"Popped in to Purdy’s for lunch while waiting for my daughter to finish an appointment and wasn’t disappointed. I’ve been in many times before, when it was under previous ownership, as Alison’s and now as Purdy’s, and have never come away wishing I had gone elsewhere, unlike in some places locally. A warm welcome from the staff as I took my seat and I was given time to peruse the menu, quickly deciding on a baked potato with prawn filling, a pot of tea, and a cold drink while I waited for the tea to mask. My order was taken quickly and efficiently and I settled in to read my iPad in peace. One of the few minor tweaks I’d make to the place is slightly less upright seating but it does one’s posture good to sit properly so shouldn’t complain. ; I don’t know if there is free WiFi or not as I didn’t try to find it, but normal signal is good and besides, I’d bearly had time to read a few emails when my drinks arrived, followed swiftly by my lunch. My baked potato was well cooked and filled with fresh tasting prawns in a Marie-rose sauce. I had a lovely fresh side salad, simple but effective, shredded iceberg lettuce with a slice or two of cucumber, same of tomato and a light dressing, with a spoonful of coleslaw at the side. It looked appealing and tasted very good. All I could, and did, ask for of a small town cafe with no airs and graces. You don’t expect cordon bleu in Forfar and certainly not in a cafe with very reasonable prices and a plain but great wholesome menu. The benefits of this cafe are the friendliness of the staff, the warm welcome and the fact that they treat all customers with respect and value them, whether they spend £2 or £20! The elderly folks seem to love it there and the Scots are a canny lot, so if they didn’t like it, it would be empty! I’ve never seen this place empty! It doesn’t have the longest opening hours but it’s predominantly a breakfast and lunch type cafe and they don’t do high teas, but if that’s what you’re looking for there are places nearby. The cafe looked clean and tidy, you can see the staff at work behind the counter, nothing is hidden from you, a good health and hygiene standard is employed. The toilets are clean and fresh, albeit up a couple of steps which might put off those with mobility issues. Oh, and mind duck your head if you’re a bit on the tall side ; Overall I highly recommend this for a tasty lunch, be it soup and sandwich or fresh baked scones you’re after. Their home baking is a real hit with the locals and is definitely to be tried!"
