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London Suits Everyone to a Tea I paid a purposeful visit to London in June, when the weather was sunny, the crowds not yet at their summer peak, and the teapots were a-gleaming. Silver service aside, I noticed some terribly trendy teapots as well, and learned that designers like Zandra Rhodes and Paul Smith are putting their mark on pots, cups, and linens all in the name of the famous beverage. For those not as familiar with the ritual of afternoon as, say, someone like myself who’s just written a cookbook on the subject (Tea & Crumpets, Chronicle Books, 2009), you might wonder about its origins. Briefly, the ritual was “invented” by Anna Maria, 7 th Duchess of Bedford around 1840, a time when lunch was eaten quite early in the day and dinner wasn't served until 8 or 9 o'clock in the evening. The story of its creation says that when the Duchess was feeling a bit hungry late one afternoon while on summer holiday at Woburn Abbey, she asked her maid to bring tea and a tray of bread-and-butter sandwiches to her room. Anna Maria enjoyed her “taking of tea” so much that she started inviting her friends to join her for this new social event, one that gradually expanded to include assorted fruit breads and small pastries. Having tea became somewhat of a national institution in Britain, and today you can plan an entire London itinerary around where you’ll have your next cup. KNIGHTSBRIDGE Start with a shopping trip to Harrods (Brompton Road) and you’re in the thick of tea country, with Ladurée, the well-known Parisian pâtisserie now located on the first floor. French tea service is generally limited to a cup of tea and a decadent pastry (try the rose-flavored macaroons or the chocolate- or pistachio-filled religieuse, a two-layered cream puff shaped like a nun’s bonnet), but light meals are also served amid elegant pastel surroundings. If you want the full English treatment, head up the road to the Caramel Room at The Berkeley Hotel(Wilton Place) for its afternoon Fashion Tea. Dubbed Prêt-à-Portea, the menu features designer-inspired pastries duplicated by the chef to resemble anything from a Jimmy Choo high-heeled cookie to an Alexander McQueen tartan chocolate cake. While you’re in the neighborhood, you might want to visit Kensington Palace, home to the late Princess Diana. An audiovisual exhibition, “Diana: a Princess Remembered”— photographs, film footage, interviews, and a selection of her dresses— will be on offer until January to make the 10 th anniversary of her death. You’ll also enjoy a stop at The Orangery, originally designed as a greenhouse in Kensington Gardens and approved by Queen Anne. A long brick room lined with statues and Corinthian columns houses a brunch buffet, and classic English teatime treasures including crust less finger sandwiches, scones, and sweets like Sticky Toffee Pudding and Carrot Cake served on a three-tiered tea stand. If the weather is pleasant, walk through the park around The Serpentine to Hyde Park Corner and the Wellington Arch. PICCADILLY You could easily spend a few days in the Piccadilly and St. James’s area of London, strolling through Green Park, Buckingham Palace Gardens, and St. James’s Park; waiting for a parade or a protest to march along The Mall; or catching the daily changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace (11:30 a.m. in summer; alternate days in winter). When you tire of royal watching, stop in at Fortnum and Mason (181 Piccadilly), the luxury department story that‘s been a London fixture since 1707. Known as “the Queen’s grocer,” this fancy food emporium offers, among other extravagances, salesmen wearing frock coats, two floors devoted to fresh food, a wine bar and vault, and St. James’s Restaurant,where you can pop in for breakfast, lunch, or afternoon tea For real indulgence, order a glass of Roederer Brut or Rosé champagne or tea from their rare tea selection. The ultimate indulgence, according to some, is having tea in the Palm Court at The Ritz (150 Piccadily), the legendary hotel founded by Cesar Ritz 100 years ago. The first steel framed building of any significance in London—with French chateau style architecture and Louis XVI interiors—the hotel was, according to Ritz, “a small house to which I am proud to see my name attached.” After recently being restored to its original glory, the landmark hotel is the place to enjoy “Putting on The Ritz,” although some critics feel the “assembly line” five sittings do not lend to the leisure atmosphere for which afternoon tea is known. While you’re in the neighborhood, a short walk will bring you to Trafalgar Square, location of the National Portrait Gallery, National Gallery, and St. Martin-in-the-Fields, where you can catch concerts by candlelight Thursday to Saturday at 7:30 p.m., or pose for a photo op in front of Lord Nelson’s statue or the famous four lions that surround him. If you head back down Whitehall, you can also tour Westminster Abbey, check out Big Ben, and take a ride on British Airways London Eye, the 135 meter-high observation wheel that [on a clear day] affords terrific views over the capital. For on-the-day theater tickets, try TKTS ( www.tkts.co.uk), the half-price ticket booth in the Clocktower Building on Leicester Square, but if you’ve no need for bargains, head to Old Bond Street, New Bond Street, Savile Row, or Burlington Arcade, places for serious bespoke clothiers and high, high priced jewelry and fashion. MAYFAIR The neighborhood bordered by the Bond