Wrapping up warm and going for a bracing walk in a country park can really blow away the cobwebs at this time of year. It’s even better when it culminates in lovely lunch and a spot of indulgent shopping. You can achieve all of that at Dalkeith Country Park and The Restoration Yard.

We had intended to give the Christmas Menu a try, unfortunately we were a bit early to the party so settled for their standard menu.

We decided to share a few dishes from the Light Bites & Sharers section of the menu.

Our first choice was the enticingly titled Fried Cheese Melts & Chicken Goujons with Garlic Mayo & Tomato Relish. Everything was freshly fried and the dips made good accompaniments.

The Bread & Crisp Bread with Hummus was great value at just £4 – plenty to go along with soup or salad. The board included a variety or pretzel, fresh white bread toasted, foccacia and crisp bread.

Talking of salad, we decided we needed some greenery to go along with this lot so our final dish was the Maple Coated Carrot & Goats Curd Salad. It definitely fulfilled the ‘healthy’ part of our dinner with tomatoes, carrots and lettuce. It was all served with a vibrant pomegranate vinaigrette.

We were enjoying our time at Restoration Cafe we decided to order some tea and desserts. We loved the gorgeous teapot which quite rightly made tea feel like an event.

The first of our indulgent dishes was Strawberries and Cream Meringue with Strawberry and Mint Gel. This was a well presented dish, and while simple in flavour, it was a classic combination which was elevated by the presence of mint.

Our other dessert was Dark Chocolate Delice with Candied Orange, Honeycomb, and Blood Orange Sorbet. I loved the presentation, it felt like real care had been taken to make it look pretty – and it tasted as good as it looked. This is a rich dessert, and plenty for two to share.

Once again I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Restoration Cafe, it’s a little haven to which you can escape for a few hours and enjoy some delicious food. It would be an ideal place for your family or staff Christmas outing.

Restoration Cafe
Location:  Dalkeith Country Park
Price: Starters £4-£8.50, Mains £9.50 – £15, Desserts £4.50 – £5.50
Good for: Relaxed dining in a countryside setting