Monday, 15 August 2016

Tiny Tim's Tearoom - Canterbury

Today, as you will know if you read my last post, I ventured back to Canterbury, I went to university here and I lived here for two years so its nice to come back and see how it has changed. Its hard for even me to believe but there is one tearoom that was there when I lived there then that I still haven’t visited and so, haven’t written about. I’m not sure what stopped me from visiting it back then apart from the fact that The Moat Tearoom across town (which I wrote about here: time-for-tea-blog.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/the-moat-tearooms-canterbury.html?=1 ) was my favorite at the time and I went in there every few days and nowhere else! Tiny Tim’s is the only tearoom/café that I have planned to visit today but I will have a wander around and discover other spots to write about (not to mention lovely pasty places that tweet me lovely messages!)

I remember just after I left uni, I was talking to a friend, who was a local, about Tiny Tim’s and he was really surprised that I had never visited it in my time in the town, especially because we used to visit The Moat Tearoom quite frequently. Sitting here in the tearoom now, I can understand why my friend was so confused about my not visiting before, he told me I would love it and I do. It’s perfect and the minute I stepped in the door and saw the flowered wreath above the fireplace, decorated with teacups and encircling a red and white polka dot cut out of a teapot, I knew I was going to feel right at home. The smart staff in their black and white outfits were quick to help me when I came through the door and I was seated right away.

On the way to my seat I couldn’t help but notice certificates on the wall including a ‘Tea Guild Award of Excellence’ showing that you don’t have to take my word for how amazing they are! Tasting the amazing, slice of sweet, moist Lemon Drizzle cake in front of me, I can see why. That, coupled with a lovely, smooth cup of their very own breakfast tea, and I feel like giving them an award myself.

Everything from this lovely set to the tables is laid out so beautifully and looks so neat and tidy. Behind the counter, there are large letters spelling out ‘The Cake Cupboard’ which, confusingly are over the top of three wooden cabinets full of tea, crockery and…wine. However in front of that on the counter is a gorgeous display of homemade cakes from a lovely lemon (the one I am devouring as I write) to a huge FOUR LAYER Victoria sponge cake! I really love the teacups, mugs, milk jugs and teapots, all decorated with the tearoom’s name that fill the ‘cake cupboard’ though. I am REALLY tempted to buy a teapot...

If you  manage to climb up the two floors to the bathrooms you will also be faced with The Ghost Room, full of pictures and lots of information about the building, supposedly the most haunted in Canterbury and how it used to be, not to mention some of the ghosts who might still haunt the building today. The building is even a stop on the local ghost tour!

I really love the duel fireplace in the main room downstairs which is in the centre of the room and has a hearth on both sides, just one of the many beautiful features this gorgeous building has. I can’t fault this beautiful place but for one point. Wicca chairs are not the most comfortable to sit on… at all… (but putting a coat down solves that, no problem). The staff, the atmosphere of a traditional tearoom and the gorgeous décor of part bare brick and part beautifully patterned wallpaper all work so well together. Not to mention the delicious cake and tea make this place one of my favorites I have ever visited (I’m going to have to re-think my top 5…) and somewhere I would recommend to anybody and everybody for a lovely meal, a snack or just a cup of tea!

Twitter: @Tinytimstearoom
Facebook: facebook.com/tinytimstearoom
Website: tinytimstearoom.co.uk

Address: 34 St. Margaret’s Street, Canterbury, Kent, CT1 2TG

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