I have always thought of this place as a sort of posh Greggs as it is essentially a purveyor of pasties. It is only ever a stop off point for me as the seating inside is the ubiquitous high stool and table combo and, for someone my size, there is no elegant or graceful means to ascend what are, in fact, higher seats than normal. Outside is better with the standard aluminium chairs and tables; but be warned. That far down Henley Street it is not quite so comfortable to sit outside as it is at the establishments nearer the Birthplace. Its proximity to the Post Office and Lakeland mean that the flow of human traffic on either side of you can be a little intense. Crawling cars and taxi drop-offs can cause the pedestrians to funnel through the space between you and the shop - and, trust me, it can be damned irritating.
Think of it then, as a place that lives up to its name as a quick stop. Everything is freshly baked and the smell is always inviting, one of the few places in town where you can smell the coffee brewing in there from the street. It certainly serves a decent coffee. My latte was robust, very strong with an intense aftertaste. They also do the best croissants in town. Most of the places that offer croissants tend to serve ones that are more like bread in their texture, a dense mixture that is chewy and slightly dry. These are made of proper flaky pastry, very crumbly inside with a crisp, ever so slight crunch on the outside. Unfortunately, the price is a whopping £1.50 for eat in, and an unacceptable £1.10 to take away. That's half the price of your coffee.
This place should also claim the prize for the best conversation I ever overheard. Two elderly ladies seated behind me and the opening banter ran as follows:
'So how's it going with you then, m'duck?'
'Shit.'
Latte: *****
Access: *****
Sunday, 21 October 2012
Monday, 1 October 2012
River Cafe, The Old Mill Museum, Lower Slaughter, Gloucestershire
This is located in the Proper Countryside. You can tell this by the usual methods: you have to get there via a long, winding route; there is a plethora of Hunters wellies and low level, approach and trekking boots; the toilets, though scrupulously clean, are outdoors with no radiators; there are an inordinate amount of country artefacts on display; and, there are people from Cheltenham dressed like Sherpa Tenzing.
This, indeed, a place for the hardier soul in the winter. Access with a wheelchair is damned near impossible. To reach the cafe you have to weave your way via a tortuous route through the shop, where everything is stacked high and crammed in a sort of artful trying-not-to-be-touristy way. Once out of the shop access to the cafe entrance and terrace is up a flight of steep steps. Not good for wheels but fine if your new tablets are having a positive effect with a Drew following close behind in case of emergency. The effort is worth it. The setting is glorious, right next to the mill pond with requisite ducks and swans, view of fields that is so textbook Cotswolds, down to the red telephone box, your eyes actually hurt. Seating is concrete moulded benches and chairs although cushions are available on request.
As it was cold we went inside. As befits its status as Proper Countryside, there is no central heating and the seating is pine benches and chairs. The food, however, makes up for everything. I had an egg mayonnaise sandwich. Not the usual chunky egg-and-mayo combo, but slices of boiled egg drizzled with mayonnaise. I was so dazzled I forgot myself temporarily and said yes to the watercress and forgot to refuse the salad. That was a decent portion of leaves, fragments of pepper, cherry tomato and cucumber heavily drizzled with balsamic vinegar. Drew wanted the roast beef and horseradish sandwich but, as is the wont of the small, independent establishments there was no beef left. He opted for the soup, which was tomato. This was fantastic and I missed out by not having it. Served in a deep crock pot and of a consistency and texture that best deserves the appellation 'broth', this was packed with vegetables and flavour. We identified peas, carrots, butterbeans and there was an aftertaste of aniseed suggesting fennel as the herb of choice. The accompanying bread was, appropriately, chunks of brown granary with two generous triangles of butter, not margarine. For £5.25, this was a meal in itself and, if you are of the rambling/hiking persuasion would be ideal. Coffee was pleasant, thirst-quenching but we may have missed out by not opting for a pot of tea which looked to be served in a large pot with a decent amount of milk.
