It’s hard not to fall
in love with the food being served at The Magpie Cafe, a North Yorkshire fish and chip institution.
And, judging by the queues down their steps come rain or shine, it holds a special place in the hearts of many many others. This is no mean feat considering every other business in this goth-friendly seaside resort is a fish and chip shop.
And, judging by the queues down their steps come rain or shine, it holds a special place in the hearts of many many others. This is no mean feat considering every other business in this goth-friendly seaside resort is a fish and chip shop.
However, the Magpie
doesn’t just serve incredible fish and chips. Kipper pate, local oak roasted
salmon, seafood stew, grilled woof and lobster thermidor were just a couple of
the dishes which conspired to distract me from the task in hand…
There was nothing
regular (neither size nor flavour) about my regular haddock and chips (£11.95). Every
mouthful of fish was a joy – the perfectly flaky fillet enrobed by thin, crisp,
grease-free and perfectly puffed up batter.
Chips were also things
of beauty - chunky, crisp, fluffy and ever so slightly meaty (that'll be the beef dripping they're fried in). They were a
delight to dunk in a pot of tartare sauce and a gravy boat of sweet & spicy curry
sauce (£1.25).
Mrs G’s “small” cod
and chips (£9.95) was top drawer too; the fillet meatier textured, subtler flavoured and larger
flaked in comparison to my haddock.
Mushy peas (£1.50) were as
they should be – savoury mushed marrowfats with only a slight sweetness (unlike cloyingly saccharine crushed petit pois which so often masquerade as the real
deal).
Samphire (£2.25) with a
scattering of onions were delightfully salty and buttery. They were only
dragged down by the presence of a few woody, thick stalks.
Desserts were as
enjoyably retro as the Magpie’s placemat & coaster bedecked tables. Sadly,
I didn’t have gullet space for a spotted dick or jam roly-poly.
My knickerbockerglory
(£5.95) was huge. Smooth, creamy vanilla and strawberry ice creams were interwoven with sweet & sharp poached berries and coulis, whipped cream & crispy
meringues.
A lemon meringue pot (£5.45)
combining creamy, sharp lemon curd, meringue pieces, whipped cream and lemon
sorbet could have fed a family of
four.
The Magpie is the kind
of old-fashioned institution that only exists in the illusory rose-tinted recollections
of “When I were a boy…”
Groaning plates of textbook fish and chips, jovial waitresses and bowls of school dinner puddings all make The
Magpie Cafe a very special place.
The details:
Address - The Magpie Cafe, 4 Pier Road, Whitby, North Yorkshire, YO21 3PU
Web - http://www.magpiecafe.co.uk//
Telephone - 01947 602058
Telephone - 01947 602058
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