Brilliant tea room specialising in loads of different teas. Very friendly and helpful staff and relaxed atmosphere. Also does great cakes and very nice breakfasts (but don't expect a big fry up). Well worth a visit. read more

Unfortunately, the one thing that I always remember about this place is that they forgot my marshmallows. I paid extra for marshmallows, and when my hot chocolate came it was without the little mountain of tiny marshmallows I was expecting. I was still fairly new to Cardiff at the time, and a little shy, so I sat quietly and hoped that perhaps they had sunk to the bottom and I'd find them as I started drinking. Sadly, however, no marshmallows were to be found, and then it was too late to do anything about it. This aside, Waterloo Gardens Teahouse is a lovely little shop, in the quiet area of Penylan with a nice selection of drinks and cakes, and comfy sofas. The coffee is fair-trade, there is a wide variety of tea, and they change the art on the walls regularly, exhibiting a different artist each month, which is a nice touch. Just make sure they give you the marshmallows you're paying for. read more

As you can tell from most the reviews, this place really is a champion of tea retailers. There is something wonderfully charming and British about a shop that celebrates the small delicate luxuries of this world; it's a common saying that true joy is found in the small things, and tea and cake are two very excellent examples of this. I am a very big fan of fine tea, and will admit tentatively to being a little bit of a connoisure in the realm. The tea that is sold in the Waterloo Gardens Teahouse ranges form average to superb. The leaves are always fresh and well cared for. The correct amounts are used (obvious, perhaps, but important nonetheless!) and I've never had a bad brew. They follow rules like 'put green tea in the water a little after it's boiled, or else it'll burn, which pleases me greatly. The atmosphere in this tearoom is lovely, British, quaint and quirky; in short, it's the kind of place I challenge everyone not to love. read more

I'm a huge tea fan so this place is ideal. There's a really good selection of wonderful teas, and the proper kind too. The ones that are brewed with brilliant and exotic tea leaves. Yo can find something light (like a white tea) to have and feel pure, cleansed and calm, before noshing down on a hefty slice of cake. read more

This award-winning café has a legendary selection of loose leaf teas - around 50 different types, I believe - although for coffee lovers it also serves up a very fine cup of espresso or latte, too. This stylish café was named 'best Coffee Shop' in the UK in 2009 by the prestigious Beverage Service Association Awards Committee, in their Bev-E Best Beverage Experience Awards. It's bright and airy inside, and behind the counter there are high wooden shelves like an old-fashioned apothecary full of jars of various loose teas - many of their which were first place winners at the World Tea Championships, apparently, so they obviously select them very carefully. I'll move on to desserts, however, as I'm no expert on the tea front. So, the cakes. They do some really delicious and slightly unusual ones, mostly gluten-free, including chocolate and beetroot (which is gorgeous!), toffee and apple, sweet potato and mixed berries, and even courgette with lime frosting (though I'm not a fan of courgettes, so I've avoided this one). They don't make these themselves, but they are bought in fresh from local Cardiff bakers. The teahouse also houses an art gallery and sells teaware, which you can have a browse around while you're there. Local artists can get in touch if they're interested in exhibiting their work on their walls. read more

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This cafe is a very unique and a really beautiful cafe. It is a very different place to relax; eat and drink in and to chill out with friends in, compared to any other building within Cardiff, and that is referring to the whole of Cardiff. They are the only cafe sitting in this city where they have the place decorated in tea cups and tea pots on the shelves. This place is based in Penylan, not far from Colchester Avenue. You will enjoy a lovely and a cheery atmosphere with tea and cake for very reasonable prices. The teas are served from award-wining estates, serving the finest artisan of teas. There was a World Tea Championship in 2008 and seven teas where voted Best, such as; White Tea, Earl Grey, Breakfast and Jasmine. You are allowed to book your seats before you attend the building. At 2pm here they offer you sanctuary from the busyness of your hectic lives. I recommend this to all... read more

Very pleased with my first visit. I'm pretty picky when it comes to tea and coffee, having worked previously as a barista. I am really impressed with the artistry of their coffee here; I didn't order one myself, but I was carefully observing the craftsmanship of the staff (who I suspected to be the owner) who was making the coffee, and you can totally tell the care and acute knowledge he has in preparing the drinks. Each beverage was foamed perfectly with beautiful latte art. I'm definitely getting myself one of those babies next time. I instead ordered a pot of sencha sakura tea. I originally wanted the matcha green tea latte, which they happened to be out of, but their staff recommended the sencha sakura instead, which came out to be a good suggestion--it had a nice subtle roastiness that was similar to what I was looking for in the matcha. My boyfriend and I also shared a slice of lime and pistachio cake, a vanilla cupcake with (I think) lemon frosting and a scone with jam and cream--all of these tasted homemade, the sponges were nice and moist and the frostings were perfectly sweet and smooth and textured. He also got himself a hot chocolate; I would've preferred it to be a little richer, but it still hit the spot very well and it was nicely dusted with high-quality dark chocolate that sates the palates just right. Their service was also very friendly and helpful. I'll have to try their savory foods next time. With everything we've gotten, I believe the total came out to be 13 pounds. If this level of quality and service is consistent for future visits, this will go up to a five-star rating. Also, beautiful decor--both charming and zen-like without being pretentious and hipstery. It's conveniently located next to Waterloo Gardens, which is a nice stroll after filling oneself up with these delicacies. read more

