The Parish Lantern Tea Room
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Ratings and reviews
3.5
RATINGS
Food
Service
Value
Atmosphere
Details
Someone from this business manages this listing.
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CUISINES
Cafe, British
Special Diets
Gluten free options
Meals
Lunch, Brunch
features
Does this restaurant offer highchairs for toddlers?
Details
CUISINES
Cafe, British
Special Diets
Gluten free options
Meals
Lunch, Brunch
FEATURES
Outdoor Seating, Seating, Wheelchair Accessible, Table Service
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3.5
151 reviews
Excellent
66
Very good
27
Average
27
Poor
16
Terrible
15
AJ F
Royal Tunbridge Wells53 contributions
Aug 2022 • none
We have been here many times in previous years. It was always a small, quaint tea shop where we could have a nice snack or a light lunch.
This year, it is clearly under new management.
We had drinks: milk shakes, coke and decaf coffee with light lunch/snacks: pizza, brownie and flapjack.
Ordering was a shambles: No menu was available in the seating area (in the courtyard round the back of the shop). We were told it was on a blackboard round the front. The "menu" was spread over several different blackboards with very little apparent order. Once one managed to order, the person taking the order did not seem very confident. The card machine was, apparently, not working ... but could we go into the main shop and pay?! This was fine (could we just have not paid? I suspect so!), except that nobody was at the desk in the shop, so we had to wait... and wait.
After that, service was pretty quick; our order was delivered to our table by a friendly server. The forgot one drink, but brought it promptly.
The pizzas were nice (should have been cooked just a tad more, for my personal taste).
The cakes were nice too.
The coffee was very good.
The milk shakes were awful. I ought to have returned them, but (1) I'm British and (2) the staff at the front really didn't seem to know what they were doing and I shudder to think what would have happened.
Overall: maybe they'll work it out? We might give them another try, but I'm not optimistic.
Written 8 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stuart W
Jamestown401 contributions
June 2021 • none
Walberswick doesn’t seem to be well organised for tearooms. We were quoted a 40 minutes wait for a sandwich at the Tea Shed. We ended up having a cup of tea and a cake in the lovely wee garden at the back of The Parish Lantern. It still took about 20 minutes to get served! Nevertheless a nice shady spot in the garden.
Written 18 June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
m-s-h62
Leicester125 contributions
June 2022 • none
The shop itself offered very good range of gifts and cards but the twice in a week we visited we were unable to purchase a drink as they weren't doing drinks at that time - 3.30pm. In a very touristy place we were surprised and wondered what the purpose of the place was? Signs everywhere indicating it was open for refreshments but not a coffee or cup of tea to be had. Whilst we appreciate staff shortages are very much an issue at the moment - we didn't want food only drinks and most people could if they wished to do so rustle up a drink.
Written 12 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tonyholland233
Norwich399 contributions
Sept 2022 • couples
Walking round the village wanted a coffee so went to go in the Tea Shed and noticed on the door card payment only so walked next door to the Parish Lantern. Had a lovely Latte,wife had milk shake.Really enjoyed it sitting in sun in the garden before we carried on with our walk.
Written 10 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Theadmans
Hertford1 contribution
July 2024 • friends
Disgusting service. Only wanted 3 tubs of expensive ice cream. Having chosen our tubs from the freezer queued up to pay at the counter next to the freezer. Having reached the front a gruff woman on the till said "If it's only ice cream you have to pay at the shop next door!" We went next door to an empty shop with no one on the till. No bell to ring and no sign of staff members. Waited for a few minutes and gave up. Chucked the tubs back in the freezer and left (never to return again).
Written 28 July 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Liz McLean
I'm sorry that you had a bad experience trying to buy ice creams (which I don't think are overpriced!). If the tea-room is busy we do sometimes direct people buying ice creams only to pay in the shop, simply so it's faster for them, but not usually once they've reached the front of the queue, as we're happy to take payment in either the tea room or the shop, so I'm not sure what happened there. We did have only one member of staff in the shop that weekend (Latitude weekend, so a shortage of staff and, generally, customers), and I'm sorry if she was away from the counter when you needed her.
