Review: Café In The Park

The location seems a little remote, relative to the city centre. The walk there is a little bit longer than expected. The stomach is rumbling, big time. But at the end of my journey, and at the back of a famous old building, rests a little secret for the eyes and a sound treat for the appetite.

Journey to the heart of the eighteenth century manor house almost, but not quite, hidden away in the leafy woodlands of Derry-Londonderry's St Columb's Park, and you will find a simple pleasure of a small café.

A staple of the historic estate turned conference centre for five years, the café is celebrating a week in its latest incarnation as the Café In The Park by the time I walk through its doors.

The design is immediately appealing and economically spacy. The shelter of a slanted roof, with natural light beaming down through multi-coloured framed circular windows, gives off a nice "summerhouse" effect. And St. Columb's Park can be instantly reached from one side of the café itself, a warm, comforting eatery that neatly blends minimalist décor with attractive outdoor visuals and impressive indoor practicalities: washrooms are very easily accessible, and the tables, be they round for the indoors area or picnic for the outdoors area, are well spaced out.

Had I come in the morning, I would have had a mixture of cooked breakfasts and snacks to choose from, but I'm here for the light lunch. So my eyes rest upon a selection of sandwiches, wraps, paninis and a series of hot options including homemade stew, lasagne, goujons (chicken, of course) and burgers. It's a menu I can pretty much count on for light refreshment - the question is just when and how well I'm going to be refreshed, in quantity and quality.

Immediately requiring a drink and a boost, I order a Coke - and within seconds I'm presented with half a litre of it. With, as requested, no ice! Because none is needed. (It's straight from the fridge, after all.)

Central to my choice of the café's chicken burger, with everything on it, is a thickly breaded, hot, tenderly cooked escalope delicately coated with a very thin layer of melted cheese. It seamlessly fits with the tomatoes, salad and medium-sized doughy bun for a great taste. (My gut tells me I could eat two of these. Luckily common sense prevails as I decide to watch my waistline.)

I should add, every burger or sandwich is better with coleslaw, so if you go for the chicken burger yourselves, order some. It's undoubtedly worth the extra pound. And the hot and crispy chips, sized somewhere in between French fries and the chunky kind, are almost as good as any I've tasted. There are strong onions in the accompanying salad, though, so beware the deadly aftertaste.

For afters one can choose from a range of teas and coffees, and/or homemade sweet treats like Canadian tarts, Mars bar krispies, honeymoon squares and caramel squares. My selection is a combination of the simple and spicy: a caramel square heavier on chocolate and crumble than caramel itself, and a chai latte that's probably a little too hot. Then again, I suppose that a mildly burnt tongue is a small price to pay for the sweet tastes of cinnamon and cocoa.

The Café In The Park is one to remember and cherish: satisfying portions of popular food and drink to sip/nibble (delete where appropriate) and enjoy while taking in outdoor scenery and basking in atmosphere suited for friends and family. All for, in my case, around a tenner. Sometimes, this really is what it should be all about.

Simon Fallaha

@stcolumbspark