An Ulterior Motive

It is a fact that Coffee Boy is an excellent present buyer. He always buys me really great gifts, and I never have to drop any heavy hints. I realise I am very lucky to have such a thoughtful partner but this year I suspect there was a fairly strong ulterior motive to the birthday present he got me: a cupcake making course. I was really pleased that he had not only come up with an original pressie but that he had done his research and found a highly recommended place that offered the course. Having finished my latest project recently I finally got a chance to go along to Cakes 4 Fun in Putney this week.

Review: The Wolsley, Piccadilly

I've always heard people mention The Wolsley but have never really known what or where it is. I vaguely assumed it was a hotel and had an idea it was on Piccadilly. So it actually came as something of a surprise to discover I have walked past it thousands of times without really noticing it. Far from being a hotel it is actually a former car showroom and bank and only actually opened as a cafe and restaurant in 2003. It says something to its success that it was nestled in my subconscious as a grand old establishment even though it's only recently celebrated its sixth birthday.

Mastering Pu-erh

I think I have finally cracked Pu-erh tea. I first tried it last year in San Francisco - I realise this sounds somewhat pretentious but it's true! Despite having a rather horrible cold which rapidly turned into sunstroke I walked across half the city in search of the famed Imperial Tea Court in Chinatown. Imagine my joy when I found the address only to discover it had closed down... or more accurately it had moved to the Ferry Building. I was pretty disappointed when I found the new branch as despite being in an attractive building devoted to good food and other lovely things it still felt pretty much a mall inside. I mean, I know malls are practical and all that, but it doesn't compare to being in a fantastically vibrant neighbourhood like Chinatown.

Review: Opernpalais, Mitte

OPERNPALAIS IS NOW (DEVASTATINGLY) CLOSED

It may not be trendy but I don't care. Where afternoon tea is concerned I'm quite happy to be a bit of an old fogey. I'm talking about one of my favourite spots for cake in Berlin, Opernpalais on Unter Den Linden. It's actually a restaurant that's open all day but it is, unsurprisingly, the afternoon tea I'm interested in. Of course it's more properly a kaffee und kuchen place but thankfully they have a really good choice of tea - and in truth their kaffee is not that fantastic, even Coffee Boy opts for tea so that gives you some idea...

Review: Covent Garden Hotel

A couple of weekends ago, Coffee Boy and I decided to treat ourselves to a posh afternoon tea. The weather had just started to turn and we felt like dressing up and having a pleasant afternoon out - although in truth I don't really need any kind of excuse to go out for tea. It being a last minute decision we had no chance of getting into one of the usual suspects on the afternoon tea circuit, so we opted for the Covent Garden Hotel. Although we hadn't been there before we know a few of its sister hotels and really like their laid-back vibe.

The Best Tea Shop in London

I don't know why it's taken so long for me to write this post. I have been visiting this shop for quite a while now but something has stopped me writing it about it. Perhaps in some deep part of my soul I wanted to keep it just for myself; or maybe I was wary of sounding a bit too fawning. Either way, it can't carry on. I cannot write a blog about tea and not talk about the wonderful Postcard Teas.

Birthday Tea Bonanza

It was my birthday a couple of weeks ago. I had started a new job a few days before so I decided not to make it a "big one". Instead I gathered together a couple of my loved ones and headed to Saf Restaurant in Shoreditch. It is an amazing vegan raw food place, which I realise may not sound like the most wonderful thing - but it really was. And not only was the food great but the rather fantastic mixologist behind the bar created a special tea cocktail for me!