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! 

The Lemon Witch Kitchen - Southend-on-Sea

My last stop of my day in Southend is this quirky little café, just down the road from The Mad Hatter Tearoom, The Lemon Witch Kitchen (who’s logo is a witch…with half a lemon on its head) is lovely from the second I step in the door and the smell of fresh crepes hits me (you may not know this but I LOVE crepes) and throws me back to memories of Swirls (now unfortunately closed) and their Nutella Swirl Bannana masterpiece but let me tell you,  the Lemon Witch equivalent, called a ‘Cheeky Minion’ is just as good if not better! A warm crepe filled with Nutella, topped with banana slices and dusted with icing sugar? Perfect!

There are a few things I really love about this place. The tiny wooden signs that cover the walls baring slogans such as ‘life begins after coffee’ or ‘happiness is not a destination, it’s a way of life’ it gives you a smile as you look around the room but my favorite thing has to be the wooden tables dotted around the room all have their middle slat painted in chalkboard paint and a little cup of chalks on it, prefect as a distraction for the little ones as the café’s social media shows or to literally illustrate your point!

They are proud to offer gluten free options for all of their crepes and the chalk board behind the till shows that they do special events for holidays like the Valentines Day cookie and crepe decorating. I love the relaxed, stripped-back feel of the bare wood and wire lampshades in the room and I’m very tempted to fall asleep on the really comfy sofa here, after all the goodies I’ve had today, especially because its raining outside and so cozy in here!

A comfy, relaxing place for a snack and a cuppa, if I lived closer, I’d never leave!

Twitter: @lemonwitch17

Facebook: /Lemon-witch

Instagram: /lemonwitch17

Website: lemonwitch.co.uk

Address: 17 Queens Road, Southend On Sea, SS1 1LT

The Mad Hatters Tearoom - Southend On Sea

As a crazy Alice in Wonderland fan and a lover of tearooms, when I was researching places to go in Southend and came across The Mad Hatters Tearoom, I knew I had to go there and see it for myself! I was not disappointed, this beautiful little café is wonderfully themed from the second you step in the door and come face-to -face with a large collage of clocks, teacups and pots, red (or white?) rose and that all important lock and key . I feel like a child stepping into wonderland surrounded but big murals of the characters and quotes from the book there‘s even a teapot collection on one wall to rival my own! The problem with visiting several cafes in one day means I have eaten in two places already (yes…I’m fat) so I’m not very hungry and I’ve had enough tea (if there is such a thing), its lucky though, otherwise I wouldn’t have ordered the delicious hot chocolate with marshmallows in it that is now on the table in front of me. That would be a tragedy; this is a really great hot chocolate!

I always love the little details in places like this and there are some lovely ones in here, such as the three- tiered cake in the glass-fronted cabinet by the counter, one layer in pink and purple stripes with a big smile on the front (guess who?), one with an ‘Eat Me’ label hanging from it and the third is a green top hat with biscuits on it! Even the tips sign on the counter has the quote “you’re entirely bonkers but all the best people are” around its frame. I love the menu here too, with specials such as ‘The Jabberwocky’ and ‘The Mad Hatter Surprise’ which is ‘a brillig combination of frumbious delights that will make you say “oh frabjous day! Callooh callay!” The more I look around, the more I spot, like the framed sign behind the counter that reads “curiouser and curiouser”. This tearoom reminds me of Alice’s Tea Shop in Sevenoaks (which, looking back, I realize I never wrote about) but aimed at a slightly older customer. Id be happy to bring a family member of friend here for  tea of go all out and have a massive costumed Tea Party!

Suitable for anyone and everyone, this café is heaven for all Alice in Wonderland fans and the child inside all of us and the perfect place for a mad hatter’s tea party.

Website: madhatterssouthend.co.uk

Facebook: /madhatterssouthend

Twitter: @madhatterssos

Instagram: /madhatterssouthend

Address: 2 Queens Road, Southend on Sea, SS1 1 LU