Small Talk Tearooms in Chelmsford

How disappointed we were I booked a table for 7 people at 11:30 and a further 7 people for 12 noon We were running the Chelmsford 10k and half marathon The 11:30 crowd arrived early and had breakfast The older lady in charge was very abrupt bordering on rudeness There were 2tables reserved for 12noon crowd which we suggested she gave up as people were waiting and we would go when the others arrived hence giving them our table I have subsequently heard that they were requested to leave as they had been sitting there from 11am and one lady was not allowed to finish her meal It was not just us who found her attitude rude but subsequent other diners not linked to our group I come into Small Talk when I visit Chelmsford but after this experience I shan’t visit again A very disappointed diner

Coronation chicken is best I have ever tasted and Little Budda tea is my favourite...lovely lunch and friendly, attentive staff 👍

Absoutely shocking service. The older brunette lady needs some serious retraining and we weren't the only table that had issues with her. Eye rolling, huffing when asking for an additional coffee, plates put down abruptly on the table when serving and this isn't for the first time. We will not be returning which is a shame a its somewhere we enjoyed going but looking at the reviews it would seem we are not alone in noticing staff behavioural issues.

This is a little gem. I cosy an charming. I pleasant change from the chains of eateries you find in a town centre. Very busy, popular. Great tea, awesome cake!

I have been to these tea rooms a couple of times now. Each time hoping the customer service would improve. There is one waitress in particular the has been unhelpful and sullen on each occasion. She has been there some time and seemed to be in charge. Even the family members that were with me noticed it. Food was nice though.. Wouldn't go there again. Customer service is the foundation for front of house. Her attitude affected how we enjoyed our time there.

We popped into this quaint tea room for a timely coffee during a spot if shopping. One of the ladies showed us to the last available tabel, but we quickly saw that another table with a better outlook was about to be vacated so we asked if we could sit there which was not a problem. The service was great, the coffee was superb, the atmosphere had a friendly buzz to it. Whilst we did not eat, the food we saw being delivered to tables close by looked very appetising. My wife paid a visit to the cloakroom and rated it 11/10 (not bad for a former maths teacher😂) despite it being used by both ladies and gents! In conclusion then, if you want a finer alternative to the 'production line' coffee shops, I'd thoroughly recommend this place. I'm no maths teacher, but I'd rate it 10/10!

Quaint, tastefully furnished and decorated. Food looked good, staff were very busy but polite. We sat outside on a warm day for a drink, but based on the experience will visit again and have some food. Cafe and toilets very clean.

Found Small Talk when visiting last year, so hoped it was still there. Gets very busy and not too big and likely will have to wait for a table. Pleasant, quaint surroundings. Variety of snacks and meals. Friendly and quick service. Good food, with ample portions

Visited around 1pm for lunch, every table was occupied but there wasn't a queue and we noticed there was a couple sat in the window getting ready to pay so we decided to wait. During this time a staff member approached us and confirmed a table would be available shortly. The same staff member then went outside to take some food out to someone sitting on a table outside. I noticed that a lady from a table outside had pointed to the window and said something to the waitress. I assumed she could see the table inside was now becoming free and had asked to move inside. The waitress then approached us and informed us there was a table coming available outside. I politely declined this and pointed to the table inside and stated this table is now free and we would like to sit there. The waitress then told me that another customer wants to sit there and our only option is to sit outside. I pointed out that the customer she was referring to already has a table and clearly had been there for sometime as she was already eating her food. We have been queueing and it was unfair that someone that already has a table gets to change their seat. If they weren't happy sitting outside they should not have accepted the table. At this point I was advised that if I had a problem then I would need to speak to the manager. The manager came over and I explained the above and all she could say was "these are our rules if you don't like the rules then you can leave" She wasn't interested in anything else I had to say and just kept saying "these are our rules" If the table had been reserved then I can fully understand not being able to sit there, but it wasn't reserved. Another customer just wanted to change their table. Prior to this visit I had been a frequent visitor to this tea room. However after receiving such a rude service I will not be returning.

