Tiffin Tea Rooms in Winchester

This used to be a very rare and therefore special place. A tea/coffee shop with the coffee made in a separate kitchen. There was also an ice cream machine in the attached anteroom. This meant that unlike every other coffee shop whether a chain or an independent it had a unique USP, somewhere to have a quiet drink, breakfast, lunch or afternoon tea where you could have a chat with a friend or family. Unfortunately that has changed. It now has an incredibly loud buzzing from the ice cream freezer and the noise of the coffees being made right in the main area. The food is still lovely, the staff are friendly and helpful but it is now a noisy place just like all the rest. What a real shame.

Had a cauliflower cheese which contained mainly very hard stalks and very few florets. Cheese sauce was tasty but only just about covered the bottom of the dish.

Usually closed when we come sundays but as open for midweek visit popped in. No prices I could see were displayed so had coffee and cake for 2. Bill was over £18!!!!! Was nice but nothing special. Cake was average size so at £5.50 a slice was ell above other local establishments. Pretty setting and friendly but won't return as 2 others nearby just as good but cheaper

Fabulous selection of loose leaf tea and delicious cakes. Nice airy tea room with some outside seating available. Great!

Came for afternoon tea. It was one oif the nicest afternoon teas I have had in a long time. The food was lovely. The price was realy good too, staff were really friendly and helpful. I will definetely be going back.

I had an impromptu visit to the Tiffin Tearoom today - my first visit since the new owners took over. The staff were welcoming and very pleasant, the tea was good and the coffee cake was superb. A lovely pick-me-up. I'll definitiely be coming back.

Sticky tables, food sent back as it was undercooked and to be fair it was better the second time but for the prices charged (expensive) this isn't up to the same quality as the tea rooms were under the previous owner. The table opposite also sent some food back as well. Won't be going back.

Had a very tasty lunch at Tiffins today! The cakes looked so good that we had them to go and were equally delicious! Tiffins is a beautiful tea room with exceptional service.

What a lovely welcoming friendly place to have lunch and coffee. The food was absolutely delicious, the staff super friendly. The cakes/slices fantastic. Thank you.

Sadly since the original hard working staff and owners are no longer there, I feel Tiffins is certainly not what it once was.

Loud screaming children sat near the front so couldn't avoid the distribution (presume the owners?) Not good for customers. Very weak and watery coffee and the cake was slightly old and stale. This establishment was renowned to be amazing, home baked and friendly. Sadly gone down hill since the previous owners retired.

Not a good experience….. Two screaming children sat at table by the counter. Obviously belonging to the owners ( not a great first impression) Gluten free option comprised of three cakes. I fist chose a cake that was later told could not be served to me ( I think it was past its best) I was then offered an almond slice, a few moments later another member of staff told me that I could not have that as it was not gluten free I then chose a scone ( this had never been a scone) it had been put in a microwave and was so hot I burnt my tongue, by the time I tried to eat the second half it was virtually rock hard due to being microwaved All this took over 20 mins by which time my coffee was cold -to add insult to injury I had been presented with a biscuit which was definitely not GF. despite my telling them three times that I was celiac This disappointing experience cost me £7.65 Needless to say I will not be back 😣

This tea room is trading on its past ownership. The new owners have no awards and are very expensive compared with many other local coffee outlets

Whilst walking our two pooches in Alresford we decided to pop into Tiffin tea rooms for a spot of luncheon. Sadly we could see a notice on the door saying no dogs allowed so we didn’t venture in- however the lovely owner immediately saw us walk away and came out to say hello. She was the most welcoming and warmest personality and told us that she was the new owner and the cafe was becoming dog friendly on one side of the cafe. What great news! We decided to take a perch on an outside table as it was a dry day and ordered a savoury tea ( watercress scone, cheddar, pickles and a pot of tea) and a watercress tea ( egg finger sandwiches on the softest of bread, with a jam and cream scone) the best of both worlds in my opinion! We had the regular tea and will be back soon to try the other teas on the menu. Wishing the new owners every success I their new business venture!

