Looking for a place to eat before watching Festival Too in Lynn last Friday evening, I called The Street and managed to reserve a table for me and my son Alfie for 6.30pm.
Obviously the town is busier than usual during the three weeks of our amazing free festival, and the High Street restaurant was already buzzing when we arrived, ten minutes early.
We received the warmest of welcomes and were invited to order our drinks at the bar while waiting to be seated. Soon we were directed to our seats, a pint of Amstel lager (£4.75) in hand for me and a pint of Old Mout Berries and Cherries cider (£5.50) in Alf’s possession.
The Street has a really nice open and relaxed vibe and even at this early hour, it was alive with chatter and laughter as the friendly waitress came to take our order. I chose the Tahini Cauliflower bites (£7.95) for my starter, with the Mushroom Burger (£16.95) for my main. Alfie opted for an Onion Ring Stack starter (£6.50), followed by Roasted Vegetable Katsu Curry (£14.95).
I stick to a vegan diet wherever possible and my starter of cauliflower florets, coated in spiced flour and tossed in garlic and lemon with a tahini glaze was a subtle, tasty dish which I really enjoyed. Alfie’s plate consisted of Spanish onions, coated in black sesame seed beer batter and served with Cajun mayonnaise. He said it really hit the spot – but, be warned, these onion rings are huge and deceptively filling too!
I’d fancied the curry for my main, but with my son having already snaffled that, the burger looked amazing when it arrived. The griddled Portobello mushroom was topped with vegan cheese and tomato, red onion and gherkin salsa with a special vegan burger sauce and served in a toasted brioche bun, with hand cut chips.
It was tasty without particularly blowing me away, and the chips were really nice. This meal also came with The Street’s signature massive onion rings which, added to already generous portions, defeated me and I could not clear my plate.
Alfie’s curry consisted of roasted seasonal vegetables, cooked in a delicately spiced katsu curry sauce and served on home made flatbread with fragrant coriander rice. It looked amazing but, like me, Alfie was also struggling for room after a large starter and could not eat it all. He enjoyed the curry but felt it lacked a certain zing – the tastes were almost too subtle.
We had the same round of drinks again while we waited for the festival to get into full swing, and I was very impressed with the decor when I popped upstairs to the loo, dozens of Lynn street names forming an impressive display up the wall alongside the stairs.
All in all, we had a really pleasant time at The Street. It’s not cheap, but the portions are very generous, the atmosphere is great and the staff couldn’t be better.
Ratings out of five
Food: Big portions and well presented, but nothing outstanding. ***
Drink: We went for lager and cider but there was a wonderful choice of draughts, bottles, spirits, cocktails and soft drinks. ****
Staff: From entering the restaurant, to ordering drinks, receiving our food and paying, we were met with smiles and warmth. *****
Price: The Street is a lovely place, but I think £66.85 (£46.85 without drinks) is a tad expensive. ***
Decor: Lovely open and welcoming place with some wonderful touches, especially the street names. ****
