Pips Bistro - Tunbridge Wells

Near Christmas as we are, its freezing and what we all really need is a warm place to go for a cup of cheer…I mean tea. I stumbled upon Pips on my way to the Pantiles and it looked warm and inviting, I had to stop for a cup of tea and a slice of cake! I was not disappointed by the lovely tea and home-made Victoria Sponge that greeted me which will both have me going back for more with friends!

Lit by the glow of two red lamps over the counter, the place has a lovely warm, cosy feel to it which is perfect for this time of year you could almost imagine the red light was a Christmassy fireside glow (the sort by which you might conspire or over which you might roast chestnuts!). The room is full mismatched wooden furniture and fun knick-knacks like the deer head on the wall, currently covered in festive lights (also red) and the random fascinator on the wall below it.

One of the things that really caught my eye however, was the slanted ceiling above the counter that backs the stairs and has a door marked private in it! I can’t help but wonder if it actually opens and what is behind it…

A quirky and pleasant place to relax and have breakfast, lunch or just a snack with a great menu served till nine and a warm homely feel, I really recommend Pips for a pit stop any time of day!

Twitter: @PipsBistro

Address: 18 Chapel Place, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN1 1YQ

Basil - Tunbridge Wells

“You haven’t been to Basil?! It’s the best café in Tunbridge Wells!” a co-worker gawped at me last week. I had heard of Basil, the health food café, bringing healthy, good food to the people of Tunbridge Wells from not one but two locations in and near the town center. However I had never been and had no idea where it was but after such high praise, I had to find it. So today, after work I ventured out into Tunbridge Wells, with directions from my co-worker in search of a snack and a cup of tea. Turns out it was actually very easy to find and I’m just unobservant…

Before I even reach the counter the staff are smiling and talking to me and there are lots of them, which was a little alarming at first but very good service and they are friendly and accommodating through the whole time we are there which makes a customer feel cared about and is very nice to have. If I was ever to rate cafes or god forbid grade them in any way, number of staff would be one of my criteria because some places just don’t seem to have enough. Some places don’t need the numbers, if they are smaller or less busy but lots of smiling helpful staff just makes a customer feel more comfortable and likely to come again! At least it does for me anyway!

The bright main room is, like most cafes seem to be now, all wood but the light wood of the floor and the light paint on the walls makes a beautiful contrast to the dark wood of the tables and chairs, giving the whole place a beautiful, natural look that a place with a name like ‘Basil Wholefoods’ really deserves. Straight in front of me as I enter is a counter laid out with all manner of interesting looking healthy cakes and pastries and above them, behind the counter a great choice of hot and cold drinks. There is no end of choice here to please even the fussiest or not-quite-hungriest of eaters just like me. However I am a sucker for a nice crisp croissant so when I saw a plate of them I had to have one and a cup of gorgeous, fair trade tea, both of which were lovely.

A really pleasant and friendly place to eat and a great variety of food for even really fussy eaters, I really recommend Basil for a lunch date!


Twitter: @basilwholefoods
Facebook: facebook.com/basilwholefoods
Website: http://www.basil-online.co.uk/
Address: 1-3 Lime Hill Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN1 1LJ

#TeaTotal - Tunbridge Wells

Another new addition to Camden Road in Tunbridge Wells is #TeaTotal (yes that’s the name of the café), a fresh look at tea and coffee for the local tea time lovers! (Fun Fact: This very blog was almost named Tea Total because it perfectly describes me!)

The inside of the café instantly grabs your attention, half in corrugated sheet metal and half in wood, its different from any of the cafés I have seen so far. The owner tells me that its made to look like a coffee ‘shack’ that you might find on holiday. The ever-popular black boards on the wall display teas and coffees in multi-coloured chalk brightening the look of the dark walls. The breakfast tea I chose comes from a company called ‘Cosy’, one I have never heard of but is delicious, especially along with a gorgeous Byron Bay cookie!

A few things a loved about this (apart from the cookies!) are the lights over the counter which are made out of teapots and the curtains to the kitchen, which are made from brown coffee-style sacking. 

A really lovely place that is open late and staffed by some really friendly people. Perfect for the after work pick-me-up, an escape to the holiday coffee shack highly recommended!

Fuggles Beer Cafe - Tunbridge Wells

I’ve been on my café journey for almost a year now and though I’ve been to some awesome themed cafes and some slightly odd ones too I haven’t yet been to one quite like this! I’ve swapped my usual four o’clock tea and cake for eight o’clock and a soft drink at Fuggles, the ‘beer café’ (what?! It has ‘café’ in the title!) This is so different from anywhere I’ve been so far and I love it! Though, of course, tea is my preferred drink I do like to go to the pub with some friends and when I spotted Fuggles I knew I had to try it out!

Inside the single room is kitted out like a swanky bistro with a wooden floor and tables and low lighting, I especially love the beer taps on the wall behind the bar, offering far more options than I have ever seen in a pub. Lots of small, changeable blackboards above these taps list the many beers for sale as well as the wines and also some great looking food. Above it all the ceiling is covered with bare beams and large silver ducts and these, coupled with the tin adverts on the walls, create a wonderful warm, retro feel to the whole place. Down the back of the bar, where my friends and I are sat are comfy (really comfy) sofas and lower tables if you feel like being a bit more relaxed.

In the evening the atmosphere is that of any trendy pub, food is served till half past ten and the crowds are heaving, if you see a spare table, you have to run quick! I think there is music too but its really hard to tell under all the din of the entire place talking at once! The thing I really like about Fuggles is the friendly atmosphere, all the staff are lovely and the customers seem to be having a good time too. Highly recommended!

Facebook: facebook.com/fugglesbeercafe

Twitter: @fugglesbeercafe

Website: fugglesbeercafe.co.uk

Address: 28 Grosvenor Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN1 2AP 

ParTEA!

Are you a café owner/worker in Tunbridge Wells or perhaps your just interested to discover new cafes and tea and coffee houses in the area? Then read on!

Yesterday I sent a message out on Twitter asking if Tunbridge Wells’ café owners (the ones I have on Twitter) were interested in meeting other local café owners and some prospective customers too. The message got a great positive response and so I’m setting up a parTEA! It will be a chance for you to meet like-minded people, have some tea, coffee and snacks and maybe even learn something.  I’d even like to get a couple of demonstrations and/or going as well so contact me if you would like to give a demonstration or a talk or know someone who might.

I will have a sign-up sheet out on the day so that people can give their e-mail addresses to any cafes present, if you have an offer for prospective customers let me know and they will be told about it on the day as well.

Feel free to bring friends and maybe even a tasty treat or two!

The date for your diaries is:

Sunday 19^th October 2014 3pm-8pm

The address is:

4 Calverley Park, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN1 2NE

P.S. I will also be bringing posters around the cafes to make sure I got all of you and so you can put them up for your customers too!

Colonnade Cafe - Tunbridge Wells

Hemmed in from all directions by the most beautiful flowers and plants, across the room from my favorite flowers (orchids), the smell is divine and the colours even better at the Colonnade Café.

