Periwinkle Tea-room in West Somerset

What a fabulous lunch. There were eight of us who ordered a variety of sandwiches, toasties and cream teas. Food was excellent and great value for money. Service was quick and friendly. People have written reviews complaining about the decor which is actually very tastefully done. Besides, with such great food in a beautiful setting why worry about the decor!

This isn’t somewhere you’re likely to stumble across by accident, it’s located down a windy country lane and even then, not at all visible from the road, so you really do need to know it’s there. It’s certainly worth the effort to find though, it’s set on a very attractive green of just three or four delightful thatched cottages with far reaching views across the hills. The tea room has a very well-manicured and attractive garden and a very tempting display of cakes. We opted for the Victoria sponge which was a very generous portion, although perhaps slightly disappointingly the butter cream had predominantly just been piped around the perimeter, so although it looked like there was plenty of it there was actually just a very thin sliver throughout the rest of the cake. The jam though was very good with a real punchy flavour, and the sponge too was beautifully light. A carrot cake also fared very well, being beautifully moist again a generous portion. An accompanying latte rounded things off nicely. All in all, well worth a visit. An idyllic setting, friendly staff and terrific cakes, and the prices were more reasonable than many places as well.

This is one of our favourite places to visit on holiday and we’ve been multiple times over the years. The setting and the house itself is second to none and the views are heavenly! We went again today and were very sad to see new decor which was completely out of character with the house itself. Instead of lovely antique tables and pretty china, we were greeted with brown and orange psychedelic patterns on the walls, cheap tables and chairs with mismatched covers and cushions. There were no menus on the table and instead of table service, you now just go up to the counter to order from a menu on the wall. There was a decent selection of nice cakes but nothing special and when our tea came it was two teabags plonked in a heavy teapot with two matching cheap white cups. There was no choice of teas as before. We used to come here for a quintessential afternoon tea experience and this time we were sorely disappointed to get more of a town centre cafe vibe inside. I’m shocked the changes were approved by the National Trust! Bring back the old tea room please and sort out the menu, especially the tea selection. Two teabags dunked in a pot are not what you expect from a ‘tea room’ and especially not one in this setting!

First time here. Lovely setting complemented by welcoming and charming staff. Cakes beautifully presented. Scones fresh and light as a feather. Would I return?.....definitely!!

I have been coming to these team rooms for over 30 years. Beautiful setting and very quaint, however it has changed a couple of things were a bit of let down. Firstly the decor is truly bizarre and not I keeping with the atheistic of cottage/team room. I’m not sure if it’s 70’s or 80’s but it’s hideous. Secondly, I would prefer loose leaf tea and sugar lumps like it used to have along with traditional tea pots and crockery more in keeping with traditional tea gardens, however they are just my preferences. I would have preferred it more traditional. The scones, cake and jam were delicious and reasonable priced. The scones were warm from the oven and the other cakes look nice. The snazzleberry jam with a tart tang is worth trying. Overall a good visit and a nice place.

Excellent scone but, as stated before, with very strange butter, and we felt that the decor was totally out of keeping with the idyllic rural cottage.

Picture postcard setting in stunning location! The hot chocolate and Victoria Sponge cake were superb. The staff were extremely welcoming. Unfortunately due to the dreadful weather we were unable to overdose on calories outside in the exquisite garden to marvel at the view so we settled inside this cute thatched cottage. If you are in the neighbourhood don't miss the opportunity to visit this gem which closes at 4pm daily.

My cousin and I had a wonderful break here . They had a great assortment of cakes as well as savory items! It is a charming lovely comfortable spot and a lovely hidden treasure and good price! If you are visiting Selworthy Church it worth going here next for tea time!!

Such a beautiful little place, lovely cake and tea, awesome garden and the staff are fantastic. Totally recommend I personally don't think the prices are expensive for the location.

Great spot for tea and cake. Slightly off the beaten track but we'll worth seeking out for historic church and idyllic village. Food was good too.

A thatched cottage in Selworthy. Great location. Friendly staff and a nice selection of cakes. I dropped in for a tea but the Victoria sponge caught my attention so that was added to the order. All very well done and with great views.

We stopped at this idyllic village on our way to Lynmouth. The tearooms are lovely plenty of seating and a small but very good menu.

