Estate Tea Company — Restaurant in Newcastle upon Tyne

This amazing cafe got me through my degree and is hands-down the best spot in Newcastle. I don't know where I would be without its late opening times, thurs-sun and the combination of tea/cocktail goodness! The tea is absolutely to die for here and has turned me into an adventurous tea addict and the food is equally excellent! I actually love the beef chazuke so much that I begged for the recipe and the kindest chef ever let me see how to make it. So, so lovely! I can't thank this place enough. The staff really are treasures; they make the tea so perfectly that you can practically refill your teapot endlessly, and it will still be delicious, as well as being so kind and welcoming. They even remembered my regular cocktail order, which just shows their attention to customers! (Earl Grey Highball, btw, it is the best, and everyone must drink it) Even though I have sat in this cafe for whole days at a time with my computer, and must have been an annoyance, the staff have always made me feel welcomed here and deserve endless praises for how wonderful they are. I am so sad to finish my degree because it means I will say goodbye to this place: the best spot in Newcastle! Thank you so much, Estate...

Really mixed feelings here. The staff are always nice and friendly, the coffees and cakes are of high quality and the setting is pleasant enough, but - as someone mentioned in a previous review - the prices, relative to portion sizes, are on par with London or Edinburgh, not a café in South Heaton, so you can't help but feel the place fancies itself a bit too much.

Also, I find the paper lanterns and Chinese-style tapestries/curtains in the windows confusing at best, and ill-fitting at worst. I know that big part of their culture revolves around tea, with relevant products and events on offer, but the interior has an all-too-common cosy-meets-industrial vibe, with which these Oriental additions majorly clash and cheapen the look of the place. The murals outside are banging, though - hats off to the artist. I was sad to see them recently defaced by a pointless graffiti!

All in all, decent enough place if you've got the money, but with the current prices we'll be...

Very nice place with good coffee, incredible tea selection and tasty food. The only problem is the service: staff barely acknowledges your existence at the counter and is not very friendly. I came twice asking for a filter coffee which is on the menu and on the board behind the counter. The first time they told me they didn't have any and the second time that they haven't made any for a while so I suggested to the lady at the counter to maybe remove it from the menu. She looked at me like I was completely mental so I explained that it's annoying for customers to not be able to get what they want when it's clearly displayed and that other customers might complain too. She just kept smirking saying "OK... yeah...". Maybe the staff should get a bit more training in customer service because barista training doesn't do it all when you run a coffee shop if you want to keep your customers happy....