There's a café in Newport located in a wonderful park away from the concrete surroundings of the city centre.
Belle Vue Tea Rooms exists in Belle Vue Park on Waterloo Road, and it's secluded yet prominent existence has always been intriguing.
Enclosed by green fields and a charming pathway, the café stands proud in the middle of the park, like a castle on top of a hill, luring customers in through appearance and maximal convenience.
I ordered a ham and cheese quiche and a toasty. (Image: Newsquest) But looking impressive from the outside is just one piece of the puzzle and like every café or restaurant, what matters most is the quality of food served, and the service received during that leisureful process.
Upon entering the tearoom, I looked at the menu and approached a friendly member of staff at the till where I ordered a ham and cheese quiche and a ham and cheese toasty.
In good time my food was brought to my table in the foyer, and with Robbie Williams' hit song 'Angels' playing in the background, I was happy to receive two well-presented dishes.
The cafe is based in Belle Vue Park. (Image: Newsquest) Both the quiche and toasty appeared vibrant on their respective plates, while accompanied by a generous amount of multi-coloured salad.
Lacking much previous experience with quiches, I dove straight into the pastry first, discovering a splendid gooey texture whereby the ham and cheese stuck together with every mouthful while the crust on the outside provided a contrasting crunch.
Overall, the quiche was well-salted and a delight to eat.
Shortly afterwards, it was time for the toasty and the most impressive thing about the sandwich was its consistency.
It tasted like the bread had been fried which accentuated the flavour of the ham and cheese inside.
Despite the simplicity of a ham and cheese sandwich, it's easy to make something that is soggy and underwhelming.
Belle Vue Tea Rooms is worth a visit! (Image: Newsquest) In contrast, this version from Belle Vue Tea Rooms was divine.
In a nutshell, if you ever find yourself walking through the gorgeous Belle Vue Park and your belly begins to rumble, you might want to try the onsite café.
With seating both inside and outside, besides a dedicated tearoom area, this place could be your answer to a casual brunch on Sunday or a late lunch on a weekday afternoon.