Dining out: Cafe Grand, Grand Hotel, St Annes

It's not often we arrive at a restaurant at the same time as a world famous sports star.
The Grand HotelThe Grand Hotel
The Grand Hotel

But our booking at Cafe Grand in St Annes coincided with the British Seniors Open at Royal Lytham and St Annes Golf Club.

Bernhard Langer, who went on to win the prestigious tournament, was just arriving back from that day's play as we headed through the doors of the Grand Hotel.

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Of course the hotel is no stranger to celebrities - Hollywood star Samuel L. Jackson stayed here in 2015 when filming in Blackpool, while it has also hosted some of the stars of Strictly when the show broadcasts from the Tower.

Chicken SupremeChicken Supreme
Chicken Supreme

It's no wonder this elegant venue is the choice of so many famous visitors to our coast.

The building exudes a sense of occasion, while the staff offer a warm welcome and are not at all snooty.

Inside the interior is modern, especially in its use of lighting, while preserving the heritage of this Victorian landmark.

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The restaurant was already bustling with diners when we arrived, and we were taken straight to our table.

Prawn cocktailPrawn cocktail
Prawn cocktail

The menu has mains ranging from a traditional fillet steak to fish finger butty but I stepped straight back into the 1970s with choices of prawn cocktail and chicken supreme.

Meanwhile my husband Clive opted for Caprese salad and Cumbrian lamb rump.

We also ordered a plate of broccoli from the sides menu to bolster up our intake of greens.

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The price of mains hover around the £20 mark while few of the starters offer much change from a £10 note.

While on the subject of money, the hotel is cashless so remember to go armed with your bank card.

Despite being busy, service was excellent and our starters arrived in good time.

My prawn cocktail had a touch too much sauce for my taste, and was served on a plate whereas I prefer old school in a glass.

That's the bit that makes it a 'cocktail' in my view!

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Clive's Caprese however came with beautifully fresh tomatoes full of flavour.

Other dishes on the menu included crab on toast and crispy shredded duck, while the special was Lytham shrimps which in retrospect I wish I had tried.

There is also a good range of salads, pastas and oven-baked dishes include moussaka and fisherman's pie.

For non-meat eaters there is a Thai red vegetable curry, plus a couple of pasta dishes.

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My chicken was served with peas, pancetta and Jersey royal potatoes.

The meat was succulent and melted in my mouth, which was a delight as chicken cooked badly can sometimes be a bit stringy.

Similarly Clive's lamb was cooked to perfection, served with Dauphinoise potato and lamb jus.

We accompanied our meal with a bottle of Shiraz at £26.

Desserts range in price from £7.50 to £9 but the likes of profiteroles or passion fruit pavlova are tempting.

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These will have to be sampled next time for us, as on this evening our appetites were sated.

For most people's budgets, this restaurant is on the pricey side.

But for a special occasion when you want to ensure top quality on everything from the food to the service and ambience, this venue nails it.

Our bill came to £90.

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