Princi (Soho)

This week I ventured central to sample the delights of  'Princi' on Soho's Wardour St. 

I have passed Princi several times following meals in the glorious 'Wahaca' and desperately wanted to see if their cakes taste as good as they look.  However, seeing as I can barely stand after consuming the best-pulled-pork-burrito-you-will-ever-taste, cake here has never actually been a realistic pudding possibility.  Last Sunday  however, my gastronomic prayers were answered!

The answer came in the welcome form of a heavenly chocolate & hazelnut, cream-soaked beauty and, again, a slab of tiramisu.  The former had an incredible almost mousse-like texture and a molten chocolate covering, all topped off with perfectly caramelised hazelnuts.  The tiramisu however was ordered in a moment of indecisive panic and, though lovely, left me wishing I'd been more adventurous.

Princi was brought to London by Alan Yau (Wagamama) in 2008 and I doubt it has ever been empty since!  I wouldn't recommend it for a quiet cup of tea or to anyone with a nervous disposition but if you've got your barging shoulders at the ready and you're craving a serious slice of cake, this is this place to get it.

plus points: great coffee, beautiful displays, alcoholic drinks available from the back bar, delicious savoury options

minus points: very busy, long waiting times, difficulty getting a seat

R x

Yumchaa- Camden (Parkway)

During one of Friday's many sudden downpours, a friend and I were lucky enough to escape the weather and enjoy coffee & cake in Yumchaa in Camden Town's Parkway.

Back in March I chose to review the other Yumchaa in Camden Town (by the Stables) assuming, from the location, that it would be the better of the two.  I can happily say that I was wrong and that, despite enjoying the 1st, my 2nd Yumchaa experience was even better! 

On this occasion I was led into the path of temptation by the maccaroons from the, much larger, selection of  cakes on offer.  Strong competitors included a humble-looking apple and apricot cake and the enormous pile of chocolate brownies, all beautifully (& seductively!) displayed on the counter.

The inside of Parkway's Yumchaa follows the same priciples as the others: exposed brick & clean magnolia walls, mis-matched furniture with a fresh and open feel.  It is however much larger and feels somewhat more loved than it's sister in the Stables.  It is perfect for a relaxed coffee with friends or an afternoon of pointless Googling curtesy of Yumchaa's free wifi!


Loving Camden, as I do, I will definitely be back to sample more of Yumchaa's savoury & sweet offerings...and maybe finally some tea!


R x

Drink, Shop & Do

This week I finally had the pleasure of a visit to 'Drink, Shop & Do' on Caledonian Road (mere seconds from King's Cross) with my favourite tea buddy Emily!

The premise of this place is pretty much what it says on the preverbial tin: i.e. you can drink tea (&/or cocktails), you can buy pretty much everything in the place (including the furniture) and much more in their front-of-house shop and you can even join in & do one of their various classes/activities.  These range from the wonderful sounding 'Scrabble Sundays' to cocktail-enhanced crafty classes such as 'Project Crochet'.

The 'Drink, Shop & Do' Afternoon Tea consists of a generous selection of lil' sandwich triangles and a slice each of both orange and almond cake and carrot cake.  The endlessly celebratory cake stands are cheekily topped off with a handful of pick'n'mix sweets.  It isn't a 'fancy' selection but everything is well made and nicely thought out which I personally prefer over mediocre attempts at extravagance.  The only bone I'd bother picking would be the lack of scones but I have to quietly admit that I didn't really miss them...sacrilege I know. 

There were three Afternoon Teas to choose from amongst several other cake-based options as well as savoury offerings.  At £12 a pop for their basic Afternoon Tea, I would happily add this to the 'thrifty' group without having to compromise on quality.

The building itself was pretty impressive, as were the lovely, smiley staff and you would never, ever run out of things to look at!  They even have a room at the back which can be hired for parties etc..

If it isn't already obvious...I fell a little in love with this place

R x

Euphorium Bakery

There are two Euphorium Bakeries on Upper St, Islington and I can happily say that one would not be enough! 
I visit them so often that it hadn't really occured to me to review them properly until my first taste of their tiramisu this weekend led me to realise my disservice...

For a long time their range of products didn't change much and I was beginning to grow a little weary of the limited options on offer, however, times have definitely changed and I am relishing the chance to try the new additions to their 'cake portfolio'!  This, coupled with their recent décor upgrades, makes for exciting Euphorium times!

This Saturday also happened to mark the opening of their first table service area in one of the Islington branches and therefore a potential change in direction for the company.

Plus points: open late, lovely surroundings, outdoor seating, good for savoury as well as sweet

R x

A Dash of Patriotism

Bunting, Union Jacks, BBQ, sparkling wine, Pimms, cake...doesn't get much better than this

Congratulations Wills & Kate!

The Market Coffee House

Having seemingly adopted E1 as my new home, I once again spent the last sunny Sunday wandering through Spitalfields and consuming as much food and drink as my 5'3.5" (very important .5) frame would allow.

