A city centre café off the beaten track will be no longer be dishing up food for its regulars after it closed this month.

Rendezvous Café, in Wallington Road, St Albans, was a firm favourite among shoppers escaping busy St Peter’s Street and the city centre.

Despite having mixed reviews after the café received a hygiene rating of “zero” from the Food Standards Agency in February last year, it had remained open and continued to serve food.

Customer Sharon Liddle said: “It was slow but I liked it as it was out of the way so not always too busy as not many knew about it.

“Myself and mum will go to The Waterend Barn now.”

A coffee shop is rumoured to be moving into the now vacant premises. The café’s owner was unable to comment on the closure before we went to press.