cafe | Tea for you and me

January 11, 2026
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Yaylo

This review is long overdue. When Nibsy’s was sold it became Yaylo. Still gluten free, still selling some of the same bakes (Nutella cake for the win) but now an orange cafe instead of a pink one.

There’s still seating outside and inside on the ground floor and downstairs, and still a toilet. There are still lots of cakes to choose from. Some of my favourites from Nibsy’s aren’t sold there anymore, but the big hitters of orange and polenta cake, Nutella cake, doughnuts and scones still make a regular appearance. They’ve also added more of their own cakes, when I was there they had a Basque-style cheesecake that looked particularly good.

I went for the usual rooibos tea and Nutella cake combo. My top tip for you, dear reader, is to ask for the Nutella cake to be warmed. This turns a very nice chocolate and hazelnut cake into a glossy and gooey chocolate cake-pudding hybrid. Usually they offer to warm it when you order it, but if they don’t then please ask. On a cold January day, it was the perfect cake hug.

Close up photo of half-eaten Nutella cake on a white plate with a fork. The cake is chocolate with chopped nuts on top and chocolate sauce. — The glorious cake-pudding hybrid that is Nutella cake

Yaylo is often busy, but they’ve been clever with the seating layout on the ground floor so that there’s usually somewhere to sit. There’s also the downstairs area, though I have to admit I’ve never sat down there since it’s been Yaylo. The staff are friendly and the tea and cake is good. I’d recommend visiting if you’re in Reading.

Teapot? Yes.
Leaf tea? No.
Milk jug? I didn’t have milk as I wasn’t in the mood for it but I believe it comes in a milk jug.
Price? £3.20 for the pot of tea and £5.10 for the Nutella cake. If you want non-dairy milk it costs extra. They have some smaller sweet treats as well, if you don’t want to pay £5 for a piece of cake.
Cash? Yes, they accept cash and card.
Cake? Yes, wide variety of cake, scones and traybakes and afternoon tea. Also sandwiches and often quiche. All gluten free.
Toilet? Yes, one unisex cubicle, accessed by going down some steps.
Go again? Yes, I’m not giving up Nutella cake any time soon.

Yaylo, 26 Cross Street, Reading, RG1 1SN

Visited on: Saturday 3 January 2026

December 30, 2025
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Café Jessecco

Toad Hall Garden Centre has a cafe inside it, as all good garden centres do, and that cafe is Café Jessecco. It’s a friendly space surrounded by plants and when I visited in November it was already fully embracing the Christmas season.

A photo of an empty cafe with metal charts and wood tables on a tiled floor. Towards the back are greenhouse-style windows and to the right are shelves and a pillar wrapped in tinsel. — Café Jessecco

I try not to include people in my photos for this blog unless I’ve asked them if it’s OK first. This might make it look like I only visit empty cafes, but rest assured Café Jessecco was doing a brisk trade when I visited and I had to wait a while before getting this interior photo for you. Seeing the sky and the tree from inside the cafe was particularly pleasing, I’d like to go back again on a day with a bright blue sky and see how it changes the feel of the space. The greenhouse style roof did have a few drips coming through when I was there, but they weren’t in the main cafe area and were being caught in buckets.

They warned me when I ordered that tea would be in a takeaway cup as they were so busy and that was fine (always good to be warned). It was a pleasant surprise to get a ceramic teapot and milk jug along with the paper cup and box. And extra festive points for a takeaway cup looking like it was wrapped in its own mini Christmas jumper.

A photo of a table top with tea making items and a flapjack. The flapjack is in a box and is topped with chocolate and a sugar Santa face. To the right is a paper cup with Christmas patterns on the outside and a wrapped teabag inside. Then a red teapot. Then a white milk jug. All on a brown wooden tabletop. — Tea making items and mince pie flapjack at Café Jessecco

I ordered a pot of decaf tea and a mince pie flapjack. Mince pies are great, flapjacks are great – combining the two seemed like a winning combination. It was basically a flapjack with a layer of mincemeat in the middle, chocolate topping and a sugar Santa. When it arrived I was initially disappointed it was small, but it was rich, spiced and fruity and the size was just right. I’d order it again.

