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    Magna Carta Tea Room

    4.0 (1 review)

    Magna Carta Tea Room Photos

    Recommended Reviews - Magna Carta Tea Room

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    14 years ago

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    Momo Cafe - pork dumplings

    Momo Cafe

    3.6(11 reviews)
    1.5 miStaines
    £££

    I'm not a fan of pan-Asian restaurants but Momo was friendly and quirky. The laksa was yummy…read morealthough could have used slightly more kick and could have benefitted from a better bowl. Definitely a likeable local joint.

    I just stumbled into this place on my last day in town. I wish I'd discovered it sooner... I…read morewould've gone back multiple times! This little mom 'n' pop restaurant serves Japanese (sushi and sashimi), Chinese (dumplings), and Malaysian cuisine (Laksa, etc.). I asked and the chef is apparently ethnically Chinese, but grew up partly in Japan and spent 15 years in the restaurant industry there. My server (the chef's sister-in-law and I'm guessing also a/the proprietor) spoke fluent Mandarin, and when I revealed that I spoke Mandarin as well, she immediately recommended the pork dumplings. (At first she had simply said that everything was good.) The pork dumplings were indeed good. Very similar to what I enjoyed in northern China. Just be aware, that while advertised as plain dumplings, they came out pan-fried on the bottom, like pot-stickers. I tried the salmon & tuna sashimi, which was very fresh, soft, and delicious. Finally, I tried the laksa with udon noodles. They warned me that it would be a little bit spicy. I said a little spicy to medium spicy is ok... It came out with almost no heat. I finished the whole bowl and my lips barely tingled. I'm from southern California, so maybe I'm used to spicier things and their spice levels have been adjusted for the local palate. I'd say this was the only somewhat disappointing dish I tried, but it was still good. Maybe next time I'd just ask for it hotter or with hot sauce on the side. And I got the goji berry tea, which was served with rock sugar. I didn't ask if other sweetener options were available, but if you require others you might want to come prepared. They do have some vegetarian options. I was tempted by one of their salads, but that will have to wait until my next visit. As other commenters have mentioned, the decor is kitschy and cozy, and I might even add entertaining. There was a knit art installation filling the entire main window. The proprietor was delightful. Eavesdropped kitchen banter was happy, adding to the cozy atmosphere. If I lived in Staines, I would come here all the time. [By the way, you might think the place is named after the book 'Momo' by Michael Ende (author of The Neverending Story), of which there are copies in several languages on one of their bookshelves. But I asked and it's not. It's just a word that's easy to remember and pronounce and has positive or neutral meanings in several Asian languages.]

    Photos
    Momo Cafe - Malaysian laksa with udon noodles

    Malaysian laksa with udon noodles

    Momo Cafe - Goji berry tea with rock sugar

    Goji berry tea with rock sugar

    Momo Cafe - Salmon and tuna sashimi (7 pcs.)

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    Salmon and tuna sashimi (7 pcs.)

    Gibtel Cafe - Front door, but nobody is there

    Gibtel Cafe

    1.0(1 review)
    3.4 mi

    We arrived early and the front door was locked but there were no signs on where to go. We wondered…read morearound the property which is now shared with an auto sales lot and car wash. I noticed several rooms and they appeared to have people living in them permanently. I went into a door to find the Cafe and observed lots of furniture, trash, and household items and it was evident people were living in the kitchen area and restaurant areas. A man finally approached us in the parking lot and asked to see my confirmation information. I told him I would feel more comfortable going to the front desk. He made a phone call after a back and forth argument with me and a lady came out and said there was no front desk and we couldn't check till 3 pm. I felt uncomfortable leaving our luggage there, but did anyway. We went to a pub down the street and had a nice lunch and killed a few hours. The room: There are open carpet tack strips with no flooring in the hall/entry area. The room was very small, basic, and undecorated. There is a power strip with one open UK outlet, small TV, microwave, refrigerator, room heater, and water kettle. There is a desk, nightstand, and makeshift closet. There is no AC or fan in the room but it did have windows that could be opened. It was warm (84F) and had no breeze and the windows opened up to the backyard area. The worst part was several of the residents would smoke in the backyard and the cigarette smoke would go into our room even though there were signs that said no smoking on premises. Other things that bothered me: shower and bathroom were very slippery, bathroom fan was very loud, shower leaked, was not very hot, and the shower door was loose. TV remote didn't work. Towels and sheets were air dried outside (same area the smokers smoke at) and were very stiff and rough. Loud music/bass nearby in the area until late at night. It was a truly terrible experience and I deeply regret booking this lodge. Booking.com needs to remove this listing from their options immediately.

    Photos
    Gibtel Cafe - Smokers right outside windows and where laundry dries.

    Smokers right outside windows and where laundry dries.

    Gibtel Cafe - Floor with tack strips

    Floor with tack strips

    Gibtel Cafe - "Cafe"

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    "Cafe"

    Magna Carta Tea Room - coffee - Updated May 2026

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