A CITY centre cafe has launched a small plates menu for after hours and it’s the perfect way to end the working week.

Open House Deli is now open late on a Friday, giving people the chance to unwind with some drinks and indulgent food before heading home.

‘Deli lates’ at the café in Kings Walk celebrates seasonal and local produce and each plate is utterly beautiful. The café’s vibe is also great after a busy day at work, with plenty of wiggle room between each table, providing quite an intimate experience.

Although they’re called small plates – I left feeling incredibly full and satisfied, although we did order a lot. The café has a fantastic selection of vegetarian tapas that will leave even a fussy carnivore wanting more (proven by experience).

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The menu was so good, that my boyfriend (said carnivore) and I didn’t even realise that there wasn’t any meat on the menu. It also caters well to other dietary needs and choices such as gluten-free and vegan.

We opted for some flatbread and hummus to get us started before moving on to the croquettes, vegan nduja and leek ravioli and honey-roasted carrots.

The Old Winchester croquettes are made with Lyburn Cheese, which has built up an excellent reputation as an independent foodie in Hampshire, providing the meltiest cheese filling ever. All the dips with every dish were wonderful but the deli’s own kimchi mayonnaise served with the croquettes was especially moreish.

%image('17848130', type="article-full", alt="The honey roasted carrots")

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The honey-roasted carrots with whipped feta was a heavenly combination and packed with flavour. All the little extras such as pistachios, mint, chervil and pomegranate molasses gave such a depth of taste.

The ravioli, with dough hand-made by the in-house chefs, had a huge kick to it but was delicious with the cashew parmesan and early harvest olive oil.

After quite a rich selection of food, the fruity rhubarb dessert was the perfect refresher before finishing it all off with an Open House Deli favourite – the Snickers slice.

%image('17848134', type="article-full", alt="Reporter Adele Bouchard ready for dessert")

I would love to go back and try the celeriac which Bex says is another crowd pleaser. Actually scrap that I’d love to go back and try them all.

For anyone who gets a little impatient waiting for their food, the eco store is a great place to browse in between plates. Alternatively, you can keep sipping on that wine, cocktail or raspberry kombucha in my case.

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Bex Smith, Open House Deli owner, launched deli lates in January almost two years on from when the café opened.

She said: “It was a bit of a risk launching in January as it’s a difficult time to start anything but it’s the same time of year as we first opened the deli. We thought it was a great time to try something new so we could build the momentum ready for when the weather is better.

“I’ve wanted to do something like this for ages. When I opened the deli I felt like there was a gap in Winchester. There are lots of places to go if you want to go to a formal restaurant or a chain but I don’t feel like anyone else is offering what we are.

“We’ve had an amazing response – everyone has loved the food. We’ve had some really lovely groups of mums in and it’s great for them because they can still be home and in bed by nine.

“It’s the deli food but elevated. Local produce is really important to us and to celebrate sustainable too.

“I don’t want to sway people’s choices but my favourite and what has really been a crowd pleaser is the celeriac. The most popular thing has been the carrots, it’s a real winner.”

‘Deli lates’ is available from 4-8pm every Friday. Small plate prices range from £3.50 to £8. For more information or to book go to openhousedeli.co.uk/.