The new thing seems to be what I call ‘café plus’ (or ‘plus café’ I suppose, depending on which came first). There’s Tunbridge Wells’ ‘Comic Cafe’, a comic book shop plus café, ‘Scallywag café’ which is also an antiques shop, ‘The Sevenoaks Bookshop’ (self-explanatory) and now the flower shop ‘Flowers @ Colonnade’ have created ‘Colonnade Café’.

The staff are so friendly to customers from both sides of their business whether they be buying a wedding bouquet or staying for tea. The crockery that all the food comes in/on is gorgeous, lovely flowing shapes and little heart shaped bowls for jam and cream for the scones this mixed with the gorgeous smell of the flowers and back and forth of the customers ordering flowers makes for an interesting and enjoyable tea time. The only problem with the two businesses is that one can distract the staff from the other when they are rushing to do everything at once which means that, unfortunately (and I’m sure, infrequently) things get forgotten (like my sandwich!) However, the tea was super and after a lovely message from the lady who forgot my sandwich when she saw a picture of one on my Twitter, I returned the next day for another great cuppa and had one of the best sandwiches I’ve ever had!

A beautiful café, full of light and the smell of flowers, perfect for time to stop and think (or stop and smell the roses!)

Twitter: @ColonnadeTW

Facebook: facebook.com/flowersatcolonnade?fref=ts

Website: http://www.colonnadeflorist.co.uk/

Address: 10 Monson Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN1 1ND

Stefania's - Tunbridge Wells

It is the small café capital of Kent here in Tunbridge Wells, with this one being the latest of twenty three that I have reviewed here in this town alone (there are more to come too!) Sat underneath a gorgeous chandelier with amber coloured stones and metal ivy and flowers all over it, sipping a huge cuppa and nibbling a heavenly slice of tiffin, I am in Stefania’s  

All bare wood and sweet repeat-pattern wallpaper, this café is the perfect place for tea with an old friend or a special day with a relative. Beautiful and bright with smiling staff and sugary treats! Looking at the sign on the wall that reads “I love chocolate” and all the chocolatey, cakey goodness on the counter and I know I belong here. The menu, while a little limited, all looks amazing, promising som3 real British food such as a ‘full english’ or ‘proper bacon/sausage sandwich’ and my favorite, ‘hot buttered cinnamon and raisin bagel with jam’! All these sound amazing but as the kitchen is closed I went for some gorgeous tiffin which, though busy (full of raisins and oats and things) is very nice and I accompanied this, as usual, with a lovely cup of breakfast tea (which is huge!)

Being on the top end of Camden Road, Stefania’s is really close to The Black Dog, Lo-Gi, Gusta and further away The Bicycle Café, Comic Café and soon The Tree of Hope Centre too! I have no doubt that Stefania’s will go far and stand out as it is entirely different from any of them, next time I will be sitting in the comfy armchairs in the window though!

Twitter: @StefaniasTW

Facebook: facebook.com/pages/Stefanias-Cafe-Patisserie

Website: stefanias.co.uk

Address: 11 Camden Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN1 2PS

Rustic Cafe - Tunbridge Wells

Surrounded by white painted wood, flower patterns and bunting I am in a quaint heaven at Rustic. Even though I popped in just before closing the lovely lady behind the counter made me a great cup of tea in a delicate pink china cup that fits the place perfectly. The black board on one wall (topped with bunting) shows all the delicious sandwiches and hot drinks on offer and the glass case by the kitchen displays cakes and home-made sandwiches and sausage rolls.

The café is very small with just three tables inside and two outside but it doesn’t need any more, the size and atmosphere fit the theme so well a huge amount of tables would mean that the idea of the place would be lost. I love Rustic’s sense of home, the bunting and the friendly staff, the beautiful china and the home-made food, these things make Rustic, Rustic.

Returning the next day with a friend gave me a chance to try some of the food (which was delicious) and get a better look at the whole place. In the sunlight everything glows and its not just the glass case with all the gorgeous food that keeps calling me, (hold on, cheese ahead) its the love that has gone into it, its not a chain and it doesn’t look anything like one, Rustic is home.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/Rusticcafe1?fref=ts

Twitter: @JaneWright815

Address: 18 Crescent Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN1 2LU

Scallywag Cafe - Tunbridge Wells

When a friend told me about this “antique shop café” that is really close to where I live, I didn’t quite believe it, a place that sounded so perfect for me, so close, that still passed under my tea-loving, café-blogging radar? I had to check it out.

So here I sit in Scallywag Café, one of the most beautiful cafes I have been in on my blogging journey. I knew I was going to love it here the moment I saw I across the road, all distressed wood and exposed brick with a wooden figure of a man with a great moustache (possibly a scallywag) in the window, it looks like a beautiful and old fashioned antiques store where all manner of treasures can be found because that’s exactly what it is, but with tea and cake! There truly is nothing better.

Sat in the main room I am surrounded by light from the floor to ceiling windows on two sides, split by bare brick walls and dotted all around are gorgeous antique mirrors, lamps, bookcases and more.  Surrounded by all these lovely things I can see myself coming here a lot, looking down I even notice that the chair I’m sitting on is one of them, a lovely white wooden chair, yours if you have a spare £150! Staring around at the beautiful place and the beautiful things filling it, I let my tea go cold more than once! In addition to this room there is the new ‘snug room’ out the back, a smaller, cozier room (a ‘snug’ I suppose) for quieter rendezvous.

My tea is teapigs (naturally) and delicious but the cake! A triple layer, marshmallow, salted caramel, rice crispy heaven…wow! Though a Victoria Sponge or Chocolate cake is wonderful, this is divine. This is a great place for all ages (just be careful of the children and antiques combination!) Scallywag Café is a true Tunbridge Wells gem.

Facebook: facebook.com/ScallywagHome?fref=ts
Twitter: @scallywagcafe
Address: 45 Mount Ephraim, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN4 8AA

Perk and Pearl - Tunbridge Wells

Perk and Pearl is more of a tea and coffee  shop than a café, selling no less than thirty types of loose leaf tea (with around 1000 avaliable for order!) and twenty types of coffee alongside  an assortment of treats and additions like marshmallows, fudge, mint thins and teapots and other tea and coffee accessories. They don’t stop there though, in support of local artists such as David Gurden, inquisitivecows.com and Caroline Pitcher, products like cards, mugs and aprons are also available to buy.

The shop/café itself has a beautiful front room (in which I sit with my pot of tea) which reminds me of an old fashioned sweet shop, wooden shelves full of tall glass jars and bags full of exciting things. The front window that takes up one side of the room lets loads of light in and the smell of coffee makes sitting here bliss (and I don’t even like coffee!) I love the bare brick look walls and sitting here having a gorgeous pot of English breakfast and a chat with the owner, Joe is just perfect, I wish I had the time and money to do it every day!

