Afternoon Tea in Cornwall: Housel Bay Hotel

If you’re searching for afternoon tea spots in Cornwall, Housel Bay Hotel‘s insane sea views puts the cherry on the cake.

We visited the cliffside hotel on a summery Saturday in September to enjoy cups of tea and tasty, miniature treats. Here’s how it went down:

The Food

We opted for the veggie-friendly version, so our finger sandwiches consisted of delicious, doorstop bread filled with goats cheese & beetroot, cheddar & tomato, and aubergine & homemade chutney. For the sweets, we had chocolate brownies, a nutty, ginger cake, miniature macaroons and a coconut, granola and mango pudding.

Along with the warm scones slathered in jam and cream, it was a LOT of food. We definitely didn’t leave hungry. I loved the dolls-house style cake stand that offered something different to the traditional three-tiered, bone china vibe.

Eating out as a veggie, it can sometimes feel as though substituted ingredients are an afterthought, resulting in uninspired dishes. However, the flavours in our afternoon tea felt well-considered and didn’t compromise at all on our overall experience.

The only criticism I can come up with was the fact we couldn’t finish it all – better too much than not enough though! The friendly team offered us a doggy bag to take home with our leftover cakes, so nothing was wasted.

The Location

Housel Bay Hotel has resided in its breath-taking location since the late 1800s, and is the UK’s most southerly hotel. With views of the undulating peninsula, The Lizard Lighthouse, and Housel Bay’s manicured gardens, the terrace is a dreamy spot for afternoon tea in Cornwall.

Once you’re finished indulging your taste buds, there are plenty of surrounding paths to walk off the cake! The route to Church Cove passes the Lifeboat station, thatched cottages and an ancient churchyard.

For more rugged, ocean vistas, make your way past the lighthouse and Marconi’s Lizard Wireless Station at Bass Point, and keep to the South West Coast Path towards Lizard Head. From there, you can choose to head back to mainland, or continue on to Kynance Cove.