A Late Breakfast At The BookCafe in Belper
Published On Wednesday 15 Jan 2025 by Sticky Beak
See Recent Dining Out Reviews | See All Recent Reviews
Being perfectly honest, I’m a total lazy bum between Christmas and New Year. I mean, I’ve slogged my guts out to produce a lush feast for The Flock on ‘that day’ – I’m no cook naturally, so it really takes a colossal effort for me to pull it off (with help from His Nibs, of course!) – so by the time NYE comes around, my give-a-damns have left the building. Actually, they’ve left the country, if truth be told! Having being with me for nearly a quarter-century, The Man knows that I am frazzled at this point in the year and [thankfully] takes pity on me by taking me out for breakfast.
It's been a while, granted, but we really enjoyed The Book Café in Derby – both in terms of menu and vibe – so we decided to go and check out the Belper site. Many locals will know it as the former Maccy’s, and many more will know it for being slapped with a parking fine; thankfully both elements are a thing of the past, though do be aware that if you plan to be in the car park for more than 2 hours, you will need to input your vehicle reg. number inside the Book Café.
We grabbed a spot in a bay close to the entrance, so it was only a skip up the small set of stairs to get ourselves into the venue. A member of staff greeted us and said that our table was on the upper level and, having ascertained that this was our first visit, escorted us up the stairs to where our table was. A brief explanation ensued about the ordering options, menus were handed out, and then we were left to peruse the superb selection of morsels. You can order downstairs in person with the team, or if you’re tech-savvy can order at the table using the QR code on the side, or use the kiosk located on the upper level. His Nibs likes to think he’s ‘down with the kids’ so he whipped out his I-phone in readiness to scan the code and place our order.
The first thing to do was slake our thirsts and I’d spotted a rather cheeky sounding Black Forest Hot Chocolate (£5.50) on the Seasonal Specials board, so that was what I requested; The Man followed suit by going for the Book Cafe Hot Choc Special (£5.50). As soon as I spied the Ham Hock Hash (£11), I knew that that was destined to find its way into His Nibs’ belly and, sure enough, he ordered that minx tout-suite! I couldn’t decide between the Brunch Brioche (£9.50) or the Smashed Avocado and Poached Eggs on Seeded Bloomer (£11.50), but what swung it in the end was the fact that I didn’t fancy fried egg: Smashed Avo it was, then.
Our drinks arrived pretty swiftly, so we both started chomping on the Cadbury’s Flakes that adorned the Hot Chocs. The Man Birds’ beverage also came with mini-Marshmallows and swirls of Cream, whereas mine came complete with a sour Cherry on top and tasty Cherry Sauce. Cherry and Chocolate is [to my mind] a perfect wintry combination that warms the soul, and this particular offering was ticking all the boxes for me – sometimes you have to get a bit spenny and have a treat, don’t you?
Whilst we waited for our breakfast/brunch order to arrive, we both had a bit of a gleg around: me from the comfort of my seat, him wandering around with his camera. Even outside, the building is lovely to look at, but inside is where The Book Café really gives you all the feels. You get a wonderfully cosy vibe from both levels, but upstairs is quieter as there’s no ‘through traffic’, so to speak. The red brick walls provide a natural warm tone, quietly complimented by the bulbs in the streamlined, black light fittings. Seating is a quirky mix-n-match affair: repurposed church pews are along one wall, and there’s a squishy sofa (which I imagine is THE seat to snag), as well as contoured metal-and-wood free-standing chairs. Most of the tables are round, old-school wood numbers, but the sofa is paired with an old trunk that has been turned on its side to use as a table. Books, sporting paraphernalia and other curios are displayed on shelves, in units, or along edges to give an insouciant, relaxed ambience.
After a short interlude, one of the serving team was placing our food before us, bringing us back to the here-and-now, rather than the gawping around that we’d been doing! Our server also handed us our cutlery and napkins as she bade us to enjoy our meal.
Even before we took our first mouthfuls, we knew two things: one, the food was piping hot, evidenced by the steam tendrils; two, the portion sizes are nice and generous. Both of my thick slices of Bloomer bread were piled high with seasoned, smashed Avocado whose pale green hue really showcased the poached eggs’ sunny-toned, runny yolk. One of my bug-bears is ‘snotty’ white in a poached egg; it really sets my teeth on edge and just puts me off my food. I was incredibly relieved, therefore, that when I pierced the egg there was no snot in sight. Phew! A scattering of Chilli flakes added a pop of spice against the creamy richness of the Eggs and Avocado, whilst Pumpkin Seeds brought some welcome crunch and texture to the dish, alongside the toasted bread.