Facebook:facebook.com/pages/Perk-Pearl/576069039122364?ref=br_rs
Twitter: @PerkPearl
Website: perkandpearl.co.uk
Address: 2 Grove Hill Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN1 1RZ

The Velo House - Tunbridge Wells

I’ve heard about The Velo House (so called because 'velo' is french for bicycle), the café for cyclists but being neither a bike-rider or a sporty person of any description, I was reluctant to visit it. However, sitting in the café, I have no idea what I was so worried about. Though half the building is a bike shop and workshop don’t let their tag “bikes, beers and community for cyclists” put you off if you don’t love everything on two wheels, you don’t have to be speedy sporty to enjoy their fantastic menu of hot and cold drinks, sandwiches and salads and gorgeous cakes. While here I have seen an assortment of people from myself, in jeans and a t-shirt, a man in a suit, to people in full cyclist’s gear.

The ground floor of the building is taken up the café and the kitchen, with a big open space full of tables with maps on the surfaces and cycling memorabilia is all around, I especially love the sign in the corner which reads “ you can’t buy happiness but you can buy a bike and that’s pretty close” and the flags hanging from the high celling and with screens blaring Tour De France footage all the time, the large room is by no means quiet! The Velo’s stone floor also means that you can push your bikes to the workshop at the back and they are prepared for cyclists whatever the weather! The second floor is the shop , a cyclists heaven, full of everything from gloves and clothes to energy bars and other great energy foods (I don’t pretend to know anything about any of it!)

My cheese baguette is great and the huge slice of rocky road messy but gorgeous, I even ordered extra tea so I could sit and try and finish it…and I couldn’t… but I liked this café so much I brought my brother for lunch the next day! An excellent haven for cyclists and a great café for everyone else!

Facebook: facebook.com/pages/The-Velo-House

Twitter: @TheVeloHouse

Website: thevelohouse.com

Address: 5 St Johns Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN4 9GW

The Black Dog - Tunbridge Wells

I used to walk past this café all the time and admire its wall (yes, its wall) which has a painting of a surf board with a picture of a dog on it. Having finally been in, I can say that that picture (and the ‘A’-board outside at the moment that reads “a yawn is a silent scream for coffee” suit this place down to the ground, a little weird and more than a little wonderful. The Black Dog is an Australian themed café which is decorated with pictures of Australia, black dogs (obviously), four beautiful guitars on one wall and what look like giant paper flowers hanging from the ceiling. The whole place gives off a wacky but comfortable feel that I love.

My peppermint tea is perfect and the food looks great, including a great lunch menu and a counter full of exciting flavors of cake, if only I hadn’t had lunch already (and they didn’t close in half an hour!) All in all The Black Dog is a nice, quiet spot with the music not too loud and a proper chilled out feel not to mention a great window seat that has given me a new-found appreciation for window seats!

Facebook: facebook.com/pages/The-Black-Dog

Twitter: @BlackDogCafe

Website: Blackdogcafetw.co.uk

Address: 20 Camden Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN1 2PY

Gusta - Tunbridge Wells

Now is the age of the café, for Tunbridge Wells at least, with the arrival of yet another small café joining The Black Dog, The Bicycle Café and Comic Café on Camden Road. Gusta is an Italian café nestled into a small shop space. They serve a range of hot and cold drinks, beers, cocktails and wines to go along with one of their many authentic Italian dishes and snacks (including a choice of meat and cheese boards or even a mix of both!)

The space is long and thin but still comfortable and spacy and only a little cramped when all the tables are full. The place is kept bright and clear by the light, bare wood (that everything is made of) and the white walls with a smattering of photographs (framed in light wood, of course). Its perfectly Italian down to the Italian waiters and the cheese and meat counter. I especially love the wall at the back, which reads: “Chi mangia bene, vive bene!” which means ‘who eats well, lives well’.

Though the hot chocolate could do with a little more chocolate in it, over all Gusta is a little slice of Italy well worth visiting! (Me Gusta, sorry, couldn’t resist!)

Ismail - Tunbridge Wells

Only taking up half of the ground floor in the old Halifax building (sharing the space with Cotswold outdoor store) Ismail is not one to be put in the corner, its reddish-pink walls and dark wood bar stand out from the cream and orange of the rest of the shop. There are plenty of tables in the space they have and there are always people here, inside and in the outside seating (with a great view of the opera house). The shop looks beautiful with its one red/pink wall and pictures in mismatched frames.

I love it at Ismail and everyone else seems to too as the place is really popular! If you try one thing make it the hot chocolate, the best hot chocolate I have ever had. A tall glass mug coated with melted chocolate and then filled with hot milk and a chocolate coin to top it off. You mix it yourself and it tastes perfect! This time however, on my way to buy my amazing hot chocolate I noticed a sign on the bar, strawberries with a melted chocolate dip you say? Yes please! (I am never one to say no to chocolate or strawberries but both?!) I wasn’t let down, it was amazing.

Friendly and relaxing, this is the perfect place to kick back, in an ideal spot in the centre of town and in a beautiful building.

Twitter:@IsmailCoffeeTea

Website: Ismail.co.uk

Address: 95-97 Mount Pleasant Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN1 1QG

Fine Grind Espresso Bar - Tunbridge Wells

Possibly the most suave coffee shop (or should I say, coffee ‘bar’) Tunbridge Wells has to offer, Fine Grind is the kind of place I would expect to find full of coffee connoisseurs drinking coffees with long names and reading, also to be full of smoke, if people could still smoke inside that is. As it is, the air is clear and you can see its smart red and black interior with matching black chairs and tables and black and white photographs adding a touch of classic charm.

As well as offering a wide range of coffees they have a line of Tea Pigs teas and a hot chocolate (which is delicious!) The food choices are amazing too, things like ‘goat’s cheese and peppers with caramelized onions’ (I’m guessing sandwich but it would be just as good by itself!) Though, the weather has been hot recently here, so if a hot drink isn’t what you are looking for then the well-stocked fridge of fizzies and juices may be more to your liking. One of the staff even handed out glasses of water with ice in them because it was so hot today, (for which I was very greatful!)

I was nervous about doing this review because I don’t like  coffee all that much but Fine Grind is classy and gorgeous and the perfect place to chill out with a cuppa and read a book (as a customer near me was doing) or get some writing done (like me) or just kick back and watch the world go by, you can even sit at a stall by the window for a better view!

Twitter: FineGrindTW

Facebook: facebook.com/finegrindespressobar

Website: http://finegrindtunbridgewells.co.uk

Address: 90-92 High Street, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN1 1YF

Shrager's Patisserie - Tunbridge Wells

Welcoming you in with the blue and cream decor and the well-stocked cakes counter Shrager's Patisserie (named after Rosemary Shrager, who has a cooking school nearby) is the image of sophisticated British tea time. Shown even in my tea set, a white teapot and cup with a black saucer, very chic.

The room is full of wooden chairs and tables but a balcony onto the second landing (barely a meter up from the ground itself) offers a glimpse of more comfortable chairs and sofas surrounding coffee tables if you fancy something a little more laid back.

As the establishment is named after Rosemary Shrager, her literature is close at hand wherever you sit. There is a bookshelf displaying all her written work (as well as interesting bottles of things such as vanilla sugar and blackberry vinegar) and leaflets about her cookery school on every table. I like that though they are everywhere it doesn't feel intrusive, as if they are trying to sell you the school, more just to point out its there.

