Saturday 21 April 2012

Review #2 - Eden Project Café, St Austell

Have to be perfectly honest to start with - the initial draw of the Café was that my other half works at the Eden Project and gets 50% off food. What can I say? Not that I don’t like to stick my hand in my pocket but I do love a bargain! Also there aren't a lot of cafés around St. Austell town centre so this quirky place is a real attraction, once you find it!

The menu here is quite simple and basic but they do offer vegan options and use local produce wherever possible. Everything is mostly homemade, too. On the specials board you’ll find the soup of the day, which is usually vegan, but do ask just in case! There tends to be a stew or curry dish which again is generally vegan - this time it was Tunisian-style vegan stew with kale, chickpeas and North African spices. 

Today I went for the Bean Burger. The mildly spiced homemade patty is served in one of the Eden Bakery’s sea salt topped rolls with salad and chutney. If you’re ordering off the menu, be aware that it does come with a separate pot of sour cream, but you can either push it to one side or just ask for it without. We also had the Mountain of Wedges (again, homemade) to share, naughty but delicious!

Drinks wise, there’s an assortment of coffees and teas with soy milk available. The homemade cordial of the day is always good too, especially the lemonade! If you purchase one of the Eden Project’s aluminium flasks, the cordial is free and you can top up as many times as you like on any visit. There’s also a choice of alcoholic beverages if you so wish.

The Café also sells a selection of bread, cakes, pastries and other baked goodies. I’d recommend asking the staff what products are vegan-proof though as I didn’t notice any signs.

Opening hours are Mon-Sat 0845-1730, Sun 1000-1600. Friday evenings, the café plays host to live music acts with snacks and some seasonal hot food available till late. There's also a "book exchange" in the middle of the room by the fire pit and some nice comfortable sofas to sit on and read.

On the whole, a great place for lunch if you happen to find yourself in St. Austell during the day. 4/5.

2 comments:

  1. I started off with a really high opinion of the cafe, but have had to lower my expectations...I think they just need bums on seats sometimes as I feel very side lined by the atmosphere in general. Its a big shame as when it opened it had so much promise and could have got better instead of going down hill.....

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  2. Thanks for the honest review. During my stay at St. Austell holiday cottages, I haven't tried going to that cafe, but I guess I'll give it a try next time.

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