Jasmine Green Tea and Dime Bar Ice-cream

Location: G&Ds, Little Claredon Street, Oxford

Date: 12 December 2008

Details: Jasmine green tea and an American-sized scoop of 'Dime Bar' ice-cream.

Notes: This quirky little ice-cream parlour has a well-deserved excellent reputation. We rolled in at gone 11pm and the place was gently winding down. A few quiet clumps of students were enjoying ice-cream and hushed conversation; a few unwashed types pecked away at laptops. Great selection of products, great prices, great staff. Quirky bagel-themed Christmas decorations. Highly recommended.

Fruit Juice with Giraffe (!)

Location: Giraffe cafe, Oxford

Date: 13 December 2008

Details: Apple juice with giraffe stirrer

Notes: Our first visit to the Giraffe chain for breakfast after a long night out in Oxford. Great menu, with suitable choices for all tastes. We especially liked these giraffe stirrers which peep cutely over the rim of the fruit juice glasses. Nice touch.

Technically not a normal 'cuppa and cake' entry but I'm making an exception for such a novel piece of tableware.

Maison Blanc patisserie: Tarte fraise and Larieux

Location: Benson's Café, Bard's Walk, Stratford-upon-Avon
http://www.bensonsrestaurant.co.uk/
Date: Mon 1 Sept 2008
Details: Two cakes from Benson's range of fabulously OTT patisserie from Maison Blanc in Oxfordshire. These two creations are 'Tarte fraise' and 'Larieux'.

Notes: The cakes were sectioned into thirds by Benson's so Katy, Mat and I could share :-)

Cream Tea @ Benson's Cafe

Location: Benson's Café, Bard's Walk, Stratford-upon-Avon

Date: Mon 1 Sept 2008

Details: 'Cream tea' - a pot of Assam tea with a scone (topped with strawberry), strawberry jam and clotted cream.

Notes: Swapped the cream for butter. Is that wrong?

Cookie Cheesecake and Pot of English Breakfast Tea

Location: The Baraset Barn, Tiddington, Stratford
Date: Wed 4 June 2008
Details: Cookie cheesecake with vanilla icecream, and a pot of tea.

Note: Cheesecake perfection. Ridiculous raspberries though, had to offload those. Tea not bad either, for a pub.

Chocolate and Pecan Terrine

Location: The Warehouse Café, Birmingham
Date: Saturday 14 May 2008
Details: Chocolate and pecan 'terrine' with stewed prunes in ginger syrup and vanilla ice-cream, with a cup of hot water.

Notes: 'Terrine' seems to be a trendy word for 'chocolate fridge slab'. Very nice though, and the prunes-in-ginger-syrup was yum.

Assam Tea with Chocolate Brazil Nut Brownies

Location: 'Tea', Paternoster Square, St Paul's, London

www.wearetea.com
Date: Fri 11 April 2008 5pm
Details: Two pots of Assam, milk and a chocolate brownie

Notes: The brownie was particularly delicious - squishy to the point of being sludgy, with big chunks of brazil nuts. All shared with my lovely brother John during a long chat, catching up with each other's lives. A perfect afternoon tea.