Regency Tearoom - The Jane Austen Centre - Bath

After walking around the lovely Jane Austen Centre Museum downstairs, trying on regency dress and having a photo with Mr Darcy, the Austen experience isn’t complete without a trip to the Regency Tearoom upstairs.

The two rooms are painted a luxurious red with beautiful gold detailing in the curtains, the light fixtures and the frame on a large portrait of Colin Firth’s Mr Darcy which takes ‘pride’ of place over the fireplace. All around us are Austen-esque things, from the books on the mantelpiece and the badges on the staff, proclaiming them all to be Austen characters, to the menu boasting a host of well named, themed afternoon teas such as ‘Lady Catherine’s Proper Cream Tea’, ‘Mr Dashwood’s Tea’ and the one I have chosen, (as I’m sure many ladies would), ‘Tea With Mr Darcy’. The version of this tea for two consists of one each of three different types of sandwiches, for the vegetarian option we had cream cheese, cheese and chutney and egg, one fruit and one plain scone (I recommend cutting both in half and having half of each) and one each of three types of mini cakes, we had chocolate, coffee and hazelnut and orange. All of it is absolutely delicious but a little too much food even for two of us and we ended up sharing some of it around!

Because of the gorgeous weather today everyone is out and about and the tearoom is really busy meaning the staff are having a hard time keeping up and unfortunately there’s been a few problems like dirty glasses arriving at the table but no water to go with them and never receiving plates to decant our treats onto. Trying to grab their attention was quite difficult too! However, I completely understand, on a busy day in a café or tearoom it is really hard to concentrate on finishing a job before starting another. Especially if customers, like the gentleman on the table next to us, start complaining and through all the heat, the rush and the rude customers the staff still managed to be friendly and smile, a great achievement, I think.

I love the theming that could be seen throughout the tearoom and the menu and all the lovely staff who managed to keep going through the madness. A really great atmosphere and a lovely experience, I definitely recommend visiting the museum first and really immersing yourself in the Austen world.

Twitter: @janeaustenbath

Facebook: /janeaustencentrebath

Website: janeausten.co.uk

Address: 40 Gay Street, Bath, BA1 2NT

Freida's Tearoom - Bournemouth

Recently I had the pleasure of being in gorgeous Bournemouth and when I asked some local friends to show me a tearoom I could write about, they delivered!

The cute blue sign gives the front of Frieda’s Tearoom a sweet, unassuming look, just a quaint little café, nothing to see here. On the inside though, it is a dream of floral plates, delicate mirrors, pastel bunting and 1920’s style posters. As a friend of mine pointed out, it has a real 20’s street-party feel to it, making you happy just to be inside (that and the rain!). Gorgeous as the rest of the place is, the counter is the real centre-piece. With a thatched roof and brick walls (yes, really) it gives the back of the room the air of a cottage in the country full of delicious freshly baked goodies, you can even smell the cake and icing!

The staff are very accommodating of our awkward group of seven people though it’s very late in the day and when five of us order breakfast tea a huge pot, almost too heavy to lift, is brought to us along with some amazing looking cakes and afternoon teas. The china is a lovely traditional tearoom mish-mash of flowery patterns and blue and red willow pattern, adding to the country farmhouse feel.

As a small person with a small stomach, you know I love to share, not only to save money (as some afternoon teas are particularly expensive) and to make sure it all gets eaten but to share my favourite thing with someone else. However, if you’ve read any of my recent posts you will know that many places ‘don’t do sharing’ (and unfortunately they tend to be the really expensive ones). So when I asked to share with the person sitting next to me and they said yes, I was extremely happy. Even more so when the mountain of gorgeous sandwiches, 2 scones each with mounds of jam and cream, three types of delicious cake and a macaroon each turned up at the table. The two of us happily munched most of it but even then we had to share some of the cake around.

Though we were a large group arriving really late in the day, the staff were so good to us and we had the best time here in this gorgeous tearoom. I love the theming, all the work that has gone into the gorgeous counter and the piles of home-made cake that we happily shared around and gobbled up!

They also have a Tea Bus, a bus gutted and turned into a rolling tearoom, that will give you a tour of the gorgeous seafront, stopping several times for you to step out and enjoy the sea air with your cup of tea. Next time I’m in Bournemouth, that is top of my list of things to do!