The tea was not loose leaf but a Clipper decaf teabag. It’s my fault the tea looks watery – I added it to the pot but was a bit impatient and didn’t let it brew long enough.

A photo of a part eaten flapjack in a white box. The flapjack is topped with chocolate and has a Santa face decoration on. A takeaway cup of weak tea is next to it. The cup is has a printed Christmas design on. All on a brown wooden table top. — Decaf tea and mince pie flapjack at Café Jessecco

If you’re in the area and fancy a wander round a garden centre then this is a good place to go. Toad Hall Garden Centre has a good selection of tools, plants and pots and when I went it was full of Christmas decorations and poinsettias too. Café Jessecco is a nice addition to some garden centre browsing.

A photo of rows of different coloured poinsettia plants — Poinsettia plants at Toad Hall Garden Centre

Teapot? Yes, in festive red.
Leaf tea? No, a Clipper decaf teabag.
Milk jug? Yes.
Price? £6.60 for a pot of decaf tea and a mince pie flapjack.
Cake? Yes, a selection of cakes and tray bakes. Also sells sandwiches.
Toilet? Yes, near the entrance to the garden centre rather than by the cafe (but it’s not far). Male, female and disabled.
Go again? Yes.

Cafe Jessecco, Toad Hall Garden Centre, Marlow Road, Fawley, Henley-on-Thames, RG9 3AG.

Visited on: Saturday 22 November 2025

October 8, 2023
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Chineside

Photo of the seaside in Bournemouth. White clouds in the sky, blue calm sea, yellow sandy beach with two small figures sat on chairs.

This cafe has one of the best views of any sit-in cafe I’ve ever been to. Chineside is a two-storey cafe on the beachfront in Bournemouth. You can go for a paddle, walk up the beach, cross the couple of metres of tarmac promenade and you’re there. They have two takeaway kiosks facing the promenade so you don’t even need to put your shoes on if you want a cup of tea. I chose to put my flip-flops back on and go for a nice sit down and a cup of tea on the upstairs terrace area.

The seating area upstairs is open air, which was just what I wanted on a slightly overcast morning that had the promise of sunshine later. I chose a table in the corner that gave me views of the promenade in front of me and the sea to the side. The upstairs terrace was half full of people – various conversations and the noise of cutlery on plates. Under it all was the sound of the waves, over and over and over. The best soundtrack to any cup of tea.

Photo of a cup of rooibos tea next to a teapot and milk jug on an open air table in the Chineside cafe in Bournemouth. Behind the table are glass panels through which the sea and beach can be seen.

Photo of American-style pancakes with egg and bacon and maple syrup on the side on a white china plate. The plate is on a wooden table and above the plate is a cup of rooibos tea, a teapot and a milk jug. Chineside cafe in Bournemouth.

I had a pot of rooibos tea with oat milk and the American pancakes with a fried egg and streaky bacon and maple syrup (which I asked for on the side). All of it was good and the pancakes weren’t too heavy. The menu was all breakfast items but that’s to be expected as I was there mid-morning. I’m assuming the menu changes later in the day.

If you’re going to be in Bournemouth then I’d recommend coming here for a great sea view and some good tea and food. If you’re not going to be in Bournemouth then you should go visit, nothing like the seaside and a paddle for making you feel properly on holiday.

Teapot? Yes, a metal one that poured well.
Leaf tea? Reader, I’m ashamed to say I forgot to check. There was a teabag corner sticking out of the pot but it might have been one of the open ones that you fill with loose leaf. Forgive me, I’m a bit out of practice.
Milk jug? Yes.
Price? £2.55 for a pot of rooibos tea, 30p for oat milk, £9.95 for the pancakes.
Cake? Yes, a glass cabinet downstairs with different cakes in.
Toilet? Yes, unisex toilets upstairs (no lift that I saw but I didn’t check). Separate male and female public toilets and a disabled public toilet (RADAR key operated) outside next to the cafe.
Go again? Yes.

Chineside, off West Overcliff Drive, Westbourne, Bournemouth, BH2 5JF.

Visited on: Friday 15 September 2023

November 10, 2019
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Gardens of Caversham

Light and bright Gardens of Caversham

It’s an odd name for a cafe with no outdoor space, but maybe the people who run it have the surname Gardens? It also doesn’t have any obvious signage so I’d gone past it a few times when it first opened before realising it was there. On the day I visited it had an A-board outside making it easier to spot.

