West London Richmond Stein's Beer Garden

55 Richmond Towpath, TW10 6UX . Opening times vary as this is a totally outside venue and is affected by the weather.

Yes I know I'm supposed to be doing tea and cake reviews but I came upon this today by chance and had to share.

So last week I tried a fantastic German sausage (phe na phe na!) with a very cheap and nasty bun(£4-5.00) just off the roundabout at Old St - mmmm nice. So today me and my friend were walking along the river in Richmond when we came upon Steins who sold all things German Beergarden orientated. As I wanted to erase last weeks miserable sausage experience we thought we'd try this place.

Well I'm so glad we did. Sadly there is no photo of sausage/roll combo(£3.90)-we ate it too fast but it was excellent and better value and in a much nicer setting than last week. Photo of view from the beergarden.

This was all washed down with a half of Erdinger weissbier(£2.90 for a half) - pricey but better value if you share the half with a friend yeh that's right a quarter of a pint each! Well it was early and we really only wanted the sausage/roll but it was a lovely sunny day and it felt it would be rude not to do the whole German thing and have the beer as well.

All the other food looked delicious and I would definitely go back.

For what I had and the setting 5/5

West London - The Teahouse at Petersham Nurseries

Church Lane, off Petersham Lane TW10 7AG. Nearest train tube/train Richmond. You'd then have to either take a bus or have a nice walk along the river. I know which one I'd prefer!

I've always wanited to come here as the idea of a nursery/cafe/michelin star place intrigued me. However it's not ever been near any where I was going to plus I could never afford the michelin prices.

However today I went for a walk along the river at richmond and this place fitted in with my plans so I finally go here. So I really want to like this place.

The place is really lovely with outdoor seating and indoor in heated greenhouses if the weather proves inclement. There are beautiful well kept plants everywhere.

There is a good selection of cakes although I think they're rather pricey for what we then tasted. Their carrot cake was £4.50 for a slice smaller than the two cakes we picked.

My friend had beetroot and raisin cake (£4.00) and apple juice (£3.25) because she was intrigued with the thought of beetroot in a cake. It was okay, the beetroot gave it an interesting earthy taste but it was a bit dry considering the beetroot should have put moisture in and there was no icing so she gave it 2 1/2/5.

I had coconut and carrot cake with chocolate (£4.00) which was basically a very nice moist sponge cake with nasty children's party chocolate on the top. I would give the cake without the topping 4/5.

The tea although pricey (£2.75) was excellent and as you got four good cups out of the pot was therefore okay value.

So overall I really liked the setting and it wasn't as if the cakes weren't bad but they weren't really good for the price so overall

3/5



Central London - Holborn - Fleet River Bakery

71 Lincoln's Inn Fields WC2A 3JF Nearest tube Holborn


Tiny place. Excellent selection of cakes and I don't normally drink coffee but their coffee was so good I had a second cup. I had a chocolate brownie. It was everything a brownie should be - moist and very chocolately. Went very well together with the coffee.
Would defo recommend 4/5

Central London - Bloomsbury - London Review Cake Shop

14 Bury Place WC1A 2JL (nearest tube Tottenham Court Road/Russell Square)

Tucked down a side road opposite the British Museum this tea shop is actually within the London Review Bookshop which is why I've never seen it when passing. The cafe is bright and breezy and the staff are really friendly and helpful.

The cafe is very small but has an excellent and wide range of cakes.I imagine if you came at weekends you'd struggle to get a seat. I had the passiofruit cake which was like a sponge with passionfruit in. How they managed to make it without being soagy I don't know but it was really yummy.

My mum had carrot cake which we both agreed looked great but was too sweet.

Finally, we have to finish on a very bad note. THE TEA. It was £3.25 for a pot of loose leaf tea out of which you got two small cups and the tea was nothing to write home about. In fact I'd say Sainsbury's red label would give you a better cuppa. Which is a shame because it's a nice place and my cake was fab. Perhaps just drink the coffee!