Instagram: @freidastearoom

Facebook: @freidasbournemouth

Website: freidastearoom.co.uk

Address: 7 Stafford Road, city centre, Bournemouth, BH1 1JH

Nancy's - Tonbridge - Unicorn Afternoon tea

Here she goes again, Nancy’s Tearoom – Tonbridge. I really can’t get enough of this place and they keep coming up with these great afternoon tea ideas, first Beauty and the beast and now Uniorn! So yes, with the fantastic afternoon teas and my discovery of them just over a year ago, this is the third time im writing about them and probably not the last!

When we sit down our table is covered with a plastic tablecloth decorated with stars and unicorns and laid with matching pink plates, sparkling centerpieces and large, colorful unicorn mugs with their curved tails for handles. At the other end of the table a white china unicorn with a silver sparkly horn lies on the table and stares at us and a smaller one covered in multicolored stars stands guard.

The first thing brought to us is a large teapot each of us which match the mugs and have ‘believe in magic’ written in gold and surrounded by stars and moons on either side of it. I wonder how many more unicorns they can squeeze into this afternoon tea?! Next a platter of three different types of lovely, soft, fresh sandwiches sprinkled with edible purple glitter is brought to each of us, they sparkle as if they are covered in magic, though eating savory food covered in edible glitter is a strange experience as you would only usually see it on sweet foods (like the cakes in their beauty and the Beast tea) but it doesn’t taste of anything and the sandwiches and so delicious it doesn’t matter!

The lovely warm scones come next and two small unicorn ramekins with jam and cream in them. The scones here are always really great and this time is no exception. Lastly, another pot of tea each later, the cake is brought out, the lovely chocolate brownie we had was lovely and it had a cute little sugar unicorn on the top stuck into a dollop of sweet cream but the only cake left in the shop was coffee (I noticed this with a sinking heart when we came in) and unfortunately neither me nor my friend like it and we both had to leave it. This can’t be helped though, it’s not their fault what they have left but still it’s a real shame.

Altogether a gorgeous and delicious rainbow of an afternoon tea I love the thorough theming and the decoration of the table and room including the tablecloth and a banner of the wall, a beautiful tea, highly recommended.

Facebook: /nancys-tearoom

Address: Lamberts Yard, Tonbridge, TN9 1ER

To book a table for a special afternoon tea drop them a message on Facebook or call them on 01732 668055.

Cutter and Squidge - Soho, London - Genie's Cave afternoon tea

As any friend, regular reader or casual viewer of any of my social media will know, I love Disney and when I discovered this gorgeous Genie’s Cave themed afternoon tea on Instagram I had to look it up and book a space ASAP!

I’ve loved Disney since I was very young and one of my earliest memories of it is Aladdin. With an amazing cast of characters from the sassy Iago to strong-willed Jasmine and, of course, Robin Williams stunning performance as the genie, this film is beautiful and a staple of my generations childhood. Walking into Cutter and Squidge’s downstairs room is just like entering the cave of wonders itself, passing a pile of gold and treasures topped with a chest of coins and glittering magic lamp, following the magic carpets on the floor into the cave complete with sparkling ‘stone’ walls dotted with coins and gemstones and multicolored stalactites and stalagmites hanging from the ceiling and lining the floor.

We were shown to our table and our waitress said something immediately and very fast about prosecco. I said yes, thinking it was an extra (or possibly even free!) but no, I was wrong. Saying yes to a glass of bubbly before we’ve even finished sitting down instantly upgraded us to the more expensive bubbly afternoon tea which we hadn’t intended on buying and didn’t really want. That was why it was a surprise when we had looked at the menu and went to order, only to be told we already had by accident. It was lovely all the same and who doesn’t love a glass of bubbles?

The starting dish is probably my favorite of the tea, ‘A Genie’s Welcome’ a glass layered with yoghurt, pomegranate, raspberry and pashmak which we are told is a Persian sweet just like candyfloss. The glass is topped with a large merengue and an eager waitress tells us that we have to free the genie by removing the merengue and make a wish (or three?). As a lover of Disney and magic this makes me so happy! My lovely loose-leaf tea comes in a golden magic lamp of its own but more focus has been given to its look than how well it works as a teapot and how much tea it holds (though it is gorgeous), I had to hold the teapot almost horizontal for ages to get just one cup!

