Yumchaa Edit

Great range of teas – Regents Park is a favourite of mine – and a lovely, if sometimes a little crowded place to sit, drink, write, meet friends, or just take a break from the hustle of Oxford Street.

A good firm favourite whenever I visit London! Their range of blends is brilliant, lots of interesting choices amongst classic teas; they brew tea perfectly, never scalded, and have great methods for serving chai lattes and iced tea in their magic jugs. Their staff are always happy to talk blends with you but sadly, not always while you’re ordering. In this particular branch a good percentage of their teapots can be leaky, so watch out.

Recommending all of the teas named after parts of London (Regent’s Park, Soho Spice, Notting Hill), their toasted sandwiches and sweet things. This is a lovely place for a casual meetup or a date with thrown-together furniture, lounge armchairs downstairs, free wi-fi and tea refills, but for something a little smarter, head to the Camden branch.

A solid enough tea shop. Good food selection, and I always like it when tea shops have an array of teas set out for you to smell before choosing. One advantage above many London tea shops is the size – there are more tables in the basement so even when the ground floor is full, there’s usually still somewhere to sit. However the staff always seem a bit rushed, and there’s not much opportunity to actually discuss the teas with them or find out a bit more about what you’re drinking.