The Garden House

The Garden House is a delicious and reasonably priced restaurant café in the historical city of Rochester near to where we live in Kent. I had lunched here before with a friend and we were both very impressed, so when in Rochester again and looking for a lunch time treat, I knew where to go.

The inside is very cosy, with around 6 tables in total. It can be hard to get in but we were very lucky. The shelves in the restaurant are filled with delicious Italian produce for sale, sources and pastas we had seen in small delis in Rome.

The menu is quite vast for a cafe and features open sandwiches, paninis, soups and salads, there is something for everyone. The Garden House also has a fantastic and reasonably priced set menu, 2 courses for £8.95, this is what we decided to go for.

I started with a delicious vine ripened tomato and basil soup, it was simply fantastic and much better than my own tomato soup.

Toby went for homemade hummus and olives, the home made hummus was fantastic.

On to the mains, I went for cold poached salmon with salad and potatoes and a delicious honey mustard dressing. The salad was spectacular. Sometimes I feel that Salads leave me disappointed and wanting more, but this was SO satisfying. The salmon portion was very generous too.

Toby went for a buffalo mozzarella salad with a pesto dressing. Again, the portion sizes were great and the mozzarella was so fresh and unlike any we have tasted in this country before.

We washed this down with a glass of pinot grigio, perfect. I would highly recommend The Garden Cafe and a visit to Rochester, the city (it has a Cathedral!) has a great deal of history to offer.

The Goods Shed

Being lovers of local produce and farmers markets, we were very excited to visit The Good Shed in Canterbury. As you step inside an old railway shed your eyes are met with an array of tasty treats including a butcher, cheese counter, sandwich bar, bakery and a restaurant. The food is all reasonably priced and you could easily (and happily) do your weekly shop there (I wish I could!).

We decided to get lunch in the restaurant. Initially we felt the food seemed a little overpriced with a soup being £8 but we we left feeling it was money well spent. I had a huge bowl of mushroom soup with just baked still warm bread, it was absolutely delicious. Toby had a black pudding burger which was equally as delicious. We washed this down with Kent cider and beer. Well worth a trip to Canterbury…

Pho, the Perfect Hangover Cure

When we have been drinking in abundance (most weekends) and we wake up feeling we have been hit by a bus, we know there is one thing that can clear our muzzy heads, Pho noodle soups.

Pho Cafe is a Vietnamese London based chain restaurant offering a range of tasty and nutritious Vietnamese dishes. It feels cleansing, the perfect January detox food and amazingly soothing for any cold or hangover.

Despite being a carnivore, I often opt for the delicious vegetatian option at Pho. I like to start with veggie summer rolls and sweet chilli dipping sauce and then move on to a hot and spicy tofu and mushroom noodle soup.

Given that I am usually trying to get over the night before when visiting Pho, I find the flower teas both beautiful to look at and deliciously refreshing to drink. The prices are very reasonable, around £4 for a starter and £8 for a main.

The next time you feel you need to ‘clear your head’, you know where to go, PHO. Was the rhyme too much? I think so….