Nestled outside Newport on the A487, on the way to Cardigan, you can easily miss The TempleBar Cafe. That would be a shame as it is amazing!
I haven’t found a website, but you can get a idea of what to expect by having a looking at their Instagram page.
I have no idea how many times I have driven past the small barn on the side of the road which is now The TempleBar Cafe and farm shop, but I had heard excellent things about it. One of the factors that conspired against a visit are the very limited opening hours (10am-4pm, Friday to Sunday only), but I finally made it there for a superb lunch with my brother on a recent trip to Newport.
The parked cars outside are a good indicator of its popularity – this was on a quiet Friday a couple of weeks ago. There is more parking on the other side of the road, but you should probably be prepared for a possible wait as it is very popular and space is limited.
Walking into the barn, you will see a bustling cafe to your right and a glorious farm shop to your left. We were there primarily to eat, but the farm shop is definitely worth a visit, with an excellent range of fresh local produce on display:
A lot of the produce, along with the food, is extremely local as it comes straight from the garden. It really is a joy to walk in and see all the tempting food / drinks on display and it is a refreshing change to see local produce not covered in plastic.
I am pleased to say that this wholesome approach is also true for the cafe itself, which you will find in the other half of the barn. It is a unique place and the summary on their Tripadvisor page does a good job of introducing the concept:
We do quaint farm-to-table wonderfully fresh and delicious meals. The menu is often dictated by what is in season and growing in the back garden. 2 meals a day, which changes weekly. No breakfast! Fresh organic coffee and cakes are available.
The ‘two meals a day’ bit is crucial – this is not the place for you if you want to choose from 50+ frozen meals that will be heated up in a microwave. There is literally a choice of two dishes on each day. On our visit, we had the following decision to make:
Each to their own, but I love a simple menu. It reminds me of driving through France and arriving at simple relais establishments where there was a choice of…..one dish! The plat du jour is the only option and it is invariable excellent as it will be seasonal and fresh.
I also love the ambiance in The TempleBar Cafe. I didn’t want to take photos of people enjoying their lunch, but this post from TempleBar’s Instagram page will give you a flavour of the space:
It is a lovely area and extremely welcoming. I am definitely planning on a return trip in the winter months as the stove should be really cosy. A great destination for a walk from Peg-y-Don, via Nevern…
The barn is not very big and it was busy, so we ended up sharing a table with some other diners, but it is super friendly and there is a great buzz, so the communal eating works really well.
It is also very dog friendly, which is always important if you want to bring your four legged friends. Peggy did her usual trick of stretching out in a spot that was in the way of pretty much all passers by, but nobody complained:
We sat down and were presented with some truly delicious homemade bread and butter:
I would have probably normally chosen the goulash, and it looked absolutely sublime, but we had beef on the menu for the evening, so we both opted for the endive salad, which arrived and tasted even more amazing than it looked, which is saying something when this arrives in front of you:
It was not massive, and possibly not the best option if you have starving teenage sons (we know what that is like…) but it was absolutely delicious! There is no substitute for high quality, fresh ingredients and it really was superb.
I believe that ingredients used in the cafe are grown in the garden wherever possible, hence the weekly menu options. It really was scrumptious and I immediately understood why the cafe has such a good reputation and all the cars parked outside.
Looking through their Instagram page, it is clear to see that this amazing salad was not a one-off. All their dishes are absolutely stunning and a glorious rainbow of colour and, no doubt, taste.
I am not normally a cake person, but temptation got the better of me and I decided to follow up the endive salad with some carrot cake:
As with all the food at the cafe, this was homemade and extremely good. We washed it down with an excellent coffee.
As you can probably tell, we really enjoyed our first trip to The TempleBar Cafe and Farm Shop and we will definitely be back for more. I love the small menu and seasonal dishes and it was a real pleasure to visit. You are welcome with a warm smile and the service is brilliant.
I understand that Jenny, one of the owners, is of Swedish origin. You probably know of Denmark’s ‘hygge’ concept, but I think that The TempleBar is the epitome of Sweden’s ‘Lagom’.
What is Lagom (pronounced law-gohm)?
It is the Swedish word used to describe an amount or a state which is ‘just right’. Not too much and not too little, it’s an amount so perfect that it creates a sense of harmony and serenity.
This is exactly how I think of The TempleBar Cafe – it is a very special place and you really should try and visit if you can manage to co-ordinate your schedule with the (very limited) opening hours.