Tell me about your favourite cafe/tea room/coffee shop

[SausageSimon]

What is it you love about your favourite cafe, tea room or coffee shop?

Considering things like decor, atmosphere, the service or even things on the menu!

What is it that makes them your favourite?

Always has a good selection of cakes, in sensible portion sizes (not huge, just a nice bit) and professional looking cakes not something I could knock up at home.

Proper decent sized cups for the tea, not those bloody dinky 'vintage' charity shop cups and saucer that hold a teaspoon of tea and go lukewarm in seconds.

Free wifi.

My current favourite is the cafe at Architectural Plants near Pulborough. Seating is in a large greenhouse and the salads and rolls are really fresh. Very welcoming as well.

Light and non intrusive decor with corners to hide in and seats arranged so you aren’t staring straight at others

Soft easy music but low enough you can tune it out

Good free easy access WiFi with the code on the wall not one I have to give all my details on line to access

Pots of tea with TWO teabags for a decent cup and extra water (I’ll pay more) and option of cup or mug.

Light cakes and pastries not just 30000 calorie heavy brownie slices and millionaires shortbread. Nice slice of home made sponge or a flapjack. Some lighter options like toast or toasties and if it’s a lunch place then some hearty salad bowls and soup.

If they let dogs in to at least one section it means I’ll go more.

Outside seating for summer altho it means you get all fagash peeps making the entrance horrible so I’m torn on that bit.

Sweeteners available (why do so many not have them it’s annoying if you want to use them)

Jugs of tap water
Range of soft drinks

Few things to entertain kids but not noisy and absolutely not somewhere that becomes an NCT favourite hang out as they would make be avoid it.

Great responses, I've read most but will make sure to read the rest first thing tomorrow!

There is a micro-roastery in Canterbury. It has scruffy decor and is often filled with hippified students reading literature and writing/drawing in moleskein journals.

Its cramped, crowded but generally child free. The chairs are coffee crates.

I could sit there for hours and the coffee is the best ive had. It is rocket fuel and two small cappuccinos are my limit.

Im about as non-hipster middle class asone could get.