Quite possibly the best deli in Swindon. Great staff, luxurious range of products from all over the…read moreworld. Try the Napoli sandwich and an Illy coffee.

The first couple of times I stopped in, it was just to have a peek at the merchandise. lots of…read morejams, sauces, meats... specialty items that you wouldn't find at your regular grocery store. The front area never seems to be that busy, but the cafe at the back always seems to be buzzing. On one occasion I stopped in to grab an Americano on the way back to the hotel. It seemed a bit manic as it seemed as though the three ladies behind the counter were new or maybe not as well acquainted with the appliances and till. As I was ordering my Americano, I spotted some lovely looking sweet treats and decided to get some brownies. It took a bit long to get the Americano, but it did allow me time to nose about and take a look at the sandwich board. As I was waiting, a fourth lady appeared with a delicious looking cake! It looked freshly baked and decorated. Not sure what kind of cake it was, but I may have been drooling. I bought two (yup, one for me and one for Mr. Snarky). I thought that the white bits inside the brownie were nuts, but to our, pleasant, surprise, they were actually chunks of white chocolate. Mr. Snarky and I agreed that it really enhanced the brownie. The brownie itself wasn't too sweet, so when you bit into a piece of the white chocolate, it was really quite lovely. The brownie was also a great balance between fudgy and cakey... not always an easy feat to achieve. It is definitely one of our favourite brownies now. On my second visit, it was a bit quieter... still busy, but the three staff behind the counter this time seemed to have everything under control. I decided to have a cream tea. The selection of tea is quite nice, but a bit overwhelming as you are staring at the glass jars on the wall. The lady said she would bring my order to me when it was ready. While it looks like there is outdoor seating, I chose to sit inside, at a table along the wall facing the counter where the sandwiches are made. As I waited, I watched one of the staff lovingly putting together a sandwich. She was quick, but graceful. Not sure that I have seen a sandwich put together so lovingly! On one of the sandwiches, she carefully made sure that the meat (not sure what it was... maybe tuna, maybe pieces of chicken?) was in every bite, rather than clumped in the middle. On another sandwich, after putting the greens and other piece of bread, she carefully tucked in some of the greens that were sticking out. It really was lovely process to watch. I posted a picture of my cream tea... The scones are huge! And they are lovely as well. Having tasted the strawberry jam, I am tempted to buy a jar from the deli area as I really enjoyed it. As I was finishing my scone, I noticed a man and another woman walked in, they walked behind the counter and began asking how things were going. Presumably the owner??? Immediately they began helping out, tidying things up and the man stopped at my table and asked how my scone was. Really friendly service and they really take pride in the quality of the food they serve.

My first trip here was to have a drink and meet up with some of Mr. Snarky's colleagues from work…read more We sat outside and I have to say, if I were to suggest a place for drinks with my friends, it would be the Pig on the Hill. They have some wonderful posters on the wall as well and apparently you can commission one! Today I was exploring more of Swindon and happened to see that they now serve food all day! I took at a look at the menu outside and it looked really lovely, so I went in. I noticed there were no numbers on the tables, so I was a bit unsure as to how to proceed. So I went up to the bar and asked and they said they would be happy to come and take my order when I had settled. I chose a nice table in the corner, you could see the t.v. or out of the window. Although, I have to say I kept noticing that when cars drove by there was a sewer cover that was clanging about... a little bothersome, but I guess if there are more people in the pub, you wouldn't necessarily hear it. There were quite a few things that stood out to me on the menu... actually a lot of things stood out to me, but one thing that really took my fancy was the vegetarian burger option. Again, not a vegetarian and typically the idea of a black bean burger doesn't excite me like a juicy patty of meat, however, the idea of a mushroom, jalapeno, and pinto bean burger sounded intriguing. There is also a smaller menu, a lunch menu, that has a selection of sandwiches served with slaw and olives. So if you are in a hurry or need to get back to work, they have you covered. The waitress came over and apologized saying she had forgotten to come over and take my order, but to be honest, I don't think I was waiting that long. When the burger came out (I will be uploading a picture) it was massive. It was a bit different than what I expected and there were some things on the burger that I wasn't expecting. The mushroom was a large flat cap mushroom with a slice of Goat's Cheese, some time of spread that I can only describe as either hummus or ground pinto beans, grilled peppers, grilled zucchini, slices of tomato, and lettuce. This was all served on a wood board with slaw and fries. I did sit there for a minute trying to figure out how to start this burger. I know I have a big mouth, but even sometimes I get stumped with these massive sandwiches. Eventually I decided to use the steak knife holding it together to cut it in half. While the view of the dissected sandwich was stunning (the lettuce at the bottom was so carefully placed, not just tossed on as an afterthought), it may have been a mistake as the other half began to slide apart. The mushroom was nice and tender, Goat's Cheese was quite chewy and squeaky which made me wonder if it was a different type of cheese (because I am lactose challenged, I don't have an extensive knowledge about cheese). The problem with the sandwich was that everything inside was quite slippery and juicy so things were sliding and the bottom bun was disintegrating. I loved all of the vegetables that were in the sandwich, but would have liked a bit more seasoning. The spread on the top... not sure what it was, hummus or ground pinto beans, but a bit of spice in that would've taken the sandwich to a whole new level... maybe a bit of cumin, squeeze of lemon. I don't believe there was salsa or jalapenos on the sandwich as the menu had stated, which might have helped with the seasoning. I loved the slaw, it had a hint of horseradish for bite and there was some whole grain mustard in it as well for an added bit of tangy-ness. The fries were lovely and came with a homemade ketchup which was also quite lovely. The dessert selection looked lovely, but I was absolutely stuffed after the sandwich. I would love to come back and try out some of the other dishes and perhaps get some dessert as well! They have happy hour, they also have a deal on Tuesdays where those buying a bottle of wine can receive a cheese board for two... or you could buy a large glass of wine and get a small cheese sampler for one. Also, if it is your birthday and you book your birthday dinner, you get a three course dinner for free!

