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Thursday 17 October 2013

Saturday Afternoon Tea at Cox & Baloney

Afternoon tea in Bristol has been steadily making a bit of a comeback, it has definitely gained in popularity with more venues offering the service. About two Saturdays ago it was gloriously sunny and actually pretty hot, I had a date with Jamie and Jane and we were off to try Cox & Baloney on Cheltenham road.  We arrived around 2.30 and it was really busy, we had stupidly not booked a table but luckily fate was smiling down on us that day and a table was just exiting.  First off the bat Cox & Baloney is right up my street decor wise full of kitsch nicknacks and a shop next door with vintage clothing and petticoats galore. 
Cox and Baloney
wonderful record player sideboard providing the music
We sat down at a little table with mismatched chairs and a lovely chintzy tablecloth and enjoyed our surroundings. The first thing I will say is that the theme running through our visit there was the service. Everything took for ever to happen, our order was placed, then checked, then rechecked and then it arrived slightly wrong, the staff were really sweet but it all seemed a bit disordered. As I said it was really busy so it could have been an off day, however I have heard reports after  mentioning this to friends that they have had similar experiences.
Cox and Baloney menu

The menu was full of tempting delights and I kicked myself for having scoffed a bucket load of macaron's earlier in the day, for wedding food testing purposes of course, so I really didn't fancy a cream tea. Luckily Cox & Baloney have a good dose of non cakey things to please those of a more savoury tooth. Jane and Jamie both picked Ethel's cream tea tower for two and I settled on one of Thelma's toasties the mature cheddar, slow roasted ham and local chutney plus a pot of Daisy's homebrew tea, a mix of Earl grey and English breakfast.

Cox and Baloney

Cox and Baloney
Cox and Baloney
toastie
Cox and Baloney

As you can see the presentation for the cream tea was beautiful and according to the girls tasted amazing. It did make me rather jealous that I had not ordered one but there was no way my low level of sugar tolerance could take any more sugar that day. However my toastie was rather delicious, the cheddar was nice and strong, the ham thick but the pièce de résistance was that local chutney, it was sublime, forget your Branston pickle this was the real deal. It was tangy, sweet and yet very moreish, yes I realise this is just a chutney but oh what a chutney! I would love to know where this came from so if anyone has any tip offs let me know. 

Cox and Baloney
So the verdict? Cox & Baloney is a paradise for kitsch lovers like me, their food certainly cuts the mustard they just need to work on the service. However if you have no time limits do spend a leisurely afternoon in their comfy armchairs it is a wonderful way to while away the upcoming Autumnal days with a hot cup of tea in a proper teacup and saucer. I am looking forward to returning to sample the full afternoon tea experience, I shall clear a whole afternoon to devote to it's greatness. To check out what Cox & Baloney have to offer visit their website.

3 comments:

  1. Hiya, can you describe to me who served you please?

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    1. Hi, I was present with the other two ladies that afternoon. It was a young guy who served us. There were three errors in that order we made. Firstly, the wrong tea was served and we were given a small pot of tea to share between two (we ordered Ethel's cream tea for two) whilst our friend was given a large pot of tea for just herself. The food arrived but it wasn't the Ethel's cream tea we ordered but that was changed very swiftly by another lady.

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  2. Too many young students working there who can't give hood enough service, Thats all that let's the place down. Its so great otherwise and would highly recommend

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