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Gourmet grub at Welbeck eatery
GETTING in at the Limehouse Café has always been a bit of a squeeze.
The mix of gourmet grub and a picturesque setting make it a popular haunt for foodies, and a free table can be hard to find.
But the food isn’t cheap and I thought numbers might have taken a hit as we do battle in the increasingly fierce price wars.
The credit crunch didn't seem to be affecting lunch on a recent trip, though, with all the tables inside occupied.
Thankfully, with spring starting to blossom, it was safe to sit outside on the chunky wooden picnic tables.
A glance at the menu showed a slight price increase, but the menu was business as usual.
There is plenty on offer, from light bites such as toast and teacakes to sandwiches-a-plenty.
No run-of-the-mill fillings here – instead you can choose from smoked salmon and cream cheese, hummus and roasted peppers and cheese and chutney.
And if that isn’t enough, you can cram your choice between a bagel, panini or slices of soda bread.
It's not just about light bites though - the specials board awaits you inside, packed with a tempting selection of home-made pies and soups.
The board boasts food made with locally-sourced ingredients and reading the list should whet the most reluctant of appetites.
The goats cheese, sweet potato and roasted garlic pie was a sell-out, so I went for the mouthful that is the mushroom, asparagus, shallot, white wine and pepper pie.
The weather was a little chilly as our reserved but polite waitress brought the food to the table, but the pie was hot, the pastry light and buttery and the filling exquisite.
Another diner in our party had the lamb and mint pie and said the pastry was as light as air and a million miles away from the stodgy stuff served in up in so many eateries.
The rest of my companions plumped for sandwiches in various guises and all commented on how fresh and tasty the fillings were.
All our dishes came with the Lime House's signature salad - a generous helping drizzled with, if you wish, a balsamic and olive oil dressing.
We decided we deserved a slice of lemon drizzle cake. It was delicately tangy and our only disappointment was we didn't have room for other guilty concoctions such as the ginger and marmalade or Guinness cake.
At a time when other cafs are offering deals such as 99p brekkies or two meals for a fiver, it can feel somewhat indulgent and shameful to pay over 12 for just a main, cake and drink.
But perhaps good quality food doesn't need to rely on gimmicks to sell - and that's why visitors keep on coming back for more. I was even informed the place is now going to open seven days a week from April to keep up with demand.
Unless money is no object, the Lime House is not a place for the everyday, but on taste, presentation and quality it is worth every penny for the occasional treat.
by Chantal Spittles
star rating LLLL
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Weather for Worksop
Friday 10 February 2012
Today
Light snow
Temperature: -7 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: -3 C to -1 C
Wind Speed: 7 mph
Wind direction: South
