Top London tea spots: Tea at Liberty
“I believe that it is customary in good society to take some light refreshment at five o’clock.”
- Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest
Tea at Liberty is of one the little places I like to keep up my sleeve whenever I want to treat myself and escape the maddening crowds of Oxford and Regent Streets. Situated on the ground floor of Liberty, right next to the all-too tempting handbag department, the tea shop is an elegant indulgence in all manner of tea and cake goodies. Tea is taken very seriously here at Liberty, with a menu packed with over 30 different blends and a range of fruit tisanes.
There’s a fine selection of light meals (the Welsh rarebit is a tasty savoury affair) and sweet things (classic Victoria sponge cake, fruit loaf cake and meringue served with clotted cream and rose petal jam).
My favourite tea-time treat is a pot of freshly brewed English Breakfast (£2.95) with hot buttered crumpets and strawberry jam. Here, the crumpets come square, light and fluffy, the most perfect accompaniment to a lovely pot of tea. Liberty use traditional Burleigh earthenware in the classic Willow design to serve tea and cake. (And if you really like it, the entire Willow range is available to purchase upstairs in the kitchen and dining department.)
There’s also a cream tea for £10.75, which includes scones with jam and clotted cream, served with tea or coffee. And if you really wanted to splash out, there’s the Liberty Champagne Afternoon tea, including champagne, finger sandwiches, cakes, scones and tea or coffee for £25.75.
It’s difficult to avoid being seduced by the lyrical descriptions of the hand-tied flowering tea range, which will set you back by a rather hefty £6.95. But seduced, I was, by Flower Jewel, which was described as “tender hand-picked white tea crowned by a delicate and bright pink amaranth flower. The dancing petals blissfully open as sweet jasmine scents this captivating elixir. Tantalizing the palate with its vibrant freshness and clarity, surrender into this everlasting ambrosia.” See what I mean? It actually WAS the most delicious and beautifully fragrant blend I’ve ever tenderly sipped, but I was a little disappointed that the hot water was added before it reached my table. I really wanted to see the petals ‘magically’ open! You kinda want some sort of entertainment value for your £6.95, eh?
Tea at Liberty
Great Marlborough Street
London W1B 5AH
Tel. 0207 734 1234
Nearest tube: Oxford Circus
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