Tasty Morsels

What a delight to discover Brasserie de la Cour in Buxton for lunch. The pleasant atmosphere, attentive staff, and extensive menu made a strong first impression. For our first visit, we ordered Escargot, Croque Madame, and Assiette mixed (meats, cheeses, and pate with salad, fruit, chutney, and baguette). The food met our expectations and brought back memories of living in Paris. We’re excited to include it in our Tasty Morsels until we visit twice and present a full review.

Unit 2-5, The Old Courthouse
George Street
Buxton SK17 6AY
Phone: 01298 25333

The restaurant walls are covered with pictures, and according to our waitress, there is one picture in each restaurant that is hung upside down. We have been to the Macclesfield restaurant three times and still haven’t found the picture.

Many menu items feature well-balanced combinations of texture and taste, showcasing quality throughout. For example, the Super Grain Salad combines feta, roasted sweet potato, pickled red cabbage, mixed lettuce leaves, mint yoghurt, Persian grains, toasted seeds, red onion, cherry tomatoes, mint, and pomegranate seeds. This reflects just one of the restaurant’s delightful offerings.

For lunch, we chose a restaurant with a quirky, colorful, eclectic interior and dead-serious food. Normally, we each select a different dish to sample a portion of the menu, but at 85 Secret Garden, we decided to try every dish on the Small Plates menu. Since they didn’t fit on the table, the waitress kindly set up an adjacent tray and made us aware that “to go” boxes were available. The outcome: we would order all of these dishes again, just not in the same seating.

Choosing a favorite small plate proved difficult, as we enjoyed them all. The Baba Ghanouj, with tahini and roasted garlic, was topped with toasted cashews and served with flatbread—particularly good. The flatbread was nice, but I used some toasted ciabatta from another dish to great success. I loved the spiciness of the Baby Chorizo and the subtlety of the wasabi mayo served on the Salt & Pepper Squid.

Bold Street in Liverpool, which is approximately 4 blocks long, houses 20+ restaurants. And, you have the enjoyment of eating at almost every cuisine represented in Great Britain in one location.

We chose to eat at the Greek Taverna. The restaurant was packed on a Tuesday, perhaps because they offer their “Early Bird Special” menu all day Monday and Tuesday. Definitely make reservations, as the Greek Taverna is one of the highest-rated Greek restaurants in Liverpool. The “Early Bird Special” menu offers a starter and a main course for a reasonable set price. Our selections included the Kalamari (crunchy exterior and moist, succulent interior), Plaki (butter beans in a beautiful sauce), Lamb Meatballs (a subtle tomato sauce, not overly spicy), and Moussaka, which was well-balanced in its spices.

Except for the Korean Fried Chicken starter coated in spicy gochujang sauce with sriracha mayonnaise, we chose vegetarian options from the starter menu. We grazed on the Allotment Board (raw rainbow heritage carrots, candy beetroot, chicory, radishes, and Green Goddess with extra herbs), as well as the Mezza Board (green falafel, houmous, and garlic flatbread). Both selections were fresh and satisfying.

The star, and surprise, of the lunch was the dessert: The Botanist Plant Pud. According to their menu, it’s an edible chocolate plant pot filled with vanilla cheesecake and salted caramel, garnished with chocolate soil, viola flowers, raspberries, and vanilla ice cream, and served with a mini gardening spade. Not only does it taste incredible, and it will bring a smile to your face—what fun!

Our first featured place is Lubens, located on a quiet, mostly residential road. Upon entering, you feel welcomed into a living room with a Chesterfield-style couch, armchairs by a wood-burning fireplace, and home-style tables lending a cozy vibe. During our first visit, we enjoyed a window seat overlooking spring’s arrival in the park across the street.

Lubens’ menu draws on seasonal inspiration, with specials displayed on a chalkboard. We sampled the Deli Board, a generous platter for two featuring cured meats, gochujang chicken wings, meatballs, mixed olives, cheeses, pretzels, sliced gherkins, pink onions, seasoned potatoes, salad, and homemade pickle slaw. For dessert, we shared the daily cheesecake special.

We returned to Lubens and experienced the same pleasant welcome. This time, we ordered separately. The mussels in Thai green curry sauce came with peppery rocket, crisp fries, and lightly toasted sourdough—perfect for the rich sauce. The wings were so flavorful on the first visit that we had to order more. We finished with Goat cheese & Beetroot Tartlets—delicate, flaky, and topped with balsamic glaze.