Eden Bistro, Grosvenor Street, Mold
Tel: 01352 751323
TO infrequent visitors of Mold town centre, such as myself, one small bistro-type restaurant is something of a hidden gem.
Although locals have obviously known all about its high quality and value for money for some time, my wife and I only discovered Eden on a shopping trip three or four years ago.
So when we went again to Mold one Saturday recently – en route to the see the panto matinee at Clwyd Theatr Cymru – and found ourselves in need of a decent lunch, it was the first place we headed for.
But as we reached the alleyway off New Street where we believed it was located up a small stairway in a couple of rooms on the first floor, we were in for a disappointment.
It had gone – and there was no sign or anything else that we could see to indicate where it might have gone.
I stood there nonplussed trying to think of somewhere else we could have lunch.
But as I mulled over the problem it was time for Mrs Robinson to take the initiative.
Before you could say Girl Power she had nipped into the shop next door to where the Eden used to be and asked the assistant what had happened to it since we were last in town.
She quickly gleaned it was still very much in business and had relocated to new premises, not far away, in Grosvenor Street, on the site of a former electrical goods shop.
Within minutes we were outside studying the menu card in the window.
Yes, a list of goodies just a little outside your basic lunchtime staples were reassuringly there. This was indeed the right place.
The old Eden, we recalled, had sort of a piney, farmhouse theme to its decor, while its new incarnation has a dark wood, American diner feel about it.
The menu offers all the usual sandwiches and paninis – a number with some great-sounding fillings, but one of the great things about the Eden we remembered was the specials board.
Thankfully, it was still there on the wall and that Saturday the two prime contenders were beef goulash with rice and a cassoulet of duck, smoked sausage and haricot beans.
Recalling that I always enjoyed the old Eden’s hearty and extremely tasty stew-type dishes, I straight away opted for the goulash - despite rice not being my favourite accompaniment – while my wife selected the cassoulet.
We had to be wait quite a few minutes for our orders to arrive but then you can never rush a good thing.
In any case, the wait gave us time to enjoy the coffees which we had ordered, and these were definitely worth savouring.
As a matter of fact, we found them to be some of the most flavoursome we have had for some time.
If the two specials dishes were nearly as good as the coffees we were in for a real treat. They were – and we were.
My goulash was absolutely packed with chunky pieces of beef set in the richest and most mouthwatering sauce imaginable.
The white, fluffy rice, topped with a sprinkling of paprika, was also first-class.
The meal was served with a small side dish of perfectly-cooked carrots and cauliflower.
In fact, it was so delicious I was truly sorry when it was gone but actually couldn’t have eaten another mouthful as the portions were so generous.
It was the same story across the other side of the table where my wife was so busy devouring the cassoulet there was hardly time for her to tell me how marvellous it was.
We really wanted to stay to sample the desserts on the specials board, such as an intriguingly-named number called red velvet cake.
But we didn’t for two reasons – the main courses had done the trick in terms of filling us both up and Robin Hood and the Babes in the Wood were calling from across town.
There’s always another day, though, and, as a matter of fact, night too, as the Eden is also open for dinner at weekends.
The Bill
1 goulash £6.95
1 cassoulet £5.95
2 x coffees £2.80
Total: £15.70