Bon Appetit. That’s precisely what patrons of Navenby’s Macy’s Brasserie are assured as the
village’s idyllic French brasserie celebrates nearly a year and a half of trading.

The dining room is small, just 35 covers, and Macy’s is quite new, having opened in the middle of a recession on the inauspicious date of 1st April 2010 after a refurbishment that lasted just six weeks.

With the quickest turnaround and the toughest trading conditions imaginable one might be forgiven for questioning the wisdom of opening Macy’s.

However, with mum Felicity, son Ben and sous chef Ryan in the kitchen, sufficient time and talent are expended to ensure food served at Macy’s impresses, so the venue quickly begins to make sense.

In addition, the place is pretty — stone-fronted, with neutral tones, fresh flowers and a nice terrace — the menu, is well-created and not too innumerable in terms of the number of dishes offered.

“We refer to ourselves as a brasserie as there’s no English word to accurately reflect a restaurant that’s flexible enough to provide breakfast and brunch dining, morning coffee, afternoon tea then provide full à la carte dining in the evening too.” says Felicity.

The day begins with Felicity and team freshly baking all of the restaurant’s bread — which is in itself impressive for a small boutique restaurant — and a keen breakfast clique which enjoys leafing through the newspapers whilst enjoying croissants, bread and the venue’s Full English Breakfast.

The latter proved popular among farmers both from the area and further afield at last month’s Cereals event at 7.30 each morning. Later, mid-morning coffee is freshly ground and can be enjoyed with home made cakes and scones.

A?set daytime menu is served until 5.30pm, and comprises four starters, main courses and desserts each, with a vegan, fish, poultry and meat option always available for main course.
With two courses for £13.50 and a three course lunch for £15.50, Macy’s is a ‘ladies who lunch’ venue par excellence.

Naturally, Macy’s also offers a Sunday lunch menu, with two or three courses for £17 or £20
respectively. The lounge area features squashy sofas and Lloyd Loom furnishings, jazz manouche and artwork by local restorer Roger Cole — as well as food watercolours painted by Felicity herself — all of which affords Macy’s a gently bohemian feel. This is further exemplified by an established red brick terrace shaded by weeping willows.

However, à la carte dining in the evening takes on a slightly more formal feel, with candles, crisp table linen, complementary olives and freshly baked bread served before diners’ meals and a robust menu of seven starters and main courses, supplemented by the Specials blackboard.

“Our menus are changed seasonally, but our specials board allows us to work with our suppliers who can recommend really good cuts of meat or fish. It allows me to cook as though I’d been to market that morning, and it’s an opportunity to showcase local produce, which is especially important in Lincolnshire.”

In addition to baking her own bread, Felicity makes her own ices and sorbets, makes her own jam, and bakes her own cookies, scones and cakes. Morning coffee is freshly ground from beans in house, whilst real leaf tea is used rather than dust tea in bags.

Macy’s commitment to quality continues with Monks Road’s Fosters providing meat, Abbey Parks at East Heckington providing the venue’s vegetables, fresh fish from Grimsby docks via
M&J Seafood and Aubourn’s The Cutting Garden providing freshly cut flowers for tables.

During our visit, Ben presented Oysters Three Ways, with a truffled emulsion, tabasco shot and in breadcrumbs, served with a crisp champagne — the perfect summer treat!

Our main course was the venue’s Monkfish Fillet on a lightly curried Potato Purée with Marinated Mussels, Grilled Artichoke and Saffron & Vermouth Sauce.

A?dessert of Pear and Cardamom Tarte Tartin with Pear Sorbet and Cardamom Ice Cream, plus a delicious Muscat dessert wine.

Food is exceptionally well-presented, prepared with care with no corner-cutting and every effort made to ensure a pleasurable dining experience.
Portions are generous, dishes are innovative, and ingredients are locally sourced wherever possible, making the restaurant a legitimate fine dining experience despite its brasserie moniker.

Felicity was raised in Hampshire and has worked in hotel management since 1968 for establishments from boutique hotels and restaurants to full five star hotels.

A move to Lincolnshire in 1984 saw her working in the kitchens at the Wig & Mitre before setting up her outside catering business in 1992. Her plans for retirement in 2002 went awry when Felicity discovered she was ‘no good at retiring’ — despite having turned to bridge, painting watercolours and travel to try to keep her occupied.

The brasserie, then, is a labour of love; one designed to provide an outlet for Felicity’s genuine passion for food. It would be so easy for the team to cut corners and, for instance, forgo the daily undertaking of baking bread and making jam & ice creams or neglecting to provide fresh flowers and olives for each table or even using bagged tea.

But that’s not the Macy’s Brasserie way, and that’s why we’re so inclined to provide our recommendation.

“Our customers would know — they appreciate the difference.” says Felicity. “I wouldn’t dare serve them anything but the best.”