Just Grand Vintage Tea Room - Leeds

Just Grand

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!

 

We were here for mine and my husband’s anniversary and had booked the afternoon tea.  This consisted of four sandwiches from a selection of cream cheese and cucumber, egg mayonnaise with cress, cheese and hand carved ham, with a choice of pickle, chutney or piccalilli, all garnished with salad.  I love the traditional and simple fillings like these, unlike some you find at most afternoon tea places these days where they attempt to fancy it up too much (for my taste anyway) with mucked about fillings and fancy names.  The sandwiches were followed by freshly baked fruit scones with strawberry jam and clotted cream, a large chunk of homemade fruit cake and Wensleydale cheese, or you could select a choice of cake from the selection on the counter if you preferred. When we visited there was a choice of Orange cake, Lemon Drizzle, or Pontefract licorice cake, which sounded (and looked) especially scrummy.  I love licorice!  

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.