Bedford, Bedrock, B’Town, call it what you will…there is no denying that Bedford has some excellent independent eateries. All my favourite spots have a few things in common, namely; laid back friendly atmosphere, welcoming hosts and top quality food.
Here is my top 5!
Herd – You’ll like this spot for its lively atmosphere as much as its 100% organic local beef, made into burgers on site. Look out for Reggae Roasts and Smooth Sundays (serving up the best roast dinner formiles around – including bottomless roast potatoes!!!). Keep an eye out for special events such as the recent Fish and seafood barbecue (in conjunction with GCH Fishmongers). Also serves my favouriteMoving Mountains vegan burger and offers a great mid week lunch deal. Ideal for music lovers; prepareto make new friends here.
Cochin – My favourite Indian by a country mile. Specialising in South Indian cuisine. Ideal for vegans and vegetarians as well as meat lovers. Attentive hosts, soothing music with scenes of Kerala on a background screen. My go to dishes are the Massala Dosa {a huge lentil based pancake stuffed with spiced potato and served with chutneys) and the Cochin seafood platter (squid, kingfish, prawns, fishcake). Keep an eye out for the staff shirt – this will tell you all you need to know about their attitude to customer care…..10/10
Toucatelha –Authentic Portuguese cuisine. My dish of choice is Bacalhau a Bras, which is so much more than a sum of its parts (salt cod, olives, shredded potato and egg). Look out for the authentic cataplana dishes and the changing daily specials (oxtail stew and suckling pig on my last visit!). Best coffee in town. Best homemade chips! Portuguese football nights to be recommended, for friendly atmosphere, great beer and craic! (Oh, they also have vinho verde on draught!)
Tana Thai – Bagsy a cosy booth in this beautiful piece of Thailand. More charming hosts, you will not find. Whitebait, squid both expertly prepared with a good hit of fresh spice. I generally opt for my favourite green curry and Brian goes for the Pad Thai.
They also serve an excellent G & T here, which I find goes very well with the spicy food…. Look out for the incredible flower tea. Also, from time to time Tana offers a Pad Thai cooking class which I can personally recommended highly.
Mama Concetta – Pizza! The best kind. Cooked in front of you in a wood fired oven. Top qualityingredients. Great casual dining. Fun, family atmosphere. Moretti beer on draught. Serves a meanAperol Spritz too! Im sure there is a vast array of dishes/toppings but ive never got beyond a Napolipizza – why bother, its perfect!
Watch out for the real Mama Concetta who is still known to do the wash up of a lunchtime. Great spot for a party. Booking now essential due to popularity.
Finally, a special mention for Beerfly – an unusually simple drinking concept. Serves Beer – lots of it! Carefully selected, ever changing, on tap, plus a guest ale from time to time. A vast array of beautiful cans chilling nicely in a number of fridges that you can peruse at your leisure. You can take cans away or pay an extra 50p to drink in. Take away flagons also available. Superior range of bar snacks; my personal favourites are Snyders of Hannover Jalapeno flavoured pretzels!
Comments