So 3/5- would have got less(for the tea and my mum's cake) but my cake and the surroundings brought it up to a 3.

Central London - Cafe at Foyles

113-119 Charing Cross Road, WC2H 0EB (nearest tube Leicester Square/Tottenham Court Road)
Look for a small doorway to the right of Foyles' main entrance.

I had just by coincidence visited two other tea and cake places on the previous two days so by the time I got to the Cafe at Foyles I was all caked out. However there was a wide selection of cakes which all looked great. I will definitely be trying the plum and almond cake in the near future. However, I just had to write about the tea (having had a bad cuppa the day before). If you like strong builders' tea then this is the place for you. £1.60 will buy you a mug of tea so strong that even I had to take the tea bag out after only a few minutes. Excellent tea and excellent value in the heart of London.

East London - Towpath

Regent's Canal Towpath between Whitmore Bridgew  and Kingsland Road Bridge N1 5SB

As the name denotes this hole in the wall is literally on the tow path between Angel and Dalston so not sure what the nearest tube would be. |Came across it on a walk along the canal from Angel to Limehouse. Can't believe how fantastic it was. The selection of cakes was not big but my friend and I both had the rhubarb and fragiapani tart ( 5/5) and I have to say it was the best pastry I have ever had and well worth the £3.25 I paid for it. The coffee was also excellent.

However probably only a place to come to on a good weather day as the seating is very exposed to the elements therefore I can't really give a mark for its ambience.

5/5 for tart and coffee

North London - Angel - Kipferl

20 Camden Passage, N1 8ED (no where near Camden, nearest tube Angel)

Apparently this place is well known for its apple cake but as my mum makes the best one in the world I didn't want it to fall at the first hurdle so I choose the espresso cake.(£2.50). Unfortunately it did not taste of coffee at all just chocolate.More like a slab of chocolate brownie. My friend suggested that what they meant was that the cake would be good with an espresso but either way it was a bit dry and why call it espresso cake then? I give the cake 2/5 for being dry and failing the trade description act.

This time I had a coffee (£2.40) which I enjoyed and as I don't really like coffee is a big compliment.

We sat outside but the interior is okay but I wouldn't say particularly inviting.

Overall I probably wouldn't come here again and I would try somewhere in Angel as there seems to be loads of other independentish places to try.

Overall 2 1/2/5

Central London - Strand Courtauld Institute Cafe

Nearest Tube Charing Cross/Temple Part of the Somerset House complex Somerset House
Strand London WC2R 0RN

My mum and I were going to the gallery so we popped into Tom's diner which is in Somerset House. The cake selection was very poor so we decided to go to the Courtauld Institute Cafe instead. It's out of the way tucked underneath the gallery and you have to go past the gallery ticket office to access it. You just need to say you're just going to the cafe and don't want to visit the gallery and they'll let you through.

The cafe isn't very big but there is an outside courtyard and the room its self feels very homily with comfy sofas as well as chairs and tables.

Here's a picture of their range of cakes. All cakes are in the £3-£4 range. They are all handmade in the kitchen on the premises. I had a nice chat with the chap who makes them more about his scones later...

So my mum had a piece of pistachio and rosewater cake (£3.75)  as we were both intrigued with the idea of rose water in cakes.

Sadly there wasn't really any taste of rose water and the cake was a bit dry. She gave the cake 2/5.

 I chose polenta, almond and lemon cake (£3.50). It was delicious. Moist and really tasty. I gave it 4/5.

We both agreed the tea served was excellent and good value at £1.95 a pot. All served in a proper pot and everything.

So after we chose our cakes and were happily munching on them these babies were brought out. Check them out...

Have you ever seen such beautifully risen scones??  I will definitely be checking these out the next time I go!

I think the dry cake was an exception as mine was great and I've been here before and the cake that time was also good. The tea was good and the surroundings nice.So overall I'll give the cafe 4/5.