Tea for you and me

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Earthlights Tearoom

36 High Street, Swanage, Dorset, BH19 2NU   (View on map)

Our first view of Swanage bay. Gorgeous.

When we arrived in Swanage we wanted some tea and also some lunch for R and some cake for me. Specifically, R wanted a prawn mayo baguette (he can be particular about his sandwiches sometimes) and Earthlights was the first place we came to that offered the baguette in question and had some cake for me.

The building this cafe is in was an interesting one, it had dark blue ceilings with timbers and big windows with leaded panes in at the top. Small but with a range of different sized tables and chairs and lots of photographs and paintings of the sea on the walls (some for sale).

They say on their website that they have the largest selection of tea in Swanage and we certainly didn’t find anywhere that offered more choice than them, there must have been at least 20 different teas and infusions to choose from. I had a Darjeeling and R had a peppermint.

Darjeeling and peppermint tea, along with prawn mayo baguette and the famous Dorset Apple Cake at Earthlights Tearoom.

Swanage is in Dorset and we realised quickly that the rules of cake are different there. Instead of the Victoria sponge cake ruling supreme it was the Dorset Apple Cake. It was offered everywhere we went, including fish and chip shops, but we only saw one Victoria sponge in our whole trip. I chose the Dorset Apple Cake, not yet knowing that it was the ubiquitous cake of Swanage, but thinking that when in Dorset I should try some of their cake. It was good, with slightly spiced sponge and apples in, crunchy on top. R said his baguette was very good too.

Teapot? Yes.
Leaf tea? No.
Milk jug? Yes.
Price? £1.45 for any type of tea.
Cake? Dorset Apple Cake and various other varieties, along with cookies, ice cream, pancakes, sandwiches, jacket potatoes and evening meals.
Go again? Yes, in fact we went back the next day and had lunch there again.


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La Baguetterie

22-24 The High Street, Theale, Berkshire, RG7 5AW   (View on map)

Tea that comes with a biscuit at La Baguetterie.

La Baguetterie seems to focus on lunch food rather than tea, as it has a large counter with a variety of different sandwich and baguette fillings. Unlike some sandwich shops it has a reasonable amount of seating so you can sit down and enjoy your lunch at a table. I went in the afternoon and it was very quiet, but that was just what I felt like so it was fine by me.

Teapot? Yes.
Leaf tea? No.
Milk jug? Yes.
Price? £1.60 for tea and ‘infusions’.
Cake? A very limited selection of pastries and tarts when I went, but as I went in the afternoon I imagine that they had already sold a lot as they were clearing up for the day. The tea came with a caramelised biscuit anyway.
Go again? Yes, if I’m in Theale.


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Jam and Tea

The Vintage Marketplace, Vintage by Hemingway festival 2011, Southbank, London.

Cupcakes and bunting.

This is a little different from other reviews on here because you can’t go visit this one. It’s been and gone. Over. No link to viewing it on the map because it was a ‘pop-up’ tearoom just for the festival, in a tent in the vintage marketplace section. It was provided by Jam and Tea and had a limited range of menu options – cupcake and tea, cream tea, petit fours and tea, or afternoon tea. LB and I plumped for the cupcake and tea as we could see rows of them on cake stands at the back of the tent.

It was a very hot, very busy day and the tent was also very hot and very busy but everyone inside was having a good time and enjoying the tea. Once we’d ordered a stand with cupcakes on was brought to us and we chose the ones we wanted – both of us picked the cream coloured ones (no difference in flavour, just difference in colour).

I think the best thing about this place was the set dressing – all the bunting, photos, postcards, tablecloths and crockery. For example, another lady on our table ordered the cream tea and her jam and cream came in tiny teacups. As this was a vintage festival there were a few people dressed in vintage clothing and this added to the fun feel of the tent.

Tea and cupcakes for two, along with a bunch of sweet peas.

Teapot? Yes.
Leaf tea? No.
Milk jug? Yes.
Price? £5 for tea and cupcake, £7 for tea and petit fours, £8 for a cream tea, £15 for afternoon tea.
Cake? Only those mentioned above.
Go again? Yes, but to the main cafe, not to the kiosk.