Sad to see this place has gone down hill since the new owners have taken over. Smaller portions, less friendly atmosphere and diluted-tasting coffee. Won't be going there again any time soon.

Stopped in for a piece of coffee cake and a flat white. The coffee was lovely and strong best I’ve had in a long time and the cake was delicious! My son got some sweets which were lovely too. We also left with a box of the yummiest chocolates. The new owners a young family were very hospitable. They were obviously extremely busy but were very attentive to our needs and friendly. We will definitely be going back when next in the area.

Awful Experience the coffee was watered down and was not up to its usual high standard. But was was truely awful was hearing how the owner shouted at a member of staff, dismissing her on the spot and leaving her to leave in tears. I have never heard anyone speak to staff members so disgracefully. No owner or manager should ever speak to some one like that let alone when customers can hear. Poor staff and would not recommend anyone applying for a job here, let alone the coffee. Standards have totally slipped since new owners!

Decent food and tea but it was a freezing cold day and the radiator we were sitting next to was off !!!That’s unacceptable. Not a pleasant experience sitting in the cold having breakfast.

Me and my family stopped in for some lunch when we visited Alresford, fantastic selection of Teas, food was great, the home made cakes were amazing. Nice atmosphere with parking outside, right on the high street.

We brought a group of French visitors to Tiffin Tea Rooms. This was their first experience of eating out in the UK and it could not have been better. They loved the food and the atmosphere and we are most grateful to the team at Tiffin Tea Rooms for catering to our needs so well. Thank you!!

De beste glutenvrije chocoladetaart die ik ooit geproefd heb. Ook de andere gezinsleden hadden allemaal heel lekkere patisserie. Service was ook super vriendelijk

Lovely sandwich in a pretty setting. Service friendly and quick. We wanted to share a sandwich and they kindly split it across two plates for us.

China crockery, real tea and scones, what more can you want? The perfect place to have lunch while waiting for our bus back to Winchester after the morning on the Watercress Line Steam Train. Lovely service and a good choice too.

A Covid safe environment. Lovely panini sitting outside in the rear courtyard.... a peaceful place. Staff were friendly and service prompt. Everything you could wish for for a light lunch .

My wife and I had arrived in Alresford around 4pm and found most cafes had just shut, including our target. We were about to give up when we stumbled across Tiffin Tea Rooms, where we were welcomed and served a top notch tea and cake combination in an airy, clean and well-spaced room. Everyone was chatty and friendly. And the loo was exemplary!

Staff are friendly and polite. The atmosphere is lovely and the teas and food is great, Thank you very much,

A pleasant place for a quick lunch after a walk. Food is fresh and well prepared. Service is friendly.

Stopped here on the way to a holiday and repeated coming back. Excellent coffee/tea and lovely cakes. Staff very friendly and helpful.

Called in for a late afternoon tea and cake. Sat in the courtyard at the back. All very pleasant. Would return again to try more of the home cooked food.

We had an enjoyable lunch, however I have to say I was pretty horrified at the lack of masks being worn. The staff did little to encourage this no one was reminded to put one on. Surely everyone should be asked to wear a mask in order to reduce the chances of people getting infected. We were allocated a table by the door, people queued by the doorway chatting away without masks, way too close for comfort - just not acceptable! Because of this I will not be returning any time soon which is a great shame.

Of the half dozen cafes in New Alresford, this is the clear favourite of mine, and my friends. The service is always friendly and efficient, and the coffee and cakes are excellent -- as, I'm sure, are the teas for which the place is known.The staff have taken great care during the Covid pandemic, and it has been a pleasure to sit safely on the terrace behind the cafe.Still the same excellent lunches, and gluten-free options as well. A deservedly popular place.

An excellent one-way system was in place; there was a screen "strung up" that did the job, and the staff were really pleasant - as were the drinks we had - two excellent lattes.