The girls at the Chelmsford restaurant are first class at being obliging and attentive to our party's needs. The food is of good quality and I'm pleased to say, has good size portions. I'd recommend without reservation. Michael.

5/5 Lovely service and food as always, before my nan passed this was her favourite place to have lunch. We will continue to come her not just for her memory but because we always enjoy our visit. Zoe and her team are always friendly and happy to help

The lady who runs this place is incredibly rude and unwelcoming. My friend and I were immediately made to feel uncomfortable when we arrived. Lots of sighing and eyerolling as if we were an inconvenience. The food was pretty average too. The coffee wasn't great and the cake was really dry. Sadly I don't think we will be returning which is a real shame as I used to love it here.

Back in 2018/19 my friend and I were on maternity leave with our eldest children, and would often meet in these tea rooms and enjoy lunch, probably once a month or so, and loved it here. We are on maternity leave again and thought it would be nice to return with our second babies. I can only say there must have been a change in management since we used to go, as we were made to feel unwelcome almost instantly. I arrived first, with my 10 month old in a pram. I was greeted by a woman who asked how many people I needed a table for. I told her it would be me, but daughter, and my friend and her baby coming. The woman asked me if that meant there would be another pram, I said yes, to which she sighed straight away and made it clear she was not happy. Soon after this my friend turned up and we both suggested we could leave the prams somewhere out of the way, we were both told there was nowhere out of the way to put them… I saw plenty of places, and even where we were sat had plenty of room once the surplus chairs were removed. We were not offered high chairs for our little ones, we had to ask. Whilst we were eating I admit the babies did make a bit of a mess on the floor, as they dropped a bit of their food…but this is what babies do. The food was around their high chairs, it hadn’t been thrown across the room, or in the path of anybody else, it was just around the bottom of their high chairs. We of course had every intention of cleaning this up ourselves, we were just planning on waiting until we had finished eating to do so…however the same woman made remarks about the mess on the floor so unfortunately my friend and I felt obligated to interrupt our lunch and constantly clean up…. Don’t get me wrong if it seemed as if we were intending to leave without clearing the mess I would absolutely expect the staff to say something, I just feel that they could have let us enjoy our lunch before making comments to make us feel uncomfortable. In hindsight alarm bells should have rung when it was clear arriving with prams was a problem, I wish we had chosen another place to go that was a bit more baby friendly. We won’t be making that mistake again. A shame really as the food was lovely, and the tea rooms are a beautiful, quaint setting to have lunch, but the service did let it down I’m afraid.

I was planning on taking my two grandchildren, daughter and myself for afternoon tea at Small Talk Tea house. First in Romford, no toilet facilities and the nearest ones are a good 8 minutes walk away and not that nice being public loos. So decided to try Chelmsford, phoned to make a booking for tea for four people, informed they needed a deposit, not a problem I thought and said let me get my card. The young lady on the telephone stated they only take deposits in cash. I explained that I lived in Romford and if they had facilities for customers I would not be booking Chelmsford. Pointed out that I was not going to go from Romford to Chelmsford to make a deposit. As I said, what is the difference if you take a deposit from my card over the phone and I pay the balance on the same card. The young lady pointed out the Management Policy is only take deposits in cash as some people don't turn up. Well here is a solution, which I would have been prepared to do, take the payment in full and solve the problem or put toilet facilities in Romford.

We’ve always talked about popping in for a visit to small talk tea room, but never got round to it. Finally we popped in today for some breakfast.. The staff are very friendly and chatty, but not overbearing We opted for a bacon and sausage sarnie and a bacon and egg sarnie, we asked for the egg to be well done, this wasn’t a problem. The food was tasty, service was quick, all in all a really good breakfast, we’ll definitely be back for lunch soon! However, please please please get some decent tomato ketchup, cheap stuff tastes just that…. Cheap!