When the main tea comes it is spread beautifully over a three tiered golden cake stand and looks gorgeous. On a separate dish are the sandwiches, I love the mint cream cheese and cucumber and my brother likes the coronation chicken but neither of us are sure about the cheese and tomato jam… but its certainly worth a try! Also on this little tray are two tiny courgette ‘rose tarts’, these are warm and delicious and I could eat a whole plate of them!

The bottom layer of the cake stand holds the feta and roasted pepper scones, which I wasn’t sure about when I read it in the menu but they taste more like warm tarts and are perfect, warm and crumbly. This layer also holds the ‘golden cheese clouds’ small, light puffs of pastry and some dips. I have to say, I‘m not a fan of cheese puffs and these are particularly cheesy but my brother says they’re lovely!

On to the next layer and the sweets, the sweet pastry cases full of raspberry and rose filling topped with crushed pistachio ‘emeralds’ are very sweet and tasty, the macaroons decorated with a coco dust lamp are full of peanut butter and a hidden ‘raspberry gem’ centre, lovely, and the one (not two, like all the other stands around… I had to, sorry) sugar cookie shaped like magic carpet is a little almondy but delicious all the same!

“The final tier holds the sweetest treats” should be a common phrase we all use (can we make that happen? Too long for a hashtag?) because it’s usually true, especially in the case of the last two treats in front of me. The small squares of three-layer vanilla cake have two different strawberry fillings between each layer, an orange glaze and are topped with a strawberry jelly ‘ruby’ which is “abu’s favorite” (says the menu, talking, of course, about Aladdin’s monkey sidekick who stole a ruby in the Disney film). Last but by no means least is Cutter and Squidge’s famous ‘biskie’ a mix of chocolate cake and biscuit, creating a moist, dense cake in the shape of an oyster with a special pearl, unique to this afternoon tea, filled with a ginger cream. All the flavors are a bit strong but still really delicious.

As always I really appreciate the attention to detail and all the references to not only the Disney film but also to Persian culture. I’m just glad I didn’t have to hop a magic carpet and dodge lava fountains to get out! The room is stunning and you can really tell that a lot of hard work went into both the decorating and the delicious food! I can’t wait for their next themed tea entitled ‘The Potions Room’, which promises a chance to meet the ‘potions master’ and create some concoctions of your own. Check out their website below for more details.

Instagram: @CutterandSquidge

Twitter: @cutter_squidge

Facebook: @cutterandsquidge

Website: cutterandsquidge.com

Address: 20 Brewer St, Soho, London, W1F 0SJ

Alice and the Hatter - Herne Bay

After finding this amazing-looking Alice in Wonderland themed café online I decided I had to check it out and soon! Unfortunately the first time I tried to get here the trains were so messed up, I had to turn around a couple of stations away in order to br back for work that evening. This time, however, I started my journey from (the much closer) Canterbury, where I was visiting friends and even then I had to take a train and a bus!

It’s a real shame that the outside of the shop is currently covered in scaffolding but you can still see the Red Queen red shop front and the windows decorated with decals that make it look like the whole place is surrounded by hip-high rose bushes covered in red and white roses. Going through the door I immediately come face-to-face with a life-size card soldier just like the ones in the animated Disney film, off to the left is a larger than life-size Alice (maybe because of one of the giant mushrooms that are wallpapered across some of the walls?) complete with her famous  blue dress and black hair bow. In fact the whole café is an Alice in Wonderland dream, from the giant butterflies on the faux-grass walls to the stools shaped like oversized teacups. Alice and the hatter turns afternoon tea into a fully immersive experience, complete with the soundtrack to the Disney animated film in the background (that I couldn’t help but hum along to in my seat).

