Eat My Words: We review Butler’s Coffee House in Radcliffe-on-Trent The “best breakfast sandwich” and sumptuous scrambled eggs made an early morning meet-up well worth the effort. Opening at 9am on Sundays — something of a rarity — Butler’s Coffee House in Radcliffe was an obvious eatery of choice for a catch-up over coffee and breakfast. Situated right in the heart of the town’s high street, amid the welcoming bustle of dog walkers and runners, the cosy café has a generous brunch menu and delightful speciality coffee.
As it was a fairly balmy morning, Fionn and I decided to make the most of the weather and sit at one of the quaint outside tables lining the pavement, although there was also a good selection of inside seating in the small yet bright and airy coffee house. Said to be inspired by the coffee cultures of San Francisco, Cape Town, Amsterdam and London, Butler’s certainly offers something a little different and dare I say ‘trendy’ from your regular high street café. After browsing the menu, which featured a very tempting range of English and American-style breakfasts — think butchers’ sausage and bacon sandwiches, pancake stacks, and acai bowls — alongside lighter bites and a range of baked egg dishes, we placed our orders at the till and then took our seats.
As well as locally-sourced produce for the kitchen, Butler’s uses Nottingham-based independent specialty coffee roastery Outpost Coffee’s beans for its drinks, and the quality was evident. As my first choice of a cold brew was unavailable, I opted for an iced Americano with a splash of milk — admittedly basic but when the coffee is good there’s no need to overcomplicate things — and Fionn had a flat white which was “not overly bitter” and so sugar was forgone. There wasn’t long to wait before our drinks arrived, and with them came the slice of superfood flapjack Fionn had selected to try, as the baked goods were too tempting to pass up.
For our breakfasts, the wait was not long at all, and ‘wow’ was all I could say as my meal — scrambled eggs with smoked salmon — was placed in front of me. Pumpkin sourdough, fluffy scrambled eggs, a generous pile of smoked salmon, rocket, wilted spinach, tomato, and a smattering of seeds awaited me, and I wasted no time in diving in. Seasoned simply with salt and pepper, the taste of the ingredients shone.
The freshness was palpable and the quality top-notch. Not only that, but the portion could certainly not be called stingy. Needless to say I left Butlers pleasantly full and content. Fionn opted for the Veggie Sandwich Stack which he declared the “best breakfast sandwich” he’s ever had.
With a runny-yolk fried egg, hash browns, veggie sausages, tomato slices and cheese encased in a crusty yet soft bun, and topped with Fionn’s choice of brown sauce, it was a thing to behold. Despite some technical hitches — how does one go about eating a fully-loaded breakfast sandwich without ending up covered in the ingredients — once it had been wrangled into more manageable segments it went down a treat. Once again, there was no mucking about on portion sizes here, so much so that the giant slab of flapjack got a cursory taste test and then was wrapped up to take home and enjoy later.
It boasted a rich and hearty blend of oats, dried fruit and seeds, all toped with a thick layer of dark chocolate, and more seeds and dried fruit for good measure. Sweet but not overly so, and a nice twist on a standard flapjack. It’s safe to say that I will be a repeat visitor, and I’ll even have a choice of venue as there are sister Butler’s Coffee Houses in Bingham and Ruddington.
Out of five: Food: Fresh, varied, and generously portioned, Butler’s hit the nail on the head when it comes to brunch. There was a good selection of sweet and savoury options, vegetarian and vegan dishes, and both breakfast classics and trendy options. I could not find anything to fault with our meals, and they were thoroughly enjoyed.
***** Decor: Contemporary with rustic touches, comfortable, and welcoming about sums up Butler’s Radcliffe coffee house. While small, it didn’t feel cramped, and the option of outdoor seating was welcome for the summer weather, although with all perils of pavement seating the tables were a little wobbly (a challenge for slicing up sourdough). It is dog friendly, which will be welcome news for many.
The toilet was also clean and well stocked. **** Staff: The staff at Butler’s were friendly and efficient, ensured we had our orders placed as we liked, and were happy to help when needed. Service was swift but not rushed, and everything was brought to us at the table. 85, Butler’s is fairly mid-range on price — not cheap but not overly expensive either.
The portion sizes mean you get bang for your buck and the quality of the meals speak for themselves, so it is well worth the price. 30 alone — a 50p charge is added for ice — which is a bit on the pricey side. 20 slice of cake was fair given the huge serving. **** Have you had a great meal?