My afternoon was spent in The Market Coffee House sampling their Afternoon Tea for a very reasonable £12.50.  The scones were beautifully fresh and served still-warm, the "selection of homemade mini cakes" were both incredibly pretty and delicious!  They offer a small but nice range of teas and my Jasmine flower tea was perfect.

You might be put off by the dark wood interior in weather like this but we really appreciated the break from the sun and the chance to rest our feet in one of their characterful booths!  With the surrounding area in mind, The Market Coffee House is a perfect place to take people but inexpensive enough to enjoy whenever the urge for an Afternoon Tea strikes you!

Just don't try to eat a roast afterwards...

R x

London Coffee Festival

This weekend gone marked the first London Coffee Festival at the Old Truman Brewery in lovely Brick Lane, East London.  Having opted for the earliest of the 3-hour time slots pre heavy drinking the night before, I stumbled over to E1 with a band of bleary-eyed friends on Sunday morning with a genuinely desperate need for an enormous caffeine fix.

It took a little while to get into the spirit but in no time at all we were all gabbing away with any stranger that graced us with a little eye contact and sampling anything and everything that paused nearby for long enough.  Memorable samples include a delicious coffee ice-cream/milkshake from Lavazza, espresso martinis and finally getting to try cat-poo coffee!

In what I hope was a nod to the Starbucks-on-every-corner joke there was more than one Starbucks stall within the event, both of which were very generous with their samples : )

So: we left feeling refreshed and happy due to the bellyful of coffee, chocolate etc. and to top it all off- it raised money for charity!

Looking forward to next year's...

R x

BBC Breakfast

Imagine my delight and surprise this morning when I turned on the television to a BBC Breakfast report on the huge rise in popularity of the Afternoon Tea!  It was a nice piece but I didn't feel that they really understood or captured the reason for the rise- So here goes my explanation!:

The cupcake, whoopie pie etc. have been as fashionable as baked goods get for the last few years with people choosing them for all sorts of important celebratory occasions (weddings, birthday presents etc.).  It follows therefore that these would combine nicely with other increasingly popular things such as the vintage and floral trends a la Cath Kidston and the celebration of the kitsch and traditional.  As the Royal Wedding approaches, I expect that such quintessentially English things will only increase further in popularity with both us natives and tourists alike!

When these ideas are combined within an experience which is comparatively cheap (in these hard times) and yet full of theatre, involves eating cake and getting dressed up, it isn't at all surprising that people are once again embracing the glorious frivolity of the Afternoon Tea! 

R x

p.s. I made my first ever tarte tatin last weekend and it was possibly the best pudding I've ever put together!  Whoever discovered caramel is a genius (and so is Raymond Blanc)...here is a copy of the recipe if you'd like to have a go: Tarte Tatin

Brumus

For my first ‘in-hindsight’ post, I’ll be attempting to recall my trip to the Haymarket Hotel’s bar & restaurant, ‘Brumus’, in December.  If you’re someone who cares about attention to detail when it comes to décor you couldn’t fail to be impressed from the moment you pass through the glass doors and into the crimson glamour…

This is no place for a quick cup of tea: it’s a full-blown afternoon’s worth of foodie delights, atmosphere and, of course, brews to explore!  There are a variety of Teas to choose from including a simple Cream Tea and several larger Afternoon Teas (with or without champagne).  Each of the Afternoon Teas is comprised of sandwiches, scones and homemade cakes in many combinations and the tea of your choice.  Something they fail to mention, is that they will refill the sandwiches (and possibly other layers of the cake stand), if you manage to work your way through them.  They conveniently only tell you this once you’ve gorged yourself so it’s useful to know so you can save yourself for your favourite bits and then have more!

Unlike many place I have been, Brumus truly does have that special feeling that I treasure in an Afternoon Tea experience.  It has all the theatre and sparkle that undoubtedly contributes to a celebration along with fantastic food and drink.  You may need to brace yourself slightly for the Hungarian take on ‘service-with-a-smile’ that we were given and choose instead to find humour in the scowl but the handsome surroundings and delicious treats should (more than) make up for it.

R x

UK Coffee Week

Next week (4th- 8th April) is UK Coffee Week! The week will be marked by several events and the opportunity to donate 5p each time you buy a cup from a whole range of coffee shops across the UK in order to raise money for Project Waterfall. 

One such event will be the London Coffee Festival:

A whole host of businesses will be there offering up their wares along with music, art and a Guinness World Record attempt for the most espressos made in a one hour period (the current record being 3386!).

I love my caffeine but I daren't think how shaky I'm going to be after this...

R x

Raspberry tart!

What could be better than a slice of homemade raspberry tart and a cup of tea (& a dash of milk) on a beautiful sunny day like today?  I recently made one for a Comic Relief cake sale it was just so pretty that I had to make another so I could actually try it and it’s delish!

It’s made up of shortcrust pastry, crème patisserie, raspberries and a strawberry glaze on top = yum

I found the recipe in a baking book I was given but there are lots of similar recipes online. BBC Food
is always my first port of call for recipes…not that I ever manage to stick to them!

