Lunch Quest: Edinburgh

Blythe’s Verdict
Karen’s Unicorn easily wins the award for the most amusingly named restaurant we’ve visited, so far. It has built up quite a reputation for offering high-quality Chinese dishes, since it opened in late 2009.

With MJ away in Istanbul, spending most of her time hopping between Europe and Asia, I was joined on today’s quest some of our wider network of questing pals. John, who first joined us at The Mulroy, dropped me a line a couple of weeks ago, suggesting that Karen’s Unicorn would be a good place for us to try. Tony, who had also joined at The Mulroy was happy to join. Completing the party was the profilic Jemma, of Jemma Eat World fame, who has been reviewing a veritable avalanche of places, over the past couple of months.


I took up the mantle of promptness, arriving in good time to take an exterior shot, and then be shown to our table to await the arrival of my fellow diners. First to arrive was Tony, then John was hot on his heels. A combination of another branch of Karen’s Unicorn in St Stephen’s Street, and a slight over-reliance on Google Maps delayed Jemma a little while, but soon enough we were contemplating the business lunch menus.

Offering two courses for £8.95, the menu covered all the bases you’d expect. Their evening menu covers some more exotic fare, with an enticing list of daily specials, but lunchtime service focuses on more basic dishes, quickly served, for express, business customers.

The main restaurant room is very neatly styled in black and white, with just a hint of purple-pink. My tie and handkerchief combo fitted in extremely well. It retains all the fixtures of the New Town style, as you would expect, but these are given a sensitive, modern treatment. There was evidence of a little added festive glamour, but this was very understated and classy.


Water was provided on arrival, as were prawn crackers and soy sauce, so we could sip and crunch while we contemplated. Our cogitations soon coalesced, with Jemma opting for king prawns followed by lemon chicken, John going for the prawns followed by beef in black bean sauce, Tony opting for hot and sour soup followed by vegetable chow mein, while I chose the soup followed by crispy shredded beef.


Dishes arrived quickly, and I have to say that I thought the soup looked considerably better fun than the prawns. It tasted incredibly good, as well. It was a richly meaty broth, full of shredded goodness, with the odd little prawn there for further textural variance. As hot and sours go, it was right up there with the best I’ve sampled.


My main wasn’t quite up to those standards, but was still a hearty portion of crispy beef, served in a sweet and sticky sauce that had a nice amount of chilli punch. The fried rice was a good, simple accompaniment. Jemma's lemon chicken looked very much like a fish supper covered in golden syrup (perhaps in tribute to St Andrew's Day?!), but I dare say it tasted good. Tony's chow mein looked a nice dish, as did John's beef with black bean sauce.

As an express, business lunch it ticked all the boxes, very nicely. If you’re looking for something that will wow you, I’d advise an evening visit, when their more extensive menu swings in to action. The lunchtime service offers you well-executed Chinese classics, served quickly by the excellent staff, at a very reasonable price. The surroundings are extremely stylish, too. I’d heartily recommend you pay it a visit.

John’s Verdict
Having dined at Karen's Unicorn on 3 occasions on very busy Saturday nights and been very impressed, I was keen to try their business lunch offering.

The decor in Karen's is stylish and modern mostly black white and purple, which I find pleasing. The lunch menu while lacking any of the more exotic dishes available on the lengthy carte and the daily specials board was not short of choices.

On arrival our coats were taken and water and prawn crackers provided to keep us going while we made our choices and waited for Jemma, who had mistakenly gone to the other branch in St Stephen's Street, which is closed on Tuesdays.


So, to the food. I ate crispy prawns with sweet chilli dip, followed by my favourite Chinese staple of beef in black bean sauce with fried rice. Both courses were very tasty and well presented, although if anything the black bean sauce was a touch under seasoned, which is quite a culinary feat.


The service was efficient, attentive and unobtrusive. Extra marks for the steaming hot face cloths at the end of the meal, which are always welcome to bearded diners, especially.

Tony’s Verdict
After choosing my selection online from the a la carte menu, I had to rethink when presented with the lunch menu. Good value at £8.95 for 2 courses, but did not have any of my original selections. I will need to go back one evening to try those.

The lunch menu had 6 or 7 options for each course - varied enough to cover most tastes. I was warmly greeted and shown to our table where early bird Blythe was already seated.

At the table, water was already poured and prawn crackers and soy sauce in the centre of the table. Prawn crackers were light and non greasy.