My tea and croissant are perfect and the staff are so friendly and happy to have a chat with me about the school or finding the twitter page (which took us a while) I could happily sit here for a while, maybe read one of the books?!

Twitter: @rspatisserie
Website: http://www.rosemaryshrager.com/deli-shop/
Address: 4 Sussex Mews, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN2 5QJ

La Roche - Tunbridge Wells

Some places treat you well but when I visited La Roche today I tweeted that I was being treated like a queen and I felt like it, you only need to see the presentation of the food to see what I mean. It took me forever to choose a dessert from all of the beautiful hand-made and decorated French desserts. I decided on a gorgeous chocolate éclair, sat on a gold card, topped with a patterned chocolate wafer and a chocolate coin stamped with ‘La Roche’ in gold, extremely beautiful and just as tasty. The smiling young waitress behind the counter sent me to find a table while she placed in on the bottom of a two tier cake stand, putting a cake fork and spoon on the top tier and finishing it with strawberries and raspberries. When she brought it over I couldn’t help but remark on how pretty it looked and thank her profusely.

The counter is delicately filled with French cakes and pastries from apple danishes to cupcakes and not forgetting the gorgeous éclairs. Off to one side is a glass cabinet, proudly displaying three ruffle-effect cakes, they look wonderful and show the talent of whoever made them and are available by commission. The whole place is decorated in gold and marble-effect, shown in the pillars (that match the floor and the counter) that adorn the gorgeous arched cabinet at the back of the room, now being used to display the fresh bread that they bake and sell here. Saying that, the whole room smells like baking, just adding to the classic bakery atmosphere and the fresh flowers in the center of the counter round off this fresh, friendly and traditional café to perfection.

Twitter: @larocheTW
Website: larochetw.co.uk
Address: 7 London Rd, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN4 0RR

The Cake Shed - Tunbridge Wells

Surrounded by an eclectic collection of art works, comfortable chairs and bare wooden tables I am eating the best Victoria sponge I have ever had, bliss. This beautiful café seems to have it all, local brick-a-brac and art (for sale), delicious home-made cakes and a fun and funky atmosphere. I could sit here and eat this cake all day.

There is inside and outside seating and on a lovely day there is nothing better than sitting out on the historic Pantiles with a cup of loose leaf tea! The inside seating is lovely, all bare wood and comfy seats from which you can see the kitchen behind the counter to one side and the Pantiles to the other. The kitchen is surrounded by chalk boards that are mostly menus but some have fun things written on them. My favorite is ‘life is what you bake it’ which is very true. I can also see the chemical compound for caffeine and ‘hello, is it tea your looking for?’ which made me smile. The rose on the table in front of me seems to be the cherry on top of a fantastic place.

Perfect for a slice of cake or something more substantial and a cup of one of the many flavors of tea and a relax with their calming music The Cake Shed is gorgeous. 

Twitter: @thecakeshed1
Website: thecakeshed.co.uk
Address: 32 The Pantiles, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN2 5TN

Souper Juice - Tunbridge Wells

This long thin café fills an oddly shaped space on the end of a row of shops. They have used the space well, fitting in a fair few tables, the large kitchen and serving area and a bathroom. The shape of the café also means that from where I am sat, right in the middle, I can see the whole place. The floor and seats are dark wood and the block colour walls give the place a fun, vintage look.  

The entire menu is up on chalk boards behind the counter and it all looks fab! Living up to its name the two main areas are (all together now) soup and juice but there are some other tasty looking options too. I however, have chosen the ‘Mars Bar’ cake from the tempting cake display in the window (passing up an amazing looking Rainbow Cake for another time) and it tastes good but nowhere near as good as it looks, covered in edible glitter! The range of drinks is amazing, from hot drinks to iced tea and juices and smoothies, very healthy and delicious.

I love the tea, it comes in a tea-pot that has an in-built strainer (I spent a little while wondering where my strainer was after I opened the lid and saw tea leaves)more places should invest in these innovative little pots.

I like what they’ve done with the place and the range of cakes and tea mean I might be stopping here again!

Twitter: @souperjuice1
Facebook: facebook.com/souperjuice1
Website: souperjuicebar.co.uk
Address: 11 Monson Rd, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN1 1LS

Me

Hello!

I’ve been touring tearooms and blogging about my experiences for just over six months now and I haven’t really said much about me. Hi! My names Georgie, I’m 23 and from Kent. As you can guess I love tea and tearooms and cafés and its my hope one day to open up a tearoom of my own. I’d love to hear from you and this is the real reason for writing this short message. There are two way of contacting me (apart from leaving a comment here) and they are:

1) Email me at Time-For-Tea-Blog@hotmail.co.uk

2) Tweet me at @TimeForTeaBlog1

I seriously would love to hear from you, let me know if you’ve been to any of the places I blogged about and what you thought. Or if there is a place I haven’t blogged about that you think I should check out, let me know and I just might, if you leave your name too, I will put in the blog that you recommended me that place.

Happy tea drinking!

Georgie x

Lo-Gi - Tunbridge Wells

A far cry from the mismatched homey atmosphere of Juliets or The Nutmeg Tree, Lo-Gi (standing for low glycemic index, the ‘ranking of carbohydrates from 0-100, according to extent at which they raise the blood sugar levels’ as the ‘dietary requirements manual’ the owner showed me says) is a clean cut health food café boasting ‘simply delicious food’ and a wide range or gluten free, dairy free, sugar free, vegetarian AND vegan food (wow!).

Lo-Gi was created by couple, one of whom is a coeliac and the other a diabetic and their two children who are both dairy intolerant when they found there were few places all of them could find ‘good quality healthy choices’ (as the story of Lo-Gi on the back of the menu states). They are confident that here, anyone with any dietary needs can come and find something and from the looks of the healthy and delicious looking options on the rather full menu and after having a nice chat with one of the owners about all the options (whetting my appetite…) I think they are probably right!

The café is full of bare wood, from the tables and chairs to the floor and even the lower half of the counter. I really like this because it feeds into the healthy and natural feel of the place while keeping it modern with flowing shapes and bright colours. All around are wide café windows and views of passing shoppers and cars, which at the same time are muted by the music and seem somehow distant and unimportant as you concentrate on the inside space and enjoy the menu.

I was most excited with the way my tea came, in a glass mug with a bowl ‘lid’ that turned helpfully into a place to put my teabag and empty sugar packets (yes, sugar, don’t judge me!) I love being able to see the beautiful colour of tea all the way through before and after adding the milk. A truly calming and healthy café experience, highly recommended!

Twitter: @eatlogi
Website: eatlogi.com
Address: 5 Ely Court, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN1 2SP

Juliets - Tunbridge Wells

I’ve been recommended Juliets, by a few people and sitting here looking around at the friendly staff and happy customers (and eating the richly delicious rocky road) I can see why. This sweet little café has been open for four years and is run by couple Juliet (who brings 18 years catering experience to making this café perfect) and Simon (the chef) and I like that they have written a personal message to the customers at the bottom of the menu, introducing the new seasons menu, which ends ‘Enjoy, Juliet and Simon’.

