Waterloo Gardens Tearooms is a bit too cool by Cardiff standards. I sort of mean it in a good way but not entirely. Winners of the impressive accolade of best Coffee Shop in the UK, judged by the rather funky Beverage Standards Association (I wonder what they do? Perhaps they strive to uphold the standards of beverages around the country, making sure tea is not too weak and coke isn't flat) this trendy little tearoom located in Penylan has been providing teatime treats to the yummy mummies and trendies of the area for the past couple of years.
There's a lot of very very positive things to say about the place. They have a stunning selection of teas (but I'm a bit of an English breakfast man myself so it's lost on me), an amazing array of homemade cakes (chocolate and beetroot or courgette and lime anyone? The best Victoria sponge I've eaten in Cardiff), they do lovely aftenoon teas (served on pretty little cakestands and everything) and the interior design of the place is on the nail (think Scandinavian minimalism + an ever changing display of local art on show). So what isn't there to like? Not much really when you look at it on paper. It's hard to put your finger on it. Perhaps it's that it's just a bit too perfect, that everyone there is a little bit too chichi, that it's so popular on the weekend it can sometimes be hard to get a seat or that it's just a little bit on the pricey side. I don't know what it is. You should definitely decide for yourself. However, if I had to make a choice I'd say I'm more of a Coffee 1 #1 man. It's got more of a scruffy beatnik feel to it, it's less knowingly cool and the staff are that little bit more clueless.
The best Victoria Sponge in Cardiff
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