Jack's Coffee Shop Review: Lunchtime Getaway

A mezze outside of the med

 The popular Jack's Coffee Shop has an excellent array of lunchtime options, which one will suit you best?

Reasonable prices and quality products are a consumer delight that local cafe Jack’s obviously enjoys providing. Having a location in the pedestrian only Black Jack Street, you can get there easily from almost any part of town in a few minutes. Adjoining one of the main tourist attractions in town, the Corinium Museum, the relaxed and sophisticated surroundings offer a respite from a busy work day.

There are four seating areas in Jack’s. Whether reading a book or having a family meal, the locale is a broad church. When the weather is reasonable, outside seating allows a good space for sun catching and people watching. By the till lies an array of tables and if one isn’t feeling adventurous they might miss completely the high seating area perfect for writing or having a quick chat over a coffee. Further in there is yet another surprise, a sun room with skylights. In a way it has the feel of a biome at the Eden project. Warm and discreet, this area offers a door right into the museum.

The first thing one would notice when going into Jack’s is definitely the huge cakes. Feeling like I was a child again looking at enormous freshly baked goods, it was hard to stay on track and remember this was about lunch. Being vegetarian I was curious to see what was on offer. It turned out a large degree of variety was catered for. The mezze described on the blackboard sounded delightful and my friend was magnetised by the prospect of a ratatouille.

Is love the secret ingredient?

Considering the size of portions and preparation, in another location the same meals could easily fetch £15. Be that as it may, the meals were below £8 and out competed some restaurants for flavour. I found myself very full and content by my mezze, which despite having rather healthy ingredients tasted good enough to feel like a treat. My friend lavished praise on the bread accompanying her ratatouille. Being one of the few eateries in town she hadn’t previously visited, the delicious nature of her food led her to announce it would be the venue of choice when her parents came to stay. Generous servings of celeriac in the side salads gave us both a fresh feeling after eating.