I spent four years of my childhood in Somerset. Running around on the moors followed by afternoon tea was a frequent outing for my family and a firm memory for me.
Every now and again I feel like re-living this part of my childhood and set off to find a traditional afternoon tea.
Today’s quest found us at The Vienna coffee house in Manchester, a tea shop started by Rob and Suzy in 2012.
We were welcomed with a smile and invited to choose a table, where we found the menu.
The cafe is very relaxed and the walls are decorated with old tea and coffee bags and various artwork, some of which is for sale.
There are newspapers to read and a bookshelf of books inviting you to spend some time on one of the comfy seats or at one of the tables with a cup of tea and slice of cake.
We ordered afternoon tea and were told which sandwiches were available and given the option to change any we may not have liked.
The afternoon tea comes with a selection of finger sandwiches, a fresh scone, clotted cream and little jar of jam, a cake of your choice and an extra chocolate brownie. There is more than enough to eat! You also get the choice of re-fillable tea or a different hot drink from the menu.
The tea is nicely presented on a slate based stand and tastes as good as it looks.
The Vienna Coffee House support local farmers by using locally based artisan food service companies and local businesses to source their foods and they freshly prepare all their food to order, which makes this one of the best afternoon teas around. They also sell their teas and coffees by the bag.
There is a menu of other meals as well as afternoon tea and a variety of cakes and icecreams for sale.
Taking a child with an ASD to Vienna Coffee House?
The cafe is very relaxed and calm.
It is family friendly.
There is no background music.
There are big windows at the front making it naturally lit.
The road and tram tracks are outside the door.
This could be a good place to go for a slice of cake and a drink if visiting the art gallery as it is very close.
The Vienna Coffee House is located opposite the entrance to Manchester Art Gallery on Mosley Street in Manchester, UK. The afternoon tea cost £14.90, which for Manchester is a good price, especially considering how much food you get.
I love coffee houses! Unfortunately the only coffee house in my town is a Starbucks and it’s always so crowded and I’m not a Starbucks fan. If I want to go to a coffee house I have to go to the next town over. When it comes to coffee houses I like local ones. Not big chain stores because it doesn’t have the small town cozy feel to it. Give me a small town locally owned coffee shop any day:)
You are right, they are so much better than the big chain stores!