Love for the Locals: Dishington's Tea Room

So, I got a Groupon a while back for Dishington's Tea Room, but didn't realize at the time that I'd have to take 3 bus transfers to get there. That was when I ended up going to The Bag Lady with Cat. I finally got the chance to go when one of my classmates, Heather offered to drive. Heather, myself, and another classmate, Elyse, went to Dishington's Tea Room for a late lunch/afternoon tea, and it was lovely.

Dishington's Tea Room (2485 Main Street, London, ON) is actually in a little area called Lambeth, which is slightly outside of London, but was about a 20ish minute drive from the University of Western Ontario campus, so it wasn't too bad. It looks like a little house, and it's actually a tea room on one side, and a gift shop on the other. Elyse said that it reminded her of her grandmother's house. Sometimes, I wish I had a set of European grandparents so that I could say the same. This type of place is so much more my speed compared to nightclubs and bars and pubs. It's such a relaxed atmosphere, and good food and company makes it even better!

Dishington's seems like a rather small operation, but it's these little local places that have so much character and somehow, the better food. They also serve high tea from 11am-2pm, but must be booked 2 days in advance. It seems like it'd be worth a try at some point! It comes on a three-tiered stand full of sandwiches, desserts, and scones, as well as your choice of coffee or tea!

After an adventure somewhere out on the highway, we made it!

The front waiting area. It was half tea room, and half gift shop, as you can see the racks of shirts on the right.

Waiting to be seated in the tea room! The lady in the pink shirt is the front of house and server. I wish I had gotten her name...

I took this when we were leaving because it was the end of the afternoon tea time, so everyone had cleared out. Good for me though!

Look at how cute the menus are! I love bows and ribbon... *_*

Their tea cozies were like little pouches rather than the ones that go over top and cover the tea pot. So cute!

Elyse and I shared a pot of Earl Grey...theirs is nice! Not too overly fragrant, and not too citrusy and instanty. Some day, I will learn the real terminology of a true tea connoisseur... 

Our table was right next to the fireplace. It's a real fireplace! It was so nice and toasty :) The trimming on the wall was so cute. It had pictures of various fancy tea pots with names of different kinds of teas like Earl Grey, English Breakfast, Darjeeling, etc.

The special of the day was a strata, which the lady described as a quiche without the pastry. I couldn't bare to part with my pastry, so I ordered a salmon-dill quiche. Everything on the menu came with a choice of soup or salad, so I picked the soup of the day - a carrot puree soup with apple and rhubarb, and a sprinkle of cinnamon on top. It was sooo delicious...I don't know if cozy is a proper term to describe the texture of soup, but that's what it was. Mmm...

Heather let me take a picture of her food, ha. She also chose the soup of the day, but with the Smoked Turkey and Havarti sandwich. It had cranberry mayo (?), slices of cucumber, and romaine lettuce leaves on what they called "ancient grain bread". It looked delicious... it was going to be my choice if I hadn't gone with the quiche.

They had two dessert specials. One was a fudge brownie served with vanilla icecream, and I chose the other - a piece of carrot-pecan coffee cake with caramel drizzle and Devon cream. Although I won't be able to have any more dairy for today, it was so worth it. The streussel was done just right, and nothing about the sweetness was overpowering. Probably the best coffee cake I've ever had.

I stole a bite from Heather's rhubarb pie too, also served with Devon cream. The crust was not too thick or thin, and the pie filling wasn't too tart or sweet. Heather said it was easily the best rhubarb pie she'd ever had and she would come back for it.

I love finding these local eateries and sharing the experience with company. It just makes the whole package, you know? It would be even better if P was here, but until that happens, I'll have to manage with my London friends! If you have access to a vehicle or to someone with a vehicle, I would encourage you to try Dishington's for lunch or afternoon tea! 

-M