Written 16 August 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
amanda
Stamford336 contributions
Mar 2024 • couples
We happened upon this place after walking over from Southwold. We saw there was a lovely garden out the back and as it was a glorious sunny day for March we sat out there. Our pot of tea was plentiful served in lovely crockery and we enjoyed delicious Cornish Pasties. A really lovely place to relax and enjoy a lovely lunch. Highly recommended
Written 17 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Esther M
22 contributions
Sept 2024 • friends
This was a sweet tea room. It was lovely sitting on a table in the sun. The tea was really nice and they brought extra hot water to top up the tea which was really appreciated. The tea set was also really pretty. Was a lovely spot for a quick break. We didn’t get any sweet treats but there seemed to be a nice selection of cakes.
Written 6 September 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Companion37173130285
1 contribution
July 2024 • family
We visit Southwold regularly and always take the ferry across to Walberswick to mooch around the shops and village. The Parish Lantern has the finest gift shop that we have to visit every time we go. Lynn was so very friendly and really took her time with my children, engaging each of them in conversation and making us all feel so welcome.
We love the shop for all its treats but more so because Lynn has such fabulous customer service and friendly welcoming manner
Thank you for making our trip over so much fun. We’ll see you again soon
Written 2 July 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
tracy h
3 contributions
Oct 2023 • family
Lovely garden with a resident Robin! Fantastic coffee, fresh cooked pizza, pastries, jacket potatoes & huge ice creams. Kind and friendly staff and good value for money. Food allergies catered for. Perfect for a quiet coffee and cake or a family lunch after a walk on the beach. Milkshakes are good too….
Written 5 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Penny J
London19 contributions
July 2022 • none
Lovely cafe adjoining super gift shop. Small courtyard garden, great cakes, ice creams. Very friendly service though short staffed if anyone looking for summer work in Walberswick!
Written 7 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sue S
33 contributions
July 2024 • couples
Absolutely lovely place to visit. Interesting things to see and buy, delicious food and drink and very friendly service. Highly recommend.
Written 27 July 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I love dining out
Bath741 contributions
May 2024 • couples
Efficiently-run. A good selection of cakes and a ‘sun-trap’ courtyard to sit in for coffee & cakes.
Loos are immaculate and the adjoining shop is a delight to wander around.
Written 24 May 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Heidimum
Bainbridge51 contributions
Feb 2024 • solo
I was enjoying a walk in Walberswick and chanced across what I took to be a shop and gallery displaying several items (Pachamama knitwear & sea-themed plates for example) that I was interested in buying.
A sign on the front door said dogs must be carried though if not busy clean well-behaved dogs may be allowed on the floor. Placing my clean well behaved dog behind me, I pushed the door open to actually ask if I could view items in the gallery attached…and intending to tie my dog up before, when the shop assistant immediately said “No dogs” in a very unfriendly / hostile tone. I replied by reading the sign on the door - wished her luck….and left, never to return with or without dog. I can only assume that business is so good that, on a very quiet Saturday in February, they don’t need the custom. In my case, and paraphrasing Pretty Woman, big mistake - huge.
I would strongly recommend that the many dog-owning visitors to Walberswick keep on going to a much more hospitable Aldeburgh, Southwold, Snape or indeed anywhere else with their money.
Written 3 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Liz McLean
I am sorry that you seem to have had a hostile response to your request; we do, as you say, allow clean, well behaved dogs in the main shop if it's not too busy, and we have no restrictions on dogs in the Gallery, next door. A big wet dog can cause a lot of damage even in a quiet shop (as can a big wet person, though we have no restrictions on them), so we do leave it to individual members of staff to make the decision on whether a dog may be allowed in. However it does sound as if someone has made the wrong decision in this case, so my apologies to you: clearly some more staff training is needed.
Written 16 August 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Richard B
74 contributions
Oct 2023 • couples
Stopped off for a coffee, sat in the rear garden, was really lovely and the coffee was delicious, first time visiting but will go back.
Written 12 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Liz A
Nottingham7 contributions
June 2022 • none
We have been going here for years but on our last visit in June were disappointed to see the garden was in need of some tlc.
We had to order and pay at the front of the building and again were disappointed to be served our drinks in cardboard cups, gone are the pots of tea for two and gone are the beautiful cups and saucers ! The tea was undrinkable , such a shame !
Written 15 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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