Phone: (+44)1305259826
Address: 17 Buttermarket, West Dorset, United Kingdom
City: West Dorset
Dishes: 7
Reviews: 972
Website: http://www.bramblecafedeli.com/
"Two weeks ago I had a very disappointing evening at the Bramble Cafe on a Make your own gin' experience. I did not want to publicly review this without giving time for Mat Follas Masterchef winner a chance to give an explanation so I...wrote an email to him. After hearing nothing for a week I telephoned to check if my email had been received. Mat answered the phone and very brusquely said he didn't know if my email had been received and without asking for my name said he would check and put the phone down on me. I can only surmise from his manner that my email had arrived but had not been well received. I allowed another week for a response but unsurprisingly have not received a reply. I would not recommend either the gin experience' or the food. It was terrible value for money and the total lack of customer care is lamentable. I find it very hard to believe the food we were served was cooked by a winner of Masterchef, he would struggle to win Come Dine With Me with this menu. My email to Mat is below: Dear Mat I attended the ‘make your own gin’ evening on August with great expectations as I thought it was a great idea. I had also heard good things about you from friends who had been foraging with you. Two of us attended the course with a view to returning on another date as a party of six as a birthday celebration for a friend. Having had a less than great experience I thought I would let you know and would be grateful if you could give me your views on the evening. The experience was meant to be demonstration based but with participants taking home a drink they had made themselves. It also promised a course mouth-watering meal. I didn’t in fact get to make any gin myself. However you gave a very interesting and informative talk about gin and I learned some things I didn’t already know. The food was not mouth-watering and certainly not what I would have expected from a chef of your calibre. I didn’t expect large portions but I did expect exciting flavours and finishing touches. Instead I received a series of dishes which I could easily have cooked at home. It started off well, the smoky tomato soup was lovely and the chilli gin complemented it well. The macaroni cheese was nice, but nothing out of the ordinary and seemed at odds with the bramble gin and Prosecco that was served with it. After that things went downhill. A single tiny chicken wing on a plate does not constitute a course of a meal. There was nothing served with it, no garnish, sauce or anything. It was certainly not a dish I would expect from a chef with your skills. The mussel ramen was the real lowlight of the meal. I have eaten ramen many times but never one quite like yours. The ramen I have had before comprised of noodles in a broth. The dish I was served on Friday was mussels in a dark brown liquid which looked and smelled unappealing. I ate the mussels because I was hungry but they were lukewarm and didn’t taste like fresh mussels. I had a taste of the liquid but I couldn’t eat it. It didn’t seem as though there were many clean plates going back to the kitchen so I don’t think I was the only one who found this unappetising. The pork was as disappointing as the chicken. Again it was served without any vegetables or jus, it was dry and the crackling was extremely salty. Again I ate it because I was hungry. The drinks service slowed down over the evening which didn’t help matters. The desserts were pleasant enough but a sharing platter usually consists of enough food for the number of guests and the portion served was only sufficient for one person. Similarly we had been promised bramble liqueur and limoncello for the end of the meal but a tiny amount of each between two people is not acceptable. I would be interested to know if this is your normal standard or if things went awry on Friday. Perhaps coming straight from a festival, cooking for other guests in the restaurant and also for the people upstairs meant your time and skills were compromised? I certainly felt cheated on the food front knowing that whilst I was eating tiny portions of uninspiring food you had cooked Beef Wellington for the people upstairs and the guests in the restaurant who weren’t on the gin course were being served generous portions of superior food. The evening felt very unplanned. From the information I was given regarding drivers being able to join at a later time I was led to believe the evening would start with some gin making by the course attendees. I am disappointed that I wasn’t able to make gin myself. Whilst you are a very nice man and i enjoyed listening to you, watching you put a few ingredients in a bottle for us to take home and eating a below average meal does not justify the high cost of the evening. I look forward to hearing from you."
Menu - 7 options
All prices are estimates.
Cauliflower
Crispy cauliflower florets with tangy lemon aioli and a sprinkle of fresh herbs.
Carrot Cake
Moist and flavorful carrot cake topped with creamy frosting and a hint of spice.
Chicken Salad
Mixed greens topped with grilled chicken, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and a light vinaigrette.
Mac And Cheese
Creamy macaroni pasta baked with rich cheese sauce, topped with crispy breadcrumbs for extra texture and flavor.
Salted Caramel
A sweet and savory treat with rich caramel infused with a hint of sea salt, offering a perfect balance of flavors.