We came here for lunch and both had delicious toastie and homemade sandwiches,very filling and clearly high quality ingredients. Friendly welcome. We have stopped for icecream here before too which was equally yummy! The cakes always looks great but sadly we were too full to enjoy them today, will have to make a trip back soon! Would recommend when in the area.

Our visit to Tiffin tea rooms was excellent and we felt entirely safe there after being isolated for so long. We had to wait outside while they sterilised a table for us and took our details once seated. Coffee was of the highest quality and extremely tasty cheese & watercress scones. I will gladly return here - it was so nice to have our coffees served in proper cups rather than the throwaway ones some other coffee shops are using since ‘lockdown’.

Nice tea room with good quality sandwiches let down by using butter substitutes on the bread. The lunches are not cheap it would make a big difference to use real butter, especially when one asks for this in the order. Otherwise no complaints.

Centrally located in lovely Alresford, Tiffins cannot be too highly recommended. Bright and welcoming, with helpful staff and a varied menu, the food is well-presented and tasty. Tiffin’s sandwiches are stacked with scrumptious fillings and my personal favourite, scones, lead me to claim that they must be the absolute best for miles around. Currently carefully observing social distancing and hygiene rules, a visit will prove a really worthwhile experience.

We stopped by after a long walk around the duck pond. Great social distancing measures in place, very friendly, caring staff. The kids all had an ice cream and the adults a milkshake - delicious! Next time I'd love to sit in and have lunch, very nice little tea room.

Popped in here for a great coffee and cake - despite the current issues with Covid service was good and the ckae and coffee great - will be back when we are back to normal for a proper sit down

Popped in after shopping in Winchester and enjoyed late and caramel shortbread.i appreciate the menu options and loose tea specialities even popped into the chocolate shop and bought a christmas treat for my parents. Would recommend.

Superb sandwich with home cooked ham. Great choice of leaf teas to suit all tastes. Lovely warm scones served with jam and clotted cream, topped off with rocky road tiffin. Very reasonably priced and all delicious.

Lovely traditional tea room. Quite expensive but excellent service and food always good. Proper old fashioned bone china and great selection of teas.

We luckily overheard someone saying Tiffins was the best cafe in Alresford and they were right. Very good fresh sandwiches and such a great range of cakes. We chose the lemon and lime which was very tasty.Lovely clean tearoom with friendly staff.Took my friend two days later and she had a lovely savoury afternoon tea. Would definitely recommend a visit.

Always give ourselves a treat and its become a firm favourite. Again great home made cakes, fresh teas with a large selection and again service with a smile. Loved the Cauliflower cheese and rustic bread ( specials at lunch time) no grease which you do get with the cheese. Just remember!! To book a table as we do ( our favourite is the table by the window and they are very obliging.)

Having frequented Tiffins for many years now and thoroughly enjoying the food in the past, I today find myself disappointed and needing to write this review. We ordered 2 watercress teas for one, as in the past I wanted a plain scone and my wife wanted a fruit one. The waitress immediately came back and said her boss said that because the fruit scones were bigger then we would be charged extra for the privilege REALLY! When being charged £10.95 anyway we declined! Doesn’t say anything about this on the menu!Once our food was presented to us it was clear that the reasonable portions of the past are no more, very small sandwiches with minimal fillings on very thin supermarket sliced loaf bread with a couple of green leaf salad pieces on the side. As for the scones, I’ve never seen them so small. Im afraid we won’t be heading back anytime soon.

I managed to book last minute for afternoon tea. This was a friends Birthday. It was busy the tea was real (no tea bags) but very friendly. Very nice choice of sandwiches with homemade scones and cake. Yum! Yum!

Having searched for a cream tea in Arlesford on a Sunday afternoon we were about to leave disappointed when we came across the Tiffin Tea room - although crowded we found a table and were soon sharing a delicious 'cream tea' with ample strawberry jam and clotted cream. I say shared as two scones were provided which was more than enough. Delicious range of cakes on display & we could't resist a vanilla ice cream each to leave with. Will definitely return!

