On our date night a while ago, Emily and I ventured to Salt Bar in Macclesfield to try something…read moredifferent (I work in Macc so it's not like it was a trip for both of us) On entering Salt Bar it's quite minimal and small but pleasant. To start we shared the Smörgåsbord which was a large crispbread covered with various things including mackerel, prawns, beetroot and apple salad, ham, meatball, pickled veg and probably a few other things I can't remember. It was all very good and an excellent start to the meal. For mains we decided to share lamb with red cabbage and potatoes, and venison meatballs with liquorice sauce and fries. Both dishes were very tasty and very rich, although I have to say the meatballs were my slight preference. After eating all this (it was a lot of food) I had to dig deep to find room but sure enough we both did and ordered a chocolate and ginger trifle to share. This was quite decadent but not too sweet which was perfect for the end of the meal. Upon getting home we both laid on the sofa feeling sorry for ourselves but very content at the same time. The meal came to about £60 I think which isn't bad, not cheap but not too expensive either. I would definitely recommend people try it if they're in the area.

After an evening that included several beers and a thorough exploration of Macclesfield, we'd…read moredefinitely worked up a hunger. I was a bit worried that it'd be pushing our luck trying to find a decent place to eat at 7.30pm on a Saturday night with no reservation, and when we were both utterly clueless about what was available. Turns out I was wrong, and The Salt Bar was exactly what we were looking for. An independent bistro offering Scandinavian cuisine, with a fairly meat and fish orientated menu. It was small enough to feel intimate and cosy, yet large enough to feel relaxed and have two spare seats available at the last minute. The waitress was super friendly when we inquired about not having a booking and gave us a seat in the window. I ordered Kåldomar, which is a beefy-porky-cabbage wrapped dish and my OH ordered what can only be described as a sort of meatball bruschetta e.g. on toast. Now, my other half is a fan of what is officially termed "A square meal" whereas I'm all for picky bits - this meal satisfied both of us by serving two hearty main dishes with a few additional swedish pickled veg and garnishes on the side of our plates, nothing excessive, (think Wagamama style, when the menu states you get a few pickles) but these were a welcome and tasty surprise! Both dishes were very tasty and the meatballs were so heavenly, that I felt that my meat in the Kåldomar was slightly dry in comparison, it didn't ruin my meal but I did get major meatball lust. We stuck to beer and other than Swedish Åbro lager and Rekordelig, drinks-wise they've interestingly chosen to support local breweries instead of opting for Scandiavian. Stocking a wide selection of pales, ales, bitters and stouts from both Wincle and RedWillow. If I were to make any recommendations, it'd be about the music, The Salt Bar had a fantastic atmosphere and the ONLY thing that didn't feel right was the music - generic mellow poppy chart tosh, pretty sure I heard Taylor Swift at one point *shudder*. Now I'm not suggesting that they have to be overly themed, but if they're promoting Scandinavian cuisine then why not slap on some Scandi artists? Bit of Lykke Li, Neneh Cherry, The Cardigans, Peter Bjorn and John... etc. Would have been much more in keeping with the vibe in my opinion.

I may be wrong, but I think this is the only independent furniture retailer left in Nottingham…read moreafter the sad demise of Nash Interiors. I have bought bed/sofa/chairs over the years from here, and like to have a wander and window shop occasionally. It has some wonderful, quirky items and soon has me redecorating (mentally that is!). It has a huge range of carpets/rugs and flooring and an even bigger selection of fabrics. The slaes staff all know what they are talking about too!! A rarity in these days of sell it and sell it cheap! It has a coffee shop, but last time I was there it didn't even do a cappacino! So no points there, but then that isn't why you go. I thoroughly reccommend a visit. We will all be the poorer if Hopewells goes too, and it is not that much more expensive, particularly at sale time.

Superior quality independent furniture retailer with excellent ranges of the best contemporary…read moremakers. The quality of service is also excellent - we recently had hard floors fitted by Hopewells throughout the ground floor of our house and are very happy with the quality. The showroom is great for a browse, with ranges of smaller items including crockery and cutlery as well as furniture.

