The sun is beating down hot onto parched grass. The trees sway in the gentle breeze, full of bird song. Butterflies flip and flap as white fluffy clouds cruise serenely overhead. There are, surely, fewer more tranquil and picturesque places to sit and enjoy a meal in Kent?
The question is, will the food reach the heady heights of the surroundings?
We are deep into the Quex Park estate in Birchington on a sun-drenched Saturday afternoon. The venue? Felicity’s Cafe, perched equidistant from the Grade II-listed splendour of Quex House, a stately manor once home to the Powell-Cotton family and the museum which takes their name.
Quex is an odd little place. There’s a farm shop which is perennially popular, a ‘craft village’, a garden centre, a children’s play area, paintball and even an adventure golf course. Add to that, if the mood takes you, you can even take an alpaca for a walk. As I say, odd; it seems to want to be all things to all people. Its broad fields also host everything from comic-cons to outdoor music festivals. Versatile.
Yet while its car parks are clearly busy, Felicity’s is gloriously peaceful. You don’t need to pay any entry fee to access it, just head as if you’re visiting the museum and it is perched on a grassy spot close to the entrance. It’s cocooned within a pale blue-painted wooden cabin – but sitting inside seems ludicrous when we visit.
There is outdoor seating a-plenty and despite it being peak lunchtime on such a glorious day (one assumes the bulk of day-trippers have flocked to the nearby seaside in search of a little cooling North Sea air) we find ourselves a table, sprinkled with some delicious shade..
Service is swift and we can take in the surroundings.
Thanet is blessed with some sensational coastline, but one thing it tends to lack is an abundance of trees. The Quex estate, however, provides plenty; huge, old, majestic beasts which make this place a delight to enjoy and which surround the eating area.
The lunch menu is modest but tasty looking – there are salads, sandwiches, soups, plus a range of desserts – and all priced reasonably (no dish costs more than £14 and the bulk are under a tenner).
We opt for a couple of dishes from its ‘bagel burger’ range – one with a mushroom patty, the other with halloumi, avocado, rocket and chilli jam.
There are alcoholic options – wine, beer, cider – but we opt, boringly, for a couple of soft drinks.
The food arrives and looks good. The moist mushroom patty is perched within a toasted bagel and sandwiched with a chunky slice of tomato and melted cheese. It’s got that earthy, subtle taste, which is complemented by the zing of red onion and a garlic aioli.
There’s a chunky slaw to go with it and a flurry (I’d argue too many) of lettuce leaves. If there is one improvement, make the salad a bit more interesting – but I’m hunting for things to criticise here. The plate is well-balanced, filling and tasty. For £10.50, it’s a steal.
The halloumi burger features generous slabs of the cheese, perfectly cooked, and with large slices of avocado squeezed in between. This thing looks like a tower when it arrives.
The combination of the two subtle tastes complement each other and creates another dish worthy of praise. This one was £11.50.
The standout of the meal was the setting but the food and service managed to live up to the views. And that’s saying something.
Out of five:
Food: Good quality, well-cooked and presented – the lunch menu is tight but it delivers what you want if stopping off between the Quex estate’s many attractions ****
Drink: I always feel bad when I do a review and have a Diet Coke. It would be like reviewing a Big Mac. But there’s a decent range of options if you want to be more adventurous or just fancy a cup of tea. So for variety alone it gets three stars ***
Décor: The inside of Felicity’s is relatively compact – and, when we visited, pretty empty given the attractions of sitting outside. And who, in their right mind, wouldn’t want to drink in its magnificent surroundings and feel that glorious sunshine? *****
Staff: Quick service – friendly and efficient. No complaints ****
Price: Two meals, two drinks, good service and a life-affirming, tree-heavy view. Not bad for £28 (although I will raise an eyebrow at £3.50 for the aforementioned Coke) ***
