The Geordie Tourist.

I had one last voucher after my mad spending session over the past few months. I’m talking about Groupon and Living Social Deals by the way. I always seem to find things and then buy the vouchers, before I know it I've got like ten to use. I then use them just before they run out, or normally on the last day if I’m cutting it fine.

This one was for Mrs Pumphrey’s Curious Leaves Tea Bar. I paid £10 and got a voucher for £20 to spend in the shop on whatever it was that I fancied. Having never been before, I didn't know what to expect.

Curious Leaves is a gorgeous antique looking cubby based in the Grainger Market in Newcastle. If you've never been to the Grainger Market before then what the hell are you waiting for? It’s been ages since I went and just from going the other day I've found so many cool and eclectic places that I just have to visit. Among them was a bakery, cake shop and a place selling authentic Turkish street food. My mouth is watering just thinking about it all.

As soon as I spotted Curious Leaves, I fell in love instantly. It is the tiniest little shop. One side has a gorgeous looking tea bar. High stools sitting against a counter-top, rustic shelves in the background showcasing teas and quirky tea pots and cups. The other side has tables and chairs, not just any old chairs though; no these were like miniature church pews. It was part little school house, part café. There was a fridge with sandwiches and cake and things too.

Above all of that though, Curious Leaves is about the tea. Their menu was extensive. I’m not really a tea drinker, but I do enjoy the odd cup of herbal tea. (Or I force myself to enjoy it anyways. I think the more you drink it the more you start to like it.) I love chamomile tea now. They had guides on the wall about how to brew the perfect tea. You could make your own tea blends too.

I went with my mam for a little girly catch up. We both ordered some carrot cake. She then got just your average cup of tea and I went for chamomile tea (shock)

The carrot cake was amazing, so moist and tasty. Sometimes you go places that specialise in one thing and the other things they sell aren't up to scratch. That definitely wasn't the case here. My chamomile tea was something else entirely. It came on a little wooden tray in a clear tea pot. You could see the flowers inside. There was a timer too and a flask with more hot water in if I needed it. The lady that served us was so friendly and helpful. She told me the recommended brewing time of the tea and when it was ready the timer would go off. It was such a nice touch and made the trip for me.

What we ordered came to about £7 ish. Since I still had a lot to use from the voucher I decided to get one of those all in one teapot and mug things. (Not using proper English at all there, but you know what I mean.) It has a cool retro design on it and I hope it's going to help me get into drinking more tea.

The shop filled up quite fast when we were in there so its obviously a popular place, which I don't doubt for a second. I definitely want to go back to Curious Leaves. Maybe I'll be more bold next time and try one of the more 'out there' flavours.

Opening times are 09:00-17:00 Monday to Saturday.

Have any of you been to Curious Leaves before?

I went through all of my Groupon vouchers the other day and besides having about fifty ones for afternoon tea at different places (I’m joking, but the majority of them were for that.) I had one for a place called Kuppa Coffee.

So on Friday I thought I’d treat my brother to a little hot beverage. The deal I had was £5 for two hot drinks with a sandwich or cake. Already I was onto a winner. (A fiver for two people in town, I mean that’s great.)

Kuppa Coffee is a gorgeous little cafe at St. Mary’s Place Newcastle. I had heard of it a while ago and had been meaning to use my voucher ever since. It’s a teeny tiny place in a basement which you may miss if you don’t look close enough.

The décor is gorgeous. It’s rustic and quirky at the same time. I love how there are different sections. There’s brick looking wallpaper. A white wall filled with different sized photographs. Where we were sitting the wall was covered with artificial flowers. I’ve never seen anything like it before.

There was only one other couple when we went in. It was nice, quiet and peaceful. There’s mismatched sofas and plush looking arm chairs. There’s even a big blackboard which I’m guessing people can draw on as there was a cartoon from Zelda on it when we were there.

It just has loads of character and individual touches. I noticed a menu on the wall that was printed on a bamboo mat. There were quirky things everywhere. Even our mugs and plates were a little more than ordinary.

Kuppa Coffee is more than just decoration though. As you can probably guess they are mad on their coffee. I was reading that they have a special group of ‘coffee councilors’ who get together and decide on the blends they use and what not. They also work with reputable companies to bring the best coffee beans from around the World. I’m not a coffee fan in the slightest I hate the stuff, but that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate it. Plus they have hot chocolate, that more than makes up for the fact I hate coffee.

As soon as we entered Kuppa Coffee, the guy behind the counter was lovely, he helped us straight out and brought our drinks and things over for us. I got hot chocolate with a slice of lemon drizzle cake. Nathan went for a white mocha with a slice of toffee millionaire cake.

The cake tasted amazing, it was a generous portion size and it had been warmed up. The cream in the middle was oozing out. (Oh its making me hungry just thinking about it.) The hot chocolate was top notch too. It came in a nice little mug, topped with marshmallows and cream. You know that’s the only way to have hot chocolate.  

We only popped in for a quick stop, but its the kind of place where you could just sit for a while and relax. I loved the fact that it wasn't heaving. I could have quite happily sat there all day just reading a book and sipping on hot chocolate. If they had someone that could swap my empty cup for a full one and my plate too then hey that would be heaven. Its a good job that doesn't happen though or I'd probably never leave the place.

If you've never been to Kuppa Coffee they are definitely worth a spy. Even better if you are a coffee connoisseur and only want the best. If you're like me though, grab a hot chocolate. I promise you wont be disappointed.

Have any of you been to Kuppa Coffee?

What's your drink of choice?