Your London tea experiences might be enhanced by going to places frequented by customers who don�t have American passports in their pockets!

Seeing London with Tea on Your Mind

Story and photographs by Bruce Richardson

It seems that everyone has a tea story. You know the recollection, I had tea at Harrods, I had tea at The Ritz, or We had tea at Fortnum & Mason.

Having owned an American tea room for 14 years, I had countless opportunities to talk with guests about their travels to London. For years, I've heard similar stories about the same tea venues repeated again and again. I always suggested to my guests that their London tea experiences might be enhanced by going to places frequented by customers who don't have American passports in their pockets!

Deciding where to take tea in London can be an overwhelming decision for the first-time visitor. The Ritz and Browns are two of the better known hotel teas but the exciting thing about the London tea scene is the new and vibrant look premiering at places such as The Berkeley Hotel and The Tea Palace. Believe or not, now there are tea rooms in London that remove the leaves from the pot before bringing it to the table. What a break in tradition that is!

A great afternoon tea is on the itinerary of most London visitors. (Please don't call it high tea or the staff will know you are a tourist.) For years, people have asked me for my top recommendation. I always have pointed them to two grand establishments that have never disappointed me. They both lie on the southeast corner of Hyde Park.

The Promenade at the Dorchester Hotel is one of the venerable locations for meeting friends for tea. The room is sophisticated, the service is flawless, and the food is unending. You can easily forget about the passage of time in this opulent setting that has hosted most of the world's celebrities.

My other five-star recommendation is just a few blocks south at Hyde Park Corner. The Lanesborough Hotel is one of the great hotels of the world. The Conservatory at The Lanesborough has recently become one of the top choices for afternoon tea in London. Its high glass roof, graceful chandeliers, and potted palms make it an oasis in a city that can be overcast and gray. The tea selection is extensive, and the pastries are too beautiful to eat.

I like to walk in Hyde Park early in the morning when Londoners are jogging and riders are out with their horses. Its fun to spot the bronze statue of Peter Pan hidden beside the serpentine lake or peer into the gardens of Kensington Palace. The Orangery at the palace is a perfect place for a drop-in tea break. The world's tallest stack of scones faces you as you enter the grand hall. Tea and dress here is casual.

If you're into fashion, the place for tea is the Berkeley Hotel situated in a quieter section of Knightsbridge. Instead of sandwiches, whet your appetite with miniature crostinis and tiny savory skewers. Then enjoy the smile-provoking selection of cakes and pastries inspired by the fashion collections of top Hotel Berkeley Tea world designers. Nibble your way through a chocolate glitter bow dress with the look of Alberta Ferretti or a white feather coconut cream that is most certainly Dolce & Gabbana. There's a lace mint cake a la John Galliano, a pink-bow vanilla handbag inspired by Yves Saint Laurent, and a monochrome chocolate pannacotta that is strictly Dior.

It's not all about high fashion and high prices when it comes to tea. A 30-minute tube ride will take you across the Thames to London's spectacular Kew Gardens. I like to spend a quiet morning there strolling the 300 acres that showcase 60,000 species of plants. If all that walking works up an appetite, stop by the Maids of Honour down the street from the Cumberland Gate entrance. It's one of the best informal tea spots in greater London.

Antiques lovers will want to take the tube to Nottinghill Gate on Saturday morning and walk a few blocks north to the antique markets at Portobello Road. Prices are not as good for Americans as they once were, but the display of treasures makes for great entertainment. You would be wise to finish the morning with tea at one of London's new tea hotspots, The Tea Palace on Westbourne Road. This is both a tea room and retail shop with one of the largest selections of tea anywhere.

Everyone goes home from London with tea in Fortnum and Mason tea their suitcases. You might stop by the food halls at Harrods or Fortnum Mason for rare teas or beautiful tea cups to add to your collection. Twinings on the Strand is another place to find a quick gift. They've been there for five generations!

Back in America, your friends will undoubtedly ask you where you had tea in London. You will take great delight in telling them about taking tea at the Berkeley, The Maids of Honour, The Dorchester, or The Lanesborough. They probably have never heard of these places. Upon second thought, you might keep your spectacular finds to yourself. After all, if tourists start filling these tea rooms they won't be secrets anymore. Maybe you should just tell your friends you had tea at Harrods!

The is article first appeared in the September 2006 issue of TeaTime magazine. Copyrighted material.

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Please don't call it "high tea" or the staff will know you are a tourist.

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Tea writer, Bruce Richardson, and veteran photographer, John Gentry, have fulfilled their quest for finding the Great Tea Rooms of Britain. With the assistance of The British Tea Council and its outstanding Guild of Tea Shops, they have put together a fascinating collection of color photographs, narrative, touring tips, and recipes from 22 memorable tea rooms in England, Scotland and Wales.

Tea lovers who dream of visiting Britain, as well as seasoned travelers, will find this book a valuable guide in planning their next adventure through the British countryside. Hardcover.