We sent our Features reporter Rachel McInerney down to Market Square Navan to have a look inside Ode. Here’s what she found!

Located on one side of Market Square in Navan town, Ode cafe’s star shape light fittings twinkle in the front window. I grabbed my favourite spot by the fire, wrapped my hands around a hot mug of tea and let the warm notes of Christmas crooner music drift over me. Ode is a breath of fresh air, a Scandinavian inspired injection into the town that is soon celebrating four years in business. I nipped in today just in time to nab the last winter fox stocking that I had my eye on for weeks now!

“We always said we were never going to be a cafe with a gift shop, it was always going to be the other way around”- Says Stephen Carroll the owner.

Available in Ode is a myriad of products, ranging from beautiful unique Christmas ornaments to stationary sets. A wide selection of home-ware items are also on display in store, gift sets, coffee pot and cocktail sets are an inspired and different selection of gift ideas for sale. The Scandinavian influenced product range is elegant and stylish, you simply must drop by for a browse yourself!

It seems like you created the shop as more of a destination or an experience? Was that your intention?

“Yes that was what we were aiming for, we opened the shop six months before we opened the cafe, it was really about giving the shoppers somewhere to sit down. It was never intended to be the primary reason for someone to come here, it was an add-on.”- Says Stephen.

 Despite being an “add-on”,the cafe’s cosy atmosphere is so inviting this season, the interior design has a “shabby chic” feel to it and the eclectic mix of mis-matched furniture simply works.

With a short and sweet yet varied menu the busy little cafe serves up breakfast options and a selection of dishes for the lunchtime crowd, the chicken and homemade herb sandwich jumping out at me as a hearty winters lunch.

A tea, coffee and desert list makes this snug cafe the perfect place to meet for a “cuppa” and catch-up among relaxed vibes. The Original and edgy art work by owner Stephen Carrol decorate the cafe’s walls, pieces that coupled with fairy lights sprinkled about the place makes Ode a quirky spot to retreat to from the Christmas madness and the cold.

Now open on Sundays Ode is most certainly worth a visit for a well deserved shopping break this weekend!

 Click here to check out Ode’s Facebook page! http://bit.ly/2C6pkvJ