Crimson Heart, Leonard Street, Shoreditch

Nestled down a side street just off City Road, Crimson Heart is a little gem of a place that opened in December. I was only made aware of this new tea venue at a recent Shoreditch Sisters meeting and I was very excited to be given the opportunity to pop in for a cuppa. I chose the perfect morning for it too, as there was something very comforting about descending the little staircase into the warm bosom of the cafe downstairs, away from the elements and the madness of the city in the sudden freezing weather we're having. 
Decorated in kitsch cool by the owner Mia, Crimson Heart is more like a nan's living room than a cafe, complete with retro games behind the counter and a disco ball to complement the crochet tablecloths and chintz lampshades. Everything about it is fabulous!

The cakes are home-made by Mia's sister and the menu changes every few days depending on what batch has been made. I had a very welcome cup of steaming coffee with a complementary heart shaped biscuit, and if the taste of that is anything to go by I'll be back there this weekend for a full cream tea!
Totally inkeeping with the name of the cafe, there will be a special set Valentine's afternoon tea for £10 a head which is a great price for London, and there will also be a pop up florist before the big day, so that men all over Shoreditch can keep their other halves happy.
However, the special thing about this place is that it is not only a cafe, but also a vintage store selling jewellery, homeware and other kitsch trinkets - as soon as I walked in something caught my eye which I promptly purchased on my way out...so much for my 'thrifty January'

I highly recommend you eschew all those massive corporate conglomerates in favour of the smaller, individual little businesses like this which keep the city from becoming a homogenous nightmare. It's open Mon-Fri 10-6pm and til 8pm on Thursdays (as well as a special opening of 10-8pm Valentine's Day,Tuesday 14th Feb.) Saturday openings are beginning in February,  and keep checking the website too, as there are many other events coming up such as clothes swapping parties and a book club: 

www.crimsonheart.co.uk 

xox

Tophams? I'd rather top myself....

So January is the month after we've all overdone it at Christmas: spent too much money, eaten too much food, drank too much booze...and now we're all paying for it. So to be honest, the last thing my wallet or my waistline needed right now was another afternoon tea. However, this one was already paid for as I'd already bought a Groupon voucher for it before Christmas. And in all honesty, the tea itself wasn't so much the focus as a good gossip with a mate and a day out of the house during this austere month.
I wouldn't have chosen the venue myself. Tophams is a hotel in Belgravia that has just undergone a 2 year refurbishment, and although it was very nicely done that was the problem really - it was just, well, nice. It was far too homogenous for me as the decor was 'neutral' and me and my friend were very un-neutral so we really stood out. And that was before we'd started talking...

The place was completely chocka as it was predictably full of people taking advantage of the Groupon offer, so I was glad I'd booked us in late in the day so we'd gradually see people leave.
We started with a pink champagne and at £26 for two champagne afternoon teas I feel I can't complain too much about the wait between the bubbly and the actual tea itself, especially as the staff were rushed off their feet. But when it did come it was a lovely selection of finger sandwiches and scones, as well as many little mini cakes. 

The problem was the cakes were all different and there was no duplication: queue much diplomatic discussion about who was going to get the cheesecake with the cherries in and who would get plain, who'd have the little choccy cake and who'd have 'vanilla' (I got that and it was even worse...lemon!) Then most importantly, who was going to have the cake that looked exactly like a little nipple..!

All in all it was OK, but it was my friend's first Afternoon Tea experience and I really wished I'd been able to take her somewhere a bit more subvert or full of character. Some of the old dears in their practically had a coronary at our conversation, and the most interesting thing I'm sure happened there all day was when I got up to go powder my nose and Heather had to pull me back as I had a MASSIVE split up the back of my skirt that I had no idea about. (I'm sure that must have happened when I was beating up a man in it 2 weeks ago but honestly, he deserved it...)

So, the proof is in the (chocolate) pudding....afternoon tea is what YOU make it, and this time all the glamour and drama came from us :)

"Sip"-Tease Rating: **

Pa"Tease"erie Rating: **

Boudoir or Boring? Rating: *

Service with (Nothing But a) Smile Rating: **

Cheap or Chic? Rating: **

Until next time...xox

It's Prim up North....

