Toney Minchellas, South Marine Park, South Shields

What with major religious festivals and royal weddings, Grace has had to go on tour this week to an exceptionally nice and sunny South Shields. 
The new Toney Minchellas cafe replaces the takeaway by the boating lake and was well patronised during the school holiday.  The selection of cakes was truly magnificent (my friend and I finally agreed to share a piece of apple pie with cream) and the coffees were served in glasses with a metal holder - very stylish.  I have to say they reminded me of Macaris on Torquay harbourside, memories of warm summer evenings, a holiday atmosphere, happy times.
The cafe itself is light and airy, the side facing the boating lake is almost entirely glass so you have a great view of the park, and there are tables outside too.  We sat at the far side, equally glassy but with a view of bluebells and the miniature railway track ('The Mountaineer'  will chuff by within feet of your table).  I also noticed birdboxes newly attached to the trees so soon it may be possible to watch avian antics as well.  The decor is fresh and clean, and the whole cafe has a nice open feel to it.  I am assured it is equal to anything that continental Europe can offer.  If there was a downside, it was the slightly too loud radio playing throughout.
Yes, I can recommend Toney Minchellas as part of a balanced day out in South Shields (other ingredients include fish and chips, curry, the beach and the funfair), visit soon! 
Grace will be back in the toon next week!!

Jack Sprats, Chillingham Road

This place has a nice community feel to it - advertising activities over Easter etc etc.  It's quietly tucked away but even on a Monday there were several people in.

Ordering proved a little difficult.  Tea?  Which tea?  Milk?  Which milk?  Cake?  Gluten free?  Suitable for vegetarians?  Suitable for vegans?  Oh, blow it, let's just have a cup of Tetleys and a caramel slice!  I can thoroughly recommned the caramel slice.  There were tiny Easter cup cakes on sale for 50p as well, but I restrained myself.

The furnishing and decor is as I have come to expect from this type of cafe.  Wooden floors, old dining room tables and chairs, old three piece suites with throws.  Art work on the walls (here it was for sale).  I checked out the magazine selection and found it limited to some elderly editions of The Crack together with veggie/healthy lifestyle mags of various ages.  The music was different though.  Someone's iPod selection perhaps?  In half an hour we had The Beatles, latin, classical and more pop.  As someone at another table said, it was worth coming to see what was played next.

So would I come again?  If I lived nearby, definitely, as it has a good local feel and the staff are very friendly and nice.  Would I go out of my way?  Probably not wise - someone as indecisive as me could still be deciding on milk at closing time.

Sandra's Village Tearoom, Woolsington

Made this excursion with two friends and a pleasant time was had by all after a little local difficulty about which side of the road the tearoom was on.  OK, I was wrong.  Bit of a shame seeing I was navigating but no doubt we'll look back on it and laugh.
Anyway, a nice pot of tea for three was served.  I can voucher for the niceness of the Victoria sponge and I am assured that the lemon cheesecake and the scone were also nice (they certainly looked it).

Sandra's is everything a tearoom should be, nice little pine tables with tablecloths, friendly staff, clean looking and smelling, frequented by the locals.  What's not to like?  Defintely one to visit when you're passing

The Heaton Perk, Heaton Park Road

Discussing my quest with colleagues at work, someone mentioned the Heaton Perk which I had never heard of before and as it is high time I redressed the balance of visits in favour of the east side of town, I did a little recce and decided to visit!  There are plenty of places in Heaton Road and Chillingham Road for later, but I must admit I was very taken with the Heaton Perk.
It reminded me of the Tiny Tea Tent that I encountered at (I think) Larmer Tree and Greenbelt festivals.  Very relaxed, fine selection of herbal teas, chocolate chip shortbread to die for, just fine, I felt really at home.  I sat in the window, drinking tea, munching shortbread, reading the newspapers on offer and taking in the scene.  As always, I'd picked a quiet time of day, but by the look of the toys and board games available I guess this is a valued community place where families are welcome.  There's plenty of information about what's on too - leaflets, posters.  All this and tea served in a proper teapot to be poured into a proper cup and saucer.  Another little jewel hidden away, and definitely one that I'll revisit

The Urban Coffee House, Brentwood Avenue, Jesmond

This blog was born of a spirit of adventure, let no one tell you otherwise!  Today's visit illustrates this.  I'd been to the Mixer market (part of the Jesmond Community festival) at the British Legion, bought nothing and was strolling back down Thornleigh Road wondering if I could make Starbucks my destination of the week when I spotted the signpost to Brentwood Avenue Shops.  I was off into uncharted territory - not quite hacking through impenetrable jungle although I did have to negotiate an overgrown shrub as one stage - but certainly an area of Newcastle that I hadn't visited before.  And behold!  on the corner The Urban Coffee House - never heard of it, not on my list, but before I knew it I was inside ordering a rocky road slice and an americano.

