Scoff and Banter is an awesome place, whether you're just grabbing tea in the afternoon, a bit of…read moredinner before the theater or for coffee and dessert after. We were staying at the adjacent hotel, so it was just a hop, skip and a jump for us. We pretty much only sampled the latter, and some apps along the way. You really can't go wrong here. Service is lovely.

It was the only high tea place I've been to in the U.K. The…read morereason why we came here is bc there really wasnt any wait where as other places were either fully booked or with insane wait times of 1hr+. Our set was 35pounds per person. It was ok but not really worth it considering its not a meal. Inside was a bit awkward...setup and ambiance wise. Was there music? i dont remember but I can hear a whole table next to us chit chatting so it was a bit annoying. But I guess thats what this is all about... So a question I have is...how do you have high tea between your 2 largest meals when they give you so much to eat?? Plus a whole pot of tea? I mean....its almost like a meal of snacks! Haha its great but I keep thinking about it....

I knew I'd only be able to have one afternoon tea while in London. After doing a lot of research, I…read morechose Claridge's for this special experience. From the moment I walked in the door, I knew I'd chosen well. The Christmas decor and children's choir really set the tone for the wonderful afternoon that was about to unfold. For those who've never had the opportunity, plan to pace yourselves. While you might be tempted to go for a second round of the delicious sandwiches, resist the temptation! Otherwise you will be too full to fully enjoy all the delectable treats that come next. There will be warm scones, fresh from the oven, with a pot of jam, and a pot of clotted cream. Oh my. I need more clotted cream in my life. There will also be beautifully executed sweet treats. All varied in looks and taste, but each one, well worth the calories. Let's not forget the tea. Claridge's offers a tea menu that is sure to have something for every palette, even this American who never drinks hot tea. I might need to change that! Finally, I can't fail to mention the impeccable service. Truly top notch on every level. It was three of the nicest hours I had during my London visit, and that's saying a lot, because I had a fabulous time. Pricey yes, but my afternoon tea experience was worth every penny!

Claridges tea is wonderful. Bright and elegant with live piano and/or violin. One would be hard…read morepressed to find a better spot for tea. The staff is without compare and quite accommodating. Splurge and get the champagne with tea. This is not just tea, it's an event. The staff will accommodate food allergies. The sandwiches are always fresh, the scones always perfectly cooked, their jams are flavorful. Ask for tea jelly in addition to the raspberry and strawberry jams. Their desserts change at various times during the year. Meticulously crafted and always wonderful. Request to sit in the main room for the full effect or in the reading room for a quieter experience.

This tea room is absolutely adorable. It is super small with only maybe 6 tables inside and a few…read moreoutside. We made our reservation weeks ago and were all set when we arrived. My mom and I had the full afternoon tea and we ordered two cream teas for my kids. Everyone absolutely loved it. The finger sandwiches were tuna, cucumber, egg, smoked salmon and a warm ham and cheese. The scones were delightful. We don't love raisins in our scones and they were able to accommodate us. The service was amazing. Everyone was so kind. I'd absolutely come here again!

Love how small and cozy this tea room is. :) I had the traditional afternoon tea service and…read morehands-down the standout was the homemade clotted cream scone. Perfectly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside! Served quite warm as well. Pretty alright tea finger sandwiches overall; the cucumber sandwich had a nice lemon zing to it though the smoked salmon sandwich and egg sandwich had bread that was a bit on the stale side. Regarding desserts, the raspberry macaron was very tasty and had a great slight chew to it but the red velvet cake was pretty dry. There were more food items at the tea service but I'm just highlighting the most noteworthy ones. :p For tea I had the jasmine lychee. Satisfyingly bold lychee taste! Recommend if you want something bright-fruity with slight tartness. Service was very polite and all-smiles but could've been more attentive. I'd say I would return here mainly for the tea and the scones!

I love a great English tea and St. Ermin's delivers above and beyond. Wonderfully blended…read moretraditional teas, decadently rich sandwiches and dessert bites, and the perfect scones. This is the place to get a well needed shot of refinement. Everything was delicious!!