It’s a bright, light space with tables in an L shape along the window and one wall, with a large counter that included a glass section holding lots of lovely looking things to eat. There were also uncovered brownies on the top of the counter. There were no prices on anything and no signs saying what the food was, but the staff were very friendly and willing to tell me what was what.

I asked which brownie I should go for and was recommended the salted caramel brownie. You pick up the food from the counter once you’ve paid. I had taken the brownie back to my table and was getting on with some writing when the friendly server came and switched it for one that he said was fresher, which I appreciated.

My salted caramel brownie had proper chunks of caramel in the bottom and was rich and indulgent (like all good brownies should be). I had a mug of decaf tea as they didn’t have any redbush tea. It’s a shame the tea only comes in mugs (especially at £2.50 for teabag tea in a mug, which is a little expensive for Reading), but with sacks of coffee beans everywhere there is a focus on coffee rather than tea. I have been told (by people that drink coffee) that the coffee here is good.

Salted caramel brownie, little milk bottle of soya milk and a mug of decaf tea at Gardens of Caversham

I would recommend Gardens of Caversham to anyone that likes coffee and wants somewhere quiet to contemplate things.

Teapot? No, just a plain mug with a little saucer to put the teabag on.
Leaf tea? No.
Milk jug? Yes, a little milk bottle.
Price? £2.50 for a mug of tea, £3.69 for the brownie.
Cake? Yes, three different brownies and other cake things. Also quiches and sausage rolls.
Go again? Maybe if I was going with someone who liked coffee or wanted somewhere quiet to sit and work. If it started serving redbush tea in a pot then I would definitely be back.

Gardens of Caversham: 15 Bridge Street, Caversham, Reading, RG4 8AF

Visited on: Wednesday 2nd October 2019

April 30, 2019
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Minori Cafe, Ginza

View from our table

Tea and green bean and spinach rice milk (it was greener than this in real life)

There are two floors of food hall foodstuffs in the basement of Mitsukoshi department store in Tokyo: fresh fish, bread, cakes, vegetables, strawberries (extremely expensive strawberries) and once you’ve looked round at all the foodstuff wonders your next stop is obviously to go and have a cup of tea.

If you want hot tea (not tea from the food hall that comes in a packet) you need to go to the ninth floor. There’s a number of places up there to eat and drink, along with a garden terrace and a smoking room. We opted for trying the Minori Cafe. There were windows along one side of the top floor where people sat and drank tea and ate food from the cafe but unfortunately they were all full so we sat at a table in the middle instead.

R had Beni-Fuki (our English menu described it as ‘Japan made tea’) and I had green bean and spinach rice milk. Both were available hot or iced, but we both went for the hot version as it was a grey rainy day and we wanted warming up.

My drink wasn’t strictly tea (okay, so it wasn’t tea at all) but it was really very tasty. A light sweet taste of green and the smoothness of the rice milk underneath. It wasn’t too sickly or too frothy. R said his tea was also good.

Teapot? No and sadly only take away cups.
Leaf tea? No.
Milk jug? No, but that’s because you don’t have milk with Japanese tea.
Price? 390 yen for the tea, 590 yen for the green bean and spinach rice milk.
Cake? I think it had small things, but I was so distracted by the rice milk I didn’t make a note of exactly what. Apologies.
Go again? Yes. This was a very good rice milk drink and I haven’t found it anywhere else.

Minori Cafe, 9F, Mitsukoshi Department Store, 4-6-16 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-0061. Visited on: Monday 4th March 2019.

April 13, 2019
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7 Flowers & Tea

View from my seat of 7 Flowers & Tea

Fake foliage wall behind me

I’d walked past this place a few times before everything aligned and it was open when I had time to go in. It was full when I arrived (always a good sign) but a couple were just leaving so I got a table quickly.

This place smells wonderful, by the way. It smells of (you guessed it) flowers and tea – but also of cake. It was warm and relaxing, with fake foliage on the wall behind me and real flowers in front of me. 7 Flowers & Tea is a florist as well as a tea room and you can buy bouquets or small arrangements in pots or even single stems of flowers.

