The Dragonfly Café - Bedford

Introduction

The Dragonfly Café, nestled within the picturesque Odell Country Park, is a delightful gem that offers a perfect blend of serene surroundings and culinary delight. Situated in Harrold, Bedfordshire, this café is a haven for nature lovers and food enthusiasts alike, providing a unique dining experience that combines the best of both worlds.

This article provides a comprehensive overview of The Dragonfly Café, delving into its main services, location, unique features, practical information, and positive aspects highlighted by customers in their reviews.

Main Services

The Dragonfly Café specializes in offering a variety of services that cater to different needs and preferences. Here are some of its main offerings:

• Coffee Shop: The café takes pride in its excellent coffee selection, brewed to perfection to suit various tastes. Whether you prefer a classic espresso, a cappuccino, or a unique specialty coffee, The Dragonfly Café has you covered.
• Tea Selection: For tea lovers, the café offers an extensive range of loose-leaf teas, including traditional English breakfast tea, green tea, and a variety of herbal infusions. The tea selection is sure to please even the most discerning tea connoisseur.
• Breakfast and Lunch Menu: The Dragonfly Café serves a tantalizing array of dishes for breakfast and lunch. The breakfast menu features classic options like eggs Benedict and avocado on toast, as well as more indulgent choices such as buttery pancakes and French toast. The lunch menu offers a range of light bites, sandwiches, and hearty meals, ensuring there's something for everyone.
• Desserts: No meal at The Dragonfly Café would be complete without sampling one of their delightful desserts. The café is renowned for its delectable cakes, pastries, and other sweet treats, which are sure to satisfy even the strongest sweet tooth.
• Outdoor Seating: The café boasts a beautiful outdoor seating area, perfect for enjoying a cup of coffee or a light bite while taking in the stunning views of Odell Country Park.

Location and Access

The Dragonfly Café is conveniently located within the Odell Country Park, making it an ideal pitstop for visitors exploring the great outdoors. The café is easily accessible by car, with a dedicated wheelchair-accessible car park available on-site. The address is Odell Country Park, Carlton Rd, Harrold, Bedford MK43 7DS, United Kingdom.

For those traveling by public transportation, the nearest bus stop is Harrold, Odell Country Park (Stop J), which is approximately a 5-minute walk from the café. Unfortunately, there is no direct train station nearby, but Bedford Train Station is about a 20-minute drive away, and taxis are readily available.

Featured Characteristics

The Dragonfly Café stands out from other eateries in the area due to its unique features, which enhance the overall dining experience:

• Wheelchair Accessibility: The café and its facilities are fully wheelchair-accessible, ensuring that all customers can enjoy the space with ease. This includes wheelchair-accessible entrance, seating, and restrooms.
• Dine-In and Takeaway Options: The Dragonfly Café offers both dine-in and takeaway options, allowing customers to enjoy their food and drinks either within the café or in the comfort of their own home.
• Family-Friendly Atmosphere: With its relaxed, informal setting and outdoor play area, The Dragonfly Café is an excellent choice for families with children. High chairs and a children's menu are available to ensure little ones are well-catered for.
• Dog-Friendly Policy: The café welcomes well-behaved dogs on leads, making it an ideal spot for dog owners to enjoy a meal with their furry companions.
• Community Events: The Dragonfly Café often hosts community events, such as art exhibitions, live music performances, and charity fundraisers. These events help to create a vibrant and engaging atmosphere within the café and its surrounding community.

Practical Information

To ensure a seamless visit to The Dragonfly Café, here's some essential practical information:

• Opening Hours: The café is open Tuesday to Sunday, from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. It is closed on Mondays.
• Contact Information: Although no telephone number is provided, customers can get in touch with The Dragonfly Café via their Facebook page or email them at [email protected].
• Parking: There is a dedicated car park on-site, with plenty of spaces available for customers. The car park is wheelchair-accessible, ensuring that all visitors can access the café with ease.
• Wi-Fi: Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the café, allowing customers to stay connected while enjoying their meal or drink.

Positive Aspects from Reviews

With an average rating of 2.6/5 from 29 reviews on Google My Business, The Dragonfly Café has received a mix of feedback from its customers. While some reviews highlight areas for improvement, many customers have praised the café for its unique selling points:

• Atmosphere and Location: Several reviewers commended the café for its idyllic setting within Odell Country Park, with one customer describing it as "a little piece of heaven." The relaxed, friendly atmosphere was also appreciated by many visitors.
• Coffee and Tea Selection: The Dragonfly Café's excellent coffee and tea offerings were frequently mentioned in positive reviews. One customer raved about the "wonderful selection of teas" and the "excellent coffee," while another agreed that the café served "the best coffee in the area."
• Food Quality and Variety: Many reviewers praised the café's food for its quality, variety, and presentation. One customer particularly enjoyed the "excellent breakfasts" and "tasty lunches," while another appreciated the "great selection of cakes and pastries."
• Staff and Service: The friendly and welcoming staff at The Dragonfly Café were also highlighted in many positive reviews. One customer noted that the staff were "always smiling and happy to help," while another appreciated their "excellent service with a smile."

