Stopped in for afternoon tea on a random weekday. I was the only customer at the time, which…read morefigures as most people work at this particular time of the day.
The front of the shop sells tea and tea accessories. For afternoon tea, they ask you to make your tea selection from the tins behind the counter before being seated. The tearoom itself is adorably decorated, with rose-patterned wallpaper and wicker chairs. The tea cups have a floral pattern as well.
I ordered the "Professor Higgins", the simplest option for afternoon tea, with two plain scones. The scones were large, warm, and served with the proper accoutrements - clotted cream, jams, marmalade, on a tiered serving platter of course. Pinkies out. The Russian Earl Grey tea was delicious as well, if a bit too hot to drink straight away.
I was, unfortunately, struck by little dingy touches that detracted from the experience. The glass tabletop had streaks from being wiped down, the white wooden floors were full of dirty footprints and scones crumbs. Seat cushions were squished and flattened against the wicker chair backs. It was also just absolutely dead silent, except for the hum of traffic coming from outside. I am sure it gets lively when they are busy, but on a quiet day, some music would have added a bit of ambience.
At one point, the front doors were propped open, and someone stood right outside the door, smoking a cigarette. The smell of smoke was strong inside the tearoom, rather unpleasant to be honest.
I would still give this place another try, maybe with some company next time.
