Eat My Words: We review the Riverside Cafe at Hall Place and Gardens in Dartford
It finally feels like summer is here (or at least, the closest we’ll get) so, like everyone else in the country, I want to try and make the most of those sunny days while they last.
One of my favourite ways to do that is to find a good lunchtime spot with decent food, beautiful views and a suntrap garden where I can relax for an hour or two.
So, when the sunshine broke through the clouds on a recent afternoon, I took advantage of the moment, hopped in the car and drove to Hall Place, a Tudor mansion house in Dartford, to have lunch at the Riverside Cafe.
After a short walk through the colourful gardens, passing a butterfly house on the way, we arrived at the Visitor Centre, which houses the attraction’s tea room.
At first, there’s nothing particularly exciting about it. It looks like your standard on-site cafe, but it was the outdoor terrace, tucked away at the back, that caught my eye.
The glass doors opened up to a delightful al fresco seating area right next to a trickling river overlooking lawns, trees, shrubs and flowers. What a view.
We scanned the menu, with everything from sandwiches and jacket potatoes to main meals, salads, all-day breakfasts and kids’ meals, as well as the specials board inside and cakes on the counter.
I noted our table number and took a brief break from admiring the scenery to place our order. The server behind the counter wasn’t very chatty, but she seemed swept up in the lunchtime rush so I assumed that’s why. She was still efficient and did the job.
I went back to our table, balancing a tray with our drinks in my hands, and took my seat in the afternoon sunshine.
I’d chosen a chocolate milkshake because, no matter my age, I just can’t resist when I see one on the menu, and my partner had the more grown-up drink of choice, a latte. The shake was laced with delectably rich chocolate syrup and was a real treat.
We watched as children fed the ducks from the riverbank and a gaggle of geese paddled past with their babies in tow. As the small waterfall cascaded behind us, I wondered, is this the best cafe view in Kent? I couldn’t think of a better one.
Our food arrived after a short wait, although we didn’t really notice the time passing as we were happily relaxing and chatting. We were told that cutlery and sauces were down to us, so we collected the accompaniments and tucked in.
I’d been tempted by the specials board and gone for a toasted ciabatta filled with roasted Mediterranean vegetables, grilled halloumi and sweet chilli sauce (£9.50). It came with a small side salad, and I’d also bulked it up with a side of chips (£1.75).
My partner had gone for the veggie breakfast, with fried eggs, halloumi, baked beans, tomatoes, mushrooms and toast (£11.50).
My sandwich was a definite winner. It was tasty and had a good amount of filling without being overstuffed, and the chilli sauce added a nice kick.
The side salad was fine, but I was glad I’d ordered the chips because they were perfectly golden on the outside and delightfully fluffy on the inside.
The breakfast was a decent portion size, absolutely swimming in beans with few slices of salty halloumi, two golden-yolked eggs, and a generous helping of buttery toast on the side. The only thing missing was a meat-free sausage or two.
The food was definitely tastier than the usual ‘caff’ fare, although the price did match that, with my sandwich costing almost £10.
However, I didn’t begrudge the price – when I looked around at the stunning surroundings, I was happy to fork out the extra pennies for a couple of hours in the sun.
Out of five:
Food: Lots of choice, and my toasted vegetable and halloumi ciabatta was excellent. The breakfast was missing a (veggie) sausage, but otherwise, no complaints. ****
Staff: We visited at a busy time and it showed as they didn’t have much time for chit-chat. But the service was quick and efficient. ***
Drink: A good range of hot and cold drinks available. My inner child is always happy to see milkshake on the menu, it was a wonderfully indulgent treat. ***
Decor: I can’t think of many other cafes that offer such a beautiful view on a summer’s day, and the whole estate is lovely to walk around, too. If you can nab an outdoor seat here, it’s worth it. *****
Price: It’s not a greasy spoon, and you get what you pay for. The prices are certainly on the steep side, but the quality didn’t let the side down and you just can’t beat looking out over the river while you eat. ***