Lambert's Bar and Cookhouse Review: Urban bar food for a Friday afternoon

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And that includes socialising.

So with the brief of a birthday present swap and plans for a late lunch and a cocktail, the first thought would have been Leeds city centre this time two years ago.

However, with an Uber seemingly harder to come by these days, logistics for many of us make it easier to go out locally and, you'd like to think, has been a boost for the local bars in villages and suburbs.

Lambert's Bar and Cookhouse at Horsforth.Lambert's Bar and Cookhouse at Horsforth.
Lambert's Bar and Cookhouse at Horsforth.
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So Lambert's was the place of choice, and having only opened last year, its cool colours, booths and high tables and chairs give it an urban feel for a bar you would expect to find in the city centre anyway.

When we arrived mid-afternoon it wasn't busy with maybe just a handful of people sat outside so had a pick of where to sit and started perusing the menu.

Starters included home-made Scotch egg, black pudding bon bons, tempura king prawns while mains amongst others were roast cod loin, Albondigas (Spanish meat balls), pie or lasagne.

The menu also has salads from classic Caesar to buckwheat noodles, steaks, burgers (southern fried cauliflower was tempting) and sandwiches from a classic fish finger butty to halloumi.

Calamari starter.Calamari starter.
Calamari starter.
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We ordered calamari to start and pork belly slow cooked in cider and fish and chips.

I fully expected the calamari to be in batter or breadcrumbs as it has been literally every time I have ordered it anywhere (with the exception of once in Santorini), which I am fine with as it is one of my favourite dishes. But, when it came it wasn't and goodness we were not disappointed.

Served on bread drizzled with oil it had been cooked in capers, lemon, salsa verdi and with the watercress and a dashing of sea salt this was delightful. It was fragrant, bursting with the delicate flavours of the ingredients and to be honest, was better than the Greek version.

When the mains came I had complete food envy for the pork dish. It was covered in perfect crackling and a circle of puff pastry housed the black pudding and apple. The menu stated parmentier potates which were actually mash but worked anyway, especially as they were laced with the delicate flavour of smoked bacon.

Slow-cooked pork belly in cider.Slow-cooked pork belly in cider.
Slow-cooked pork belly in cider.
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Fish and chips were hearty with chunky home-made chips and the fish, was obviously very fresh. My only criticism, and I think this is personal preference, is that the batter was a little too thick and greasy but delicious nonetheless.

With a GnT and a white wine spritzer it made for a lovely lunch and had I had room for dessert would have been spoiled for choice and hard pressed to decide between sticky toffee pudding, cheesecake or dark chocolate brownie with raspberry sauce.

Maybe next time I will just have to have one of those desserts accompanied by the fabulous pink gin fizz cocktails that we washed it down with.

Address: 62 Town Street, Horsforth, LS18 4AP.

Fish and Chips.Fish and Chips.
Fish and Chips.

Telephone: 0113 239 0300.

Opening hours: Monday to Sunday Midday - 11pm.

Website: www.lambertsbarandcookhouse.co.uk

Value: 7/10

Atmosphere: 7/10

Service: 6/10

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