Overall good but very poor quality fish fingers. Haven’t been here for a while but always looks nice so we went in for a lunch snack. We ordered the Welsh Rabbit and the fish finger sandwich with two coffees. All turned up and looked very nice and well presented but one bite into the fish fingers showed they were very poor quality and off a lower quality than you would find at the cheapest supermarket. All the rest of the food was good but let down by this very poor ingredient. I did mention this to staff when paying and they stated they would pass it on.

First time to the tearooms and will definitely be returning. Fabulous afternoon tea. Everything so fresh and cakes were lovely. (We took them home with us as we were so full after our scones) Very relaxing atmosphere and were made very welcome. See you soon .

I’m a regular customer, actually not anymore from now. This morning 26th November 2021 around 10:45 I entered the tearoom with my partner to have a breakfast. We did wait over 8 mins to be accommodated, but the waitress didn’t care about us standing by...

I had a cheese and mushroom jacket potato with side salad and my uncle had scrambled eggs on toast The food was good quality ie sweet cherry tomatos, a pot of loose leaf tea etc, This charming independant eatery is great for anyone who has...

I had the full English. It was very poor. The eggs were hard. The beans are cold. Not enough butter with the toast. My partner finished her sandwich, I was still eating and the waitress came over and removed my partners plate, together with other...

Visited this tearoom today and asked the waitress if the Victoria sponge was buttercream or fresh cream - looking at me as if I was from another planet the waitress replied she ‘did not know’ and offered nothing further- I explained that I would like...

I have been here a lot. Very central in Chelmsford and always good serviceand excellent food. Very good COVID 19 arrangements with correct spacing and hygiene. I felt very comfortable and lingererd loner than I planned. Very close to Meadows Car parking and John Lewis.

Friendly staff great food great location in town. So Glad my colleague and I found this place after running around in the rain frantically looking for somewhere !

Pretty little tea room that is one of our go-tos in Chelmsford. Good food, quick service and friendly staff. Last time we went we had two baguettes and their soup of the day all of which was very nice. We were going to get cakes...

I visited last Friday with my Mum and Sister and had a lovely lunch. We sat in a nice window seat and had coronation chicken sandwich, welsh rarebit and fishermans lunch. All three were very tasty, well presented and were a great portion size. It...

Very nice visit there today, nice window seat, scones and coffee. Very pleased to see all staff wit visors !

It was our first time in Chelmsford since lock down began. We were just passing and saw the tea room was open. It was close to lunchtime and feeling a bit hungry we decided to try it. The whole experience was confidence boosting! We were...

Small Talk was recommended to us and we had lunch there today. Well worth a visit, the sandwiches are so fresh and beautifully presented, they were also delicious! The Tearoom reminded us of ‘Betty’s ‘ in York with its Victorian decor, cosy but elegant. The...

I ordered a cheese salad sandwich which I found to be made with dry quite thick bread and didn’t like it at all. The cappuccino was in a cup that just resembled a small teacup. The cake was dry too. My friend enjoyed her tea...

Great little eatery Decor very welcoming Menu,quality of food & service very good Excellent choice for Ladies who do lunch

It was very warm and comfortable and the fruit tea was as expected, but regrettably, the cake just wasn't up to par. The sponge was dry, not stale but certainly not up to their usual high standard.

We stopped off for afternoon tea before visiting the cathedral with my wife's aunt and niece. We had a pleasant chat in the nicely decorated tea rooms. There were a good choice of sandwiches and cakes along with a good cup of tea. Well worth...

The welcome was warm and friendly and our table was clean and tidy. The tea shop was very warm and our coffee was delivered in good time. It was well flavoured and hot.The seating was most agreeable and we stayed perhaps too long as we were so comfortable.

I come here whenever I come to chelmsford town with friends or family. The food is amazing. The service is always quick. Yes it's small but you wait because it is so good. Would definitely recommend this lovely tea room.

好喜歡這個茶室，不拘束，裝潢舒適，讓人輕鬆享受一下！來一客英式全日早餐，好地道好啱環境。這茶室的糕點無論質素同款式均水平之上，建議大家到此品嚐！

I am a regular user and I am always impressed by the quality of the food. In particular I just love the cakes.

