It's a nice tea room, of the bunting and cutesy signs type, with an odd addition of a teddy bear…read moreand toy section. It's hidden down a quiet driveway off a side street, giving it a lovely secret feeling. Service was friendly and prompt, and the food and drink was pleasant, but nothing to write home about. I was a little disappointed that the brown toast I ordered was 2 slices of very cheap brown bread, and not the rustic chunky seeded bread my partner received with his Ploughmans, (which was nice quality, but again quite basic. Very nicely presented though). The tea choices were nice, and although not loose leaf, the apple and cinnamon black tea was very enjoyable. Although we didn't get chance this time, the cakes and other treats on the menu looked lovely, and it'd be nice to visit again to try them. It was also nice that despite us finishing right near their closing time, they didn't make us feel rushed to leave.

Over priced for what you get, it's a very average afternoon tea at a high price (nearly £40 for 3)…read moreThe cafe is stuffed full with trinkets and 2nd hand items for sale. My son accidentally broke a money box, which was at a three year old's height. No signs were up to say that items needed paying for if accidentally broken. I spoke to the owner saying that he had broken something and that it was close to the edge when it fell off. I was very apologetic about the matter and honest. However the owner ( a man) was aggressive and said that I needed to pay the full retail cost for the item before leaving. As he was so intimating and overpowering saying that I couldn't leave without paying the full retail price and wouldn't accept the cost price (which is against consumer law). I was so scared and upset by this, and had to pay nearly £40 for an afternoon tea for one adult and two children. A really wouldn't buy or go to this cafe again.

This really is a hidden gem - stuck away in Wheelton near Chorley…read more It has a lovely design and a proper homely feel to the place. Great sitting area and they also have free wifi if you ask for the code! Fresh cakes are made each day and there's a good selection of coffees so you can choose the blend for you! Definitely worth the drive to switch off for an hour or two!

April 1st - Certainly not an April Fool!…read more For our wedding anniversary we attended The Village Tearoom's first evening opening as a bistro. The first of three I believe, as test evening events. Well if the Tapas Takeover event was a taste of things to come then we can't wait for the next ! Congrats to local chefs Mark Long & Matthew Agass for the tremendous food, Liz Singleton for the amazing entertainment set, the hard work of the staff during the evening , not to mention the hosts Jackie & Martyn for their warm welcome and letting it all happen. All in all a great evening, good luck for the future and hope it takes off for you all!

Now, what would be nice? We'll start with raspberry ice, and then some cakes and tea…read more.. I love Mary Poppins, and when I saw that Poppins Tearooms was soon to be opening in the heart of Horwich, I couldn't wait to give it a try. The tearooms occupy a former shop unit, which in turn is part of a house, so I was curious how they could make it feel less of a house and more of a venue, but that's the clever part... they intentionally don't! Split into two rooms, the tearooms intentionally feel like an Edwardian parlour, complete with pretty glass sconces, flock wallpaper, and lace tablecloths. The room to the rear of the building is cute, comfortable and (like the rest of the place) cosy. I chose to sit in the first room, but the rear parlour would be ideal if you want a little peaceful intimacy. My initial impression walking in was very pleasant. I walked in from the drizzle and cold wind into the warmth, where golden oldies were playing gently in the background, and a few ladies sat around happily chatting away, laughing and enjoying afternoon teas. A member of staff, complete in Edwardian service uniform welcomed me, and after I hung my coat on the coat stand beside Mary Poppins' hat and parrot handled umbrella, took me to a table and gave me the menu. The menu has some really tasty options both in the delicious sounding food menu, and the impressive tea offerings. I opted to go for the mature cheddar and ham toasted sandwich, and a pot of Assam Bari tea, provided by Ronnefeldt Tea, who are more well known for providing tea to five star hotels. Lucky little Horwich! The loose leaf tea was delicious, and came served in cute vintage crockery. Although this time I chose a toastie, I liked the look of "Tea with Bert", a traditional cream tea which I'll be partaking in next time! My toasted sandwich arrived on doorstop toast, lovingly crammed with ham (no miserly single slices here!), and melting cheddar and served with a bijou dressed salad, and a pot of coleslaw. It was a delicious lunch, and the coleslaw was lovely and crunchy too. The price of this lunch complete with tea came to less than £6, which is very good value! Sadly, Poppins doesn't currently accept card payments, but they plan to in the future once they get a little more established. The owner also told me that she had great plans for the future, not just continuing the Mary Poppins theme (there was talk of a mural and even an upside table on the ceiling!), but other ideas such as tea tasting evenings, and hosting private parties in the rear parlour. Poppins Tearooms is a lovely place and really good value for what is being offered, in such a pleasantly cosy, warm and quaint setting. Whether you fancy a pot of tea and a slice of chocolate cake, or a bowl of warming soup and a glass of rose lemonade, Poppins is somewhere I would happily recommend.

