The Essex cafe that feels like you could be eating in your grandma’s kitchen

Sometimes all you need is a cosy home-cooked meal to leave you feeling warm inside. The comforting feeling of having a tasty dish cooked for you in familiar surroundings is unbeaten, but unfortunately, there’s not always someone around volunteering to serve it up for you.

Well, there’s one cafe in Essex that might just satisfy that craving, without you having to lift a finger to prepare the meal yourself. The Lemon Tree Cafe in Chelmsford recreates that homely feeling while offering a menu of freshly made dishes.

When sat inside you almost forget that you’re in a cafe in Moulsham Street and not sat in a family member’s kitchen. The set-up is completely open plan with the kitchen itself on show so you can see the food being made.

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You can even see the sink and draining board where the washing up is done and signs with sayings on displayed around the room that wouldn’t look out of place in a traditionally decorated home. It really feels like it could be a grandma’s kitchen.

The staff were friendly and even talked me through their top recommendations. That day they had just made a fresh lasagne which I could see on the side fresh out of the oven. It looked delicious, but as I’m vegetarian I couldn’t sample it.

Instead, they talked me through the great vegetarian options and I opted for Penne Arrabbiata. There were lots of pasta dishes on the menu, along with jacket potatoes, salads, sandwiches and omelettes.

The pasta arrived hot after I had seen the chefs preparing it behind the counter. Before I could even think to ask for black pepper it was being offered to me – which is perfect for me as I like black pepper on pretty much everything – but especially pasta.

The dish itself was super tasty and fresh. There was a little bit of a kick of spice as is expected with an arrabbiata but nothing overpowering. The dish was also topped with a black olive as a garnish which was a delicious addition.

You could really tell that the meal had just been freshly made – and not just because I’d seen it prepared with my own eyes. The taste was comforting and the ingredients tasted fresh.

The menu is also available to takeaway and as I got up to pay the freshly baked sweet treats also caught my attention. There were huge muffins, cookies and pastries all looking delicious on the counter.

I was told they prepare everything fresh every day which was clear to see. I’d seen other customers be given a cookie after paying and I was very pleased to receive one too – it was absolutely delicious.

I walked away grinning because it was really lovely to experience such a homely place while eating out. The Lemon Tree are doing something a little bit different by taking it back to basics. They prove you don’t always need everything to be modern and flashy – good food and home comforts speak for themselves.

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