Places to eat in Blackburn

Almost on the door of our Blackburn Town Centre hotel, Turtle Bay is one of the leading restaurants in Blackburn thanks to its fun and friendly approach to Caribbean food. The nationwide chain restaurant serves up fresh cocktails and zingy food, and with a 1.30 am weekend license, neatly doubles up as bustling bar as well.

Staying with the Caribbean theme, Calypso is well worth checking out. An independent outlet a short walk east of the town centre, the colourful restaurant serves up authentic dishes like curried mutton and jerk chicken alongside live reggae and calypso music.

Blackburn’s culinary adventures continue at Thira, an Indian restaurant specialising in Keralan recipes. The stylish but straightforward restaurant lets the food do the talking, with fish dishes, coconut flavours and their masala dosa (rice and lentil pancakes with spicy potato stuffing) leading the way.

Alternatively, try Roomali near King George’s Hall for your spice and curry fix. Spread over two floors, the large restaurant takes a fine-dining approach to its cooking with impressive presentation and service.

Lastly, head to A Mano on Cathedral Square to get your pizza and pasta fix. The stylish Italian restaurant looks the part, with wall-to-ceiling windows and stylish diner-style booths and is open daily for lunch, dinner, drinks and cocktails.

If you only go to one cafe in Blackburn, make sure it’s Café Northcote next to the cathedral. The homely cafe serves up breakfast, brunch, lunch, snacks and hot and cold drinks with a strong home-made ethos.

easyCoffee, as the name suggests, is part of the easyJet group, and like its flying sister, serves up no-frills coffee at rock-bottom prices. If you’re looking for freshly roasted boutique blends and hard-to-find beans, head elsewhere: But if you want good, strong coffee quickly and at low prices, this town centre cafe could be the answer.

Nearby in The Mall Blackburn is Rhode Island Coffee, the perfect post-shopping pick-me-up. The relaxed cafe is also a great place to relax or do some work, with free Wi-Fi, charging points and plenty of cakes to nibble on.

If coffee is your primary concern, the Exchange Coffee Company comes highly recommended, with over 35 different types of tea on offer, plus 60 speciality teas. You can sample one of their excellent coffees at their Fleming Square branch or at their pop-up cappuccino bar at the Market Hall.

Heading out of the town centre, there are no prizes for guessing what Brunch! does best. The cafe and takeaway is located halfway between Witton Park and Ewood and has been a local favourite in Blackburn since launching in 2010 thanks to their home-cooked breakfast and lunch options.