone working a 47-hour week was then just £3 12s 6d (£3.62). 

The Cadena, which by the time of its closure had become part of the Tesco empire, brewed its last pot of tea and finally closed in the autumn of 1971.