It's tea o'clock: my perfect route to tea in London

I've told you before that some of my fondest childhood memories are around the tea table at my grandmother's house eating those delicious scones for which I never got the recipe.

From here to tea time is my favorite part of the day. Therefore, whenever I travel to London, I always try to find places where they serve tea as I like it. Are you encouraged with the list of places that I propose today?

 

FORTNUM & MASON

For me, a must-stop for tea lovers is Fortnum's which, apart from having a wonderful food hall, is also a reputable tea room. Fun fact: this chain has been the royal purveyor of tea for the last 150 years, isn't it great? Through their website you can book an authentic English-style afternoon tea. Would you like to try it?

 

SKETCH LONDON

The place to be. This establishment, founded in 2002 by chef Pierre Gagniaire and restaurateur Mourad Mazouz, has become one of the trendiest restaurants in town. The best part? If book in advance you can enjoy a wonderful tea time surrounded by spectacular pink walls and furniture taken from a movie in the purest Wes Anderson style (in case you do not understand what I mean I recommend you to watch the movie The Grand Budapest Hotel.

 

BROWN HOTEL

On one of my first visits to the city I learned that this hotel has hosted numerous famous guests since its construction in 1837. It is also considered the first hotel in the city and where the acclaimed author of The Jungle Book, Rudyard Kipling, worked on some of his novels. My friend Martin explained to me that this hotel probably inspired Agatha Christie to write her play 'At the Bertram Hotel'. And you want to know the best part? It is said that Queen Victoria loved to have tea at the BrownI couldn't help but go inside, sit down to tea and imagine how the monarch must have taken her tea and what stories she could tell.

 

THE RITZ

I have a fond childhood memory with my grandmother and mother at the Ritz. It was my first time in London and as soon as I entered the hotel I was fascinated by the elegance of both the people there and the decor. I walked through all its rooms and I remember stopping in my tracks when I heard the sound of the majestic grand piano in the Palm Court room in the distance, where we were about to have tea.

To this day, whenever I can, I try to sit at a small table in a secluded spot, observing everything that is going on around me while I drink an authentic Ritz Royal English.

 

HOTEL CAFÉ ROYAL

My encounter with Café Royal's afternoon tea was pure chance. While walking down Regent Street with my childhood friend Beth we were caught in the rain. We didn't hesitate even for a second and ducked into the hotel.

 At the reception they welcomed us and helped us to dry off while they were telling us that historical figures such as Oscar Wilde, Muhammad Ali, Winston Churchill, Liz Taylor or David Bowie once walked through these rooms. We asked about the possibility of having a nice cup of tea and discovered that we could do something much better: 'Sweet treat': Afternoon Tea and Spa Day. The perfect combination. We enjoyed an authentic spa circuit in the hotel's majestic hot springs and later culminated with a wonderful scented tea menu.

As soon as we walked in, it was clear. We gave ourselves a real 'Sweet treat': Afternoon Tea and Spa Day, the perfect combination. What I liked the most about tea time in this place is the fusion they have made with the aroma house diptyque creating teas and aromas that combined perfectly with the sweets they were serving us.

 

LIBERTY

And last but not least. For me Liberty has that perfect combination of a place where you can get lost discovering selected products from all corners of the world and finish it off with a good cup of tea. My great discovery was Arthur's a cozy and totally Art Deco place where I had sandwiches and tea that I still remember to this day how good they were.

 

London is a marvel for us tea lovers. My list of places to have tea is endless and little by little I will be discovering it for you. In the next posts I will explain how you can prepare yourselves an authentic English style tea time. Stay tuned!

With love,