I went for ‘The Jabberwock’, a scone of my choice and a tea from their list of teas. Though they were out of my first choice of the traditional fruit scone they suggested the lemon and poppy seed, which was delicious and went perfectly with the Alice and the Hatter branded strawberry jam. The tea, a Debonair Tea Co breakfast brew served in a beautiful tea cup covered in a design of strawberry plants, was lovely too, the only thing I will say here is that there wasn’t much water in the incredibly light teapot and I feel like I missed out on some tea! I love that its loose leaf though and I can’t blame the poor staff, all dressed in t-shirts with the cafés logo on the front, who are rushed off their feet and turning people away at the door because of how popular the café is, yet still managing to be friendly and helpful despite the rush.

There is so much detail crammed in the place, really giving the feel of being in a topsy-turvy alternate world. I almost missed the clock shaped like a teapot next to me and the large dodo figure at the back, tucked in the corner. If you visit, make sure to take a good look around and check out the ceiling which has quotes written across the beams. Across from me, in the centre of the room on a table headed by a pink and purple throne, a birthday party is having a special afternoon tea with cakes decorated with flowers, ‘drink me’ bottles full of green liquid (which I am desperate to try!) and teapots and cups decorated with the illustrations from the original book.

My favorite thing though, of course, is the table of Alice in Wonderland cakes including two large beautifully decorated ones, one covered in playing cards showing those famous original drawings and a realistic teacup, overflowing with tea. The other is in the shape of Alice’s trademark blue skirt and white apron, topped with a crowned heart and surrounded by white roses half painted red. It doesn’t end there though because there is more on the counter, where a case of delicious cupcakes sit, decorated with Alice in Wonderland imagery such as mushrooms, the hatters hat, the queens jam tarts and more!

I love a themed café or tearoom and though Alice and the Hatter isn’t exactly what I expected from the website, the amazing theming throughout and delicious food and tea mean I’ll be back again and again! After my train troubles last time I tried to get here and braving the journey here today, its funny and fantastic to discover that a branch of this amazing tearoom opened in Canterbury yesterday. I walked past it on my way home and it look lovely, I’ll definitely be visiting it on my next trip!

Instagram: @aliceandthehatterhernebay

Twitter: @and_hatter

Facebook: /AliceandtheHatterHerneBay

Website: aliceandthehatter.co.uk

Address: 24 William Street, Herne Bay, Kent, CT6 5EQ

Fortnum and Mason - Piccadilly - London

I’ve been wanting to come to Fortnum and Mason’s for quite a while and like everything you’ve been looking forward to for a long time, I had really built it up in my head. Luckily the beautiful ‘Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon’ lives up to the hype. Walking into the tea room you can immediately feel the sense of reverence with which afternoon tea is held here, as the blurb in the menu says, “tea at Fortnums is our most delicious tradition” and “whether our elegant tea salon is your home from home or you are joining us for the first time, tea at Fortnums is always a special occasion” And is treated as such.

When you walk from the staircase onto the four floor of this beautiful building, the first thing you are greeted with is a staff member behind a desk, ready to greet you  and take you to a table, behind them sits a pianist at a grand piano filling the two tearooms, one to either side, with lovely music. The tearooms are truly elegant, decorated in a beautiful Edwardian style in greens and creams, no doubt connected to the Fortnum and Mason colours ‘eau de nil’ green, white and gold, as displayed on the beautiful crockery used and sold throughout the building. All the staff are dressed in extremely smart white shirts and waistcoats complete with cravats, just adding to the elegant formal style of the room. The whole thing makes you feel rather special for being here at all.

After being shown to our seats by our extremely friendly waitress and choosing the vegetarian afternoon tea from the list of delicious looking teas sadly it took quite a while for anything to get to us. The Vegetarian Afternoon Tea, when it arrived, was a beautifully laid out triple-layer stand full of crustless wholemeal bread sandwiches (a surprising number of who’s complicated contents included pesto…) gorgeous warm fruit and plain scones and an array of desserts decorated with flowers. The tea also came with a second, smaller stand of three unopened jars of jam, strawberry, raspberry and blueberry.

Everything was delicious, especially the scones, which were so lovely we ordered a few more when asked. We had to wait a while for them (and our drinks) to arrive though, so long, in fact that the waitress came over with a worried look on her face and asked if we’d had them yet. After going off to track them down… they arrived at our table and when our waitress returned… she brought more! Though we couldn’t eat twelve scones, no matter how tasty, luckily, along with what was left of the jam (yes, the whole jars, even the one we didn’t open) and a slice of cake of our choice each from the cake table, we were given the rest to take home with us in a lovely box and bag.

