Review - Afternoon Tea at The Angel - Abergavenny

To celebrate my degree results my parents, eldest sister, brother and I went for afternoon tea at the gorgeous Angel Hotel in Abergavenny. It was a boiling hot day so we sat in the courtyard where parties were gathered with pitchers of Pimms and glasses of wine. The atmosphere was relaxed yet sophisticated, and as always The Angel delivered exceptionally.

The hotel also has a bar and restaurant, both of which I have been to and been served outstanding food and drink. A little on the pricey side, The Angel is definitely for special occasions like achieving a first in your degree ;)

If you are looking to dine somewhere luxurious in the town centre of Abergavenny, The Angel is the place to go. It is just a five and ten minute walk from the bus and train station and is situated smack bang in the middle of the bustling market town. 

Now, onto my favourite part - the tea!

The range of teas on offer is incredible. There are more than 30 to choose from and my eyes darted straight to the green tea section - big fan; can't go a day without the stuff. I always like to try something new so I chose the 'Flowering Osmanthus.'

Described on the menu as fresh and fruity with hints of apricot and ripe peach as well as jasmine, osmanthus and China lily flowers, I couldn't resist as I loved the sound of all those things. The biggest attraction for me was the fact that it came in a clear glass teapot so I could see the flower blossoming in the pot - beautiful.

My Mum chose her usual cafetiere of strong black coffee, my Dad an English breakfast tea and Sarah and Craig, Vanilla tea. 

The afternoon tea came out in stacks of stunning plates that sat strategically on the wooden table - we did have a minor accident (clumsy me!) but the waiting staff were excellent and cleaned up the spilt coffee and replaced the few cakes that were dropped. 

On the top plate were sliced strawberries topped with cream poured by the lovely waitresses. The second plate underneath held the decadent selection of cakes and pastries: (rum baba, custard slice, chocolate & raspberry swiss roll, carrot cake, strawberry shortcake, profiteroles, banoffee pie). And on the bottom plate were four types of sandwiches: (savoury cheese, smoked salmon, ham and egg). I gave my cheese and egg sandwiches to my Mum and Dad - I wasn't too keen on those fillings but the salmon and ham sandwiches were spot on.

Soon after we had finished nibbling on our sandwiches, fruit and cakes, the waiter and waitresses brought out our scones. They were warm and dusted with icing sugar, served with a bowl of thick cream and strawberry jam. 

Now, I have heard that everyone assembles their scone differently, and I didn't know there was such an art to it until recently, but after a bit of trial and error I found that I prefer to put the jam on first, then the cream. Just, yum.

If you have never heard of, or been to The Angel then I would definitely recommend a visit if you are ever passing Abergavenny. It is such a gem and the afternoon tea I reviewed in this post was actually the winner of the Tea Guild Award of Excellence 2013 which I think is a fantastic achievement. 

To read more about The Angel and to book a room, table or just to have a nosey, check out their website at: www.angelabergavenny.comand let me know your favourite tea room in the comment box below - I am always looking for new ones to visit!

Review - Cafe Moochoo - Cheltenham

A couple of weeks ago I went to visit one of my favourite cafes in Cheltenham with my sister, Emily. We were out shopping for the day and fancied something light for lunch.

I discovered Cafe Moochoo in 2012 when I was wandering down the end of town I never usually venture towards because once you get past New Look, it isn't the most aesthetically pleasing area. 

However, if you give it a chance there are some lovely second hand book shops and pubs down this end of the spa town and the relaxed, homemade look about Cafe Moochoo drew me in.

The staff are lovely! Last summer when I lived in a flat a bit further down from this area I was in Moochoo's for my falafel wrap at least once a week. Safe to say they knew my order by the time uni started again and I had to move back to the other side of town.

If you like simple, nice food then Cafe Moochoo is worth a visit. They have a variety of wraps, sandwiches and paninis on offer as well as soup and a hot meal of the day. They also have homemade cakes and sausage rolls on display in the front window which are extremely hard to resist, and at about £1.50 each you can't go wrong with a slice of chocolate cake made by the lovely Lara.

Emily chose lemon San Pellegrino and I chose orange. Both refreshing and quite possibly the best carbonated soft drinks out there.

Everything is affordable and delicious but I can't help but order the same thing every time I visit. The falafel wraps are the best I have ever tasted. They are filled with little falafels, mango chutney and a tomato and red onion salad-relish, an excellent combination of flavours that I never would have thought to put together myself. 

The sweet mango chutney and the cool tomato and onion salad-relish compliment the spicy falafels perfectly.

What I love about this place is that when you order a sandwich, that's what you get, and that's what you pay for. Unlike most cafes these days that charge £5+ for a sandwich and then serve it with crisps and salad you didn't ask for, Moochoo serve what they state on the menu, and you can get the crisps and salad as extras if you really want them.

Emily had a sweet chilli chorizo and mozzarella panini - another tasty combo I have never come across before. 

We were stuffed by the time we'd finished so we passed on the cakes that day and got back to shopping.

Have you ever visited Cafe Moochoo? Is there a similar cafe in the town/city where you live? I love these types of places to eat so let me know your recommendations in the comment box below.