Cafe in the Park in Dartford

Oh my, where to begin, queuing up the lady in front of me had her phone payment declined, the man kept shouting at her saying "NatWest no work" and she kept saying its not Natwest, her husband stepped in and paid with a card but the rudeness of the man behind the till was amazing and I should have left then. We orders kids nuggets and kids burger with chips and two drinks for £16. This is what we got for the nuggets (£5.15), a child next to us had proper nuggets and I asked the waitress why they were different and she said "I don't know, probably ran out" and walked off, so I believe what we got were fillet bites on the menu, however the inside of the nuggets was pure nasty and not identifiable as meat, 5 overcooked lumps of something and greasy chips. Went back in and there was another queue as the man behind the till was off on one again so I had no chance to interrupt and complain. We escaped and went elsewhere, plenty of food left on the other tables and I am guess not from having excessive portion sizes. I ate in this place a few years back and it was OK but since the refurb and change it's really gone down hill. I should have been suspicious when there are only a handful of tables out on a sunny September day and a kids park full of 100s of kids next to it, guess the locals have given up on this place. I believe this is connected to a restaurant in Bromley so I hope the owners read these reviews and make an effort to sort it out or give the lease back to the council so someone else can have a better go.

If I could give less than one star I would! Absolutely rude customer service, bearing in mind stood at door as had a dog and asked if could order to sit outside was treated with contempt and disgust?! They eventually agreed but were rude, abrasive and unhelpful. As a cafe in the middle of a park I don’t think it’s unreasonable to have a dog (totally understand sitting outside) but to be treated in that way and my dog with disgust is outrageous and in called for!! To top it the coffee provided was absolutely awful! And the sausage ordered never turned up! Avoid this place really not worth the cost - don’t know if it’s changed hands - sure it used to be quite nice! Hopefully will change hands again soon to people who care about their customers and local community!

I was delighted to discover Central Park yesterday and I am going to be going many times in the future but I was very said to discover I was charged £5.30 for 2 Wall's twister lollies. Surely that cannot be right. When I queried it all the reply was 'cheap ain't it' with a shrug and a grin :-(

Yesterday I was charged £5.30 for two Wall's Twister ice lollies This cannot be right surely?? When I commented the person could not care less and just shrugged his shoulders and said 'cheap isn't it' with a grin I had only just discovered the park and will be going back but I won't go back to the cafe for anything further

Had terrible food in here a few months ago but decided to give it another chance. Wish I hadn’t. The chips are always over cooked, salad limp and the manger is rude. It’s painfully slow in there regardless of what is ordered. Ok for drinks, ice cream and sometimes have nice cakes but if I have lunch I’d rather walk into the high street and eat there

Atrocious coffee. Asked for flat white. Got burned - rancid, burning hot milk, terrible taste. Having said that, food was surprisingly good and fresh.

Despite negative reviews I decided to pop in for a coffee and found they also had a vegan Cornetto. It was all reasonably priced. The coffee was very nice. It was a sunny day, so I sat out on the patio.

Good quality food, not cheap but you get what you pay for! Clean, indoor and outdoor. Good range of drinks, fast service, lots of ice cream. Perfect for families in the park

The park equipment is great. But the toilet facilities are horrid and the lack of parking is an issue.

Terrible coffee. Asked for a flat white but just got coffee run through the basket until the cup was nearly full then topped up with milk. Might not seem the biggest issue but if you’re charging £2.80 for a coffee then you should know how to make it!

My refund never went through!!!! I’m not happy. Had a feeling when he did it, he wasn’t doing it properly as he offered no receipt.

Avoid this “cafe”…Rought staff…they are only for money!!!Ordered two menus,paid for both of them and later they came with only one saying “you payed for only one”. I payed AGAIN for the second one and obviously something was missing… Bad impression for the first time there..

Some things a little pricey for the quality. Friendly staff.

Nice lovely cafe food was good nice and clean. Would recommend.

A bit pricey, but a good selection of food and drink. The veranda is lovely to sit on when the sun is out, and in general there's a fair bit of seating.

My daughter and I stopped at the café during our walk to have a look... and decided to stay. The staff was very welcoming, warm and accommodating. The food was lovely. We shared an afternoon tea with tuna sandwich and a halloumi/avocado sandwich. It tasted fresh and yummy. The portions were generous. A special thank you to Sherif and Alfie for making our experience great. We will definitely go again. My one piece of advice to the owner would be to try make the place a bit warmer and cosier 😊

Just had an amazing lunch here ! Staff very friendly and accommodating to needs required :) Food tasted really good, fresh good quality ingredients - great salad, sandwiches (amazing bread!) And scones ! All fresh! Just a very slight shame that the cafe inside is not a bit more cosy and warmer. But would definitely come back! Thank you especially to Sherif and Alfie! 😄

Extremely overpriced for what you are buying, the building is freezing cold, just wat elsewhere.

