First look inside Chesterfield town centre's new bistro Cibo

Cibo, on Low Pavement, will open to the public on Saturday, May 21. Manager Louise Spence said: “I’m really excited about the bistro.”

The small, intimate eatery will serve a variety of fare from hot food to salads, sandwiches and cakes.

Louise said: “We've got sharing platters for two people or we have a family platter for four – antipastis, meat, cheese, olives. We’re doing nachos with beef or chickpea chillis, full meals including home-made slow cooked beef stew, creamy mushroom pork, a 100% beef burger with stilton in toasted brioche bun. We're making all our homemeade coleslaws and got some lovely salads – halloumi and pomegranate salad’s my favourite.”

The bistro will be open for breakfast and lunchtime meals initially, welcoming customers five days a week from 9am to 3.30pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays and from 9am to 4.30pm on Thursdays and Saturdays.

In the longer term Louise is aiming to extend the hours of business to capture the teatime trade, then hopes to open for evening meals and take bookings for special occasions such as private dining, birthdays and baby showers.

Cibo has moved into the premises formerly occupied by a jeweller’s business. Louise said: “Alan Mears runs the Peacock Coffee Lounge next door, which he has for 18 years. He got the opportunity to take on the place next door and he wasn’t sure what he was going to do with it.

"I’d just finished working at the artisan cafe at Eyres because that had closed down and I was doing a few hours at Peacocks and said ‘I know what it can be’. Alan and I have joined forces and created the menu.”

The launch of the bistro is a sign that Chesterfield is moving on from the pandemic.

Louise said: "Business is picking up again – that’s why we’re giving it a go. There are quite a few new places opening which is really good for Chesterfield.

"Some businesses shut down during lockdown so that rebuilding of our town centre is really important.”