REVIEW: Giraffe, Bury St Edmunds: Feel-good food which offers great value

With its vibrant decor, imaginative menu and friendly staff, Giraffe is somewhere you’re bound to want to return to time and time again – I know I have!

While the huevos rancheros Mexican breakfast is a favourite of mine and the falafel deluxe burger easily the best veggie burger in town, there are plenty of other scrumptious dishes to choose from.

Vegetarian and coeliac-friendly meals are clearly labelled, along with low calorie options and those containing nuts, making the restaurant an ideal choice for all types of diners, however fussy.

Meal sizes are generous but also reasonably priced, with various promotions helping to reduce the cost still further.

Spoilt for choice, and with my friend ‘eating for two’, we went all out and ordered three starters.

The bruschetta bites (grilled garlic focaccia wedges with mozzarella and marinara sauce) were a great sharing choice with each of us preferring a different topping, me the pesto oil and artichoke and my guest the olive and red pepper salsa (£5.95).

The crunchy shrimp (£5.80) were succulent but firm, served with a sweet chilli dip, and the tasty nachos were loaded with everything we could have wanted – veggie chilli mix, melting cheese, jalapenos, fiery red roasted chipotle salsa, guacamole and sour cream (£7.65).

My jambalaya risotto (with grilled aubergine, peppers, courgettes and prawns) had a great balance of spice and flavour (£9.25), while my guest’s barbecue chicken and smoked cheddar quesadillas (£9.65) were mouth-wateringly good, though too much for her to finish.

We completed our meal with two scoops of Jude’s mango sorbet, served with fresh fruit salad and strawberry coulis (£3.95), and a delicious chocolate mousse crunch (rich milk chocolate mousse topped with mascarpone cream) - a true indulgence but worth every sinful scoop (£3.95).

With beautifully presented food, a thoughtful, eclectic menu and a relaxed, informal setting in which to enjoy it, Giraffe is a fun place to eat which offers great value-for-money.