A lovely time in this truly elegant tearoom with delicious food and great drinks, the only one thing that bothered me was that when we attempted to order one (rather expensive) tea to share, we were told that they “don’t do sharing”. I think this is a real shame as the teas are plenty to share, especially as they fall over themselves to refill your plates and the price is quite a bit more than I would usually pay for an afternoon tea making it a very special occasion, doubling the price when we arrive because they “don’t do sharing” (making it over £100) seems unfair. Apart from that, in the packed room, we can’t blame them for the slow service and the staff were so lovely and apologetic, I don’t mind spending a bit more time in this beautiful room!

I would recommend Fortnum and Mason to anyone looking for a much nicer (if more expensive) traditional tearoom experience in this beautiful building.

Instagram: fortnums

Twitter: @Fortnums

Wedsite: fortnumandmason.com

Address: 181 Piccadilly, London, W1A 1ER

Nancy's Beauty and the Beast Afternoon Tea - Tonbridge

I wrote about this beautiful tearoom last year (yes, last year, and I only posted it this month… don’t ask) and if you read that post, you may remember me mentioning their upcoming Beauty and the Beast Afternoon Tea (and being really excited about it!) Months later I finally decided to check it out and I took along a fellow Disney lover and we had a great time!

As I mentioned in my original post about Nancy’s, this tearoom is exactly what I imagine mine would look like if I had a tearoom of my own and this themed afternoon tea makes it even more perfect, (bringing to mind ideas of loads of Disney themed afternoon teas and how I would do them!) It’s so lovely here that walking back into this space is like coming home. The big difference this time is that a table has been laid out in preparation for our afternoon tea, complete with decoration; a red rose – the enchanted rose – in a glass dome surrounded by red, heart-shaped lights (a little valentines-esque for me but beautiful all the same.)

The first things to be brought to our table are two Mrs Potts teapots full of gorgeous breakfast tea, which we chose at the counter on the way in. I’m loving this already! Unfortunately the spouts of these are more true to character (not a bad thing!) than good for pouring and I ended up spilling a fair bit of mine on the table! (Sorry!) Next to arrive are tiered stands of small sandwiches which we chose at the counter on our way in, along with the tea. There are also some extra fillings to add to the sandwiches, should we choose. These were lovely, fresh and delicious. We moved onto scones next, one huge scone each, covered in ‘magic’ (edible glitter) they were so lovely and warm but very filling and came  accompanied by two Chip mugs, one full of jam and one full of cream. By the time we ordered another pot of tea each and moved on to the last course, a very large slice of cake of our choice and some small cakes, we were full and had to order most of it to go. (Unfortunately, I left the box full of cake out on the kitchen counter at home and the cat got to it… no cake for me…)

Altogether this was a really lovely experience for me and really made my day. As a tea lover and huge Disney fan, I enjoyed the details, such as the ‘enchanted’ rose and the appearance of Mrs Potts and Chip and despite his mild embarrassment, I think my friend really enjoyed it too! Perfect for kids and big kids, I recommend this gorgeous afternoon tea for everyone, now I’m off to watch the film again!

On my way out I was told that the next special afternoon tea they are doing is ‘unicorn’ themed, so watch this space!

Facebook: /nancys-tearoom

Address: Lamberts Yard, Tonbridge, TN9 1ER

To book a table for one of the special afternoon teas at Nancy’s drop them a message on Facebook or give them a call on 01732 668055

Beyond the Grounds - Tonbridge

A short but really beautiful walk from my last Blog, Nancys, is Beyond The Grounds. This modern-looking café really puts you on the riverside with the customers who are sat outside sitting right next the wall separating the path from the river, in the glorious sunshine. With my pale skin though, I think I’ll sit inside!

The brightly coloured inside of this coffee house/café is not what you’d expect from its black and white exterior. The mix of purple, grey and green is modern and stylish while still being comfy and inviting. I’m shown to a lovely little table in the corner with a great view of the riverside outside and the rest of the room inside, perfect (exactly the kind of table I love to have!) I’m happy to see, from the collection behind the counter and in a cabinet next to me, that the Teapigs epidemic is growing, they are wonderful teas and the proof of that is in the increasing number of places using them!

