6 of the UK’s best hidden gems for foodies
1. Bristol Porridge Project, Bristol – for a breakfast of champions
Locals may already know about this breakfast gem, which opened in 2017, but if you’re new to the city it’s really easy to miss. Tucked away behind Colston Hall on the corner of Trenchard Street and Lodge Street, the Bristol Porridge Project serves up hearty porridge to bleary-eyed Bristolians from 7am Tuesday to Friday, and 8am on a Saturday. The oats are hand-rolled on site, cooked with water in a bain-marie so the porridge is always ready to go, and topped with all sorts – all for around £3. It’s all served up alongside proper coffee in simple, rustic surroundings. Definitely one to add to the list.
2. Taste & Liquor, Birmingham – for pop-up meals and music
When it comes to pop-ups in Birmingham, Taste & Liquor is the name to look out for. Their daytime parties and brunch raves bring independent street food stalls together with big-name DJs, and there are plenty of bottomless cocktails thrown in for good measure. Their parties pop up everywhere from outdoor courtyards to museums and warehouses, and their bank holiday events are particularly epic.
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3. Hard Lines Coffee, Cardiff – for proper coffee and market shopping
Popping in to Cardiff Central Market for a browse? Fuel up at Hard Lines – they serve steaming cups of filter coffee to go, and eye-widening espressos from a baby pink La Marzocco espresso machine hidden away among the market stalls. If you’d rather sit in and savour something caffeinated, their original shop – Hard Lines Coffee & Vinyl – is one of a clutch of quirky indies in a converted 1920s cinema on Womanby Street. And if you don’t recognise the name, that’s because it used to be known as Outpost – which itself had a stellar reputation.
4. White Wolf Yoga studio, Liverpool – for plant-based food and juices
White Wolf Yoga studio might not be Liverpool’s best-kept secret, but not everybody knows there’s also a cracking café here. This is the place to come for fresh soups, raw cakes plus healthy shakes and juices once you’ve balanced your chakras in the studio. They use CBD oil from hemp flowers, which comes from the same plant as Marijuana, although it’s totally safe and legal in the UK.
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5. The Tipsy Vegan, Norwich – for vegan and vegetarian
Norwich’s history-rich Lanes are a hub of independent shops and quirky boutiques, and there’s a foodie gem hidden among them. The Tipsy Vegan is, as the name suggests, full of vegan treats from brunch dishes to tapas and cocktails, and it’s a popular spot with the locals. What most new visitors don’t know is, they also have a street food vegan diner in Norwich’s Market – just make a beeline for row B when you get there.
6. Caboose, London – for meat feasts and disco beats
Caboose is a bit of a hard one to categorise. Part restaurant, part café, this British barbecue stop-off serves up meats aplenty just off Shoreditch High Street. From pulled-pork burgers to shredded beef rib boxes, the menu options focus on slow-cooked meats and smokey flavours. And if you fancy something a little different, they also run supper clubs and ad-hoc discos, and serve a three-course menu to private parties in a very cool train cabin – or caboose. Not got cash to splash on hiring a private cabin? Not to worry. Take a look at some of our ideas for where to eat in London for less than a tenner if you’re visiting on a bootstrap budget.
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Published on 16th July 2018