Dinner At Grand Cafe, Southampton 

Whilst in Southampton last week I went out for dinner at the Grand Cafe.  The Grand Café is located in a Grade II listed building which was designed by John Norton.  The cafe was originally opened as a hotel in 1872. The decor of the building is stunning with amazing marble and elaborately detailed ironwork.  The main staircase of the hotel was designed as the prototype for the grand staircase on the Titanic. All these years later building still shows evidence of the grandeur that made the hotel so popular with wealthy travelers.

Today the building is made up of over 100 studio and larger apartments.  The ballroom is now the restaurant and bistro and still has many original features with modern touches.  I was greeted at the door and my coat was taken to their cloakroom.  I was escorted to the eating area of the large elegantly decorated room and given the dinner menu which is stunning mix of classic and modern dishes.

Once I had chosen from the menu I was brought some bread and olive oil which was delicious while I soaked up the relaxing atmosphere of the bistro.  The bright sunny weather and large windows meant the whole room was lit by the glorious autumn sun.

For starters I had a potato rosti topped with white and brown crab.  The rosti was lovely and crispy on the outside with a smooth centre.  The brown crab was mixed with a lovely sauce and topped with the white crab and salad cress.  The crab starter cost £7.95.

For the main I picked the 8oz beef cheese burger.  For me, the burger was cooked to perfection.  The bread roll was slightly sweet and tasted amazing with the mature cheese and bacon.  It was accompanied by an amazing mustard coleslaw, salad & fries.  There was certainly an ample sized portion.  The cheese burger cost £13.95.

I thoroughly enjoyed the meal and the portion sizes were very generous.  The staff were very attentive throughout the whole meal and I would certainly return if I was ever in Southampton again.