A Bank Holiday Breakfast At The Bridge House In Ambergate
Published On Sunday 21 Apr 2024 by Sticky Beak
See Recent Dining Out Reviews | See All Recent Reviews
Unusually, the weather had been pretty decent for the majority of the Easter weekend, so we’d managed to get quite a bit done. Being Brits, though, we know that good-fortune over a Bank Holiday weekend doesn’t last, and so it proved the case when rain came on Easter Monday! I have to say that we were ready for some rest, so His Nibs booked us a table at Bridge House in Ambergate for breakfast.
Parking is a big snug at the venue itself, but there is on-road parking immediately adjacent, so we grabbed a spot there and walked back to Bridge House. From the road, Bridge House is a fairly unassuming building, nestled next to the services garage; step inside, however, and it is a welcoming foodie haven with a lovely relaxed vibe. We were greeted warmly and shown where our table was, joining the throng of folks already tucking into all manner of tasty food. The menus were already on the table so, after ordering two ‘plain’ Hot Chocolates (£3 each), we studied the selection of Breakfast, Brunch and Lunch dishes – all of which are available all day. Vegan, Vegetarian and Gluten-free options are also readily available.
The Man Bird opted for his favourite, a Full English (£12.95) and I had the Avocado on Toasted Soda Bread with Chilli Flakes (£10.95), adding Poached Eggs (£1.50) and Crispy Bacon (£1.95). Whilst we were waiting for our order, several of the Full English’s went past our table, and His Nibs face lit up with happiness at their huge proportion! Our little blog has been going for a fair few years now, but this serving team was one of the smoothest, most well organised we’ve ever seen – honestly, the young lasses were seamless.
Before long, our meals were being placed in front of us and we tucked in with our usual gusto. I was very pleased with the size of the Soda Bread slices, and they’d been toasted to lightly crisped, golden perfection. On top of each slice was a good amount of chunkily smushed Avocado and, to be honest, this would’ve been a perfectly hearty dish in its own right. I have to say that I was feeling smug about my decision to add Poached Eggs and Crispy Bacon, both elements just brought something extra to the table, so to speak! Indulgence was well represented by both the richness of the Avocado and the sunny-hued egg yolk, and the toasted Bread and Bacon brought a great hit of texture. Seriously, this would hit the spot, whatever time of day you ate it!
Across the table, The Man was chowing down merrily on thick slices of back Bacon, savouring the meaty flavour as he dunked each piece into the creamy, soft yolk of his fried Egg. I am noted for being especially picky about sausages, judging them on ‘repeat factor’, but the ones on His Nibs’ plate looked very nice, so I asked for a bit. Fans of bangers (behave!) will be very happy with these minxes anyhow, but I have to say that I would’ve eaten these quite happily; no repeat factor, and gentle seasoning. As usual, I got passed the Mushrooms (yum!) and - if he hadn’t asked for them to be left out - I would’ve had some beautiful tinned Tomatoes, too. Don’t judge me, I love tinned Tomatoes (especially on toast); and, yes, pineapple absolutely does belong on a Pizza, whilst we’re having this sort of debate! Halves of Grilled, fresh Tomato sat proudly on the plate and were beautifully sweet and juicy, which paired nicely with the deeper, earthier taste of the slice of Black Pudding. As well as slices of pre-buttered toast, there was also a slice of fried bread on The Man Bird’s plate which, in case you’re curious, tinned Tomatoes also go superbly with. The Hash Browns were marvellously crisp on the outside, with soft inners of shredded Potato that begged to be scooped up with Baked Beans before being devoured. Other than the half-slice of fried bread that I pilfered, His Nibs cleared the plate…guess he liked that, then?!
Whilst we’d been eating, one of the Bridge House team checked we were enjoying our food, and we took the opportunity to order some more hot drinks: a pot of Breakfast Tea for me, and a Black Coffee for His Nibs, both £2.85.
I tell you what, as soon as one table had been vacated it was cleaned down thoroughly and re-laid, then swiftly occupied by a fresh batch of customers – Bridge House clearly is the place to be! The Man Bird and I are already planning our next visit; there are so many other dishes that we want to try. Hot Wings happily awarded to this fab little venue.
Bridge House is open 7-days-a-week: Monday-Saturday 8am-3pm and Sunday 9am-2pm. Last orders for food are 1 hour before closing time, which I think is more than reasonable. For details on events, visit the Facebook page: Bridge House – Ambergate and give the team a buzz on 01773 270978 to book a table. Alternatively, get in touch via email at bridgehouseambergate@mail.com
| Sunday Lunch At The Palfrey At The New Inn, Milford This'll tell you how long ago we last visited the New Inn at Milford: Angelo's Italian was still there! Nothing much has changed on the exterior; the car park is still on the small side Read The Article | |
| Fine Dining Event At The Sitwell Arms Hotel In Renishaw Although [probably] known most widely as being a great wedding venue, there's more - an awful lot more - to The Sitwell Arms Hotel at Renishaw. As I write, several of the Hotel Read The Article | |
| Sunday Lunch At The Angel & Harlequin Bistro In Spinkhill It'd been a couple of weeks since we'd last been out for a Sunday roast, what with one thing and another, so after a hard days' graft in the garden and home at Mummy's, His Nibs Read The Article | |
| Out For Dinner At Cicchetti by Carlo In Wirksworth A message came in to Beak H.Q recently, one that had me and His Nibs looking over at each other in silence. One 'Don Orlando' had invited us to a 'sit down' at his Italian restaurant Read The Article | |
| Visiting Olive Moroccan Restaurant At Their New Location In Belper As regular readers will know, Olive Moroccan in Belper is one of our regular haunts. The wonderful Jacqui, owner and Chef at Olive, has become a true friend over the years, Read The Article | |
| Burger And Pizza Night At The Canal Inn, Bullbridge, Ambergate The Man and I have fiiiiiiiiiinally got around to visiting The Canal Inn at Bullbridge to sample their Thursday night offering: Pizza and a pint for £11 or Burger and a pint Read The Article | |
| Lunch At Scoozi Ristorante in Clevedon Every now and then life presents an opportunity to combine business and pleasure, and when it does, The Man and I jump on that train PDQ! I had booked a cheeky night away. I had booked a cheeky Read The Article | |
| Sunday Lunch At The Fork & Furrow Restaurant, Moorwood Moor Near Alfreton Things have been a bit chaotic for The Flock recently; what with one thing and another (health-wise) its been a good month or so since we all got to go out for a Sunday Read The Article | |
| Lunch At The Ashford Arms, Ashford-in-the-Water On Their Soft Opening Its always lovely and exciting when a new venue opens; even more so at the moment, with news of venues shutting coming along fairly regularly. The Man and I were Read The Article | |