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The Steward’s Room

Kenwood House, Hampstead Lane, London, NW3 7JR.   (View on map)

The pond for birds rather than the one for ladies, but it gives an idea of the calm beauty of the ponds on Hampstead Heath.

The Steward’s Room is not the main cafe at Kenwood House, but the small kiosk style one by the side that serves ice cream. A and I had spent a very pleasant day swimming at the Ladies’ Pond, but it was a very cold pond so after our second swim we went in search of hot tea. The lifeguard informed us that Kenwood House was the place to go, so we wandered past the greenery and marvelled at the view of Hampstead Heath before arriving at the house.

The main cafe (The Brew House) was very busy and I felt like an ice cream anyway, so the kiosk seemed the best option. If I went again I’d go to the main cafe as they had proper teapots, cups and milk jugs – whereas we only had paper cups.

Tea and ice cream at The Steward's Room.

hot chocolate and I had an Earl Grey tea along with a double scoop of ice cream (strawberry and mint choc-chip). A said her hot chocolate was too sweet and sickly, and when she got to the bottom of the cup there was a big mound of chocolate sludge, so that was a bit odd. My tea would have benefited from being in a pot, but other than that was quite good considering. The photo doesn’t really do the house justice, it’s a much nicer venue than the picture implies – but, hey, it’s difficult to take a photo with one hand.

Teapot? No.
Leaf tea? No.
Milk jug? A big one that you helped yourself to.
Price? £1.30 for the tea, £3.20 for the ice cream (double scoop).
Cake? Yes, and fruit, crisps, yoghurts, juice, sandwiches, salads etc.
Go again? Yes, but to the main cafe, not to the kiosk.


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Norsk

Norwegian Church Arts Centre, Harbour Drive, Cardiff Bay, CF10 4PA   (View on map)

The view of the bay, just along from the Norwegian Church.

The Norwegian Church turned out to be a church that was established in 1868 to provide for the sailors of the Norwegian merchant fleet, though it’s no longer a consecrated space. A plaque in the Roald Dahl Plass informed me that not only was Roald Dahl born in Cardiff, he was christened in the Norwegian Church. Another excellent reason to visit it.

Now it’s an arts centre with a cafe, which is why I was there. The building was striking and completely different to the other buildings surrounding it. The white slats contrasted against the blue of the sky and drew my eye to it way before I reached the building.

Inside is a small exhibition space on the first floor, a meeting/events room and a the cafe. It was cold and threatening rain when I went but the decking area to the side looked too enticing to ignore, so I made my way outside.

The Norwegian Church.

It was windy and cold, but again, very peaceful. I’m not sure if it was just because the weather wasn’t that great, or because I was in a different country, or because I wasn’t at work on a day I would normally be working, but I found my whole Cardiff tea drinking experience very peaceful and calm. The bay was especially beautiful and I stayed there into the evening, going to see a play that was on at the Wales Millennium Centre in the evening. I think I could quite happily live in Cardiff.

Tea on the outside terrace. Hot tea and cold air with a sea view, brilliant.

Anyway, reverie over. Now back to the tea. There was an option for a ‘Welsh brew’ tea, so that’s what I ordered. It was hot and strong, but I couldn’t honestly tell you that I noticed anything particularly different from a standard English Breakfast tea. It didn’t matter, the view was great.

Teapot? Yes.
Leaf tea? No.
Milk jug? Yes.
Price? £1.90 for the Welsh brew, I have a feeling a more standard tea may cost slightly less.
Cake? A selection of cake and biscuits, not forgetting the Welsh cakes. I think some hot food as well, but I’m afraid I wasn’t paying much attention – I just wanted to get outside and see the sea again.
Go again? Yes.


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Kemi’s Cafe

Craft in the Bay, The Flourish, Lloyd George Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 4QH  (View on map)

The view of the outside of the Craft in the Bay building.

This cafe was recommended to me as a good place to go for tea if I was visiting Cardiff and I wasn’t disappointed. Kemi’s Cafe is inside the Craft in the Bay building and had a lovely feel to it. I came down to the bay from Cardiff centre on the bendy bay bus and this was very near to the bus stop, which was handy. It also meant I showed astonishing self-discipline by going for a cup of tea first, for the sake of the blog, rather than running down towards the bay and getting all excited at seeing the sea.