Whilst in Lower Slaughter, visit the Church of St Mary's if you can. It has everything you could possibly ask of a small village church. Cavernous vaulted ceiling? Check. Imposing stone pillars? Check. Penetrating, bone-chilling cold? Check. Dust motes drizzling in subdued autumn sunlight? Check. Subliminal feelings of guilt? Uneasy reflections on mortality? Check. And check.
This, indeed, a place for the hardier soul in the winter. Access with a wheelchair is damned near impossible. To reach the cafe you have to weave your way via a tortuous route through the shop, where everything is stacked high and crammed in a sort of artful trying-not-to-be-touristy way. Once out of the shop access to the cafe entrance and terrace is up a flight of steep steps. Not good for wheels but fine if your new tablets are having a positive effect with a Drew following close behind in case of emergency. The effort is worth it. The setting is glorious, right next to the mill pond with requisite ducks and swans, view of fields that is so textbook Cotswolds, down to the red telephone box, your eyes actually hurt. Seating is concrete moulded benches and chairs although cushions are available on request.
As it was cold we went inside. As befits its status as Proper Countryside, there is no central heating and the seating is pine benches and chairs. The food, however, makes up for everything. I had an egg mayonnaise sandwich. Not the usual chunky egg-and-mayo combo, but slices of boiled egg drizzled with mayonnaise. I was so dazzled I forgot myself temporarily and said yes to the watercress and forgot to refuse the salad. That was a decent portion of leaves, fragments of pepper, cherry tomato and cucumber heavily drizzled with balsamic vinegar. Drew wanted the roast beef and horseradish sandwich but, as is the wont of the small, independent establishments there was no beef left. He opted for the soup, which was tomato. This was fantastic and I missed out by not having it. Served in a deep crock pot and of a consistency and texture that best deserves the appellation 'broth', this was packed with vegetables and flavour. We identified peas, carrots, butterbeans and there was an aftertaste of aniseed suggesting fennel as the herb of choice. The accompanying bread was, appropriately, chunks of brown granary with two generous triangles of butter, not margarine. For £5.25, this was a meal in itself and, if you are of the rambling/hiking persuasion would be ideal. Coffee was pleasant, thirst-quenching but we may have missed out by not opting for a pot of tea which looked to be served in a large pot with a decent amount of milk.
Friday, 21 September 2012
Cafe, Stratford Garden Centre, Clifford Chambers
This is the small cafe attached to the Lime Tree Restaurant which serves the ubiquitous light lunch fare - sandwiches, baguettes, paninis, jacket potatoes and cakes. The setting is quite eclectic. The seating area is bordered by a fake box hedge and one wall has a mural of a misty house and garden, all drooping greenery and soft focus. Access is superb, plenty of room to move and even the restaurant has a nifty little ramp.
The food is fine but nothing spectacular. I had a toasted cheese and ham baguette. This was quite a small baguette but did contain thick slices of ham and is the only establishment I have been to that serves a mature cheddar - you can clearly taste and smell the sharp tang of it, even when melted. Side salad is a reasonable portion, but is only heavily drizzled leaves and half a tomato. Drew had the jacket potato with tuna. Not the largest of potatoes - about palm-sized or a tiny bit bigger but generously filled. My latte was served in a cup and saucer clearly modelled on the Villeroy and Boch New Wave design*. The saucer had an artful uptilt and the handle of the mug a curious Mobius twist. The latte was lovely - hot, creamy and plenty of it.
Latte: *****
Access: *****
* But it isn't actually Villeroy and Boch. Yes, faithful bloggee, I turned over the saucer and looked. And everyone saw me do it. Drew is still in shock from my unspeakable bad manners.
The food is fine but nothing spectacular. I had a toasted cheese and ham baguette. This was quite a small baguette but did contain thick slices of ham and is the only establishment I have been to that serves a mature cheddar - you can clearly taste and smell the sharp tang of it, even when melted. Side salad is a reasonable portion, but is only heavily drizzled leaves and half a tomato. Drew had the jacket potato with tuna. Not the largest of potatoes - about palm-sized or a tiny bit bigger but generously filled. My latte was served in a cup and saucer clearly modelled on the Villeroy and Boch New Wave design*. The saucer had an artful uptilt and the handle of the mug a curious Mobius twist. The latte was lovely - hot, creamy and plenty of it.
