A visit to Bath wouldn’t be complete without a stop for afternoon tea at one of the city’s many charming tea shops. A standout amongst the options is the Hands Georgian Tearooms, offering a lovely afternoon tea in a Georgian-style tearoom located right in the center of the old town, just a stones throw from both Bath Abbey and the ancient Roman spa.
Housed in a Grade II listed historical building, the tearoom was once home to the Hands Dairy. Founded in 1860 by Charles Hands, the dairy soon became a successful enterprise in the city of Bath, making clotted cream and other dairy products for delivery around town. That legacy persists to this day, as the tea room serves locally made clotted cream with every plate of scones.
The interior of the tearoom is painted in shades of pale blue and cream colored plaster moldings of classical Greek motifs adorn the walls and ceilings, a popular Georgian-era style of decor. Adding to the historical charm are re-creations of famous historical works of art from throughout Bath’s history, which hang grandly from the tearoom’s walls. Servers also dress in traditional attire from the Georgian-era, with long black dresses, white aprons and bonnets.
Sitting outside in the tearoom’s courtyard is a great way to soak in the historical grandeur of city. With the magnificent Bath Abbey on one side, the ancient Roman spa on the other and the piazza-like Kingston Parade in the middle, it feels like you’re having afternoon tea in ancient Rome.
I ordered the tearoom’s traditional High Tea, which came with a pot of tea, scones with clotted cream and jam, two slices of the tearoom’s freshly baked cakes and choice of two sandwiches.
For the tea selection I ordered the tearoom’s special English breakfast blend, a strong black tea with a nice malty aftertaste, served in beautiful blue and white antique fine bone china.
For the sandwiches I chose roast beef with cream cheese sandwich and cranberry with brie, which had generous amounts of brie cheese and a delicious homemade cranberry relish that was just the right amount of sweet and tart.
The scones were quite large and had a nice buttermilk flavor.
For the desserts I selected a slice of the tearoom’s Victorian sandwich cake, made with two layers of buttery vanilla sponge filled with buttercream and strawberry preserves and a coffee walnut sandwich cake, filled with a coffee buttercream.
I really enjoyed my afternoon tea experience at the Hands Georgian Tearooms. I especially appreciated being able to sit in the outdoor courtyard with the spectacular view of the abbey and the ancient Roman spa. It’s a great place to take a break from the hustle and bustle of Bath while enjoying a hot cup of tea and a light lunch.
Find out more about the Hands Georgian Tearooms here.
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