After attending Peterborough Backstage Live a few weeks ago Sophie, her fella and I were pretty hungry so we headed off on a little foodie adventure to try out two of the newest restaurants to have opened in the city. (Yes TWO – we are hungry food bloggers after all!)
Address: The Old Still, Westgate Arcade, Peterborough, PE1 1PY
First we made our way to the Westgate Arcade which has recently been given a swanky makeover and is now light and bright. As you enter the arcade you can’t help but be tempted by the promise of Dirty Burgers at the Handmade Burger Co. Fortunately for us it was our first stop!
If the outside is inviting, then the inside makes you feel at home with it’s rustic decor. The staff were friendly and super accommodating, especially since we turned up on a Saturday at the peak of lunchtime with no booking and we were able to book a table for 20 minutes time.
The menu is comprehensive, boasting 40 different burgers ranging from the classics to the more ‘out there’ offerings. As well as your standard brioche and seeded buns there are options for pitta pockets, skewers and you can go bunless too. There’s even a selection of ‘Yorkies’, which switch out the traditional bun for two yorkshire puddings in a burger alternative to Sunday lunch!
The call of the American diner style Dirty Burgers was strong but in the end I opted for a Hawaian Chicken Burger.
The combination of grilled pineapple, mature cheddar, bacon, mayo and a sweet mango chutney piled on top of a chargrilled chicken breast was delicious, although I’d have preferred the mango chutney to be dialed back a little as it did make it very sweet. The sweet potato fries were crunchy and a good cut with a light seasoning of salt that had me going back to more several times, even though I’d promised myself to just have a few!
My lunchtime companions seemed equally taken with their meals and after seeing the Dirty Burgers arrive I made a mental note to try one of those next time.
If we didn’t have a date with a certain dessert lounge then I’d have ordered a butterscotch milkshake, but I behaved myself on this occasion to save a bit of room. I’ll be nipping back for one of those before too long though, I’m sure of that!
Verdict: For a lunchtime treat the Handmade Burger Co gets my seal of approval… but book in advance at peak times to avoid disappointment!
Address: 11-13 Cowgate, King St, Peterborough PE1 1LZ
Speaking of desserts, I’d heard about a hot new opening in town: Tamu Dessert Lounge. Whilst the restaurant has actually been around for a while in another location, their move to new larger premises caught my attention. They are now nice and central in Cowgate which is just past Peterborough Cathedral in the city centre.
With leather seating and a vibrant red and white theme the decor has a modern diner feel. Waffle irons, crepe griddles and the sight of pancake stacks and supersized sundaes being made behind the glass fronted counter all add to the appeal.
Much like at the Handmade Burger Co, we arrived without a booking at around 2.30pm and were a bit perturbed when we were initially turned away, being told quite abruptly that they were fully booked until 9pm. This was confusing as we could see tables free and booking in for a quick dessert isn’t really something I’d expect to have to do. It turned out that the free tables were reserved for an hours time and I suspect that they were concerned that we’d be there longer.
As we we were only looking for a quick dessert to satisfy our sweet tooth craving we managed to persuade them to fit us in. Soon we were soon seated and drooling over the menu.
Sophie opted for crepes, her other half chose waffles and I opted for a fruit sorbet, which sounds really healthy but look at the size of it!
It was refreshing, it had fruit in it… I used this as an excuse to finish it. Sophie seemed quite amazed that I’d managed to conquer it and helped me to documented the triumph. #proudmoment
I think I behaved myself too well on this occasion with my choice though. If I go again I’m going to have to go all out with a super sized sundae or a big pile of waffles dripping in honey.
Verdict: If you can make it past the slightly challenging booking system you won’t be disappointed – just make sure you wear loose fitting clothes as the portions are very generous!
Our visit to the Handmade Burger Co was complementary and we were kindly given a 50% discount at Tamu. However as always views expressed are honest and my own. You can read more about this on my Disclaimer page.
