The Walk Nottingham

A FIRST visit to The Walk cafe hits you in waves. First you find the place, tucked in the little pedestrian nook that is Bridlesmith Walk, just off all the main roads. That feels like a triumph, secret knowledge, even if the place is packed (as it likely will be) when you walk in.

Then you enter and are immediately greeted by the food counter, practically straining under the weight of every sort of pastry to satisfy any sort of sweet tooth. (For balance’s sake, a few savouries usually also adorn the counter.)

Then you might notice the ornate tea sets – the gold-coloured strainers, the crystalline tea pots, the sleek wood boxes filled with teas you’ve likely never sampled before.

And at this point, you haven’t even made it to the dining room and your seat.

By the time you’re there, sat amidst the eclectic artwork and well-heeled if slightly mismatched and askew furnishings, you’re ready for the main event. Sandwiches. Tiers of dessert. Perhaps something off the wine-list. And – always – to wash it down, tea.

The goal, said manager Alistair Fazekas, is “bringing something to Nottingham that nobody else can really offer”. That means a menu that borrows from European cafe culture and the New York deli ethos, while pouring it all into a distinctly English receptacle. A stroll through the menu – which received a few new items just yesterday – is a glance at an international way of doing lunch. One with some local flourishes.

Anyone who’s ever had lunch in a proper New York Jewish deli won’t need much explanation of the pastrami on rye or the salted beef. The lineage of the muffuletta might be a bit less well-known (Sicily by way of New Orleans, since you asked), but the sourdough option for this meat-heavy sandwich works even without the lesson on provenance.

And, notes Alistair, while the items may hail from all over, the ingredients that make them come, more often than not, from reasonably near. Many foods are sourced from Delilah, the award-festooned deli just down the road. And Delilah likes local. So the strawberry jam for the afternoon tea scones come from a small Notts operation, the artisan breads all hail from Hambleton Hall, etc.

And then there’s the tea. Lots and lots of tea. More than 300 teas, if you’re counting.

Tea that, after a recent change, comes from French tea specialists Dammann.

In addition to serving the teas in the cafe, they also offer boxes of Dammann teas, individual teas and tea accoutrements. Alistair believes The Walk, Harrods and Fortnum & Mason are the only shops in Britain that retail Dammann. (This came about by a personal connection. The company is now owned by Italian coffee company Illy – one of Illy’s top British-based people is a Walk fan.)

It might be apparent, then, that The Walk’s tea selection is something they take somewhat seriously. In fact, they’re now rolling out something new – seasonal afternoon tea menus with pastries and about 20 different teas that will change every four months or so. The first one’s an Alice in Wonderland-themed affair, selected because of the Tim Burton film of the classic tale. The theme will manifest itself largely through dessert selection and presentation. And look for more film-themed seasonal menus in future, including one to honour the release of Sex and the City 2. (New York cheesecake? Seems likely.)

“We want to bring a bit of theatre and a bit of entertainment to it,” Alistair said. “It’s keeping it fresh as well.” And it’s getting people to try something different with their afternoon pastry. “Everybody wants English Breakfast,” Alistair said. “We’re trying to push all the other teas.”

Erik Petersen