No chain coffee shops are to be found here. This listing is for genuine one-offs and small chains, where you can go for a special and unique tea and cake experience. No mass-made-last-week bog-standard cake, no instant coffee, and definitely no milk in little plastic containers. We're interested in the real deal, a good old-fashioned afternoon treat of an experience. The kind of place where you can sit down and spin a yarn.
If you know of a good tea and cake venue we have not listed, please spill the beans and share it with other teaandcake lovin' fans though the power of the world wide web.
Yorkshire
Is where this website started out, and we know best our local stomping ground. If you have a favourite teaandcake venue we have not listed, please email to let us and the rest of the teaandcake lovin' community know.
West Yorkshire
Leeds
Roots & Fruits Café
The Grand Arcade, Leeds City Centre
A great and little-known vegetarian café that have a revolving menu of excellent freshly made cake of the day specials. Also has good little collection of herbal and caffeinated teas, friendly service, and a surprisingly pleasant orange décor.
The Tilled Hall Cafe
Leeds City Art Gallery
This cafe is in a beautifully restored Victorian tiled hall. They serve excellent value afternoon teas (with real clotted cream - always a good
sign). It does seem to be staffed by slightly confused students, but they once gave Sam two slices of Lemon Meringue Pie instead of one so we are not complaining. It's a wonderful place to sit, relax and watch the world go by. http://www.tiledhallcafe.co.uk/
Shaky Jakes
A small confession: although Shaky Jakes do sell tea, they do not sell cakes. They will, however, put a cake into a blender and make it into a milkshake for you. Seriously: you can get a caramel shortbread milkshake, an apple pie milkshake, a jam tart milkshake, a lemon meringue pie milkshake... the possibilities and combinations possible at Shaky Jakes using their two hundred stock ingredients are infinite. If you are a very lucky soul, you might even live within their catchment area for home delivery. http://www.teaandcake.co.uk/t/e/teaandcake/public_html/www.shakyjakes.co.uk
Leeds Museum Tea Room
Millennium Square, Leeds City Centre
One of Leeds' newest teandcake joints is strongly reminiscent of one of our favourite haunts, the Tiled Hall gallery. The décor is simple and relaxed, the cakes fresh, and the tea selection small but perfectly formed. Mike nearly broke a vase on his first visit - but this was OK as some other people knocked one over too, and the next time we went they'd replaced them all with square non-rolling ones. All in all a relaxing and reasonable joint, made formidably fabulous by being enclosed in the basement and sprawling into a patio outside the steps of Leeds Museum. Leeds Museum is home to fabulous artefacts, furred and feathered things, fantastic curved stairwells and camouflage animal costumes for children to play in. Go visit. www.leeds.gov.uk/citymuseum/
Cheerful Chilli
Reports have reached teaandcake of a place where you turn up to find cakes cooling outside on a stone wall. Visiting this place is like going back in time. Fantastic food is served with wonderful fresh home-baked cakes. www.bizwiki.co.uk/cafes/197611/the-cheerful-chilli.htm
Bakery Coffee House
Golden Acre Park, Leeds
It had good cake. And decent hot chocolate, too, for all that it came out of a machine. I had a piece of victoria sponge, which was pretty decent possibly home-made sponge cake with excellent buttercream and just slightly too little jam. There was a chocolate cake there as well, which looked good, and the scones had a home-made look to them. There's loads of room outside, too, and they do hot meals. A nice, different place to pop in for a cuppa.
Pickles & Potter (Deli & Cafe)
This is a little cafe tucked away in Queens Arcade. With big windows to watch the world go by, chunky wooden furniture to rest your tea and cake on... it's defiantly worth a visit for this and the friendly staff alone! But on top of all that it also has the most amazing chocolate brownie. If your a fan of the chocolate brownie this is a top pick to have with your cuppa. We also tried the caramel slice and the flapjack...mmm. They also do hot and cold savoury food made from fresh ingredients and the deli shop sells it's own homemade pickles and jams.
info@picklesandpotter.co.uk | 0113 242 7702
Anthony's Piazza
Their own dedicated patisserie knocks out great stuff. There's a café area and bar/lounge with comfy armchairs... but make sure you order from the patisserie and get them to bring over your cake as they have a wider selection.
http://www.anthonysrestaurant.co.uk/piazza/
Shipley
Interludes Café
Shipley, West Yorkshire
This is a fantastic little 1920s style tea room. They have great service and offer breakfast items like boiled eggs and soldiers and porridge. All their cakes and ice creams are home made, and they also have excellent sandwiches and hot food. http://www.interludecafes.com/
Huddersfield
A Month of Sundaes
This place have a huge long counter full of home made ice cream flavours and it's such good value. You can get three scoops of ice cream and a slice of cake for only ££ and the ice cream is just amazing. I had the lemon curd ice cream and it was gorgeous. They also do sandwiches in case you feel the need to have something savoury before you start on the ice cream and cakes. It's just amazing. They have a whole range of toppings and you can even buy crazy things like ice cream sandwiches.
http://www.amonthofsundaes.com/index.html
The Dining Rooms
At Strawberry Fair
A real "ladies who lunch" kinda place. Their afternoon tea comes highly rated.
http://www.strawberry-fair.com/restaurant/
Heptonstall
Towngate Tea Room & Deli
Located in the centre of Heptonstall on the main road through the village. A lovely little place for a pit stop... or if you fancy grabbing a take-away for a walk in the area. Friendly with a good selection of tea and freshly made cakes.