I have noe been to this tearoom several times, excellent choice of food, extremely prompt service. Pleasant staff. A joy

We went for afternoon tea however was a little rushed as cafe closes at 5 sharp. Will go back and book earlier. V nice selection of sandwiches and good tea. Quaint decor

My wife and I stumbled across the wonderful tea room a few months ago while walking back from the town centre to the car park. We have now made a number of visits and will make many more.The interior is wonderful and the staff and very friendly. The food is fantastic and great value for money. The tea is served in a large teapot with a large tea bag of loss leaf tea. It has a wonderful atmosphere and stands head and shoulders above the rest.If you want to go to a tea shop that will not disappoint Small Talk is the place to go.

I am writing this on behalf of my mother who attended with her sister and family. The two young members of staff were friendly and the food was nice and good value for the money. However, the experience was spoilt by a trivial matter. One of the pieces of cake was from the end and as such a little dry. My mother requested if it could be replaced. The young member of staff spoke to the manager who came over and with her FINGERS squeezed the cake on the platter and told them "it's not dry" as if they were lying. Really??? Over a piece of cake. This left an atmosphere and was not replaced. Instead, she gave my mother a dry scone with no butter, cream etc. (and she did not feel she could ask for anything to go with it so was mainly left). How ridiculous can people be. Instead of getting new regular customers, she left them feeling silly and they will never visit again. I hope the additional expense of a piece of cake was worth losing customers over! Why are people like this in charge. Beggars belief!!!

I watched this tearoom over the past 10 weeks they have been in business. Queuing customers getting more and more every day. Had tea with a friend once and today 4 of us had afternoon tea. Wow, absolutely excellent. Done this in so many hotels in London paying London prices. This was just as good and a fraction of the price. It was brilliant service even though it was very busy. The sandwiches were tasty and the scones were warm. Such good value without breaking the bank. Would 100% recommend it.

We visited this lovely coffee shop while we were in Chelmsford.we had delicious smoked salmon, poached egg,avocado with bagel. It was delicious nice pot of tea and cappuccino. It was all delicious service with smile decorated in time zone , it reminded me my nan’s launch and ambiance so nice..

Three of us had lunch here on a Thursday, with a pram which was squeezed into a gap between tables. It was very busy and we hadn't booked but did't have to wait too long. The food seemed quite average which wasn't what we remembered from a previous visit. The service was fine considering how busy it was.

great spot to stop at - stopped off for a cuppa on the way to shopping - staff were helpful - good range of cakes

You can never be disappointed with this fantastic tea room. Freshly made sandwiches & beautiful cakes. Afternoon tea looks amazing but needs to be booked.

Lovely vintage Tearooms. Good service. Good varied menu. Well positioned just off Chelmsford high street.

Had a great brunch in this delightful place . Quite busy on the day but still got a lovely table . Staff were very attentive , food was beautiful . I had eggs benedict , kerry had poached eggs on toast .

Went for the first time for Sunday breakfast and catch up with a friend. Lovely staff, cosy tearoom and lovely food. Will definitely return

Called in for (very late) breakfast one sunday a while back. Although it was very busy we managed to get a table and were served fairly quickly. There is plenty of choice on the menu and it is all reasonably priced - the eggs florentine were delicious! The service was friendly and efficient - thank-you Amber.

Lovely staff, kind and attentive. Always sociable and chatty. Quick service and fantastic food. 10/10

went for a lunch visit on a Sunday. Extremley busy but the Staff were very welcoming despite being somewhat frazzled. Two selections were 'off the menu' but alternatives were suggested and well received. All in all quickly served and good portions well cooked.

visited small talk a few weeks ago and was shocked that firstly the cost of the breakfast and secondly tea bags in my tea pot ? Also no wifi ? how unfashionable is this especially for business people

