Cafe No 5, Sowerby Bridge
This place has a distinctly Mediterranean feel. Take a seat at one of the square-cut wooden tables and it's easy to forget the buzz of traffic from the A58 and the slightly grimy neighbourhood (don't look out of the window).
Maybe it's the exposed floorboards and wax-crusted wine bottles that scream Provenal rather than Pennine. Or perhaps it's the cheery dcor and bright blue chairs. Who knows? What matters is that inside it is warm and welcoming. Outside it is raining.
By day Caf No 5 is a caf. The family-run business opens at 9am to serve lattes, soup and paninis, closing at 3pm after the late lunchtime trade. Rumour has it that the caf is a popular venue for ladies-who-lunch – and just about anyone else who happens to be passing.
On Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, something different happens. At 6pm the closed sign is turned around again to open, the front door is unlocked, and the daytime caf becomes a bistro. It's a low-key transformation. Marketing appears to be word of mouth plus the occasional online review (all glowing). The business has no website and is absent from all the mainstream printed restaurant guides. We are there on a tip off.
The evening menu is short and to the point. There are half-a-dozen starters and a similar number of mains, including one fish dish and one vegetarian option. That's it. No specials. No side orders.
The alcohol policy is strictly bring your own, so the choice is yours. A 1.50 corkage charge is levied per bottle, whatever that bottle happens to be. You'll be charged 6 to open a four-pack of San Miguel, 3 for two bottles of Bordeaux, and 1.50 to prise the cork from a magnum of champagne. Water (from the tap) is free.
Our starters arrive after a pause that indicates fresh preparation. Both appear to draw inspiration from this side of
t'channel, but with an unmistakably continental twist. Why else throw wood pigeon, chorizo and poached pear together in a salad? It's an inspired idea, though denied an anticipated 10/10 rating by an ever-so-slightly chewy game bird. The sausage pieces are full of flavour and far easier on the jaw. Across the table, a deliciously smooth chicken liver pate is elevated out of the ordinary by a side portion of apple brandy and date chutney.
Both starters are accompanied by fresh granary bread, which is delicious, and foil-wrapped packets of butter, which are squishy and a bit of a pain to deal with. Would it be much less economical to cut the butter off a block? Perhaps. I guess the butter packets are just more practical for daytime caf life. Less dextrous diners will just have to accept the inconvenience of smeary fingers.
No quibbles with the main dishes. These offer excellent value for money and come complete with a selection of seasonal vegetables. Our sharing dish contains chunks of potatoes, squash and carrots, plus – in a brief departure from the Mediterranean theme – a small pile of sprouts. Yes, sprouts. They are lightly cooked and surprisingly sweet. Almost yummy. "Those are going to work better with my main than yours," my taller half remarks, tucking into a forkful of moist, roast venison. It's difficult to tell whether the red juices pooling on his plate are from the ample slab of meat, the mound of braised red cabbage or a redcurrant jus (was there one? The menu has been whisked away and we can't remember). Either way, this dish redefines the meaning of succulent. A handful of pickled walnuts provide a contrasting crunch.
Contrary to predictions, the autumnal vegetable selection is an entirely appropriate complement to my vegetarian main course. A generously sized red pepper has been halved, roasted and stuffed with spicy mashed pumpkin. Add in a thick topping of grilled haloumi cheese and voila! – a meat-free main that would satisfy any red-blooded carnivore. Not convinced? Try it and see, but don't stint on the haloumi. It is the saltiness of this
cheese that gives the dish its quasi bacon-y taste. And, yes, it all goes fine with the sprouts.
Our waitress wisely leaves us to soak up the atmosphere before returning to offer puddings. Ooh, yes please. There are maybe 10 or so cheesecakes, tarts and sponge cakes to choose from on the blackboard. If the descriptions aren't sufficient for decision-making, it is worth taking a quick peek in the chiller cabinet. This may, of course, complicate matters, but that shortlist has to get whittled down somehow.
A slice of an impressively tall lemon meringue pie reveals a filling layer that's acid sharp – just as you would expect from real lemons rather than a packet mix. The pie is served chilled and with a small jug of cream (if wanted) to mellow the citrus tang. A slice of chocolate and orange sponge is served warm, a process that leaves it collapsed on the plate in a lake of chocolate sauce. Marks lost for presentation, but many more points gained for taste and sheer gooeyness.
An evening at Caf No 5 is a marvellous antidote to a West Yorkshire winter. It is wonderfully informal, so there is no need to stress about what to wear. The bill will almost certainly put a smile on your face, too. Three courses of top quality bistro fare for 23 per head takes some beating. So I'm not going to try. I'm just going to come
here again.
Caf No 5, 5 Ryburn Buildings, Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire, HX6 3AH. Tel: 01422 831587. Open 9-3pm Monday-Saturday; 6-9.30pm Thursday- Saturday. Payment by cash or cheque only, no credit cards. Bring your own alcohol.
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Weather for Yorkshire
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 8 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: East