KD and I were pleased when the menu turned out to be a long list of tea and then a long list of cake. I opted for sakura tea (Japanese cherry blossom), while KD had vanilla black tea followed by rose black tea. I had the ‘Egg hunt’ cake – a vegan sponge with yellow frosting and berries and KD had the ‘Mulled apple’. Both were good.

My tea came in a glass teapot, with a tea light underneath keeping the tea warm and a gold-rimmed glass cup in the shape of a flower. It glowed. A row of tables with glowing tea pots makes for a very cosy tea room. KD’s vanilla black tea came in a china pot, but her rose black tea came in a glowing glass one. Worth checking before you order what your tea comes in if you want a glowing tea experience.

Glowing Sakura tea

Trays of tea and pieces of cake

My flower shaped tea cup

Sakura blossoms in the teapot

‘Egg hunt’ cake

Rose tea

Only minor downside (and it was a minor one) was that the lovely floral scent of the flowers in the shop made it was slightly difficult to taste the tea and cake properly, but it didn’t detract from the overall experience. The staff were very friendly and helpful, and everything was beautifully presented. I’ll definitely be going again.

Teapot? Yes, and a fancy glass one at that.
Leaf tea? Oh, yes.
Milk jug? Yes, for the tea that was suitable for having with milk. I got a pot of honey with mine, along with sweetener, brown sugar and white sugar. All options covered if you want something sweeter.
Price? £3.80 for the sakura tea, £2.99 for the cake (I think, it might have been £3.99).
Cake? Yes, long list of it on the menu including vegan and gluten free.
Go again? Yes. This was a lovely treat and I am keen to try different teas and different cakes.

7 Flowers & Tea: 4 Cross Street, Reading, RG1 1SN. Visited on Saturday 6th April 2019.

May 6, 2017
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My first cruffin

Today I had my first cruffin. I’m a bit late to this trend as they’ve been around for a few years, but at least I’m all caught up now. I think this is the first portmanteau item I’ve tried (I’m discounting brunch as that’s not one particular thing).

Today’s cruffin came from The Cookie Jar and was a chocolate cruffin. Here are some photos for your delectation.

The chocolate cruffin at Cookie Jar.

The inside of the chocolate cruffin.

The cruffin was heavier than I expected and quite filling (which I appreciated as I was hungry). My cruffin-eating companions shared one between two, I think they were already aware of the filling nature of the cruffin.

Overall, it was an enjoyable experience, and kudos to the Cookie Jar for going to the trouble of making them (apparently it takes three days and so they only sell them on a Saturday), but I’m afraid I would still choose a croissant or a muffin over a cruffin. Sorry cruffin.

April 21, 2017
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My new top five

I have to admit I’ve been a bit slack with updating my top five cafes, but a few days ago I have updated the list to show my current top five places to drink rooibos tea.

Tea and cake at The teashop by the canal

For a long time, my top five has displayed as:

This list is out of date for two reasons. Firstly, it was made before I started drinking rooibos tea, and secondly, two of the cafes have now closed. Sadly, Sweet Tooth Cupcakery and Delicious… are no more.

One of the reasons I haven’t updated the list before now is that it’s so hard to choose. Especially when my favourite places change depending on what I’m looking for from my tea. Do I want somewhere convenient? Somewhere that’s good to write? Somewhere that’s good for meeting friends? I also don’t travel as much as I used to and tend to revisit the same places more often than before.

My new top five are:

Here’s a little explainer as to why they made the top five (please imagine the kind of chirpy music that you get with a music video countdown).

Pot of rooibos tea and the marvellous chocolate brownie in Nibsy’s.

Nibsy’s It’s got rooibos tea in a pot and excellent cake with very friendly staff, as well as a mix of normal tables and chairs and low tables and armchairs. It also has a toilet, which can be crucial if you’re drinking lots of tea.

Siblings Home Loose leaf rooibos in a pot, good food and a lovely environment. And a toilet. I especially like that it’s got lots of plants.

Picnic Rooibos tea in a cup (but it always comes with a little caramelised biscuit). Great soup with generous amounts of bread, brunch at the weekends, salads and cake.

Reefside Kiosk The photos in my review don’t do the views from the pier justice. It was very calming and a cup of hot tea when we’d been walking was just what was needed. Plus it sells ice cream.