The whole place is mismatched from the crockery and cutlery to the art on the walls and even the chairs and tables (even the staff’s clothes!) this gives the whole café a gorgeous at home quirky feel that is unique and that I adore! I could get lost forever studying the beautiful pieces of crockery and artwork laid out on the tables and walls all around for myself and my fellow customers.  The slightly up-beat music that flows around the shop, enveloping you as you enter, immediately pushes all cares aside and allows you to enjoy your tea/lunch-having experience in peace (though some of the choices, such as a marching bands rendition of ‘When the Saints go Marching in’, are a bit odd, the music seems to be as eclectic as everything else.) I’m also happy to spot a fresh orange juice maker behind the counter next to the hot drinks machine, perfectly in place, as at home as the coffee maker (an extra I think all cafés should have).

The tea, from a company I have never heard of before called ‘Prince and Sons’ (as a barista tells me, recently changed from Tea Pigs, which is still available in the in boxes from behind the counter) is lovely and the food, including the gorgeous rocky road and other scrummy looking cakes, looks great. I will certainly be back to try more or it! The only negative thing is that they were out of my two favorite cakes, Sponge and Lemon Drizzle… this is part of the reason I will be back!

I love this fun, quirky café with its mismatched things and happy atmosphere, I will definitely return as the atmosphere is perfect for writing (for me, anyway.)

Twitter: @julietsandmore
Website: julietstunbridgewells.co.uk
Address: 54 High Street, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN1 1XF

The Javabean Cafe - Tunbridge Wells

This trendy café is actually rather large and it needs to be! Every time I walk past it seems to be full of customers. I knew I had to try it out myself.

The inside is well laid out and I like that one wall displays the work of local artists (available to buy), a different one every four weeks, or so the sign says. I love the beautifully painted with quirky images, such as a power line with birds on it (to advertise the Twitter page) over the window, tea pots and mugs over the hot drinks station and wine bottles and glasses perched on top of a black board. Though, this time, I only had a cup of tea, I can almost hear the delicious looking chips and the cakes behind the glass counter (so close) calling out to me… next time. A sign to my left also boasts ‘Home made waffles!’ I shall have to try those too!

Though the kitchen closed an hour ago, I managed to get my hands on a menu offering a wide range of burgers, sandwiches, jacket potatoes and make-your-own breakfasts (choosing three, five or eight items from the breakfast menu.)

I love the local artwork, the hand made cards on the counter, and all the other small touches that make this place so different and beautiful, highly recommended for a trendy break from the norm.

Twitter: @javabeanTW
Facebook: facebook.com/javabeancafetunbridgewells
Website: javabean-cafe.co.uk
Address: 67-69 The High Street, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN1 1XX

The Tiffin Cafe - Tunbridge Wells

As the menu hedder states: "Tiffin\Tif'ffn\, n. A lunch, or light repast between breakfast and dinner; originally English slang tiffing, v. Taking a little drink or sip, but introduced into India, and brought back with a new meaning."

The Tiffin café or just Tiffin is another of Tunbridge Wells' true hidden gems. Were it not for the sign at the end of the small street its on, I would never have found it myself. This small café is decorated beautifully with pictures of the town, flowers and even veggies! There are even fresh herbs growing in the window. Though its small, with five tables inside and two out, it is by no means crampt or uncomfortable, quite the opposite. The large front window and open door fill the room with light and air and give it a trully welcoming feeling (aided in no small part by the table heaving with home made cakes opposite the door, yum! Naturally I had to sample one for myself, the Chocolate Orange cake was divine!)

Sat on the sofa that runs along one wall of the room I cant help but smile as the relaxing music, my mug of perfect tea and gorgeous cake calm me right down and cheer me up emensly after a long morning at work and the fact that the teas are all fair trade just makes it all better.

Hidden down the bottom of the high-street, on a little side street, this cute café may be harder to find than some of the others but its well worth looking for.

Twitter: @tiffincafetw
Website: tiffincafeandcatering.co.uk
Address: 5 Castle St, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN1 1XJ

The Bicycle Bakery - Tunbridge Wells

This fairly new bakery-come-café is really sweet, hidden up the far end of Camden Road the small interior is covered in pictures of bicycles, the cherry on top being a full size ‘Hercules’ bike in the window, complete with basket.

The bakery makes all its own bread and cakes (of course) and the friendly staff are smiling and laughing as they bake in the kitchen, which is visible from the tables. The bakery also sells a wide range of hot and cold drinks (including a Strawberry Cream Tea which sounds amazing!) Though today is rather warm so I opted for a Coca-Cola instead of my normal tea I am thoroughly enjoying sitting near the open door, with the sun streaming in and a fresh bunch of flowers in front of me, lovely.

Though small, this quirky café has a lot of personality and an extremely talented baker or two make it perfect. I recommend it wholeheartedly. 

Twitter: @Tbicycle_bakery
Facebook: facebook.com/thebicyclebakery
Address: 120 Camden Rd, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN1 2QZ

Trinity Cafe - Tunbridge Wells

Being in the foyer of a theatre, this friendly café is often really busy and full of not only customers but ushers and technical staff and even a famous face or two famous faces once in a while.

There is a wide range of hot and cold food including a group of weird flavours of Taywell ice cream and many different hot and cold drinks (a collection of Teapigs teas included). The cake counter is always full of tasty looking cakes made by (and sometimes for) the café staff. The staff themselves are always friendly and happy to help you with anything you may need.

As well as a beautiful theatre, the building also houses a small gallery, always full of the art of some fascinating artist or other. I love that a trip to Trinity can be an experience (be it to see a show or browse the gallery) and not just a coffee stop. Regardless of whether you see a show or not, a trip to Trinity is well worth it for the friendly staff, good food (and great cake) and exciting atmosphere.

Twitter: @trinitytheatre
Facebook: facebook.com/trinitytheatre
Website: trinitytheatre.net
Address: Trinity Theatre, Church Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1JP

Zest - Hoopers - Tunbridge Wells

‘Zest’ is the perfect name for this fresh, bright and airy Café. The comfortable minimalist feel is one that shows off the class of the department store but allows a break from being hemmed in on all sides by clothes (and some of their downright scary prices!). The décor, with its bric-a-brac (stylish chic bric-a-brac mind!) nailed to the walls, gives the idea of the way stylish home magazines would have us believe every modern home should look. Zest’s citrus name is can be seen all around in the lime green that can one can spot from the napkins and sofa cushions to the café logo on the wall and its even a lime green hatstand. It must be all the white painted crates and mini topiaries that give the place a ‘white picket fence’ feel .

The easy listening music and rooftop views make this a very peaceful place and perfect for lots of different types of customer. Though sitting here in the quiet of a late Saturday afternoon I can’t quite see it being a children’s place, even though the entrance is right next to the kids section. I suppose, earlier in the day, on a busy shopping day, the atmosphere would be different.