Lovely place to sit but very expensive!

Refurbished but feel like a canteen inside. Cafe is terrible. I think doesn't know how to heat the milk. The milk is burn not hot. Doesn't use a thermometer 🌡️ so don't recommend to drink a late there.

Lovely place for a morning coffee and cake, especially on the decked veranda.

The guy in there today was having a bad one or just regularly a moody a**e! I'm betting the latter. If he wasn't there would stop by again but there are many FRIENDLIER and better places to get food in town!

Certainly a place worth trying, the food is good and well prepared, the costs are affordable and it is consistently neat in here. Fantastic work.

No coffee, no working card machine, and then not accepting cash for a slice of cake 5 mins before closing (after I went to find cash).

Worth going out of your way for. Lovely cafe, good menu including veggie opions, polite staff and fantastic location.

Lovely Cafe, nice and clean. Good place to replenish your energy while the kids waste theirs in the playground. The water park beside it was working so take a spare set of clothes for your child as ours was a bit hesitant at first but once she got wet, there was no holding her back. She got completely soaked. Good fun. Will definitely visit again.

Went to collect my crack pipe from my estranged cousin Tony (he just finished up a long stint in the pen), but the Cafe was closed! Very dissapointed.

If i could give zero * i would. Most things on the menu they did not have in stock. I decided to just get cheesy chips and my friends ended up getting chips and a veggie burger. Not sure how they have been able to accomplish 4* rating. This place doesn't drain the oil from the hot food at all. My chips were oily through and through. They literally threw the cooked chips and all remaining oil in the paper box with your meal. I had a video but am only able to upload images. (Check images below) The chips where so oily. After eating a couple i felt sick. When i tilted the box all the oil moved like a flowing river. Just ridiculous. I thought the Veggie burgers were dripping with a sauce or something however after looking closer it was just oil. Not suprised they ended up leaving theres too. They sell ice creams and cold food. They should stick with that. This was the "eat out to help out 50%". Could never imagine paying full price. First time here. Never again!!!!

Im not happy . Hi didint get it 50% discount because i was order takie away .. the problem was him didint want to listen . Was angry . Im not happy ! Government uk !

Very clean nice central position in the park

Friendly service beautiful food in a peaceful surroundings value for money tasty dishes lots of variety highly recommend 👌

So good to have this cafe in Central Park. You can grab drinks and food for the kids while they are playing or meet friends for a lovely lunch. The cakes are so good too. Love that they have milk alternatives for hot drinks. (Oat milk and soya). Had a really good falafel and hummus wrap twice this week and will definitely be back again.

Great cafe. Good value with friendly long term staff. Great play area for kids. Litter in the play area needs sorting by the council though. In general a great park though.

So pleased that the café has now reopened. Good coffee

I decided to run the Dartford park run route on a Sunday morning and I really enjoyed taking advantage of a coffee after the run. The coffee and cookee was tasty and had flavour and I enjoyed sitting on the veranda. It is clearly a well loved cafe in a beautiful park and it was busy on this Sunday morning. Felt great to support this local business.

This is my local cafe always go their for full english breakfast.

Ordered an all day breakfast, a pot of tea for two and avocado and eggs on toast. Portion sizes are generous, bread thick, buttered and good quality. Tables clean, staff friendly, everything hit the mark couldn't fault it. Third visit in 6 months thought we should share this gem in the park! Thank you!

Fabulous little cafe in a perfect location for the kids to get back out and play. Love it here for snacks, lollies, cream tea and the best veggie breakfast for miles around.

Lovely place to meet friends and have a snack.

Supposed to be open "all day every day" but it's been shut the whole day. Kinda pointless if I wanted to get food and drink from there today

Love to sit on veranda and watch world go by,good food, nice and friendly service .Come here often☺. Ideal for all the family,big or small,old or young

If your walking in central park dartford I would recommend cafe in the park,great service,great quality and not over expensive especially if you have a family.

Based on Southwold Pier apparently, this is a nice little cafe in Central Park that does a very reasonable Full English breakfast at £6.25 and a cream tea with 2 scones (clotted cream and jam) for just over a fiver. (though their radio needs tuning better!)

This is in Dartford Park next to the children’s playground. It resembles a pier cafe and the surrounding playground are a beach. It is relatively new. It’s in what seems to a dog free area. Clean and friendly. A good spot to have a coffee and cafe type food. I shall go again

This cafe is a hidden gem. Based within the Park at Dartford, it is perfectly placed next to a children’s play area but also slightly apart ensuring a calm place to eat and drink. The coffee here is great as is the food. We have now become regular weekend visitors, starting with a good walk around the park ending up here for coffee and brunch. The menu is very good and the food cooked to perfection, always hot and fresh. The prices are very reasonable and the portions are large. The owners are also very friendly. Great place.

Although the menu is limited the food is presented very well and well cooked , lovely relaxing environment, good for children parents & grandparents, fab place to relax

Looks lovely but was closed today at 4pm - despite a board proudly announcing that it is open all day, 7 days a week, all year round. Shame.