I started with the hot and sour soup. It was certainly spicy enough for me. However, I thought it a bit gluey to get full marks.


To follow, I decided to try something different from my normal chinese selections and went for a vegetable chow mein. This was a bit plain for my taste, but then the menu promised nothing else. It was pleasant enough but did wish I had gone for the shredded chilli beef. To finish off, I had filtered coffee.

I would like to go back and try the chef specials that are on the a la carte menu. It would be good to go in a group and share the selections

Jemma’s Verdict
I started with the prawns, which were really nice. I thought the batter was delicious, but perhaps that's just me showing my Scottishness. They were lovely and sweet and the chilli sauce, although it looked like the ubiquitous Blue Dragon stuff, actually had a nice bit of a kick to it. Three prawns may have seemed a bit stingy, but for £2 odds you can't really complain.

The main was basically a big lump of battered chicken covered in a sticky golden sauce. It wasn't much presentation-wise, as it was a bit of a yellowy-beige monotone, and I echo Blythe's sentiment that it looked like a fish supper.


The chicken itself was tender and juicy, although it had a slight reconstituted look about it. The sauce, although yellow, had the same sort of flavour as the pink gloopy sauce you normally get with sweet and sour.

The fried rice was good and easy to pick up with my chopsticks.

For further thoughts on this, and to see all my other reviews, visit my blog, Jemma Eat World.

Scores
Blythe scores Karen’s Unicorn:
4/5 for food
3/5 for presentation
4/5 for service
4/5 for setting
giving an overall 15/20

Tony scores Karen’s Unicorn:
3/5 for food
3/5 for presentation
3/5 for service
3/5 for setting
giving an overall 12/20

Jemma scores Karen’s Unicorn:
3.5/5 for food
3/5 for presentation
4/5 for service
4/5 for setting
giving an overall 14.5/20

John scores Karen’s Unicorn:
4/5 for food
4.5/5 for presentation
4.5/5 for service
5/5 for setting
giving an overall 18/20

Today’s lunch questers were: Jemma, John, Tony, Blythe

We ate: hot and sour soup, butterfly king prawns, lemon chicken, vegetable chow mein, beef in black bean sauce, crispy shredded beef, fried rice

We drank: water, coffees

We wore: blue sweater, black and pink striped tie with matching handkerchief, maroon coat, high-performance footwear

Total bill: c.£40

With the reappearance of the Balmoral Beef Gourmet Burger Van on the forecourt of St James’ Centre, we decided to recommence our occasional series on fast-food burgers, the previous stop on this tour having been at Snax.


Since then, a new and exciting development in the world of Edinburgh burgers has emerged, in the form of the shadowy and intriguing Burgher Burgers. We’ve yet to find out the full details of this (for example, is it a Silvio Berlusconi backed re-imagining of the bunga-bunga party, for the Morningside set?), but we await details with bated breath. These will emerge via their website and their Twitter @burgherburger.

At this time of year, with the arrival of the various festive markets, associated with celebrations for St Andrew’s Day, Christmas, then New Year, residents are spoilt for burger van choice. I dare say we might make the trip along to East Princes Street Gardens, in early December, to sample some their wares.

The burger van outside St James’ Centre has long been one of those “we must try it” places, without ever having found the right moment. Today was the day.

We were served immediately, with Gary opting for the cheeseburger, while I plumped for the cheese and bacon burger. The burgers themselves are from “locally farmed prime Scotch beef”. They come served with mayo, relish, onions and salad.

We had a very enjoyable little chat with attendant, as she efficiently went about the task of preparing things. With the financials handled, it was with a good sense of expectation that we ambled back towards the office.


I have to say that I was very happy with my burger. The beef was moist and juicy, and complemented well by the various condiments and seasonings. In particular, the soft morning roll on which it was served was an out-of-sight upgrade on anything else we’d previously sampled.


Gary was less impressed, finding the onions overpowering, and finding the overall experience very ordinary. He found the gourmet price (£4.20) was not backed up by gourmet quality.

For me, I actually didn’t find the price such an issue. Fair enough, for a quid cheaper you get chips with your burger from Snax, but I found this burger alone more filling, and more satisfying, so I’m not sure which represents better real value. We don’t have a score rating for value for this reason. Instead, we mention what you get, and what it costs, then how good we think it is, then allow readers to make their own judgement of where value resides.