Great little tea rooms with plenty of outside space. Lovely cream tea and the rest of my family had great cake. All safe for coeliacs, thankyou!

Lovely spot. We knew the menu was limited but we all chose toasted sandwiches which were freshly made and came with crisps and salad. They were delicious. We then had a selection of homemade cake again it was wonderful 😄

I rarely write negative reviews, preferring to give direct feedback. But as no one in this tea rooms appeared to be remotely interested in their customers, I’m not sure it would have made any difference. On the positive, the tea tasted good. We had cheddar and chorizo savoury scones that were possibly the most tasteless, stodgy and unpleasant scones I have eaten. This was not helped by the fact that they had been microwaved - and thus further cooked - making them even more ‘pappy’. The soft pale substance called butter resembled and tasted like margarine. As far as decor and atmosphere….we were left rather confused. Selworthy is an historic village where the National Trust has allowed a heritage property to be turned into a 1960s, bizarrely decorated assault on your senses. What a shame - this tea room could be so lovely.

Read about selworthy and sounded interesting. Terribly wet and rainy day so we drove to find the tea room. Such a pretty spot but so steep. Tea rooms were cosy good variety of cakes very tempting we tried the Victoria sponge which was very fresh and beautifully made .the others looked just as nice .hard to decide to eat we had toasted sandwiches which came with side salad and crisps .Very nice. Brie cranberry and bacon .Very hot . Service was very nice and refill water for tea was offered .

I've had very good food and service here before (autumn 2022) so was surprised and disappointed after returning with a friend yesterday. The mozzarella and basil toasted sandwich sounded inviting, but the reality was underwhelming. Hardly any mozzarella, dry, no basil whatsoever, a thin slice of tomato - who knows, perhaps I was mistakenly served a child's portion. It was on such a small plate that the accompanying undressed salad leaves and few crisps fell off as soon as you tried to cut into the sandwich. Oh yes, and I wasn't given a knife, just a fork, so when I went up to the counter about it I was told abruptly they don't give out knives (!) Though my friend, who'd ordered a scone, had been given a knife! What's that about? Friend said her cheese scone tasted sweet and left half of it. She said that last year she'd had accompanying chutney, but not this time. When she mentioned the sweetness of the scone the reply was 'We'll keep an eye on it.' Whatever that means. The coffee I had was about half the size of what I had last year. It wasn't at all busy when we were there, but the 3 people serving were mainly wandering around doing who knows what, totally not interested in engaging with us and did not even come up to the table to ask if everything was OK. (Perhaps because they knew in advance it wasn't). Very lazy attitude. They have no competition up there so perhaps they feel they don't have to try anymore. Well, they've now lost two local customers and I shan't be going back with a group of friends as previously planned. The only positive is that the display of cakes looked the same as before, but I didn't see what the portion sizes were, so cannot comment on that. If you're feeling hungry I suggest you eat something before you go there.

Visited on a beautiful sunny day making the magical setting even extra special. The Periwinkle Tea Rooms provide relaxing space both indoors and in the grounds….good customer service and great cakes…recommend the coffee and walnut one. Such a quint place and worth the drive on the narrow lane.

The tea rooms have a beautiful garden which has fabulous views. The tables outside have parasols to shade you from the sun if you want. Service is fast and efficient with a beautiful smile. There is a large variety of cakes catering for all dietary requirements. An excellent range of light bites. I personally can highly recommend the coffee and walnut cake. Beautiful light sponge with a good coffee flavour divine icing and a great cappuccino. A must visit

Went today with family and a friend sandwiches were really good but the salad was very poor I think the lettuce was at least four days old limp and not washed properly 🙁

The setting is so beautiful with friendly service and beautiful cream teas and cakes. Its the second time i have been and feel like i'm in a secret garden. Stunning

A delightful picturesque tea room set in a beautiful National Trust village. A absolute gem and a haven of peace and tranquility. Delightful gardens and ample seating both inside and out. Good service, and quality food on offer Well with a visit and worth taking your time.

We were told to visit this village for its peace and tranquility nad the gorgeous views across to Dunkerry beacon. 50 yds from there, a gated path leads donw tp the small village and the Periwinkle cafe. Be warned, the path is quite steep and I wouldnt recommend wheelchair or if you are dodgy on hills But visit this beautiful little corner of Somerset.