Have had many lovely meals here, toast is proper thick bread with melted butter. Light fluffy scrambled eggs and fresh smoked salmon. Cream teas are delicious. The chef is obviously professionally trained, staff are always friendly and make you welcome. My favourite cafe in Dartford

We visited the café initially for a cup of tea whilst waiting for our family to arrive (they were running late). What a discovery it was! The tea was good and very welcome. Once our family members had arrived we also decided to stay for lunch (and another cup of tea!). The portions were generous and the food was good. My husband had the all-day breakfast and was particularly impressed that they seem to use Corkers sausages; their menu in fact says where their food is sourced (all local). Also, the food was hot, which seems to be a rareity these days! The café itself is clean and well-managed, the staff friendly. They accept card payment or cash. The only caveat is that the nearest toilet seems to be in the local library at the edge of the park, but provided you are aware of this in advance it is a relatively minor consideration.

We love this cafe. Great coffee, tasty cake and decent food at a good price. The club sandwich is really good.

Amazing! Lovely staff, delicious cake and great coffee!

Situated in Dartford Park near the bandstand and adjacent to the children’s play area the café has reopened this year under new ownership. The internal layout has been changed but the external veranda with its seating areas has been retained, which on a warm sunny day is a great place to sit and watch the world go by. The café serves traditional meals like all day breakfasts, fish and chips, lasagne, snacks, teas and coffees and has a good selection for children as well as grownups. When we visited it was busy and so we had to wait a while to be served, when we came to be served the lady behind the counter was obviously a bit stressed and she was rather sharp but not rude to us. But this would not stop us from calling in again or recommending the café.

This is a very nice cafe situated in the middle of Dartford Central park. It is a welcome sight when out walking and i have rested here, and eaten and drank here also. Service is friendly. And the food is enjoyable.

Special of bacon egg and avocado bagel - happy to substitute gf bread for bagel. Generous and tasty side salad. Delicious spaghetti Bolognese with grated cheese for 3 year old. Lovely filter coffee and all served with a welcoming smile. Have been twice now and will definitely be back again.

Stopped here on a cycle trip from London to Faversham. Food was excellent, location was superb and service friendly. Not sure why it gets such a low rating from others - maybe it's under new management? I cannot image a nicer stop off in this area it was excellent.

Very disappointed.... A rare treat with my daughters and grandchildren was spoilt and for £30 I would expect better customer service. I asked, before ordering food, if they took card payments. They said yes but only contactless as their machine was playing up. I ordered and tried to pay but it declined my card. I checked my balance, as you do, and it wasn't my account. They tried 3 times but to no avail. By this time all my family were seated with the children, who are both disabled, in highchairs. I said that my other daughter was joining me and we could try her card. By the time she arrived our food was served. We tried her card but again it wouldn't work. I knew that I would have to walk out of the park to the nearest cashpoint to pay using cash. The whole meal was spoilt for me as I had to make the dash. By the time I got back another customer had paid by card and they said that it had gone through fine. They were no longer interested in my experience and obviously thought it was us. I said that maybe it was because both the cards I had used were from the same bank. They didn't even look at me. I have given two stars because the adult food was good but that is the only reason. The children's food was very over priced. £4.25 for what was essentially chicken nuggets and chips. It said chicken mini fillets on the menu but I defy anyone to tell the difference. There wasn't even a garnish. A very disappointing experience.

The building is appears very spacious and modern within the lively setting of Central Park. We ordered three different kinds of baguettes - all were good quality. There are slightly cheaper cafes in the area but this cafe offers something different due to its location.

After letting my 2 year old play in the park I thought we could have lunch here. However the stand offish woman told me that they don't do food for children! All their portions are big apparently. When I asked if she could make half a sandwich (which every other place I have visited never has a problem doing) for my daughter, she flatly told me no! Surely they are missing a big part of their customers, being situated right next to a park?! Will not be visiting again!

It's a lovely cafe with seating in and out. Out side toilets, the owners have a consent battle with people blocking them up, they do their best to resolve situations.

Whilst most visitors to the Cafe in the Park will only ever pop in briefly for a warming coffee, or cooling ice cream, but this is actually a very professional and well run establishment, selling a wide range of hot and cold food. One wouldn't normally think of taking a walk in the park to enjoy a meal, but this is one of the few places in Dartford that I'd be happy to recommend. The choices of cuisine is quite traditional, sticking to firm British favourites, such as Full English Breakfast, Soups, Omelets, Jacket Potatoes, Salads, Lasagne, Spaghetti Bolognaise, Sandwiches, Burgers, Scampi, and of course Fish & Chips. I'd normally say this isn't somewhere to go for a date, with no secluded nooks, or low lighting, but given its location and standards of hygiene, I think you could quite easily make this part of a romantic stroll in the park.