I have never written a bad review but this is really to highlight to the manager he really needs to check out what goes on and how many customers may walk back out of the door. We have eaten here before and the food is lovely and I’m sure it still is but today the service was absolutely terrible. (Not the food service as that seemed to come out fast Since we had plenty of time to observe)We arrived about 2:30pm and there were a couple of couples in front of us waiting. We did not mind waiting at first. Eventually the other couples were seated and there was a table by the window which we could have had but was waiting to be cleared. After about a 10 minute wait we were sat down and the waitress said that she would be over to take our order. 10 minutes later, no more acknowledgment and no one took our order. We left as was getting quite cross by this time as it was not overly rushed for the waiting staff and the couples before us were tucking into their sandwiches and the table by the window still not cleared. If it was my business I would like to know what needs addressing and although the girl who initially seated us was very nice they all seem to be clueless and no urgency at all. While we waited to be seated, 4 people came in and then left as no clear tables. If the tables had of been cleared quicker I’m sure it would have been 6 more customers for the tea room. I hope after this we will be welcome back as the food looks lovely but please check on what goes on as you are losing custom and it is such a shame.

My family and I visited the tea rooms on the weekend and was not disappointed. We had a fantastic time and the decor is quaint with great attention to detail. We had an afternoon tea, it was delicious and very generous. I drink a lot of herbal tea and there were so many to choose from, I ended up trying 3 and they were all very tasty. The staff were very welcoming and friendly and the tearoom was very clean. Overall fantastic visit and already excited to visit again.

Recommended for good food and service. Great English tearoom with an unassuming attitiude (no bull......)!

Upon walking in the door at 4.15 (tea room shuts at 5pm) on a wet Saturday afternoon, we were greeted by a waitress who said abruptly without even a hello ... ‘we’re not doing hot food only tea and cake’ to which I answered that’s fine as that’s all we’re after, we sat down and then we’re pounced on my another waitress ‘we’ve turned the coffee off now as shutting at 5’ ... we ordered our tea and cake, food arrived promptly with an added comment by the same persistent waitress ‘we close is 15 minuites’. We enjoyed our tea and cake and were not the only people in the tea room, noted another couple were also getting the same hurry up treatment! When we stood up to leave 4.45pm I hadn’t even put my coat on before the waitress was rushing behind me with a broom! They obviously wanted to leave on time but frankly if a tea room is open till 5pm then clean up should be done after 5pm, i understand if we’re taking our time but we were very polite and only ordered teas and cake! A shame as service was so rude I wouldn’t return there again, even the other couple also pushed out the door after us said the same! Goes without saying no tip was left!!

Been here before so took my daughter and granddaughter fast service lovely food and staff delightful never had a bad experience here food always good

Popped in for lunch with my mum Service was excellent, food good and arrived nice and prompt Good size portions and tasty food Gets busy so be prepared to wait for a table but I would recommend a visit if in Chelmsford

I'd spent a couple of hours at the Essex Records Office several hundred yards away. I needed sustenance before doing some shopping and happened to spot this place.

This tea room has caught my eye on a few visits to Chelmsford. It looks quaint & traditional in style from the outside, and looks very inviting. Unfortunately the lack of acknowledgement & very slow service lets it down, which means I won't be visiting it again. We entered, and seated ourselves, then waited over 10 minutes for anyone to acknowledge we were there (& then only because I went up to the till to ask if it was table service), and then another long wait for our drinks. Am just pleased I didn't decide to eat here too. Its in a very good location, and appearances from the outside are very good.

Being a fairly regular user to meet friends in this establishment it seems it's service is faltering lately, the service is becoming very slack, the food although still good is becoming less in quantity (for instance the amount of spinach given in the eggs Florentine is well barely enough for one half of muffin let alone between two, there should be five cups of spinach per serving not five leaves, and who ever does the cooking at present needs to know how to do a 'melt' panini properly the cheese is barely melted?), the waiting staff seem to be not interested in serving any more, they spent more time chatting to themselves than seeing to the customers.

Visited here with brother for a treat pm tea. Lovely sandwiches and cakes to die for. Staff friendly, attentive and create relaxed atmosphere. A haven just off busy chelmsford high street!

walked past several times and finally decided to use

Visited last weekend with my Wife and 2 year old Daughter. The food was superb (particularly the sausage, onion and brie panini), the service was fast and polite, all for a reasonable price.

