English Rose Tea Room in San Carlos, CA
I had lunch at the English Rose Tea Room in downtown San Carlos today with my good friend, SM. I had read some unfavorable reviews on Tea Map, and was ambivalent about our luncheon plans, but SM was gung-ho for tea, and so we went. Downtown San Carlos takes up several long blocks of Laurel Street, with lots of boutiques, antique stores, and tiny restaurants. English Rose is on the 600 block, between two stores that had racks of clothes on the sidewalk for sale.
The decor of the restaurant is very kitchy, adorned with chintz, tea cozies, and Christmas ornaments. For sale near the front and on the walls of the restaurant are little crafts, stickers, and tea-related knick-knacks. On each table, a free-standing, frilly tea cozy waits for a pot of tea to cover (SM and I thought the tea cozies looked like the backs of little chickens standing at attention). There were mostly women in the restaurant, and the average age of the clientele was 65. The waitstaff were very pleasant, and although the restaurant was bustling, we were seated in a prompt manner in what I thought was a desirable window two-top.
The highlight were the scones we had first. There were two types of scones offered: cranberry and orange, and pumpkin. Honestly, the pumpkin scones did not really taste like pumpkin, but they were good. The cranberry and orange scones were superior in taste, and quite large. Served on the side were lemon curd and raspberry preserves. Both were decent (but store-bought). We also had Earl Grey served in a pretty decorated tea pot which we placed under our chicken-like tea cozy. The tea was from a tea bag (improperly brewed), but it was fine.
The food is quite different from your more upscale English-style tearoom, in that it is much heartier at the English Rose. On the menu are such English delicacies as "Bangers and Mash," "Cornish Pasties," and "Ploughman's Lunch." There are also salads (the chicken curry looked good), soups (SM had split pea and said it was quite filling), and of course, scones, crumpets, and other tea cakes. I had, essentially, a breakfast, of scrambled eggs (fluffy), fried tomatoes (excellent), and potatoes (not terribly tasty). SM had a meat-and-vegetable filled pastie, and pronounced it quite good.
The portions were huge, and the prices (everything is under $10) were a good value. The food was not upscale, and was more mid-range. This actually made it more true-to-English-life, as most average folks don't have high tea at Harrod's or the Ritz every day. They go to these average tearooms, which are more like luncheonettes that happen to serve tea.
By luncheon's end, the front window had become extremely warm, and we were both flushed with sun and hot tea. Try to get a table in the middle of the restaurant, away from the front door and the window. The window, as noted, gets too hot, and there is no waiting vestibule near the front door, so those tables closest to the door get crowded with waiting customers. The long and the short of it is that the food was decent, the scones were above average, and the value was good. I'd go back (and would bring my grandmother).
English Rose Tea Room
5.5/10
The decor of the restaurant is very kitchy, adorned with chintz, tea cozies, and Christmas ornaments. For sale near the front and on the walls of the restaurant are little crafts, stickers, and tea-related knick-knacks. On each table, a free-standing, frilly tea cozy waits for a pot of tea to cover (SM and I thought the tea cozies looked like the backs of little chickens standing at attention). There were mostly women in the restaurant, and the average age of the clientele was 65. The waitstaff were very pleasant, and although the restaurant was bustling, we were seated in a prompt manner in what I thought was a desirable window two-top.
The highlight were the scones we had first. There were two types of scones offered: cranberry and orange, and pumpkin. Honestly, the pumpkin scones did not really taste like pumpkin, but they were good. The cranberry and orange scones were superior in taste, and quite large. Served on the side were lemon curd and raspberry preserves. Both were decent (but store-bought). We also had Earl Grey served in a pretty decorated tea pot which we placed under our chicken-like tea cozy. The tea was from a tea bag (improperly brewed), but it was fine.
The food is quite different from your more upscale English-style tearoom, in that it is much heartier at the English Rose. On the menu are such English delicacies as "Bangers and Mash," "Cornish Pasties," and "Ploughman's Lunch." There are also salads (the chicken curry looked good), soups (SM had split pea and said it was quite filling), and of course, scones, crumpets, and other tea cakes. I had, essentially, a breakfast, of scrambled eggs (fluffy), fried tomatoes (excellent), and potatoes (not terribly tasty). SM had a meat-and-vegetable filled pastie, and pronounced it quite good.
The portions were huge, and the prices (everything is under $10) were a good value. The food was not upscale, and was more mid-range. This actually made it more true-to-English-life, as most average folks don't have high tea at Harrod's or the Ritz every day. They go to these average tearooms, which are more like luncheonettes that happen to serve tea.
By luncheon's end, the front window had become extremely warm, and we were both flushed with sun and hot tea. Try to get a table in the middle of the restaurant, away from the front door and the window. The window, as noted, gets too hot, and there is no waiting vestibule near the front door, so those tables closest to the door get crowded with waiting customers. The long and the short of it is that the food was decent, the scones were above average, and the value was good. I'd go back (and would bring my grandmother).
English Rose Tea Room
5.5/10
posted by epicure | 4:56 PM
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