The Gylly Beach Cafe, Falmouth

Round the other side of the Falmouth peninsula from the docks and port is a beautiful stretch of Cornish beach called Gyllyngvase Beach which provides an even more beautiful cafe location. On a fine day the Gylly Beach cafe is the perfect location for lunch - in fact while we were there a couple had their wedding photos taken on the beach while the wedding guests had drinks in the cafe bar.

It's modern - your dream Cornish house really, and so is the menu catering for all tastes. There's enough to keep sea-foodies happy, and veggies and those who like a cracking burger. The veranda is virtually on the sand but protected by glass and there is an awning that comes down on bad days so you can still sit by the sea. We were recommended it by a friend who lives in St Agnes and it really did come up trumps!

The cafe/bar/restaurant has won awards and it's easily one of the best beach cafes we came across. Open all year round on this Green Flag beach there is a day menu and night menu ranging from Eggs Bennedict to Buckets of Prawns. We were lunching so chose the Gylly Burger which came with cheese and a chilli jam and the day's special Seafood Chowder. Most dishes are around £10 making this excellent value for the quality and I cannot recommend it more highly.

Gylly Beach Cafe,
Cliff Road,
Falmouth,
Cornwall,
TR11 4PA

01326 312884

cafe@gyllybeach.com

Mosaica at The Factory

It was the man's birthday so we decided to take a long-overdue trip back to one of our favourite restaurants Mosaica. You won't just come across this restaurant as it is hidden in an old chocolate factory not far from Wood Green station (yes Wood Green) but it really is worth a visit.

Photo: Tottenham Journal

We last went about 6 years ago and since then it has been bought by musician Labyrinth. But it's still just as good (if not better to be honest) as it ever was. The waiting staff are great, the menu is small (ish) but enough to please most people and the wine list goes from the affordable to the rather outrageous (as you would expect).

It is a bit like a New York loft with open kitchen and informal furniture that's a cool mix of second-hand and salvage. The candle near our table stood on a mountain of wax which has been there since it opened about 12 years ago with the wax building up over time, and there's a real mix of art and clientelle. Aged from 18 to 80 when we were there with enough young hoodied and baseball cap wearing guys eating three courses to give it a bit more of an edge than the norm. We like it and I must say the food was really up to expectation and will definitely make Mosaica remain in our top ten list of restaurants and cafes.

Here is what we had...

For starter I had chicken liver pate with bread on the griddle and mixed pickles. Ignore the burnt looking bits - it's more char-grilled than burnt.

My main course was a real mix of flavours with the red snapper fillet being served with samphire and chickpea alioli - delicious when put together.

Last but by no means least came a rich, thick dark chocolate pie that was laced with lavender and summer berries.

We had cocktails to start, a bottle of red wine and three courses and with a tip the bill came to £52 a head which for this quality of food and ambience is really quite alright!

Mosaica at The Factory, Unit C005, The Chocolate Factory, Clarendon Road, Wood Green, London N22 6XJ.