5 Cosy Tea Rooms in Cambridge (by a Local!)
LOOKING FOR THE BEST TEA ROOMS IN CAMBRIDGE?
Then you’re in the right place because I live in Cambridge and have sipped my way through the city’s top tea rooms, scouting out everything from the quirkiest spots to tranquil riverside retreats and even vegan-friendly tea havens.
Cambridge boasts some of the finest tea rooms you’ll find anywhere, catering to all preferences and budgets. We’ve got elegant hotels, cosy nooks by the river, and a lot of delicious cake!
Dive into my detailed ratings below, browse the reviews, and find the spot that’s just right for you.
1. Fitzbillies
📍 51-52 Trumpington St, Cambridge CB2 1RG & 36 Bridge St, Cambridge CB2 1UW
☕ Website
Fitzbillies is one of the oldest cafes in Cambridge, going through a couple of periods of bankruptcy to get where they are now.
They are most famous for their Chelsea buns but also do a very well-proportioned afternoon tea with a good drink selection.
Unlike some of the other establishments, you do not come away from Fitzbillies feeling absolutely stuffed!
Their Trumpington Street branch has a wide variety of food, while the smaller Bridge Street cafe is more of a traditional tea room, with plenty of cakes and buns available.
Fitzbillies bake their products themselves, and their scones are among the best I’ve had, soft on the inside with a firmness to the outside.
There’s also a good selection of teas from around the world, with your tea pot filled up with hot water at regular intervals, and price-wise this is one of the cheapest places for tea in Cambridge.
You can also get cream tea at Fitzbillies, which I would highly recommend if you are not hungry enough for afternoon tea, just because of the high quality of the scones.
😋At a Glance:
traditional setting and ideal if you are not super hungry
2. Parker’s Tavern at University Arms
📍 52-42 Regent St, Cambridge CB2 1AD
☕ Website
Only re-opened a few years ago after a major renovation, Parker’s Tavern is in one of my favourite hotels in Cambridge, the University Arms, with a traditional high-end hotel feel to the lobby and restaurant, and stunning views over Parker’s Piece.
They have a fairly large restaurant and attached small-ish lounge which is a lovely place for tea.
Sandwiches are suited to the high-end environment, with options including quiche, smoked salmon and creme fraiche, and a take-home gingerbread man if you have afternoon tea in the winter.
😋At a Glance:
traditional hotel with a high-class finish
3. The Orchard Tea Room, Grantchester
📍 47 Mill Way, Grantchester, Cambridge
☕ Website
Located a short walk down the river from Cambridge, you can sit out in the garden on deckchairs for a cream tea, or go into the cafe building for a proper pot of tea with big slabs of cake.
It’s one of the most expensive and you have to book if you’re also stopping for afternoon tea, so for me, this is a better spot for a cream tea in Cambridge, as you can just turn up without booking, although you will struggle to find a table on a nice day in the summer.
😋At a Glance:
deckchairs on a sunny meadow
4. Michaelhouse Cafe
📍 St Michael’s Church, Trinity St, Cambridge CB2 1SU
☕ Website
Although it’s a fairly standard cafe, the Michaelhouse Cafe is unique in being inside an active church.
It’s a lovely building to sit in and have tea and cake, and there are also a few seats in their courtyard outside if the weather’s nice.
Because it’s very central in Cambridge, it does tend to get busy in the middle of the day, as they do serve lunch in addition to sweet treats.
It’s definitely one of the most charming cafes in Cambridge, although this isn’t really a place to linger as the seats are a bit school-cafeteria.
😋At a Glance:
take tea inside a church!
5. Bould Brothers
📍 16 Round Church St, Cambridge CB5 8AD & 88 Regent St, Cambridge CB2 1DP
🍵 Website
More of a coffee shop than a traditional tea room, Bould Brothers are my favourite place in Cambridge to sit down for a hot drink and a pastry.
They do serve tea in addition to fantastic coffee and hot chocolate, and their pastries are far better than the chain coffee shop varieties.
I would even go as far as to say that they make the best coffee that I’ve ever had, which I know is quite a strong claim, but I really do like their flat whites.
They don’t give you a massive cup like some other places, and they do something to make their milk awesome, which makes you realise how little attention other coffee shops actually pay to the drinks that they make.
The smaller Bould Brothers’ branch near the Round Church is the original, but you rarely find a free seat on a nice weekend, so I prefer their larger Regent Street branch (which still gets very busy in the middle of the day).
😋At a Glance:
Cambridge’s best coffee shop
Which are the Best Tea Rooms in Cambridge City Centre
- You can have traditional teas at Fitzbillies in Cambridge, plus there are lots of food options. Their Bridge Street branch is the nicest for whiling away an afternoon.
- The Orchard at Grantchester is ideal if you want to sit outside in deckchairs in the sun, but it’s less fun in winter!
- Bould Brothers is the top coffee house in Cambridge, and you can easily sit in either one of their cosy cafes all day.
If you’ve found any other favourite places, then let me know in the comments below!
Read More:
REALLY URGENT
Hi Tim, if you’re still doing this and you know where I can easily-reliably get some reliably-right-season mellow Darjeeling Tea, either Leaf or ‘bags, from either a shop or a tearoom, in the Cambridge-ish area, please can you let me know via a helpful gent that might be trying to get me some tomorrow [Sat 4-May-2024]?
I am struggling to get the right mixture for several weeks/some months now from supermarkets and a decent-seeming batch bought from a smaller outlet was bitter ; and I am struggling to cope without my accustomedly- delicately mild usual tea.
Seeing your review-website whereon you bother to tell people what venues are like made me think you might be able to help with Darjeeling info too…?
L ,
Cam’shire
Sorry, I missed this but in any case Cambridge is not really the place for traditional teas that you can buy in loose leaf form.
I believe Fitzbillies serves Darjeeling, but I don’t think you can buy it separately, and the tea stalls on the market and nearby tend to sell blends rather than single-origin teas.
The only place likely to sell Darjeeling is Whittards, but I’m not sure that counts as high quality. You would be better off looking online – I’ve used Yawn Brew before and they’re really good for single-origin tea.