1 week Ago By [email protected] (Alexander Smail)
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From the biggest cities to the smallest villages, one thing Scotland has in abundance is charming tearooms. One of the areas of Scotland that is known for its wide variety of lovely cafés is the East Neuk of Fife. This picturesque stretch of coastline on the east coast is renowned for its various charming and friendly villages.
As reported by the Daily Record , Scotland Now's Alexander Smail visited the East Neuk village of Crail last weekend. He sampled all that the village has to offer, from its lovely beach to its various independent shops. As part of his trip, he stopped over at a one-of-a-kind café.
Read on to find out what he made of the Crail Harbour Gallery and Tearoom. I previously wrote about my trip to Crail in the East Neuk of Fife. As I already said, I had a wonderful time in the fishing village—but there is one thing I didn't get to gush over as much as I wanted.
The Crail Harbour Gallery and Tearoom is a café and shop tucked away down a lane on the way to the harbour. Nestled along the shore, its outdoor seating area needs to be seen to be believed. As part of my trip to Crail with my partner over the weekend, we nipped into the tearoom for a coffee and a sweet treat.
We were intending to just get a couple of coffees to go, but once I saw a sign on the front door stating that there was outdoor seating I had to give it a go—it was a sunny day after all. Stepping inside, we were immediately greeted by a friendly waitress who asked us whether we wanted to sit inside or outside. The indoor area looked rather busy and so I wasn't optimistic about getting a table, but thankfully she told us that there was plenty of space outside.
As we made our way to the door at the back, I got a proper look at the tearoom. Its low ceilings and stone walls gave it a unique cave-like atmosphere, which is a lot cosier than it sounds. Saying that, however, I am very glad we chose to sit outside.
When we stepped out through the doorway onto the rear courtyard, I almost couldn't believe my eyes. There were maybe half a dozen small tables scattered around a multi-tiered stone garden. What immediately caught my eye, though, was the view.
Dominating the vistas were the Firth of Forth and the North Sea. I almost couldn't believe how close we were to the water—and we weren't even at the table closest to the edge. Before ordering, I spent a good five minutes just in awe of the beautiful surroundings.
Closing my eyes and breathing in the fresh sea air, I almost forgot I was in Scotland for a moment. In terms of food, there was a surprising amount of variety on the menu. From soup and sandwiches to cheese scones and pancakes, I was tempted by almost all of it.
The Scottish Highlands hike that ends at 'Scotland's cosiest pub' However, we came in for a sweet treat and it is a sweet treat we wanted. After much deliberation, I opted for a slice of coffee and walnut cake and my partner chose the shortbread. It was only after we ordered that I noticed one of the Crail Harbour Gallery and Tearoom's cutest and most unique features.
Each seat outside comes with its own blanket, and almost all of the other visitors sitting outside had theirs covering their legs or even wrapped around their whole body. Since it was a bit chilly thanks to the bracing sea breeze, I opted for the latter. The cosy blanket immediately warmed me up.
It wasn't long at all until my cappuccino and cake arrived. Not only did the cake come with cream and a slice of orange as a garnish, but we even got a small plate of complimentary tablet. The cake tasted as good as it looked—the perfect balance of sweet icing and strong flavours.
I also had a taste of my partner's shortbread and it was maybe even better, melting in the mouth like good shortbread should. As I went in to pay the bill, I stopped for a moment and browsed the goods available to buy. There were a range of trinkets that I imagine would be good mementos of a day out in Crail.
Admittedly, none of it was my taste. However, it was all very cute. I previously said that the vie from Crail Beach out over the water was the highlight of my visit to the village.
On second thought, however, it might have been the Crail Harbour Gallery and Tearoom..
