Derby - Market Place - Ryan Review

Visited this one only a couple of hours after the Westfield as I still had a craving for more peri-peri!
As I'd parked at the ParkSafe, the walk back to the car park from here was only a few leisurely minutes - and the walk from the Westfield was short anyway - just through the old Market itself and into the (what seems to be) modern Market Square... just past the Ladyboys of Bangkok tent and just past the Jesus bus... :-)

This area certainly seemed to be the trendier area of the town centre - lots of refurbished bars and a very short walk away from a lot of the University Halls of Residence - so I imagine it would get pretty busy at a weekend especially.

It was about 4pm on this sunny Good Friday and, apart from a few people sat outside on the patio seating, there were only two people inside, so needless to say, the same group of three were seated straight away. There were only two tables in the blazing sun inside and rather than be asked where we'd like to sit (as it was empty), we were seated at one of them. The chap was fine when we asked to move - it just seemed odd he'd sit us there! :-)

It's probably a third of the size of the Westfield one, so not many tables, but it is well laid out. The restaurant is kinda split into two halves - and is split by two massive spirals, wound round and round by white rope - and between these two a little row of plants. As you enter, the left side of this split has a few booths (that seat 4-6 people) and the till and to the right, tables and chairs that can be moved around and then also look out onto of the windows onto the modern Market Square. The lighting is quite nice - some wicker cones over the till and then some metal cones over the tables and chairs.

I had a chicken breast burger followed by a bottomless yoghurt - the others in the party just had a dessert. The chap who seated us also served us and bought it all over. I asked if he could bring the burger first and then the desserts after - and he said yes... but then bought it all over at the same time - after about 7 minutes.

The chicken was smothered in marinade - and a nice big piece of lettuce and tomato, which got covered in Extra Extra Hot sauce ;-) Nice burger. All the desserts were top notch as usual with the frozen yoghurt being a tasty banana. One little thing though, the yoghurt machine seemed to be on the fritz as it wouldn't stop once you pushed the handle back up and so kept pouring out. I managed to pile it up the first time - but the second serving just kept going and going! I showed it to the same chap who served us, especially as it was all over the floor. He said thanks... but 15 minutes later it was still there - and in the heat of the day it had melted too and was still dripping over the machine, the counter and a big puddle on the floor - and this branch had a 5 star food hygiene certificate on show. Strange!
Toilets were downstairs and were fully tiled, spick and span!

It was a worthwhile visit - and if the staff were as friendly as they were at the Westfield, it would have been superb!