It's been a lifetime since we dined here - certainly over 20 years and our memories told it it was darn good. It remains darn good. It's a cosy place and the home cooked breads and scones look and smell delicious.
So with frost on the ground, an icy fog and freezing temperatures we went for perhaps our second Ulster fry this year, as we have to be more attentive to our fat and salt intakes.
The breakfast was tasty enough but there were just a few things that annoy as some of the food wasn't hot enough.
Firstly, it was about £8 for a large breakfast and when you consider it included sausages, bacon, eggs (we opted for scrambled) white and black pudding,mushrooms, soda and potato breads (and butter) it's not a bad deal.
Their pork sausages were over cooked and are the high fat, high salt, plastic skinned ones that almost every local place serves up.
We'd much prefer better quality meats and happy to pay extra but we realise we are the odd ones out, as most people just want a cheaper price point.
It's at the point for us that the only pork sausages we buy now are 97% meat with natural skins from M&S and we rarely do.
The flat white and cappuccino coffees were really excellent, as was the attentive service. All this tips it to 4 star.
What annoyed us is easily overcome for next time we go: the plates need to be really hot for this sort of food and the soda/potato breads need to be better cooked.
The soda bread was limp and cold which disappointed. I remember the days when soda bread was fried in very hot beef dripping to really crunchy golden brown and the fried surface was loaded with salt - so unhealthy and so darn delicious.
Those days are long gone and just occasionally I really do wish they'd return.
Next time we'll try lunch. read more