Craft in the Bay has lots of beautiful art and craft items, all of which I wanted, none of which I could afford. It was an enjoyable look round though. Kemi’s Cafe had many different good-looking cake and pastry items, as well as salads and paninis. I resisted as I’d already had the Welsh cakes (plus this day was getting quite expensive – I’d been to one cafe already and had this one and at least one more to go to yet).

Tea, flowers and fountains at Kemi's Cafe.

The tea came in a teapot with a retro cup and saucer. I sat upstairs so I could gaze out the window at the fountains and the bay. Each table had a little vase of flowers and again the atmosphere was very calm.

Teapot? Yes.
Leaf tea? No.
Milk jug? Yes.
Price? £2 for a pot of tea.
Cake? A multitude of cake and some fetching salads and sarnies too.
Go again? Yes.


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National Museum Cardiff

Cathays Park, Cardiff, CF10 3NP   (View on map)

View from my table of the stairs leading to the ceramics gallery.

Museums and art galleries tend to have reasonable tea, so I headed to the National Museum Cardiff to have a look around and to seek out a pot of tea. I didn’t have long to spend in Cardiff so I decided just to look at one gallery and spent my time looking at the ceramics gallery. It was peaceful and interesting, with lots of information about how the ceramics trade had flourished in Wales and how it was influenced. I’d recommend going to have a look at it.

The cafe was directly below the ceramics gallery. I’m not sure if this was a deliberate ploy so it would tie in with the tea pots on display upstairs, but I liked it all the same. As it was in Wales there were more blackboards advertising the beverages and food available than usual – as it all had to be in Welsh and English. Lots of signage in Welsh cafes.

I had a pot of tea and two Welsh cakes. I think it might have been the first time I’ve eaten Welsh cakes whilst in Wales and they were lovely. For those that have never tried a Welsh cake, I can only explain it as being a cross between a scone and a drop scone, with currants (or are they raisins?). The staff were very friendly and helpful, even though the cafe was almost full to capacity and it was a light airy place to have a cup of tea. The musuem shop also had some nice stuff in it, including some tea related items.

Tea and Welsh cakes at the National Museum Cardiff.

Teapot? Yes.
Leaf tea? No, a Rosie Fairtrade teabag, which was okay.
Milk jug? Yes.
Price? £1.30 for tea, 65p per Welsh cake, or £2.40 for two Welsh cakes and a pot of tea (saving a grand total of 20p).
Cake? Yes, the usual suspects as well as cookies and sandwiches.
Go again? Yes, I’d like to have a proper look round the museum too.


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Monkey Island Hotel

Bray-on-Thames, Berkshire, SL6 2EE.   (View on map)

Monkey Island Hotel is on an island, you drive into the car park and then cross a bridge to get to the hotel and grounds. The day we went there was a mini heatwave so it was baking hot and the cool breeze from the river as we crossed the bridge was most welcome.

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There was a private party in the grounds so it was busy outside, we sat inside in a room lined with wood panels. It wasn’t as hot as outside, but it was still very warm. We asked for some jugs of tap water as the journey had been long and hot. Though there were five of us, two of the party were too hot to eat much, so we ordered four afternoon teas between five.

There were four sandwiches per afternoon tea, one each of: ham; salmon; cream cheese and cucumber; and egg and cress. An odd touch was the crisps in between the sandwiches and my first reaction was that we were at a children’s party. They were ready salted and the day was so hot we did wonder if they had been added just to make sure no one keeled over from the heat. We enjoyed them – though I think we would have been less impressed if the weather had been colder.

The other strange twist were the scones. When the tiers of food were first brought there was some confusion as to why we had profiteroles instead of scones, or maybe we had both? On closer inspection we just had scones, but it looked like they had been backed in a shallow bun tin rather than a flat baking tray and so they were very round with a tin line across the side. It made them extremely crunchy.

The cakes made up for the scones and crisps as there were so many different ones and one of each variety for each afternoon tea: chocolate brownie; fruit tart; ginger cake with ginger snap on top; mini bakewell tart; cheesecake; chocolate eclair; and strawberries dipped in chocolate.

We had the usual problem of running out of milk and running out of jam (one tiny pot per afternoon tea, though there were four mini scones per afternoon tea).

SH noticed some more people enjoying afternoon tea as we left, only they had mini macaroons. We were jealous, especially as they were in many different colours, but were too full to go and ask for some.