Idyllic location and taking break from my walk to sit under a parasol in the garden on a sunny day was bliss. Very enjoyable apple juice, sandwich and the ever reliable National Trust lemon drizzle cake. However, the latte was probably the worst I have ever had the misfortune to taste - what a letdown. They would be better just offering filter coffee if what I experienced is the usual standard of latte. As ever, I will visit the tearooms when next in the area but, despite not being a tea drinker, will give the coffee a very wide berth.

What quaint tea rooms. Absolutely beautiful location plus great food. A delightful experience and well worth the visit

Pretty and reasonably priced but not the best tea room. No gluten free scones were available and the cake was dry.

The best tearoom we've ever been to! Fantastic service, delicious home made soup, toasted sandwich to die for, finished off with warm scones, jam and clotted cream. What more could we ask for?! I asked if they had redbush tea, fully expecting them to say that they didn't but to my surprise they did! No problem! All of the home made cakes looked amazing, too. A pity we didn't have room for anything else. Very much recommend.

Lovely tea room, well worth a visit, being GF my choice is usually very limited, I enjoyed the experience of choice. We will return.

Gluten free cream tea absolutely delicious!! Mr partner had a normal cream tea which apparently was also delicious. Beautiful surroundings and we will definitely return

Visited on Tuesday 21st March 2023 The tearoom sits in a village of thatched cottages in a rural landscape, nestled in the vale of the Holnicote Estate. More outdoor seating than in, so weather dependant as uncovered. Quite awkward to access the till area but nice touches for dog owners in terms of water etc. You will be visiting the site to see the village but the tearoom is decent enough to not detract from that.

Lovely tea rooms in a picturesque setting. Enjoyed an excellent cream tea in front of a cosy fire on a very wet day! Perfect & well worth a visit.

So much improved since no longer run by the National Trust. Reminiscent of the Periwinkle Tea Room of Old. Very pleasant cream tea in the sunny gardens.

Delicious restorative fare in a fairytale setting on the edge of Exmoor. Broccoli and Stilton soup, beef sandwich and ham n cheese toasties. Cakes to go.

Great scones, clotted cream, jam and tea half way round our walk from Minehead. It’s small, cute and warm, with log burning stoves. Added interest currently as the riff is being re-thatched.

We've been visiting this tea shop since the 1970's and it's true to say that it has consistently been one of, if not the best, such establishment we've encountered. It was particularly good during the 'late '80's- 90's. In recent years, however, it's been slipping...

Nice enough but very busy and tables outside not cleared - quickly. The atmosphere wasn’t really cosy tea room it felt more like a fast food place. If there had been other places to eat we would probably not have chosen this tearoom - clearly...

We had a cream tea here in the garden the views were fantastic. The scones were a little doughy in the middle. We had a lovely time the village thatched cottages are very pretty.

My wife and I were staying next to the tearooms in a National Trust cottage and so were able to enjoy some mouth-watering cream teas. We have walked the entire length of the South West Coastpath over a period of 10 years and sampled many...

Lovely tea room in a very pretty village. Very pleasant staff and delicious tea and cakes. Plenty of outside seating.

I had a cream tea and whilst it was value for money, the fruit scone was rather dry - not the best I have had. However the surroundings are pretty particularly on a sunny day.

Visited again today and treated ourselves to lemon scones with lemon curd and clotted cream topping. Absolutely delicious. A must try. Now my favourite scones ever. Lovely setting as always and pleasant breeze to cool us down. Looking forward to next visit. Also took away...

A lovely cafe with good outdoor space in this very attractive National Trust village. Extensive menu, (good value), an every friendly and helpful staff.

We stopped for a pit stop on a circular walk from Minehead. The food we had was absolutely lovely and came with a decent sized pot of tea. They serve a wide selection of cream teas etc.

Selworthy is such a beautiful little village and the Tea Rooms are the focal point. Half expecting that it would be full but the staff ensured that guests were seated without too long a wait and quickly served. Food was good quality, freshly made scones...

The best cream tea me and my family have had, set in the idyllic surroundings. The ham and cheese toasty was pretty delicious too. The staff are super friendly and helpful. A beautiful place welcome to visit every time we are in the area! 10/10

The village is stunning. The thatches are beautiful and the whole place is so well kept. The tearooms are a delight with a good choice of snacks and drinks to enjoy in the pretty gardens. Highly recommended

My mum and I sat outside on the first warm day of spring for lunch. I can hands down say this charming little tea room had both the best soup I have ever eaten (a creamy broccoli and stilton) and the best scones I’ve ever...

