Bet you have a lovely time at Betty's (Bettys Cafe Tea Rooms)

Member Name: waterlilly

Product:	Bettys Cafe Tea Rooms
Date:	21/06/09 (96 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Lovely ambiance, service and food

Disadvantages: More expensive than some cups of tea you might have

My husband and I recently went on a trip to Yorkshire to visit a friend who lives in Harrogate. I found myself with a bright sunny day alone in Harrogate as the menfolk went off to conqueor nature (read: walk miles and miles with sunscreen in their rucksacks, failing to use it and getting burnt to a crip). Having chosen to forego the nature experience I decided to have the Harrogate experience which I had been told is not complete without a trip to Betty's. The address listed above is for the main Betty's in York, but this delightful gem of Yorkshire can also be found in Harrogate, Northallerton and Ilkley. Their website (http://www.bettys.co.uk/) also indicates that there is a Betty's by Post mail order service available. While in York I did peer through the window of the Betty's location there and can report that the Harrogate is definitely up to the same standards. It is in a lovely location in the middle of Harrogate overlooking the Stray with beautiful hanging baskets on their iron canopy.

Established in 1919 Betty's is now a Yorkshire institution for cream tea, delightful baked goods and elegant day time meals. Several other reviews have reported that queues are one of the downsides to a visit to Betty's. I went to visit the Harrogate location for 11sies and there were people waiting to be seated which made me nervous about taking up a table for two with just one person. After watching for a few minutes I realised that no one was actually waiting long, it was just that the place was so popular that the line was replenished with new people every few seconds. I waited less then 3 minutes before being whether I wanted the smaller tea room where one could only order from the smaller list of baked goods and sandwiches or the main room for the whole menu. As I was not looking for a full meal I chose the first. I was then seated immediately.

Betty's runs the risk of being pretentious and off-putting to younger folks, but manages to remain warm and welcoming with cream walls, polished wood, gleaming display cases and friendly staff dressed in black trousers and white shirts. There is an old-school feel to the place, with a level of class that one simply can't get at your average coffee shop. This does not make for a stuffy feel. I was seated near a young family with a little girl who could not yet have been three. The staff was wonderful with her and brought her a Betty's colouring page (book? I didn't want to stare). There was a group of eight with a small baby being accommodated in the smaller front room, but there were at least two other tables where a single person was seated, like myself. The staff never once made me feel rushed despite the fact that little old me was taking up an entire table with my pot of tea and torte. They were also exceptionally patient with two foreign students (well they were in their early 20s) who were somewhat confused about the process.

The menu in the smaller room consisted of croissants, little sandwiches and a variety of cakes and tortes. The sandwiches looked a little overpriced for my tastes, but my scrumptious chocolate raspberry torte (think quite dark and rich) and pot of tea (good size pot with a piping hot pot of hot water for topping up) came to £7 which I found very reasonable considering the ambiance I also experienced. The meals on the main menu were still quite reasonably priced with options around the £10-£12 mark. Cream tea is served on those delightful three-tiered trays that we foreigners get a little thrill out of. The menu can be found on their website, mentioned previously.

Betty's is also very well known for the wonderful, colourful window displays of their carry-away shops attached to their tea rooms. The Harrogate window was worthy of a photo with macaroons in pale pink and green piled in delightful pyramids. The shop sold a huge variety of their fresh goods as well as teas and coffees. There is also a range of Betty books.

My Betty's experience was a lovely one and I would highly recommend it to anyone in Yorkshire. Certainly one could probably spend a great deal of money there (I sooo wanted to purchase lots of yummy goods to take with me but that torte had taken care of my calorie count for the day!), but even someone on a tight travel budget can spend an hour there without having to fast for the rest of the day!

Summary: A Yorkshire institution.