I love their meatballs with chips n cranberry. I have gone there just to eat lol but I always end…read moreup looking around the store snd buying something I didn't really need lol Great if you need some inspiration to brighten up your home. But back to the cafe. I was pleasantly surprised when I had dessert OMG! I love the tart I had, very nutty, wished I could remember what it was called cos I think they sell them in the food store bit. I did get a photo and trust me ....it was delicious!

Who loves a trip to IKEA? THIS GAL!…read more I am going to work on the idea that you haven't ever been to IKEA before and give you the full roundup of the fun that awaits you on your first trip... 1) Parking. Parking at IKEA is a nightmare, especially if you go on a weekend. As a top tip; get there for opening. You should be able to find a space relatively easily and don't have to play the "round and around" the car park game. 2) Confusion. Don't get confused! Yes, a lot of stuff is pre-laid out into rooms as little slices of an ideal home, but you can still get the goods which are on displayu... that just comes later! 3) Bags. I would thoroughly recommend taking yourself some large bags from home if you want to avoid buying their gigantic "builders sand" style carriers. If you are purchasing furniture (which is another battle we will come on to), it comes in a box which you can pop straight into your car. If you are buying bigs and pieces, take a bag or two with you. 4) Small Items/linen/kitchen goods. Right... Don't panic about not finding what you want when you are walking around the room layouts... Everything becomes clear when you get to the marketplace. These areas are split into bedroom, storage, kitchen, bathroom and other areas, so if you're looking for something from a particular room layout you can find it here. 5) Furniture (the biggie). After the marketplace is the warehouse. This can be really daunting but the staff will be happy to point you in the right direction if you have noted down the name of the item you want. Be warned, some of the boxes will be very heavy (remember to bend with your knees). Last but not least... Food! There is a cafe and fast food stand in this IKEA store where you can buy everything from cute Swedish cakes to hotdogs (for a bargain £1). If you have an IKEA family card, you can claim a free coffee and tea in the week too! In summary... A first trip to IKEA can be stressful, but the staff are helpful and the prices are great for the product choice. Take a good look around as you never know what you might find (it's impossible to do the whole store in less than an hour) and don't forget that you can visit their little food shop at the end! This stocks a great range of Cider, frozen food, snacks and cakes!

IKEA, the huge Scandinavian chain selling ready-to-assemble furniture and housewares, in a…read morewarehouse-like space over a few levels with different sections. Thy sell items for living space, bedrooms, kitchens and almost everything else you would want for your home. It has everything you need for all your home furnishings. There are one or two IKEAS in each big city around the UK and the World. It is very reasonably priced and they are usually very up to date with everything they sell. They also have a cafe in each store which has very reasonably priced breakfast and scandinavian style foods. They also have the IKEA family card where you can get discount on Breakfasts,Complimentary Tea and Coffee and great benefits for this great company. The Ashton IKEA is very easy to get to with great motorway links and a direct tram from the city centre of Manchester.

Normally IKEA would be 5/5 as I love the showroom aspect to seeing what you're going to buy in a…read morereal world situation. Unfortunately I bought the IKEA poang chair and footstool only to find that upon unwrapping there was an incredibly pungent fishy smell!! Half a can of febreeze and two days later its still here!! Not happy. Apart from that I had a nice couple of hours there and picked up some bargains as well as having the Swedish meatballs in the cafe. Top tip: try the apple cider in the restaurant, it's beautiful! Or pick it up in the shop at the end if you're driving you won't regret it.

The place is great value for money especially if you are a family card member…read more A free tea or coffee, £1.99 breakfast for a 6 piece (before 11am), or afternoon tea for £1.99 giving you a selection of cakes. As always they have a large selection of hot foods including their famous meatballs. The only downside is it feels like a giant school dinner hall and the standard of the cooking is the same. Lets face it you get what you pay for and you can't hit them for the price of the food. If your looking for gourmet dining go elsewhere.

