We managed to score a table in the packed wee cafe, sitting down while the evacuees, a mother and three or four year old little girl, were only metres away. The staff were very friendly and told us while clearing the table, that a cupcake had been in order for the previous little girl due to a particularly nasty doctors visit. I thought how delightful this place would be as a child, however looking around the majority of the clientele were alot older.
After ordering a cup of tea, chocolate milkshake, mini cupcake, lemon curd cupcake and lemon meringue pie between us, we sat down to our grown-up tea party (or feast) to taste, nibble and sip, before a verdict could be reached.
I will admit that while the cupcakes were in pretty little cases they were particularly dry. A disappointment similar to that found at the "Cupcake Parlor" in Christchurch. Perhaps they were stale. Despite this they did look the part and were decadently decorated with layers of icing. I thought the lemon curd cupcake's stale interior was disguised, a little, by the large dollop of delicious lemon curd in the middle. This, I thought, was a very nice idea indeed.
The real winners of the day was the chocolate milkshake and lemon meringue pie. The pie looked homemade with a rustic feel. The pastry was thin, crisp and sweet, which was pair perfectly with a tangy lemon curd and a velvety meringue which floated on top. The shake sprinkled with real chocolate and full of creamy ice-creamy goodness. Even two men in orange vests, who I assume were contractors, were sitting at the corner table (possibly on lunch break) slurping one each. The shake was definitely an afternoon tea by itself. It was huge!
In conclusion I would recommend this cute wee little place, however perhaps not for the cupcakes.
I was inspired by the lemon curd cupcakes, therefore went home and made myself some nice moist ones (one is shown below). I will share the recipe in my next post.
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