‘I went to the ultimate Instagramable Essex café and found my new favourite lunch’

There's nothing more quintessentially Essex than a feature flower wall with pink neon lights - and that's exactly what I experienced at an Essex café. The Master Barista in my hometown, Harlow is utterly Instagramable, and not just for the aesthetics, I would not blame one single person who might wish to capture a picture of their meal here, to remind themselves of the time that they picked up a sandwich, and ended up with a carefully crafted masterpiece that they’ll be dreaming of for months later.

After hearing whispers of a ‘great new place I could go to for lunch with my pals’, I finally decided to swing by to see if it was just the look of the place that was being eaten up, or if the menu was just as delicious. Something that struck me as I made my way in was just how full it was– inside and out. A good sign, I thought. With no free tables outside, I just had to sit upstairs in their hazy pink neon glow. And I did not complain. No sooner had I sat down, did the waitress with kind eyes ask me what I would like to drink, with a patience that I was grateful for, particularly after seeing how much choice there was on offer. It was the same for the food.

As someone who would probably list eating as a hobby, I have been to a few places where I’ve asked waiting staff what they would recommend, just to try something new. Surprisingly often, I’d get a lukewarm response that the staff member did not really know, or they’ve been told that this or that tastes good. Not here. Here, the waitress who served me beamed that she had tried it all, and had to ask me what kind of thing I was edging towards to get a flavour of what would be a fitting recommendation.

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Narrowing it down to the fully loaded salt beef and cheese closed sandwich (£9.90), the chicken escalope (£10.90), or the chicken caesar wrap (£10.90), I was given a deciding factor: How much of the bread do you want? The answer, of course, is all of it. Choosing the salt beef, I sat listening as the delicate tone of the piano and thrum of chatter marbled into one, while sipping my freshly squeezed orange juice (£4.90) through a paper straw, because I was feeling fancy, which was chilled with just the right amount of square cut ice, so it wasn’t watery.

After what must have been two sips, my sandwich arrived. I say ‘sandwich’ lightly, because it was a full on meal. If you’re looking for something ‘gourmet’, this is not the sandwich for you because when it said fully loaded on the menu, they really, really weren’t kidding. Stacked with generously thick layers of salt beef, pickles, cheese, mustard and mayonnaise, my new favourite lunch was served up with a rocket and spinach side salad, coleslaw, and a mass of crunchy-fluffy curly fries. Seasoned perfectly, with bread that was not soggy from the sauce, I tucked in.

I’m not sure if this is a universal thing, so bear with me, but the variety in texture and how robust a sandwich is could, for me, make or break how much I like it. Who wants to eat a tasty soft and crunchy sandwich filling that’s being held together by one-ply bread that just disintegrates in your hand? Not me. And this sandwich did not disappoint. It held it all together so heroically, and as a result, I was not left fumbling around for the pickle or salt beef as it funnelled out of the bottom.

Instead, I could happily people-watch on my cushioned bench as I dug in. What I witnessed was waitresses high-fiving each other, as one sprayed a table, and one wiped it; a little girl who (after my own heart) could not decide between two different smoothies, so ordered both; and a continual buzz of laughter and chit-chat. There were mums having a spot of lunch with their children, couples sharing fries, and large groups celebrating birthdays, all with big smiles on their faces, and decent portions on their plates.

Finally finishing up on my lunch, I was completely stuffed and so unbelievably satisfied. Without a doubt, I will be heading back to try out the other recommendations and bring my pals along to catch up in the pink haze, too.

This article is part of EssexLive's series Essex Eats where a member of our team reviews an independent food business in the county. We don't tell the business we're coming and we don't tell them who we are while we're there. Every meal for EssexEats is paid for by us and not gifted. Check back every Thursday and Saturday for our top pick that week of a great food spot in Essex.

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