On our London Christmas vacation, my wife main request was to have tea at a proper English tea room…read moreand St. Ermin's Tea Lounge fit the need. Located in a beautiful hotel with a calm and quiet lounge, the beautiful room was filled with patrons sipping tea. The sandwiches were fresh and tasty. The desserts were inhaled by our boys and enjoyed by all. The scones arrived with clotted cream and jam were equally consumed by our boys. The variety of teas were enjoyable and packed with flavor. If you are in London and looking for a relaxing / quiet tea experience, St Ermin's Tea Lounge is beautifully decorated, tasty and a memorable event.

We came by on impulse, on a mid afternoon without reservation and luckily were seated, upstairs in…read morea cozy but formal tea room . All the savory and sweet bites were beautifully presented and with creative fusion touches. It could be daunting to choose from the quite extensive tea selections but the young lady who served us was quite knowledgeable of the teas to offer a suggestion; service was attentive and formal. Do come here for an elegant high tea experience and inventive treats, a little pricey but worth it.

Wow! Marriage Freres close to the seven dials has literally any tea that you could imagine! The…read moreselection is a little overwhelming, but the staff is very helpful in ensuring you get the perfect tea for you! I can't remember exactly what team my brother ended up getting, but he went there for a specialty tea that he wouldn't be able to find at a regular store. They also have a nice upstairs area where you can enjoy a cup of tea and some pastries if you would like! We had a really good experience here!

Not a tea person but this place is stunning, got the special edition Jade Dragon. Store is…read morebeautiful, staff is lovely. Tons of teas to test out, only time I've ever been impressed with packaging like this are those special edition Marvis toothpastes. 10/10 recommend, especially for tea lovers.

I've been to a lot of tea stores, mostly focusing on specific bulk varieties in the usual range of…read moreprices. TWG is exceptionally unique in that not only are all of the Service staff fully trained on every single variety available in the store, but they are also focused on helping you understand your drinking preferences and guiding you towards their particular blends that will most suit your taste. For example, while I am very familiar with standard Matcha, Sencha green tea varieties, TWG makes their own hybrid versions that are outstandingly unique, flavorful, and aroma-wise, unequaled by anyone else. My friend was more focused on Jasmine varieties, and our staff member directed her to four or five specialty variance that TWG created to enhance various elements of the jasmine base properties. The store is focused on elegance, but also accessibility, knowing that it can be overwhelming to see so many varieties in one place. There is also a Tea Service section that serves both iced and hot individual portions of all of their varieties, but also hosts specific events, such as a Chinese tea ceremony to acquaint you with the various honorific ways tea has been celebrated in different cultures. It's located very close to the M&M world, but so different in style that you'll be amazed at how much you might not know about such a readily available beverage.

Tea at the Savoy is a must do when visiting London. We made reservations several months before our…read moretrip; in conversations with the Savoy staff, it's extremely difficult to get seating without a reservation during the busy season which runs from March through January. The Gallery is where we had tea and it was amazing! High ceilings with bright coloring, chandeliers and artwork had us looking around admiring every part of the restaurant. We had three attendants and they were all very nice and attentive. We selected High Tea which came with option of a heated dish , lamb. The tea selection is wide, varied and well explained in the provided menu. We had Black Vanilla, Chai, and Morning Tea. They were all wonderful. Our first course of tea were the finger sandwiches, egg and chicken, salmon, cucumber and one that eludes me at the time of this review.;) Something to keep in mind is that as tasty as the sandwiches were and the staff will bring you as mush as you want, there is more to come so consider pacing yourself. After the sandwiches came the lamb and it was very good. The portion was very small but that actually works in its favor when taken with all of the food that is served. The last course consisted of the pastries- all of them were scrumptious. The staff were very good at explaining each item and suggesting the order of consumption. For the three of us, it was about 360 BP (around $500 US) which is expensive but worth it!! All in all, we had a memorable time that helped make our visit to London extremely pleasant. PS If you like fine automobiles, you'll find a bevy of them out front. ;)