Opening times:
Monday - Closed all day | Tuesday - Closed all day | Wednesday - 12-7 | Thursday - 10-7 | Friday - 10-7 | Saturday - 10-5 | Sunday - 10-5
Off license , Daily take-away specials , Sandwiches freshly made to order on freshly baked bread , Cheese olives salad , Ice cream Eat in or out ( Call for more information: Marianne 07989 321931 )
East Yorkshire
Hull
The Kavanaghs Tea Room
Ferensway
This is a fantastic grade 2 listed building which is very handily near Hull Station. Have a cup of tea with a slice of Cinnamon Toast and watch the world go by. www.kavanaghs.ltd.uk/hull.htm
The Old Rectory
This lovely little place does a fantastic pot of strong tea, and absolutely divine, fresh home made cakes. The chocolate lime cheesecake is amazing.
Beverley
Smorrebrod
This place is great, they do fabby home made cakes, puddings and a nice cuppa. Go there next time you're in Hull: they are not open on Sundays though!
Whitby
Bothams
This place is a bit of a legend. Their brack is a must-try.
North Yorkshire
York
Betty's Tea Rooms
St Helen's Square
We can't really not mention Betty's. Old-fashioned service, Taylors of Harrogate teas in elegant little silver teapots, and best of all, a cake trolley. You don't even have to read a menu to work out what kind of cake you want, you can just summon the trolley and point. This place is about old-fashioned decadence - I mean, where else can you go for a plate of pikelets, dripping in butter, and be served by a member of staff wearing a frilly apron? (Sam) www.bettys.co.uk
The Earl Grey Tea Rooms:
The Shambles
Enjoy a cream tea in the oak-beamed Earl Grey Tea Rooms in York's most ramshackle tourist spot - The Shambles. You don't get more British than this.
Bullivant of York
'A member of the Tea Council Guild of Tea Shops'. 15 Blake Street, York, Y018QJ.
This award winning tea shop has all the frills you would expect from a traditional tea shop. Plenty on the menu to choose from from breakfast options, soup, hot meals, light snacks and of course what we all look for CAKE! A good spot to get out of the hustle and bustle of the city... the only noise is the chatter of friends catching up and clinking of tea pots.
The Retreat Café
Grassington
Vegetarian/vegan and does some excellent homemade cakes. Great value for
money, too.
http://www.theretreatcafe.co.uk
The Corner Cupboard
A real curiosity - half antique shop and half quirky tea room. Their dessert menu is extensive and all home made. Really good.
http://www.thecornercupboard.co.uk
Harrogate
Betty's Tea Rooms
Parlaiament Street
Yes, we're mentioning Betty's again. We try not to mention chains, but Betty's is a little chain, so we are going to. And we do so love the buttered piklets and the cake trolley.www.bettys.co.uk
Weeton's
West Park
Weeton's sell a huge selection of local and farm-made produce, as well as importing essential exotics like excellent olives. They also have a clean and modern little cafe. They have seats outside overlooking Harrogate park. It is a gorgeous, simple place for true foodies. http://www.weetons.com/
Café Milan
Oxford Street
Café Milan have biiig wedges of homemade cakes and cheesecakes. Really, just fantastic cakes. And good, solid cups of tea. It is a place which made us happy. www.myspace.com/milanscoffeehouse
Knaresborough
Lavender Tea Rooms
Knaresborough
They sell lavender shortbread and wonderful soup! The room has old wooden beams in and it's got a lovely relaxed feel.
The Black Swan Tea Rooms
This place is pretty special. Their patisserie chef is formerly from a Michelin starred establishment and it shows. It's pricey, but worth it.
http://www.blackswan-helmsley.co.uk/menus
South Yorkshire
Hathersage
Colemand Deli
The Square, Main Road, Hathersage
This was a great spot... a good selection of homemade cakes - we tried a few - all very good! A variety of different tea's not just the normal English Breakfast! (and for coffee fans I remember there being quite a selection) The deli savouries looked tasty and they also sold a variety of different teas/ pickles/ jams etc in the shop.
01433 650505
Manchester
Slattery's
Whitefield
Just the other side of the Pennines from teaandcake's home turf of Yorkshire. They do amazing cakes, puddings and chocolates. Probably the best of its kind in the North.
http://www.slattery.co.uk/dining.cfm
The Lake District
The Brewery Arts Centre
KendalWe stumbled upon this piece of bohemian paradise by chance. It's a cinema, art gallery, café, bar, restaurant, and a venue for local classes all rolled into one. It's a converted brewery building with lovely original features - massive barrels turned into booth seats in the bar and wide floodlit stairs outside. We ordered a sticky toffee pudding and couldn't believe our luck when it turned up - it was beautifully presented with dried starfruit segments, a brandy snap ice cream basket and a long twirl of hard caramel standing upright like a straw. Needless to say it tasted as divine as it looked, and we're itching to go back to check out the rest of the menu.
