If you're ever way out west, you may want to try (in no particular order)
Elvira's, Plymouth
Endsleigh Garden centre
Witches Bowl, Dawlish
A Piece of Cake, Dawlish
Global Aroma, Teignmouth
Cobleys, Teignmouth
Jacks Patch
Fermoys
The Copper Kettle, Bovey Tracey
The Brookside tearooms, Bovey Tracey
The Cafe on the Green, Widecombe in the Moor
The Grange, Buckfast Abbey
The Anne of Cleeves, Totnes
The Walled Garden tearooms, Dunsford
The Pottery courtyard, Chudleigh
The Carlton Cafe
The Country Table
Austins
The Nest at Magpies
The Primrose Tearooms, Lustleigh - viva the Devon cream tea! Cream on first!!
The Milkmaid
Debenhams, Exeter
The Boston Tea Party
The Southern Cross tearooms (I assume they're still in business)
Cafe at Exeter cathedral
Monday, 30 May 2011
These you (well I) have loved...
Feeling a bit sentimental, so here's a list of cafes from my mis-spent southern youth, none of which are with us today. Gone, but the good times are not forgotten...
The Parkona
Dingles coffee shop
Newton Abbot bus station cafe (remind me to tell you about the biker accidentally setting fire to his hair)
Tinley's, Exeter
Colsons, Exeter
Three Cooks, Dawlish
The Chicken Cafe
Bevans
Macari's, Fleet Street, Torquay. I know there's one by the harbour but it's not quite the same.
That one in Totnes by the arch (Lindy's?)
The Parkona
Dingles coffee shop
Newton Abbot bus station cafe (remind me to tell you about the biker accidentally setting fire to his hair)
Tinley's, Exeter
Colsons, Exeter
Three Cooks, Dawlish
The Chicken Cafe
Bevans
Macari's, Fleet Street, Torquay. I know there's one by the harbour but it's not quite the same.
That one in Totnes by the arch (Lindy's?)
Thursday, 26 May 2011
The Basement Coffee House, Carliol Square
I think this is the cafe that started this whole idea. I walked past it one day, thought about trying it, and then thought hey, I wonder how many cafes there are in Newcastle, enough for a different one each week, maybe? I'm on course to prove that there are.
So, down in the Basement it was actually rather nice. There was a pool table and table football which made me think they were aiming a a rather younger age group than me. There were sofas, proper tables, a kids area, a tiny stage in one corner. The music was a tad loud for me, but that's nit picking when you can eat a wonderful chocolate fudge cake (with cream, natch) and tea for a very reasonable price. I guess this is another of the 'avoid the feeding frenzy' venues - just near enough to town to be convenient, just far enough away not to be crowded.
It seems the whole thing converts into a church on Sunday morning, but during the week let me assure you that the devil does not have all the best cake!
So, down in the Basement it was actually rather nice. There was a pool table and table football which made me think they were aiming a a rather younger age group than me. There were sofas, proper tables, a kids area, a tiny stage in one corner. The music was a tad loud for me, but that's nit picking when you can eat a wonderful chocolate fudge cake (with cream, natch) and tea for a very reasonable price. I guess this is another of the 'avoid the feeding frenzy' venues - just near enough to town to be convenient, just far enough away not to be crowded.
It seems the whole thing converts into a church on Sunday morning, but during the week let me assure you that the devil does not have all the best cake!
Wednesday, 18 May 2011
La Boca arts cafe, Princess Square
Wouldn't it be nice to have your own little cafe in the cente of town? Somewhere quiet, not too big, good variety of snacks, choice of seating. Somewhere a little different? You're looking at La Boca.
From inside the tiny but cosy cafe you look out on the stark remnants of T Dan Smith's Newcastle and that gives the place a kind of moodily creative edge, the kind of place where lovers meet and part, messages are passed, strangers meet, ideas are brought to life, things happen, life changes. Must be staring at the City Library that's brought out all this!
Anyway, in the real world, the tea was good and served in a little pot with a milk jug and proper cup. The cake selection included a rather good caramel shortbread, gloriously OTT cupcakes, and scones. I must admit I didn't spot that they did paninis etc until I looked at the menu on the table as only drinks and sweet things were on the board. Little tables cluster in the centre of the cafe with comfy chairs and a sofa round the edge. The walls are hung with original artworks that are for sale and there are handmade cards for sale at the counter. And it's quiet! So when there appears to be some kind of feeding frenzy going on in Northumberland Street and Eldon Square, you now know you can escape all that and enjoy your snack in creative calm. And it's open till 8pm.
Snatches of overheard conversation during my visit introduced me to the politics of cafe ownership/management. It's a jungle, don't go there, just make someone else's struggle worthwhile.
From inside the tiny but cosy cafe you look out on the stark remnants of T Dan Smith's Newcastle and that gives the place a kind of moodily creative edge, the kind of place where lovers meet and part, messages are passed, strangers meet, ideas are brought to life, things happen, life changes. Must be staring at the City Library that's brought out all this!
Anyway, in the real world, the tea was good and served in a little pot with a milk jug and proper cup. The cake selection included a rather good caramel shortbread, gloriously OTT cupcakes, and scones. I must admit I didn't spot that they did paninis etc until I looked at the menu on the table as only drinks and sweet things were on the board. Little tables cluster in the centre of the cafe with comfy chairs and a sofa round the edge. The walls are hung with original artworks that are for sale and there are handmade cards for sale at the counter. And it's quiet! So when there appears to be some kind of feeding frenzy going on in Northumberland Street and Eldon Square, you now know you can escape all that and enjoy your snack in creative calm. And it's open till 8pm.
