LB&CO Espresso
136 Ilam Rd, Ilam, Christchurch.
We’d heard... Only great things about this cafe from friends who have visited numerous times and encouraged us to give it a shot.
The first thing... We did was hummed and hawed over an impressive cabinet heaving with chunky quiches, tarts and rolls. It all looked very appetising, but we had visited for breakfast so decided to order from the morning menu.
Looking for a gluten-free meal, I ordered the only GF breakfast option, the LB hash ($17.50). It was described as a rustic-style potato hash with spinach, poached egg and hollandaise. I added the optional smoked salmon for an extra $6. The breakfast salad caught the eye of my breakfast partner, who liked the idea of a lighter meal. It came with greens, tomato, bacon, parmesan, and a poached egg in a basil and pine nut dressing with Vienna bread on the side ($18.50).
Based on the praise from others we had high expectations, but they didn’t quite hit the mark. From the description of the potato hash I had expected it to be crispy and flavoursome. What was presented on the plate was a handful of anemic, pale, parbaked potatos. The other elements of the meal were so-so. Considering the total price was $23.50, it didn’t feel like value for money. The breakfast salad scored slightly higher, but my friend was left hunting for the pine nuts in the dressing, which were trace amounts.
To drink, we had a pot of green tea ($4.20) and a large soy cappuccino ($5.40). Both were very enjoyable.
The service… Couldn’t have been nicer, with wide smiles greeting us on arrival. My friend forgot to ask for brown bread, rather than the Vienna bread. The staff happily gave her extra wholemeal toast at no coast.
The atmosphere was... Just right for a catch-up over coffee. It has a large, comfortable seating space with funky, modern design elements.
If you go... Order from the cabinet selection. That’s our plan on a follow-up visit.
Rating out of 5: 3 – Laura Baker