Places to Take Tea That We Love

Tips by Marion Hume and Karen Walker

Amsterdam, Pompadour
In the city of coffee shops (where a grande cafe means a place to see and be seen and a coffee shop means a place you got to get hashish and space cakes) mistakes could be, um, surprising, whereas heading to the city’s most famous teashop you know exactly what you are getting. The rococo interior of Pompadour is gorgeous and pretty and the atmosphere delightfully Dutch.

Huidenstraat 12, Amsterdam.

Beijing, Ten Fu’s Tea
You can buy all the loose leaf tea in China here, following a free tea tasting in which you are told not only to warm the teapot but then to wash the leaves in boiling water too, so it takes three cups of water to make one cup of tea. There are teas to make you thin, teas to make you strong, teas for digestion and fragrant jasmine teas for pure pleasure.

Ten Fu’s Tea, 88 Wangfujing Daije, Beijing.

Belfast, The Merchant Hotel,
For a traditional high tea, the historic Merchant Hotel is the place to go should you happen - for some reason - to be in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Actually, it’s a new tradition, considering the 1860 building was formerly the HQ of The Ulster Bank, but they do delicious scones there these days.

The Merchant Hotel, 35-39 Waring Street Belfast, Northern Ireland. +44 (0) 28 9023 4888;
http://www.themerchanthotel.com/

Hong Kong, The Peninsula
One of the best afternoons out in Hong Kong has to be afternoon tea at The Peninsula. In the finest tradition of British colonies, Hong Kong manages to combine the most British of traditions with unlikely and unfamiliar environments. To get this to best effect start your outing on the Island and take the Star Ferry across the harbor. It’s the best way to really feel Hong Kong (not to mention smell it especially if it’s a hot day). Walk the 5 minutes from the ferry to the grand and iconic Peninsula and soak in the grandiosity, pomp and ceremony in the lobby tearooms. It’s afternoon tea at it’s ritualistic, multi-tiered cake stand best and, even better than that, when you’re full of cucumber sandwiches and scones Hong Kong is just out the front door.

Salisbury Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR.

Istanbul, Mangerie
Ok, this one’s a cheat because it’s Istanbul’s hip breakfast hangout and therefore fuelled with healthy smoothies and zingy Turkish coffee. Three stories up above the main street, you look over Bebek rooftops to the Bosphorus. Order the full Turkish breakfast, of course.

Cevdet Pasa, Caddesi 69/3, Istanbul.

Istanbul, The Bar at The Pera Palas
Apple tea is one of the delights of Turkey, hence the mention here, but the ambience of the Pera Palas bar might be so spooky you’ll feel like a stiff drink instead. The Pera Palas is extraordinary, not just for its history - Turkey’s great reformer Ataturk lived here and his room is now a museum and Agatha Christie wrote much of “Murder on the Orient Express” here, plus Greta Garbo and other Orient Express travelers were guests - but also because it is SO faded. The bar is empty and the barman shuffles past the pot plants to, somewhat reluctantly, serve you. Yet the hotel remains magical. Perhaps better to drink here than to stay here (despite stunning views to the mosques on the Asian side of Istanbul from the windows of your room). The plumbing is, shall we say, unpredictable and tales of people being stuck in rooms where suddenly neither doors nor windows can be jimmied open should not be ignored

Mesrutiyet Caddesi 98, Tepebasi, Beyoglu, Istanbul.

London, Claridge’s
For me no visit to London is complete without afternoon tea at Claridge’s. Afternoon tea here takes at least two to three hours and is like being in a bubble away from all the hassles of life - like going to a day spa but with cake. And scones. And little cucumber sandwiches with the crusts cut off. The tea’s good too. It’s a magnificent selection but I always end up going for Royal White Silver Needles as any tea who’s description reads “Picked only two days of the year at dawn (I always like to think by pandas); processed entirely by hand, the beauty of its fine, silvery buds, its delicate and refreshing taste makes it one of the most glamourous teas in the world” has got to be worth a try. The other things I love about afternoon tea at Claridge’s is that the light in the tea salon is pink and makes everyone look like Barbara Cartland (in a good way) and the ladies’ rest room which is still in it’s original state - everything in there is from the 20’s… including the ladies who fill your basin with water (just the right temperature every time - how do they do that?)

