Eating Out: Herald Cafe Bar

Feb 15 2012 By Joseph McGuire

Address: Mitchell Library, North Street, Tel: 287 2927

BACK in my student days I often used to head for the Mitchell Library while studying for exams .

These days the Mitchell can cater for much more than a hunger for knowledge, thanks to its top-notch cafe.

I dropped by with a couple of pals the other day after hearing good things and wasn’t disappointed.

Walking in to the theatre entrance of the building, you’re greeted by a bright and spacious dining area.

An added bonus for diners is the provision of free wifi, meaning you can keep up to date with your emails or social media, something I suspect proves exceptionally popular among students addicted to Facebook.

Its counter service, but the staff had the queue whizzing along at a fair rate which meant if wasn’t long before we were served and seated.

The menu is a good one with plenty on offer, and it is not not just the usual soup and sandwich fare.

We ordered a couple of cokes (£1.50) and a latte (£2.05) while deciding what to have.

I finally settled on a spicy beef burger (£5.95) and it arrived in n ow time at all..

Served with loads of salad and red onion marmalade, the burger was just the right size for a lunch-time portion.

The burger didn’t come with the usual offering chips but I didn’t
find this an issue for an afternoon meal.

My colleagues opted for the pasta with chilli and chorizo (£5.75) and a cheese and cajun chicken panini (£3.20).

Both of these went down a treat, with the panini coming in for particular praise for its sterling presentation.

We’d all been enthralled by the bumper selection of cakes on offer at the counter so felt something sweet was a must.

I plumped for the carrot cake (£1.45), which was delicious and moist.

Dutch apple pie (£1.95) and a generous slice of chocolate fudge cake (£1.95) was the order of the day across the table, and judging at the rate they disappeared both were pretty tasty.

All in the café was a delight, the only minor criticism being that the latte wasn’t great.

So whether you’re looking to expand your cultural or culinary horizons the Mitchell Library is well worth a visit.