Could someone correct me here? Having dated a French speaker I was introduced to pronouncing this place as Jaaaade, rather than Jayde. But I am starting to think that I am the only person in Blackheath to be doing this.
5 steps to enjoying a lemon tart at Jade – best enjoyed with a friend. (or just get two seats and regularly swap sides).
First: ensure you join the queue with enough space to distinguish the lemon tart from the passion fruit tart. The latter is nice, but lemon tart is special on a different level.
Order with a coffee from the grumpy waitress/cashier, and with any luck manage not to offend her at some point during the transaction. Break the lemon tart in half and watch the lemon ooziness drip out (but not too much).
Argue over which of you will eat jade chocolate button (if it has one)
Enjoy!
Jade also tops my frequent visit list because the coffee is the best in the village and the Earl Grey is Twinnings (yet to find any other contender for Earl Grey, even in the expensive brands – suggestions welcome). Other ‘top the list’ products here are the croissants. They can be a little unusual looking sometimes, but- just the right amount of buttery crumbs left on the plate to dip your finger into (so long as an over enthusiastic waitress resists whipping your plate away first); the tart tatin; and the chocolate tart; the florentines and the macaroons… and…
And make sure you check BOTH ends of the counter, with the exception of their very good sandwiches, there are some excellent savory options hiding on the other side of the till where you have had no time to check them out whilst keeping your place in the queue. But avoid the pizza. (very bad; worse than your own homemade version with wholemeal flour,; served cold; with broccoli.)
You may have observed a prejudice on my part for pastry here- the very impressive cream concoctions don’t quite appeal for a quick stop for coffee; but I am sure no one would regret shelling out £22 for a larger cream cake thingy for guests later in the day (please use the comment box below to invite me to dinner)
The cups have got smaller, the prices have got higher, the coffee is not good and cakes sometimes come with a side order of mould. Not impressed.
Now the cups HAVE got smaller. I am really not sure why either… I am sure it is only water, even if the cups are prettier. I can’t say I’ve spotted any mild though. Last report I had as they are baking fresh every day.