The minute I walked into Sweet Little Things, it was love at first sight. Bath’s newest teashop is an Instagram paradise, filled with the prettiest little details, from the soft pink velvet chairs to the delicate floral china. The theme is soft white and pale rose pink, like the marshmallows that fill the big glass bonbon jar on the counter, but it’s fresh and elegant rather than ending up overwhelmingly froufrou – the balance is perfectly judged. A huge flower garland surrounds the wide window looking onto Lower Borough Walls, dripping with big blousy roses and frothy wisteria, with little white doves peeking out amongst the leaves. Behind the counter, pretty teapots and teacups stand in rows along shelves backed with candy-striped wallpaper, while the glass-fronted chill cabinet is filled with perfect little cupcakes and a rainbow of salads and quiches. Frankly, I couldn’t quite decide what to take a picture of first.
Everything is pink, white and perfect
Of course, creating a beautiful space is only the first step – and for proper foodies, will count for nothing if the menu isn’t good – so I’m delighted to say Sweet Little Things is both gorgeous and delicious. Having taken about a hundred photos, we settled down to afternoon tea – which, of course, arrives on a tiered cake stand, accompanied by flower-patterned teacups and teapots (or glasses of champagne, if you prefer). Having poured myself a cup of Earl Grey, I started with the sandwiches – little brioche rolls, one filled with smoked salmon, cream cheese and cucumber, and the other with Wiltshire ham, wholegrain mustard and salad. The savoury part of afternoon tea is always one of the highlights for me, and I particularly enjoyed the smoked salmon roll – although I do still think the finger sandwich is the ultimate in afternoon tea savouries.
There are few things more exciting than a fully-laden cake stand
My dining companion, meanwhile, went straight to the sweets with one of Sweet Little Things’ irresistibly cute cupcakes, a dark chocolate sponge topped with a swirl of vanilla frosting and a whole Oreo cookie (why choose between cake and cookies, after all). I’m not, I must admit, a massive Oreo fan, but I just had to try some and it was delicious – the cake was particularly light and (brace yourselves) moist.
Having scoffed the savoury tier of the cake stand, we moved on to the scones, which were warm from the oven and perfectly baked – I always think the mark of a good scone is if you’d be happy to eat it all by itself, and that was definitely true of these. Since Sweet Little Things had provided us with strawberry jam and clotted cream, though, it seemed rude not to pile both generously on top. Yum.
A lovely little Oreo cupcake
Finally, we tucked in to the topmost tier, laden with a dark chocolate beetroot brownie, a little raspberry macaron, a golden coconut haystack, a miniature Victoria sponge, and fresh strawberries. I thought the beetroot brownie was a particularly inspired touch – it was very dark and rich rather than sweet, which is just what you need in an afternoon tea to balance all the other sweet treats. The miniature Victoria sponge was another favourite of mine – once again the cake was beautifully light, and you can’t beat that combination of jam and buttercream.
Sweet Little Things is brought to you by Fiona and Natalie Bonnici (locals will know them from Café au Lait, by the station), and I have to take my hat off to them for how perfectly they’ve judged their latest creation – it seems guaranteed to become a huge success. Although this exquisite space is practically made for afternoon tea, the menu also includes some very tempting brunch and lunch options (I’ll definitely be visiting again soon to try some of those) as well as sweet treats for all, with many of their beautiful cakes and cupcakes both vegan AND gluten-free. All that, and you’ll get some seriously stunning shots for your Insta. What’s not to like?
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