As you know by now, I blog about afternoon tea in London because I’ve lived here for 5 years and I love it. But I’m originally from Liverpool so, to me, both places have their charm. There are many things you see in Liverpool that you just don’t see in London (or anywhere else.) For example, girls shopping in the town centre wearing lovely clothes, full make-up….and a head full of rollers like a modern day Ena Sharples. Or The Scouse Brow which is just as synonymous with Liverpool as the Vajazzle is with Essex thanks to the TV show “Desperate Scousewives”.

Conversely, I see a lot of things in London that I’d never see anywhere else: people rollerblading with their arms full of grocery shopping, and women in smart suits and trainers carrying their heels in their bags. But my favourite has to be that uniquely London habit people have of being nose-down, totally engrossed in their book or newspaper as they’re walking through incredibly busy underground stations and packed streets, only looking up every few minutes or so to check they’re not ploughing into an old lady.

Anyway, another thing common to London but only just taking off in Liverpool is afternoon tea, so while I was home for Christmas I decided to try out a couple on home soil...

1 – Neighbourhood Cafe

The first place I went to was a relatively new hotspot called ‘Neighbourhood’ which, despite being a cosy little café in an ‘out-of-town’ suburb of the city, called Childwall, is a favourite of some  celebrities such as Coleen Rooney and Alex Curran. Good things evidently do come in small packages though, as this was actually one of the best afternoon teas I’ve ever tasted! It seems that many establishments focus mainly on the cake/patisserie elements of their afternoon tea and don’t give their savouries due care and attention. Neighbourhood did, and it was amazing the difference some decent seasoning can make to those finger sandwiches. Also, I was highly impressed with the amount of smoked salmon sandwiches we received, as most places opt to scrimp on this particular filling.

We were told they were out of jam so were served little glasses of fresh fruit for the scones, which was a really lovely touch and made us feel holier-than-thou since it counted as one of our ‘5 a day’ (despite the lashings of clotted cream). In addition to good teas and great food, the surroundings were charming and the table was set up well with a unique cake and sandwich stand, and lovely tablecloth (which caused many people in the café to glance jealously in our direction…)

We were offered extra tea as needed, and little foil trays to take home any leftovers (which we did need to do as we were absolutely stuffed.) The only negative thing I’ll say is that it did take a lot to get the attention of the staff who all seemed to be having a very engrossing conversation behind the cake counter – we found that waving the empty tea-pot in their air tended to have the desired effect and get someone’s attention. Being used to London prices I was pleasantly shocked by the economic value of this afternoon tea and highly recommend Neighbourhood to fulfil your Northern tea needs.

"Sip"-Tease Rating: ***

Pa"Tease"erie Rating: ***

Boudoir or Boring? Rating: ****

Service with (Nothing But a) Smile Rating: **

Cheap or Chic? Rating: *****

Website is http://www.neighbourhoodcafe.co.uk/

2 – Maritime Museum Cafe

I wish I could be as complementary about the afternoon tea at the Maritime Museum café on The Albert Dock but unfortunately it just didn’t compare. It was only £8 for a full afternoon tea which is a bargain but, with a price like that, it showed. The cakes weren’t very adventurous and all seemed to be small slices of similar stodgy favourites: fruit cake, sponge cake, ginger cake… However the scones were nice and we were offered a cute looking cupcake which made it a bit more special. Sandwiches were pretty bland and again, it was very difficult to get the attention of the staff.

The main saving grace was the spectacular view of the Liverpool waterline with it’s Liver Building  and the brand new Museum of Liverpool…..now THAT’S something you don’t get in London ;-)

Until next time…xox

Soho's Secret Tea Room, Greek Street

Hidden above a typical pie and ale pub on Greek Street, “Soho's Secret Tea Room” is an unexpected little treat. It’s essential to book and they take bookings to fill slots every 2 hours, the last one being at 4pm most days. The problem we had with such an advanced booking is that we had no idea London was going to be hit by a mini heat-wave at the end of September! So, dressed in as few clothes as possible, we entered the Coach and Horses pub and ascended the stairs behind the bar with a little bit of trepidation.....

