MCKENZIES CAFÉ BAR
185 High St, Blackwood. 01495 230449 / facebook.com/mckenzies-cafe-bar-120751381938725
Food **** Atmosphere ***
It’s not often you might find yourself in Blackwood enjoying a high-quality meal. There is the well-made food at The Rock pub, but that locale has a massive, obnoxious banner out front yelling “OUT MEANS OUT”, so the town is not exactly beset with gourmet fare. But for the sharp-eyed and intrepid, there are some excellent options, not least this cosy little café bar on the High Street, opposite the town’s cinema.
McKenzies is a surprisingly elegant joint, with smartly-dressed staff and tasteful, low-key décor. My friend, a Blackwood local for much of his life, quipped that “it’s almost too classy for the town,” but in truth its always great to see smaller places like this doing well and striving to bring imagination to places that are in need of regeneration.
The menu is simple and expensive at all – even the specials on the menu don’t reach much beyond £8, and although I had the misfortune of visiting in the late afternoon just as the main kitchen was closing, leaving only jacket potatoes and paninis available, neither were skimped on in terms of quality. The panini I chose used fresh, high-quality local ham, and for my friend, the chilli bean jacket potatoes were also filling and fresh. All this for a grand total of, to the best of my memory, about £12-15, including drinks and a lemon drizzle cake. Can’t go far wrong with that.
words Fedor Tot