Shoppers, residents and Clifton Village visitors will be able to experience a truly unique venue in the Village as of this Wednesday, November 16th on the opening of Cordial & Grace.
The “modern tea rooms and sewing cafe” opening at 9 The Mall (the former home of Indian restaurant Posh Spice) will be a place where customers can enjoy an afternoon tea in the ‘elegant, smartly decorated and brightly coloured tea room’, rent a sewing machine by the hour in the downstairs parlour, or simply enjoy a coffee and a cake. There will also be a selection of hand-picked fabrics and haberdashery available to buy.
Opening on Wednesday, November 16th, Cordial & Grace will offer inventive brunch dishes and sumptuous afternoon teas complete with a range of carefully selected  loose-leaf teas, homemade cakes and and fairly traded coffee, all of which can be accompanied with a glass of Prosecco or wine, as the premises are licensed. Food and drink at the new venue has been sourced from local suppliers wherever possible.
Cordial & Grace owner Maria Whiteman says, ‘I am delighted to be able to share my passion for sewing, tea and cake with Clifton. It’s been a long-held dream of mine to open such an establishment and I am so excited to have found the perfect ‘posh’ premises in Clifton, which has been my home for over 10 years. I hope to welcome a range of visitors, such as those dashing in for a quick cuppa and slice of cake, those enjoying brunch with the morning papers, those who fancy a glass of wine (or bubbles) with their cake, as well as the full afternoon tea experience. I’m also hoping the space will take the fear out of using a sewing machine and inspire people to discover the joys of simply being creative in the downstairs parlour.
‘There’s something quintessentially British about afternoon tea which I think combines perfectly with the current, growing trend for handmade goods and craft-focused experiences. And what’s more enjoyable than a slap-up tea after an hour or so making something.’
From January, Cordial & Grace plans to offer a full range of sewing and craft workshops in its specially designed basement parlour. Until then, the sewing machines will be available to rent by the hour for both novice and expert sewers alike, with experienced sewing staff on hand to help. There will also be a few festive themed workshops held in December.
Maria added: ‘Now is the right time to tap into the growing move away from throwaway, fast food and fashion, but I wanted Cordial & Grace to offer something beyond the more recent trend for shabby-chic, vintage or homemade goods. I see it as a move towards handmade, rather than homemade. People still want their little luxuries here and there so, at Cordial & Grace, we offer them both.’
The downstairs parlour will also be available for private hire and the whole premises are available exclusively for special events such as hen parties, private dining and children’s birthdays. Maria also has plans to welcome other local craftspeople to host workshops in the building – keep an eye on www.cordial-and-grace.co.uk for more details!
‘I wanted to call it Cordial & Grace to exemplify the warm and gracious welcome all customers can be assured when they visit’, says Maria. ‘I also wanted the name to reflect the elegance and quality of food, drink and decor that we will be offering. It’s come a long way since its days as the Indian restaurant, Posh Spice!’
We’ll be heading over there this week to have a look – it’s great to see somewhere a little different opening up in the Village, and we wish Maria the best of luck!
Find Cordial & Grace on the Bristol Bites Directory…
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