I was a little surprised to notice that the Scottish Burger Bistro was no more, when I strolled by on my travels, the other day. It had been replaced by The Crafters Barn. I made a note to visit and investigate.

The place is still in the same ownership with the burger place having essentially been an interim measure while issues relating to license changes went through and the interior got a complete refit. The menu is much changed, although meat from Puddledub is still at the core of things.

At lunchtime, there’s a focussed selection of lunchtime specials. From their fusion selection, you can choose two tapas, half a kilo of mussels or a pizza for £7.95. Their a la carte features steaks that you can cook yourself at the table using something called a lava stone.

I opted for their tapas deal choosing a Belgian fish stew and some chorizo. I ordered some accompanying bread and oil, as the wonderfully friendly waitress told me there’d be some mopping up required.

I had a moment or two to take in the surroundings. There’s a blend of table seating and a long central bar, which seems to lend itself to more informal, shared dining. It seems to suits their purposes much better than the previous layout.

The found arrived looking nicely plentiful for tapas portions. Both dishes proved to be simple and very tasty. The prawns in the stew were beautifully cooked with oodles of juicy sweetness. The chorizo was delicious. The waitress was sound in her recommendation as both dishes needed plenty of mopping and there wasn’t a drop that I wanted to waste.

So overall, I was impressed with the Crafters Barn. Fusion places with eclectic menus can be a little tricky to judge, but from what I sampled I’d heartily recommend a visit. I look forward to sampling more dishes from their selection over the coming months.

Scores
Blythe scores the Crafters Barn
4/5 for food
3.5/5 for presentation
4/5 for service
4/5 for setting
giving an overall 15.5/20

I ate: chorizo, fish stew, bread

I drank: water, espresso

I wore: new suit

Total bill: £12.85