It’s gelato and waffles that people mostly know Lottie’s in Bury St Edmunds for. But did you know that they also have a brunch offering?
We decided to head in one rainy Saturday to check it out…
As I’d already figured from following them on Insta, Lottie’s is all about the aesthetic. There’s plenty of pink. The dining area, while small, is designed for seriously Instagrammable photos. From the photos I’d seen, I was fully expecting the food to be the same. But is there also substance behind the beauty?
My chai latte (£3.70) was a good start: the spices a decent strength, the milk nice and frothy.
The child had his heart set on an Oreo milkshake (£5.50) from the start…even more so when he realised he could add candyfloss for a further £2.50. It was a good milkshake: thick, creamy and plenty of flavour. The candyfloss was beautifully light and airy, but hard to manage when just balanced on the top. Was it worth £8? To see his enjoyment, absolutely – there’s no way I could get “the ultimate Insta picture” (as they say on their menu), though, with a small hand in every shot…
Unsurprisingly he didn’t want much to eat after that, but the chunky halloumi fries (£6.50), served with sweet chilli sauce, were a hit. Again, the aesthetics were a key part of this dish. The five golden slabs of halloumi were stacked up artfully, the sweet chilli sauce served in a heart-shaped dish. He was intrigued by the scattered rose petals on the plate, too. With him too full to finish them, I was able to have a nibble and can confirm that Lottie’s make exceptionally good halloumi fries.
My choice was the Veggie Toastie (£7.95, but I added halloumi for an extra £2.50). Two slices of toasted sourdough enveloped a generous amount of hummus, smashed avocado, sundried tomatoes and spinach leaves (I felt there could have been a few more of these). The halloumi brought it all together nicely, but again, the quantity seemed a little lacking – the slices were very thin. No complaints about the flavours, though: it was a beautiful sandwich.
I always knew that the other half was going to order the chicken and waffle (£13.95) – and predicted that he’d pay the extra £3.50 to double up on the chicken.
Seeing as waffles are one of the specialities at Lottie’s, it’s not surprising that this one was fluffy and delicious. Dusted with a light coating of icing sugar, it also featured plenty of maple syrup: enough that it was pooling in the waffle’s indents.
The buttermilk fried chicken was beautifully moist and full of flavour (I was allowed to try a little and immediately had food envy). I think he was a little disappointed at the size, though: for £17.45, he was expecting a far bigger portion.
On this occasion we didn’t treat ourselves to gelato afterwards, but having tried it here before, I’d recommend it. All of the gelato at Lottie’s is made in-house, and there are always exciting seasonal specials as well as their core flavours.
There’s no denying that both the interior and the food at Lottie’s are beautiful to look at – and the food tastes great, too. My only complaint would be that prices seem a little high, and for that reason only, I think visiting Lottie’s for a full meal is going to be an occasional treat only. We’ll be back soon for gelato, though…