Visiting Hacienda Venecia was one of the highlights of my visit to Colombia this summer. Venecia is a fourth generation coffee finca about 30 minutes drive from Manizales. It's in a beautiful location. Each day there is a coffee tour where you get a full introduction into the history of coffee growing in Colombia. During the tour you can drink as much coffee as you want so make the most of this rare opportunity in Colombia to get a decent cup of coffee - Colombia exports its best coffee. The coffee beans from the finca for your cup of coffee are roasted in front of you. You are taken for a walk among the coffee plants and into the warehouse where the coffee beans are processed and placed in sacks ready for export. Included in the tour is a visit to the original farmhouse with many wonderful antique objects still preserved. The final highlight of the tour is a fantastic lunch with local produce. The trip costs 30000 pesos (about £11), this includes transport from your accommodation in Manizales. The lunch is 10000 pesos extra. After lunch you can relax by the pool. You can also stay over night on the Finca.

www.haciendavenecia.com
+57 320 636 5719

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I love this place, which offers much more than the name suggests, including baguettes and gâteaux and a wide selection of filling and tasty pastries. My favourite savoury snack is the totally un-pc Sýrový šnek (literally "cheese snail"), a pastry spiral made with mozarella and gouda, making it slightly gooey. The sweet pastries are excellent too!
Rembrandt Donuts is a little more expensive than the average Prague bakery, but the higher prices are definitely worth it.
After 6pm, you can buy many items are at a reduced price. Some branches are little more than holes in the wall, but others have seating areas.

Branches include at and Jindřišká 24, Na Poříčí 31 and Spálená 16.
+420 224 230 253
Google map: bit.ly/O093KK

www.rembrandtdonuts.cz/Prodejny.html (branches)

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A lot of cafes say they serve the best coffee in town but this one really does.
Owned by Antonio a fantastic host the food is also special.
A limited choice but all prepared fresh daily.
A first port of call for Italians visiting the city and a growing band of regular customers it's a class and much loved place to meet in the city.

The Met Quarter 43 Whitechapel, Liverpool, Merseyside L1 6DA
+44(0)151 236 2611
Google map: bit.ly/RrADEs

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When I’m looking to have an extra special brunch, one of my favourite spots is Dessert Trends. Here, the food is made using high quality ingredients and the presentation is just as important as taste. I’ve had everything on the brunch menu, with all items being delicious and memorable.
For meat lovers, the house made fennel and pork sausage with scrambled egg on cornbread, balsamic onion compote and a side salad is sure to please. On days when I’m not so ravenous, I go for the lemon dill scramble which comes with a buttery brioche, smoked salmon and salad. The salade nicoise is also a lovely choice, especially if I’m brunching later in the day; it comes with seared ahi tuna, fingerling potatoes, eggs, olives, anchovies, French beans and a champagne vinaigrette.
The real reason I come here, though, is for the desserts. The master pastry chef, Donald
Duong, is a classically trained French chef who has won numerous awards, having made cakes for the Queen, the Pope, the Canadian Prime Minister and several other dignitaries. The desserts and cakes are all works of art that are as delicious as they are beautiful. Rows and rows of lovely creations line the glass counter: mini cheesecakes, tarts, cakelets, I can never resist them and have also tasted most of these creations. Happily, though, different desserts rotate every few weeks, so I always get to try something new.
If you’re not able to make it for weekend brunch, I recommend visiting this place for a great cup of coffee and a splendid dessert. Afternoon tea is now also being offered in the newly renovated space upstairs, with the mandatory fresh scones, croissants and clotted cream, as well as other delectables, like melon and prosciutto sandwiches, pineapple and watermelon gazpacho, and various petit fours.

Brunch is available on weekends, starting at 10 AM. Please note this place is closed Mondays and Tuesdays.

www.desserttrends.ca
154 Harbord Street, Toronto, ON
+1 416 916 8155
Google map: bit.ly/PlGkxo

* Giulia is our Been there local for Toronto. You can see her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/places/canada/toronto/index.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/GiuliaFalsetti

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Sit at a cafe table in this small quiet square by the church and watch the storks fly to and from their nests on the church steeples.

Travessa do Ferrador, Alcácer do Sal, Setúbal 7580, Portugal
Google map: bit.ly/Rn4nOz

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A fantastic little café in the lesser known neighbourhood "Der Wedding". Amazing coffee, four different kids of hot chocolate, homemade cakes, müseli for breakfast and potato wedges with Quark for lunch.

www.gilmores-berlin.de/
U-Bahnhof Rehberge, Müllerstraße 70b, 13349 Berlin
+49(0)30 4512090

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Throughout Tokyo (and Japan) there are many, many small, independent coffee shops, normally run by one guy who's the owner and has been running the shop for decades. They often, but not always, have great coffee, often prepared in strange ways (siphon coffee for example) but are usually quite quirky. I've seen everything from old video arcade tables games used as tables to one dedicated entirely to James Brown. As the owners are one man shows, and often quite old, they do what they want and the decor, etc. reflects that. As many of them are quite old, they're slowly disappearing as their owners retire or die, and are generally not replaced so enjoy them while you can.
Smoking is mostly allowed (plus for me as a smoker) but don't let that put you off if you're not. Most have food of the coffee shop variety ( cheese toast, sandwiches, cakes, etc, some have lunch specials). Note: "oyagi" means something like "old, no-longer attractive, man". These are the kind of people who often go to these places, but it's not as bad as that sounds and these guys wouldn't go somewhere for years or decades if they weren't good.

