Vintage Tea Room
Ground Floor
8-9 Grand Arcade
Leeds
LS1 6PG
Date Visited : 1 Sept 2015
Price: £11.95
If you’re
from Leeds then you’ve probably heard of the infamous Grand Theatre, a grade II
listed Victorian shopping arcade built in 1897. Well this tearoom is just
around the corner down the Grand Arcade, an old shopping area with beautiful
archways, stained glass windows and a host of quirky and rather quaint shops
and cafes. And for those interested in a
bit of history, the old (recently refurbished) clock at the bottom of the
arcade still chimes on the hour after a recent save the clock campaign.
The Just
Grand tea room is located about half way down the arcade on the right hand side,
just opposite the Traditional Shaving Company hairdressers and barbers. Outside
the tea room are a couple of tables and comfy high backed chairs (which
reminded me very much of something my Grandma used to have) so you can sit out
and watch the world go by, or just admire the people opposite having a Sweeney
Todd style shave or haircut. In the
colder months the café even offer blankets and hot water bottles so you can
still enjoy supping your tea outside without freezing to death. Now there’s service you don’t see every day!
Inside the cafe’s
charmingly themed décor transports you back to the 1950s and 60s with its pink
rose wallpaper, mismatched mahogany chairs and tables laden with lacy tablecloths
and a random assortment of China teacups and saucers. On one wall is a large
wooden wardrobe adorning old suitcases, hats and bags, and next to it is a
small old fashioned television. An old
kitchen cabinet with a glass front and melamine doors is on the other wall
(very similar to the one we used to have in our kitchen when I was younger) and
on another wall is a glass cabinet filled with China teapots and
glassware. On the top of the cabinet are
some toys from that era – mainly Sindy dolls and accessories of which I still
have in my loft! Plus the staff wear
fashion from the 50’s which all adds to the atmosphere and gives the place that
something special and unusual. Even the
menus were wonderfully quirky, with the food options stuck onto old LP covers
(for the younger generation this is what we had before CD’s!) instead of your
standard run-of-the-mill bits of paper. Some of the jazzed up menus included
Jim Reeves the New Seekers, Ray Charles, and Donny Osmond – admittedly, a
particular favourite of mine!
Traditional Afternoon Tea |
This was all
washed down with Yorkshire tea or filtered coffee. Or for the more adventurous, you can choose
from a large selection of different teas ranging from chocolate orange truffle
to Acai berry and pomegranate, White, Green and blue tea, or some rather fancy
sounding Herbal infusions. And for those non tea drinkers, there’s a choice of old
fashioned Fentimans sodas, Ice Cream Milkshakes or, if you fancy, a glass of
wine.
For the men out
there who just don’t do the afternoon tea thing fear not because there is a
Gentlemen’s afternoon tea just for you, consisting of a Voakes (Yorkshire award
winning) pork pie, pickle, crisps, a selection of four sandwiches and a bottle of
Pale Ale or Bitter. A proper man’s lunch wouldn’t you say?!
And if all
that hasn’t got you sold on giving it a try, they also serve gluten free food
(hurrah!). For the afternoon tea option they
offer the same fillings of sandwiches, a large slice of Lemon Drizzle cake and
a Flapjack, which all went down a treat.
Gluten Free Afternoon Tea |
As well as the afternoon tea menu, they serve a breakfast menu up until 12.30 consisting of traditional porridge oats with various toppings, including jam and the more unusual golden syrup. Or you can have a poached egg on a ham and cheese toastie, which sounds exceptionally tasty. The all day menu includes crumpets with marmite or peanut butter toppings, sandwiches or soup of the day served with a hot bread roll.
The cafe has
a lovely atmosphere with the sound of 50’s music gently playing in the
background, the staff were very friendly and helpful, and they looked great in
their vintage attire. You felt as though
you were just sat having tea in your Grandma’s front room! It’s definitely a great place to visit for a
very traditional afternoon tea, so next time you’re at the Grand Theatre or
shopping in Leeds give it a try! I wish
there were more places like this!
On a final
note, the toilet is well worth a visit too!
It’s all papered in pages from old Woman’s Weekly magazines, because who
needs plain old boring wallpaper right?!
Ratings: Gluten
Free:
Tea: 9/10 8/10
Sandwiches: 8/10 9/10
Cakes: 8/10 8/10
Scones: 8/10 N/A
Service: 9/10
Overall: 9/10
Would I return? Yes, I returned the very next day! We just couldn’t resist so we went back and
had some delicious crumpets with marmite! And I’m sure I will be back many more
times after shopping in Leeds.