Car Park Cafe

A cafe on the edge of a car park doesn’t sound great, but the car park is for a section of Kew where they take food seriously. There’s the remarkable Leo’s supermarket, a homewares store, a patisserie and bakery, and a fishmonger, which all goes to show that these shoppers have food on their mind. The cafe suits local workers and shoppers alike, opening for breakfast and staying open all day. It’s busy at most times and especially at weekends when whole families come for lunch.

There’s a broader range of food than might be expected, from foccaccias to hamburgers and chicken parmas. There are usually two soups of the day and they are always worth ordering; the servings are generous and the flavours hearty. We’ve had potato and leek, and spicy pumpkin served with really good bread. There’s also grilled steak, fish of the day and salads to choose from. A tempting selection of cakes is on display for mid-morning or mid-afternoon hunger pangs. The wine list is limited but always offers some decent drops by the glass. For sunny days and smokers there’s an enclosed terrace.

Rita Erlich