I’ve always been a fan of Cafe Lounge in Meopham, but so have many, making it increasingly hard to get a table at the weekend unless you’re willing to queue out the door.
Standing along The Parade on a sunny Sunday morning, mentally urging customers to eat their bacon and eggs more quickly to free up a seat may appeal to some, but it doesn’t to me.
Instead, I decided it was about time I tried another brunch spot that I had seen gaining rave reviews online, and is only an extra 10 minutes away.
Hidden down several country lanes and flanked by fields on either side, Harvel House Farm Cafe almost appears out of nowhere.
I pulled in and found a space in the large parking area and was met with the working parts of the farm, including a barn and animal fields.
We then followed the signs to the restaurant, which is slightly set away from the farm – in a courtyard with a few other buildings, including a sweet shop, pizza hatch and ice cream parlour.
There is also a sign for a farm shop; however, it is no longer open after bosses announced in January that the butchers’ was no longer financially viable.
The sun was still shining, thankfully, so my partner and I decided to sit outside on one of the empty picnic benches and make the most of the weather.
A waitress quickly came out to hand us some menus, and although there was a sign asking customers to order at the counter, she returned to take our order at the table, which I always prefer.
After much deliberation and going back and forth, I settled for a breakfast crumpet which came with sausage, bacon, a fried egg and cheese (£12.45) and an iced vanilla latte with oat milk (£4.75).
My partner ordered the chicken and bacon waffles with syrup (£11.75) and a pash ‘n’ shoot smoothie (£4.95).
We also both added a side of two hash browns (because what is brunch without hash browns?) for £1.95 each, which I did think was a little on the expensive side.
The drinks came out quickly, and the coffee was sweet and cold, and the smoothie was refreshing, although I was told that its consistency was similar to juice and needed stirring quite often as it was separating.
Our food didn’t take too much longer despite most tables starting to fill up, and it was presented well on mismatched plates, a little quirk that I always like.
I was pleasantly surprised to see I had two crumpets and two slices of bacon, and not only one like I was expecting.
The breakfast stack tasted as good as it looked; the egg was cooked perfectly with a runny yolk, the sausage meat was full of flavour, and the bacon was not too crispy.
The hash browns were worth the price and were perfectly crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside.
My only complaint is that I thought the meal was a little dry, but that was partially my own fault for turning down the offer of sauce.
The chicken and bacon waffles were equally as good, I was told, with crispy waffles and bacon complemented by the sweeter syrup and dusting of sugar.
I was left feeling as though I had found a hidden gem and decided this was definitely a new contender for a go-to brunch spot in Gravesham.
Out of five:
Food: Both of our meals were well presented, full of flavour and clearly used good quality ingredients. ****
Drink: There was a lot of choice, including coffees, teas, smoothies, juices and soft drinks. ***
Decor: The courtyard area was simple but effective, and you cannot compete with the views of the farmhouses and countryside. ****
Staff: All the waitresses were attentive and friendly, and even came to our table to take our order despite signs telling us to go to the counter. ****
Price: It was on the expensive side, and paying almost £2 for one hash brown did feel a bit steep, but I couldn’t argue with the quality. ***
