The Garden by Leaf at FACT

Today I am taking you along with me to another place in my home city. The place we are looking at today is one of my all time favourites to visit, The Garden by leaf. Whether you are looking for some delicious food, a nice tea break from work, or just a place to relax for few hours, the garden is the ideal place for all of this. Though most things are more fun with company, I also really enjoy my own company as reading a book with some delicious food and tea is exactly what you need sometimes, and The Garden is exactly the place to do this. I have touched on my love of The garden by leaf in a previous blog, but today I wanted to tell you why I love it, and show you why it is so lovely.

Food

If you are anything like me, then you appreciate delicious food, some days I just get through the day by contemplating what I will be having for dinner (sad I know). I enjoy trying new foods, recipes and ideas, and the food you will find within the Garden is perfect for inspiring some new recipe ideas. The Garden by Leaf, has a fantastic menu, not only with plenty of Vegetarian options which I love, but a little of everything; healthy, indulgent (hello brownies), comfort food and the more untraditional. You can come to The Garden for breakfast as it is open from 9am during the week and 10am or 11am at the weekend, and you will find an array of breakfast options; from the warming porridge, more traditional granary toast and jam, Granola, or a full english with vegetarian options as well. It’s the perfect way to begin your day, as it has such an inviting and relaxed atmosphere.

 

My favourite go to lunch from Leaf would be the Goats cheese and roasted red pepper sandwich. It’s warm, comforting, filling and has such a moreish taste that I sometimes believe I could eat this for every meal. I also love that you can combine your favourite sandwich with soup as part of the soup and sandwich deal. This combination is another favourite of mine as you can choose from a great selection of soups, again a lot of vegetarian options, that even meat eaters will enjoy. Their roast butternut squash soup is a favourite of mine as the added flavour of chilli in there really will warm you up.

The Garden are really great with giving you a good portion of food for the price, with any sandwich you order, you do get a little helping of one of the side dishes and salads on offer, which is lovely because they always have something different to offer.

There are staples on the menu that you can rely on, and I’m told that the popular food of choices are the varied sandwiches such as smoked salmon, falafel and hummus or smoked bacon and the sharing platter which includes Hummus, olives, goats cheese, and more delicious snacks. Beyond the set menu however, you can find an array of flavours and colours that change daily from the salads and side dish menu, as well as daily specials. Everything from roast beetroot and spinach salad, lentil and cous cous, and even more well-known salads such as mozzarella and tomato.

There is so much to choose from, and you will not be disappointed in the taste. I do have a slight confession to make though, which is that whilst I adore the salads, and main menu options, the real reason I first fell in love with The garden by Leaf was in fact the chocolate brownies.

I don’t think I have ever tasted any brownie that is on the same level as this perfection. Honestly, it is so good, so amazing in fact that if I walk past and see the brownies are there, I will have no choice but to go in and buy one. If you only try one thing from the menu I highly recommend the brownies. Tiny squares of heaven, I swear!

 

Tea

Moving on from my slightly worrying obsession with brownies, the wonderful thing about The garden is the Tea. The garden by leaf is in fact a smaller version of Leaf. It gets its name from the fact that it serves a large variety of delicious and interesting loose leaf teas. Everything you can imagine, from the well-known green tea, english tea, to the more exotic such as rose tea, roobias and so many more.

To be able to try every tea on the menu would be a task to say the least, but that’s why it makes visiting either place that much more fun. No matter how many times you go, there is always something new to try.

 

Beyond the choice of food and drink, I really love the atmosphere. Why I prefer the Garden to actual Leaf is mainly due to the size. I prefer that it is a smaller and more intimate place, yes it can still be busy, but for the most part it is calm enough that you can enjoy a good book, or an afternoon with a friend without feeling rushed. The added bonus is that it is inside FACT cinema, which is another place I enjoy. I don’t actually watch that many films, but I visit my friends that work in the cinema, and again I enjoy the atmosphere. I can sit in the bar with some wine or a coffee and not feel like I am going to be moved along in a hurry. I love the building in general, and the fact that The garden is inside just makes it that much better.

So if you are ever stuck for a place to grab a bite, or just need a lovely atmosphere for the afternoon then why not give it a try. I would say avoid it on a saturday but other than that it is a very calm place to visit.

 

**I believe the garden by Leaf is now closed, due to COVID-19. Leaf however can still be visited.

 

Thanks for reading everyone!

Love

xx