Popped into town to run a few errands and thought we’d grab a bite to eat. Husband ordered a sandwich and a cream tea and I had just a cream tea. He asked for his cream tea to be brought to the table afterwards. The food came quickly so no issues so far. After we had finished we sat there for ages with empty plates, no one had any intention of bringing my husbands cream tea, they were all standing behind the counter having a mothers meeting! He decided he didn’t want the cream tea any more having waited so long and went to pay the bill. Walking back to the car I asked how much and he said £15. We had One coronation chicken sandwich £4.25, one cream tea £5.95 and one pot of tea £2.40.... how is that £15? We’ve always visited when in town but will find elsewhere now.

We arrived at about 11.30 on a Saturday morning and, whilst busy with other customers, we were quickly shown to a table and served. I opted for the full English breakfast and it was excellent. My wife chose a jacket with tuna and salad which she thought was "good". I have read other recent reviews which were not so positive as my own experience so I would encourage them to return as we found the staff very good and the 2 meals with drinks extremely good value for money.

We went there today. Met lovely staff Had very nicely priced late breakfast and the best coffee in Chelmsford. Aussie travellers will know what I mean here if they’ve tried buying coffee in UK A most pleasant morning.

Sat in the cold tea room, drank cold tea, ate cold tea cake and served by a cold personality waitress. Very disappointing. First visit and definitely my last!

Thought I’d give them a second chance but the service was still abysmal I was ignored so placed order at till and wasn’t correct when delivered to the table

Came to meet up with some friends , shame the staff are lacking any customer service skills. No smile ,no friendliness just basically in wrong job. It came across as we were a nuisance to be there.

Came in here today for some lunch with my family waited for best of 20 minutes for a table which we didn’t mind because always enjoyed visiting here previously.

Came to this tearoom with family. We decided to try somewhere new and the website looked like there were some good options to try and reasonably priced. The interior is deceiving as unfortunately we judged a book by its cover which we quickly found to regret. The waitresses didn’t look at us or say hello. We were asked what we wanted as soon as we sat down so we asked for more time. I tried to order a lemonade but they were sold out and we ordered a Diet Coke which was lukewarm. I wish I had taken photos of the state of the food. The jacket potato and welsh rarebit arrived immediately and both looked pale and disappointing. The potato was dry and I asked for butter which the waitress seemed surprised I wanted. The rarebit was microwaved and soggy and powdery in taste while the tuna jacket was so dry with tasteless tuna. Rude staff dumped down the tea and took plates away without asking us how they were and grabbing them from the table. I hardly write reviews but had to warn others about the state of the dreadful service and quality in food! It’s shocking to know places can run with such poor customer treatment and lousy food. Never again!

A lovely tea room which I have visited several times for lunch with friends. If you're in a hurry, you might want to go elsewhere as there is always a wait for a table. The food is very good and reasonably priced. My only quibble is that some of the waitresses are not very friendly and hardly smile, one actually plonked our food down as though we shouldn't be there! The other waitress we had recently was very different, very pleasant.

My wife likes a tea shop, where tea is done with pots. So this has always been a place she wants to go to. However we can never get in as it’s always packed. Well, we did today and it was worth the wait. Excellent tea, tasty sandwiches (with crisps on the side) and a very filling fruit scone meant we only needed a snack for our tea tonight. Lovely, and hopefully we’ll be able to get in again next time.

Quaint and atmospheric . A proper vintage tea shop . Nicely done , not overdone . Good value and decent tea and food .

I tried this tea-room for the first time to break the ice with a new client from US. The cosy, friendly atmosphere with a reasonable selection of leaf teas was a great hit. The tea-room is a little cramped but that doesn’t detract from the quality of the service. I will certainly use Small Talk again.