My husband, son and I stopped for late lunch. We decided to have afternoon tea and savoury tea as it was 3pm. The sandwichs were freshly made. The scones and cakes were delicious. The savoury tea was amazing with a huge cheese and watercress scone, cheddar cheese, salad and chutney. What I really enjoyed was the choice of teas as I really like trying different flavoured teas!

Visited Tiffin tea rooms with a friend and our children. A lovely cosy tea room that has a wonderful aroma of fresh baked cakes.

After a trip to the dentist, Mum and I stopped by for a softer lunch and the staff were so lovely, I had Mac and cheese and it was delicious, perfect to eat in small nibbles and was able to sip tea as well :) the cream tea Mum had went down very well and we were happy to pay the prices as the service and atmosphere was great

We had a lovely family afternoon tea at Tiffin today. A superb selection of cakes and teas so nicely presented. Will definitely be back.

Been here a few times over the last few months and I keep returning! A huge selection of teas, lovely selection of homemade cakes, and yummy toasted sandwiches. I definitely recommend it!

We popped into Tiffin Tea Rooms part way through a day out on the Watercress Line with our Grandson. Great menu selection with a large variety of sandwiches, panini and jacket potatoes. There were also some lovely looking cakes. We enjoyed our lunch and the service was good. Lovely ambience too

If you are looking for a traditional tearoom, then this is the place to visit. Such pleasant and attentive staff makes a lovely change from the high street brands! I love looking at the different mismatched china and teapots. I always go for toastie sandwiches and they are happy to give you anything you want in them. Yes they are slightly pricier but you do get what you pay for. The cakes are really lovely with a great variety. My friends and tend to reserve a table as they do get very busy. This my number 1 teashop!!!

We called in after a recommendation and were treated to a perfect pot of tea served in beautiful china. We were spoilt for choice with several attractive looking home baked cakes. Our large slices of lemon and lime cake and carrot cake were delicious.

We found this on the off chance - really friendly staff and probably the best coronation chicken sandwich I have had for a long time.

Dropped in here for lunch; menu very pricey -£7.95 for a tuna sandwich for example but we were curious as to what we would get for a very expensive sandwich. The answer was not a lot; a few leaves of salad, a little tomato and a few slices of cucumber. I was disappointed as I thought I might get more!

Visited as group of 12 for tea and cakes. Good selection of cakes and ice creams. Warm welcome and slick service.

I have visited tiffins a number of times before and have been really please with the atmosphere, service and have felt really welcomed. HOWEVER today was a different experience......... I visited the tearoom today with my partner, we had my dog with us (a very friendly, well behaved small dog). I hadn’t been there before with my dog so thoroughly checked the door/widows for a sign to see if dogs were or weren’t allowed which there wasn’t one. We sat down and were greeted by a waitress and given a menu!

Went for afternoon tea. The staff were really friendly and welcoming with a cosy local feel. Alresford is a lovely small town which is well worth a walk around before or after you have visited the tea rooms.

We had a nice lunch here on a sunny afternoon. If this place was priced fairer, I would have given it at least a 4 star score.

Spacious and light tea room without the overly twee decoration you see in too many tea rooms. Very tastefully decorated.

My husband and I went for afternoon tea on a beautiful sunny afternoon in April after walking from Winchester to Alresford. We arrived without a reservation, but were promptly seated by a very smiley waitress. From our table we could see the wisteria flowers hanging down over the window, which was a beautiful sight.

Very nice tearoom with good choice of cakes. Nice tea and warm fruit scone with jam and clotted cream. Not cheap but very good quality and friendly efficient staff.

We had another great cream tea today at Tiffins. The scones are the best I have ever tasted, the cream is clotted and the jam delicious. All with a pot of perfect tea. I cannot recommend Tiffins more highly.

Very nice cake and lunch with delicious proper tea and hot water. Lunches of baked potato’s with a variety of filings

We stopped for a coffee en route further South and were so impressed with this very attractive and welcoming café that we were tempted to try the local teacakes and savoury scones. Excellent coffee, and emphasis on home-made baking. Service was very friendly and efficient, and everything was served attractively. Tea in teapots with china service.

