This week, three of us met for a late breakfast at Rise in the City Centre’s Miller Arcade. Since opening, Rise, an unlicensed brunch eatery, has consistently been known as one of the best places in Preston for food; so much so that another branch later opened on Fishergate opposite the train station.
There weren’t any free tables in the bright area upstairs so we were shown to one downstairs. It was almost full and, as it was a very hot summer’s day, the lack of ventilation or windows made the room quite close and muggy. We were glad when our drinks arrived: water for me, homemade lemonade (£3.60) for Sarah and a strawberry lemonade (£3.80) for Eli, the latter two getting a huge thumbs up.
After a reasonable wait our food arrived. Sarah asked for their Breakfast Roll (£11) – a sausage patty, chilli jam and Cheddar, to be served without the soft scrambled egg, and with the addition of streaky bacon for an extra £3. £14 seemed pricey for a sandwich, but Sarah had ordered it before so obviously thought it was worth it. It was an impeccable looking thing, and needed no rearranging from me to make it look more appetising for a photo. It was also big enough to stand alone as a meal without the need for any sides.
Eli’s Eggs Royale (£13.50) was a thing of beauty: two perfectly poached eggs topped with fresh smoked salmon with a silky hollandaise sauce drizzled over the top to pool around a thick slice of lightly toasted sourdough. They’ve been to Rise before and ordered the same thing as last time, which is usually a sign that either the dish they had previously was so spectacular that they need another, or that everything else on the menu sounds awful.
In this case it was the former, because EVERYTHING sounded amazing. It looked it, too, when it came out of the kitchen. There’s no chance of anyone getting a little heart sink of disappointment when their friend’s food shows up looking all sexy, and theirs turns out to be a plateful of beige on beige action. In fact, Rise might tie in second place with All Hopes No Promises and Chamo as the least disappointing eatery in Preston. First place goes to The Twelve Tellers around the corner as it’s impossible to disappoint someone who already expects the absolute worst, and almost everyone who walks into a Wetherspoons is aware that they’ll be getting all promises, no hope.
After much deliberation I opted for a hot honey chicken sandwich (£10) from the lunch menu, which is served from 12pm. It consisted of a chicken thigh blackened with sticky, spiced honey, red cabbage slaw, sriracha mayo and a waft of frisee on a brioche bun, and it was magnificent. I could taste everything on it except for the lettuce leaf, but cared not at all about that. It looked pretty and wasn’t upsetting anyone so it stayed.
Despite it not coming with any sides I couldn’t manage it all, so ended up leaving some of the bun and slaw, but had to finish the delicious chicken. I’d also ordered a slice of vegan Almond Croissant Banana Bread with Burnt Orange Butter (£6). I was too full to attempt even a bite, so took it home and had it later that day. It was a weighty slab of cake that was obviously fresh and homemade, and was as good as expected. I scraped the burnt orange butter off after a couple of bites as I found it too sweet and perfumed for my taste, so next time I’ll ask for it without.
The only slight criticism I’d make about our visit was the sticky heat of the room downstairs. It was too close for us despite our summer clothes, so it mustn’t be nice for the staff who are dashing up and downstairs so much. A couple of fans really would have made all the difference.
That aside, Rise deserves its place at the top of Preston’s restaurant review sites as it gets everything else right from the menu to the service.
The main draw, however, is the simply wonderful food. Every item on every dish belongs there, and in the exact ratio in which it’s served. Nothing is there for the sake or look of it. I’d imagine that the creator of the menu aimed to make the best sandwich/dessert/porridge/breakfast that they could possibly make and worked out the price afterwards, because no corners are cut. In Rise you get what you pay for and, judging by its constant stream of customers, Preston’s foodies are happy with the deal.
Have you been to Rise? Give us your verdict in the comments.
Read more: All of Karen’s reviews
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