R x

                                        

The Tea Rooms- Stoke Newington + misc.

This weekend Boy and I moseyed over to ol’ Stokey for a spot of tea at the aptly named ‘The Tea Rooms’.  I’d been before but thought I should probably freshen up my memory of it before blogging.  It was lucky I did as it’s changed a lot since my last visit, having expanded into the premises next door, and more than doubled their floor space. 

I’m not sure how long it’s been since they expanded but they seem unprepared for the size of the place: large stretches of wall are uncomfortably bare, the tables look like they’re staunchly keeping their distance from one other and the squashy turquoise sofa has been relegated to a spot next to the loos with a sad little ‘for sale’ sign taped to it.  I’m really hoping that this is just an off period in the expansion process as I couldn’t help but feel pretty disappointed.

However, as we’ve always been told appearances aren’t everything: I plumped for a latté (I can’t help myself- I love having coffee out!) and a raisin scone, with cream and jam, of course. Boy went for an unusual-looking sausage roll, being more of a savoury person, and a coffee.  Unfortunately the scones were served cold but were still perfectly nice, the coffee was great and Boy was very happy with his s.r.  There was a good selection of cakes to choose  from amongst several savoury options for those lacking the sweet- tooth gene as well as a full-blown afternoon tea menu for just £15. 

Here’s hoping that they get back on track and I promise to visit again soon to see how they’re getting along.

R x

P.s. the ‘misc’ part:

This week I met someone when doing some extra work who had done a DIY leopard print job on her nails and I couldn’t help but have a go myself : )



Bill's (Covent Garden)

Having spent much of the last 3 years in East Sussex (I went to Sussex uni) I developed a huge fondness for a restaurant/‘produce store’/amazing cake-place: Bill’s.  During the majority of my visits I devoted my stomach capacity (and student loan) to their array of breakfast options (‘Bill’s breakfast’ and eggs royal being particular favourites) so imagine my excitement when I recently spied a newly opened Bill’s in Covent Garden!

Yesterday my man and I went to explore a little further than the doorway and find out whether their excellence really could cross county lines…we were not disappointed.  From the lovely (if a little excitable) waitress to the impeccable ‘Hedgerow Fizz’ complete with floating blackberry, we had a lovely evening.

The food is pretty safe and simple (in the best way) and the carefully constructed walls of produce (all of which you can buy) marry with the low ceilings and exposed brick to create a friendly, relaxed atmosphere which is a pretty unusual find in the centre of London on a Friday night! 

We couldn’t manage a pudding but I did notice that they offer a simple cream tea so undoubtedly I will be back for more at a later date- watch this space!

R x

Yumchaa- Camden (Stables)

 For my first ‘official’ foray into tea-shop sampling I chose one of two possible ‘Yumchaa’ in Camden Town which overlooks the lock and the ‘West Yard’.

I was accompanied, on the surprisingly sunny day, by my lovely friend Emily (twitter.com/emilinerose) who valiantly agreed to help me start out on my Tea Quest. 

Strictly speaking this trip was more tea-and-cake and not a by-the-book Afternoon Tea.  Having consulted the (slightly shocked) employee for blend advice and sniffed at a few of the tea samples, Emily plumped for a pot of the gloriously named ‘Chitty chitty bang bang’ tea.  This came from the ‘spicy’ class rather than the ‘fruity’ and smelt incredible all the way over on my side of the table!  I chose coffee (for which the only choice was semi-skimmed milk) and we shared a slice of home-made lemon drizzle cake.  The cake was admittedly very good and all the more so as we were

able to enjoy it out on one of the balcony tables. 

So far so good! However, I was a little disappointed by the finish of the place, everything looked a little scruffy and uncared-for, particularly considering it really isn’t an old place.  We  felt that they could make so much more of their speciality teas and some relatively small touches would have made a considerable difference to the experience. 

I would be happy to visit Yumchaa again (and I still plan to try out their other shops) but I have to admit to being slightly underwhelmed...

Plus points: homemade cakes, inexpensive

Minus points: scruffy and lack of any particular sparkle

Rx

Who is she, who is she?

I am…Rosie: 23 year old, Londoner, jobseeker/destinyseeker/part-time ‘extra’

Having ummmmed and arrrred over starting a blog for far too long, I have finally decided to take the proverbial plunge and launch myself into the blogosphere. 

Feeling that I need to have a somewhat specific reason for writing, I have decided to dedicate my words (at least initially) to my love and, undoubtedly patriotic, commitment to the Afternoon Tea! 

Seeing as I have sampled a great many teas in my 23 years, I hope to be of some help to those wanting to know when/where/which/how much? etc. when it comes to the competitive world of the Afternoon Tea.

Since I’m only just starting, some of these posts will be in hindsight but if the teas were good enough to remember then that can’t be a bad thing!

R x

P.s. photo (and first proper post) coming soon!