Once inside the Tea Room, even with fans on and windows open, it was hot and stuffy. That’s hardly the fault of the establishment though –just one of those things. When one of the waitresses, dressed in vintage fashion, brought over the menus the first thing we asked for was a glass of water. We gratefully received a huge jug of iced water with 2 glasses and she was very cheerful despite the fact that she was working in the heat, whereas we were just having fun in it.
The menu was fantastic with a Traditional Afternoon Tea that came at one of the lowest prices I’ve seen in Central London. But there was also the option to have just tea and cake or a cupcake or scones – many different combinations to suit all budgets.
We both, of course, opted for full afternoon tea which in hindsight may not have been a good idea – eating so much rich food on a hot day is hard enough as it is...especially when you’re going to a Hardcore show afterwards..! But the idea was to just try as much on the menu as possible so we were brave. I chose the Earl Grey Tea to drink out of around 14 different types, which was delicious despite the fact I would have rather had an iced tea. I also had smoked salmon sandwiches which were lovely, and two different cakes: a chocolate cake slice, and a rose and vanilla cupcake. They were both heavenly, and the rose in particular very unique! I fully intended to only eat half of each but the delicious meltiness of the chocolate in the heat made me polish off the whole thing. We also had scones and although they were nice we could have done with a bit more cream and jam for them.

We stuffed our faces and chatted to the distinctive sounds of 40’s jazz and swing songs, but didn’t stay the full hour and a half we were allocated, despite the cosy mish-mash of vintage decor and ambience, merely because of the heat. I can definitely recommend this for a crisp autumn day, especially if you want somewhere authentic to take your gran.

"Sip"-Tease Rating: ****

Pa"Tease"erie Rating: ****

Boudoir or Boring? rating: ***

Service with (nothing but) a Smile Rating: ***

Cheap or Chic? Rating: ****

Afternoon Tea Awards
Check out the below link for a list of the best places to go for Afternoon Tea in London for 2011 according to The Tea Guild. I have to admit I haven't been to any of these yet as it's my mission to scout out the places that are a little less traditional and a little more unique (such as the fantastic Jack Daniels afternoon tea I had at The Gore Hotel and the Sex in the Cit-ea which included chocolate high heels).
However, I do have a booking for The Soho Secret Tea Room soon, so check back to see the review...

Click here for Awards 2011

'Burlesque' the movie
I've gotta be quite economical with my time and my money at the moment as I'm moving house in two weeks. So in the absence of any full-on Burlesque shows or expensive afternoon teas, I thought it'd be a good time to stay in and catch this film....

Oh my god, I'm so glad I did. I think I said on Twitter at the time that this has replaced Dirty Dancing as my favourite crap/fab film ever!! One of the great things about Dirty Dancing was the soundtrack and even though Burlesque doesn't quite live up to that it still has some gems. For example, there is a pop-type cover of Marilyn Manson's 'The Beautiful People' which was hilarious!
And this really is just kitsch, naughty indulgence at it's best - cheese, glamour, glitter and sex on legs in the form of Cam Gigandet (who is sexy in everything except Twilight surprisingly). 

It's the film equivalent of the evenings when you reject a proper dinner so you can have two helpings of dessert instead. It's buying a bottle of champagne for no other reason than to drink it in a hot bubble-bath. It's wearing those 1950's marabou kitten-heel slippers round the house, even though there's nobody there to see you: an innocent/guilty pleasure that no-one except you needs to know about....except I just told you....
But I'm ok with you knowing how much I enjoyed this film!
Until next time...xox

National Afternoon Tea Week
Apparently National Afternoon Tea Week is 15th-19th August so check out various tea-related websites for information on pop-up afternoon teas and discount vouchers. My favourite website is http://www.afternoontea.co.uk/ and my favourite place to indulge at the moment is High Tea of Highgate. Keep checking the blog as I'll be attending a Mad Hatters pop-up tea party soon, and sharing some 'Tease related news...
Until next time... xox

