Devon Tea Dream: Magdalen Chapter Hotel

Winning countless brownie points with my mum was just one of my many incentives for taking her for afternoon tea at the glamorous Magdalen Chapter hotel, located just outside of Exeter’s city centre. As self professed connoisseurs of a good Devonshire cream tea we were looking forward to seeing if it would live up to our expectations, and it certainly didn’t disappoint. 

Once in the hotel we were greeted by a lovely team who took us through to their modern, chic dining room full of comfy armchairs to sit in. I spotted their outside patio through the windows, which will be perfect in the summer time (if it ever comes!) From the Afternoon Tea menu we opted for the ‘Traditional Afternoon Tea’, and as soon as it arrived I could tell we’d made the right choice. It came with classic smoked salmon and cucumber sandwiches along with cream cheese and chive ones, a fantastic selection of cakes and, of course, scones and a pot of tea. We had considered getting a simple cream tea, and I even spotted a special champagne afternoon tea: the latter would be perfect for a special occasion like graduation with the parents or an after exam treat with the girls; all the brilliance of afternoon tea but with added fizz! 

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We decided to share one tea which was more than enough for the two of us, but if you’re particularly hungry I’m sure one each wouldn’t go amiss. After quickly polishing off the sandwiches we moved onto the selection of cakes – starting with a beautiful pink macaroon with dark chocolate ganache in the centre, described by my delighted mum as “crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside”. There was also a square of fruity chocolate cake and a delicious Madeleine cake lightly dusted with icing sugar. The scones were perfection, served warm with lashings of thick clotted cream and jam. 

These delights were presented on a pretty little tiered cake stand and there were numerous other sandwich flavours so you could tailor it to your tastes. The hotel itself is absolutely gorgeous, combining a mixture of old brickwork and modern decor and furnishings.  Magdalen Chapter is only a ten minute walk from Princesshay and it also has a spa – the perfect destination for a special graduation treat with your mum or your housemates, followed by a Champagne tea of course! Or if you fancied something a little more adventurous they have a great selection of cocktails at 2 for £10. 

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I couldn’t recommend it enough as a place for visiting parents to stay in the height of luxury and it would be perfect for a romantic weekend away or a girly retreat. Each room is individual, they all come with an iPad to use throughout your stay and there’s even a free minibar, which is definitely special when you’re forever being warned never to touch anything in the minibars for fear of being charged a tenner for some M&M’s.

Overall, we had a lovely, relaxing time and I’ll definitely be suggesting this to my parents as a place to stay when they’re in Exeter!