Latte: *****
Access: *****
* But it isn't actually Villeroy and Boch. Yes, faithful bloggee, I turned over the saucer and looked. And everyone saw me do it. Drew is still in shock from my unspeakable bad manners.
Tuesday, 18 September 2012
Yew Tree Cafe, Yew Tree Craft Centre, Wootton Wawen
This is a small place hidden away in the Craft Centre, in Wootton Wawen. Which is a nice village but one of those places which always sounds like you are mispronouncing it; like 'Wapping'. Judging by the vaulted ceiling and the plethora of wood, I would guess a converted barn, very rustic interior with wooden tables and chairs and the menu written across several blackboards near the serving counter. It is not an unpleasant place but surprisingly claustrophobic. Access is limited as there is a narrow entrance and doorway.
The menu is sandwiches, salads, paninis - all light lunch stuff, and has recently won some prestigious awards. My latte was excellent. Served in a mug, lava-hot, topped with a thick, viscous foam and ferociously strong. However, the reason for our visit was the Rachel's Cupcake concession. These are gloriously self-indulgent, icky, crumby, sugary and gooey - everything you want a cupcake to be. The real problem is deciding which one to have. First choice was a strawberry milkshake, a vanilla sponge topped with strawberry buttercream and garnished with marshmallows. Second choice, a cookies and cream one was designated 'amazeballs' by Drew. A chocolate sponge with vanilla buttercream, decorated with a tiny Oreo biscuit. It is also filled with miniature broken Oreos. I recommend divvying up the contents beforehand to avoid unseemly public squabbles. In both cases the sponge is satisfyingly dense but still crumby and the buttercream is cloying, with a gritty texture. The only quibble is that the sponge adheres very closely to the case - peel it off as carefully as you can. Otherwise you end up being told off for scraping at the wrapper with your front teeth.
Latte: *****
Access: *****
The menu is sandwiches, salads, paninis - all light lunch stuff, and has recently won some prestigious awards. My latte was excellent. Served in a mug, lava-hot, topped with a thick, viscous foam and ferociously strong. However, the reason for our visit was the Rachel's Cupcake concession. These are gloriously self-indulgent, icky, crumby, sugary and gooey - everything you want a cupcake to be. The real problem is deciding which one to have. First choice was a strawberry milkshake, a vanilla sponge topped with strawberry buttercream and garnished with marshmallows. Second choice, a cookies and cream one was designated 'amazeballs' by Drew. A chocolate sponge with vanilla buttercream, decorated with a tiny Oreo biscuit. It is also filled with miniature broken Oreos. I recommend divvying up the contents beforehand to avoid unseemly public squabbles. In both cases the sponge is satisfyingly dense but still crumby and the buttercream is cloying, with a gritty texture. The only quibble is that the sponge adheres very closely to the case - peel it off as carefully as you can. Otherwise you end up being told off for scraping at the wrapper with your front teeth.
Latte: *****
Access: *****
Friday, 7 September 2012
Cottage Restaurant and Tea Garden, Anne Hathaway's Cottage, Stratford-upon-Avon
This is the establishment opposite the Cottage in the Rose Garden and next to a stream where, on one memorable bus tour many years ago a young and carefree future blogger informed the guide that, no, that wasn't what Shakespeare had in mind as the setting for Ophelia's death scene even if a willow does grow aslant that particular brook. Ah! Youthful brio, reckless self-confidence and eternal sunshine dappling the bonny face with visible cheekbones.
Thus also, presumably, was the future Mrs Shakespeare enticed by the charms of a local glover's son. The theme surrounding the cottage is always slanted toward the love affair and a hell of a lot of effort is put into the cottage and its surroundings in creating an atmosphere conducive to the secret tryst, and as a destination for 'courting'. The Tea Gardens are no exception to this, sheltered in what looks like a large gazebo and surrounded by greenery that included a rose garden, bowers with benches and tall, overhanging trees.