Perfect location just below Selworthy beacon. Lots of seating outside and loved the dog bowls left for you to fill with water , a really great touch .Had the cream tea , a great choice of jams and a lovely large scone with plenty of...

This place is well worth a visit. Park in the village car park just past the church (£1 donation suggested for parking) and then walk back down past the church and you’ll see the gateway across the road in front of you to Periwinkle Tea...

Thatched, incredibly beautiful, great selection of eats and teas, you absolutely cannot miss this for a snack or just a cream tea. Then explore Selworthy - its a step back in time.

We have been coming here for 40 years and had a bit of a downer with previous owners, but thankfully it’s better than ever , cream tea is by far the best for some distance having had many. Views lovely. Service wonderful.

Thoroughly recommend the cream tea (2 scones) - delicious!! Great range of lovely jams and the fruit scone was yummy!

We enjoyed hot chocolate in the garden. The village is guilt, well early on it is, and beautifully located. Lovely walks nearby, a very interesting church about 5 mins walk up the hill and a shop selling arts and crafts which is worth seeing.

I have been visiting this tea room for over 20 years -every time that I visit Exmoor. It was always a traditional, classy Miss Marple type place with fab food and everything that you would expect from an old fashioned cafe- full of atmosphere. It...

We have been there in June and back in September for our holidays in Porlock. First of all, garden is spectacular, the views are stunning. Scones are big and fresh served with plenty of butter ( not from the package, but in actual glass). Absolutely...

On our way home from our weekend getaway, we found this hidden gem just off the A39. The village of Selworthy is beautiful and after a little explore we thought we'd pop in for a cup of tea. The staff were really welcoming and helpful....

I researched this tea room before coming on our visit to Somerset. I wanted a quaint tea room in a beautiful setting and this fitted the bill perfectly. The tea rooms are set on a beautiful green with fantastic views. This is one of the...

Visited here last week for tea, cheese scones and cake. We can recommend the Dill, Double Gloucester Cheese Scones with Salmon Mousse and the Coffee and Walnut Cake. Dog friendly. All allergy markings shown on their menus. Clean toilets on site. The views are wonderful...

Popped in to this very picturesque tea room during a circular walk from Bossington. It's a lovely building in a very pretty village and the cream teas lived up to expectation too! The scones were well made and it was nice that there was a...

A little gem in the prettiest of settings. We had a savoury scone and lemon drizzle scone which were very good value. Will definately return when we are next in the area

best cream tea out for a long time. scones were excellent (particular favourite was the lemon drizzle) Really good price. Will definitely be returning.

Stunning location and excellent food. What a wonderful treat.We thoroughly enjoyed our visit here and although obviously so poular we din't wait long for a table.

This has got to be the best tea rooms I have ever been to. We make sure to visit every time we are in the area which is quite often. Scones today overlooking the beautiful setting which is Exmoor. Lovely staff and beautiful gardens. What more could you possibly want.

The food,surroundings and views from the garden were outstanding but the service was so slow. The time from entry to placing an order was so long and the wait for it was interminable. It is such a shame. It could be so good with somebody taking charge and managing the rather young staff. Having said that it is really popular. Perhaps there is no real competition.

We love Selworthy and return every time we visit Somerset. We stopped at the tea room and sat in the garden ordering a pot of tea and toasted tea cakes which were delicious. The views were beautiful over the hills and it was perfect!

We happened to stumble across Periwinkle Cottage and tea room and it's just stunning. We each had a drink and slice of cake which we shared with the robins, even our dog was given a few doggy biscuits. Thoroughly recommend a trip to see this and it's neighbour, Clematis cottage, the scenery is stunning too.

Came back here after 30 years and still worth the visit.Although now much COVID systems in place it was still a great experience it’s like stepping back in time Great cream teaNot sure what the guys name was but went in first thing weds 23rd June and he was on his own and his service was second to none Thank you well worth the 30 year wait

You may think that the classic cream tea is unbeatable…periwinkles proves this to be a fallacy. Their specialty menu had lemon drizzle scones as an option and they shot straight to the top of the memorable cakes of all time list, and believe me that list is well researched!Also lovely staff, setting, garden and a good rest stop on a walk around the woods

Absolutely beautiful setting, delicious lemon scones, and excellent tea. Really lovely, friendly staff. You couldn’t want any more from a tea room!

