Pestle and Mortar on Lansdown Place is well-named – the fragrant aroma of freshly-ground spices is the first thing you notice as you step through the door of this delightful eaterie.
Owners Ed and Honey are passionate about first-class fresh food and their promise to deliver the very best of Asian cuisine is evident in the wide range of delicious dishes on offer everyday.
Their irresistible comfort food that tempts all tastes, complemented by the warm welcome and friendly atmosphere, has already won the couple a huge loyal following of regular customers throughout the day.
Pestle and Mortar is a happy blend of noodle bar, tea room, cafe and Asian grocery and has become a popular meeting place where you can enjoy fast food that’s really good, cooked on the spot and full of intriguing, piquant flavours for all tastes.
The distinctive dishes created by Honey bring together the very best of Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese, Taiwanese and Malaysian cuisine, a unique combination that delights the palate. There’s also plenty of choice for vegetarians and vegans as well as gluten-free options.
Ed is front of house, full of helpful suggestions to make sure you savour everything to the full.
The couple met when they were running the cafe at The Needlemakers and have always wanted to have their own establishment. This dream came true when they opened Pestle and Mortar in April this year and they are thrilled that it has had such a positive impact.
“We both love cooking and eating good food and we want to share it with our customers,” says Ed. “We specialise in fast food that’s also very good, healthy and fresh food cooked on the premises daily.
“We hope that people who eat here will be inspired to try this kind of cuisine at home and that’s why we stock an excellent range of fresh Asian groceries.”
Honey’s background is in science and she believes imaginative and healthy cuisine should be a combination of science and the art of good cooking.
“I’m always happy to share recipes if people would like to try some of my dishes at home,” she says. “We’re also very flexible and if someone asks for a special dish that’s not on the menu, I’ll do my very best to create it.
“Ed and I have always worked together – we were colleagues before we were a couple so we make a good team as we share the same interests and also our love of good food.
“If you are in Bangkok, or in China, little cafes like ours are the kind of place where business people like to go out for a quick lunch. That’s the kind of atmosphere we have created here and people in Lewes have responded really well to that.
“We have three main groups of customers – some come in for breakfast, others lunch and then for an early supper. I love to bake cakes and we have a large selection of teas.
“It works out really well in a small cafe like this and we have a lot of regulars now as well as new customers every day which I love to see.
“Ed and I are so pleased that we’re already more than a noodle bar, this has become a great meeting place where people come to socialise and enjoy really good food.”