Teapot? Yes.
Leaf tea? No, but Twinings teabag. Very limited black tea choice of English Breakfast and Earl Grey, the rest were fruit or herbal.
Milk jug? Yes, but we had to ask for refills twice.
Price? £14.95 for each afternoon tea.
Cake? Yes! All tiny.
Go again? It’s a good place to go if you’re already relatively near, but the scones mean I wouldn’t make a special effort.


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Tate Modern Members’ Room

Tate Modern, Bankside, London, SE1 9TG   (View on map)

My tea at the Tate Modern Members' Room

Thanks to JEM’s magic Tate membership (one plus guest and this time guest was me, hurrah) we could go and get a pot of tea from the tranquil Tate Modern Members’ Room. We’d gone to see the Miro exhibition and the cafes were very busy but thanks to the membership we could slip into the Members’ Room instead. The room is high up in Tate Modern with big windows and squishy sofas on one side and big windows and tables and chairs on the other side. There was also a terrace but it was too hot to sit outside when we went. It was peaceful and we stayed there for hours, much longer than we’d been in the exhibition for.

Cake so good we'd started eating it before I took a photo at the Tate Modern Members' Room

There was a wide range of tea on the menu and huge stack of teapots behind the counter, in a variety of colours. I was looking forward to the tea. I wasn’t let down with my Darjeeling and JEM said her English Breakfast was tasty as well. We shared a carrot cake and it had succulent raisins in it with just the right amount of spice. Yum.

Teapot? Yes.
Leaf tea? Yes, loose leaf Jing tea.
Milk jug? Yes, a selection of different sized empty milk jugs with a carafe of milk so you could take as much as you wanted.

View of the bar/counter at the Tate Modern Members' Room (note the demolished cake bottom left)

Price? £1.95 for English Breakfast, Earl Grey or Darjeeling (£2 plus if wanted something more interesting, you could choose from green teas, oolong and more though, impressive). £2.95 for carrot cake. Also a big jug of water with glasses and slices of lemon and a bowl of ice that you could help yourself to, a bonus on such a warm day.
Cake? Yes, tarts and pastries and cakes.
Go again? Yes.

 


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Rafters

Hungerford Arcade, 26 High Street, Hungerford, Berkshire, RG17 0NF   01488 683701   (View on map)

A view of the rafters in Rafters cafe in Hungerford Arcade

D and I were in Hungerford and looking for somewhere to have tea that I hadn’t been before, she suggested the cafe at the top of Hungerford Arcade. The cafe is called Rafters because you can see all the rafters as you are sitting in the apex of the shop. Hungerford Arcade is much bigger inside than it appears on the outside and every spare inch of space is given over to selling antiques, even the displays in the cafe are for sale.

Rafters was busy when we went in, always a good sign, and it took me a while to choose my lunch as the sandwiches, salads and pies on offer all looked good. I went for the soup in the end. D went up to inspect the cakes more closely before making her decision and said the scones looked so good she was going to have a cream tea, but with coffee instead of tea.

The staff called this a ‘cream coffee’ and though that makes logical sense, it still seems like a strange term to me. But then R did used to think that a ‘cream tea’ was tea with cream on the top, like some Frankenstein version of hot chocolate and when we ordered him an actual cream tea was disappointed that he’d already experienced it. He wasn’t disappointed for long though, as a cream tea is still a good thing.

Soup, tea and D's 'cream coffee' at Rafters

Anyway, my generous portion of soup arrived with a warmed half brown baguette and it was very tasty. D’s cream coffee arrived with a warm homemade scone, clotted cream, strawberry jam, butter and a sliced strawberry. And a filter coffee. My Earl Grey tea was a Twinings tea bag affair and there was a proper milk jug. D saved me some scone as she said the strawberry jam was very good and I had to try it – she was right, it was good. Tasting of strawberry instead of jam, an amazingly strawberry strawberry jam.

Teapot? Yes.
Leaf tea? No, but Twinings teabag.
Milk jug? Yup, one for D and I to share that was actually big enough for both of us to take milk. Hurrah!
Price? £2.20 for the Earl Grey, £4.75 for the soup, £5.25 for the cream tea (or coffee).
Cake? Yes.
Go again? Yes.