Eating Out: Doing simple things well at Barkers' 1882 Bistro

I’m talking about the progress – rather stately it might be said, if one was being kind – of the works to re-model the High Street.

It’s been a year since it started and there have been all sorts of delays – down to a variety of reasons, Covid among them of course. The old underground toilets near the Town Hall were another we heard of.

And a lot of people have been very unkind about the crew carrying out the work – along the lines that they haven’t been pulling their finger out.

We recently had the chance to monitor their performance – courtesy of Barkers café.

Ah, which one you may ask? There, of course, so many these days. The original one at the rear of the first floor of the High Street store – with its stonkingly good Desperate Dan-sating steak pies and new name, Barkers Kitchen – the Tree View café in the Barkers Home store in Yafforth Road – always packed it seems – the one downstairs at the top of Barkers Arcade, the 1882 cafe and, above it, the 1882 Bistro.

It’s the bistro we called at, with great views of the High Street – and men at work.

We got the prime window spot with our view only slightly interrupted by the iconic Barkers clock.

The clock outside Barkers

Actually, it’s a moot point whether the handsome clock can be described as such when it has only been there 20 years or so (it was a Barkers Millennium project). But in a High Street not blessed with iconic structures it is a striking feature – even if right then it was slightly blocking my view of the men laying the new paving.

I can report they seemed to be doing a pretty good job to me, heaving the weighty slabs into place and repositioning them when they were not quite right.

And in the hour or so we were there they appeared to cracking on, laying at least half a dozen slabs with care and precision. When it’s finished – in May it is said – it’ll be lovely.

But this, in truth, is a bit of a diversion (yes, I know how these lengthy preambles drive you nuts but have you tried writing 800 words about a omelette and a salad? Just bear with me) from the primary purpose of our visit to 1882 Bistro.

The thing is, this is something of an undiscovered gem. When recently arranging a meet-up with a friend who’s been coming to Northallerton, and to Barkers, for a lifetime, he didn’t know what I meant when I suggested the first-floor café at the front of the store. He didn’t know it was there.

I suspect he might not be alone in his ignorance because the Bistro is all very understated and rather hidden away through the babies and toddlers’ clothes department.

Which may, of course be deliberate on Barkers’ part. It’s tastefully contemporary in a John Lewis/Habitat-ey way. It’s spacious with lots of room for buggies.

Ladies Who Lunch and who don’t fancy the queue at Bettys will also find it to their liking. As did my friend, when he eventually found his way there.

Sylvia liked it too, particularly her warm chicken and bacon salad (£10.95) which was exceptionally good value. A lot of chicken. A lot of bacon. And a selection of leaves and other bits and bobs (pine nuts among them) nicely dressed. All in all a handsome plateful.

My cheese and spinach frittata (£9.95) was very much in a the same league. A very light and fluffy omelette with plenty of cheese and just-wilted spinach which was still identifiable as a leaf vegetable rather than the green sludge that ejects from Popeye’s can (those of you of a certain age will remember the cartoons). There was a little side salad with lots of cherry tomatoes which actually tasted of tomato (by no means a given these days).

Two very simple dishes but perfectly executed. Nothing to make a fuss about perhaps but never underestimate the ability of so many places to do the very simple things very badly.

The waitress service was very good. The bill with two diet Cokes (£2.50 each but in proper glass bottles) was £25.90.

Down on the High Street the work seemed to be coming to a halt. A late lunch perhaps or early afternoon tea? As my mother would say: All good things come to those who wait.

1882 Bistro

Barkers Department Store

High Street, Northallerton

Tel: 01609 772303 Web: barkers.co.uk/restaurants/1882-bistro/

Open: Monday to Saturday: 10am - 3pm; Sunday: 10am-2:30pm

Ratings (out of ten): Food quality 9 Service 9 Surroundings 8 Value 8