You know that feeling when you feel that you have stumbled onto a place that you want to come back…read moreto over and over??? I had that when I stumbled (yes, literally... not figuratively, I stumbled inside) into Baila. The smell of coffee hits you first, then the tunes, and then you see the simple, but cozy decor. Besides coffees and sweets, Baila also deals in vinyl records... buying and selling. What is really lovely is that I overheard the owner giving some advice to a customer who was just starting to collect... while making coffee. He did mention that he was into more Motown and Hip Hop styles and that is reflected in the music played. It may not be for everyone, but I certainly loved the choice of music. They have menus on each of the tables, but really what you want to do is have a gander at the counter where many of the cakes, biscuits, etc. are sitting out enticing you to choose one... or a few! On this particular day, they had cupcakes (lemon meringue, Snickers, and Jaffa Cake flavors), Macarons (which I was highly impressed by), flapjacks, and a couple of other items. However, I was very intrigued by the ice cream sandwiches. So I chose the Deep Funk Ice Cream Sandwich: Chocolate Chip Cookie with Double Chocolate Chip Ice Cream... and a Soy Chai Latte to warm me up after the ice cream treat. A couple minutes after my Soy Chai Latte arrived, a wood board of freshly baked brownies was placed on the counter next to the other items. The smell was intoxicating and I had almost justified buying some... you know to share with Mr. Snarky... although part of me knew that they wouldn't make it out the door! I chose a seat on the bench against the chalk board near the counter and began to do a bit more observation until my Soy Chai arrived. There is a play area for children upstairs, so it is very friendly for parents that are carting the children around for the day. The ice cream sandwich was lovely... and I might be planning to try another this week ;). The Soy Chai Latte was also lovely. It was spicy and not overly sweet. Besides the great choice of afternoon treats and music, I found the staff to be really lovely and they really seem to be very passionate about what they are doing. A customer walked in, like me a newbie to the shop, and had requested a type of coffee that the owner was unsure of. The customer described how the other cafes make it, the owner was happy to comply and the customer seemed pleased with the outcome as well. The atmosphere of the place was so relaxed and welcoming that I did perch in the corner with my book for a couple hours. One of the staff members came round and asked if he could bring me anything... instead of a cheeky brownie, I did have another chai and a glass of water. I highly recommend this place and think everyone will enjoy the ice cream sandwiches!