Braver souls than I were sitting at the tables outside, but I opted for the window seating - armchairs round small tables that appeared to have been recycled from something that housed cable (bobbins?  dunno, word not in my vocabulary).  There was more seating behind the counter.  Nice smiley staff, upbeat latiny music, all the decor looked clean and recently done out.  On the walls were sketches for the interior of the cafe.  On the toilet walls were prints of well known people from the world of popular entertainment.  One might have been Jimi Hendrix.

The rocky road slice was sweet and gooey.  I suspect the coffee was stronger than I like but as I am nursing a cold I couldn't really taste it  I couldn't see the opening hours, but this cafe is one to linger at during the day or early evening to watch Jesmond pass you by on its way to the metro or Osborne Road

Scrumpy Willow and Singing Kettle, Clayton Street

Had to make this a flying lunch hour visit due to changes in the working week, but think I managed to do it justice.  It's bang next door to the Clayton Street Kitchen but completely different in every way.  Anyone from south Devon wandering through the door could be forgiven for thinking they had been transported back to Totnes!  Can't think of anywhere else in Newcastle that would have Resurgence magazine on display. 
I ordered by coffee and scone, remembering in time to have butter not cream with it (the North East has many and varied delights but proper clotted cream is not among them), and took my seat in the small street level seating area.  The table wobbled like mad but the waitress was very helpful in wedging it with wadges of paper.  Maybe I should say at this point, that this small area is the only flat bit of the establishment.  The toilets are down a steep flight of stairs and there is another flight up to what I assume is a further seating area.  During my visit, a couple tried and failed to get a buggy though the door (had staff been on hand I'm sure the other side of the double door could have been opened).  So, the place may not be DDA compliant but it has got atmosphere - elderly standard lamp in corner, fantastic Indian wooden screen concealing the fridge, cheese plant and peace lilies in the window, interesting cushions on the chairs, interesting choice of music (think I heard Van the Man at one point).
And an interesting mix of clientele too.  In the window, a couple in their 40s I guess.  She wearing the type of Breton striped top that the Times magazine declared 'on trend' only last week.  He casually but not cheaply dressed.  I imagine a place in Northumberland with wood burning stoves, eco gadgets galore and some kind of expensive electric car.  Middle table was vacant when I arrived but soon occupied by a man in a farmery type of tweed jacket, old fogey style but not that old.  He clocked the waitress straight away and wasted no time in chatting her up as he waited for his kedgeree and tea.  Kedgeree!  Talk about a throwback to the days of the raj!
So, the coffee was fine, the scone and butter was fine too, the apparently homemade raspberry jam served with it was so good that I used the whole lot, but the best of all, the taste to beat all tastes, was the organic peppermint cream that I bought on a whim as I paid.  It was large, sweet and so subtly pepperminty and so unlike anything mass produced that I walked on air all the way back to work.

The Fat Hippo, Jesmond

It's good when a plan comes together, and when the plan involves friends, dancing and my new year resolution so much the better!  So today found me at The Fat Hippo in Jesmond with a friend ordering tea and a club sandwich before going to French dancing at the British Legion up the road - nice!
I'd spotted the Fat Hippo a few weeks ago and put it on the hit list, then had cold feet as I thought it might be more of a restaurant than a tea shop.  I found it to be the kind of place you might go for a snack and being Jesmond it was very trendy.  We were the only oldies there and during our stay a couple of parties of students came in.  The decor was mustard yellow walls, grey paintwork, wooden floors, a rather lovely dandelion clock light, tables and chairs for two (but staff willing to push tables together). Music vibrant but not unpleasantly loud.
The tea was served in individual pots, just enough for two of their nice sized cups.  The club sandwiches were enormous!  half a stottie (bet they say ciabatta in Jesmond) with plenty of filling (I had cajun chicken with roasted red pepper and BBQ sauce), chips and a salad garnish.  Enticing though the caramel shortbread sounded, we did have the dancing to go to...
So yes, I'd rate the place.  A cut above my usual cheap and cheerful standard but definitely one for the young and trendy or those who think they are!