As its warm I forgo my usual pot of tea for a lovely cool sparkling elderflower, another favorite of mine and get up to take a look at the cake table… and look…and look...they all look so good! From a lemon and poppyseed loaf to a chocolate Oreo cake with actual Oreos on top which looks too good to miss! Which it is, one of the best chocolate cakes I have ever had, in fact (the only problem I have is that the Oreo on the top has gone soft…) and the Fentimans elderflower is delicious.

It looks like a lot goes on here, just the full name of the café, ‘Beyond the Grounds Café and Meeting Place’ suggests that they want it to me be place for the community, with quiz nights, antenatal classes and a felt workshop on the way soon, I can see it working. This is the perfect place for a casual meeting, to have lunch with friends or to sit alone and think (or write!)

A truly flexible and gorgeous place, perfect for anyone and anything and a fantastic centre for the community.

Twitter: @beyondthegrounds

Instagram: beyondthegrounds

Website: beyondthegrounds.com

Address: 1 River Walk, Tonbridge, TN9 1DT

Nancy's - Tonbridge

I missed this amazing little tearoom when I was in town for Finch House and The Bakehouse at 124 because its tucked down a little side street off the high street, hidden from view. However, the best and tearooms always are and Nancy’s is certainly such a treasure.

Having only been open for 8 months (at the time of this visit), I am massively impressed with how gorgeous and well put together it is. I think if I had a tearoom (a personal dream) it would look something like this. Set out in bright whites, creams and bare woods. The upstairs room which also functions as a private hire room is full of tearoom knick-knacks. A small tea-chest opposite me holds a lovely Aynsley tea set and other pieces for the tearoom’s Beauty and the Beast themed afternoon tea (which, as a massive Disney fan, I am super excited about!) Bunting hangs across two of the walls but the back wall is the statement piece, covered in wallpaper that makes it look like a full bookcase, stunning!

I opted for a cream tea and while the tea itself is delicious, the presentation is what I really love. Served in a beautiful tea-for-one set (the teapot sat in the cup, sat on the saucer) covered in a golden swirls design. I want tea served to me like this all the time! The warm, home-made scones are lovely too and melt in the mouth perfectly.

If you’ve read any of my posts you’ll know it’s always the little things that I love, here it is  the beautiful ramekins for my jam and butter which are shaped like little origami boats (so sweet!), the walls are dotted with little canvases showing pictures of tea, birds and butterflies and most of all the lovely fact that Nancy’s is named after the owner’s daughter. With these things and everything else about this tearoom (but for the screaming child downstairs, which can’t be helped) I think I’ve found heaven.

Boasting a menu full of pastries, hot and cold lunches and not one but two delicious-looking afternoon teas and with really lovely, friendly and welcoming staff, I would recommend Nancy’s to people of all ages for any celebration (or is it just me that celebrates everything with tea?) any meeting or lunch with friends and family. Nancy’s, I will certainly be back to ‘be your guest’ again soon!

Facebook: /nancys-tearoom

Address: Lamberts Yard, Tonbridge, TN9 1ER

The Bakehouse at 124 - Tonbridge

This lovely café resides in a gorgeous Tudor building with bare beams, wooden floors and large working fireplaces. I could sit here for hours refilling my tea and the gorgeous lemon cake I had last time I was here or the tasty-looking croissant I have this time! (that lovely cake unfortunately missing today.) This building is truly beautiful and it’s well worth sitting upstairs and getting a look at more of it. The atmosphere up here is like going back in time to the gorgeous house this must once have been. With the window open next to me, the noise of the traffic and the modern chairs around me are the only things that tether me to the present day as my mind whirls off into what it must have been like back then.

The tea is really lovely and following the trend of ‘teas I’ve never heard of before’ this ‘Kandula breakfast tea’ is really tasty, full of flavor and just a little spice, the best tea I’ve had in a while (even if I almost covered myself in it due to a wobbly table!) I love a croissants but this one is just a little tough and greasy for me (a matter of taste, I’m sure) and makes me long even more for that gorgeous lemon cake from last time.

