Before I left to go back to the U.S. and await my fate from the Home Office, I noticed on my walks to the grocery store that a new cafe/restaurant was opening between World of Brass and Global Interiors. Seemed a bit of an odd place, but I was pretty excited as it would add a different option to restaurants within walking distance.
Fast forward to my return and the cafe is open! Every time I have walked by it has been very busy and I may have walked a little slower to get a glimpse of the food. It was a lazy afternoon and we decided to take a leisurely stroll to Dolce Cafe and have lunch. The entrance is through Global Interiors. Ingenious plan really as gullible people like me walk through the store and get to look at the furniture for sale while having a meal and get sucked in! Not to mention the decor is really lovely... very rustic and yes, some of the chairs and tables in the restaurant area are for sale.
We were sat next to the window at a lovely, sturdy, and rustic table. There is a lot to choose from on their menu and they are open for breakfast, dinner, and the weekends. I thought they might be closed since they are connected to the shop, but most nights (with the exception of Monday and Tuesday) they are open until 10 p.m. The menu has a little something for everyone, from classic sandwiches to pasta and even a menu for children. They do list any allergens that may be in each dish, making it helpful for those with dietary restrictions. They do have specials, so ask about those as our waitress didn't really mention them.
They do have Afternoon Tea as an option... £7.95 for tea, sandwiches (you get to choose two fillings), cakes, and scones or £10.95 with the addition of a glass of Prosecco :). I liked the idea of having Afternoon Tea, but I was also drawn to one of their paninis. In the end, because it is an Italian restaurant, I decided to go with the Carpaccio Panini while Mr. Snarky went with the Salsiccia Panini. The Carpaccio has Bresaola, Parmesan Cheese, and Rocket, while the Salsiccia has Cumberland sausage, tomatoes, onion, and a bit of salad. Paninis are served with a bit of salad and skinny chips. It does mention that you can choose your bread on the menu, but our waitress didn't ask, so we just had the ciabatta bread.
While I originally thought it would be a strange place to have a restaurant, the feel inside from the furniture store was quite nice, but also the place was continuously busy, even after the rush of the main lunch crowd left, there were still lots of people stopping in. I assume there is parking behind the store, otherwise, you'd have to walk or take the bus (534 or 537 if you are coming from the town centre), which conveniently stops right outside the store. It is also across the street from a wedding store... so it could be ideal for a lunch or boozy afternoon tea after trying on dresses!
It took a little longer than we anticipated to get our paninis. I noticed that the staff seemed to be having a bit of trouble getting food out to a group of about 6 or 7 people. The manager even went over and reassured them that their food was coming. Even after their food arrived, the manager was delivering little bits of food that was missing from the plates. So that is why I did take off a star, however, shortly after their food came out, ours appeared and it looked wonderful. They are another restaurant using the trendy wood plank, which would have made it difficult to add a bit of olive oil and balsamic vinegar to the little salad on the plank... except they don't provide any on the tables.
The paninis were lovely. I quite enjoyed mine... lots of strong flavors that tend to compliment each other. I really love rocket and parmesan together and the generous amount of Bresaola was quite nice. I had expected something a bit different when the menu said 'Julienne Cut Chips', but they were thin chips, think the size of those at McDonald's, not the ones at the local chippy. It was a nice light lunch, spending just under £20 (£7.50 x 2 for paninis and £2 x 2 for soda). Although, some of the pasta dishes that were coming out looked really lovely, so we will have to come back for dinner some time. So glad that there is something a bit different in the area and really glad that they seem to be doing so well! read more