Afternoon Tea at Dyffryn Gardens

This year I celebrated Valentine's Day with afternoon tea with my mum, and sister Louise at a beautiful country house run by the National Trust.  I previously shared some photographs from Dyffryn back in January 2017, on a particularly murky and misty day.  There couldn't have been more contrast!  Our visit was in glorious sunshine, with a riot of Spring flowers.

Dyffryn Gardens surround a beautiful late Victorian (1892) mansion.  Throughout the year, visitors are able to wander around the grounds, and also tour part of the house.  There are ongoing renovations to the building itself, as the house was acquired after a failed attempt to turn it into a luxury hotel (in which many original features were destroyed, leaving the house an empty shell).

There is a magnificent large glass house in the gardens, that was filled with pots and pots of cheery Spring flowers, from crocus to cyclamen.  Outside, crocus carpeted the slopes of the garden.  If you've seen the new Mary Poppins film, it was like the end scene where everyone is singing and frollocking in the flowers.

For a limited number of special events throughout the year such as Valentine's Day, you can book an afternoon tea in the morning room of the house.  As a setting for afternoon tea, it couldn't be a more perfect setting.  It was served in the 'morning room', the centre room in the ground floor overlooking the gardens.  A sunny room with a gorgeous bird print wallpaper, and the tables laid out with vintage tablecloths and china.  It was an exceptional setting.  Our table was set back a little from the blinding sun in the window, so I think I had the best seat in the house.

Afternoon Tea Review: Celtic Manor

On Friday I treated my mum to afternoon tea at Celtic Manor as a belated Mother's Day treat.  The hotel is a five star golf resort just outside of Newport in South Wales, and so within easy reach for both of us.  We know lots of people who have been there, but it was our first ever visit.  The building is a little strange looking from the outside (it's sometimes unkindly referred to as appearing like 'Colditz' from the M4 as one drives past!), but once inside the airy foyer makes a very good impression with its high glass ceiling and the curved balconies.

Lidl's Irish Cream v.s. Baileys' Review

I never drink Baileys' at any time of year other than Christmas.  But as soon as things start to get festive, I always buy a bottle, and sip it when wrapping presents, watching Christmas films or getting the decorations up.  Most of the supermarkets do their own version of Baileys', and Lidl is no exception.  But is it any good?

Lidl's Irish cream on the left, and Baileys' on the right.

Cardiff International Food & Drink Festival

Every summer, the city of Cardiff hosts its annual international food and drink festival.  Located in the bay area, with its bustling bars and restaurants, there are hundreds of stalls to browse, with most allowing you to taste their fantastic produce.  Alongside, there are demonstrations and talks, and entertainment such as live music.

Our first stop was at a little tent on Mermaid Quay itself, where staff from the newly opened Veeno Italian chain were about to begin a food and wine tasting.  We had front row seats, and were soon sampling a range of delicious Sicilian wines, accompanied with a range of tasty 'spuntini' appetisers.  We tried a lovely olive spread, some parmesan cheese, and a melt-in-the-mouth parma ham.  All of their food and wine is imported from Italy, in accordance with strict criteria.  I have had parma style ham before, but... proper, crown-stamped parma ham was a revelation to me.  I can never buy the stuff from Lidl again.

A member of staff from Veeno leading the food and wine tasting.

Summer Tasting Menu at Park House Cardiff

As a belated birthday treat for my husband, we went to the fine-dining restaurant Park House in Cardiff, to sample their 7 course tasting menu.  We've been to their cocktail bar before, but this was the first time that we'd been to the restaurant, housed in a grand gothic building.  We'd booked an early table, as we'd spent the day shopping for vintage goodies in the street market and were both famished by 6 o'clock.  It's a formal place, so for once we weren't overdressed!

Truffle Swansea Restaurant Review

Recently I had the pleasure of attending Truffle Swansea's opening night, for a friend's birthday dinner.  Truffle has been taken over by very capable new hands, and after a fabulous refurbishment has opened its doors again.  I passed by the venue earlier in the afternoon and was a bit concerned to see work still in progress.  I hesitantly queried with one of the workmen if the venue was indeed opening that night, which he jovially affirmed whilst confiding that it was a hectic, last-minute push to get it all done.  Sure enough, bang on 5:30pm and the doors were flung open and they were ready for their customers.

Benugo Comes to Cardiff

We're spoilt for choice with places to eat and drink in Cardiff city centre, but it's sometimes a struggle finding somewhere for a quick lunch that has that holy grail of decent food, central location and free wi-fi.  You might not know that the café on the first floor in John Lewis has changed hands and had a bit of a facelift.  London chain Benugo have branched out into Wales with this café, bringing their American deli style sandwiches and salads, and a good range of teas and coffees.  The John Lewis team recently invited some bloggers to try out the menu, and I popped along after work.

The range of food includes quite a few salads, including Moroccan style ones and a really lovely tomato salad.  I wish more places did reasonable salads for lunch, as I know I'm not alone in not eating bread regularly.  As for the sandwiches, these are deli style and are a bit more interesting than most cafes, again with some Moroccan flavours or American deli combinations.

Mãe Maria Portuguese Restaurant Cardiff Review

It's been a while since I've reviewed any local restaurants, but I have a special one to write about today.  Mãe Maria is a new Portuguese restaurant and deli, in Canton, Cardiff.  They had their grand opening last week, and I was pleased to get an invitation.  I went with my husband, and we were treated to an impressive spread of tapas and main dishes, along with some wine tasting.  It felt quite festive also, as the restaurant had their Christmas decorations up.

Abergavenny Food Festival

The UK has very good food festivals, and one of the best is right here in Wales.  Every September, the town of Abergavenny on the Welsh-English border hosts a weekend food festival that draws a large crowd of hungry visitors. Being from the town originally, I took the opportunity to visit family and then head to the food festival with my husband to get stuck into all of the cheese.  Here's a little pictorial roundup of what were the highlights for me.  We tried salmon jerky, dozens of cheeses, English brandy, gourmet pasta, cured meats, chocolate, chutneys, gin, and many more tasty morsels.

Above: Abergavenny town hall's spire rising above the throng of visitors

Llanerch Vineyard Afternoon Tea Review

For my mother's birthday, she fancied a trip out for some afternoon tea.  We've already been to Miskin manor a few times but wanted to try somewhere different.  My sister Louise came up with the great suggestion of Llanerch Vineyard, near Hensol in the Vale of Glamorgan.  Like the manor, it's not far from the M4 and so in easy reach.  Llanerch is doing well with its 'Cariad' (Welsh for 'darling') brand of modern wines, and the site has expanded to offer a gift shop, restaurant and boutique hotel rooms.  My first impression was that the site is very smart and modern looking, and if the wind hadn't been blowing rain sideways at me, I could almost have believed I was in California.  Almost.

Afternoon Tea Review: Tudor Farmhouse

Today's afternoon tea review is of Tudor Farmhouse, in the village of Clearwell in the Forest of Dean on the Welsh-English border.  A former working farm, it's now a boutique hotel, housed in an extended 15th century building with cottages in the pretty grounds.

Afternoon Tea Review: Miskin Manor

I don't eat as many afternoon teas these days since going low-carb, so for me to head out for tea it must be a pretty special location, and I have high expectations of the food.  The grand Miskin Manor hotel is close by to where we live, and a short drive from Cardiff.  This beautiful and historic manor-house of course offers afternoon tea, in a very special setting, and is a wonderful treat for an occasion.  The manor is particularly lovely to visit in the winter months, with beautiful seasonal decorations, and inviting dining areas with real fires blazing away.  For parties of more than 10 guests you can have a private dining room, which would be perfect for a family get together or girls' day out.  What better way to spend an afternoon?

Downton Abbey Costume Exhibition & Afternoon Tea at Llanelly House

After our wonderful trip to Highclere Castle in the summer, where Downton Abbey was filmed, I was keen for another Downton Abbey related adventure.  As luck would have it, historic Llanelly House here in Wales held a costume display from the first two series.  The timing was perfect for one of my sisters' birthdays, and my mum and husband's mum came along too for a proper family outing!

Costumes from the garden party scene - Edith's, Mary's and Sybil's.  Two are original vintage Edwardian dresses, can you tell which ones?

Steak of the Art Cardiff Review

I'm a carnivore that loves a nice steak.  I love art too.  What better way to combine the two than to visit Steak of the Art, a new restaurant in Cardiff that's opened up on Churchill Way?

Red Hot Buffet World Cardiff Review

I was delighted to win a meal for two at Cardiff's Red Hot Buffet World, as part of my runner's up prize from Capital FM at St David's Ladies Night, for not winning the big prize of a trip to New York.  Who needs New York, when you can travel the world's cuisine in one restaurant?

Looking at their website, I was impressed with the range of dishes on offer, with a good offering of vegetarian options, gluten free, halal, etc.  I eat low carb and it seemed from the website that this wasn't going to be a problem at all.

I then read lots of online reviews, and my delight turned to trepidation.  A free meal, is nonetheless a free meal, and so I thought we had better find out for ourselves what the experience was like.

Afternoon Tea Review: The Angel Abergavenny's Festive Tea

I couldn't resist another trip to The Angel in Abergavenny this December, for another one of their exceptionally good afternoon teas.  The last time I visited was in November 2012, and you can read about it in my review here.  This time, I wanted to review their Christmas afternoon tea, which promised festive delicacies and a setting as warming as mulled wine.  The price for their festive afternoon tea is currently £19.80 per person.

Ambience 5/5
We managed to get seated in the lovely little sitting room just off reception again.  It's quieter than being in the main dining room or the ballroom that they use at particularly busy times, and you get to lounge on sofas and have a bit more of a relaxed time.  The festive decorations were fairly subtle, but charming, and they even had some kind of vessel filled with water and spices, with a flame burning underneath, sending the most wonderful smell of cloves and such into the air.

Crockery 4/5
An assortment of vintage crockery is used, but your party will always have a matching set of cup, saucer, and plate - they don't do the shabby-chic mismatched look.  It's all very smart.  The cakestands also have vintage china plates on them, but the teapots are mysteriously chinese themed ones, the heavy metal ones that I could barely lift, let alone any of the elderly ladies that come for tea.

Cake 5/5
Yes, there is cake.  But there is also a fabulous selection of patisserie, and mini dessert delights.  On this visit, we had mini raspberry trifles, freshly baked warm scones, profiteroles, rum babas, fruit tartlets, and of course, no festive afternoon tea would be complete without mini mince pies, stollen, yule log and fruit cake.  Part of the joy of not being able to finish all the cake is taking it home in the lovely white gift boxes marked proudly with 'The Angel' on a sticker.

Sandwiches 5/5
I swear that these get nicer each time I visit.  On this occasion, we had egg mayonnaise, salmon, cheese and a particularly delicious festive turkey sandwich complete with cranberry sauce and stuffing.  They do the sandwiches properly - fresh bread, crusts removed, just the right amount of filling.  I could have eaten a whole cakestand's worth of these, never mind the cake!

The Tea 5/5
My sister and I tried the Christmas Blend, the description of which is pictured below.  It did indeed go well with the selection of cakes, but I do love spiced black teas generally.  If that doesn't sound like your thing, The Angel has an extensive tea menu, including green, herbal and rooibos teas.  My mother went for a coffee as she doesn't drink tea, and said it was really good.

Service 4/5
Service was attentive, efficient, and polite.  Mysteriously, as the clock struck 5, the visits stopped, and that's when we actually needed somebody to box up our uneaten treats and gives us the bill.  So I am sorry to dock a point on this one!

Overall 5/5
It's worth the money, you won't be disappointed.  Now that the festivies are over and we face the long stretch of dark winter through January and February, The Angel is a good cosy spot to hole up on a rainy and dull afternoon over the winter, even in you don't go for afternoon tea, pop in for a coffee or a cocktail.  You can't help but feel cheery in the lovely interior, especially if you can grab a spot in the bar when they have the real fire lit.  Abergavenny is lovely for a potter around as well.  It's gone a bit posh recently with the addition of some nice looking home and gift shops, and there's always something going on in the market hall.  Don't worry though, there's still a good selection of charity shops if that's more your thing!

Have you ever been to The Angel?  Or do you have somewhere that you keep going back to, time after time, for a good afternoon tea?

A Girl Can Never Have Enough Tea!

My tea drawer is stocked up at work.  I like to have different brews, as I go through phases.  Recently I've been enjoying a Chai tea from Marks and Spencer that I bought yonks ago and forgot about.  It may have slipped slightly passed its best before date, but it still tastes nice so I'm going to use it up.

Clockwise from top left: Clipper Wild Berry organic infusion, Lipton Lemon & Ginger, Celestial Seasonings Mandarin Orange Spice, Tetley Pomegranate Green Tea, M&S Chai Teabags, and Pickwick White Tea Soft Fruits.

I like to look out for specialty teas in bargain places such as Home Bargains or B&M Bargains - that Tetley Pomegranate Green Tea is only 99p a box, whilst the amazing Celestial Seasoning's tea was only 39p a box.  I bought about 5 or 6 boxes at the time, but they've never had them back again so you have to stock up when you see them!

What is your favourite tea to have when you're hard at work?  And do you have a whole tea drawer?!

Afternoon Tea Review: The Angel Hotel, Cardiff

It's time for tea once more.  On this cake mission I took my mother to The Angel Hotel in Cardiff.  Not to be confused with the Angel in Abergavenny (which does a truly superb afternoon tea - read my review here), this is a large Victorian hotel in a prime spot opposite the castle.  I had a voucher offering afternoon tea for two for £24, which sounded like a bargain as it would normally cost that each.

  
I've been into this hotel before, to meet friends or to attend conferences, but I'd never before taken afternoon tea and it was near the top of my list of Cardiff afternoon tea establishments to sample.  Our tea included sandwiches, scones, cake and a glass of champagne each.

 
Sandwiches: 4/5

The sandwiches were on a mix of white and brown bread, and included salmon, egg, ham, and grated cheese and pickle.  They were very much the standard sandwiches you get at these hotel chain teas, nothing especially exciting but they were freshly made and hit the (hungry) spot.
 
Cake: 3/5

There was only one type of cake, a lemon sponge, with the rest of the offering being patisserie.  There were cheesecake type desserts in little bowls, and sweet pastry tarts filled with creme patisserie and fruit.  It was a swelteringly hot day but the room we were served tea in was relatively cool, and as the cheesecakes and tarts had already started to wilt a bit on the plate, I suspect they had been laid out on the tiers in a hot kitchen waiting for our arrival.  The scones were nice, but didn't stand out from the many I have eaten over the years.

 
Service: 4/5

The staff seated us and brought our drinks and cake-stand swiftly, but disappeared after this.  It took some time before we could attract attention just to get some water.  The waiter was polite, and apologised when he realised we'd needed water for a little while.

Ambience: 2/5
Stepping through the chandelier-lit bright hallway at the base of the sweeping staircase into the dining room and bar is an anti-climax.  The dining room is situated on the castle-facing side of the building and unfortunately in the afternoon this means it's in shadow - the sun is on the opposite side at this time of day.  The room is also decorated in the cold and bland could-be-anywhere style that pervades hotel chains.  It was mostly empty save for one other table when we arrived, and a little background music wouldn't have gone amiss to help cheer it up a little.

Crockery 2/5
Nonedescript.  It looked quite sad and boring on the veneered boring table, which didn't even have a tablecloth.  There was a cakestand, but it was one of those bare-minimum wire ones that you just put your own plates on, and unfortunately the plates were plain white in a budget rather than chic way.

Tea 3/5
I had a pot of very nice Earl Grey, and my mother had coffee, which she said wasn't anything special but it did the job.  I can't remember the full selection of tea from the menu, but it wasn't particularly extensive.

Overall 3/5
It was pleasant, but not outstanding on any level.  I think they're missing a trick in such a beautiful Victorian building not to continue the grandeur that's on the outside, on the inside.  They've got some serious competition directly opposite in the form of Pettigrew tea rooms, but that's more like sitting in your Grandma's living room - The Angel is different from Pettigrew's because it serves alcohol and is in such a grand building.  I hope someone catches on to this, redecorates, orders some fine bone china and overhauls the menu.  In the meantime, my tip would be to take tea in the sunny lounge adjacent to the hallway - you can at least enjoy nicer lighting, furniture and ambience than in the dining room.  Come on Angel, don't sell yourself short!

Knees Up In A Brewery

A car park on an industrial estate may seem an unlikely choice for an evening out, but that's just where I headed on the weekend for the Tiny Rebel brewery's open evening.  Operating out of a small unit in Newport, South Wales, the microbrewery has an exciting range of modern and traditional beers.

 

The sun was shining and the car park overtaken with inflatable furniture, a large bus serving gourmet burgers, and a big crowd of enthusiastic beer drinkers who had apparently been there since early afternoon.

 

 

I'd come straight from work so was shockingly wearing trousers for once.  I really struggle to get trousers I like and that are long enough, but these 7/8th length houndstooth '60s style ones from Phase Eight I love.  The '60s style sunglasses are new too, a present from my baby.

As I was designated driver, I only got to drink a half of their Cwtch ruby ale* ('Cwtch' is Welsh for 'cuddle') but I did have a few sips of all the ales my party of friends were drinking, including an amazing stout matured in whisky casks.  It was like drinking a stout with a whisky chaser in the same glass!  A lady I was chatting to recommended also the beer matured in a rum cask, but they'd unfortunately run out of that one so we didn't get to try it.

Anyway, I really recommend that you have a look at the Tiny Rebel website, and if you're in South Wales, London, Essex, Bristol, Manchester, Brighton or Newcastle then there's a list here of places that have their beers on tap - well worth a try.

Vintage Dublin: Cocktails, Tea & Cake

Here we go, part two of my Vintage Dublin report focuses on edibles and most importantly, drinkables!  If you missed part one, you can find it here.

Cocktail Establishments
Please go to the Vintage Cocktail Club (Crown Alley, Temple Bar).  You will no doubt  need to make a reservation if you are arriving after 9pm.  Located behind an inconspicuous dark doorway, you have to know it's there - press the doorbell and you will be admitted, assuming you are dressed appropriately.  The main lounge is arranged with little clusters of seating, perfect for intimate conversations discussing assignations and so forth.  If you run out of conversation, there's plenty to look at - a metallic ceiling that's quite spectacular, charming nude photos from a time when women were Rubenesque, and on the top floor the roof slides back for you to marvel at the stars.  A little complimentary prosecco is served to you while you peruse the menu - that might take a while, as there's a fantastic choice of cocktails (11 Euros approx), and the majority are ones you've never heard of before.  Staff were charming, and we ordered a watermelon, fig and goat's cheese salad that was simply superb.  Our bill came to 35 Euros each, for the salad, fries, 2 cocktails each, and a tip.  Absolutely worth every cent.

 

Another good option for decent cocktails that I didn't get around to visiting, but that looked marvellous from the website, was The Exchange bar at The Westin Hotel, specialising in gin and 1930's cocktails (26 brands of gin, numerous brands of tonic!).  I might have to go back to Dublin purely to work my way through the gin menu, I hope my friend remains living in Ireland for some years so that I have the excuse to visit.

Finally, I'd like to warn you off The Clarence Hotel, which was a huge disappointment.  The Art Deco exterior had me tingling with anticipation, but the interior was marred by really awful pop music blaring, and an obvious target market of cheap not chic, as evidenced by the 'Happy Hour'.  In a 5 star hotel?!

My martini was too warm, and I had to ask for a cocktail stick to retrieve the substandard olives from the bottom of the glass.

Tea & Cake

Wandering away from the hustle-bustle of the main shopping streets of Dublin, South-West of St Stephen's Green, is the Cake Cafe (Pleasants Place, Dublin 2).  At first I wondered if I had the address right, as it was just an empty alley, slightly dodgy looking with bins and a few naughty smokers.  Once through the back gate you find yourself in a delightful little courtyard, and you know you're in the right place.

It was a cold day but the sun came out and I was wrapped up warm, so chose a table outside.  I ordered a pot of tea and the plum spelt cake, and was pleased to see mismatched crockery and a proper cup and saucer.  The bill came to 5.90 Euros.

The Cake Cafe prides itself on being environmentally responsible, something I back wholeheartedly - they use rainwater to flush their loos, among other things!

If you're after something a bit more decadent and a place to wear your fanciest clothes, there are lots of good hotels in Dublin serving afternoon tea.  I particularly liked the look of the offering at The Westin - served in the impressive Atrium Lounge, guests are offered the choice of a traditional, or a 'most peculiar' afternoon tea (24 Euros).

Other suggestions include The Shelbourne (29.95 Euros) and The Westbury (30 Euros).  Needless to say, I wouldn't recommend The Clarence after my previous review, but it is cheap at just 14.50 Euros.

There you go, folks.  I hope now that if you are planning a visit to Dublin, you are armed with enough information to take in some free sights, buy a vintage frock, eat some good cake and have a stiff drink!