Lovely Tea Rooms in a picturesque setting, very Covid-19 friendly. The Chorizo and cheese scone lovely, a little salty.

afternoon snack and drink lovely tea rooms and surroundings wifes birthday treat nice food and drink, friendly service, would recommend to anyone

Very beautiful and quiet garden with a fantastic view. Very clean table, chairs and cutlery. Friendly staff. Delicious cream tea and cake. Nice selection of jam. Couldn't ask for more...

Disappointed to find there was no lunch menu, just scones. It would be good to let customers know on your website that you aren't serving lunch at the moment. Not sure why you open at lunchtime if you don't provide at least a selection of sandwiches! Scones good but not really what we wanted at lunchtime.

Visited recently the scones disappointedly small, crumbly and lack texture, cheese scone very salty. Otherwise lovely setting and enjoyed being there.

Excellent ! Latte and orange/almond cake with an enormous 50p portion of clotted cream , naughty but nice! Lots of fresh water for our dog and a couple of biscuits for her. Beautiful flowers.

Strange tines we live in when you start to rate a tea room on how COVID safe it is. The good news is that they are very COVID safe and the cakes and coffees were spot on. They have some good undercover tables and have a good system for COVID safety. The only downside is that due to the current restrictions they are not doing any sandwiches/savoury. Cakes only. Assune this decision was based on staffing levels as I cannor see how COVID restrictions stop sandwiches being offered.

My review is simple - have the Lemon Drizzle Cream tea. Amazing lemon scone, lemon curd and clotted cream. Perfect setting and the best cream tea I’ve had!

Pleasant walk from the church car park. The aroma of wood burning fires in the air. Fully Covid compliant. This is the place for a true cream tea. Choice of four jams. Strawberry and raspberry of course. But go for the Whortleberry Chortleberry jams all locally made. Scones are freshly baked to order. They give you a timer . When it goes off you collect. The seating outside is in a stunning setting, like time stood still. Most enjoyable and not one to miss.

These tea rooms are really excellent, and I will recommend them highly. They were well organised Covid-wise, but most importantly the scones were absolutely first class. We were offered a wide choice of jams to go with the cream - a great chance to try some unusual ones! Everything was obviously freshly made , and they obviously cared about their customers. Lovely place for an indulgent cream tea!

Very unusual place, just like stepping back in time, walkers paradise, with good views,park at the old church at the top and walk down, roads narrow and hill fairly steep but worth a visit, very peaceful and relaxing

Visited here for my first cream tea of the holiday and wasn’t disappointed! Beautiful location and lovely scones! Good social distancing in place too

Beautiful location, lovely cream tea and friendly helpful staff. A bit off the beaten track but worth the effort.

After walking in the area we called here as the reviews were good. We felt that safety measures were good and felt safe. We were seated at a table and given a menu, I chose the Cheese and Chive scone option my hubby had the Lemon drizzle scone with tea and coffee. Ordering was simple at the designated area. Your given a buzzer and when it goes off you go to another designated area to collect your food. Easy. The scones were delicious and fresh and the staff helpful and friendly. It's a great area to explore with lots of walking paths to follow ending with yummy tea and scones.

Lovely tea rooms with wonderful views. Highly recommended! Well worth the visit in a National Trust village

My friend and I visited Periwinkle Tea Rooms earlier this week, having spotted it when we were walking around Selworthy. They were taking health & safety seriously and everything was Covid-19 secure. We visited for a cream tea, which was delicious. The scones were perfect and we were given a good amount of jam and cream. I would definitely visit again!

The Periwinkle team have managed the current situation superbly. Fantastically well-thought-out processes do not alter the great garden atmosphere, stunning views AND delicious generous cream teas.

Picked a perfect day to visit the tea rooms. All seating was outside and very Covid aware. More limited menu at the moment but we were all very happy with scones. We had a mixture of lemon drizzle, cheese and chive and tomato basil - all were exceptional and we sat eating our scones with a wonderful view too. Very well run and you're given a buzzer when your food is ready to collect from the outside counter. Don't miss out and very much worth the detour off the main road!