The menu is small - sandwiches, toasties, cakes and pastries. I opted for a ham and cheese toasted baguette. It has to be said, it was nothing exceptional, apart from the accompanying salad which, as Drew pointed out, shows a little more imagination having not only peppers but a lemony rice making it a more substantial side dish than the usual two-leaves-and-half-a-tomato; but this is another place where the surroundings are more important that the menu. Which really does not excuse the ubiquitous B & Q white plastic garden furniture used outside, the really cheap and nasty stuff that you are always seeing people fall off on episodes of You've Been Framed.
It is best to go here in the autumn - the substantial summer crowds have died down and the full-on prettiness is mellowed a little. It is an area conducive to reflection, being quiet and, unless there is a family, the conversations are generally kept to quite a low hum. There is a superb view of the cottage and the passing tour buses. Like Mrs Shakespeare, you can think about how you now live in a nice house in the town; and wish that he were home from work.
Latte: *****
Access: *****
Thus also, presumably, was the future Mrs Shakespeare enticed by the charms of a local glover's son. The theme surrounding the cottage is always slanted toward the love affair and a hell of a lot of effort is put into the cottage and its surroundings in creating an atmosphere conducive to the secret tryst, and as a destination for 'courting'. The Tea Gardens are no exception to this, sheltered in what looks like a large gazebo and surrounded by greenery that included a rose garden, bowers with benches and tall, overhanging trees.
The menu is small - sandwiches, toasties, cakes and pastries. I opted for a ham and cheese toasted baguette. It has to be said, it was nothing exceptional, apart from the accompanying salad which, as Drew pointed out, shows a little more imagination having not only peppers but a lemony rice making it a more substantial side dish than the usual two-leaves-and-half-a-tomato; but this is another place where the surroundings are more important that the menu. Which really does not excuse the ubiquitous B & Q white plastic garden furniture used outside, the really cheap and nasty stuff that you are always seeing people fall off on episodes of You've Been Framed.
It is best to go here in the autumn - the substantial summer crowds have died down and the full-on prettiness is mellowed a little. It is an area conducive to reflection, being quiet and, unless there is a family, the conversations are generally kept to quite a low hum. There is a superb view of the cottage and the passing tour buses. Like Mrs Shakespeare, you can think about how you now live in a nice house in the town; and wish that he were home from work.
Latte: *****
Access: *****
Knights Fish and Chip Restaurant, Glastonbury
Bear with me, O faithful bloggee, regarding the lateness of this post. I have been up to my chins in medical matters.
This is an odd place. One of its selling points is its longevity which seems appropriate for Glastonbury. Not quite as old as the Abbey, perhaps, but one's credibility in this town does seem to be enhanced by connections with age, if not necessarily antiquity. This might explain why the interior appears to have been unchanged since the 1970s, all pine and formica with bench and booth-style seating at the front. Through a sliding door are bolted metal tables and small wooden chairs. Is it just me or do places that serve unhealthy food lay out their establishments as if the regular clientele were whip-thin?
The menu is comprehensive and, in true Glastonbury style, you can make some rather eclectic choices. Such as opting for sausage and chips followed by apple pie and ice cream with a glass of orange squash. Or smoked eel with a crisp and tasty pinot grigio and coffee ice cream. I opted for the cod and chips, pricey at £6.55, but a generous portion. The chips were thick, glutinous and salty, but not greasy and the cod portion was shaped into a flattened, rounded form coated with a dark, crunchy batter. There is no speciality coffee here, no lattes or cappucinos, so I opted for a bog-standard coke.
Access is reasonable. There is a step down into the place which might be problematic but it is waitress service which is always helpful. This being Glastonbury, every aspect is sustainable and recyclable, including the joke 'wanted' ads on the noticeboard.
