Cafe Anglais

This is by far one of my favorite places to frequent in Frederick, especially when I’m craving a cuppa in the afternoon. Anytime my husband would come to visit me here during our long distance dating relationship, he would insist that we stop in at Café Anglais because he loves himself an authentic British breakfast. The owner is marvelous, his dog is adorable, and the food is incredible. I recommend the Shepherd’s pie with mushy peas!

I was visiting my mom for the holidays and one of our traditions is to go to high tea each year. However, she was a little slow to make a reservation at our usual place, Gypsy’s Tea Room, and they were completely booked. As a consolation prize we decided to go to Frederick MD and do a walking tour of the downtown area. So, you can imagine my delight when we stumbled upon Café Anglais while looking for a lunch spot.
Upon entering the British Tea Room it was completely empty. What they lacked in décor and ambiance (it’s kind of like a grocery store meets takeout inside), they more than made up for with friendly service and yummy food. We were still able to get our tea fix with a wonderful pot of black tea and hot chocolate, scones with cream, and mini meat pies. It was very cheap and hit the spot nicely. If you’re looking for no frills tea service that has good food, look no further! And, if you do want to have a full afternoon tea, make sure to call the day before.

If you want a traditional taste British fare this is your place. The owner Michael, a native Brit, is on top of his diner’s experience and always has time to have a quick chat. The food is all made from scratch– which is delicious and authentic– and the tea is served in British fine bone china, perfect for a tea party or a bridal shower. Overall awesome experience especially when the garden opens in the spring!

Best chicken pie, so nice. Wish it came XXL
A nice touch in Frederick and to be honest, my first ever british café meal in the US

Beautiful garden area to eat yummy traditional English food. Included at this charming café is Emma a sweet mascot puppy to the establishment co-​hosting with delightful Michael the chef and owner. The best part was Michael’s sage quotes including «scones are really just vehicles for cream and jam.» A must experience.

We decided to stop in on our walk through old town Frederick. The tea was very good. And the scone as well. It was very pretty. We were glad we stopped and didn’t just look.

What a wonderful jewel in the heart of downtown Frederick, MD. The ambiance, food and service create the feeling of a true English or Irish visit. This British charmer is owned by Michael who serves you himself. His calm and charming English accent mixed with a good side of Irish broque captures ones attention and adds to the feeling of authenticity. The menu includes typical English dishes and beloved Irish specialties. I will return just to enter into the realm of a true English/​Irish environment, which is so near and dear to my heart.

Stopped here for lunch for tea, bangers and mash, and dessert. The tea was great! The bangers were a little bland but they get points for using actual sausages instead of hot dogs like some places. Mushy peas and mashed potatoes were tasty though! They were unfortunately out of treacle and rock cakes, so I got the éclair which wasn’t as good as I was hoping. Employees were incredibly nice and accommodating, and the outdoor seating in the garden was beautiful. Worth stopping in for tea, but don’t get the éclair!

Update: I went back to the café today, and the garden was open. I was given a choice of indoor or outdoor seating, and I chose the garden. I was given my menu and instructed that I could exit the front door, turn left, and the small alley/​entrance-​way would be right there. I was so excited to get to try the darn garden that I overshot it and almost went into some other business’ or some other person’s back yard. But, I made it fine, ordered my iced tea, and the waitress came out to ask me what I would like. I ordered the Fish & Chips with Mushy Peas.
The last time I went to the café, the two ladies there had ordered the fish & chips, and I wasn’t disappointed. I love fries, and honestly, the fries I had there were home-​made, crispy, golden, delicious, you get it. I’ve been there on a slow day and seen Michael in the back hand-​prepare this stuff. I didn’t wait long and even Michael (owner) came out to say the dish was almost ready. I wasn’t disappointed, man. The fish’s coating was just as fresh and crispy as the fries. They gave me a bottle of vinegar that went well with everything. I’m not big on peas, but the mushy peas were good, not dry or water-​logged or runny; I was surprised they went together like that — and to think of it again, having something green to go with all that gold is good. So, they take your order at the table and serve the food to you out there.
When I was given the choice for dessert, I like the look of the shop so much inside that I opted to come back in, which was fine. I got the scone with jam & clotted cream, like I usually do. So, that’s why there’s pictures of a garden, when I specifically wrote I couldn’t see it before — went back, had a great time, will come back again, sometime soonish.

If you haven’t found out this best kept secret yet then you’re missing out. Unique outdoor atmosphere that totally relaxed you and takes you away. The food is all fresh and cooked to order and is absolutely outstanding. While you’re waiting for your food, enjoy a pot of tea and soak in the surroundings. The food does take a little while to reach your table but it is because of the high quality and freshness. From the food to the pastries this place won me over and I will most definitely go back.

My sister and I stumbled across this little gem recently after running the Frederick half-​marathon and were pleasantly surprised. We had tea outside in the English tea garden which was lovely. The owner and was very friendly and has the sweetest little dog. If I lived closer I believe I would come here on a regular basis. Another reason love downtown Frederick!

Orange barley and Irish breakfast was the perfect post-​workout breakfast. Kind owner and kind servers as well!