'High Tea of Highate' in Highgate Village

On such a miserable Saturday afternoon with awful wet weather, it was an absolute delight to go to a cosy little tea-shop like this. From the outside, with its pink fascia and reassuringly steamed-up windows containing bric-a-brac emblazoned with 50's pin-ups, we were already sold - but inside was even better.
We were very lucky to get a seat, as this popular place was jam-packed (pardon the pun..) but we timed it just right and were allocated a table.
They do offer full afternoon tea at a very reasonable price here, and this can be booked. But my waistline dictated that one slice of cake was enough for me today, so me and my companion opted to do just that. This makes High Tea of Highate a great option for the budget concious too.
I went for a pot of the 'London Blend' recommended by the owner, and a slice of chocolate cake (of course). My companion opted for a scone with jam and clotted cream and a pot of Assam.

The cake was lovely and tasted home-made and satisfying - it definitely was a good sized portion! I'm told the scone was fantastic - not too dry and not too sweet, the and jam was the perfect complement. And we were both amused by the little milk jug shaped like a cow :) My 'London Blend' was so good I ordered a second pot, as did my friend. 
We could have sat there all day in those lovely surroundings and our only complaint is that the place closed too early!

I'm a big fan of 'twee and cosy' but I understand that's not everyone's cup of tea (again....pardon the pun!) That's why the decor here is so impressive: they've managed to mix vintage and cute with a bit of a funky and stylish edge, even down to the tattooed staff in 40's/50's accessories - this definitely doesn't look like your Grandma's house, which is the the typical template of an English 'Tea-Shop'. In fact, this place would be very at home in Shoreditch or Hoxton, despite the fact that it's also complemented by the leafy quiet suburbs of Highgate Village.
I'd definitely love to return here and highly recommend it. Check out the website at http://www.highteaofhighgate.com/

"Sip"-tease Rating: ****
Pa"Tease"erie Rating: ***
Boudoir or Boring? Rating: *****
Service with (Nothing but) a Smile Rating: ****
Cheap or Chic? Rating:****

If In Doubt....Bake
Sometimes baking is the best stress relief. Not only do you get to beat eggs and whip cream which is satisfying, you also focus and concentrate on the present moment and ignore the worries of the past and future. Afterwards, you have the added pleasure of a beautiful cake which you can share with others, and that helps you to feel better too. 
Luckily I received my brand new book in the post at exactly the time I needed it:

So now I can't think of any reason to leave the safety of my kitchen for a while. You know where to find me.... 
Until next time....xox

"Sex In The Ci-Tea" @ The Montagu, Hyatt Regency Hotel

This is the most non-traditional tea I've had so far but it was fabulous. Along with a 'Cosmopolitan' or 'Flirtini' cocktail we indulged in other food that was based on ''Sex In The City or on New York itself. As well as sandwiches the savoury aspect included mini hot-dogs, bagels with smoked salmon and cream cheese, and mini burgers, and my friend and I were impressed with the vegetarian option that was available. The sweet aspect of the tea eschewed the traditional scone with jam and cream option, instead basing four desserts on the four stars of the show. Carrie inspired white chocolate Stiletto shoes flavoured with strawberry, Miranda was glazed mini-doughnuts, Samantha was mini martini glasses containing apple-vodka jelly, and Charlotte was strawberry cupcakes. Similarly, there was a large tea menu with four selected specifically to symbolise the four ladies: I chose Earl Grey (Charlotte) and my glam friend went for White Needle Tea (Carrie). Both were delicious.

It was a very indulgent experience, definitely more costly than other teas I've been to (and there was a bit of a mix-up with the bill at the end) but totally worth it. 
However sometimes, it's the fact that you can have a real conversation over afternoon tea that makes it so appealing, and I had fantastic company! We could have sat there drinking 'Cosmopolitans' all evening but it may have cost us more than a package week to Marbella (yet been infinitely more preferable..!)
I highly recommend the swanky surroundings of this hotel, and this particular tea for a bit of post-shopping indulgence, but make sure you go just after pay day ;-) 

"Sip"-tease Rating: ***

Pa"Tease"erie Rating:****

Boudoir or Boring? Rating: ****

Service with (Nothing But) a Smile Rating:***

Cheap or Chic Rating:* (Especially because of the bill mix-ups)