It’s a lot of years since I’ve been in The Clock, on the corner of Bernard Street and The Shore. This is mainly due to be unabashed adoration of Domenico’s, which is just around the corner. Why would I ever, when in need of a sandwich lunch in this district, go anywhere else?
Ooh, a bus!
Well, there were three reasons why I went to The Clock, today. Firstly, I was going to visit Printworks, which has recently opened on Constitution Street (serving Union of Genius soup, amongst other tasty treats), but MJ had already mentioned a desire to pay them a visit, so didn’t want to tread on her toes. Secondly, the lovely folks from the Blue Parrot happened to tweet that they’d paid The Clock a visit, earlier today, so its existence was refreshed in my mind. And thirdly, I’m going for lunch at Domenico’s tomorrow, so my next fix is near enough at hand.
The welcome in to The Clock’s simple cafe shop was very friendly, so although I wasn’t overly blessed with time, today, I decided I’d sit-in for a quick bowl of soup, then get a roll to takeaway. This meant that the total bill was an odd mix of sit-in and take out prices, so apologies for it not being more usefully indicative. For info, the takeout soup is £1.80 for a large, meaning soup and sandwich takeout would be £4.80.
Soup
Anyhoo, the soup was described as carrot and courgette, but had tomato as its dominant flavour, with chunks of carrot and courgette providing the vegetable heartiness. It tasted good, but was rather more like the Asti/Bread St Brasserie efforts than yesterday’s Barolo Grill loveliness.
My roll was pretty good, although not the most generously filled one I’ve ever eaten. The flavours of the pastrami, cambozola and roasted peppers balanced quite nicely, though. Their deli counter has an excellent array of choices, so if I’d had a little more time to give it due attention (rather than opting for one of their chalkboard options) I may have been more richly rewarded.
Roll on the go
So, The Clock is really pretty smart, continues to be very popular, and is a good lunchtime stop. Its offerings didn’t unduly quicken my pulse, but they provided good wholesome fare, and, with the warmth of the welcome, set me on my way with a smile upon my face.
Scores
Blythe scores The Clock
3/5 for food
3/5 for presentation
4/5 for service
3/5 for setting
giving an overall 13/20
Today’s quester was: Blythe
I ate: carrot and courgette soup; pastrami, cambozola, and pepper roll
I drank: nowt
I wore: optimal questing pinstripes
Total bill: £5.70