Overall, we came up with a bit of split decision for the Balmoral Beef Gourmet Burger Van. I think that means that the readers have the casting vote. Go try it! I think you’ll find it a hearteningly filling beefy treat; Gary suspects you may be a little underwhelmed. The burger hunt will continue, soon. As will the mystery and intrigue surrounding Burgers for Burghers…

Scores
Gary scores Gourmet Burger Van:
3/5 for food
3/5 for presentation
4/5 for service
3/5 for setting
giving an overall 13/20

Blythe scores Gourmet Burger Van:
4/5 for food
3/5 for presentation
4/5 for service
3/5 for setting
giving an overall 14/20

We ate: cheeseburger, cheese and bacon burger

We drank: nothing

We wore: Dr Marten’s boots, sixth favourite T&A tie

Total bill: c£9

Vittoria is part of a family of restaurants, owned by the Crolla family, that covers the two branches of Vittoria, Taste of Italy, Divino Enoteca, and La Favorita. Although, I’m yet to sample Taste of Italy, despite its relative proximity to my office, I’m extremely familiar with the others. Many happy trips have been made to the Vittorias; La Favorita remains, to my mind, the best pizza place in the city; and we reviewed the super-stylish Divino, a couple of months ago, and found that the stylish surroundings and exceptional wine rather overshadowed the food.‬

‪This evening marked the start of festive dining for me. Not only did I sample the Gregg’s “Festive Oval” for lunch (essentially a chicken club with cranberry – tasty, but not saturated in festiveness), it was with considerable festive spirit that I approached Vittoria’s doors.
‪

Drinks orders were swiftly taken, and we settled our choices fairly quickly. This particular annual night out focuses on the ritual of the Xmas Pizza, so it was to that section that our full attention was focussed.

‪I did opt to sample their soup of the day, to start, of course.‬


Carrot and onion gave me slight expectations of a very sweet concoction, but it was very well judged. It was a hearty broth, and richly savoury. I enjoyed it very much.


The pizza I had to follow was as good as ever. It was topped with a nice array of seafood, including mussels in the shell.

Overall, I enjoyed Vittoria. It served us good dishes, in a lively environment, to a good standard. The staff are clearly adept at dealing with the odd mishap, as they ably demonstated when smoothly handling a little spillage that took place, near our table. Next time you feel the need for Italian in a medium sized group, head to Vittoria. They will serve your needs, very nicely.

‪Scores

Blythe scores Vittoria:‬
‪4/5 for food
‪3/5 for presentation
‪4/5 for service
‪3/5 for setting
‪giving an overall 14/20

‪Today’s early Xmas late lunch questers were: Mel, Aileen, Pammy, Milo, Iain, Blythe

We ate: soup, calamari, pizza‬

‪We drank: draught lager, red wine, water

I wore: a much under-utilised YSL tie

‪Total bill:  c.£100 (6 diners)

            

Over the years, Broughton Street has become a diverse and eclectic collection of restaurants, shops, bars, cafes, and grocers. Nestling snugly within the mix is Chequers, a sandwich shop and takeaway.

With no provision for seated munching on the premises, Chequers is styled somewhere between Snax and Greggs, so far removed from the some of the “cool kid” delis in the district. It has a busy board of options, a range of different rolls to choose from, covering both breakfast and lunch roll requirements, and a good array of fillings.

The fillings were generally your standard, pre-packed fare, but the brie looked pretty decent, and the rolls came from a local bakery that supplies a number of the local sandwich shops.

Gary, a fellow soup fancier, and I both opted to try their soup of the day, a vegetable broth.


Gary described it as “proper Granny broth”, as his grandmother used to frequently make a similar concoction. I thought it was very tasty, with a good amount of lentils, beans and barley lurking in its depths.

We both chose a ‘hedgehog’ roll, Gary opting for roast beef and mustard, while I sampled the nice looking brie, adding some ham and mustard.


The rolls were substantial, with the freshly-baked roll itself the highlight. The fillings were well balanced, if a touch unspectacular. But at £3.30 for soup and sandwich, this place certainly offers you good bang for your buck.

Overall, Chequers provided us with good soup and hearty rolls. I was very pleasantly surprised by the place. It lacks the elegance of some of the other local venues, but for a quick bite on the run, which was very much the order of the day, today, it gives the impression of being totally reliable. I have a feeling that it will do pretty good breakfast rolls, also, so I may be popping back once the December hangover season swings in to effect.