Claridge’s, Brook Street, Mayfair, London, W1K 4HR. +44 (0)20 7629 8860; http://www.claridges.co.uk/

London, Fortnum & Mason
Let those with bling and blackberries spend a fortune at Sketch and save The Wolseley either for a breakfast bacon roll or for an early pre-cinema dinner (getting a table at 6:30pm = easy. Getting a table at 8pm = almost impossible). The place to go for high tea in London is Fortnum and Mason. Go for broke with the Welsh rarebit plus both a slice of organic bacon and a free-range egg, accompanied by a pot of finest Ceylon afternoon tea or for a sweet hit, order a slice of classic English Victoria sponge. Tea was Fortnum’s first speciality three centuries ago, so they stock the very best. The service here is the best in London and once you’ve snacked, you can shop. Buy a few caddies and have them opulently gift-wrapped. The first floor gift-wrapping service is free if you spend over a tenner.

Fortnum & Mason, 181 Piccadilly; http://www.fortnumandmason.com/

London, Sketch
The best places to take tea are normally establishment but the parlour at the relatively new Sketch in London’s West End is a rare exception that combines the old school charm of the leisurely taking of tea with new school looks. The tea selection at the parlour is great but it’s the cakes that make it superb plus there’s something about the peachy light and the floral scent in the air that all come together to make the parlour a perfect spot for tea.

Sketch Parlour, 9 Conduit Street, London, W1S 2XG.

Milan, Cova
Why does it feel weird in here? Goodness yes, you can still smoke inside. Don’t let that put you off the bite-sized sandwiches, which the fashion packs graze on between shows. Hopefully, you’re on expenses. If not, take a quick coffee at the stand-up bar because no one would order tea in Italy. Cova, which is very far from a cheap eat, has been here since 1817 and is apparently a pick-up joint for gigolos in search of mature ladies, although it looks much more like a pick-me-up joint between shopping sorties to nearby Gucci, Prada etc.

Cova. Via Montenapoleone 8, Milan.

New York, The Algonquin Hotel
The Algonquin Hotel is of course part of the New York tapestry. It reeks of old school charm, history and idiosyncrasies and taking tea in the lobby is as much a piece of New York as it gets. First impressions are that the lobby has charm, the lighting is rosy and there’s a gorgeous Burmese cat hanging around looking for tickles so it starts well. Second impressions are that it lacks the ease, grace and care of other afternoon tea favourites such as Claridge’s - the tea selection is poor and, unbelievably, there are no scones on the menu! Afternoon tea and no scones? Surely not! Third impressions are that my estimation of tea at the Algonquin Hotel skyrockets after the waiter, upon witnessing our disbelief at the scone situation, returns with still oven warm scones, and good scones at that. It’s that kind of service that is exactly what old world charm is all about.

The Algonquin Hotel, 59 West 44th Street, New York, NY 10036. 212-840-6800; http://www.algonquinhotel.com/

New York, Payard
Squeeze past the customers lined up at the counter buying little hatboxes full of fancy cakes, gasp at customized kids cakes that cost more than your flight over and settle down in the dark interior. If you are in a cake mood, the classic is called The Louvre. At least you won’t need to eat for days.

Payard, 1032 Lexington Ave. (between 73rd and 74th Sts), New York, NY 10021.

Paris, Laduree
The delicious pistachio green of the classic Laduree packaging is said to have been the starting point for the color palate of Sophia Coppola’s movie, “Marie-Antoinette”. While there are now several branches of Laduree, go to the tiny two-story original, which opened in 1862 on rue Royale. This being France, you might think of ordering the hot chocolate (the very best in Paris) instead of tea. But then you would get sugar overload if you also ordered a famous macaroon. It’s a dilemma. When not to go: the weekend unless you like standing in line. Buy a small box of macaroons on the way out of course, either in this season’s packaging or the classic pistachio.

Laduree, 16 rue Royale 8th, Paris.

Zurich, Schober
It’s smart in a Swiss way, which is to say a little stuffy. You order what you want to eat downstairs and then join elegant ladies in very well cut clothes and gentlemen with rolled umbrellas (really) in the upstairs salon. Good tea (although as you might expect even better hot chocolate).

Napfgasse 4, Zurich.