Chocolate Brownie
Rich, gooey chocolate brownie with a fudgy center, topped with a dusting of powdered sugar.
Molly
Food is good when the owner is at the cafe and cooking himself, otherwise it is poor. Lots of cafes within Poundbury cant really afford to allow overall standards to slip.
Address
Reviews
Riley
Quite small,we dropped in on the off chance and got The last table. The food was delicious ,in particular vegetables were exceptional Dishes individually prepared and piping hot Altogether a good experience
Nicole
For several years Bramble has been the venue for our Christmas Lunch with our neighbours in the terrace. We have always had a very enjoyable Christmas Sunday Lunch at Bramble and today was no exception. Highly recommended to all!
Victoria
What a lovely little cafe in the heart of Poundbury. Our misinterpretation of the menu but nothing was too much trouble to re-do our order without cheese... many apologies. Lovely, relaxing environment and very helpful staff with excellent food. Thank you for a great experience.
Lucas
We last visited this Deli in and things are much the same. The food is really nice BUT the service is extremely average. It would appear that there has not been any work done to make this venue more welcoming as it is a...bit too dark and Spartan for our tastes. It could be really nice.
Riley
We had lunch there. My wife had cauliflower cheese in a four cheese sauce and I had the breakfast brunch. Excellent food cooked by Matt himself. Service very friendly. Simple menu but good quality ingredients cooked well. They do dinner service on a Friday and...Saturday evening which involves a Japanese Hibachi.
Emma
Went there with expectations of simple food made with great local ingredients. It wasn't busy and we ordered eggs benedict and a tea and coffee. The drinks arrived fine then it was a wait and watch while customers before us were served. Nearly an hour...later, customers that came in minutes after us were served their food! Seriously, the staff were more interested in making coffee for themselves then when the big man arrived, went into the kitchen to chat. We left in disgust at this appalling lack of customer focus. I think Basil Fawlty would have given better service. My advise don't bother.
Duncan
Popped in for a light lunch mid-day, wanted a quick light meal and drinks. I have to confess eyesight issues and found the inside of cafe unbelievably dark and kept thinking are there creatures or things hiding behind the darker corners of display boxes of...bottles my imagination could have easily run away with me! Reading the menu in the poorly lit room really was unbearable, I considered that this was just a ‘personal’ problem and really wished that I had brought a torch with me, I didn’t feel so bad though because the drink preparation area had a spotlight illuminating that small area, -why was that I wonder?? It’s obviously not just me! We had drinks coffee and a (watery) milkshake no s...
Connor
Was meeting friends for lunch, one of whom only had an hour lunch break. Although we had originally planned to meet somewhere else we decided to visit Bramble Cafe instead. The table we chose had just been vacated by other customers and the waitress immediately...came and cleared the table for us. She was extremely pleasant and polite. The menu is not extensive but has a good variety and we were very happy with the choices available. Our order was taken quite promptly, in fact the waitress had asked if we were ready to order and we asked for more time. Our food came after an acceptable wait, our choices being Mac and Cheese, Cauliflower, Broccoli and Leek Cheese and chicken salad. The Cheese...
Theresa
Two weeks ago I had a very disappointing evening at the Bramble Cafe on a Make your own gin' experience. I did not want to publicly review this without giving time for Mat Follas Masterchef winner a chance to give an explanation so I...wrote an email to him. After hearing nothing for a week I telephoned to check if my email had been received. Mat answered the phone and very brusquely said he didn't know if my email had been received and without asking for my name said he would check and put the phone down on me. I can only surmise from his manner that my email had arrived but had not been well received. I allowed another week for a response but unsurprisingly have not received a reply. I wou...
Categories
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Cafe Indulge in our vibrant cafe selection, offering an array of freshly brewed coffees, artisanal teas, and delectable pastries, paired with cozy ambiance for a delightful dining experience.
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British Traditional and hearty, the British menu offers comfort classics like fish and chips, succulent roasts, and savory pies. Rediscover familiar favorites, lovingly crafted with timeless recipes and fresh, local ingredients.
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Breakfast Start your day with our delicious breakfast options, featuring everything from classic eggs and pancakes to healthy smoothies and yogurt. Perfect for a hearty meal or a light morning bite!
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Vegetarian Delight in our vibrant collection of vegetarian dishes, crafted with the freshest greens, rich flavors, and savory spices. Enjoy a wholesome, delectable plate that celebrates nature's finest ingredients.
Amenities
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Wine And Beer
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Street Parking
