Tea for you and me

Join me on my epic quest to find the best tea ever

Category Archives: Review


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Tea Smith

Tea Smith is a ‘tea bar’ in Spitalfields Market in London that also sells packets of tea, teapots, etc. I admit that I’d been to Tea Smith before and not liked it, so my hopes weren’t very high. I’m happy to say that I have changed my mind completely.

Previously, I’d gone on a Sunday afternoon (the market’s busiest day) and it was crowded and didn’t feel very special. I also chose an aged black tea as it sounded interesting, but really disliked the taste. This is my own fault, as I don’t particularly like strong tea. This time round we went late on Saturday and asked the staff for recommendations – they asked what we normally drank and what we liked and then pointed us in the direction of something a little bit more unusual, but that they thought we’d appreciate. The tea is taken very seriously here, with thermometers for the water temperature and timers for the infusions, along with different styles of tea pots for each different type of tea and delicate cups (Japanese style – no handles). The tea we drank was called ‘Lily Flower’ (I think) and ‘Mandarin Orchid’. My friend chose the first and I chose the second on the basis that it was also named after a flower. The first was floral and buttery and the second light and sweet and gorgeous. I bought a bag of the second to take away with me, and yes, it does taste that good even when not in the careful surroundings of the tea bar. I also enjoyed the music they were playing and the photography exhibit downstairs. All in all a very good tea place.

Teapot? Yes, and they even poured it for you.
Leaf tea? They’d be offended you even asked.
Milk jug? No milk here, this is naked tea.
Price? £3.50 to £8 for a small pot. Think of it like tasting wine rather than quenching thirst.
Cake? Yes, and chocolate. Small but carefully chosen to compliment the tea. We didn’t have any but it looked good.
Go again? Yes, but I’d avoid Sundays.


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Polesden Lacey

The walled garden at Polesden Lacey.

The walled garden at Polesden Lacey.

So on Sunday we all trooped off to Polesden Lacey. It was apple day, which meant things were crazy busy and we had to queue for ages to get our lunch and some tea. The tea I chose was Darjeeling (Taylors of Harrogate, part of the same company as the Bettys tearooms. Have you ever been to Bettys? Go to Bettys. ) but then family ordered National Trust blend and annoyed as this wasn’t listed or displayed as an option. My mum very kindly offered to swap so I could try the blend. I have to say it was very nice, smooth and drinkable.

After food we went round the house and then the walled garden, which was gorgeous. The day was that kind of autumn day that is in films more often than you remember it in real life – crisp and cold but bright sunshine. The house is big and interesting, with some silver teapots on display as well as an old tea caddy.

Teapot? Yes, little metal one but with a proper spout so it didn’t go all over the table.
Leaf tea? Teabag but still a house blend.
Milk jug? No, they used those ridiculous small pots with a stupidly small amount of milk in. Why do they do this? This is surely the most unsustainable way of drinking milk, I think I’m angry enough to write and complain.
Price? £1.50ish, I think.
Cake? The sign said cake, but I didn’t actually see any.
Go again? Yes, but for the house and gardens rather than for the tea.


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Cafe Zer

I can’t figure out what ‘Zer’ means. Does it mean anything? Maybe it doesn’t, but then again maybe it does and I just don’t get it. Whether it means something or not it still sells tea and that’s all we’re concerned with here. I like Cafe Zer because it’s the only cafe in the area (as far as I know, if you know of another one please let me know!) and also because it opens at 8am. I’ve stuck it on the map so you can see where it is.

Cafe Zer is warm and cheerful. It has a big window overlooking the road and lots of people coming in to eat breakfast. There are red and white checked plastic table cloths and 4 versions of fried breakfast on the menu. At 8am on a cold misty morning in October it was very welcoming. BBC Radio Berkshire plays constantly and there are newspapers as well so even if you’re by yourself you feel quite at home. They bring your order to your table, which didn’t seem like anything until I realised all the other cafes I have reviewed so far didn’t do this. I really like this cafe, it’s not got the best tea and there’s no cake – but it’s open and warm and it exists. It’s good enough for me.

Teapot? No.
Leaf tea? No idea. The tea came ready made in a mug.
Milk jug? No, but as the tea came with milk in I’m guessing it was fresh milk.
Price? £3 for two teas and a Cafe Latte.
Cake? Danish pastries and KitKats, but no cake.
Go again? Yes.


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Boswells Cafe

This morning I went to Boswells. It’s in the Kennet Centre and is usually pretty busy, but I went first thing in the morning and it was just right. It’s had a refurb since the last time I went in and now has armchairs and sofas as well as tables and chairs. The refurb is a bit generic, I could have been in Nero or Starbucks or Costa, but perhaps that’s what they’re aiming for and they are a chain after all.

I had the pot of tea (which is bizarrely cheaper than the mug of tea) and it was good. Just what was needed at 8am. This is a great place to go for a standard pot of tea and has the added bonus of having a loyalty card and selling toast and marmalade.

Teapot? Yes, little metal one that I can’t pour properly.
Leaf tea? No.
Milk jug? Yes, with a generous helping of milk inside.
Price? £1.20 for a pot.
Cake? Danish pastries and breakfasts, not sure if they have cake later on.
Go again? Yes, this is set to be my regular morning cafe.