Scores
Blythe scores Chequers:
4/5 for food
3/5 for presentation
3/5 for service
3/5 for setting
giving an overall 13/20

Gary scores Chequers:
4/5 for food
3/5 for presentation
5/5 for service
3/5 for setting
giving an overall 15/20

We ate: Roast beef and mustard ‘hedgehog’ roll, ham, brie and mustard ‘hedgehog’ roll, vegetable broth (2)

We drank: the soupy goodness was moisture enough

We wore: coats that were just a little too warm for this very mild lunchtime

Total bill: £6.70

I have to say it wasn't somewhere I visited a lot, but Phil was acquainted with the owner who'd first opened it as a juice bar a few years back. More recently the menu had been refreshed to include a range of healthy soups, wraps and superfood salads. Right in the heart of the city it bucked the trend of chain coffee shops and restaurants, offering an alternative for peckish shoppers and workers alike. We were both really saddened to see the place closed not just because we were hungry! But because we know how hard small independent businesses work to succeed. We fear The Allotment has succumbed under the weight of hefty council rates and regulations that are squeezing the life out of many streets in Edinburgh.

Anyway, we gathered ourselves and with a lunch quest still to do we set off instead for the mighty Henderson's on Hanover Street. Now being a veggie, Henderson's is somewhere I do frequent on a fairly regular basis (well the deli anyway). For those not acquainted, the Henderson's fold includes the restaurant downstairs, the deli upstairs, the bistro round the corner on Thistle Street, and the latest addition @ St John's (Church) in the West End. For almost half a century Henderson's has been serving up a 100% vegetarian menu to the people of Edinburgh, and for this I must congratulate them! Phil was keen to sit in the restaurant so our review only extends thus far but I'm sure I'll be back to write about the others.

The original Henderson's is at basement level and once you enter through the doors you are presented with a counter displaying an amazing array of colourful salads. I always find it hard going to a veggie restaurant as it takes me so long to pick - basically I want all the dishes! Whilst my brain whizzed Phil got straight in there ordering the focaccia pizza and selected a huge plate of three types of salad. The pressure was on now to decide, so what do you do when you're holding up the queue?... you pick the first thing on the menu - spinach, tomato and brie quiche also with a salad. The service was super quick with all our dishes ready by the time we'd paid at the till.

Spinach, tomato and brie quiche

Once seated Phil remarked that it was a strange choice as generally I'm not a quiche fan, and he was right of course as it turned out that Phil loved the quiche and I was enjoying the focaccia pizza far more, so we did a bit of swapping.

Focaccia pizza

We wore: Watsonian's FC fleece, white cardigan, country top and uncomfortable sling back shoes

Total bill: £16.65

MJ's Verdict
Today was manic. It’s that time when everything suddenly has to be done and dusted quite soon and I was wide awake at a bit before 6am and ready to take on the day. Luckily, my friends know that I need a break too and this trip to Wagamama that @Edinburghfoody organised was the perfect way to help keep me sane.

As previously suggested, I arrived early so that I could join the queue, but at ten to twelve there wasn’t one. I was quickly seated at a table around the corner, away from the doorway. I was offered a drink and ordered a cup of tea, which came in a stylish wee silk bag (inside the packet) and was quite good. After everyone arrived, there was much catching up and then we got down to the important business of ordering food.

I was in the mood for something fresh and light, and so ordered the seared steak with caramelised red onions, beansprouts, red peppers, cucumber, carrot, mooli, ginger and coriander tossed with mixed leaves and wagamama house dressing, garnished with sesame seeds. And I got a side of salted edamame (the options were salt or chili garlic) for all of us. We all ordered differently, and the dishes arrived as they were prepared.

I’m used to this happening at Asian style restaurants. I tend to think it makes for the freshest food served directly to the customer, and even though I had to wait while two of us got our food, it was totally worth it. My salad arrived piled high and fresh and was sheer perfection. The dressing was light and gingery without being overpowering. The mix of (warm) steak and vegetables was nice and I was thoroughly pleased to have finally found a place where I can go and order a salad that will be served to me like the ones from home.

That being said, I had to try a chili from Danielle’s special seasonal menu dish: firecracker prawns, and it was hot. Luckily, I tasted a bit of mange tout before I ate the whole chili and it was subtly sweet with that after kick of chili that is just right as it heats the back of your throat.