The tea is reasonably priced and comes in good portions (two cup pots) and can be accompanied by a varying array of delicious looking cakes and pastries and some great looking hot food too.

This wide open café with its modern home atmosphere is lovely and the perfect place for a snack break to calm and rejuvenate. 

Twitter: @hoopersedit
Facebook: facebook.com/hoopersstores
Website: hoopersstores.com
Address: 1-12 Mt Plesant Rd, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN1 1QT

The Moat Tearooms - Canterbury

I have been waiting to do this review for ages! The Moat is a tiny oasis of Victorian charm in the cool student town of Canterbury. I love The Moat about as much as I love The Nutmeg Tree in Tunbridge Wells (and that’s a lot!) It shows us what a real tearoom should be like. The beautiful timber framed building dates back to the 15^th century and oozes charm and history, including original fireplaces and two grotesques (that’s gargoyles to you and me) protecting the 16^th century front door. The moat offers a wide range of loose leaf teas and homemade cakes which are displayed proudly in the window.

I love the dark wooden floors and beams that can be seen throughout the small but beautiful building and that add perfectly to The Moat’s traditional character. Downstairs, one wall is given over entirely to displaying boxes of loose leaf tea, that is available for sale in the tearoom and to take home with you too. As the mood of the place takes me, I am tempted by a Cream Tea (a pot of tea, two scones, preserve and clotted cream) instead of my usual cheese sandwich. Great as it sounds, I don’t think I deserve a Champagne Cream Tea which adds sandwiches, a slice of cake and a glass of champagne.

Sitting in this place always calms me down and makes me happy, the food and tea are always good and the staff, costumed in traditional maids-wear, are always smiling and remember you if you have visited before.  I have even used The Moat as a first date location, to weed out unsuitable dates (if you don’t like The Most, you wont get on with me).

I have and will always love these distinctive tearooms and recommend them to everyone, whether you are a seasoned tearoom-visitor or are trying tearooms out for the first time, a wonderful place for family, friends and dates alike.

Twitter: @Moattearooms
Facebook: facebook.com/pages/The-moat-tea-rooms
Website: Moattearooms.co.uk
Address: 27 Burgate, Canterbyry, Kent, CT1 2HJ

The Quex Barn - Canterbury

The Quex Barn, Canterbury is a fairly new and really stunning place. All bare wood and bright, natural light, it’s a lovely place to sit (if a little warm if the sun hits it!) As well as offering a wide range of sandwiches, cakes, soups, teas, coffees and soft drinks, they boast that most of their products are made on their owns farm ‘from Kentish produce’ , I think that’s lovely!

From my seat in the middle of the front room, I can see everything, from the front desk to the outside seating and all the flours, beers, greetings cards, crisps and snacks Quex has to offer and some of them look really good! Behind me is a wall of beer and ales that add a kind of gritty charm to the place. My sandwich (cheese, for a change) came very quickly and tastes amazing, on lovely, thick, soft bread and tasty mature cheddar, Mmmm. My tea came with a huge cup and a coffee biscuit, a nice touch and definitely the way to my heart! They also have bed and breakfast rooms available if you require a place to rest your head.

The Quex Barn got its rather odd name from the Quex estate in Birchington where they opened their first café eight years ago, this estate also has its butcher and fishery as well as the Barn where all the lovely veg is grown and stored!

This is a beautiful, bright, happy place (especially on a sunny day!) where all around is light, from the huge windows to the smiles on the staff and customers faces. I only spent a day in Canterbury and I’m glad I gave some of my time to this wonderful place.

Facebook: facebook.com/quexcanterbury
Website: QuexCanterbury.co.uk
Address: 11-12 The Burgate, Canterbury, Kent, CT1 2HG

Tatties - Cambridge

Tatties is what would happen if you combined a café and a ‘greasy spoon’, it is elegant but rough around the edges. The café is one big, wide open space, surrounded by almost ceiling to floor windows, giving the whole place a light and bright feel. The walls are covered in fantastic works of art and old-style tin tea adverts and the wrap-around counter shines, illuminating row after row of delicious looking cakes and tray bakes. Chalk boards are dotted around the counter offering “Your Choice, Hot Ciabattas!” or drinks “For Your THIRST”, from juice through to milkshakes to teas and hot chocolates each as tasty as the last. As usual I opted for a tea (what else?!) which came in a huge cup, bag still in, and a chocolate crispy cake which was a little soft but delicious all the same!

The array of customers is quite brilliant, while I have been here I have seen: a couple, a mother and daughter, a father and son, varying numbers of students and a man in a kilt (though being a girl in waistcoat, who am I to comment on his clothes?!) Tatties also has outdoor seating surrounded but an arch of nearby sheltering shops that make it look like it would be a lovely place to sit in the summer but which now, in winter is empty.

Some small things I noticed that I liked were the breakfast menu that starts “Good Morning Cambridge!”, a sign boasting “probably the best value food in Cambridge” (I was pretty happy with mine) and the front of the menu which has a victorian-style drawing of a reclining woman and man with speech bubbles added (you’ll have to visit to see what they are saying!)

Facebook: facebook.com/pages/Tatties
Address: 15 Trinity St, Cambridge, CB2 1TB

Fitzbillies - Cambridge

On my travels today I finally decided to try Fitzbillies, a café I have passed many times wandering the streets of beautiful Cambridge but only now finally visited. The café is attached to a beautiful cake shop, most recently displaying all sorts of red and pink heart shaped cookies and cakes for valentines day.

Inside, the cake shop gives way to a retro-looking café, decked out with pictures of Cambridge, pages from books and a giant clock (I will never ask the time in here!) the whole atmosphere, from the mis-matched pictures, the big red ‘Cambridge’ on the wall and the waitresses in chefs tunics is a little odd but efficient and comfortable.

Unfortunately the lunch menu is rather small but they were happy to tweak something for me and the sandwich they gave me (though on very thick bread,) was lovely. The tea is Tea Pigs, a brand a lot of places seem to be going with nowadays, not that I’m complaining, it’s lovely, bag in pot and tasted delicious. I was pleased with the dainty yet sizeable teacup I was given. My tea complaint is that the teapot, whilst holding glorious tea, didn’t hold very much of it, a largish cup and a half, possibly the smallest teapot I have been given on my travels.

A sweet touch I enjoyed was the sticker holding my napkin around my knife and fork, which proudly states “Fitzbillies Cambridge since 1922”. Cafés in Cambridge are always a pleasure and this odd shaped café-cake-shop combo is no exception.

Twitter: @fitzbillies
Facebook: facebook.com/pages/Fitzbillies
Website: Fitzbillies.com
Address: 51-51 Trumpington St, Cambridge, CB2 1RG

M&S Café - Tunbridge Wells

I usually make it a point not to review chain cafés or tearooms but today I was looking for a snack and a good cup of tea before work and I found The M&S Café. Tucked in a top corner of M&S in the Victoria Centre in Tunbridge Wells, this café provides a stopping spot for weary shoppers, an oasis of calm in a sea of bright lights and crazy customers. Its just perfect for a small pot of tea and a savory or sweet snack (or both?) but its range doesn’t stop there. A menu above the open kitchen proffers a range of delicious hot foods and the drinks menu boasts fair trade drinks a-plenty.

