Waterloo Tea

Food: Tried the smoked Haddock rare-​bit. It was delicious. The portion wasn’t large but it was moderately priced at £6.50. Didn’t manage to try any of their cakes this time around.
Tea: Hot-​water refills are complimentary. We tried some of the Japanese green teas — kukicha (£3.50) and matcha (£5). Both interesting choices, the matcha is probably a bit too adventurous for someone who is only used to their English breakfast! The kukicha was recommended as a milder introduction to Japanese green teas — it went down well with my companion who was new to these.
Next time I plan to try the matcha latte.
Atmosphere: Noise level is moderate, can be a little louder when it’s busy but still quiet enough to hold a comfortable conversation at your table. On this occasion we were sat at a sofa and coffee table on the ground floor. There are a few locations near power outlets for those who want to bring a laptop.
Service: Friendly, knowledgeable staff. Our waitress gave good menu explanations and recommendations — definitely developed our tea-​taste buds.
Don’t come here if you’re in a rush — food arrives slowly.
Lasting impression: Good food with moderate pricing and an interesting range of teas. Casual place for a light meal and a long afternoon chat over a cuppa.
If you want afternoon tea it is wise to book — they can get quite busy.

This reminds me of a coffee shop/​tea house in Australia, although
I didn’t ask if anyone had been. They do things at a much higher standard than is in the UK. The service is awesome; really friendly and helpful without being intrusive. They bring water to the table straight away. The quality of the food and tea is excellent. They will make you your chai tea fresh which takes around ten minutes but is absolutely worth it. All of the cakes are gluten free except for the vegan ones which is great as I am vegan but not coeliac and my friend is coeliac with no other restrictions. The tea and coffee is second to none. The décor is lime and yellow but not overbearing and they have great big armchairs or lush wooden chairs interesting artwork on the walls. It really can’t be faulted. We only had teas with cake but I saw some lunches and the my looked fantastic. Would highly recommend this place. Am going back soon!