This is the second time we have visited this tea room. The first time it was busy so we waited for a table, when we sat down we asked for jacket potatoes but told they had all gone (at 1pm). Tried to order another item and this also was sold out so we decided to go somewhere else. Went back again for breakfast another time as we wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt. When we walked in the door the waitresses didn’t even look up at us while they were chatting round the counter. I asked if we could sit anywhere? We ordered a bacon and sausage sandwich. I think the bread was Tesco’s value and I had a large piece of bone in the sausage. There was 1 rasher of bacon in the other sandwich. We asked for sauces but wasn’t given a knife to spread the sauce. It’s a real shame that the food and staff don’t reflect this beautifully decorated tea room. I have never left a bad review about anywhere I have eaten before as I let my feet to the talking but felt the need to show my disappointment in this tea room. Obviously will not be giving it a third chance!

Visited at the end of a shopping trip and wanted a cuppa before going home. Nice setting to have a cuppa but a little expensive. Also a little disappointed that rather than a pot of proper tea which I would have expected it was a tea bag, albeit a nice tasting tea bag. Staff were friendly enough but then I witnessed one at a table walk away raising their eyebrows when they'd asked for more time. Not so good. Didn't eat so can't comment on the food but the cakes looked nice.

My mother-in-law said it was a lovely place, and she was right !! We went for lunch today, the food was made to order, it was beautiful. I had just a ham salad sandwich. It was crammed with lovely fresh salad & thick tasty ham. The surroundings were like stepping back in time, very tastefully done. Needless to say I loved it!! Staff were very attentive too, Thankyou Small Talk Tearooms

Small Talk Tearooms is definitely the best tearoom in Chelmsford - if not in the entire UK. I simply love this place and it's on the top of my bucket list every time I visit Chelmsford. Let me tell you this - just for this Tearoom I travel all the way from Germany every now and then. The staff is so polite and friendly and the food is delicious. Especially the Full English as well as the salmon bagle are a tasty feast. They have daily specials as well. On top of that they serve a lot of cakes. The selection of teas is incredible - from English Breakfast tea, over green teas to fruity teas - you will definitely find one you love. The entire interior was chosen wisely and you feel like you're "home" when you are in the Tearoom. All I can say: I can highly recommend this place.

Central cafe with good range of sandwiches, salads etc. Good service but always difficult to get a table at lunchtimes as not possible to reserve

Don't believe all you read in negative reviews. Our experience was lovely today. We arrived just before noon to ensure getting a space which would accommodate a wheelchair. The layout reminds me of going to my grandma's. Welsh dressers with plate displays, crochet tablecloths (with practical glass clean easy tops). Lunch choices good, food super (especially omelettes) all made to order. Gluten free bread available also. Tea served in proper china cups from teapots with tea cosies. Service was swift and we found the ladies just lovely. When I ordered a slice of lemon meringue pie to share with my mum (we couldn't manage one each as it was so big), the waitress cut the large slice into 2 and served them on separate plates with separate cutlery (without being asked). We found the waiting staff to be perfectly pleasant. A lovely lunch.

After reading several poor reviews, especially concerning the service, I was extremely polite and friendly to the waitress. This caused the reaction in the waitress that I expected and all went well with good quick and friendly service.

food was extremely nice. was not backed up by the service at all, absolutely vile. did not have one please or thank you, did not even look at myself and my partner once. before we could even ask for a drink she walked away. food then arrived and was asked "any sauces", so of which I answered "yes please", in return she huffed, rolled her eyes and returned by throwing the pot on the table. I felt like I had to apologies when I asked for a drink and sauces, absolutely disgusting. when I went up to pay, she told me the price, no please and thank you again, at this point I became over friendly in hope she got the understanding to actually crack a smile, instead she practically through the receipt on the counter at me, I paid, still no word or eye contact and not even a goodbye. by looking at your reviews they seem to be the same, food is good but one particular lady is extremely rude and ruins it.

This is about the third time i have visited this place. Wasn't keen to go but Daughter really wanted to try it. Nicely decorated but awful food. Had cheese and mushroom toasted sandwich. Obviously done to death in the sandwich machine as the bread came out like cardboard and very greasy. My Daughter had fish finger sandwich and although we noticed the bread with soup didn't look too bad her sandwich consisted of cheap looking and tasting thin prepacked cut bread.The fish fingers were grey inside instead of a lovely white which in our opinion denotes cheap fish fingers. They do have a large menu so perhaps they should reduce it and focus on good quality. Staff rude. Wont be going again.

