I tried tucked away cafe next to 'Birmingham's answer to Central Park' and got a lovely surprise

The sun was shining and I was in Birmingham city centre. Where could I go to make the most of the good weather? I knew just the spot.

I think Eastside City Park could be Birmingham's answer to Central Park - a long, green rectangle of lush grass, benches and perfect planting, this is an urban sanctuary for all ages. Sat on a bench, people watching, I felt I was just missing one thing: a lovely cup of coffee and a snack.

So, I popped into neighbouring Millennium Point to see what I could find. There wasn't an obvious cafe but, when I asked at reception, the lady told me to hop into the lift and it would be right in front of me on the second floor. As the lift doors opened, I got a lovely surprise.

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Mulino cafe is pretty, with an impressive food counter full of sweet treats, comfy leather sofas for lounging, wooden tables and chairs with little flower vases for dining and paintings of windmills on the walls. It was bustling too, with students typing away on laptops, business people getting together for meetings and families dropping in on their way out of Thinktank.

But the best surprise was the food - as all the pastries are freshly-baked in-house each morning. It smelt great and looked amazing. There were filled donuts and croissants, enormous pain au chocolats and exquisite cannolo custards plus cookies too.

If you want something savoury, there's hand-stretched pizzas, sausage rolls and ham and cheese muffins. The veggie options looked great too, with tomato and mozzarella pizza and ricotta and spinach rolls to tuck into. The sarnies looked equally tempting - goats cheese rolls, ham and cheese doorsteps, bacon buns, fish finger wraps, salmon bagels and New Yorkers filled with pastrami, mustard, Cheddar, gherkins and sauerkraut.

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There's also freshly baked breads you can pre-order the day before, such as ciabatta, focaccia and sourdough. These looked amazing. The prices were really reasonable too, with rolls starting from just £4.50, filled donuts from £2.50, cookies from £1.60, pizza slices around £3.50 and sausage rolls for £2.50. This seemed like a lovely way to give your kids a treat whilst in town, or to meet friends for a snack and a coffee without spending a fortune.

Whilst it was pleasant inside, I wanted to make the most of the chance to eat alfresco and so I ordered a medium latte (£3), adding my own cinnamon sprinkles, and a Biscoff filled croissant (£2.50). The total came to £5.50.

Clutching my goodies, I went back and chose from a multitude of benches in the park, opting for one in part shade, overlooking the trees and flowers, with views stretching towards Moor Street Station so I could watch the trains chugging in and out of the city. They were far enough away to not be noisy. Read our review of Eastside City Park here

It was lovely to sit and watch the world go by in a bit of peace and quiet - hard to believe, really, that it was only a seven minute walk from Bullring. The coffee was smooth and delicious, real quality beans and well prepared.

And the croissant? It was massive, making it excellent value for money. The layered pastry was delish on its own but then, when I got to the caramel? Well, I didn't want it to end. There was just the right amount of filling without it being too sickly. I'd definitely go there again. Much more peaceful and cheaper than trying to buy a snack for the kids from a chain in the centre of town. There's even a small kids playground, which is free to enter too.

Where to find Mulino

Mulino is on the second floor of Millennium Point. You have to know it's there to find it really. Eastside City Park can be reached via Curzon Street and Cardigan Street. It's an easy walk from Moor Street Station and Bullring.