Very friendly and accommodating of the 4 month old baby and pram. Soup was very tasty- vegetable. Thank you .

Whether it is coffee and cake or light lunch you are always assured of excellent service and delicious food. Can highly recommend the watercress and cheese scone!

Apart from one year when they were shut for Xmas, we have come here for 15 years as part of our Santa Steam Ride on the Watercress Line ritual. Great teas, good simple food, lovely cakes. We wouldn't come back if it wasn't good.

One of the best tea rooms we have visited in Hampshire. We have been at least a dozen times over the years and have never been disappointed. Good tea, great food and a wide choice. Everything freshly sourced, prepared and served by friendly staff....oh, a lovely selection of hand made chocolates.

Just dropped by for a cuppa and some sandwiches. WE were knocked out by the range of 'proper' teas! Great sandwiches as well. Will definitely return when we next visit the area.

Lunch at Tiffin’s today was very dissapointing and what used to be a great restaurant is now a very average one. I ordered a mature cheese toastie and coffee which coast £11. A price I’m more than happy to pay for what I used to know as exceptionally good food when I often frequented for lunch a few years ago. I moved away and now recently back into the area and was looking forward to another Tiffin lunch. I could see that changes had been made but the decor was still nice and the staff friendly. The cheese toastie however was hugely disappointing. The rustic brown wholemeal doorsteps I used to so enjoy had been replaced by thin, pre-sliced, sweet, soggy supermarket bread. The cheese was hardly melted and the toastie was unappealing in taste, texture and presentation. Something I may expect to pay around £3 for at a local cafe.

We visited Alresford recently and came across Tiffin Tea Rooms. The menu is interesting and let it be said, my savoury tea for one tasted good. My husband ate the Lemon and LIme sponge cake. However, our visit was marred by very poor and slow service. We are patient people, but at one point I considered leaving my pavement table and going elsewhere after three reminders that we were outside and ready to order. Sadly the knife provided was encrusted with old food. In our very British way, we decided to make no more fuss and I cleaned it with my own wet wipe. Unlikely to visit again.

We counted 50 types of tea and the ones we selected were absolutely delicious. It was cosy, nicely decorated and very friendly. We stayed longer than we had planned to as it was such a nice place to be. Service was excellent. Would highly recommend.

Everything about these tea rooms is traditionally English and exquisite. Exceptional friendly service. Really lovely tea served in proper old tea fashioned tea cups. The setting is beautiful and it’s so cosy you feel like never leaving. Great cakes and food too.

Good tea, coffee, cake and sandwich stop. Very clean and very busy. Obviously popular with locals and tourists alike.

A lovely little tea room, with a great selection of teas and things to eat - cream teas, watercress sandwiches and home made cakes. Service was good and speedy and the tea was delicious!

I was visiting Alresford to shop for clothes and found Tiffin Tea Rooms for lunch. I chose Cauliflower Cheese, but the waitress returned to say they’d run out. Shame the Chef hadn’t told her. Instead I had a baked potato with cheese and beans which was ok. It’s a lovely cafe though the staff could be better.

The tea room itself is very pretty and well decorated. The young girls at the front were chatting when we arrived and didn’t offer menus or clear our table so we had to wait for the owner to come out and clear it. Once they finished chatting one girl came and took our order and once there was very pleasant and friendly. Not really complaining but just a little word in their ears would do the trick. We had two jackets, coffee cake each and a drink and have no complaints whatsoever. Everything was delicious. Little on the pricey side at £31 but would definitely go again.

Having visited many times and had excellent service and food we brought our family yesterday and the service was terrible!

Visited for lunch with friends on my birthday. Lovely place! Atmosphere lovely, staff very friendly and helpful and food delicious! Really good quality home made food! Highly recommend.

We visited this tea room on a Saturday afternoon however we got a table for the four of us.

