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Denholm
The Denholm Meet
Location: Westside, Denholm, TD9 8LX [
map]
Phone: 0845 200 9562
Open: Weds-Sun 9.30am- 5.30pm; Sat 9.30am-11pm
E-mail:
Set in the lovely village of Denholm, this is my new favourite place to eat. For a café bar that opened its doors just one year ago, the welcome we received from the lovely Simone, manager of this find of a restaurant, was impressively assured and warm. The interior is comfortable and contemporary with wooden sanded floors and tables; while white walls are adorned with old French and Italian advertising signs, and a classic 1950s Triumph motorcycle sits in the bar area lending the room retro charm aplenty. The new proprietors of this licensed café bar are Rob and Natasha Armstrong. Rob, an antiques dealer by trade, has set up an antique centre above the restaurant filled with interesting antiquities from here and the continent. His wife Natasha, originally from Tuscany, is the head chef and the menus are honest and simple reflections of her Italian roots.
While deciding what to sample for our Mediterranean lunch, we were given a bowl of deliciously plump purple olives to nibble on, which was instantly replenished. Simone informed us that many of her ingredients are sent direct from Tuscany and the authentic flavours shine through in every mouthful. To start we had a generous portion of delicious piping hot fennel soup with fluffy homemade poppy seed bread. To follow, my companion opted for sumptuous gnocchi in a creamy Gorgonzola sauce while I opted for the superbly thin-based wild mushroom pizza - both dishes were brimming with the fresh flavours of the Med. We both finished off with cappuccinos and chocolate cake - a lovely end to a most substantial lunch.
After browsing the antiques upstairs and drinking more fragrant coffee we found we had spent the best part of the afternoon in this bustling little café. We had a peek at the dinner menu and were sorely tempted to stay until 7pm, but full stomachs would not allow further indulgence. We left promising to return for one of the live music with food evenings they stage every month. Natasha and Rob have combined all of the necessary ingredients for a fun-filled evening, and I for one am looking forward to it already.
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