My mother and I wanted to spent a lovely afternoon chatting over a scrumptious afternoon tea. The tea room was very quaint and homely, and made you feel as though you were sitting in someone's living room. The cakes were delicious and the sandwiches were delightful. Staff were very friendly and attentive and the I will definitely be returning. Highly recommend

Went here for lunch on Saturday. On arrival we were greeted by a mature waitress who was pleasant enough however the young lady who took our food order was quite miserable - not an endearing quality for a waitress. When I went to pay I was given a receipt which simply had the cost on without any mention of the food and drink that we had. I prefer a bill that you can check and agree so I asked for a breakdown. This seemed to be a bit of an issue for the girl manning the till and I was made to feel most guilty for asking. I suggest giving your patrons a proper bill and ensuring staff have the proper manner to serve. Without ending on a negative the food was nice.

Been to chelmsford loads of times but only just found this lovely tea room. Really lovely inside with lace table cloths, tea cosies, beautiful old oak dressers displaying china tea sets. Food is really nice and freshly prepared. Hot and cold meals, all day breakfast and lovely cakes. The place is very clean. There are tables outside for when the weather permits. Great find and will definitely go again.

The staff are very unfriendly, no eye contact or smiles. We stood at the counter for ages and no one told us it was waitress service. On the positive the coffee was good and the cakes fresh and delicious. But would not return, a warm welcoming smile costs nothing and we felt uncomfortable. Such a shame ...

Very varied menu, good for veggies, very helpful and friendly staff. Lovely atmosphere, great for a breakfast, lunch or just tea and cake.

Me and the wife being free from the kids went into Chelmsford for a shopping experience (that's what she calls it, I call it "where is HMV....." anyway we parked up and started walking and came across this place - so we were feeling parched and so went in - lovely setting, lovely cuppa and the food was lovely too - service spot on, and it was relaxing.

Almost didn't go in because the external tables were littered with half eaten meals and dirty crockery - inside was slightly better as the tables were almost all occupied. For some reason additional chairs made accessing the one remaining tale difficult - we eventually moved them as no staff member seemed inclined to do so. Nice fresh tea in pots with cute covers. Adequate cakes. Staff not terribly interested - and plonked things down on the table... it was a wet Saturday but I think they could be more pleasant!

Ok experience, it's kind of quaint inside, food was good, service was brusque, so overall not too bad. Location is its best quality .

A small menu, but done well. The selection of teas are also fantastic and the atmosphere is relaxed and refined. I think I've found a new home away from home.

Really nice tearoom with a scruptious array of teas and foods. Great whatever the weather, especially at breakfast time! :)

Nice tearoom but the staff are very rude. A lady took our order, never smiled never said hello or made eye contact and walked off as soon as we ordered before we got a chance to ask for tap waters too.

This is a charming tea room offering light lunches. It is always busy and we often have to queue. I understand why as it is consistently good value for money. There is a wide range of food and you can rely on a decent cup of tea. We visit this shop every time we go to Chelmsford.

Had a lovely afternoon tea here for my friend's baby shower. Décor is great and there was plenty of food. Would happily eat here again.

A regular visit for breakfast on a Sunday . Today 6 of us and the usual friendly service breakfast omelette my favourite . Everyone loved their full English . Excellent everytime

Been here a few times and the service has always been ok. However, after today's visit we shall not be returning ever again. The waitress who served us was so miserable and rude. She did not smile once, made no eye contact and was very surly whilst taking our order. To top it off as I was waiting to pay I smiled at the rude waitress, who saw, yet still did not return the gesture! Wherever we eat, we are always very polite, as we were today, so there was no reason for us to be treated like this. If you don't like your job, don't take it out on the customers because trust me, they won't come back! It's not our loss, it's yours.