The Man Bird was grinning with delight as he saw the sheer amount of pulled, butcher-quality Ham, their thick shreds having that delightfully deep, Gammon-y aroma that gets your nostrils attention. Mingling with all the meaty delightfulness were smashed up Hash Browns that had been fried to golden perfection; their outers had a glorious crispness to them that contrasted with the soft Ham and runny yolk of the Fried Egg. The description of this dish says that there is an accompanying ‘fruity breakfast gravy’ which didn’t exactly fill His Nibs with joy, but wasn’t enough to thwart his enthusiasm for the Hash. In the end, this turned out to be rather a treasure. Served in a separate jug, the rich, thick gravy matched the deep flavour of the Ham beautifully…and was perfect for dunking the pieces of Hash Brown into. Another satisfied customer!
Like its cousin in Derby, The Book Café at Belper attracts a great diversity of folks. When we visited, there were friends, families with children, other couples like ourselves, well behaved dogs and someone quietly working on their laptop upstairs, and cyclists and walkers [in their respective kits] taking a well-deserved pit-stop downstairs. Hot Wings are very happily awarded to this cracking Belper venue, and we couldn’t fault a thing; check-backs were done, every member of the team was super friendly and polite, and the food was brilliant.
The Book Café in Belper is open Mon-Fri 8.30am-3.30pm, Saturday 8.30am-4pm, and Sunday 9am-3.30pm. The times do differ slightly at the Derby site, so head over to the website www.thebookcafe.co.uk for times there, if you plan to head into the city and fancy a cuppa or bite to eat. You can also book a table at either site by clicking on the ‘book now’ button and selecting the venue, time and date you’re after.
| Out For Dinner At Britalia Italian Restaurant In Mansfield I'm a firm believer in things happening for a reason, even if it's something you think is crappy at the time. His Nibs and I were really looking forward to an evening out Read The Article | |
| The Signature Menu At The Three Rosette Gallery Restaurant In The Cavendish Hotel, Baslow Sometimes an invitation comes in that just makes your heart flutter with anticipation, and I could feel my little ticker quivering with excitement Read The Article | |
| Dinner And Stay At The Sprowston Manor Hotel In Norwich It's been a busy couple of months for His Nibs in his day job role, and we've literally travelled the length and breadth of the UK! This final week of our excursions sees us at Sprowston Manor Read The Article | |
| Back For The Charity Pie Night At The Bull Shed at Handley Farm Near Belper There are some places that you just feel at home in and, for me and His Nibs, The Bull Shed at Handley Farm in Shottle is one of them. Despite having Read The Article | |
| A Return Visit To The Cupola For A Bite Of Lunch For The Man Birds day job, he and I went over t' moors to Manchester to the Northern Restaurant and Bar exhibition, sampling drinks and nibbles as we went up-and-down the aisles. Read The Article | |
| A Cheeky GroupOn Deal At Rima-Faz Indian Restaurant In Mansfield Yet again, The Man Bird hits the back of the net with an 'extra discount' Groupon deal! I chew his tab about scrolling mindlessly on t' web, but I can't deny that Read The Article | |
| Dinner At The Barley Mow In Wingerworth Near Chesterfield It's a shame that Mummy Bird wasn't with His Nibs and I for our latest foray; it would've taken her [literally] just about home! The Barley Mow Inn is located in Wingerworth Read The Article | |
| Dinner At The Rising Sun, Coltishall, Norfolk All good things must come to an end, they say and, sadly, The Man and I found ourselves on the last evening of our stay [and in the last restaurant] in Norfolk. Coltishall is only about 10 miles Read The Article | |
| Sunday Lunch At Wildes (formerly Van Dyk's) Near Clowne It's been ages since The Man and I last dined in the venue formerly known as Van Dyk's, now Wildes, at Clowne, and a lot has changed! For a start, the 'old building' Read The Article | |
| Sunday Lunch At Compamigos, Mercia Marina, Willington Blimey, can't you tell when the sun comes out?!! Mercia Marina in Willington and Compamigos (where we were heading for Sunday Lunch) were absolutely heaving Read The Article | |