Had a wonderful afternoon tea here. Had a slight wait for a table as they're operating 'first come first served' at the moment. Tables are all outside so you get to admire the incredible view. The menu had a really good selection, despite it being advertised as limited. We had an amazing afternoon tea, which was very well priced. I'd highly recommend stopping by here.

My partner and I visited on a sunny Sunday afternoon. We both reflected how well the tea rooms were managing the current COVID situation and we both felt very safe. The staff were lovely and friendly and they even welcomed our dog with some complimentary dog biscuits. We both had cream teas - one traditional and one lemon drizzle - and both were really delicious. We both felt the good was good value for money and the seating area was really lovely. We will definitely be back again! Looking forward to being able to try the lunch/light bites options as well as the cakes when they recommence.

This tearoom serves cream teas, savoury scones, and cakes. Everything we tried was delicious. The staff are friendly and efficient, there is a very good system for Covid 19 safety, and everything looked beautifully clean. You order and collect your food at a counter, and the clearing away and cleaning tables etc. is thoroughly done by staff.A winning aspect is the delightful, peaceful setting, with shelters, in a really charming garden on Selworthy Green, which involves a short walk from the nearest car parking, so could pose a problem for those with limited mobility.

Visited 3 times over a weeks stay. Tremendous views over the countryside. Idyllic garden setting. Well and politely managed Process to cover the Covid risk Finally. Best scones and cream in the area.

We had completed a circular walk and ended it here for key refreshments. Given the COVID changes I was impressed with the set up and clear directions for how the service worked , including track and trace. Staff were polite and helpful The tea and cream scones were lovely. Well worth a visit

Had 2 large savory scones with lovely orange marmalade relish. Mum had sweet cream tea. Excellent scones and great value for money. Beautiful setting we really enjoyed ourselves. Loved the dog biscuits for our mutts as extra. Would highly recommend.

We loved this place and have been many times but when I rang up prior to visiting to check the changes made during covid times and whether we now needed to book, the man on the phone was SO rude to me, its put me off ever going back. I wad honestly so shocked at his response I can't actually believe he is in a customer facing trade. Such a shame as the tea rooms is so lovely and such a lovely location but I was really upset by the way I was spoken to

We have visited this location on many occasions. Set in a wonderful olde village owned by the National Trust. Due to Covid restrictions we sat in the garden area in covered location. Social distancing etc was fully implemented. Very helpful and caring staff. Delicious cream/jam scones. Situated approx 3 miles from Porlock on Minehead Road. Recommended

We went with Friends and Dogs for a circular walk around Selworthy and Bury Castle, and needed some refreshment.We saw the tea room on the way up and decided to stop there on the way down. They VERY clearly signpost that Muddy Boots and Dogs welcome, of which we had both.The service was great especially as there was clear signage for one way systems and the tables were all laid out ready to go. There was only one menu per table which I think would be better with 2 but this is a very minor issue to be honest. The chap who we ordered from was very welcoming and most likely smiling behind his mask, he was chatty and put us at ease.Our drinks came quickly and were delicious. They have a system where you take a pager which buzzes when ready which I thought was very good to keep contact down to a minimum.All in all a beautiful location, a lovely place and great staff, highly recommended.

I cycled over to selworthy on Sunday and stopped for a cream tea. The scones were amazing and the gardens are beautiful. Special shout out to the young lady who was wearing glasses and a yellow velvet headband, very friendly and helpful and was sticking to social distancing guidelines very well.

A wonderful setting, delicious scones and cream teas. Sadly miserable staff, who were not welcoming nor friendly

Visited lunchtime today as we wanted to go somewhere as it was our Wedding Anniversary. We haven't been anywhere much as have been shielding and worried about visiting places but a friend told me that every precaution was being taken to keep customers and staff safe. We weren't disappointed. Although it was raining we managed to sit in an under cover area. The scones and cakes were excellent and served by lovely staff. We felt very safe there and really enjoyed our visit. We will be returning soon. Thank you.

A long walk (but with beautiful views) through fields and a long road.....but well worth the effort! Cream scones with choice of jam (whortleberry was delicious) and any hot or cold drink (recommend homemade still lemonade on a hot day) in a beautiful setting, perfect. Very well adapted for Covid. You will not be disappointed.