TUCKING into a gourmet steak as I watch the lights twinkle below the high glass ceiling, I could be forgiven for thinking I am dining inside a Michelin-starred restaurant.
But I am actually having lunch at ‘Britain’s poshest Wetherspoons,’ where a pint costs less than £2, a fancy cocktail is a mere £3.99 and a meal for two sets you back just over a tenner.
The Corn Exchange in Bury St Edmunds has been praised by pub lovers, who have been blown away by its marble bar, jaw-dropping domed glass ceiling... and its attractively-priced menu.
A team from the Sun visited the Suffolk landmark and found it is so popular that it is hard to get a table as dozens of regulars cram inside, even midweek.
Once seated, I was astonished to learn that a ‘gourmet steak’ with a glass of Shiraz red wine would only set me back £15.11.
By comparison, a similar meal at a top London restaurant like Gaucho would cost an eye watering £38 - more than double the price.
To celebrate, I ordered a bottle of prosecco for £15.13, an Espresso Martini for £3.99 and chocolate fudge cake dessert for £5.69.
My entire bill came to £39.92, which wouldn’t be enough to cover the tip at some top restaurants.
And even those on a tighter budget would have plenty of options as a burger meal with a soft drink is a snip at £5.86 and a curry with a glass of wine is £9.64 on Thursdays.
Grade 1 listed building
It is no wonder that the Corn Exchange maintains a jovial hum throughout the afternoon, despite the cost-of-living crisis forcing record numbers of pubs to shut.
Property lawyer John Garred, 63, has lunch at the Spoons, which is on the top floor of a grade I listed 19th century building, at least once a week.
Sitting next to a roaring fire with his assistant Linda Nunn, 49, he said: “I normally come for Thursday Curry Club, which I think is fantastic and good value for money.
“I don’t really eat anywhere else.
“As you can see, it’s a nice building. I think it’s the most historic and most attractive Spoons there is.
“I do feel lucky. We like the town and buildings like this and we’ve been coming to this pub for about five years.
“I’d never really been in a JD Wetherspoons pub before I came here. I have been to the one in Enfield years ago but I don’t remember what it was like.
“The wine here is lovely, the Shiraz is really nice. I don’t have more than two glasses as I have to work, but sometimes I would like to stay here all afternoon.
Read more: www.thesun.co.uk/money/255594...
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