North Tea Power The only place I’ve ever been to that sells tea latte. Genius.

Don’t forget, if you have any other suggestions of places to try, let me know and I’ll add them to the wish list.

April 16, 2017
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The Look Out Cafe Bar

World of Boats, Heol Porth Teigr, Cardiff Bay, Cardiff, CF10 4GA.

View of Cardiff Bay from our table at The Look Out Cafe Bar.

I have to admit we weren’t planning on going here, we just got a bit confused about the bus route round the bay and ended up getting off next to World of Boats. World of Boats is in a lovely position next to the bay (as befits an exhibition about boats) and the cafe has beautiful views across the water.

The Look Out Cafe Bar had dotty tablecloths, floral arrangements, a little dog pottering around and tea that came in a teapot. It was nice. R and I enjoyed a nice chat and some tea drinking and decided that although we hadn’t planned to, we would have a look round World of Boats.

My pot of decaf tea and R’s glass of peppermint tea at The Look Out Cafe Bar.

Things were all going swimmingly, until the little dog (small and white with fetching brown patches) pottered over to the table next to us, cocked a leg, and peed on the floor. Once we told the staff it was all cleaned up very promptly, but we didn’t stay in the cafe for very long after that.

Instead, we paid our £5 each and went through into the exhibition space. World of Boats was not, as I had thought, a euphemism for a lot of boats. It was a small exhibition of boats from around the world (which is what R thought it would be). And very interesting and enjoyable it was too. There was even a section where you could try out semaphore.

Teapot? Yes, for the decaf tea.
Leaf tea? No, tea bag tea.
Milk jug? Yes.
Price? £2.25 for each tea and £5 each to go into World of Boats.
Cake? Yes and I think they had savoury food too.
Go again? Unfortunately not.

Visited on: Monday 27th March 2017

March 28, 2017
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Wally’s Kaffehaus

Wally’s Delicatessen, 38-46 Royal Arcade, Cardiff, Wales, CF10 1AE.

Visited on: Sunday 26th March 2017

Tea and teapots at Wally’s Kaffehaus (I was trying to illustrate the different sizes of pots, but apparently I’ve failed miserably as the perspective makes them seem roughly the same size).

R and I were visiting Cardiff and wanted somewhere to go for a nice cafe lunch. We came across Wally’s Kaffehaus in one of the arcades and decided to give it a try. Well, to be fair, we came across Wally’s Delicatessen and I saw the sign in the window for the Kaffehaus upstairs and we looked at the menu and decided to try it.

It only occurs to me now that once again I picked somewhere with coffee in the name, but luckily Wally’s Kaffehaus bucked the trend and also served good tea.

I had a most marvellous rooibos tea and R had Japanese Sencha. He even ordered a large pot (that the waiter said was big enough for two) because he really wanted a lot of peppermint tea. The tea was loose leaf and rather nice. I hadn’t read the menu properly and asked for milk with mine, only to find that it was delicately spiced and fruity and didn’t need milk. Most refreshing.

My Styria open sandwich (so much ham!).

R’s sausage platter.

The food was really good. Wally’s Kaffehaus is a Viennese Kaffehaus and has lots of Austrian food. R had a sausage mixed platter (three different sausages with mustard, curry ketchup and rye bread) and I had a Styria open sandwich with the most ham in one sandwich I have ever had. It also came with cheese, pickles and mustard on rye bread and a side of delicious potato salad (all the more impressive as I don’t particularly like potato salad).

A most satisfying lunch and tea experience, with the added bonus of looking out onto the arcade of shops below. Worth a visit if you’re ever in Cardiff.

Teapot? Yes.
Leaf tea? Loose leaf tea and a teapot shaped saucer thing to put your infuser basket on once the tea was the desired strength.
Milk jug? Yes (not that I needed it).
Price? £2.10 for my small pot of tea, £3.50 for the big one, £5.95 for the sausage platter and £6.75 for the sandwich.
Cake? Yes and sandwiches and hot food and nice looking biscuits. I really wanted some cake, but that sandwich was quite filling.
Go again? Yes, I had serious food jealousy the whole time we were there and now I want to go back try everything else on the menu (including the cake).

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