Mel Fewster samples a popular spot for tea, treats and more

I have driven past Maison Blanc so many times over the years but never thought to go in. I’m not sure why, because it looks so inviting, but that changed when we decided to pop in for tea.

My friend and I chose Shrove Tuesday, (plenty of parking in St Giles and only a short walk) when it was bustling with lunchtime trade.

We were over excited at the choice of exquisite cakes on display and oohed and ahhed over them. People were tucking into delicious looking salads, which were very tempting, but we decided we would come back another day to try those.

To kick off afternoon tea, we were brought a glass of champagne each which was most welcome and utterly delicious.

Our two-tier cake stand arrived and was as pretty as a picture complete with five miniature cakes each.

We started with a raspberry mille feuille which means a thousand leaves referring to the complex layers of puff pastry. It was crisp and fresh, with just a dot of creme patisserie. The chocolate brownie was dense, moist and delicious, but it was the apricot and almond crumble cake that was my favourite – soft, buttery pastry and an apricot gel bead on top, mmm. I usually find chocolate eclairs a bit sickly but not this one, two bites of choux pastry with chocolate creme patisserie inside and chocolate icing on top, no cream, just right. And last but not least a very pretty lemon meringue tart. We couldn't have eaten another crumb as we had enjoyed every mouthful. Everything tasted as good as it looked.

We did ask ourselves if a sandwich or two would have been a nice addition but decided not. The cakes were enough......

I couldn't leave without purchasing bread and I chose a campaillou which is a rustic dark sour dough, which was out of this world and some full sized mille feuille, full to bursting with creme patisserie, beautifully wrapped. It was Shrove Tuesday - which in French means Fat Tuesday - and it suddenly seemed rather appropriate and got me thinking: What should I give up for Lent? Cake? Never.

* Maison Blanc, 3 Woodstock Rd, Oxfordshire, Oxford. 01865 510974

* Afternoon Tea: Made for sharing, enjoy a refreshing pot of tea or coffee with a selection of 10 deliciously tempting small patisseries. Two mini chocolate éclairs, two mini apricot almondies, two mini lemon meringues, two mini chocolate brownies and two mille feule framboises. For two £19.90. For one £9.95. Champagne: 20cl is £9.95.