The Karmic Cafe, Worcester

THERE has been a little cafe in Worcester’s old market hall overlooking the Shambles for as long as I can remember.

For years it was a greasy spoon but not too long ago it underwent a transformation along with the rest of the building and it became the Karmic Cafe.

Not to be confused with the new Karma Cafe curry house in Broad Street, this little gem is Worcester’s only meat-free establishment.

But meat-eaters needn’t run a mile. Far from it, in fact as this vegan-friendly, veggie haven champions local produce, steers clear of monosodium glutamate and is a must for anyone interested in where the food on the end of their fork is coming from.

With an hour to spare I invited a friend to meet me at the Karmic Cafe for lunch.

We collected a menu from the bar, found ourselves a seat and took in our surroundings.

There is handmade art on the wall and books to browse which give this traditional English cafe a Bohemian feel and while we didn’t get the warmest of welcomes – no smiles from the man behind the bar – it is an instantly comfortable place to eat.

To drink we for a pot of tea for one (£1.25) and glass of apple juice (£1).

To eat my friend chose the Greek-style omelette from the Mediterranean section of the menu.

Stuffed with haloumi and feta cheese, olives, tomato and herbs, the dish came with salad, chips or pitta bread.

It was a mouth-watering concoction of flavours and the chef was accommodating enough to remove, upon my friend’s request, the olives.

The feta was fresh and the omelette soft rather than soggy.

Not bad for £4.60.

I chose the vegetarian curry (£4.50) served with a mini mountain of basmati rice.

The intoxicating smell and vibrant colour of the dish was enough to impress me and the flavours were divine, too.

It was a piping hot medley of vegetables and spice with potato, onion and courgette and the perfect lunchtime portion to boot.

Located on the first floor of the Gallery, the Karmic Cafe has a view of the busy street below and is a great place to while away an hour or catch up with a friend – a thousand times better than the carbon copy coffee shops along the High Street.

It is a blossoming local business serving tasty homecooked fare and, if you are not looking for anything fancy, it comes highly recommended from me.

HOW IT RATED

Food: 4
Service: 3
Value for money: 5
Ambience: 3