Accessed from the Naas Road, and with plenty of parking, Johnstown Garden Centre is an attractively presented destination, and a hard place to pass.
The garden centre was founded in 1974 by John and Elsie Clarke, and it remains in the Clarke family today. Gradual expansion has transformed the centre into a unique shopping destination that not only offers one of the country’s largest plant selections, but also stocks gourmet foods, kitchenware and household items. Unlike some other 'lifestyle garden centres', however, it has retained the personal touch and is as famous for hands-on management and personal service as it is for the exceptional range of quality plants and products available on site and online.
The same philosophy applies to The Garden Café, which rounds off the visitor experience very nicely by offering appetising home-cooked foods in an attractive setting - and has become a destination in itself. There are plants in the café too, of course, but they are purely decorative - the focus here is on the freshly prepared food from the in-house kitchen.
Bright and airy, with comfortable seating and wall to ceiling windows along one side, the main café area leads into a conservatory with views over patio gardens and the children’s playground. And there’s plenty of outdoor seating beside the playground too, which is very popular in fine weather.
Although it's self-service, there are very pleasant staff on hand to help. It's an attractive space and and the self-service counter is set up appealingly, with fresh, colourful salads and desserts all temptingly displayed. But there’s hot food as well. A choice of quiches with three of those salads - Cajun potato, Chinese noodle, beetroot, almond and goat’s cheese or Waldorf, for example - and a good lunch menu offering delicious homemade soups – the sweet potato is a meal in itself, accompanied by brown bread - and main dishes such as homemade beef burger & chunky fries, Thai chicken curry, or jumbo pork & leek Irish sausages with mash. Some of the dishes may have an international tone, but the meats and vegetables will be fresh and local and everything is very tasty.
Sweet-toothed customers will love the choice of cakes and desserts, from cheesecake to chocolate fudge and roulades, while the more health-conscious might opt for an equally delicious carrot cake. Plenty of choice for drinks too, including Bewley’s coffee, Irish teas or perhaps a Venga Tea/Fruit Juice Blended Drinks and Aloe Vera Drinks.
Johnstown Garden Centre is certainly a magnet for Irish garden lovers - but you don't have to have green fingers to enjoy a visit here.