Lincolnshire
Uncle Henry's
Grayingham, Gainsborough
Uncle Henry's is a pig farmer who has converted a barn into a tea shop. No, wait and listen... as well as fresh produce and pickles and fruit and veg, Uncle Harry has fresh farm baked cakes. You can visit for afternoon tea or a slap up feast. The portions are huge and the staff are lovely, too. www.unclehenrys.co.uk
The Loft Restaurant
10 Wrawby Street, Brigg, DN20 8JH
We popped in for a pot of tea for two (nice big teapot) and a slice of homemade victoria sponge cake. The staff were very friendly and welcoming... a great spot for tea and cake or more!
www.grandads-shed.com or call 01652 650416
London
Victoria and Albert Museum
South Kensington
We suggest that you do NOT sit in the outdoor café. It has pretty lemon trees, but we got served Earl Grey we didn't ask for, the water wasn't boiling, and the whole thing went straight into a plastic mug. That's not how to make a decent cuppa. Explore the V&A a little more to find the indoor tea room. A cafeteria-style serving area leads into two splendidly tiled, original Victorian rooms: high-ceilinged, with a marble fireplace and stained glass windows. The indoor café also had a towering pile of majestic white merangues which when eaten fractured into sticky, messy splinters served with cream and jam. Perfect for sharing. http://www.vam.ac.uk/
The Market Coffee House
opp. Spittafields Market
Walking into this coffee house feels a little like time has stopped. The interior has traditional wood paneling and pale sage green walls. The tables are mismatched, though all in dark wood, and some are quite frankly a little wobbly. The place is spotless, service is quick, and the menu lists teas by country of origin, and includes their own house blend iced ginger darjeeling. On to food, you can get a slice of toast first thing, a slice of chocolate pecan chocolate loaf cake if your sweet tooth is calling, or some clam chowder from the specials board if you fancy something more hearty. So nice you'll forget you came to Spittalfields for the market...
Kitchen and Pantry
Notting Hill
Kitchen and Pantry is a largish friendly place, with ginormous wooden tables and leather chairs. The cake menu was quite varied, and included a variety of great waffles (we had the cappuccino, cinnamon and white chocolate waffle), and a good variety of teas.
Staffordshire
Greystones Tea Shop
Time for Tea
2 Church Street, Leek
Opposite the market place is well worth a visit as the owner serves excellent home made cakes, scones, soups and pate in a friendly atmosphere. The café is part of Church Street Clocks where you can see clocks being restored and learn about the history of the 17th building in which it is set. They serve beautiful home made cakes (they have many special recipes, one of which is ginger bread a recipe they have used for many years and keep a secret - I tried it and it is lovely). The menu also includes some fantastic home made soup - which I also tried - Watercress and spinach - just perfect. Home made pate is also on the menu.
Wiltshire
Salisbury
The Polly Tearooms
Just near to the centre is this jem of a traditional tea shop. A perfect spot for lunch or afternoon tea... the fresh cakes looked fantastic!
The Polly Tearooms, 8 St. Thomas's Square, Salisbury, Wiltshire. 01722 336037
Scotland
Edinburgh
Tea Tree Tea
13 Bread Street, Edinburgh
This is a great tea shop for a quick pit stop, elevenses, lunch, afternoon tea, or a lazy Sunday afternoon reading the paper. It has plenty of space with an upstairs area where you can sit next to a large window and watch the world go by... or a down stairs area if there's a bit of a group of you who fancy a chat. The owners know there tea/s and how to prepare loose tea to perfection. I tried Oolong tea for the first time, which I can recommend, very refreshing. The owners are on hand to help with your choice if you get stuck (or indecisive like myself!). We also sampled the cakes which where homemade and as you'd expect, very good. For more visit www.teatreetea.com or call 0131 228 3100
Great Grog Company Ltd
On Rose Street (off Hanover St), Edinburgh
If you're like we were... on Princes Street and fancy a nice spot for a cuppa, this is a winner. Good music, very chilled, comfy big sofa's and chairs that made us want stay for two cups of tea. To find it its 1st street North parallel to Princes Street, in the block in between Hanover & Frederick streets. For more visit www.greatgrog.co.uk
Cornwall
Mousehole
Jessie's Dairy
This is a friendly little place... perfect for a spot of lunch or afternoon tea! It has a little outdoor area where you can sit and relax. It is also dog friendly.
9 Fore Street, Mousehole, Cornwall.
St. Ives
St. Andrews St Bistro
We ate here for our evening meal... it was the best of our trip! We had Ostrich with sweet potato mash and cheesecake for dessert. Fantastic!
St. Andrews Bistro, 16 St. Andrews Street, St. Ives, TR26 1AH