When you enter the spacious café, daubed in its warm reds and browns, you are first greeted with an array of fresh baked savories, ranging from Eccles cakes and current scones to croissants (my pastry of choice!) round the corner from this is the hot food counter and a tasty looking display of desserts next to the hot drinks and the till, completing the cafeteria-style payment and collection system. All of the very friendly staff look smart in their uniforms baring the M&S logo and if you glance around you can see the M&S colours (black, white and lime) proudly displayed on these uniforms, boards and signs bringing the whole place neatly together.

Though I was slightly disappointed by the extreme density of the beautiful-looking lemon drizzle cake I ordered, the superb croissant and tea more than made up for it! A nice touch I noticed was the little (and delicious) biscuit that came with my tea, proving that a small touch really does improve your day.

I liked my small table in the corner (I usually sit in the corner so I can see everything and write in peace) but next time I think I sit on one of the extremely comfy looking  sofas. All in all a lovely oasis in a busy shopping centre, highly recommended.

Twitter: @marksandspencer
Facebook: facebook.com/MarksandSpencerTunbridgeWells
Website: Marksandspencer.com
Adress: 33-39 Calverley Road, Tunbridge Wells, TN1 2TX

Harriets - Cambridge

Today I find myself in ‘Harriets’, a beautiful café-tearoom in the heart of Cambridge that offers, as its front window states, “a truly English experience”.

The interior of the tearoom is spacious and modern but with just a few touches that hark back to its traditional basing, making Harriets the perfect mix of past and present and an oasis in a crowded city. Upon entering, the first thing I noticed was the uniformed waiters and waitresses, who dressed in traditional black and white (like the ‘Nippies’ of the traditional tearooms, the menu explains) and are always happy to help with anything (even my annoying questions, of which there were a few) with a smile.

The large, booklet-like menu (well worth a cover to cover read) is handsomely presented and incredibly detailed including an ‘Introduction to Harriets’ a family owned tearoom based on the traditional tearooms or ‘corner houses’ of old London that Harriet herself used to frequent for a light lunch or afternoon tea. The front section of the menu also informs me that on select days (Saturdays eleven till four and Sundays eleven till three, says a helpful waitress) the tearoom is host to a pianist, who sits and plays the beautiful piano that is front and centre as you enter the front room. Looking further into the menu, the selection of teas is impressive with a great selection ranging from English Breakfast to ‘Blood Orange Tisane’ (‘Tisane’ is herbal tea to you and I) which, according to its description is “a 100% fruit tisane with apple, hibiscus and rosehip”. The menu is quaintly dotted with quotes such as “the mere chink of cups and saucers tunes the maid to a happy repose. Anon” and looking further on still I discover that the tearoom sells vouchers, cleverly disguised as ration books, should you want to give the gift of a light lunch or afternoon tea (the best gift you could possibly give, in my opinion!). The really sweet thing that made me smile was the poem, ‘An Ode to Afternoon Tea’, on the back cover of the menu about the joys of afternoon tea at Harriets.

As usual an important part of any café or tearoom is the desserts and Harriets is no exception with a great selection in the menu and a beautiful dessert display by the counter. Which, upon closer inspection are gorgeously made and decorated, covered in chocolate curls, pieces of fruit and all manner of marvellous looking treats.

I was fortunate enough to sit next to two lovely regulars who sang Harriets’ praises and promised to find and follow this blog (hello if you did manage to find me, ladies!).

This is by far my favourite tearoom in Cambridge and I am sure I will return many times (to become a regular in such a gorgeous place would be some kind of honour!) I highly recommend this wonderful tearoom to anyone who wishes to have a moment of calm with good food and good service. This is also the first tearoom I have ever left this blog address at, (under the teapot, of course) after hearing from the lovely lady next to me that Harriets has few reviews written about it, I thought I’d share this one around.

Website: harrientscafetearooms.co.uk
Address: 16-17 Green St, Cambridge, CB2 3JU

Ta Bouche - Cambridge

Wandering the streets of Cambridge there are many beautiful things to catch your eye, not least of which is the countless café's, bars and tearooms. Currently my adventures have landed me in ‘Ta Bouche’ a self-proclaimed ‘Restaurant-Cocktail Bar-Café’ hidden away in a corner between roads full of mismatched shops.

The modern cocktail bar is all glass and multicoloured lights behind a sturdy looking granite-topped bar stocked with over seventy types of alcohol ( yes, I counted, yes, I received some really odd looks from the staff…). Above the bar there is a strip of ceiling on which there are pasted an assortment of weird and wonderful pictures including a man holding a magnifying glass to his teeth and some truly marvellous moustaches showing the bars quirky personality. I also love the beautiful menu that sits on the spindle table in front of (the lower tables’ seats were too low) that is decorated with pictures too, some personal to Cambridge, some wider known, such Marilyn Monroe in that spotty bikini or Kate and Will’s wedding kiss. Its full of delicious looking food including a reasonably priced children’s menu that offers ‘a free scoop of ice cream (for all children who leave a clean plate)’ (yes, that is a direct quote from the menu) and with a 15% student discount too, this is the perfect place for people of all ages, families during the day and friends in the evenings.

This stunningly modern bar shows its modernity in its glass and chrome interiors, twitter ‘tag’ (which made me smile) ‘@taboucherocks’ and the fact that the sugar for my tea came in a shot glass… I recommend Ta Bouche to anyone looking for a nice play to have an enjoyable and reasonably priced meal/drink out. (Ta Bouche also offers free venue hire for parties!

Twitter: @TaBoucheRocks
Facebook: facebook.com/pages/Ta-Bouche
Website: tabouche.co.uk
Address: 10-15 Market passage, Cambridge, CB2 3 PF

Café Carringtons - Cambridge

Today I found myself alone in beautiful Cambridge, whilst wandering the maze that is the city centre trying to find my favorite clothes shop I stumbled across the wonderful ‘Café Carringtons’.

Through a small shop front and down some stairs this café hides away from the bustling Cambridge streets. Once the door at the bottom of the stairs shuts behind you, you could be anywhere, it is just my chosen seat by the door with glass panels in it (affording a glimpse of people rushing by on the street above) that reminds me of where I am.

The café runs like a cafeteria, (tray, food, pay) which means that you can see and pay for your food before you eat it, ensuring  you get exactly what you want. I think this lends to a calmer atmosphere in the dining area, customers have paid for their meals already allowing them to just sit and enjoy it, taking their time and just leaving when they are done. When I ordered it struck me that the friendly staff are helpful but keen to keep the line at the counter moving.

Though the café is long and thin rather than a big spaced out rather than a large room, the space is well lit and assembled perfectly so that there is plenty of room to move about and not feel cramped ordering or sitting. With tables in the back round the corner should you desire a more private meal. The food looks great and well presented next to shelves of baked goods that offer the perfect dessert. The tea, served in a metal pot (careful, hot!) to match the metal jugs (and serving area?) is good, with just enough for two full cups and added to the chocolate cornflake cake that I picked (after careful deliberation) makes the perfect afternoon break.

