Foyles Bookshop Cafe, Charing Cross Rd, London

The Location: Foyles Bookshop Cafe, Charing Cross Rd, London

The Visit: Saturday 20th July 2019, lunchtime
Cake: Almond and berry tart
Tea: Unknown brand loose leaf
The Cake: Good tart, nice flavour, though a touch dry
The Tea: Very nice, big pot, well brewed. Pretty much perfect.
The Café: Top floor of the bookshop with a view over the rooftops of Soho. Very busy at lunchtime, and quite pricey (though this is fashionable London). Stylish design throughout, with the bonus of all the books to read!
Verdict: 8/10.

Pret à Manger, London Bishopgate

The Location: Pret à Manger, London Bishopgate
The Visit: Wednesday 11th October, evening
Cake: Almond bakewell cake
Tea: Pret own brand
The Cake: I would normally love almond bakewell, but this one had taken its name to heart and had been baked too well - overdone round the edges, was too crispy for my liking in this case.
The Tea: Pretty nice for a takeaway tea
The Café: Grabbed a quick bite to eat on the train home from Liverpool St. Towards the end of the day so the selection was sparse, which is probably why the poor cake.
Verdict: 6/10. Fresher cake would have increased score to 7.

Salthouse Harbour Hotel, Ipswich

The Location: Salthouse Harbour Hotel, Ipswich
The Visit: Saturday 7th October, afternoon
Cake: Afternoon Tea so a large selection of cakes
Tea: Unbranded loose leaf in a pot
The Cake: Very good selection of cakes and puddings
The Tea: Lovely tea, and accompanied by a glass of champagne. 
The Café: A special visit arranged for my wedding anniversary with my wife, this is supposedly in the best hotel in Ipswich, with a very classy afternoon tea offering. There was drizzle so all seats were inside, but this didn't disappoint, with lovely surroundings. We had opted for the Luxury Afternoon Tea which included champagne (De Devaux for those interested). Everything about this was top quality, even the savouries and the scone to finish.
Verdict: 9.5/10. Only lost half a point because of the wait for service.

Sainsburys Cafe, London Colney

The Location: Sainsburys Cafe, London Colney
The Visit: Tuesday 26th September, lunchtime
Cake: Strawberry pavlova
Tea: Sainsurys Red Label (own brand), in a pot
The Cake: Despite being a simple meringue, cream, jam, strawberries, was very tasty. I do love a pavlova.
The Tea: Pretty average, standard. 
The Café: Stopped en route to London for lunch (I also had a mozarella pesto panini, very good but not relevent to this blog) while working. Good wifi let me work for half an hour whilst eating. Overall very crowded, people were struggling to find seats.
Verdict: 7/10. Lovely cake, average tea,

Ikea cafe, Neasden, London

The Location: Ikea cafe, Neasden, London
The Visit: Wednesday 30th August, lunchtime
Cake: Swedish apple pie with cream
Tea: London Tea Company English Breakfast
The Cake: Had been chilled for some time, so actually had lost some flavour. Not bad overall, but would be better left at room temperature for a bit longer before eating.
The Tea: Good quality, helps that it's free with an Ikea Home membership card! 
The Café: Stopped in on the way home from London for a lunch of meatballs and ended up spending far too much on random furniture and homewares. Very busy as lunchtime in the school holidays, we eventually found a table by a window overlooking the car park.
Verdict: 7/10. Tastier cake would have increased score to 8.

Urban Jungle, Norwich

The Location: Urban Jungle, Norwich
The Visit: Saturday 26th August, afternoon
Cake: Victoria sponge (gluten free)
Tea: Unbranded loose leaf in pot
The Cake: Everything in this cafe is gluten free, as the owners have a coeliac in the family. But to be honest, you'd never know from the taste. Lovely texture, not too dry, good amount of jam and cream.
The Tea: Loose leaf can be hit and miss sometimes, but this was very nice. 
The Café: Came with the family, as we'd heard so much, especially on the gluten free front as my wife has an allergy as well. Tables dispersed among trees both inside the marquee and out, with an inside fish pond as well. Very chatty staff too. Comes recommended, though access is tricky without a car.
Verdict: 9/10.

Starbucks, Riverside, Norwich

The Location: Starbucks, Riverside, Norwich
The Visit: Saturday 26th August, morning
Cake: Lemon Drizzle slice
Tea: Teavana, Starbucks' own brand
The Cake: Tasty and tangy, but overall a little dry
The Tea: Average. Starbucks clearly concentrate on their coffee to the expense of tea!
The Café: Visited whilst waiting for my car to undergo work at a nearby garage, this is a new build cafe in the car park of a retail park. Almost identical to most other Starbucks. Pretty average overall I'd say.
Verdict: 6.5/10.