As always, it’s the little details that catch my eye, jugs that look like tiny milk urns, butter twist-wrapped so that it looks like sweets (don’t eat it whole though!), the hooks in the bathroom made from bent spoon handles attached to the door by their flattened bowls and the way this café still feels like a house, not just a building.

Honestly one of the most beautiful cafes I’ve ever visited, The Bakehouse at 124 has a lovely homely feeling and just oozes charm. I cant blame them for a wobbly table when they have original floors! However I was a bit disappointed by the food this time, having been so happy with it last time is was here.

This is a lovely place to come for brunch, have a meeting or just hide away from the world with several cups (hem… pots…) of tea for a day.

Twitter: @bakehouseat124

Instagram: thebakehouseat124

Website: thebakehouseat124.co.uk

Address: 124 High street, Tonbridge, TN9 1AS

Finch House - Tonbridge

Being from Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge’s neighboring town and rival of sorts the picture I had of it wasn’t the best but wandering down the high street to meet a friend recently I realized just how much the town has to offer, especially in cafes!

This particular one, The Finch House, was the first to catch my eye. Its name and sweet little finch logo across the front caught my eye, proclaming it to be a ‘café and fine food store’.  The inside has a lovely, spacious and calm feel to it, the high ceilings and minimal design makes it feel like the only place with air in a town full of crowds and noise, especially on a lovely sunny day like this. I especially love the back wall, taken up entirely by a huge shelving unit with several different sizes of shelves full of blue and white teapots and jugs, beautiful flowers and a little toy owl watching over the customers as they eat and drink. There’s even a little white tree in the top, almost hidden against the white shelving. Thought it’s full of items, each has its own section, making it tidy and clear and in fitting with the rest of the place. The staff, all dressed in smart black, are helpful and efficient while managing to smile and be friendly, making it seem like it must be as nice to work here as it is to come here.

The counter fits into the space well, just bringing a little colour into the off-white surroundings, making it stand out. Large boards behind it boast the fantastic selection of sandwiches, soups, paninis and hot and cold drinks. The café’s tagline ‘made by us’ (which I think is lovely) is reflected perfectly in the delicious looking cakes and pastries (including some gorgeous-looking gluten free treats) lining the front of the counter. Its enough to make you drool, good thing there’s a glass cover on them! My tea, by Drury Tea and Coffee, (another one I’ve never had before!) tastes really lovely and lovely as those cakes look, the tea is enough for me today.

A breath of fresh air, Finch house is perfect for lunch with mum or tea with friends, they even have a great kids menu, including the intriguing ‘kids tapas’. I will be back with all my friends!

Twitter: @finchhouseton

Instagram: finchhousecafe

Website: finchhouse.co.uk

Address: unit 15, the Pavillion Shopping Centre, High street, Tonbridge, TN9 1TE

Woods - Tunbridge Wells

I love the Pantiles in Tunbridge Wells, the gorgeous architecture speaks of a history worth listening to, from spa discovery and royalty to present day. It’s beauty and history is why I think it’s the perfect setting for a nice café or a tearoom, somewhere you can sit  and enjoy a proper afternoon or just a cup of tea and slice of cake. Places like The Cake Shed (http://time-for-tea-blog.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/the-cake-shed-tunbridge-wells.html) and Shragers (http://time-for-tea-blog.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/shragers-patisserie-tunbridge-wells.html) take full advantage of this with outdoor seating out in the open which is perfect on a sunny day. Though Woods in primarily a restaurant, not a tearoom, I think this only works in its favor. The space adapts from café in the morning to tearoom in the afternoon to restaurant in the evening easily and flexibly, making it perfect for any occasion and customer.

Sitting in here, it’s the kind of space I love to be in, every time you turn your head, you see something new and interesting. Take, for example, the gorgeous vintage box camera and tripod taking up a small bay window next to me up here on the balcony (the best place to sit, in case you were wondering, always try and get the balcony!) or the three paintings opposite me and my friend on the far wall that can only be seen properly from here and that I doubt I would have noticed them if I hadn’t been up here.

Our incredibly friendly waiter (who seems to be there every time we have been since) greeted us as soon as we entered and took us straight to the table we wanted, he was really helpful and patient, even when we called him back three times for milk and more tea!

