Doncha just love the word “Brossen”? Means fit to burst after a meal, in the local slang. And, whilst you might love the name, doncha just hate it when you’re the only customers in a restaurant. It means there’s zilch atmosphere and no-one else’s food to weigh up when it’s being brought to their table. Well, that was it on a Monday evening in the town centre – the only other occupied tables were just finishing off and waiting to pay as we sat down at 7.30. It’s a nice, modern room which starts its day as the Inn on the Square’s breakfast room (also available to non-residents) before becoming a “proper” restaurant as the day goes on. It’s bright, furnished in what I suppose is a Scandi style (think posh IKEA) with good sized tables , nicely spaced apart so, if anyone else had been there, they wouldn’t be ear-wigging your conversation.
As suggested by the restaurant name, the menu is meat heavy and vegetarians will struggle to find much choice. But, for we omnivores, there’s plenty to go at. We both chose the same starter – a Cumbrian rarebit. Two thick slices of toast, topped with a proper rarebit. Cumbrian ale mixed with Torpenhow organic cheddar (from all of 13 miles away), with an onion and black garlic relish. It’s really nice. One of us did order steak as a main course . Well, I suppose one of you has to as you’re in a steakhouse. A flat iron accurately cooked as requested, but a tad lacking in flavour. It comes with a nicely griddled half of Little Gem and some roasted cherry tomatoes. And fries, of course. A chicken burger was loaded up with all sorts of stuff – chillies, onion, tomato, avocado and more of that organic cheddar. It comes with fries and a crisp onion ring. Only one of wanted dessert. Yes, that’d be me. A lovely blackberry and apple crumbel, with its own little jug of custard. It might have been the best dish of the evening.
Service throughout had been attentive. Now, you might say that, as the only customers, it really should be attentive. But the guy was good and I’m sure he’d still do the business even when busy. On the dot of 8.30, there was an almighty crash. It was the shutters coming down in the kitchen. Yes, they were done for the evening and so were we.