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Cafe Bebo, Druckers and Delicious…

Yesterday we were in Birmingham after a night out and we set out to have a fry up for breakfast. I haven’t been to Birmingham that often, but we had seen a cafe called Cafe Bebo the night before and thought it looked worth investigating. As we ordered our food and tea I saw a notice that it was owned by the Gormet Sandwich and Coffee Company and that was my first inkling that this was not going to be the best tea in the world. Why can’t someone invent a cafe that does good coffee and good tea?

The tea was terrible, with a nasty metallic aftertaste. I didn’t finish mine, which is most unheard of for me. I know this blog is about tea, but I wouldn’t recommend the fry up either. After we ordered we realised there was no cooker, so the whole thing was constructed with two microwaves and a panini grill. Our poached eggs came ready poached out of little plastic pots with plastic covers. Now we knew why they were poached and not fried. Maybe the coffee here is good, but I wouldn’t bother with the tea or English breakfast.

Cafe Bebo
Teapot? No such luck. Big mug and a saucer.
Leaf tea? No, Drury tea bag. I’ve had these before and they normally taste fine. Not here though.
Milk jug? Yes.
Price? £10 for two teas and two big English breakfasts.
Cake? Didn’t look.
Go again? Not even if you paid me.

Luckily, we were with someone who did know Birmingham and who led us to a branch of a cafe chain called Druckers. This was inside the Bull Ring shopping centre, so I was sceptical at first, but I needed have worried. My tea came in a pot, and the cake selection was amazing. I have never seen so many varieties that I wanted to eat. I’m as picky about my cake as I am about my tea, but here was a selection that all looked good enough to eat. Black Forest Gateux, carrot cake, Baumkuchen, chocolate eclairs, apple cake, chocolate cake, pain au raisin, more than I can remember. Even cakes that I know I don’t like looked good in this place. And the savoury croissants smelled gorgeous. This cafe more than made up for our earlier trauma, my only problem was that I couldn’t choose which cake to have and ended up having none!

Druckers Vienna Patisserie
Teapot? Yes, little metal one and a cup and saucer.
Leaf tea? No, usual selection of Twinings teabags.
Milk jug? Yes.
Price? £1.60 for ‘speciality tea’, £1.50 for English Breakfast.
Cake? So much and it all looked so good. The carrot cake got the thumbs up from my friend.
Go again? Yes, I’m considering going back to Birmingham just for the cake here.

This morning I set out for my favourite cafe and I wasn’t disappointed. Delicious… is a small cafe that has the most relaxed atmosphere I’ve ever experienced when drinking tea outside of a home. The tea is smooth and lovely and the cakes are homemade by the owner every morning, including a gluten free variety. I try to go every week and every time I leave feeling refreshed.

Delicious…
 10, Prospect St, Caversham, Reading, Berkshire RG4 8JG
0118 947 7411

Teapot? Yes, white china and big enough for 3 and a half cups. Matching cup and saucer.
Leaf tea? No, but fairtrade teabag.
Milk jug? Yes.
Price? A lovely £1.50 for a whole pot.
Cake? Yes, tasty and homemade. Scones, salads, sandwiches and afternoon tea available as well.
Go again? At least once a week.


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Mapledurham House and Mill

Outside the tea room at Mapledurham House and Mill

Outside the tea room at Mapledurham House and Mill

It hasn’t been the best couple of weeks for tea drinking, I’ve just spent too much time at work to be able to indulge. There has been one ray of tea-coloured sunshine though, on the only sunny day in September that I didn’t have to be at work I managed to get to Mapledurham House and Mill. This is described as a ‘historic Thameside house and watermill’ and it was the perfect setting for some outdoors tea drinking. It’s also famous for being the setting of the film ‘The eagle has landed’ and starring in ‘The Fisher King’ episode of Midsummer Murders. Donald Sutherland and John Nettles have been here, what more reason do you need to go visit?

We went for a look round the mill first, I love mills, especially when they let you walk around inside and climb stairs like this one does. Mapledurham is the last working mill on the river Thames and you can arrive by boat if you so desire. We also had a look round the house and then headed back to the tea area. If the weather isn’t so bad you can sit indoors in one of two rooms, one of which has a portrait of the Queen Mum on the wall (this was much appreciated by BF).

The tea was not the best I’ve ever had, but the setting more than made up for it. It was warm and sunny and peaceful, I felt relaxed.

Teapot? Yes, two big metal teapots. This was proper tea.
Leaf tea? No.
Milk jug? Yes, with an offer of a refill if we needed it.
Price? Can’t remember but around £11 for 5 teas and 3 pieces of cake.
Cake? Yes, home made. And scones and cream. I went for a tub of Ginger and Honey Beechdean Ice Cream and it was delicious.
Go again? Definitely.


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Cafe Nero, Newbury

Today was not a good day for tea. There was tea, but it wasn’t good tea. I got to Newbury too early in the morning and ended up in Cafe Nero.

Teapot? No.
Leaf tea? No, Cafe Nero own brand English Breakfast teabag (though just to taunt me, they had boxes of Clipper tea behind the counter).
Milk jug? Yes.
Price? £1.75 for a large tea.

So, I guess it gets some sort of point for having fresh milk in a teeny jug, but still. Was not the best. I took a photo but can’t get it out of my phone… I’ll do better next time! And I’ll do better with the tea next time as well, there has to be somewhere in Newbury that opens early in the morning that serves tea in a pot. I will find it!