The interior of Joe & Rosie.

Angela J. Cesere | AnnArbor.com

Joe and Rosie Coffee and Tea has the charm and warmth you would expect in a European coffee house. And that was the goal of England native Rachel Shelley, who opened this place in the middle of downtown Dexter last November.

The intimate space, basic yet warm, has hardwood floors, exposed brick walls, window seats and floor-to-ceiling windows that let in bursts of sunshine from the street. With smoothies, tea, coffee drinks, sandwiches and pastries, there's plenty to attract those interested in a lunch or a sweet snack.

Servers take your order at the counter the old-fashioned way, scribbled on a notepad, and then the food is delivered to your table.

There are a variety of flavors of loose-leaf tea, served in a steaming pot covered with a hand-made quilted cover. We opted for the English Breakfast, which tasted freshly brewed, a definite step up from the tea bag version.

The coffee drinks were also first-rate. Both the cappuccino and the sinfully sweet turtle mocha, a blend of almond, chocolate and caramel, had a full-bodied taste that far exceeded that provided by the coffee chains.

The mixed berry smoothie, full of fresh fruit, was topped with a mountain of homemade whipped cream, making it less healthful and closer to a dessert, resembling a creamsicle ice-cream bar.

A chicken salad sandwich at Joe & Rosie.

Angela J. Cesere | AnnArbor.com

The best part of the sandwiches was the fresh, spongy, multi-grain bread. It nicely complemented the fresh turkey in the turkey club and the wonderful egg salad.

The same bread worked well in the delicious chicken salad, made better by an abundance of crunchy purple grapes, and the BLT, seasoned with a great sauce.

The Mediterranean wrap suffered from an abundance of spinach and artichoke hearts and not enough hummus, making it bland and uninteresting. And the tuna had a bitter, vinegar taste along with too much mayonnaise.

I wanted to try the stuffed pepper soup, but they were out of it on my second visit. I enjoyed the tomato tortellini soup on my first visit, where soft puffy pillows of pasta sat in a thick broth.

A Joe & Rosie mocha

Angela J. Cesere | AnnArbor.com

There's much here to attract those with a sweet tooth. My daughter gobbled up the soft, chewy chocolate chip cookies after I had only a couple of bites. They're baked fresh on the premises daily, as are the heavenly thick scones, the consistency of cake, filled with fruit.

Shortbread was rich and full of butter, and a hint of lemon provided a refreshing accent. That same appealing lemony taste was present in the sugary sweet lemon cakes, topped with creamy frosting.

Some of the desserts suffered by the time we got to them late in the day on the second visit. Instead of being flaky, the strudel was dry, as were the brownies.

The charming ambience, high-quality food and pleasant service are already making the restaurant a hot spot for locals. It was packed with young children, moms getting together for a chat and some who sat alone, typing on their laptops. Based on my two visits here, I can definitely see the appeal.

Julie Halpert reviews restaurants for AnnArbor.com.