Savoy Tea is the ULTIMATE luxury afternoon tea experience. During my trip to London I knew I had to…read morego all out for an afternoon tea experience. I actually told my boyfriend he can go do something else if he wasn't into it, but he said he would come along and be my loyal photographer. Goals! I made our reservation on Open Table for the Savoy Tea experience for the Gallery at the Savoy as soon as we began planning our trip. Even on a weekday they were pretty booked. I know cause I overslept and when I called when to move my reservation I was only able to push it back 15 minutes. Thankfully everything worked out and I got to my appointment on time. Upon arrival the hostess took our coats so that we can be comfortable for our experience. She welcomed us to our seats in a nice private corner. We were so lucky to sit in Wini's section. Since we said it was our first time there and my boyfriend's first afternoon tea experience, she explained everything thoroughly to guide us for the optimal experience. Wini is amazing. During our time there, Ione also came around and helped refill out teas, Archie cleared our plates, and there was another female staff member from Portugal who came by to give well wishes and even provided some travel tips. This whole team is incredible! We decided to get the Afternoon Tea (£90/person) experience that comes with a selection of traditional sandwiches and savoury bites, signature Savoy scnes, and seasonal handmade afternoon tea pastries. The experience comes with a pot of tea per person. We got to get our own pots of teas. They have a great selection of black tea, green tea, oolong tea, white tea, fruity and floral tea, flowering tea, and herbal infusions. My boyfriend went with the Savoy Afternoon Tea blend to get the true experience. I started with the Flowering Jasmine & Lily and then when I finished that pot went onto the Earl Grey. For the traditional sandwiches and savoury bites, they served a traditional coronation chicken on a malbran bread, spiced st ewe egg on white bread, cucumber on spinach bread, British salt beef on granary bread, Scottish smoked salmon on a brioche, and organic baked butternut squash in a savory tart. Yummmm. They were all delicious and creative. These are bottomless and you can request as many as you'd like. My boyfriend's favorite was the British salt beef and my favorite was definitely the coronation chicken. Yummm! As for the housemade Savoy scones, these were accompanied by cornish clotted cream, strawberry jam, and lemon curd. I love the accompaniments but I don't love the cones. I am lucky to have a local farm to table afternoon tea concept near home who executes better scones. The tea pastries were a work of art. There was a jasmine and red currant, apple and custard, chocolate and hazelnut, and a blue lady earl grey and blackberry. When you cut into the cross sections they were perfectly even. A true craft executed by a highly skills pastry chef. Absolutely incredible. The Savoy Tea afternoon tea experience was no doubt a splurge but it was worth it to me because it was something I enjoy and it was an unforgettable experience. The food was amazing and the service was incredible. Wini truly did everything to ensure that we enjoyed our time at the Savoy. I am very grateful for the experience.

Long-time listener (viewer), first-time customer…read more I've long-since been informed and entertained by the Mei Leaf YouTube channel. Visiting family in the UK, I had to stop by - and I was not disappointed. I had a very pleasant Pu-erh, but was blown away by a burst of black tea, with malty goodness! Both were of great quality, smooth and yet bold, but not too much so. I was coached expertly through everything from price-point to taste, to 'this is the best one for the in-shop experience' versus 'come back another time for this one, but on this budget, I'd go for this' and it made me want to spend my money there way as I felt like my tastes were listened to and my limitations financially acknowledged and not dismissed. The very cheapest on the menu were not recommended over higher, of course, but the low range was never left when I said 'under 10 pounds' -- I was never recommended a tea above it. I was helped by two employees eager to allow me to enjoy the teas on my own but very happy to discuss them almost as a friend would. In fact, I got chatting to one employee in particular, just about intellectual matters, as is fitting for a tea house. Jeremiah and Vine (Vinny?) were incredibly helpful as I'm sure are all those working at Mei Leaf. I recommend a visit when in London!

Review is for the mail order side of the operation, ordered two different tea cakes on during the…read moreBlack Friday sale in 2020, one of the two was out of stock and the other was available, quick contact to let me know of the out of stock item, option was to ship one and either wait for the second or cancel. Opted to wait on the second cake, due to lockdowns arrival was a little longer than originally estimated but not by much. When items were back in stock got an email advising me of product availability and asking if I wanted to add anything to the order. Decided just to have the one cake shipped. International shipping from London to Los Angeles was only about a week for each Shipment. Items were packed well and arrived safe and sound. Large selection on their website, reasonable prices, fast secure shipping, outstanding customer service. Highly recommend provider of high quality teas. Can't wait for a trip to London to visit the shop in person. Ordered Bling Rock Kingpin Gong Ting Zi Juan Ripe PuErh 2014 Cake Cream Bun Scallywag Ba Qi Shan Gushu Sheng 2020 Cake Both were exceptional teas give them a try if you get a chance