I had alighted from the Tram at the Lace Market stop and was just looking for simple lunch preferably some sort of sandwich and maybe a tea or coffee. Walking down the hill into Hockley I came across Hartley’s Coffee & Sandwich Bar just slightly down the slope on the corner at 21 Carlton Street. It looked OK through the window so I went in to see what they had on offer. There was a good basic selection, keeping it simple on their Lunchtime sandwich menu they were offering various combinations of the commonly loved sandwiches; ham, chicken, cheese, tuna, prawn, and egg. If you wanted something a little more advanced then you could peruse their “Fancy Ones” menu which included some classic combinations such as Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato, or Bacon, Brie and Cranberry. Nothing too adventurous but still enough of a twist on some sandwiches to make one pause for some thought before choosing.
I chose the Chicken, Bacon, and Mozzerella option from the lunch menu and opted to have mine in a panini. You could get also have your filling in white or malted sliced bread, a baguette, a seeded malted roll or a white farmhouse roll. I saw someone get a sandwich made from the malted sliced bread and it really looked quite enticing. My panini came with a small, simple, well seasoned salad, some chopped lettuce, a bit of sweet pepper, some cucumber, red onion and a slice of tomato. I had declined getting one of the extra dressings but in hindsight I think that I should have got some mayo dressing as that would have added a nice little bit of sharpness to the fillings. I quite liked my panini, but it was a bit one note, I had a taste of my companion’s choice which was a panini filled with chicken tikka, and a yoghurt and mint dressing. That was really excellent, sharp, tangy and spicy. I kind of wished I had chosen that one, but at least I now know what I might select on another occasion.
It was very friendly inside Hartley’s, welcoming and relaxed. The sandwiches are good and not a bad price. The place is owned and run by Dawn and Kevin Hartley who used to own the Mozart’s Resturant on Wollaton Street. You can check out all the menu options and their story on their website: http://www.hartleyscoffeeandsandwichbar.co.uk
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