What better way to round off a rare week's holiday than with a lunchtime pit stop at Willi's?
After remaining partially open for takeaway service, post lockdown, the iconic Jesmond coffee house has bounced back with a vibrant new lunch menu to supplement its hugely popular all-day breakfast offering. Throughout the week, the café remains a social hub for business folk to network whilst of a weekend, a lovely leisurely vibe underpins the place.
It’s always a pleasure to see manager, Rod Davies, a genial frontman who was on hand to meet us. We also found a dining area in socially-distanced full swing and were pleased to find a slight makeover in which stunning scenes of the Northumberland Coast now adorn the walls.
Willi’s boasts an eclectic mix of dishes including breakfast specialities, doorstop sandwiches, flatbread platters, hot toasties, jacket potatoes and artisan coffees. Only the freshest ingredients are used, bright colours leap out from the plate and look almost as good as they taste.
After a bracing walk around the town moor earlier that afternoon, I was in the mood for some lunchtime stodge and found it in the form of Willi’s classic club sandwich. This was a layered, threetiered sensation loaded with chargrilled chicken, smoky bacon, lettuce and tomato and served on toasted white bloomer.
Lisa found more exotic fayre in the Asian steak strip skewers served with flatbread fingers and a garden of side salad featuring fresh chilli, spring onion and cucumber. Other eye-catching dishes included the tandoori chicken skewers served with mint and chilli yoghurt, the lemon & thyme chicken with watercress, tomato and tzatziki and the smashed avocado on toast which is a real Willi’s staple.
Service remains slick and has lost none of the friendly charm which makes this the perfect place to unwind with friends or meet business colleagues.
For those looking for a café a little more homely than the local Starbucks, nestled away in Jesmond’s leafy suburbs, Willi’s is one of the best in the area.
Added to a sumptuous all-day breakfast menu, these new lunch options bring greater variance and are sure to satisfy its swanky suburbanite clientele.
Visit Willi's at 23-25 Clayton Road, Jesmond NE2 4RP or call (0191) 212 1123 to make a reservation.