While The Dragonfly Café has received some critical feedback, the positive aspects highlighted by customers demonstrate the café's commitment to providing a unique, enjoyable dining experience in a beautiful setting.

❓ Frequently asked questions about The Dragonfly Café

👍 Reviews of The Dragonfly Café

Mike G.

1/5

I dropped into the Dragonfly Cafe this morning while I was in the area and was quickly reminded why we stopped coming to Harold Country Park years ago. I arrived at 08:40 and asked if they were open. They said no, so I asked if there was anywhere else nearby where I could get a coffee. They just said maybe a pub. As I was about to leave I asked what time they opened and they said twenty minutes. It would not have been difficult for them to say that they open at nine. I should not have gone back when they opened because the breakfast was a poor shadow of the quality the team at Tea-Zels used to serve. The ingredients seemed to be the absolute cheapest possible. The sausages in particular were like a budget version of Iceland sausages, grey mush with no sign of real pork. At £12.95 it should be far better. Catering ketchup came in sachets and there was no mustard to give the sausages any life, and no salt and pepper on the table. It might be fine for a coffee and a cake but I would not bother with breakfast again as there are so many better alternatives. I hope the council puts the site out to tender again soon and that a better operator is found to match the potential of such a fantastic location. Why change something that was so perfect?

Iain W.

4/5

Very clean and tidy cafe coffee shop in Harold Odell country park. Good selection of hot and cold drinks and various cakes and rolls. Prices are the usual, around £3 for a regular latte which isn't that bad. Staff are all friendly and efficient. I Can imagine it gets busy in the warmer weather.

Damian C.

4/5

It looks like this café has changed hands quite a few times as it's now called the Dragonfly Café and is clearly different to the establishment that was here before. For my visit we were unfortunately a little late and the oven had been turned off which meant that I couldn't order a toastie. As a result I went for a simple cheese and tomato sandwich which came exactly as described: a tasty sandwich with no extra trimmings. This was washed down with a mug of tea which was just what I needed on a chilly winter's day. In terms of atmosphere the café is fairly utilitarian but you've got views of the lake, it offers toilet facilities and you're right next to the car park. What more do you need when you're visiting a country park?

Karen B.

1/5

Came this morning with parents having been here before and had a lovely friendly Experience, however today was not to be. They were more busy than usual due to nice weather and arrived in queue at 11.20 There cut off point for a breakfast is 11.30 It was 11.28 and had one person in front so asked the lady if she could put in an order of 1 fry up before the cut off and would continue to wait our turn We was told that the pans were Switched off and it wasn't even 11.30 When I said the time, I was told then they would have to do it in which I saw the chef out the back shake her head and obviously really put out The lady serving also went on several times to tell people that there food would be delayed due to this fry up being cooked This I feel was a dig at us and made to feel uncomfortably at this comment Me personally would have walked away and spend my pennies else where but was with my parents on a visit We paid £31.00 and food was nice but just didn't appreciate the hostility shown Maybe say to people waiting to be served who wants the breakfast as stopping shortly Its a shame as it is a lovely location but plenty more places to try

Ninja B.

1/5

I originally posted Nice Flat white coffee, however would like to amend my feedback from nice flat white to a coffee that has had the milk burnt using the steam from the espresso to a temperature equal to the sun. It doesn't matter what coffee you have Latte, flat white, cappuccino as they all taste the same burnt milk with a shot of espresso. "Enjoy" Along with burnt coffee you will have to endure the rude staff who are miserable and generally bring your day down. Natural kitchen is a funny name for this place. People are not naturally this horrible unlike the staff who work here. They have to go out of their way to be this offensive. It's odd that they are so bitter to customers and yet it looks like it could be a great little environment to work within Harold Country park.

Sophie D.

2/5

Very grumpy service, not quite sure what warranted the attitude. Dry cake, cappuccino was 90% foam. Disappointing.

Patrick A.

5/5

We had not been to this little cafe for a while and were really quite impressed with what we found. The staff were friendly, enthusiastic and attentive and the tea and cake we had were of very good quality. We only visited for a post-walk top-up but had a good look at the menu and were rather startled that the prices seem to have been fixed at historical pre-lockdown levels. Almost everywhere else we visit regularly has seen price rises in the order of 20% since then, with soup and a roll typically £5-£6 and sandwiches £6-£8, albeit with a side salad and jacket potatoes £7-£9. Here both soup and sandwiches are under a fiver and jacket potatoes under £6. The menu is a plain one with nothing elaborate on offer but seems to offer exceptional value, particularly given the location in a popular country park. In our estimation, the average review score in no way reflects the quality of what is now offered and I hope more people will add contemporary evaluations to rectify this apparent injustice. We expect to he regular visitors in the future. One plea to the management: please install wifi if at all possible as there seems to be limited mobile signal and I, and probably others, feel a little lost with no web access

Alfie

1/5

Absolutely rubbish Very narrow selection of choices none of them very good. It is a shame as it has the potential to be very nice but it has been pretty terrible for many years. Either shut this place down or just get your act together