Last updated at 11:29, Thursday, 05 January 2012

FOOD REVIEW: Lucy's on a Plate, Ambleside

UP THE DUFF: above, Borrowdale sticky banana pudding, below left, toffee banoffee cake, below right Austrian coffee cake and bottom, blackberry and apple crumble

BEING well aware of the importance of a healthy, balanced diet and preferring savoury to sweet, a pudding night offering six courses of calorific cakes seemed like a slightly scary concept.

But, living with two pudding fiends, who saw Lucy’s on a plate’s monthly ‘Up The Duff Pudding Night’ as their idea of heaven, I agreed to try out the dessert binge.

Arriving at the restaurant in Ambleside for a girly night out, Lucy’s provided a cosy retreat from the wind and torrential rain outside.

We were instantly met by the smell of baking, and this combined with the candlelit tables, and quirky pictures helped to create an unpretentious, homely atmosphere.

From the moment we were seated, the staff were extremely attentive, and they added a personal touch by handing us a sheet describing who our fellow diners were – The Hepworths had travelled up from Leeds and table four were celebrating a birthday.

Presented with a menu of 12 puddings to feast our eyes on, I was suddenly aware that the night was going to be more about challenging your gut than enjoying the fine food.

Pudding night is not for the calorie conscious. The menu described the evening as a chance to gorge yourself on puddings in order to ‘fatten up’ for the cold winter nights ahead and a plaque on the wall declared that their cakes were keeping Cumbria curvy.

Given a pen and a piece of paper numbered one to six we had to decide which puddings we fancied and in which order we wanted them to arrive. I went for the Austrian Coffee Cake first which promised to be a rich coffee sponge, drenched in brandy and served with ice cream.

I was presented with an impressive sized slab, which certainly delivered. The sponge was moist, tasty, and light enough that I managed to finish it while looking forward to the next. After a five-minute break we were onto the second course, and in my case that meant the Boozy Cherry Pavlova with cream.

Pavlova is one of my favourite desserts and I was slightly disappointed with the dish placed in front of me.

Instead of being light and chewy, the meringue was quite hard and dry. And although I was aware the dish would be boozy the cherries were that heavily soaked in liquor they overpowered the other flavours.

However, leaving the majority of the pavlova was probably a bonus, as by the end of dish three – Toffee Banoffee Pie, I was feeling fit to burst.

A generous layer of bananas and a hefty biscuit base would have been a treat as a dessert after a main meal, but on top of the other puddings I had eaten it was too heavy.

My friends’ words echoed how we were all feeling.

“This banoffee pie is lovely and I really couldn’t fault it, I’m just having a little trouble swallowing it.”

No matter how delicious the puddings were the portions were just too big to be able to enjoy six, and we were beginning to feel like finishing the dishes was a chore. By the time number four arrived – a Chocolate and Prune Torte, we had to admit defeat. The cake was moist and light and the brandy-soaked prunes complimented the rich chocolate flavour perfectly but I was beginning to dread the next course and we found ourselves picking at the puddings, because we knew what was coming next.

Our last two desserts were put in a doggy bag to take home, and we skipped the option of coffee.

The meal cost £25 per head, including six puddings, a glass of dessert wine and coffee or tea, which I think was a reasonable price for a one-off treat, due to the quality and amount of food we were given.

I would recommend anyone to go along for the experience and for the chance to try a number of cakes you may not usually order. But although the desserts were delicious, I left feeling like a pudding myself and for that reason, if I return I will be eating off the normal menu.

RACHEL HERMOLLE

Cerdict: out of five

Atmosphere - 4

Food - 3

Service - 4

Value For Money - 3

First published at 13:15, Friday, 14 October 2011
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk