Café G (SE22 9QA)

184 Peckham Rye

SE22 9QA 

Café G sits opposite the lovely Peckham Rye Common, where the former café/bakery “The Gardens” used to be. The rear section of The Gardens was always a bit dark and dingy, and the new owners have done a good job with reviving the large floor space, opening it up inside to bring in more light, making the most of the huge windows along the front and side of the café.

There is abundant seating space in the courtyard at the front of the café, which has the added bonus of being a bit of a sun trap as well as enjoying views over the common. 

They’ve gone with an orange theme (orange awning, orange lights, orange table legs), which gives it a light and fresh feel. I own a very nice orange Vivien Westwood handbag, and I also have orange wallpaper in my spare room, so I’m rather  a fan of the colour (but I’m not obsessive or anything… not really).

Inside, the café has a semi-industrial feel, with chunky, rough wooden tables complemented by metal chairs. Along the front is a tempting display of treats – pastries, cakes and slices, with a long bar down the interior side wall.

I ordered a slice of the red velvet cake, while Ben had a slice of banana loaf (he seems to be developing a “thing” for banana loaf these days). Disappointingly they did not offer to toast his loaf (note - this is not a euphemism). 

I was surprised by the icing on my cake, as it was more akin to fresh cream that traditional butter cream icing. I quite liked it, as it’s always nice to have something different. My tea (served in a large orange teapot) was a generous serving. Ben enjoyed his coffee.

The only drawback for me was the number of children and babies … this is a very family-friendly café in a popular family area, with lots of inside space to accommodate pushchairs. Of course, if you do have a family, this is a bonus. 

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Tea on the Green (CM3 4QF)

3 Eves Corner, Danbury CM3 4QF

Overlooking the village green, this is a bustling little tea room that caters for large afternoon tea parties; on our first attempt to visit we were unable to get a seat because it was fully booked out, so had to return another day.

The interior is somewhat old fashioned, with floral table cloths and turned wood chairs. There is an impressive selection of tea pots on display along one wall, and framed certificates of awards the café has won from The Tea Guild (http://www.tea.co.uk/news/2013-tea-guild-awards-of-excellence). 

However, the overall ambiance is a little flat and too “old lady” for my tastes.

Even late in the afternoon we were still able to choose from a good selection of cakes (I selected carrot cake and Ben had a ginger slice). Both were satisfying – tasty and well made. 

Generous servings of tea made for a pleasant afternoon affair, although we had limited time for our visit, arriving 30 minutes before closing time.

Tea on the Green is a quaint, sweet local, but not somewhere I’d go out of my way to revisit. 

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Old Stable Tearoom (CM3 4BS)

Paper Mill Lock, North Hill, Little Baddow 
Chelmsford CM3 4BS 
http://www.papermilllock.co.uk/tea-room/

The Old Stable Tearoom is a lovely place to have a cup of tea and slice of cake, situated as it is on a grassy bank overlooking the picturesque Papermill Lock. 

We first tried to visit in January 2014, but the surrounding area had been flooded and all the roads were closed. I suspect flooding in this area is a regular occurrence, as the lock is in in the bottom of a bowl-shaped area of countryside, so a winter visit after heavy rains might not be the best idea. 

The area seems to be a popular spot with ramblers, and I suspect they’d do a brisk trade over the summer months. Even on a chilly day there were plenty of people walking along the river.

The tearooms are very simple and it does feel a bit like a cosy barn inside. There is absolutely no pretence – a reasonable selection of homely cakes laid out under plastic lids, beverages served in big mugs at the counter, with self-serve milk and cutlery. But I liked it. It’s simple, very reasonably priced and very honest.

 

There’s plenty of space to sit outside on chunky wooden benches. We were well entertained by some curious swans who came out of the water to pester a family. 

Every time a swan emerged from the water, a dog on the other side of the lock started up a racket barking at them, until one of the café staff chased the swan back into the water with a broom, only to have the whole cycle repeated again. 

My cake wasn’t of the highest quality, with slightly crystalline icing, but it was tasty nonetheless and I can hardly fault rustic home-made over bland store-bought! Ben eschewed the bulk brewed coffee in favour of a much safer peppermint tea.

So whether you drive, walk, ride or float here, stop for a cuppa and a cake and watch out for those swans!

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