Sometimes a birdie just gets side-tracked doesn’t she? I started out with very good, organised intentions -  I honestly did. The mission was simple; pick up the boy wonders birthday cake from those clever peeps at Strutt Street Bakery and go back to the nest. Sounds easy enough, and it would have been had it not been a lovely day that inspired the thought of eating Olives outside. Naughty weather, bad weather, and curses to my ever – alert appetite! And naughty Fresh Basil for being so conveniently located to indulge my Olive craving. I hopped inside (having made the man bird carry his own cake) to grab said Olives, only for my tummy to growl and hint that it was time for lunch. Well, it would’ve been rude not to look at the lunch menu whilst inside wouldn’t it? So we hopped upstairs to peruse the menu, and it was chock-full of yummy offerings that soon had us both chirruping with delight. We decided to have a couple of lattes, a Goats Cheese and Mediterranean Vegetable Panini and a Bacon and Brie (minus the Branston pickle) Panini.

It didn’t take long for our lovely, smart, polite waitress to bring us our fayre. And beautifully presented it was too. Fresh warm Ciabatta bread filled with exceptionally tasty ingredients, with Coleslaw, Tomato, Cucumber and Dressed Mixed Salad Leaves artfully arranged on rectangular plates. My Goats Cheese was beautifully mellow and had a subtle tang to it, and the Mediterranean Vegetables were really flavoursome. The Boy wonder was murmuring appreciatively over his bounteous Bacon; it had a delightful smokiness to it and was in plentiful supply too. The Brie was oozing over it temptingly, making it look really superb, and he confirmed that it tasted every bit as good as it looked. Hot Wings a-hoy!!

As you know dear blog readers I like nice surroundings to savour my morsels in, so I would just like to mention the Interior at Fresh Basil. We sat on the Upper Mezzanine level inside the premises which gave us a great view of the deli counter downstairs and also out onto the seating outside the shop front. The upper level has a lovely spacious feel to it and the decor makes it a very relaxed place to eat, drink and catch up with friends. The main colours are very neutral creams and greens, with exposed brickwork in evidence, and then the red tub chairs and cushions add a dash of vibrancy to the palate. The overall look is pulled together very well so that you feel extremely comfortable whilst you’re there and the pace is such as to encourage a slower, warmer experience for their clientele.

The man and I thoroughly enjoyed our first experience of eating in at Fresh Basil, it certainly won’t be our last of that I am confident. So I can unreservedly recommend that you go and try out the menu at Fresh Basil, and why not treat yourself to the many delights on offer at their deli counter too whilst you’re there?

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