What a lovely cafe! I have walked by a number of times, but only stopped in very recently…read more Inside, the cafe is lovely with a sort of country chic. There are two floors of seating, so if you cannot find a place on the ground floor, don't fret. The menu is on a large chalkboard to the right of the entrance. My only criticism of the place has to do with the menu... and the fact that it seems to be a bit difficult for the elderly customers that were coming in. The menu is quite vast, which is great, but it does mean that in order to get everything on the chalkboard, the writing can be a bit difficult to read. Maybe if they had some printed ones, that might help, especially as the ladies that were sitting at the table under the menu looked a bit fed up with people standing above them. Anyway, like I said, the menu is extensive and offers something for everyone. There are breakfast options, sandwiches, paninis, jacket potatoes, and salads. There is also a children's menu as well as cakes and other sweets in the display next to the till. The cakes looked wonderful and with titles like Naughty Chocolate Cake, they are probably pretty good too! A menu of drinks (cold and hot) are above the till to the left of the food menu. I decided to go with the Brogan's Fish and Chips: Fish Finger Sandwich because I haven't had one in ages! You order and pay at the till, and then they give you a number to place on the table so your order can be brought to you. Before you find a seat, you will want to visit the utensils and condiments area. I didn't realize that they had this and the guy who brought my food out was kind enough to bring me some utensils and condiments! There is free wifi and the access code is on the front of the till, so you may want to make note of it while you place your order. There is a range of seating and it would probably be a nice place for a small group lunch. My sandwich was lovely with crisp fish fingers with lettuce, and mayo on two slices of Granary Bread. It also comes with a heaping helping of chunky chips, coleslaw, and salad with an Italian dressing. In fact, the helping of chips was so large, that there were still quite a few on the plate when I admitted defeat. Depending on what you order, you can easily have an inexpensive lunch/breakfast or you can have something a little more pricey. My meal, plus a bottle of Pomegranate and Elderflower Bottled Green, came to just under 10 quid. And for the amount of food and quality of food, I would say it is a great value! Cannot wait to go back and try the Naughty Chocolate Cake :)

This is truly a great find! I have been by this Polish Deli a number of times. Yes, I have…read morestopped to stare at the lovely looking cakes and pastries in the window, but have been so intimidated I haven't gone in. Until now. I was going to head into town anyway, but when Mr. Snarky sent me a message saying it got a new position at work and the details, I decided we needed a little something to celebrate... like cake :) Every time I have walked by the store is always busy! This time was no different with a queue snaking to the back of the store. It is a narrow store, making it quite cozy as you are trying to make your way through. The only downside for me was that I couldn't really read any of the packages or signs as everything is in Polish. On one hand, I think it is a great because it means adventure, but on the other hand, if I'm looking for something in particular or trying to avoid certain ingredients... like dairy, it could be difficult. For me, the best parts of the store are the cakes near the entrance and the meat. Oh the meat! In the states we have Hillshire Farm Polish Kielbasa and it is a lovely, smoky accompaniment to sandwiches, pasta, even breakfast, but finding something similar here has proven difficult... until now. They have quite the variety of smoked Polish Sausages, but also a great variety of other meats like salami, roast pork loin, etc. The next time we need lunch meat for sandwiches, I know where I will be going. I had a poke around and really it is a complete store with dairy products, pasta, canned items, salads, an entire section of powdered mixes... some looked like sauces, others looked like drinks. They also have some delicious packaged cookies and crisps. As the queue disappeared, I went back over to the cakes to have a look. They do have full, beautifully decorated cakes starting at £20 or you could have a slice that would definitely serve 2-3 in a variety of different flavors. Choosing one was difficult as I love chocolaty sorts of cakes while Mr. Snarky enjoys cakes with fruits like strawberries and raspberries. I found one with a mix of chocolate and vanilla sponge with what looked like a layer of jam or fruit sauce as well as a strawberry on top. I also saw that they had packaged up some of their fruit tarts and at £1.49 each, I decided to grab a few of those too... will make nice treats on the train to Twickenham :) The staff are very helpful, but I did notice that everyone in the store was speaking Polish except me! However, they were able to help and for the amount of lovely cakes and tarts I picked up, it was just over £7.00. We some of the cake an hour ago and it was definitely a Black Forest Cake and it was definitely as delicious as it looked! I was a bit worried that it would look lovely, but not have much flavor, but that was not the case at all. Really excited to try the tarts tomorrow.

Friendly, helpful service; open-handed generosity with samples but that pays off because the ice…read morecream is pure heaven. Excellent, gelati-style ice cream, in a multitude of flavours that rotate as each one is finished. You can come back again and again and expect to have a new experience each time. The prices are very reasonable for what is an artisan product produced with loving care, attention to detail, and evidently high quality ingredients. Swindon needed an ice cream parlour, and has got it. They do appear to serve other things, but with ice cream this good, why wouldn't you try it? Outstanding.