Nestled into the heart of Stamford, there are many amazing cafes perfect for a spot of lunch, but I came across one that is perfect for anyone with a sweet tooth. Café au Chocolat is a traditional French family-run café on Ironmonger Street, with the only other location being in Cambridge.
The café itself has a simple interior with some French décor, friendly staff and soft music playing in the background. It has a really welcoming atmosphere as soon as you step inside, with different areas of seating, including some outdoor seating for those wanting to make the most of the weather.
The menu had a huge range of options, including a long list of sweet crepes, patisserie options, afternoon tea and all sorts of speciality coffees. When I visited in May, the café had launched a range of speciality milkshakes, and I was eager to try the Oreo one, which cost £5.99
As someone who could happily sit and eat chocolate all day, I knew almost instantly that I wanted something sweet, and ultimately decided on the Nutella and strawberry crepe for £9.25. I almost went with the Chocolat Liegeois for £10.50, a crepe with two scoops of chocolate ice cream, dark Belgian sauce, chocolate drizzle and cream.
The milkshake was amazing, as soon as I saw the waitress bring it over I was excited to see it was practically overflowing with loads of chocolate sauce, whipped cream and a full Oreo on top. While £6 feels like a lot for a milkshake it was definitely worth it, although a slightly larger glass would have been nice.
When the crepe arrived I was eager to tuck in and although I was initially underwhelmed by what looked like a lack of chocolate, within minutes my plate looked like some sort of chocolate murder scene. The crepe was lovely and warm without being dry and crispy, and had been carefully coated in a sprinkle of icing sugar and cocoa powder.
The strawberries were fresh and huge, and by the end of it, I was stuffed and decided there had definitely been enough Nutella. In fact, any more chocolate in front of me would have been too much.
While I was there, there was a constant flow of people coming and going, but it's larger than it looks inside so it never felt hectic. It's the sort of place someone could go for a quiet coffee to read a book, a morning out with the kids, or to catch up with friends.
It's a chocolate lovers dream with what seemed like a never ending list of chocolatey options on the menu.
It was a lovely lunch out, although one thing I will say is the menu prices in the café are not the same as the ones listed online, with most things being about £2 more expensive. Although one thing that was nice to see is the prices are slightly cheaper for some crepes if you take them to go rather than eat in.