I happened to visit ' The Buttery ' - a classic English tea room in the city centre of Chichester recently on my day off work when I slept in late and decided to head out instead of spoiling myself all day by hibernating and cooking myself treats all day long . It was beautiful , non-pretentious and truly epitomised the essence of a tearoom - a far cry from the monotonous standard service offered by cafe chains , it has its own unique character that makes you instantly relax and marvel at its atmosphere rightaway.
The buttery building on South street is known as the crypt but it should rightly be called an undercroft . The structure was originally part of a Guildhall that is known to have been there on the site in the 12th century .In 1396 it was demolished to build the new Vicars hall.
The undercroft was probably used as a cellar for storage . It has had several uses since then - an antique shop , a horticultural store and for a brief time in the 19th century - the city's post office before it was converted to its present use as a tearoom in 1957 .
I ordered a cup of Earl Grey tea and a scone for my 'brunch' which was served freshly within a few minutes.It was the biggest scone I 've seen and was deliciously warm and the tea refreshing. It was pretty busy with people of all ages who seemed busy and peaceful , some enjoying a quiet solo time reading the newspapers, others catching up on casual banter and groups of people at another table in conversation . I paid only £ 3.50 and had a satisfying time out by myself reading my magazine and enjoying one of the most common and simplest pleasures of life - a hot cup of a tea on a bitterly cold day .
I've seen lovely tea-rooms that display an array of antique ceramic teapots of various shapes ,sizes and colours on the mantle . A few others in smaller towns and picturesque villages have a gorgeous setting like a view on the meadows , riverside view or a cathedral view . Most of them offer breakfast and lunch like quiches,pies ,sandwiches etc . I'm sure its the perfect setting for people of all ages , men and women who want nothing more than comfort , peace and warmth to take a break from their hectic lives .
