Parea in Alderley Edge serves up an all-day menu, a lively atmosphere, a soupçon of glamour and there’s not a tasting menu in sight.
In most villages you don’t expect the local restaurant to be booked up by 7pm but then Alderley Edge isn’t most villages and Parea isn’t like most neighbourhood restaurants.
This buzzing bar and restaurant on the site of what was Blue Lobster is the result of a partnership between the wife of premiership footballer Emile Heskey, Chantelle Heskey and James Golden and Peter Hunter, her business partners.
It’s always good to have a smattering of celeb glamour in Alderley Edge and so it proves at Insta-friendly Parea which is buzzing by the time I arrive with my friend Mrs B at early doors.
There’s a pretty al fresco area which has already been taken over by a mainly female contingent, drinking fizz and enjoying the evening sunshine, while the bar area is busy with early diners, ranging from tots to dads and twenty-somethings. It’s that kind of place: a relaxing cafe where you can meet for brunch in the day and a glitzy weekend place for drinks and sharing plates.
I take a peek at the upstairs more formal restaurant and am impressed not least by the Laurent Perrier logos on the backs of the chairs. It is here we’d be enjoying the crowd-pleasing menu had we been here at the weekend, only we couldn’t get in at the weekend as it was fully booked.
Parea, in Greek culture, means a group of friends who regularly gather together to share their experiences about life, their philosophies, values and ideas and this is the concept behind Parea.
Ok, so there’s only the two of us, but we do have a philosophy - to enjoy ourselves as much as we can - so we grab a glass of deliciously cool Laurent Perrier, £9.50 and take a look at the menu.
A mezze plate seems like a good idea and fits in with the Greek theme. There’s hummus, falafel, Greek salad, halloumi, edamame, roast vegetables, warm flatbread and lamb kofta, £14, which arrives on what looks like an afternoon tea three tiered plate. It’s fun and everything tastes fresh and homemade. I love the spiced up halloumi and nuttyish falafel. This would be enough but Mrs B has gone mad and ordered Thai scallop fritters which are crispy and slightly spicy served with a delicious peanut and chilli dipping sauce, £6.
The mains include a sirloin steak, ordered medium rare it is perfectly cooked and served with a generous portion of fries and salad, while the fragrant sweet potato, pea and coconut curry, £12, is surprisingly spicy and again tastes lovely and fresh.
Our bottle of Waddling Duck Sauvignon Blanc, £27, which we chose for the name alone, is a crisp little number that goes down well.
How could we resist dessert? My New York cheesecake with berries, £6, is too rich for me but a triumphant not too sweet pecan pie with cinnamon ice cream and toffee sauce, £6, is polished off by my chum, who admits she doesn’t normally have a sweet tooth. It’s that kind of place. Deliciously tempting. Must try to squeeze in at the weekend. I bet it’s a blast.
Parea, 34 London Road, Alderley Edge, SK9 7DZ. 01625 586186 parea.co.uk
