Mooching/walking around Bakewell town centre and surround for His Nibs latest ‘belligerence project, (IYKYK) for a couple of hours had my appetite well and truly stoked up, so I was jolly glad when he suggested we break off for a spot of lunch! I have walked around Bakewell literally thousands of times, but on this journey, I saw sights that I’d never really taken notice of before: there’s some seriously beautiful buildings and shops tucked away, aren’t there?
Several little courtyards and mews appeared to us, and down one such jitty lay the rather splendid café/bistro, Badeca, which is where we perched ourselves for a spot of lunch. This bijoux venue is very trendy and sleek inside with its combo of wooden floors and tables, and black metalwork lights and frames. There are some nifty picnic baskets and glasses available for retail, which I spied as The Man went to the counter to place our order; a swift glance told me that, no, it was definitely not picnic weather and to not bother buying one!
I was parched from walking hither-and-thither so I had a pot of English breakfast tea (£3.50) and His Nibs had a black coffee (£4). The menu isn’t the widest in the world, but I do feel that it’s better to do a few things well than lots mediocre, don’t you? I chose the Smoked Salmon Bagel (£13.95) from the ‘light bites’ section, whilst The Man Bird ordered the ‘Espana’ sandwich (that days special, £12.95).
To say that the kitchen area is snug is perhaps the understatement of the year, and I could see Chef beavering away furiously to complete all the orders that were on - we’d walked in on the tail-end of a food-rush! All food is done fresh-to-order and there was a bit of a wait; around 25 minutes I would say, which wasn’t a problem for me because I definitely needed the rest! That days soup was Roasted Cauliflower, Nutmeg and Chickpea (£7.95) and it smelled divine as one bowl went winging past our table; note to self: maybe order that next time, with the optional (£4 extra) Cheese Toastie on the side.
Eventually, our food arrived and, wow, it looked amazing. Presentation-wise, you couldn’t wish for anything nicer, and we eagerly dug in to see if it tasted as good as it looked. Personally, my Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese Bagel was phenomenal… not least because I think it contained a whole side of Salmon! The combination of soft cream cheese and silky, rich slices of Salmon were indulgence itself, satiating my keen appetite superbly. I had squeezed the slices of fresh Lemon over each Bagel half and its citrus ping cut through the richness brilliantly; certainly enough to grab my palate’s attention. A colourful bistro salad added some welcome crunch, as did the separate little bowl that held an assortment of root-vegetable crisps.
The same accompaniments came with His Nibs’ toasted Focaccia-housed Espana Sandwich. Now, let me just say that Badeca’s sandwiches sound innocent enough but, crikey, each one could easily feed two people, so take your appetite! The Olive Oil-rich bread was crammed (and I do mean CRAMMED) with Serrano Ham, Chorizo and Manchego Cheese that was amply spread with punchy Aioli. His Nibs’ poor palate didn’t know which way to turn, it was being sucker-punched with a multitude of magnificent flavours and textures – what a glorious position to be in, eh? Suffice to say, when we’d both finished stuffing our mushes, huge grins were plastered all over them.
Sometimes, you just end up exactly where you’re meant to be, and we felt that the universe had sent us to Badeca for the scrummy feast that our tummies had needed. Hot Wings happily given to this fab Bakewell treasure; we will certainly be returning.
To book a table call 01629 385336; they’re closed Tuesday and Wednesday, but open Thurs-Sun 9am-4pm. Badeca don’t have a website or Facebook page, but please give them a follow on Instagram: @badeca_bakewell. Remember folks #supportlocal #shoplocal - it’s a case of ‘use it or lose it’ and you deffo don’t want to lose Badeca.