A sweet touch that caught my eye was the cups with the café's logo on them and saucers with a heart on them, aw. I was really happy to find this lovely little gem and definitely recommend it to others in the area.

Twitter: @CafeCarringtons
Facebook: facebook.com/cafecarringtons
Website: CafeCarringtons.com
Address: 23 Market St, Cambridge, CB2 3NZ and 66 Eden Hall, The Grafton Centre, Cambridge, CB1 1PS

Auntie's Tea Shop - Cambridge

On a rainy, windy Friday afternoon in December a friend and I battled the elements to walk to ‘Auntie’s Tea Shop’ in Cambridge. The inside of the café is sweet, with more seating than you would think, looking at it from the outside and a big front window that brings light and space to the room.

The very smart uniforms that the staff (all female, at present) wear are like modern maids uniforms, practical yet traditional and gorgeous. On top of this they all seem to be smiling and enjoying their work (though this may be because it keeps them in the warm and means they don’t end up looking like drowned rats like my friend and I undoubtedly do!)

The breakfast tea comes in a good sized pot, tea bags as opposed to leaves and is brewed and ready to drink (mmm!) and sugar is in sachets and in good supply. Auntie’s also has a range of gifts on offer, from Tea Pigs tea bags to their very own ‘Back-to-Front’ collection, including teapots, cups and eggcups. Slightly different from the interesting novelty that one would expect from this strange name, these are white pieces with the front end of an animal (such as a pig, demonstrated by the eggcup near the door) on the front and the rear on the back.

All in all Auntie’s is a wonderful and friendly tearoom experience with good staff in a lovely traditional atmosphere, I will definitely be coming back here again!

Facebook: facebook.com/pages/Aunties-tea-shop
Website: Auntiesteashop.co.uk
Address: 1 St Mary's Passage, Cambridge, CB2 3PQ

Comic Café - Tunbridge Wells

There is an awesome new addition to Tunbridge Wells that comes in the form of the ‘Comic Café’. Tucked away at the far end of Camden Road, this comic-book-store-come -café offers a wide range of geekery and some chocolate and a nice cup of tea or coffee to go with it. A customer can sit in the middle of the shop and contemplate their next purchase from the shelves and stacks that surround them.

The shops location lends to a hidden treasures feel and creates its own little world of geekdom around the customers, blocking out the outside world with shelves of Doctor Who, Star Wars, DC, Breaking Bad, Adventure Time and many more. You can see the wonder on people’s faces as they walk through the door, as I spotted with one particular man whilst I was there (this particular gent left with a hefty pile of comics). Comic Café is a great place to peruse comics, prints and merchandise of all sorts and though its fairly new, I already really enjoy coming to relax for a browse and a cup of tea with the owner, Stan. 

This unique store offers the perfect place for geeks of all ages and fandoms to share a cuppa with people with similar tastes, make connections and friends.

Twitter: @TWComicCafe
Facebook: facebook.com/TW.Comiccafe
Address: 53 Calverley Road, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN1 2TU

The Terrace (Fenwick) - Tunbridge Wells

At first I was reluctant to write about The Terrace, having visited it several times when I was younger and not remembering anything particularly special about it. Also, it’s a department store (Fenwick) café and not a stand-alone. However, the other day I passed the entrance and noticed it had had a refurbishment. So I decided to go for lunch and check it out!

Upon entering the café I am stunned by its transformation, a once drab and uncomfortable place now looks soft and modern. One wall is bare brick while the others are painted white and purple, matching the menu boards and bringing the whole place together.  Pictures decorate two walls whilst one, the longest, opposite the serving counter is all glass, allowing a glimpse out onto rows and rows of planters all filled with interesting looking plants and beyond over the town.

As soon as you enter the café you are met with shelves full of merchandise for sale, everything from teapots and chocolates to bottles of wine and placemats made of slate. Turing around, the end of the counter presents a range of freshly baked goods including two types of croissant and several types of cake. Just on from this, the counter offers a canteen style ordering system for all but hot food which is ordered here and delivered to your table.

Looking around me as I sit with my croissant and tea, I can see so many different types of people, there are mothers and their children, elderly friends and a couple tucked into a booth, all look happy and comfortable here in this haven, and why not? Sitting in this sleek, modern café it is easy to forget the rushed, bright department store just outside the entrance. The atmosphere is calm and there is a sophisticated feel to the whole place that adds a touch of class to lunchtime.

 In the past I think this has been labelled a place for elderly people but with its modernization comes a new feel and a new place for people, young and old to come and relax and enjoy some good food and drink. I am extremely happy and greatly impressed by The Terrace’s transformation (I can’t believe it took me two months to come and check it out!) and I can see it becoming more and more popular as the word gets around. So I highly recommend The Terrace café in Fenwick in The Victoria Centre if you are ever in Tunbridge Wells.

Twitter: @Royal_Shopper (for the center)
Website: fenwick.co.uk/tunbridge-wells/restaurants-tunbridge-wells
Address: Victoria Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN1 2SR

The Nutmeg Tree - Tunbridge Wells

The first thing to note about The Nutmeg Tree is it’s location, unlike any of the other places I am likely to write about it is inside a shopping centre as part of a food court. For a proper tearoom, this is really strange, when picturing a tearoom, that sort of a setting is not the norm. However they have taken this into account and he way the outside of the shop is decorated makes it look as if it’s a street shop-front (complete with spherical topiary bushes) and once inside it is easy to forget the noisy, bustling centre you’ve just stepped from.

The layout inside doesn’t disappoint either with each of the four seating rooms being different. The first is full of white basket furniture and surrounded but big bay windows, it represents a sun room or conservatory. Giving (aided by the bright lights of the centre) an air of light and open space. The rest of the tearoom lends to a 1920’s English home perpetually at teatime, so much so that I look rather out of place in my jeans with my notebook and mobile phone on the table. These other three rooms are filled with paintings and knick-knacks along with open cupboards full of teas (the same teas they use), jams and sweets that are available to buy.

This is without a doubt my favorite place and the tearoom that gave me my love of tearooms. I love the atmosphere, the freshly prepared food that always tastes so good and the staff who are always so friendly and inviting. When I need somewhere to escape, eat some good food, drink lots of tea and relax, this is where I come.

So as I sit here with a sandwich and a pot of tea and look around at the happy customers, smart staff dressed in traditional maids outfits and homely surroundings, listening to the music that pumps softly into the room (old tunes such as ‘Run Rabbit’ and ‘Chatanooga Choo Choo’) I know I can sit with my tea and write for as long as I like, just as if I were in the living room of a slightly old fashioned friend.

I highly recommend The Nutmeg Tree in Tunbridge Wells as a friendly place for couples, friends and families alike. I truly believe that its 23 years stay here proves that it is popular and well loved.

Twitter: @Royal_Shopper (for the center)
Address: 8 Food Court, Royal Victoria Place, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN1 2SR