Reviewed by Jemma Walton

THERE’S something wrong with you if you don’t like Harriets.

Because, as anyone who’s ever sat within its solid walls and sampled its airy cakes will tell you, Harriets is just lovely.

If you can carve out the time to indulge in that most old-fashioned of indulgences, the hour-long lunch, you’re not exactly spoilt for choice in Peterborough.

I love Spuddy Marvellous as much as the next man, and Caffe Nero’s skimmed milk hot chocolates are wonderful, but if you really want to unfurl your senses, sip on a nice pot of Gunpowder Green Tea and give yourself a nice spoiling, Harriets is the only place to go.

The building itself has a long history, having been, variously, a workhouse, a nightclub and a pizza joint, but Harriets Tearoom has been open for the past two-and-a-half years.

Manager Ted Nicholls said: “We want our tearoom to be a relaxed place where people can have a cup of coffee, read the paper and not feel rushed.

“Often I think we miss out because we’re next to McDonalds, and people just don’t see us, when we’d love to see them!”

I took a colleague who is bidding the ET adieu for a farewell lunch, and we returned to Telegraph Towers an hour later much better equipped to deal with the Friday afternoon in front of us.

Because Harriets has that affect on people. It soothes them. It rubs their back and whispers sweet nothings in their ear. It tells them they’re worth it.

We’re talking a gentler type of place here. And so first things first, as soon as you step over the threshold make sure you switch your mobiles to silent as irritating little beeps and high-pitched warbles are so not Harriets.

We silenced our mobiles and tucked into a chicken and bacon club (£4.85) plus chips (£1.95) and Harriets Afternoon Tea (£9.55)

The afternoon tea is a scone, four sandwiches, a slice of cake and a pot of tea.

There’s a wide selection of cake to choose from, including coffee, carrot and chocolate, and a choice of scones, including plain, sultana or cheesey.

It comes served on a v posh serving three-tiered silver thingy, as it should at that price, and the filling of the egg sandwiches was handmade – very unusual, very nice.

The scone was lovely, the cake was lovely, the sandwiches were lovely. Harriets is lovely – did I mention that?

My friend had a few quibbles about his club sandwich, but then he would, as there is nothing he likes more than a good quibble. Apparently, a club sandwich should be toasted, and the bread of his wasn’t.

Also, the sarnie came on brown bread, but he comes from the north and so is genetically incapable of digesting brown bread. But he scoffed it all anyway, so it can’t have been that bad. His chips were plump and crunchy, as, indeed, was he.

If you’ve got the time and the money, Harriets is the perfect place to unwind, chat, laugh, fall in love, and eat some damn fine cake.

5*

Menu examples

Old Fashioned Lemonade £2.65
Kenya Peaberry coffee £3.35
Three cheese and caramelised onion chutney toasted sandwich £5.15
Steak and Abbot Ale cobbler £8.95
Cinnamon toast £1.95
Harriets bread and butter pudding £3.95
Grilled brie and avocado on ciabatta bread £6.55

16 September 2005