Streets, Piccadilly, Park Lane, and Oxford Street, Mayfair is home to shops, embassies, lovely homes on tree-lines mews, Berkeley Square, and an even wider assortment of lovely hotel tearooms. The English Tea Room at Brown’s Hotel (Albermarle Street) seems a unanimous favorite. Dark paneling, working fireplaces, comfy seating, and impeccable service from waiters in coat tails even bring out locals to Sir Rocco Forte’s newly refurbished historic hotel (it first opened in 1837 in a series of adjacent town houses). At The Chesterfield Mayfair (35 Charles Street), the Chocolate Lover’s tea was my hands-down favorite, where you can start with either hot chocolate or a chocolate milk shake, follow with chocolate scones, miniature chocolate pastries and cakes, and a luxurious take-away chocolate bar to tide you over ‘til dinner. If you haven’t indulged in Champagne and chocolate lately, don’t delay. At The Dorchester Hotel (Park Lane), they’re shaking off the fussy, old-fashioned reputation for teatime by introducing the “Wicked” Chocolate Tea, where a unique chocolate tea—a special blend of Grand Cru Cacao beans from South America—joins a chocolate martini (they wouldn’t part with the recipe), crispy cannelloni, and all manner of chocolate mousses. Another innovative twist on tradition is a Hendrik’s Tea Time Martini, a heady brew made with gin, rose-petal jam, lemon, and mint. These special occasion “teas” are served in The Bar, but traditionalists can still enjoy a cup of Earl Gray or Darjeeling in The Promenade, the U.K. Tea Guild’s 2007 winner of the “Top London Afternoon Tea Award.” Two neighboring hotels on Piccadilly—The Athenaeum and The Park Lane—are also fond of “themed” or “special occasion” teas, especially in spring when strawberries are widely available and important flower events take place in London. At The Athenaeum, “Petals and Pekoe Tea” is inspired by the gardens of the Chelsea and Hampton Court Flowers Shows. During the weeks of homage to floral designs (Chelsea in May, Hampton Court in July), the chef serves floral teacakes, strawberry tartlets, rose-scented macaroons, cheesecake with edible frosted flowers, and orange blossom scones. In the Art Deco surroundings of the Palm Court at The Park Lane, an all-strawberry tea features pink Champagne, strawberry and elderberry sorbet, berry tarts, and—what else—scones with strawberry jam. Year-round, a chocolate tea is served, and couples can partake in an over-the-top event featuring Krug Champagne, smoked salmon and caviar, foie gras savories, French pastries, and exclusive white tea. ACROSS THE RIVER If your travels bring you across the Thames to Southwark and Bankside, do walk over the Millennium Bridge, the pedestrian walkway that links the Tate Gallery with St. Paul’s Cathedral. It’s the first bridge built over the river in 100 years. Once across, with visits to Tate Modern, Shakespeare’s Globe, Vinopolis, and Borough Market checked off your “must see” list, stop at the Bramah Museum of Tea and Coffee (40 Southwark Street), the only “museum” devoted exclusively to the history and production of two of the world’s oldest and most popular beverages. You can also enjoy a cup of coffee or tea with a sandwich and sweet at the bargain price of about 5£ ($10) as opposed to the cost of formal afternoon tea, generally priced between 20£ and 35£ ($40 to $70 per person), more with Champagne. Ten Places for Tea Ladurée at Harrods ( www.harrods.com) is open Monday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m,; Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. Reservations suggested; 207-893-8293. The Berkeley ( www.the-berkeley.co.uk) serves tea from 2 to 6 p.m. daily. Reservations required; 207-235-6000. The Orangery ( www.hrp.org.uk) is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Reservations not required; 207-376-0239. Fortnum and Mason ( www.fortnumandmason.co.uk) serves tea in St. James’s Restaurant, Monday to Saturday from 3 to 7 p.m.; Sundays from 3 to 5 p.m. Reservations suggested; 207-734-8040. The Ritz Hotel ( www.theritzlondon.com) serves tea five times daily—11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. (according to some, well ahead of the preferred serving time), 3: 30, 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. Reservations as well as jacket and tie are required; 207-493-8181. The Park Lane Hotel ( www.sheraton.com/parklane) hosts afternoon tea daily from 3 to 6 p.m. in the Palm Court. Reservations recommended; 207-499-6321. The Athenaeum ( www.athenaeumhotel.com) serves afternoon tea on the Ground Floor lounge daily from 2:30 to 6 p.m. The Dorchester ( www.dorchesterhotel.com) serves traditional afternoon tea in two sittings—2:30 and 4:45 p.m. daily. Reservations recommended; 207-629-8888. Brown’s Hotel ( www.brownshotel.com) offers three kinds of afternoon tea daily from 3 to 6 p.m. Reservations recommended; 207-493-6020. Chesterfield Mayfair ( www.chesterfieldmayfair.com) serves afternoon tea in The Conservatory from 3 to 5 p.m. daily. Reservations suggested; 207-491-2622. |
Whoever suggested that teatime in London was a crotchety affair enjoyed by middle-aged ladies in hats and gloves obviously has not paid a visit to the British capital in decades. Fashion teas, “wicked” chocolate teas, pink teas, theatre teas, and champagne teas are currently all the rage in this hip city, with as much attention being paid to the service, china, cake trolley, and guy in designer duds sitting next to you as to the tea itself.
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