Tuesday 9 December 2014

My Favourite Brownie!

Gareth James Chocolatier Café is well established in Tynemouth but you could easily walk past this quaint little chocolatier if you weren't in the know (although you will have no excuse now!). It has a funny lime green and purple colour scheme on the inside but this is barely noticeable once you smell the chocolate and see the selection of various luxurious chocolate products lined up. The vibe is hard to ascertain as it is very small and could be a cosy retreat depending on the time and day you visit. My friend and I visited on Sunday afternoon which was really busy but we managed to bag a seat and settle ourselves.

Gareth James’ is situated on the main street in Tynemouth so it is a nice place to people (and dog) watch as well as relax in the plush seats in the friendly bustle of the café. I was also pleasantly surprised to notice that the prices on the menu were exceptionally reasonable and not what I expected from a place in Tynemouth with my drink and cake coming to just over £4.00.

We ordered a brownie and carrot cake to share along with hot drinks. One bite out of the rich brownie is enough to take you to a chocolate heaven where you are floating down a melted chocolate river on a little chocolate lilo. It is almost fudge like in consistency. It is honestly the best brownie I have ever had. The carrot cake is also the best carrot cake I have ever had. Although this may not seem very appetising, the carrot cake seems like a raw food recipe. It is so packed with carrot (yes a carrot cake with actual carrot - very rare I find!) and walnuts. I can’t stress enough about how amazingly good the cakes and brownies are at Gareth James’. The other most delightful and thoughtful things is that the waitress had cut each cake in half as she knew we were sharing which I thought was a really nice touch and not something you would find a lot of places taking the time to do.

The hot chocolate I asked for was warm in temperature and was just right in terms of bitterness and sweetness and a good accompaniment to the cakes as it wasn’t sickly sweet.  

Overall, I would say that Gareth James’ was a little gem of a café and I would definitely go back to try other cakes and brownies as well as some of the individual chocolates that were displayed. I especially would like to try the Newcastle Brown Ale chocolate! I will definitely be going back to Gareth James’ on a regular basis! 
 
12 Front St
Tynemouth
0191 257 7799
 
Gareth James' Gingerbread Christmas Display

Selection of individual chocolates