Celebratory Lunch at The Courtroom Cafe - Crickhowell

If you follow me on Twitter you'll know that I recently got offered a real grown up job at a publishing company(!) which I happily accepted - still can't quite believe it. I  am due to start in January so I have plenty of time to kit myself out with a new wardrobe and plenty of stationery and mentally prepare myself for my first ever full time job. This all came about quite ironically after I posted about post uni life and living back with my parents. The timing of these things, eh.

When I received the news, my dad was there to congratulate me and he suggested we go out to celebrate. So, we drove over to Crickhowell to The Courtroom Cafe where we ate and drank and talked and I made plans too quickly for my brain to keep up with and scoffed down the most delicious pasty and salad.

If it hadn't been for my dad's recommendation, I probably would never have discovered The Courtroom Cafe. It is a shame that these independent shops sometimes go unnoticed, as we often go for the safer options of the chain coffee shops and cafes because we know what they offer and what to expect. I am making a conscious effort to step out of my comfort zone and discover different, more independent and local places to visit and review, because they deserve the trade just as much as the larger, more successful chains.

I'm not sure if The Courtroom Cafe was once an actual courtroom, but the layout and set up of the room certainly felt like it might have been. Quirks like that are what please me, and make me want to visit again.

It felt kind of old fashioned inside, like old people had decorated it, and the menus were somewhat dated, but in an endearing way. It did not detract from my experience or any of the food. In fact, it made the place stand out from the other more pristine and modern cafes lining the main street in the village. 

I had been to The Courtroom Cafe once before this visit and enjoyed an elderflower presse and a fruit scone. But since I had missed lunch this time I went for something more filling. The curry and lentil pasty caught my eye and I ordered that with salad and a bottle of the elderflower presse that I had last time. My dad ordered a pot of tea and a piece of prune and ginger cake. The service was speedy and the food delicious. I will probably order exactly the same thing when I visit next time.

Traditional tea and original flavours: prune and ginger cake.

Refreshing and sweet elderflower presse and one of the best lunches I have had all year. Yes. All year. On my plate was a medley of beetroot, carrot, coleslaw, pasta, cucumber, tomato, couscous and potato salad, all accompanying the main component of a warm curry and lentil pasty. It was fantastic.

 

I was so pleased with my food and drink during my visit. It was the perfect celebratory lunch and I have my dad to thank for treating me. Afterwards we wandered around the shops in Crickhowell and I bought Burn After Reading from a charity shop - I have to say, you should always check out the DVD sections in charity shops, you never know what gems you might find.