Serving teas and coffees, cold drinks and smoothies with freshly prepared sandwiches, a selection…read moreof homemade cakes, hot and cold snacks and daily specials. The tea room is small and has limited opening hours, see above. Small car park at the bottom of School Lane, also at the nearby swimming pool.

We were in Blackburn town centre for a street festival of food. We had an enjoyable bit of lunch,…read morethen spotted flags outside of a shop declaring it was Mad Hatters Cupcakes and Tea Room, which had me floating over like a moth to a flame for a little dessert! It has a nice big window allowing the tearoom to be well lit, and seen clearly from the outside, making it all the more inviting. The first thing you see as you walk in is the fantastic blackboard wall full of hand drawn chalk images of quirky scenes from Alice in Wonderland, and various picture frames containing images of cupcakes, signs saying "eat me" and the such. A really nice touch. It's nice that despite being Mad Hatter/Alice in Wonderland themed, they haven't gone absolutely crazy with colour and made it gaudy and horrid, but have gone for some vintage touches, and soft varying pastel colours and bunting, to take the Mad Hatter and soften him a little into a vintage English tearoom. As expected, the space is light, bright and relaxed as various mirrors bounce light around the room. Large and impressive cakes sit on cake stands and bell jars dotted around the space, and on the counter sits a display stand of delicious cupcake varieties. Staff are friendly and welcoming, and happy to reel off the various tea flavours when I asked what was available. The menu has both hot and cold drinks, and offers breakfasts, salads, sandwiches and light lunches, as well as a full afternoon tea. In this instance, we can't stop looking at a large salted caramel cake which seems to be giving us the eye from a stand on one side of the room, and decide to have a slice each, and share a pot of tea. The cake was delicious, and we were offered cream with them too should we want it. It was marvellously sweet and tasty without veering off into "sickly" territory, and naturally it went perfectly with a big pot of tea, which was served with traditional vintage china. Staff were friendly and social, and informed us that they have only been open for around 5 weeks, so everything was still settling, but from what I can see, they're doing very well, and should hopefully continue to do so! Although this was only a fleeting and unplanned visit, we enjoyed it, and agreed that we will definitely pop back in whenever we are next in Blackburn, especially as I had my eye on a strawberries and cream cake that was flirting with me from a cake stand on the opposite side of the room, in all its lovely pink splendidness... I shall be trying that one next time! Well done, Mad Hatters! I wish you luck in your new business! :)

Excellent little coffee shop beautifully decorated in Alice in Wonderland. The staff are very…read morecourteous and welcoming. Food delish and plentiful has a Ploughman's salad which very filling indeed. Well be calling back soon

If you are trying to get a feel for the local area around Rivington, this tearoom positively oozes…read morecharacter making it an absolutely must visit! Premises are an old building beside the Unitarian church. Inside, the décor is wonderfully evocative of times past - thick paint, dark timber beams and festooned with St. George's Cross flags. They sell second hand books with proceeds going to Bolton Mountain Rescue. But the star turn takes place every Sunday when the octogenarian (at least!) 'Tearoom Tinkler' takes his seat at the piano. The style of catering evokes a cross between a church fête that forgot to close and an old school English café of the sausage, egg & chips variety. The menu is up on the blackboard with both savoury food and cakes on display at the counter. Old-school basic grub is the order of the day. Think slices of savoury pie with potatoes or chips, hotpot, soup (daily special was minestrone when we visited). Cakes include scones, Victoria sponge, apple tart, coffee & walnut cake, cherry bakewell tart. Both me and my friend went for the apple pie which comes with a choice of fresh cream or custard. We both felt that although the custard and pastry were OK, the apple filling let the side down and we had the impression that it was more likely a foodservice tinned apple filling had been used rather than apples prepared on the premises. I get the feeling that your average rambler or dog walker from Bolton is likely to be perfectly happy with the standard of food here as good basic sustenance for hungry people served in a friendly, village establishment. However, although I have no problem at all with the conservative style of grub served here, I do feel that there are many rural cafés which are raising the bar of expectations which leaves the fare at Rivington's Village Green Tea Room looking just a bit sad. Offering an an apple crumble made completely from scratch in place of the slightly dodgy apple pie is a good example of a realistic way in which this place could raise their game. So whilst definitely a must visit (once), this place doesn't really cut it as a regular haunt for the discerning foodie. We may return, but not before trying Rivington Hall Barn Tea Room and we've also spotted another place which offers a potentially breathtaking lakeside view (only seen it from the road to date). Conclusion - a solid three-star experience, but with two-star food! However, if it is egg & chips or hot pot that you are after, your mileage may vary. Also, if you strong feelings about dogs you should know this place is dog central due to it being one of the few eateries that welcomes them inside!

