We had planned to have an afternoon tea at this lovely little café while visiting Newbury. This spot was recommended by our extended family, and it sure looked lovely! We decided to go for a quick lunch, a couple days before the planned afternoon tea. Well, it was a good thing we did, since we didn’t get to go back for afternoon tea…
Just as the name suggests, it is located right by the canal. It was very picturesque, peaceful and relaxing. They had a few outdoor seating, although it might be a bit too chilly for that until spring arrives… But, I am sure it will be amazing to have some tea and cream cakes under the sun with this kind of view!
The inside was really lovely, with loads of pink faux flowers on one wall. The rest was painted white, making the interior light and cozy. It felt almost like Valentine in the winter. The space was smaller than it looked from the outside. We were there during the off-peak time, so we had no issue getting a table.
They had the kitchen and ordering counter at the back, with tasty treats on display. They all looked so good! I was excited for the afternoon tea I was going to have in a couple of days… And for that, I decided not to order any dessert on this day. Yes I know, a big mistake!!! I should have ordered at least one sweet delight… Oh well, I just have to go back and try some!
Our friend who is not a big fan of tea went with Heavenly Hot Chocolate (£3.50), and it looked so pretty! It had some pink and white marshmallows, whipped cream, and chocolate flake that looked like a small log.
My hubby and I went with tea instead. I chose Teashop House Blend (£2.50/pot), and my hubby went with Earl Grey (£2.50/pot). The young boy who brought the teas (I hear this is a family-run business) was trying to very careful not to mix them up. But the funny thing was, he totally mixed the tea up! LOL. My hubby got the House Blend, and I got the Earl Grey, but we didn’t realize until half way through… I thought the House Blend tea tasted so much like Earl Grey. LOL.
My hubby went with kind of a traditional sandwich, Ham, Cheese & Chutney Sandwich (£5.90). It is made with honey roast ham, cheddar cheese, and homemade chutney. It doesn’t sound like much, and it doesn’t look like much, but it sure did have strong flavor! The chutney was quite good!
I was feeling more like breakfast than lunch (and I was thinking “I will get to taste sandwiches with afternoon tea), I decided to go with breakfast item. I chose Eggs Benedict (£7.80), made with smoked crispy bacon or honey roast ham, and poached eggs on a muffin with homemade hollandaise. It was a nice portion, with generous amount of meat. Tasty and filling.
Our friend went with something healthier, and ordered one of their vegan sandwiches. It is nice to have that option if you want or need vegan dish.
The bathroom was located upstairs, so I went up the narrow staircase. Up there, I found a whole new space I didn’t know existed!
The bathroom was small but clean and well organized. Having just one uni-sex bathroom is not ideal, but better than not having one at all.
So, up here, they had much bigger dining space! It was not fancy or cute, but just plain tables and chairs. It does have more space between the tables compared to downstairs space. I can see the reason why some people prefer to sit up here, even though there are several tables available downstairs.
It had the history and some information on the canal, with photos posted all around the wall. A nice spot for a history buff.
We had a nice quick lunch here. It was adorable and cozy. The food was good, not amazing, but good. I think the sweets might be better than the actual food…I will never know, unless I go back! Lesson learned: don’t never expect your plan to go just the way you planned them…and have your dessert first!
The Tea Shop By The Canal – The Stone Building, The Wharf, Newbury, United Kingdom