Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
TOP 5 AFTERNOON TEAS
The classic English
afternoon tea
- sandwiches, scones and cream, cakes and tarts, and, of
course, pots of tea - is available all over London. The most popular venues are the capital's top
hotels and most fashionable department stores; a selection of the best is given below. To avoid
disappointment, book well in advance - in the case of the
Ritz
, as far as twelve weeks ahead for
the weekends - and leave your jeans and trainers at home, as most hotels will expect at least
“smart casual attire”. Prices quoted here are for the standard teas; most places offer champagne
teas, or more substantial high teas, for a higher price.
Claridge's
Brook St, W1
T
020 7107 8886,
W
claridges.co.uk;
!
Bond Street; map p.78.
Fabulous menu with around forty teas and exquisite
cakes in stunning Art Deco surrounds. £45.
Daily 3pm,
3.30pm, 5pm & 5.30pm.
Fortnum & Mason
181 Piccadilly, W1
T
0845 602
5694,
W
fortnumandmason.com;
!
Green Park;
map p.78.
Take tea in this wonderful old store's
Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon
; menus change to reflect the
seasons or cultural events, and they have savoury,
vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free and
diabetic-friendly options for the same price. £40.
Mon-Sat noon-9pm, Sun noon-8pm.
Lanesborough
Hyde Park Corner, SW1
T
020 7259
5599,
W
lanesborough.com;
!
Hyde Park Corner;
map p.240.
This one is so grand that a tea sommelier
will discuss suitable tea and cake pairings with you.
Gluten- and dairy-free choices available. £38.
Daily
4pm, 4.30pm & 5pm.
The Ritz
Piccadilly, W1
T
020 7493 8181,
W
theritzlondon.com;
!
Green Park; map p.78.
Seriously posh teas in the hotel's Palm Court - gents
must wear a jacket and tie. £45.
Daily 11.30am,
1.30pm, 3.30pm, 5.30pm & 7.30pm.
The Wolseley
160 Piccadilly, W1
T
020 7499 6996,
W
thewolseley.com;
!
Green Park; map p.78.
The
atmosphere is grand without being intimidating at this
Viennese-style café (see p.367), where the sumptuous
European pastries are the speciality. £22.50.
Mon-Fri &
Sun 3-6.30pm, Sat 3.30-5.30pm.
24
main like black Scotch beef with marrowbone or octopus a
la plancha - prices (mains £15-33) reflect the quality and
the wallets of the clientele. The two-/three-course menu
(all day Mon-Fri; £22.50/£24.50) is well worth
considering.
Mon-Fri 11.45am-3pm & 5.30-11.30pm,
Sat 5.30-11.30pm.
SHOREDITCH AND HOXTON
CAFÉS
The Bridge
15 Kingsland Rd, E2
T
020 3489 2216;
!
Old Street; map pp.192-193.
Designers get paid a mint
to re-create the kind of Miss Havisham mish-mash that
comes naturally to this eccentric little Shoreditch coffee
house; the warm, friendly atmosphere, however, can't be
faked. The pub-like room downstairs, every inch crammed
with bric-a-brac, is delightful, and you could lose hours
nursing a coffee and a baklava in the kitsch Baroque boudoir/
granny's living room upstairs.
Sun & Mon 11am-10pm,
Tues & Wed 11am-1am, Thurs-Sat 11am-2am.
Fabrique
Arch 385, Geffrye St, E2
T
020 7033 0268,
W
fabrique.co.uk; Hoxton Overground; map pp.192-193.
This Scandinavian-style bakery - the Hoxton outpost of a
Stockholm chain - keeps it simple but oh so on trend,
serving spicy cinnamon buns, croissants, stone-oven-
baked sourdough breads and Johan & Nyström coffee. The
white-tile and unvarnished wood space, tucked into a
railway arch by Hoxton station, is lovely.
Tues-Fri
8am-6pm, Sat & Sun 10am-6pm.
Ì
Leila's Shop
17 Calvert Ave, E2
T
020 7729 9789;
Shoreditch High Street Overground; map pp.192-193.
Relaxed neighbourhood café, linked to an artlessly
nostalgic and appealing little deli, serving creative,
Mediterranean-tinged breakfasts, brunches, light meals
and lusciously rich hot chocolate to a devoted Shoreditch
crowd.
Wed-Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 10am-5pm.
Sông Quê
134 Kingsland Rd, E2
T
020 7613 3222,
W
songque.co.uk; Hoxton Overground; map pp.192-193.
In a Hoxton street heaving with budget Vietnamese
restaurants, this basic, busy place has the edge, with good
phô
(from £7.80) and lip-tinglingly spicy seafood dishes.
Mon-Fri noon-3pm & 5.30-11pm, Sat noon-11pm,
Sun noon-10.30pm.
RESTAURANTS
Clove Club
Shoreditch Town Hall, 380 Old St, EC1
T
020 7729 6496,
W
thecloveclub.com;
!
Old Street;
map pp.192-193.
You'll eat what you're given at this
hugely hyped Shoreditch restaurant; dinner consists solely
of a five-course tasting menu (£47; vegetarian also £47).
The Modern food - radishes with sesame and
gochuchang
mayo, buttermilk-fried chicken with pine salt, blood
orange with sheep's milk mousse and wild fennel - is
delicious, packed with impeccably sourced, mainly British
ingredients. Some sharing plates are available at lunchtime