Went to Waterloo Tea yesterday having found it here on Qype. What an absolutely wonderful place to relax and wind down! The young man who served me was very friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. I took his recommendation for tea and cake and they were both delicious... in fact, the carrot cake was the best I have ever tasted with a frosting that tasted of the creamiest ice cream! Absolutely loved the place and will definitly be returning soon and with friends next time! If you are looking for somewhere to have a nice, quality, relaxing hour with tea as it should be made and cakes to give your diet up for - Waterloo Tea is the place to be! read more

Waterloo Gardens Teahouse on Penylan Road is just a short stroll away from the bustling shopping mecca of Wellfield Road, but has a delightfully tranquil ambience. Voted 'Best National Coffee Shop' in the 2009 Bev-E Awards, it serves more than 50 loose leaf teas to the discerning tea drinker. The owner, Kas Ali, has chosen a wide variety of teas and coffee, including many organic varieties. Fair Trade brews are also well represented. All the staff are specially trained in the art of tea preparation and presentation, and have some gorgeously yummy home made cakes to tempt you. read more

If Qype had six stars I would award them to this delightful place. I visited it today and had the full afternoon tea and what a treat! The first delightful surprise is the amazing choice of teas and all served "properly", as tea should be served, none of those ghastly teabags, real tea leaves!!! Hurrah! From then on it was sheer delectation, gorgeous finger sandwiches, moist and lush cakes, warm scones with clotted cream and jam... a tea lover's dream and all this feast for over £11. This place deserves a prize and the staff and owners a monument for resurrecting the art of tea drinking. read more

Is this the best cafe in the land? Well, someone thinks so, because it won 'Best Cafe of the Year 2009'. And I am in love with the place. This is a gently sophisticated palace of tea and cakey splendour, well worth the pleasant detour. It sits on a beautiful street, overlooking a little park with an old shop front. Enter it and you will see a smattering of well-populated tables bathed in a soft yellow light, a delightful cake vitrine and a wall filled with metal cannisters, filled with prized teas collected from around the world. These teas have won their place on the wall by winning prizes. I sipped on silver needle white tea and Jo had a bergamot infused rooibos - a green tea Earl Grey substitute. Both were exquisite. They make paninis and soup and tea can be accompanied by a wonderful selection of cake. We had a slice each of 'Coffee and Tia Maria' and 'Courgette and Lime'(flavoured cream-cheese toppings). The coffee one was an utter delight but I didn't go so much for the lime, as I suspect it was made with bicarb of soda and that's not my cup of tea. We saw a group of young women come for a full-on afternoon tea and they were greeted by pots of tea and an elegant three-tired cake-stand with cake and cream-stacked scones. So much thought has gone into the place. They've sourced some really good tea-pots and these are available to purchase, as are the teas themselves. We came away with 50g of the rooibos. Excuse me while I slip off to recreate the experience now with a cafetiere! ;) Thank you to the thoughtful staff who took care of us. read more

What a find! It's such a great place to go for afternoon tea and a gossip with your friends. the amount of different teas they have is amazing and the cakes are mainly gluten free which is fantastic. Whenever I have been i have had to wait for a table because the place is so popularbut you will need this time to choose your tea anyway! The staff are friendly and it's worth waiting to sample the tea. read more

Wow what a choice of fresh loose leaf tea and amazing coffee, Also displays local art and is very popular with locals which can sometimes mean you cannot get a seat, especially on sundays for high and cream teas so book in advamce. Very cute..wonderful atmosphere and knowledgable staff read more

Actually found out about this place through Qype, despite the fact I live only about 600m from there! Went there for a simple pot of tea to test the waters (excuse the pun), and was pleasantly surprised to find out that they actually knew something about tea! Waterloo Gardens has a great range of well-sourced loose tea, perfectly prepared. As with Laura's review, I must concur that you have to book to get a table I visited on a Tuesday and was lucky to get a table. The staff are lovely and the decor is kooky, but thats fine it is well worth a visit! read more

Amazing range of teas, decent coffee, friendly staff and great cakes! It's also in a pretty part of Roath looking onto a small park. The chocolate, orange and chilli cake is fantastic. read more

Like a decent cuppa? well, not sure if they can supply my standard favourite which is Builder Tea (four sugars luv) but they can offer everything else from all over the world. From your green teas to darkest. tangiest black teas. The white teas are delicate and refreshing. And don;t get me started about the cakes mmmm. Just a great place to go for afternoon tea and a relaxing chat with friends although be warned it can get very busy and it isn't cheap but then quality never is (however, a basic two cup pot of decent regular blend is within anyone's budget). read more

Having read the above reviews, it was a great disappointment. Overpriced and noisy. I found the staff rude, unfriendly and condescending, and lacked knowledge about the teas they were selling. If you suffer any hearing deficiency, the hard surfaces and confined space add up to a nightmare cacophony. Impossible to have a quiet conversation with a friend. I came out of there with a headache. On the plus side, the tea was good and the accompanying cake tasty. However, they'll have to work hard at the prices, atmosphere and staff etiquette to get me back. I'm sorry to say, it's a thumbs down from me and my wife. read more

Lovely and pretty tea shop with very cool tea pots and cups,very unusual and delicious cakes (things like sewwt potatoe and ginger) as well as traditional favourites . read more