As I've already said before, Ikea certainly knows what it's doing. It caters for all of its…read moreshoppers' needs, from entertainment for the children to somewhere to eat. Here you'll find all the Swedish wonders you tend to come across near the checkouts and then some. I thought, why not try it out? I keep making a meal of the fact that my partner is of Swedish descent so I might as well get involved with the food. 'Actually,' he said the other day, 'my name originates from Iceland. Originally.' Yes but your family doesn't so keep quiet. While Sweden shared some of its cuisine with Iceland (the country, not the food store), such as those pickled herring rollmop things, the thought of which makes me gag at the mere memory of accidentally biting into one of them once... accidental because I think I made a mistake presuming they were edible, Sweden does in fact do comfort food superbly well, from meatballs to soups, fish and chips and the like, plus they're very good with desserts. Ikea's obviously not going to be TOO great a place to check out Swedish cuisine, it is after all a restaurant of convenience. It's also kind of confusing, and you can spot the newbies a mile off as they haven't a clue where to queue (it's okay, neither did I) or what order in which to get things, whether to help yourself... it's all a bit bewildering. Still, we managed - you grab your cups for hot drinks at the till, then the drinks themselves are round the corner from there, and the free refills really are a bonus. Ikea is going the way of America. Why can't we too? I'd set up office in Teacup or Odd every day if that was the case. You can help yourself to cakes, all of which are very pretty. Almondy bakes, fruity concoctions, decorated with little hearts and pleasant touches to make them all the more special. In all honesty the traditional main meals do taste a little reheated or not exactly fresh, but the meatballs are where it shines. Obviously I'm oblivious but they're meant to be deliciously tasty, and you can buy them frozen to take them home as well. The serving staff are pleasant and just like the ethos of the shop itself, the restaurant is simple, stark, functional but does what it says it'll do. And you can't argue with the prices, especially some of those cakes at just 79p.

Love this place. I went home to see my family a few days ago and ended up going to this lovely cafe…read morefor lunch with my stepmum. Absolutely nothing to fault with this place. Comfortable seating, wide choice of food and drinks. Mostly healthy and inventive food choices which impressed me and plenty of vegetarian and pescetarian items, which meant i could eat the majority of the menu, which is always a bonus. I settled on the vegetarian burger which the served suggest and it was insane. Halloumi, portobello mushroom in a nice brioche with home cooked Rosemary fries, simply wonderful and for less than 8 pounds. My stepmum went for the pasta with added chicken and I definitely had food envy, it had such a nice spicy kick to it! Lovely! Rating wise gotta be a 5, will be there when I'm next home again.

Really enjoyed our breakfast - American style pancakes with bacon. Ambiance was good, service…read morefriendly and pretty fast. Found it pleasant just to sit and chat with ample space and tables to sit both inside and out (when the weather is nice at least! Unfortunately you have to pay to park - and I would have preferred more maple syrup (will take some of my own next time!! Will visit again when we are close Review #48 2023

My pet peeve has to be missing the last breakfast order on a Sunday. Which is almost inevitable…read morewhen you're in a different city attempting to discover somewhere new. Cue the Bean Caffe. Located in Friar Gate Studios, Derby. It's a near miss - in fact, we drove past it twice before we had the 'AHA - IT'S THERE' moment! *Caps necessary as if I remember rightly, I let out a rather loud squeal upon our discovery... Aside from it's high-rankings, awards and even décor - What I loved most about the Bean Caffe is the fact it's owned and managed by mother and daughter - Sarah and Liv. They have perfected the art of ALL things breakfast (or brunch in my case) and offer a range of favourites from Eggs Benedict to Toasted Banana Sandwiches. I opted for the 'Smashed Avocado': Toasted Sourdough topped with avocado, poached eggs and a shake of hot Sriracha Sauce. SO delicious and for just £5.50 an absolute bargain.