IF ever there was an eating place which should be doing a roaring trade these days - what with touchy Donald Trump's little fingers within reach of the nuclear button, European political disarray, global terror threats and humanitarian disasters - it's the World Peace Cafe in Ulverston.

When my best friend suggested meeting there for lunch on Tuesday, I wondered if we would need to book. Or at least queue.

Neither, it turned out. The people of Ulverston are clearly very blasé about geopolitics and international turmoil - and we arrived at the cafe, in Cavendish Street, to find it bereft of customers. Having ascertained from the pleasant young woman behind the counter that the place was in fact open, we ordered from that day's limited offerings.

The cafe is running a reduced menu at the moment, the waitress explained, because it has only recently reopened after having been closed for a while - and they can't bear to waste food.

Two different soups and a Thai green curry were on offer that day - although the cafe still offers a full range of cakes and drinks.

Owned by the Buddists at Conishead Priory, the World Peace Cafe is certainly, er, peaceful.

Inside, it's actually very nice indeed. Lovely polished wood floors, comfy-looking sofas in an airy glass-roofed area, and well-spaced tables in the main body of the room.

It's very calming and very zen - the only slightly jarring note being the view of a funeral home across the road. However, it's all part of the circle of life, I suppose, so it didn't put me off my cappuccino.

My friend Sarah and I had both decided on the Thai green curry, with carrot cake to follow. Sarah also ordered a cheese scone. £20 for the lot.

While we waited for our curry, we browsed some of the books for sale - with titles such as Eight Steps to Happiness, The New Heart of Wisdom and a slim book promising to reveal the secret to solving all the problems of mankind. Unfortunately, the secret remains undiscovered by me as, three pages in, our curries arrived.

The World Peace Cafe being a vegetarian establishment, no animals were harmed in the making of this curry. But plenty of vegetables were. This Thai curry was the personification of Buddism: laid-back, mild, inoffensive and just a bit, well, mushy.

In the absence of some meat, a veggie curry should contain crisp and crunchy vegetables. And any self-respecting Thai green curry should at least contain sweetcorn and green beans. This one contained neither, but was comprised of lots of very soft vegetables, including cauliflower and sweet potato. It also wasn't very spicy - and would have been vastly improved with a liberal helping of chilli.

Having said that, there was plenty of it, along with a generous mound of rice (brown, of course); and if you like your curry mild, then this will be one for you.

The carrot cake which followed was very good indeed: a generous wedge of soft, fresh cake, with a delicious icing. It went perfectly with our coffee, and rounded off the meal very well.

Service throughout was friendly and laid-back - we were served by three different people during our visit, all of whom were delightful.

The World Peace Cafe is certainly a restful place, staffed by charming volunteers who do everything (short of spicing up the curry) to ensure customers have a pleasant visit. It's got a lovely atmosphere, even when there are no other customers in.

We both liked it a lot, we decided, as we ambled in a state of zen-like bliss to the pub for a post-lunch glass of wine. The cafe is warm, welcoming and deserves to be busier than it is. All I am saying is give Peace a chance.

LOUISE ALLONBY

Food 3

Service 4

Value 4

Atmosphere 4

Pros

Laid-back atmosphere

Friendly staff

Books to read while you wait

Cons

Limited menu

Parking restrictions in vicinity