Everywhere, just look for small signs advertising coffee (usually in English) on the street or shop windows. They're mostly on the ground floor.

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Lovely coffee shop on the main drag in Morzine that serves something very rare in France - iced coffee with caramel syrup in a big glass mug. Free wi-fi, muffins, bagels and a cosy atmosphere. If you're craving a large coffee and a place to chill on a comfy sofa, this is it.
Owner Mel is super friendly and keen to make you feel at home.

152 Rue de Bourg, 74110 Morzine
+33(0)9 66 84 23 36
Google map: bit.ly/M3wKAL

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South William Street's Clement & Pekoe is a veritable Aladdin's cave of loose leaf tea and coffee. The black tea caddies and art deco chandeliers certainly lend an air of eastern promise and decadence, but it's the carefully selected teas and coffee beans that really elevate Clement and Pekoe above the competition.
The owners are husband and wife team Dairine Keogh and Simon Cummins and they pride themselves on sourcing the finest pickings from around the globe whether it's leaves, blends, herbs, tisanes or freshly roasted single origin beans.
Choose from their selection of Black Tea, Green Tea, White Tea, Fruit Tisane, Herbal, Oolong, Puerh and Rooibos and they'll be only delighted to advise you on the best combinations to suit your taste and brew your chosen tea exactly to your liking. When the sun is shining, grab a seat out front on their picnic bench and enjoy one of their cooling iced teas including: Turkish apple, mango, or finest Ceylon tea, all served with ice, lemon and fresh mint. Oh and don't pass up on their delicious scones.

www.clementandpekoe.com/
50 William St S Dublin 2, Ireland
+353(0)87 637 0123
Google map: bit.ly/KW9XZ4

* Fiona is our Been there local for Dublin. You can follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/FionaHilliard and read her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/trails/been-there-locals.jsp. She also has her own blog: www.traveledits.com

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Capel Street is having a bit of a moment, and it's places like the recently opened Brother Hubbard that are playing a central role in this new found trendiness. Don't be fooled by the clean lines and utilitarian styling of Brother Hubbard, already this café is becoming as famous for the friendly manner of owners Garrett Fitzgerald
and James Boland as it is for its delicious cakes, coffee and tea.
Tuck into their freshly baked cinnamon and walnut rolls, oven-warm scones and chocolate brownies. Alternatively, you won't feel guilty about trying one of their wheat- and dairy-free seed slices. The coffee is Has Bean, provided by Dublin’s 3FE, while the tea comes from none other than Wall & Keogh.

brotherhubbard.ie/
153 Capel Street, Dublin 1
+353 (0)1 441 1112
Google map: bit.ly/KW9Jku

* Fiona is our Been there local for Dublin. You can follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/FionaHilliard and read her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/trails/been-there-locals.jsp. She also has her own blog: www.traveledits.com

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Portobello's Wall & Keogh lay dormant for 40 years. But it was tea that revived this former painting and decorating shop. Big glass jars full of pungent, organic loose leaf tea.
From the chilled out beats on the sound system to the interesting, eclectic furnishings, these days owner Oliver T. Cunningham likes to keep things cool and classy.
Tea is something of an art form at Wall & Keogh. They take their time over blends, the whole infusion process can last between three to 15 minutes - the perfect excuse to sit back and have a game of chess or just enjoy the background music, most probably mixed by owner Oliver himself. It's that kind of place.
A large pot of tea will set you back €4 and homemade cakes include rocky road, lemon slice, banana cake and brownies.
Should your tea break run into a lazy lunch, (it happens) there's sushi on standby to sate your appetite. And another thing, when the weather is fine, you can take your picnic out back and bask in the sun-dappled canal bank location.

www.wallandkeogh.com/
45 Richmond Street South, Portbello, Dublin 2
+353 (0)1 475 9052
Google map: bit.ly/MnyQtj

* Fiona is our Been there local for Dublin. You can follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/FionaHilliard and read her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/trails/been-there-locals.jsp. She also has her own blog: www.traveledits.com

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Wonderful quirky tea room in Le Marais, famous for its sinful cakes and original, flea-market style furniture. Definitely worth a visit if you're around this trendy neighbourhood in Paris.