Highly recommended bike Friendly tea room in Alresford. A pot of tea for one makes four cups and the cakes are to die for. Friendly staff and seats out the front and to the rear so you can keep your eye on your pride and joy. The villages around Alresford make for great, traffic free riding. Highly recommended!

...given all these glowing reviews.

Fantastic place for lunch or afternoon tea. Food is good quality and plentiful. Huge choice of teas. Great cakes

Stepped in to a small tea shop for a quick ice cream to cool us in the mid day heat following a 2 hour drive. Ended up stopping for tea and cake. What a fantastic range of teas ranging from the common to the unusual all served in vintage china. Absolutely lovely as were the scrumptious home made cakes served in a portion large enough for 2! A lovely place to sit and chat over a decent cup of tea.

After a long morning walk we wanted to find a little cafe for a late brunch. As we drove through Alresford I spotted Tiffin Tea rooms. Once in the tea rooms we found a beautiful courtyard at the back and we had a lovely brunch. I would highly recommend the egg and bacon muffin with a cup of loose leaf tea of your choice.

Reserved a table in the courtyard for our group of 6. Excellent service, lovely loose tea in pots. Our second visit and we'll be back.

We went to Tiffin's a couple of days ago and had a cracking lunch. Toasted sandwich and a lovely goats cheese and pepper quiche.... generous helpings and all topped off by a pot of 'House Tea' which was full of flavour.

Anyone who appreciates good quality tea will enjoy Tiffin Tea Rooms. Their range of teas is superb, and features both classic and more unusual varieties. it's also possible to buy packs of tea to enjoy the experience at home, or to share with others. I'm not a coffee drinker, but one of my fellow diners assured me that the range of coffees was equally marvellous. The food is home made. Baking is clearly a strong point of Tiffin Tea Rooms, and the savoury scone - made with strong cheese and local watercress (which is a Hampshire speciality) - was extremely enjoyable.

Sat here for 15 mins and were ignored. Gave up and went to Caracoli’s instead. Lots of waitresses and waiters clearing tables but took no notice of us.

6 of us stopped off here where the staff made us feel more than welcome. Busy little cafe and popular with all ages. What a lovely surprise to be served loose leaf tea and extra hot water to top the pots up. 2 of our group opted for the homemade boiled fruitcake; so good they asked for the recipe. The service was prompt and efficient. We'll be back in the summer and will reserve a table in the courtyard.

We stopped here for a cuppa in between meetings and were not disappointed.

An end of half-term treat which proved very enjoyable experience. Pleasant setting with range of seating options, not overly large so may get busy at times. Lovely range of vintage china complemented the table. Prompt service, good range of tasty home cakes and extensive selection of teas - the house tea was very good. Decent price for visit. Lovely chocolate shop attached to the tearoom with amazing range of chocolates which I didn't try on this occasion, will definitely visit again.

Had a very yummy breakfast here with a nice pot of speciaity tea which was the best tea Ive had for ages. Breakfast was also good, scrambled eggs mushroom and thick crusty toast.

I had lunch at The Globe and then I wandered around Alresford taking photos for several hours. It was getting chilly and I still had some time before catching my bus so I had a coffee in the Tiffin Tea Rooms. It's a pretty little place and the lady who served me was very friendly. I also bought one of the (much) reduced boxes of Christmas chocolates on the table by the counter (very good value!).

Popped in for a quick light lunch. Great savoury score e and I enjoyed my paninni. Extensive selection of teas too. Would recommend!

Beautiful little tea room in the high street with amazing cakes and a traditional cafe menu. Happy and friendly service, and relaxed artmosphere.

Had a great lunch in this lovely cafe at the weekend. The menu has a great selection with all freshly prepared food. For tea drinkers there seems to be a good choice of tea served in a tea pot that actually pours properly!!! The associated chocolate shop has a lovely array of choccies to buy plus a wide selection of teas for sale. The staff are very friendly and service was swift. So nice to go to an independent venue rather than all these chain coffeeshops/cafes.

The best thing about this place is the warm and genuine service. It makes the food taste better.