Festive Afternoon Tea at Dreamworld Cakes, Ouseburn

 This post is based on a visit in November 2022. 

Dreamworld Cakes is a gorgeous Pattiserie in the heart of Ouseburn hidden in the arches under Byker Bridge. It's just across the road from Ouseburn Farm, Seven Stories, the Cluny and Stepney Bank Stables. Kids are very welcome and it's easy to get to by car or public transport (see the end of this post for directions). 

The cakes here are honestly, the best in Newcastle. Myself and New Girl in Toon have often discussed how there are two types of Afternoon Tea - the hearty homemade type (like you'd get at Running Fox) or the delicate and dainty type. Afternoon Tea here definitely falls into the second category and a lot of skill is involved in making their beautiful cakes which not only look stunning but also taste great too. 

Dreamworld Cakes is a family business and the owners trained at a renowned pattiserie in London and have worked at many prestigious locations including Buckingham Palace Garden Parties and Chelsea Flower Show before moving to the North East. We're lucky to have them! 

Festive Afternoon Tea is available until 22 December and needs to be pre-booked. You can call 07794 945202 or email Hello@Dreamworldcakes.co.uk to book. Vegetarian and Gluten Free options are available. 

It is priced at £21 per person which I think is a bargain. You would pay double this in London for the standard on offer. They take a 50% deposit on booking. 

The Pattiserie is small but it feels beautiful and cosy. It was nice and warm and we had candles, a bottle of water and fresh flowers on our table. It felt like a really welcoming place to enjoy a catch up. 

I had seen a few photos online but wow, we were blown away by the tea stand which just looked too good to eat. It was perfect. 

Sandwiches and scone first and for once, I actually liked all of the sandwich options on the menu. The bread was nice and fresh / soft (they definitely hadn't been sitting out for ages) and they were packed with filling. My favourite sandwich was the smoked salmon and cream cheese sandwich which was served on wholemeal bread. I eat a lot of smoked salmon and have to say, this is the best smoked salmon sandwich I've ever had. 

You also get a turkey with cranberry sauce (super festive) and cucumber (very traditional). There is one scone per person and it too was perfect. Not dry at all or overly crumbly. Served with just the right amount of jam and cream. 

You get to choose a hot drink from the menu and I opted for my usual Americano which stayed hot throughout the experience. 

Onto the cakes and honestly I really didn't want to eat this swan. Just stunning! It's made with white chocolate and almond on a little biscuit base and just felt so delicate. I loved it. 

The Christmas Pudding Surprise was a bit of a treat, you lift the lid to find a surprise in there. Again, the attention to detail was incredible. This one was very rich and chocolaty - perfect for chocolate lovers. 

Next, we move onto the Belgian Chocolate and Orange Christmas Club. This was nice and fondanty inside and had a strong taste of chocolate orange. I loved it and I think it was the best tasting cake. This one does get a little messy as it's quite runny inside so if you like to keep your plate clean, save this one until last. 

Now I am not a Macaron fan in general,  I usually find them too sweet for my tastes but this mulled wine version was actually really good and didn't taste of pure sugar like they often can. 

And finally, how cute is this Santa Hat? Filled with Gingerbread and Caramel it was delicious and a lovely festive treat. 

I could not fault this afternoon tea at all. It is the perfect place to catch up with someone over Christmas. I like that pretty much as soon as you sit down and have ordered your drink, your afternoon tea is brought to your table and they leave the menu with you so you can remember what you are eating. Apart from a couple of check backs, you are pretty much left alone to enjoy and there is not waiting around or mulling over what to order. 

There is a fantastic counter of cakes to choose from if you with to buy something special to take home too. 

They don't offer a kids version, but I think most children would be happy with this selection or you could perhaps share one between two children. 

If you'd like to make a festive day of it, I would recommend combining with Seven Stories across the road. Seven Stories is FREE entry and you don't need to book to visit their galleries and exhibitions but over the festive period they do have a nice range of events on offer including Christmas Storytimes, Elves Workshops and Christmas Crafts. See what's on and book here. 

I think an event at Seven Stories followed by Afternoon Tea would make a lovely festive day out in Newcastle. 

Where to park? I always park in the car park on Foundry Lane across from Seven Stories / behind the Cookhouse. There are 57 spaces here and in all my years of visiting, it's never been full. I visited on a Saturday and there were only around 5 other cars there.

It's 50p an hour with a maximum stay of 4 hours during peak times (free on a Sunday) and just a 2 minute walk to Dreamworld Cakes. Use postcode NE6 1LH. There are smaller car parks in the Arches Car Park under Byker Bridge. 

If you are travelling by public transport, Byker Metro is a 10-15 walk away. Hopefully the map below should share the route. 

For more ideas for things to do in Newcastle, please follow Visit Newcastle on Facebook here and follow Visit Newcastle on Instagram here. 

For the most up to date info, visit Dreamworld Cakes on Instagram.  This afternoon tea in my opinion was perfect and I would recommend. 

Address: Arch 3 Stepney Bank, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 2NP