Cafe Green Ginger Food Review by Jill Pendleton
Visited on the 8th June 2011
Cafe Green Ginger, 26 East Street, Ashburton, Devon, TQ13 7AZ
Upmarket, pine floors, friendly staff and a serious cook in the kitchen.
First impressions of our overdue visit to Cafe Green Ginger in Ashburton.
Meeting up with in laws Seamus and Amanda, they from Shaldon
and us from Chagford, Ashburton seemed a sensible mid way point.
I had been meaning to visit Green Ginger to check it out, as
pals and customers have been suggesting it to me for ages.
There's a pleasant chatty guy called John at the desk, busy clearing tables,
keeping up to speed with bills and happy to let us sit wherever we wish.
I mention that when I had booked the table, a lady had suggested that the conservatory was a good choice, so in we go. The largest table is just being vacated by a morning coffee crowd, so we help pile his tray with their dishes.
I don't know about you but I can smell if a cafe has the type of food that I like.
A high note of onion, hot cheeseand real coffee with an occasional hint of warm pudding coming to the front.
This place hits just the right note.Table cleared and cleaned, the guy offers us the standard menu and a printout
of the June specials at the same time highly recommending the venison burgers.
Talking of tables, there is a random mix in here, one marble topped, mostly wooden, not a regimented collection.
The largest of the rooms, at the front offers an elegant space with several sets of dining tables and chairs.
Nice pictures on the walls. Bags of character everywhere.
We decide on starters and go for the home made carrot and coriander soup of the day (£4.50) goat's cheese tart (£5.25)
prawn cocktail (£5.75) and a warm blue cheese and chive dip with toasted Ciabatta and rocket (£4.75)
All the starters received warm approval. My Devon blue cheese and chive dip (above) was absolutely to die for.
The prawn salad starter topped with a couple of fresh lemon wedges.
For mains it was a toss up for me between the crabmeat tart (£9.75) and their corn beef hash (£9.75) which the menu tells us is " new potatoes, cherry tomatoes, onion and corned beef roast in the oven. Served topped with a free range fried egg" novel ! Amanda and I both opt for the crabmeat tart and it was great. Made with a cheddar and herb short crust pastry that was beautifully cheesy and buttery, the crab and spring onion filling was cooked to perfection.
Seamus gave the lasagne high marks and Rob was happy with his tuna sweetcorn and mozzarella panini.
The service was brisk and friendly. Young serving staff in oversized black aprons. Young mums, holidaymakers
and ladies who lunch come and go. Everything is on the ground floor, even the lavatory is pleasant and has a baby's
changing mat. Sadly the weather was too chilly to sit out in the pretty walled garden.
Apologies for this photo of the front room being hazy. I didn't want to alert the customers.
But the cafe was so good, I know that we shall be calling in again, so I will try to make a better job of it.
During the Summer the cafe is open every day, and you can find the opening times on their website.
The bill with two apple juices, and two lagers came to £63.20.
And next time, I won't let them stop me from ordering one of the puddings.
Cafe Green Ginger's website. Telephone 01364 653939
Home Page. Back to the Food Page.
