Cheltenham’s Tea and Coffee: Is there anywhere good for Joe?

Everyone loves a ‘cuppa’, whether that’s a cup of tea or a cup of coffee (or even a hot chocolate or a pond-like cup of hot nettle juice for the health conscious) and in Cheltenham there are a few really good places, which can cater for this most basic, yet surprisingly demanding desire. Sometimes you just don’t want a Starbucks on the run, or even want to support a massive chain like Costa or Café Nero, so where do you go? Well, in my quest to find the perfect cuppa I tried quite a few places. In the top five, there's The Well Walk Tea Room on Well Walk in the centre of town conveniently close to the newly spruced up museum. It’s an American’s idea of British heaven, think Sense and Sensibility slash Miss Haversham’s house slash kitsch vintage crockery. It’s just a short stagger from the shops and as I said the shiny new museum and art gallery so it’s great if you have tired tykes who need food fast that’s not fast food, although do bear in mind that you’ll need to keep your eyes on younger children in case of breakages. They provide a homemade quiche of the day, pasta salads, sandwiches (try the coronation chicken – delicious!), cakes and scones as well as other delicious comestibles with, of course, a wide variety of hot and cold beverages. And it’s all served on pretty vintage tea ware! It’s the perfect place to go with your mum or even with the girls!

Boston Tea Party is also conveniently situated for the museum or equally for after a visit to the shops on The Prom. This is tea, coffee, cake and sandwiches at its metropolitan, distressed urban finest! An Unusual decor with a retro twist, rather industrial but remaining very cosy. It's not as intimate as The Well Walk Tea Room is, you feel a bit like you're eating in a big school canteen but the food is fabulous! A bit pricier than The Well Walk too but there's far more choice, especially for the health conscious. Try one of their freshly made juices, they've got a zing that really perks you up! So much so that you might not need the coffee! Definitely one to try but still part of a chain, albeit a small relatively newly founded one so if you're keen to support local businesses think again! 

There's also J’s Cafe in Charlton Kings, which was quite a surprise to me. I was taken a long by a friend who informed me that they cater raw, vegan food, juices and smoothies, cakes and yummies. Because I was hungry, I didn't stop at a cup of tea and a nibble here and went for lunch too. I had the Greek salad with the, I felt, naughty addition of grilled chicken breast. Whilst J, the owner, is a vegan he still provides meat for the carnivorous customers like myself. It was really tasty and a well sized portion too, which is always a plus. The prices are good and there's plenty of room for small children and pushchairs so it's okay for families but being in Charlton Kings a bit out of the way if you're shopping in town this weekend. 

Then there's Smokey Joe’s on Bennington Street, which is right in the centre of Cheltenham just off the Lower High street. Now they should definitely be on your list of places to go for a nice nibble! They have got retro '50s dining down! A fabulous decor, random vintage events on throughout the year so you might stumble happily on that when you pop in, out of this world sundaes and delicious paninis and drinks. Extremely well priced too, friend them on Facebook to keep an eye on their frequently posted offers to make your trip even more of a bargain. They also hold Laptop Fridays where you can bring your work with you for an altogether pleasanter working environment. 

Smokey Joe's Mint Choc Sundae

 

Last but not least, there's Huffkins, which is a small Cotswold based chain of bakers. They do a wonderful cream tea as well as the best Lardy cakes known to man, which take 3 hours to make! Huffkins is right on the Prom a couple of doors down from Waterstones so it's probably one of the most central places on the list. A little dear but it's a lovely treat on a day off or for a special occasion. They also do food to go, which as far as I'm aware, none of the places on the list do! 

 

Huffkins' Cream Tea

If there's somewhere amazing that I've overlooked, please let me know! But I hope that when you're next looking for that great cup of Joe, it'll be easier to know where to go! 

 

Next week: where's good for breakfast? It's the most important meal of the day, so they say!