Snatches of overheard conversation during my visit introduced me to the politics of cafe ownership/management. It's a jungle, don't go there, just make someone else's struggle worthwhile.
Sunday, 15 May 2011
The Clock Tower cafe, Hoults Yard, Walker Road
What a setting, I imagine generations of workers trudging up the cobbled bank to the clock tower to clock in or whatever under the foreman's watchful eye. Now you can get a decent mug of tea and a truly scrumptious scone for the princely sum of £1.55! I sat on a high stool near the juke box - there were tables and sofas available too. It was all brickwork, warm tiling, stone arches. A little treasure and open every weekday from 8am to 3.30pm
Sunday, 8 May 2011
The Settle Down Cafe, Thornton Street
I've been saving this one, as I wanted to visit with a couple of friends but today was the day! There was initially some confusion about whether or not Settle Down did open on Sunday (duff information on t'internet) but a quick phone call to the helpful staff soon put us right. We also coincided with the Venus in Furs craft market so that was a bonus.
So, first impressions: delightfully chaotic, with just enough people fighting for just enough space, including children for whom there were toys provided. I'm guessing that more table space is available when the craft market is not on, also there was a 'quiet' room at the back which had a lovely retro look to it, so plenty of nooks and crannies to tuck yourself into while you enjoy your drink and cake and browse the papers and magazines.
We squeezed into a table near the window. Some brave souls where sitting at the tables outside and hoping the rain held off. I chose latte and a piece of lemon drizzle cake - both tasty and very keenly priced. My friends shared a pot of tea - two good strong cups each - and slices of cake topped with muesli and honey (reported to be delicious).
Like The Heaton Perk, and Jack Spratts, this is definitely a community cafe. Through the week you can participate in sewing, philosophy, life coaching and even guerilla knitting (I have a pattern for a 1940s balaclava, if required). We all agreed it's a good venue, handy for town, not too hectic, excellent value for money. In fact, a cafe with a little bit more.
www.thesettledown.com
So, first impressions: delightfully chaotic, with just enough people fighting for just enough space, including children for whom there were toys provided. I'm guessing that more table space is available when the craft market is not on, also there was a 'quiet' room at the back which had a lovely retro look to it, so plenty of nooks and crannies to tuck yourself into while you enjoy your drink and cake and browse the papers and magazines.
We squeezed into a table near the window. Some brave souls where sitting at the tables outside and hoping the rain held off. I chose latte and a piece of lemon drizzle cake - both tasty and very keenly priced. My friends shared a pot of tea - two good strong cups each - and slices of cake topped with muesli and honey (reported to be delicious).
Like The Heaton Perk, and Jack Spratts, this is definitely a community cafe. Through the week you can participate in sewing, philosophy, life coaching and even guerilla knitting (I have a pattern for a 1940s balaclava, if required). We all agreed it's a good venue, handy for town, not too hectic, excellent value for money. In fact, a cafe with a little bit more.
www.thesettledown.com
Wednesday, 4 May 2011
Olive and Bean, Clayton Street
Before I wax lyrical about the delights of Olive and Bean, I should mention that they do do cakes. Very nice cakes. Unusual cakes. Cakes that make you wonder why they don't do a cake tapas so that you can have a little taste of several. I only mention this because their admirable website does not mention cake at all and it jolly well should! Honeycomb tiffin! Cranberry tiffin! Parsnip, lime and ginger! Millionaire shortbread about a foot thick (that's several centimetres to you young things)!
I must admit I had walked past Olive and Bean before thinking it was a deli, but several people have recommended it to me and so curiosity demanded it should be visited soon.
It was a bit like walking into a deli, what with the shelves of tea etc just inside the door, there were tables further round hidden from view and making a nice quiet venue. Upstairs is more seating, proper tables and chairs (hurrah!), sofas for those who must, and in-between bucket-type chairs for the indecisive. It's all beautifully clean and decked out in suitably olivey colours with lovely bright green walls. And situated on the corner as it is, it's a nosy parker's paradise as you can watch the world go by and into Eldon Square or Grainger Market while sipping your drink and munching the irresistable cake.
So, I can voucher for the tea (two good cups from a pot) and the parsnip, lime and ginger cake, and I am reliably informed that the coffee was good too. It's a little oasis in the heart of town. Yes, I will be going back!
www.oliveandbean.co.uk
I must admit I had walked past Olive and Bean before thinking it was a deli, but several people have recommended it to me and so curiosity demanded it should be visited soon.
It was a bit like walking into a deli, what with the shelves of tea etc just inside the door, there were tables further round hidden from view and making a nice quiet venue. Upstairs is more seating, proper tables and chairs (hurrah!), sofas for those who must, and in-between bucket-type chairs for the indecisive. It's all beautifully clean and decked out in suitably olivey colours with lovely bright green walls. And situated on the corner as it is, it's a nosy parker's paradise as you can watch the world go by and into Eldon Square or Grainger Market while sipping your drink and munching the irresistable cake.
So, I can voucher for the tea (two good cups from a pot) and the parsnip, lime and ginger cake, and I am reliably informed that the coffee was good too. It's a little oasis in the heart of town. Yes, I will be going back!
www.oliveandbean.co.uk
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