As well as a tradidional breakfast menu, a brunch menu and a main menu (with kids options!) pride of place in the centre of the front page is a list of afternoon teas. All available from 2-5pm, there are 4 different afternoon tea avaliable. For one, the classic ‘Afternoon Tea’, for two, the one we had, ‘Tea For Two’ or the very special ‘Sparkiling Tea For Two’ with a glass of bubbly each but the one I really love is the ‘Children’s Tea’ consisting of a scone or piece of cake and soft drink or hot chocolate. I love this idea, start them young! It reminds me of the ‘Babychino’ some coffee shops are selling now, a cup of milk foam that a child can have alongside their parent having a coffee. A lovely idea to make them feel included.

As I was being treated by a friend we shared the Tea For Two which consisted of a huge platter of huge sandwiches which we only got half way through before moving on to the gorgeous two-tiered tray of sweets including rocky-road, victoria sponge and tiny meringues, all of which were perfect (especially the rocky-road, my favorite!) All this was accompanied by the biggest (and therefore heaviest!) pot of tea I have ever seen/drunk!

I would definitely recommend this charming restaurant/café/tearoom to people of all ages, they have made a real effort to cater to people of all ages and all sorts of events and everyone really looks like they are enjoying themselves. My friend smiled at me half way through our lunch and said “we should come here once a week” and you know what? It’s very tempting!

Instagram: woods_resturant

Twitter: @WoodsTWells

Facebook: Facebook.com/WoodsTWells

Website: woodsresturant.co.uk

Address: 62 The Pantiles, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN2 5TN

Weird Things I do When I'm Writing

When I’m in a café or tearoom trying (hopefully) delicious foods and drink and writing about them, I often feel like I stick out a sore thumb. A girl sat alone in the corner scribbling away, sometimes I feel like everyone is staring at me! Thinking about what I must look from the outside, I can imagine that sometimes I might look just a little crazy, here are just a few examples:

1) I talk to myself

When I am writing, to make sure it makes sense and flows (to the best of my ability), I read it to myself under my breath.  Also, if I get distracted mid-sentence I have to go back and start from the beginning to pick up the flow of the again, so I often repeat myself too. The result is me, sat in the corner of a tearoom or café, hunched over a notebook mumbling to myself, I look like a crazy person!

2) I Stare Around

As well as the delicious food and drink in front of me I often write about the café itself, the chairs and tables, the way the menu is displayed and the general ambience of the place and even what the staff are wearing. I was once in a place that had some many pictures on the wall that I wanted to count them to find out just how many there were. Doing things like that can mean that staff stare and other customers wonder why I’m looking at their food. People give odd and sometimes even sad looks to the girl in the corner sitting alone and staring wistfully around.

3) Make ‘Yum’ faces

I can never be sure what I’m going to get with some places I visit and I am really a really fussy eater so when I am pleasantly surprised by a delicious meal I will scrunch up my face and go “mmm” quietly to myself. So now I’m the weird girl in the corner talking to herself and making faces(it’s a compliment really).

4) Take Pictures of my Food

It’s a thing nowadays to take pictures of your food and post it online with pride. I don’t normally do that unless its particularly impressive but when I’m writing about a new place I like to share my enthusiasm for the food, drink or décor with people by posting a picture on Twitter (@timeforteablog1) or Instagram (timeforteablog1) but however widespread taking pictures of your food may be now, you still get a lot of looks and tuts doing it in a nice tearoom.

5) Ask too many/weird questions

Occasionally, to help with my writing, I will drag an unfortunate waiter or waitress aside and ask them questions. They can be relatively normal questions, like “how many types of tea do you have?” or “why is this place called that?” or they can be slightly odd ones, like “what types of jam come with the toast” (when I am clearly eating cake) or “what year did this place open?” to a young waitress who has probably only been there a few weeks and has no idea! I hope that I come across as a curious customer and not a pest!

All in all I think I must look a bit strange when I’m concentration on my writing, sat alone in a place I’ve never been before and scribbling away, only stopping every so often to stare around and mutter to myself. The thing is, I focus on my writing and getting everything I notice down so much that I don’t think about it at the time.  Most importantly, I love what I’m doing and I can see myself carrying on for years to come!