My wife and I go to Café Anglais every couple of months and enjoy it immensely every time. It’s a cozy little British Tearoom with a very friendly and personable owner, Michael Harrison, a native Briton who will always sit down and chat with you if he isn’t too busy. It’s more like stopping in for lunch with a good friend than formal dining and that’s very appealing.
The Shepherd’s Pie (with lamb) or Cottage Pie (with beef) are outstanding and come with mushy peas which are excellent. Combined with authentic British tea, it just a great meal. Other traditional British food items are on the menu, but the Shepherd/​Cottage Pies are so good, it’s hard to them up. In the winter, it warms you up for the rest of the day.
There’s some nice desserts to try including Eclairs and scones and Michael will clue you in to what’s made fresh that day. I always buy a box of tea so I can have some every day at home because British tea is just so much better. All the teas for sale are very good, though I personally prefer the Yorkshire brand.
In the summer, there’s a nice little garden in back of the restaurant so you can enjoy your meal outside in very pleasant surroundings.

Café Anglais is a cute, little British gem in downtown Frederick. The café is small and has limited seating. However, if the weather is nice, do try to get a table outside in the backyard. They have plenty of outdoor seating and the garden is beautiful. I opted to sit outside to enjoy the weather.
I’m not a fan of beans and bangers so I went with the chicken curry pie and the orange barley water, The pie was good. I didn’t think it had enough curry flavor to it, but it was still tasty, had enough chicken, and the crust was flaky. I’ll still order this again if I wanted pie! The orange barley water was served in a big glass. It was very refreshing and light.
For dessert, I went with the sponge cake with sticky toffee. It was not what I expected. It was more like bread pudding doused in sauce. It was warm and delicious. However, after a few bites, it became too sweet.
They also serve pastys, quiche, fish and chips, and salads. When the weather is colder, try their English tea!

While the inside can be stuffy, the garden is adorable and cool, especially under the shade. They have several smaller tables and one big table that can easily accomodate a large group.
As much as I wanted English tea, I opted for the lemon barley water since I’m trying to cut down on caffeine. It was thicker than lemonade and but not sweet or tart. The glass was huge and I found it to be refreshing. I also thought the scone with clotted cream and jam was delicious! The scones don’t look anything like the ones at Starbucks (my only experience with scones) and look like biscuits, except they are dense and crumbly. They are filling and tasty.
I knocked off a star because my ham and cheese quiche was burned and so I couldn’t enjoy it. Also, the indoor window display could use a good cleaning as there were a few dead bugs. Not appetizing.
The owner chatted with our group before and after our meal and was very friendly and amusing. He also had his small dog visit us in the garden, who was equally friendly. Service was pretty slow but the young ladies were very nice and accurate with their order taking. They also offered to print separate checks for the group before anyone asked.

Stopped in for a pasty on Saturday, and settled on the Chicken Curry. The owner warned me it might be hot, and it was, but it was delicious. It was really flaky as well. It was a little soggy on the underside, I’m not sure if that’s standard or not… and it took over 10 minutes (I thought it would be the type of thing they had fresh and heated up, but it seemed more like they might be defrosting it from the freezer? The crust seemed too fresh and flaky on top to have been frozen, but the underside was pretty soggy and it took SOOOOO long to heat it up…)
I’ll definitely go back and have tea, as it does look adorable in there, and the prices are far better than the tea place down on Patrick.

An adorable and pretty damn authentic English tea room. You want mushy peas? They got mushy peas. Pasty? Look no further. Twee English décor? Here it is. Bangers and mash? Coming right up. Proper English tea in tea pots with milk and sugar? This is your place. Café Anglais is adorable, welcoming, and has soul. It’s a little English oasis on Market Street.
I’ve never done the outside seating — I always seem to come on rainy or cold days — but it looks cute, and it’s a cozy little place inside. This has been a constant favourite of mine in Frederick since about 2005 or so. Michael, the owner, is friendly and charming, just like his tea room. Don’t hesitate. Go eat some mushy peas, have a cuppa, and enjoy.

Cutest little place right in downtown Frederick… we sat out in the garden and enjoyed an absolutely delightful afternoon. We had no idea there was such a lovely, secluded area to enjoy a traditional English treat!
The scones (with jam, cream and lemon curd) were clearly baked fresh that day — so tasty. The Chicken Curry Pasty was delicious, as was the Spinach and Onion Quiche and the Irish Breakfast.
The servers were attentive and polite… also had great personal recommendations from the menu.
We are so looking forward to visiting here again — particularly on a sunny afternoon!

People don’t often associate Britain with the finest cuisine, but this lovely café proves that stereotype wrong.
I came here with a friend for lunch. We shared a cheese potato onion pasty-​to die for!-fish and chips, and the Irish breakfast. Everything here is absolutely delicious and seasoned perfectly.
Michael the owner is friendly and kind-​his heart and soul are in this business. Café Anglais is a must go!

So far, I can only review the Tea and Coffee here, as we only stopped in to warm up after a cold walk in the snow… It was very authentic! (This fact verified by my British Mate who claims to be a Tea expert)
We’ll be back for some Fish and Chips and Mushy Peas sometime soon. Michael runs a pleasant little place…