Fascinating art and photography exhibitions, a peaceful garden with an array of beautiful plants and flowers and a light, airy and contemporary café serving absolutely bangin’ food – a winning combination, if you ask me.
Situated in Barton, The Ropewalk has long been a popular spot for locals and visitors alike when it comes to all things arts and culture – but until last weekend, I’d never got round to visiting.
After parking up on a grey and drizzly early afternoon, I headed to the on-site café, eager to grab a coffee to perk me up after my drive from good old Grimsby. As soon as I walked in, I loved the whole atmosphere of the place.
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The exposed wooden beams on the ceiling and little touches throughout were a reminder of the building’s long history as a rope making factory dating back to the early 1800s, while the décor and furnishings gave the space a modern and contemporary twist.
I noticed that it was pretty packed, which I was expecting, but luckily I managed to find a table in a quiet spot near the corner. I ordered a latte and took a seat while waiting for my friend to arrive.
(Image: Grimsby Live)
It took us a while to decide what to order, but I was eventually won over by the colourful display inside the main counter. For £12, diners can choose one of the quiches on offer, before selecting three items to accompany it. Everything in there seemed pretty healthy, and looked delicious.
Quiche options were cheddar and spring onion, Stilton and cherry tomato, feta and peppers, Mexican cheese, spinach and sweet chilli, or Brie and cranberry. I went for the Brie – there’s something just a little bit special about the combo of creamy Brie and tangy cranberry for me.
Alongside it, I went for a mixed leaf salad, Coronation quinoa and potatoes in mint yoghurt. The lovely staff member who served me asked if I’d like cucumber, peppers and tomato and balsamic vinegar on top of the mixed leaf salad, and she kindly put it on for me.
The food came within minutes and it looked absolutely delicious. My plate was packed full, and I couldn’t help thinking that £12 was very reasonable when taking the portion sizes into account. Each aspect of the dish was lovely – with the sweet and moreish flavour of the quinoa and freshness of the salad going together perfectly with the indulgent richness of the quiche.
(Image: Grimsby Live)
I loved this dish and wish more places locally offered something like this, where you can “build” your own healthy plate of food. It just served as evidence to me that there’s loads of options when it comes to tasty, healthy and meat-free dishes. I think a lot of places could do better in this regard and provide more on the menu than just a veggie burger or Mac & Cheese, but The Ropewalk did not disappoint with their meat-free options at all.
The dishes on the specials board behind the counter also sounded amazing, and I think I’ll try something from this menu in future (yes, I’ll definitely be going again). Examples when I visited were wild mushroom stroganoff, sweet potato curry pie and tomato and pepper risotto. Yum.
It’s also worth noting that the cake options at The Ropewalk are basically endless, too. With lemon cake, chocolate cake, Victoria sponge, malteser slices and Rocky Road, to name just a few, it was a bit of a tough decision. I’ve had worse choices in my life, don’t get me wrong.
(Image: Grimsby Live)
In the end I went for a slice of the coffee and walnut cake, and when I say slice, it would be more accurate to say slab – not that I’m complaining! The cake was perfectly moist and rounded off a lovely meal.
In my opinion, The Ropewalk is just the perfect lunch spot, and I’ll definitely be back at some point.