3, Rue des Rosiers - 75004 Paris
+33 1 42 72 90 61
Metro station St Paul, line 1
Google map: bit.ly/L7yTgN

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A slightly leftfield but still on topic choice would be any of Bristol’s lush Thali Cafes. The British Raj style-decor conjures up nostalgia for the last days of British Empire with a menu to match. Do check out the website to get some kind of flavour. Tea wise, one would only go there to drink Masala Chai – a drink owing its existence purely to the British East India Company – which is essentially cooked spiced tea. There is a host of savoury snacks and a limited selection of desserts to choose from, the best being Kulfi ice cream.
From 6pm the ambience changes and it takes on its award-winning restaurant persona.

www.thethalicafe.co.uk
Four locations in Bristol: Clifton, Easton, Montpellier and Totterdown
Google map: bit.ly/KYDOLq

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The village shop in Curry Mallet, deep in the heart of South Somerset and right on the edge of the Somerset Levels, is an absolute delight for anyone who takes their teatime treats seriously. From her tiny kitchen Julia Langley produces the best scones I have ever tasted, meltingly wonderful chocolate brownies, fresh-from-the-oven croissants and Danish pastries and a whole range of even-better-than-home-cooked cakes and savouries. Right on cycle route 33, with tables outside under the chestnut tree or inside among displays of local crafts, it’s not surprising that this place is regularly listed as "tea-stop of the year" by Somerset cycling organisations. In summer a "tiffin tent" is erected outside to provide more space for hungry visitors. This is the perfect place to refuel after a cycle around the Somerset Lanes or a trip to nearby Swell Woods - England's largest Heronry. Don't miss the cappuccino slices or, if your taste runs to more savoury treats, my own personal favourite - the Mediterranean scrolls. More than just a teashop this tiny place is also post-office, village stores and heart of the local community.

www.currymalletstores.co.uk
Higher Street, Curry Mallet, Taunton TA3 6SY +44(0)1823 480236
Google map: bit.ly/MaEmoF

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Inverary is a great little place on Loch Fyne, with mountain views, a castle and a perfectly-preserved 18th century small town layout. Plus a jail to visit. But there is also the Woollen Mill, with all the clothing that you could want - and that's sometimes a lot(!) - a whisky shop and a cafe upstairs, where they do two cream teas for £4.95, including cakes, sandwiches, scones and cream. Worth the trip.

The Anvil, Front St, Inveraray, Argyll, PA328LY
+44(0)1499302166
Google map: bit.ly/KLi2xC

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It’s an age old debate: whether to spread jam or clotted cream first on a scone? Whether you like your dollop of jam first, or lashings of clotted cream take priority, Annie’s Tea Room in Thrupp, Oxfordshire is the perfect place to ponder this delightful dilemma. Originally part of an old British Waterways yard, the tearooms are set in a sleepy, canal-side hamlet near a nature reserve.
Annie’s offers a range of tempting cakes all made from scratch, but quite the best are their large home-baked scones. Nowhere else I am happier waiting for 10 minutes for my food to arrive warm and fresh from the oven! A lazy country walk along the canal or Chiltern River awaits afterwards if one feels the need to be virtuous after a little overindulgence.

www.anniestearoom.co.uk/
Canal Yard, Canal Road, Thrupp, Kidlington, Oxon, OX5 1JZ
+44(0)7425 621742
Google map: bit.ly/Kzjp4c

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A real hidden gem in this pretty thatch village. Sit in the garden on a fine day and enjoy home made scones, cakes and jam with local cream. You have to drive around the village centre and park near the church then walk into village. A real find that you would not know was there unless someone told you.

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/holnicote-estate/eating-and-shopping/
Google map: bit.ly/LFPnb1

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The Tea Room is run by volunteers from the parish and wider community as part of their Benedictine Hospitality. They serve homemade cakes and scones, as well as delicious homemade soup and baked potatoes.
On Sunday, between 1.30 and 4pm you might find local Girl Guides serving the teas.

www.tewkesburyabbey.org.uk/the-abbey-community/touching-souls-tea-room.html
Church Street, Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, GL20 5RZ
+44(0)1684 850959
Google map: bit.ly/KZ7j1k

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Stroll through the diverse array of sculptures in the Broomhill gardens to the hotel, partly obscured by trees (and a giant red stilleto) for a cream tea. The jam is fruity and not too sweet, the cream piled high and the scones mountainous. One of those times in life where the food, the location and the company combine to make something much more than the sum of its parts.

www.broomhillart.co.uk
Broomhill Art Hotel, Muddiford, Barnstaple, North Devon EX31 4EX
+44(0)1271 850262
Google map: bit.ly/KbUftF

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While on a walk in the New Forest I came across the delight that is the Station House in Holmsley. To see a sympathetically restored train station in pristine condition in use as a tea room is something I could not just pass by. With its traditional style tea room interior and unique outside selling area it meant anyone could enjoy the scrumptious homemade delights made from local produce. I chose to sit outside and found it a great pleasure to sit on the restored platform looking over the beautiful forests while enjoying a delectable Millionaire's shortcake. An extremely wide range of treats were available, ranging from the more healthy lunch menu to the irresistable afternoon tea and cake selection. There is also a delightful-looking supper menu. Another aspect I really liked was that it is great for walkers and cyclists. I enjoyed my little taster of the Station House considerably and look forward to going again some time soon.

www.newforesttearooms.co.uk/
Station Road, New Forest, Hampshire BH24 4HY +44(0)1425 402468
Google map: bit.ly/MXqtJq

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