First Midlands review, it made sense I wrote about an afternoon tea in my “current hometown” so we’ll start with the Oliv Rugby, one of the town’s most gorgeous cafés:
Oliv Rugby Sweets
Oliv Rugby Savouries
Afternoon Tea at the Oliv,
Rugby, Warwickshire
Overall rating: ★★★★☆
Tea refills: No; Food refills: No
Price: £15/person with a pot of Tea
(excl. tip/service charge)
Seating time: 5 hours
The Oliv Rugby Setting ★★★★★
The café is set in an interior decoration/real estate shop, with many plants and several gorgeous items for sale. The atmosphere is very relaxing and weather permitting, the doors can be opened for fresh air.
There is a good chance you’ll end up buying a few things on top of the tea, so impulse buyers should beware 😉
The Tea & Beverage Selection ★★★☆☆
There is the usual variety regarding the choice of tea (Assam, Earl Grey, many Fruit teas…). The tea isn’t loose leaf but a more ordinary Twinnings tea bag.
I highly recommended the hot chocolate if you’re confident enough to have it along the afternoon tea.
The Savouries ★★★★☆
The sandwiches were tasty and plenty. You’ll find four classics here: Cheese, Salmon, Ham and Cucumber. The bread quality was excellent and everything was deliciously fresh.
Careful though if you don’t fancy mustard as the ham sandwich is generously furnished (to my delight).
The Scones ★★★☆☆
The scones arrive all prepared “sandwich style” with generous amounts of clotted cream and jam in the middle. I usually prefer to make my own scones myself using the amount of jam/cream I deem necessary but this method is less wasteful and equally tasty.
The Pastries ★★★★☆
The pastries’ selection varies but we were rather spoiled with several almond cakes, chocolate cupcakes, brownies and chocolate and strawberry filled biscuits.
The Service ★★★★★
The owner and the staff are adorable, friendly and efficient. For those who like to feel at home, the staff has a good memory and are quite likely to remember your name, among a few other things such as dog craziness!
Conclusion & Overall Mark ★★★★☆
The only afternoon tea I had in Rugby thus far but whoever competes will have a hard time: the food, service and setting are beyond reproach and my only complaint is the absence of loose leaf tea.
The Oliv Rugby is highly recommended, whether it’s for breakfast, lunch or afternoon tea!
+: Delicious & plentiful food
+: Beautiful setting, even more so for interior decoration enthusiasts
+: Brilliant service
+: Great value for money
-: Tea bags instead of loose leaf tea
-: Closed on Sundays
The Oliv Rugby breakfast (salads & bread)
