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