Access: *****
Chips: *****
This is an odd place. One of its selling points is its longevity which seems appropriate for Glastonbury. Not quite as old as the Abbey, perhaps, but one's credibility in this town does seem to be enhanced by connections with age, if not necessarily antiquity. This might explain why the interior appears to have been unchanged since the 1970s, all pine and formica with bench and booth-style seating at the front. Through a sliding door are bolted metal tables and small wooden chairs. Is it just me or do places that serve unhealthy food lay out their establishments as if the regular clientele were whip-thin?
The menu is comprehensive and, in true Glastonbury style, you can make some rather eclectic choices. Such as opting for sausage and chips followed by apple pie and ice cream with a glass of orange squash. Or smoked eel with a crisp and tasty pinot grigio and coffee ice cream. I opted for the cod and chips, pricey at £6.55, but a generous portion. The chips were thick, glutinous and salty, but not greasy and the cod portion was shaped into a flattened, rounded form coated with a dark, crunchy batter. There is no speciality coffee here, no lattes or cappucinos, so I opted for a bog-standard coke.
Access is reasonable. There is a step down into the place which might be problematic but it is waitress service which is always helpful. This being Glastonbury, every aspect is sustainable and recyclable, including the joke 'wanted' ads on the noticeboard.
Access: *****
Chips: *****
Friday, 31 August 2012
Brethren's Kitchen, Lord Leycester Hospital, Warwick
This is a perfect place for revelling in history. Properly, I mean. Not the kind of crowd-management-and-gift-shop style of tourism to which Warwickshire is prone; but where you can sit in the chapel, or the Guildhall and revel in the sheer oldness of the place. You can sit for ages and listen, to paraphrase the Welsh bloke, feeling that time passes.
Access is not too bad - mostly the usual problem with historical buildings of narrow doorways and tight corners. You can get in via the garden without visiting the Hospital but that entrance does involve steps. The cafe serves light lunches and teas, sandwiches and cakes. We had spiced ginger cake and lavender cake as we couldn't decide. The former was moist and tasty, dense and rich, not too strong an aftertaste with a gritty, sweet buttercream icing. The lavender cake was a slice of crumby cake, like a Victoria sponge, mottled with lavender seeds. Quite a subtle taste, more experienced in the aroma than in the tastebuds. Both served, noted an approving Drew, with proper cake forks. My latte was strong, not too foamy, piping hot, served in a glass mug on a saucer. Drew went for a black filter coffee which was accompanied by a generous jug of milk.
The tea rooms are not a polished-to-perfection cream tea establishment; but that doesn't matter. For a proper leaf tea and scones experience there are plenty of other places. What matters here is the location. Where else can you be in the same room where there is embroidery by Amy Robsart and the signature of the old rogue himself, Dudley? We sat outside by the colonnade overlooking the courtyard and leaned on a structure intact since the fifteenth-century with a view of the emblematic blue porcupine of Philip Sidney (steady, ladies).
Latte: *****
Access: *****
Access is not too bad - mostly the usual problem with historical buildings of narrow doorways and tight corners. You can get in via the garden without visiting the Hospital but that entrance does involve steps. The cafe serves light lunches and teas, sandwiches and cakes. We had spiced ginger cake and lavender cake as we couldn't decide. The former was moist and tasty, dense and rich, not too strong an aftertaste with a gritty, sweet buttercream icing. The lavender cake was a slice of crumby cake, like a Victoria sponge, mottled with lavender seeds. Quite a subtle taste, more experienced in the aroma than in the tastebuds. Both served, noted an approving Drew, with proper cake forks. My latte was strong, not too foamy, piping hot, served in a glass mug on a saucer. Drew went for a black filter coffee which was accompanied by a generous jug of milk.
The tea rooms are not a polished-to-perfection cream tea establishment; but that doesn't matter. For a proper leaf tea and scones experience there are plenty of other places. What matters here is the location. Where else can you be in the same room where there is embroidery by Amy Robsart and the signature of the old rogue himself, Dudley? We sat outside by the colonnade overlooking the courtyard and leaned on a structure intact since the fifteenth-century with a view of the emblematic blue porcupine of Philip Sidney (steady, ladies).
Latte: *****
Access: *****
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