I visited Madigan's Food Emporium for the first time today with my sister to escape from the hustle and bustle of the city centre (and the resident population of mutant seagulls).
Upon entering, we were met by a young server named Kirsty (She was new and enthusiastic!) who directed us to a booth and handed us our menu which was attached to the inside of some old magazine annuals - a quirky and different approach to some of the other coffee shops I've visited in the surrounding area.
The shop's interior is a mix and match of fabrics, ornaments and artwork alongside stacks of books - some of which appeared to pre-date my own existence! It's definitely a relaxed environment to grab a bite to eat, though it seems rather busy if a little cluttered with all the items. It was undeniably charming, though I'll be up-front by highlighting that my personal preference is the clean, minimalist styles more frequently found in larger coffee chains.
After much deliberation I ordered a Cajun chicken ciabatta which came with a side of salad and some nachos with a can of coke to drink. The Cajun chicken filling was great, though the ciabatta was a little more tough than I would have preferred. The salad was fresh, though only contained one slice of cucumber and one slice of tomato - not to my taste though. The nachos were just your average nachos - with no additional sauce - I just dipped them into the Cajun chicken.
The only issue I had was with the knives, they were blunt. I tried two and neither was sharp enough to cut through the bread. Lunch was - as a result - a little more messy than it should have been!
Now for dessert...
I ordered the Victoria sponge while my sister decided that she wanted the toffee sponge cake along with a cup of tea. The portion size was generous - three cups of tea from the teapot and each cake slice could have easily been split between two!
The Victoria sponge was light and fluffy, with a nice layer of buttercream and jam sandwiching the two together - delicious!
Unfortunately, the toffee sponge contained raisins (sneaky little things that ruin even the nicest of desserts) and didn't have the most pleasant taste. My sister left most of this to go to waste, having been a little disappointed by the stark contrast with the cake she had purchased on her previous visit.
Madigan's is a cute little place, which serves its niche within the market well and is popular amongst the locals. Perhaps - with regards to the cake - it was just a bad batch - there's always next time! It's not necessarily my cup of tea but it's worth a look next time you're in town! :) read more