Atmosphere and class make a perfect city lunch location

THE choice for a lunchtime catch-up on a Saturday in Chester is overwhelming and trying to decide where to take a visiting friend is enough to work up an appetite in itself.

I decided to go off track down Godstall Lane and impress my friend with the quaint setting of Duttons, for a girly gossip.

I had hit the jackpot as I heard squeals of ‘oh this is lovely’ but the restaurant/bar was heaving and we were lucky to get a table.

We didn’t have to wait long for our waitress to tend to our needs but as we were so caught up in catching up, she had to come back a number of times before we had decided on our choices. Each time the waitress was as welcoming as the first.

The tables were quite close together and I was a bit apprehensive about sitting so close to the next party, but after looking at the queue forming outside, I considered us lucky to have even got a table. However, this could prove difficult for disabled diners or those with babies.

Our chatter just filtered into the restaurant’s bustling atmosphere, and Duttons seemed to be an ideal choice for a lot of other female parties looking for that something extra from their lunch-time treat.

The menu didn’t really hit me with any surprises and it all seemed quite safe, probably to appeal to the city’s shoppers and visitors.

For starters I ordered pitta bread with red pepper hummus, served with a selection of carrot, pepper and celery. My friend chose tiger prawns with mango and chilli sauce with ciabatta bread.

For our main we both went for a wrap. Mine was duck in hoi sin sauce and my friend chose Moroccan lamb with yoghurt and mint. Both came with a well-sized portion of chips and salad. The wraps were quite hearty and both had nice cuts of meat.

Hours later we left very full and happy to find the bill was well priced for such a classy and beautifully located eatery.