The setting itself is interesting. We were some of the lucky ones who had a table to ourselves. Mostly, the restaurant is set up with long communal tables in the main area with booths lining the large glass frontage onto Lothian Road. The service was good, odd due to the fact that I wasn’t quite sure who our server was, since one person took my drink order and another took our food orders and then each dish seemed to be delivered by a new, cheery face. I should state this: this style of service fits the style of the restaurant and is not a bad thing; it reminded me of efficient, swift American-style service. And after we were finished, they did not try to run us out (even though the queue was well out the door), nor did they ignore us.

Overall, I like this place. I would also like to think that I may well try something different and interesting next time I go, because the other dishes looked tasty, but if I’m absolutely honest, I won’t. I’ll go again and again to get that salad. I may even start to develop cravings...

Blythe's Verdict
The West End seems all abuzz, at the moment, with talk of the arrival of Wagamama in Edinburgh. Twitter has been all aflutter, too. So what's all the fuss about?

Well, Wagamama is a well-established chain of noodle bars. It specialises in long tables for communal eating, and straight-to-table service when the kitchen has prepared your food, meaning a sequential, staggered dining experience, rather than the usual, "are you sitting comfortably? Then we'll begin," approach. I popped in to the Glasgow branch, a couple of years ago, and spent a very happy lunchtime playing with a big plate of noodles, while passers-by gazed on in awe.

Today, upon arrival I ran in to the delightful Katey from Edinburgh Eats, and a waving table featuring Edinburgh Foody's Danielle and Lunch Quest's very own MJ. What a merry little collection of Total Food Geeks! We were seated in the area of the restaurant that features more conventional four-person tables, rather than at one of the communal benches.

As we contemplated the menu, we were swiftly asked for drinks orders. The service isn't going to be to everyone's taste, and you get the feeling that they're still a little tentative in navigating their way around the stylish new surroundings, but orders were taken accurately, delivered swiftly, and smiling and helpfulness abounded.

I chose an apple and lime juice, which proved very tasty, although didn't have the most eye-catching hue.

We had two menus to consider: their standard, extensive range; and a smaller menu of seasonal specials. I choose the mint and lemongrass chicken soba from the specials, and Danielle and I decided to split a portion of gyoza (chicken and vegetable dumplings).

My noodle dish was of the express variety, and arrived a little ahead of the others. I tucked in, as a succession of plates arrived, concluding with our dumplings.

Now, you know that I have a little tendency to chase noodles round the plate, rather than actually eat them, but with this dish I was on pretty good munching form. To begin with, the aromatic flavour of the mint met my nostrils and instantly made friends. The adjective for the chicken was "chunky" rather than "succulent" but the dish was a lovely marriage of subtle flavours, underpinned by gentle chilli whispers. I'd say this will be a real winner with diners as a winter warmer, over the coming months.

Our dumplings were pretty good. They weren't particularly remarkable, but they were a little better than some I've sampled.

Overall, I was pleased with Wagamama. It's fresh, slick, and a good addition to the range of West End restaurants. You won't catch me breaking my neck or queuing for an hour for a table, though. Other noodle bars are available, for example Hongfu, and I have a feeling you'll find them more than happy to accommodate you and serve you dishes of equal or better quality.

Scores
MJ scores Wagamama
4.5/5 for food
3/5 for presentation
3/5 for setting
3/5 for service
giving an overall 13.5/20

Blythe scores Wagamama
4/5 for food
3/5 for presentation
3/5 for setting
4/5 for service
giving an overall 14/20

Today's Lunch Questers were: Miriam, Danielle, Katey, Blythe

We ate: firecracker prawns, lemongrass and mint chicken soba, mandarin and sesame chicken salad, ginger beef and coriander salad, chilli squid, gyoza, edamame

We drank: juices, water

We wore: an artistically crushed blue jumper, less artistically ironed working garments (3)

Total bill: c.£65

Frankie and Benny’s was a new one on me. I had a very vague notion of its existence, but had no real idea what style of place it was, until I was invited to join some of my work colleagues there for lunch, today. ‬

‪I have a feeling this has something to do with the location of most of the Frankie and Benny’s restaurants.  This is probably a shocking admission, but I don’t really like shopping.  I need to clarify that.  Aside from shopping for groceries, particularly vegetables, I don’t really like shopping. ‬

