Afternoon tea, though a classic British staple, has gone through many iterations over the years. So it was no surprise that one of Brighton’s most famous vegetarian restaurants had their own unique spin on it.

We sampled Terre à Terre’s vegetarian menu with a cocktail, but there are variations to suit a range of dietary requirements and desires - vegan and gluten free options and the choice between a boozy or soft drink.

The meal at the East Street restaurant begins with a savoury sharing plate which is followed by three tiers of sweets.

Their negroni, apparently the only vegan negroni in Brighton, was delicious and strong - in a good way - while their gin sour was light and tangy.

The Argus: The gin sour was light and tangyThe gin sour was light and tangy (Image: The Argus)

Both paired nicely with the savoury plate which was full of flavour.

The Argus: Is this Brighton's only vegan Negroni?Is this Brighton's only vegan Negroni? (Image: The Argus)

We particularly loved the rice buns with Szechuan marinated halloumi and the seaweed crackers were delightful - simple but so full of flavour.

The corn hushpuppy, flavoured with sage and onion, tasted good but the texture was slightly grainy.

The Argus: The savoury sharing plateThe savoury sharing plate (Image: The Argus)

For us, the winner was their twist on the classic scone with jam and creme.

Their tea-soaked variation of the traditional fruit scone was perfect - it tasted as if it was fresh from the oven, and the vanilla strawberry jam was so flavourful.

The next tier also had some favourites, including the chocolate hazelnut truffle cake which was topped with a thick chocolate mousse. It could have easily been overpowering, but its small size meant it was not too sickly.

This chocolate feast was paired with a Brandy Alexander shake – a miniature cup of whipped cream cocktail – which went down a treat.

We had high hopes for the bottom tier, which promised to cut through the sweetness of the other two with some zesty flavours.

The Argus: The sweet tiers, including our favourite sconesThe sweet tiers, including our favourite scones (Image: The Argus)

Unfortunately, the textures were a bit off here. The orange almond and polenta cake disintegrated before you could get it from the plate into your both, while the pink peppered meringue was too powdery.

It was redeemed, however, by the clementine sorbet which ended our feast on a light and tangy note.

At £29 per person, this is certainly a treat – but what a lovely way to finish an afternoon of pottering in The Lanes.