Church St, N16 is not exactly starved of restaurants and places to eat in the evening, So when we heard that Tea Rooms was going to be opening its doors and begin serving dinner, Tea&Cake had to go and see what they plan on bringing to the (dinner) table.

A undeniable afternoon success, Tea Rooms has been serving cream teas, cakes and non alcoholic drinks to Stoke Newington residents since 2007. On Fridays it now will offer an evening menu to complement its newly licenced premises.  Visiting there for the opening night, we got a chance to sample the menu and have a quick chat with the people running the place.

Two rooms offer ample space for dinner service with less tables than arranged for afternoon tea, leading to a more relaxed environment. Walls covered with cabinets displaying period china and a eggshell decor give the place a fifties feel in keeping with the clientele and Vintage fashions for sale next door.

The recently acquired drinks licence has opened the door for pre-dinner drinks and cocktails. Tea Rooms will be serving a range of retro inspired cocktails mixed in speakeasy style teapots that complement the tea room surroundings perfectly. A series of interesting fruit juices is available for those seeking a softer alternative, with an orange, ginger and cardamom flavour a  highlight.

Dinner will wisely be a set menu that allows the kitchen staff to stick to one menu and  concentrate on quality. Simple British recipes are being favoured with emphasis on pastry dishes. Thhis night that meant sausage rolls for nibbles with a variety of pies as a main dish. The pie choices were Chicken and Ham, Leek with Cheddar or Beef. In single scoop taster dishes, I was surprised by the simplicity of the fillings with the chicken and ham especially brimming with meat. How this translates to a larger dish we will see, but not having too many ingredients jostling for attention lets the quality of the baking speak for itself. This simplicity was also reflected in the soup, with Sweet Potato or Mushroom offered, garnished only with fresh parsley.

A selection of sweets was available that played to the strengths of an afternoon tea shop approaching its fifth year. We were offered scones, ginger cake and fruit sponge. Each showed the experience in the kitchen but we were very much back on (over) familiar territory.

Pricing has not been confirmed but in speaking to one of the founders, Isabelle Allfrey, the dinner menu was likely to come in at around £16 for three courses. However as we were only given tasters, I cannot say whether the portions make this value for money.

Chatting to her, it became apparent that the decision to open up the doors on a Friday evening was born out of the popularity of the space in the evening for Arts groups and function bookings.  Wedding receptions, Hen nights and Birthday parties are all regular fixtures here on Saturday night, which answers why Friday was chosen to be the initial night for dinner.  During the week classes range from Life drawing to craft skills. With an opportunity to now enjoy a glass of wine or cocktail, their popularity is assured.

Overall I was really impressed both by the food on offer and the thought that has gone into expanding an afternoon tea house into serving dinner, whilst remaining unique in a busy street famous for its choice of eating out options. This is a simple menu that speaks for itself in a venue that made its name catering for the afternoon crowd. Tea Rooms dinner service will surely attract those looking for a destination away from the busy bars or restaurants without compromising the strengths of either.

This place had a lot to show for itself as a winner of the Food and Drink awards in a local newspaper a couple of years ago beating my local tiffanys.

I was not disappointed. Offering differing menus dependent on the time of day I could have easily eaten three courses instead of just the cake course I settled on.

The staff were interested in telling us what each cake was made from and this did not help us in making up our minds. We shall be back for sure.

A good selection of sweet and savoury treats await you including recommended sandwiches and sponges. A cake trolley tempts you with around 6 different cakes on my visit.

This tea shop is also well loved by the locals of Danbury – check it out and see why it’s has so many awards to it’s name.

A splendid location and relaxed quality make this a firm favourite. The Sands Brasserie is the place to head for once you enter the Hotel. We always head to the front corner of the conservatory so we can admire the view whilst enjoying a cream tea.

A varied menu means it’ll take a while to make your mind up on what you’ll have. The cream tea is splendid, pricey (£6.75) but worth it.

Just a gaze through the window of this bakery and tea shop makes your tummy rumble.

There are whole cakes available along with usual bakery fare on the ground floor where you can takeaway any delights that grab you or head up the stairs to the tea room seating area.

There are booths along with normal chairs and tables to sit at. If there are just two of you go for the tables by the window and you can watch people as they wander along the high street.

It will be hard though to take your eyes off the food. The cream teas are one of the best I have tasted and come with an old fashioned stainless steel pot of tea with accompanying milk jug.

Also recommended are the Cheesecakes. There is a full menu available so this is a place to fill up on savouries as well as sweet stuff.

It has a lovely inside space ideal if the weather isn’t on your side but the winner is the outside garden with around 5 tables or varying sizes to choose from.

Run by Keith and Lindsay Southgate the service is good and the menu varied. You can also take away produce from Muffins as it has a little shop side to the tea room selling local produce and take away ice creams.

A nice selection of teas along with milkshakes make this a great tea room for all the family to enjoy.

I went for the Carrot Cake and Coffee which came with a chocolate straw, a nice touch.

The owner runs a tea shop on Mersea Island in Essex so spreading out to the hussle and bussle of Colchester was quite some move. I wish them the best and will be returning for sure.

Although this is a coffee house it does teas and some great cakes along with a good selection of pancakes and other savouries you would expect from an independent cafe.

There are magazines to read or the place is small enough just to start talking to the person on the table next to you.

Hello and welcome to TopTeaShops.co.uk – the home of Independent Reviews of the UK’s Best Tea Shops and Tea rooms.

On the site you will find Tea Shops and Tea Rooms reviewed from Essex and Cornwall with maps showing their locations and a general review of the atmosphere and choice of the menu.