This is my second visit here and my second wasn't as enjoyable as my first…read more The first time I went it was a quiet day with not many people in. This meant we could sit at a table and didn't notice what I noticed on this visit....the tables are so close together that you feel awkward speaking because the next table can overhear everything. As it's small there's not enough people to make sufficient noise so you drown each other out! Disappointed that the toilet wasn't flushing properly either :( On the plus side, they do beautiful home made cakes and the coffee is good.

Dropped by this place for a light snack & some tea during my visit. This is a very quaint cafe and…read moreis well decorated. It has a very light, airy feel to it. The staff was just as warm & inviting as the atmosphere itself! I had the appetizer of bread w/ pesto & balsamic vinaigrette dipping sauces & my friend opted for the hummus. My bread was so warm & fresh, perfectly toasted. The dippers were sooooo yummy! The pesto was very flavorful & the balsamic was absolutely fantastic! I had a try of my buddy's hummus & I must say it was tasty as well. I don't even care for hummus, but I'd actually order it from this cafe if I visit again. Since it was a little gloomy & rainy the day we went in, it was perfect for sipping tea & my cappuccino. The service we received was very prompt and courteous.

YITE is our regular 'go for a walk and pig out' destination on a weekend! It's about a 3 mile…read moreround trip along the canal and the food (especially the breakfast) is delicious. The staff are always friendly and efficient and I must call out the amazing home made baked beans which are so good, they should jar them and sell them separately!!

Now just called The Tea House (I guess after all these years here, they're no longer a mystery?…read more:)). Cozy spot with an extensive tea menu! I was impressed to see Chinese teas I don't typically find in tea houses (outside of China). Food menu is also impressive as well. I went with a group of five and we couldn't have ordered more different items. Seemed like everyone enjoyed their meal. They have both a cafe menu (salads, sandwiches, etc). They also have a traditional polish menu. I tried the golabki (stuffed cabbage with rice and pork in a tomato sauce) which came with a choice of potato (I chose dumplings) and salads/slaws. Very nice! Huge portion and could easily feed 2. Tasty hot stuffed cabbage paired nicely with the bright crunchy herbaceous slaws.

Really can't say enough good things about this place. I sorely miss it since moving away from…read morePreston. The range of teas is astounding and the quality (of the many I tried on my many visits) is amazing. Each tea is served in it's proper manner in beautiful teapots and cups. If you're not into weird and wonderful teas, they also have coffee and 'regular' tea on the menu aswell as juices, smoothies and other soft drinks. There is no need for you to be afraid of a new tea drinking experience though, as the staff are extremely knowledgeable (seriously, they know EVERYTHING about tea!) pleasant and very accomodating. They agreed to host my vegan society meetings and even made an effort to make the menu a little more vegan. I only tried one of the food items on the menu, this was tomato stew/soup with vegetables. I forget the name but recall it was Hungarian. Either way, it was delicious, just as I hear that all their food is from my friends. This ranges from toasties and sandwiches to more substantial dishes hailing from the owner's native Poland and other places around Europe. Other than the great drinks, food and service the place is nicely decorated and makes you feel a million miles away from the Preston high street. There is always some background music on but you would only really notice it if you listened out for it. All in all it makes for a very relaxing atmosphere, especially if you get some Yerba maté! If you're local to Preston and haven't sampled the delights of the Mystery Tea House then you ought to, right now. You'll soon be a regular. If you're just in Preston for a short time, you need to check it out before you leave.