Pavilion Gardens Cafe

On this blog I'm often looking at the new kids on the block, today is a bit of a change as this place has been going for 70 years. With those 70 years behind them they hardly need an endorsement from me but for what it's worth here's my humble opinion on the venue, coffee and service.






The venue 5:

It's all about location, location, location and this place takes some beating. Set in the gardens of Brighton's Royal Pavilion, the clue's in the name, and looking out across manicured greenery towards the pavilion itself it has one of the most pleasant views in the city. It's an open air venue and nestles at the back of the gardens under the shade of some large oak and beach trees, the dappled sunshine this afternoon made the whole place look as if it were bathed in gold. The tables are all rusty legged and wobbly and the chairs are plastic and of the type most commonly to be found on you've been framed. There are pigeons and squirrels galore scampering around the tables looking for crumbs, of which there are plenty. The clientele are generally of the older kind with a significant scattering of tourists, students and office types, the gardens just in front of the cafe are a hit with Brighton's bright young things.

The coffee: 3

Pleasantly surprised, my coffee being made by a young lady who I'm sure was not old enough to have ever tasted coffee. It was nevertheless nicely put together in a white coffee bowl, chocolate was added without being requested and white granulated sugar was available in sachets upon request. The bean was fairly nondescript, I was told that they buy whatever is available, and it shows. There was a strong caffeine hit and a slightly over roasted and somewhat bitter taste which I attribute to the inexperience of the barista. Having said that, there was a mild smokey aftertaste lurking in there that made me smile.

The service: 2

This place is a cafe, it's busy and it's staffed mostly by teenagers on school holidays and this shapes the service. There's a counter service that's efficient and to be fair sufficient. But the staff are mostly too busy and too young to be able to offer anything more. For a venue that's not much more than a kiosk they somehow manage to produce a decent range of nibbles, tray bakes and salads all of which are every bit as twee as they sound.

I enjoyed this place and left feeling more relaxed than when I arrived, it's not perfect, the coffee is just ok and the service is not great but it is in a great place and has charm and tweeness in abundance and is well worth a look.

Overall score: 10 out of 15

Metrodeco, 38 Upper St. James's Street, Brighton

My first visit to this place but as ever it's the coffee, the service and the venue that I look at. You know the drill by now; each is scored out of 5 (see the first post for what the scores mean) and there is an overall score out of 15.





The venue: 4

This is a quirky place, being a coffee shop set in an antique shop, though it feels like its the other way around. There are others like it, especially in Kemp Town, but I'd say this is the best of them. At least one of the sets of tables and chairs were for sale along with all of the light fittings and the whole place had an eclectic bohemian feel to it. It's a well thought out space making good use of the 20 covers inside and 8 outside. Large floor to ceiling windows on two sides gives this small space a light and airy feel and the illusion of space. The background music was very much in the background and suitably chilled. The clientele are all regulars and the staff know them by name and I think that says quite a lot about this place. There's a furniture showroom in the basement so you can have a poke about when you've had enough coffee. An unswept floor and grubby napkins wedged under my once wobbly table stopped this place from scoring top marks.

The coffee: 4

Nicely presented in a patterned habitat bowl, chocolate was lightly dusted without being requested. The antique silver plated teaspoon was a lovely touch. Rock sugar available on the table in desert glasses. There was a rich roast flavour to the coffee and the cappuccino was expertly put together with exactly the right combination of bean, milk and froth; best I've had in town. They use beans from the Small Batch Coffee Company in Hove, which I've reviewed recently. The quality is excellent, but its been a good year. The froth didn't quite make it to the half way mark and with only one size available, which is priced towards the top of the speciality coffee bracket it misses the top score; just.

The service: 5

Relaxed and very friendly is the main selling point of this place. Lovely attention to detail and a genuine welcoming atmosphere make this place a wee bit special. There is a good selection of albeit expensive cakes available and the menu is full of homely, rustic fare. I had a sandwich that was fresh and delicious and so much of it that I had to have a doggy bag. The staff know their customers and go out of their way to ensure that the service is personal. This is somewhere that you'll come back to again and again.

Overall 13 out of 15