‪I am a creature of the information age; a complete devotee of online shopping.  When the internet let me down – it’s only ever happened once – and I had to try and find beach footwear for a trip to the Maldives, the attendant flitting between shops in search of the requisite items drove me to considerable distraction.  So Frankie and Benny’s has never appeared on my radar, prior to now.‬

‪We stepped inside the Omni Centre branch, to be confronted by a busy place, full of satisfied looking diners.  The stylings were a slightly cookie-cutter version of 50s Italian America.  Joltin’ Joe featured  heavily in our little corner of the place, with an array of photos and articles about the Yankee Clipper.‬

‪Service was accurate and fuss-free, and we were soon contemplating our starters.  Glancing round the table, I was very happy with my choice.  My soup (are you surprised) looked very good.  It was of the white onion variety, which also sounded pretty good.  I tasted it.  It tasted extremely good.‬


This was a hearty, well-crafted and delicious soup.‬

‪My main course didn’t live up to these levels, sadly.  I was intrigued by the notion of black and blue pasta, combining the charred pepperiness of Cajun chicken with blue cheese, but the dish just didn’t work for me. ‬


‪All the sensations of the dish were loaded at the back-end, so as you chewed and searched for flavour, your taste buds were suddenly set upon by the twin assault of the char of the chicken and the tang of the cheese.  I really like these flavours, separately, but together they clashed wildly.  There’s definitely a good idea lurking in this dish, but it needs refinement to make it a more balanced sensation on the palette. ‬


‪Overall, Frankie and Benny’s was pretty good.  Their soup pleased me, muchly.  Their pasta dish was less good, but their espresso ended things on a better note.  For large group dining, it offers a perfectly pleasant experience, and dishes that are likely to make diners smile.  I think that’s what they’re aiming for, so should be commended for accurately delivering it.‬

‪Scores

‪Blythe scores Frankie and Benny’s
‪3/5 for food
‪3/5 for presentation
‪3/5 for service
‪3/5 for setting
‪giving an overall 12/20‬

‪I ate: white onion soup, black and blue pasta‬

‪I drank: sparkly water, espresso‬

‪I wore: optimal lunch questing gear‬

Total bill: c.£12
‪

I do like the way that places are increasingly using Twitter to advertise their daily menus and specials. Hula do it; Union of Genius do it; and so do the lovely folks at the Broughton Deli.

In years gone by, Barony Street was a regular haunt, as friends of mine had a flat there, in the years directly following our academic studies. Many an enjoyable evening was spent playing poker, or supping on ghastly cocktails at the Baronial Mansion.

Anyhoo, to the matter at hand. I ambled down Broughton Street from office land and was soon in the deli’s bright confines. It seems to pull off the trick of being both simple and elegant, yet homely and with lots of characterful details. It looks like the kind of place you could happily wile away an afternoon, eating healthily and being thoroughly entertained by your surroundings.

On this occasion, I pursued the takeaway option. The soup of the day was spiced apple and turnip.


This was very reminiscent of the roast swede soup I’d tried when reviewing Signe Johansen’s book Scandilicious for Edinburgh Foody. It had lovely, warming spice and would have sat very nicely as a festive yuletide starter. For my palette, the apple pushed it in to the realms of being just too sweet, which was a shame, as it had excellent texture and had clearly been made with considerable care, and the idea behind it showed elegant flair.

The standard order included generous slices of bread and butter, but I was more in the mood for a filled roll, so I opted for a hummus, aubergine and sun-blushed tomato baguette.


This proved to be a good choice, as the hummus was very tasty indeed. The baguette was crusty to the point of being a little challenging for my teeth, and it could have used some salad leaves to really round it out, but I was pleased with my choice.

Overall, I thought the Broughton Deli had a lot of charm, and you can’t fault it in terms of seeking to blending heartiness with elegance. It’s more the sort of place I’d prefer to sit-in for lunch, rather than regularly visit for takeaway, but I’d recommend you pay it a visit and soak in its undoubted delights.

Scores
Blythe scores The Broughton Deli:
4/5 for food
3/5 for presentation
3/5 for service
4/5 for setting
giving an overall 14/20

I ate: spiced apple and turnip soup, hummus, aubergine, and tomato baguette

I drank: in the array of different dishes on offer

I wore: totally the wrong socks

Total bill: £5.50