Tea has been around London coffee houses since the 17th century and now you won’t find a café or eatery without the famous drink – and one YouTube star has tested the best cup of teas in the city and crowned a winner
London is the most famous city in the world associated with a cup of tea, but which serves the best? A man has tested out a number of spots and found a clear winner of the best cup of tea in the city.
If there is one thing us Brits know how to do, it’s make a good cup of tea. Many of us have perfected our nation’s staple drink after enjoying heaps of it over the years. With more than 100million cups of tea consumed in the UK every day, it’s no surprised people take their own special serve very seriously. And let’s face it, there is a right way and a wrong way to make one.
Tea was first sold in London coffee houses in the 17th century. The practice of drinking tea took off in the 1650s, and the first tea advert appearing in a London newspaper in 1658. The drink was originally an upper-class drink, but eventually spready through all classes and became a common drink.
Looking at how London tea is today, viral food review, recipe creator and YouTube star, Harrison Webb, went on a mission recently to find the best cup of tea in the city and rated the locations based on taste, price, service, and most importantly – biscuit ‘dunkability’. He shared his full review on YouTube, and a short snippet on TikTok.
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Camden Tea Bar
First up, Harrison visited Camden Tea Bar which has offer 100 different tea flavours on offer.
He paid £2.65 for a cup of tea in a tall glass. Harrison said: “This is a fancy tea. I can tell the blend is quite an upmarket one. The service here was great, it was quick, they were friendly.”
He offered a rating of 4.2/5.
Andrews Café
Harrison, who boasts over one million followers on his YouTube channel, was impressed by the £1.50 price at this spot. “I can’t complain about that,” he insisted.
He said the colour was “spot on” and it came in a nice size cup. He was also impressed with the ‘dunkability’. He noted that he prefers a more premium tea bag, but the price at this spot speaks for itself.
He offered a rating of 3.8/5.
Fortnum and Mason at Royal Exchange
Harrison confessed: “I feel like this is going to be a boujee place for a cup of tea.” While he forked out £5.95, he admitted that it was “the nicest tea I’ve had so far”. The treat was also presented in a lovely cup and saucer set.
“Mate that’s spot on,” he confessed. He offered a rating of 4.4/5.
The Shard
Harrison tried a cup of tea at one of London’s most famous landmark. After going up to the 32nd floor, he was shocked after not seeing a cup of tea listed on the menu, but he decided to order it anyway.
He able to order the British classic and was given a chrome silver pot full of it and a teacup. He said that while the tea “isn’t the best” he was impressed after dunking his biscuit in. He also approves of the great service and views.
He paid £6.90 for a cuppa up The Shard. 4.2/5.
Ralph’s coffee
At this spot, Harrison paid £5.35 for a cup of tea. He said he noticed there was a a fancy tea bag included, but it was served in a takeaway cup with the tea bag simmering around in it.
Harrison reviewed his order and said: “This is terrible, doesn’t even taste of anything. Just tastes like limescale water. Maybe if you came for a coffee it would be better.” He gave it a 2.8 rating out of 5.
English Rose Tea Shop
The spot in Victoria is a traditional tea shop, with beautiful floral design china teacup. Harrison said the place is perfect for those looking to enjoy somewhere “very cute”. Tucking into the tea, he said: “Ah, that’s not bad. It’s not my favoured tea so far.”
But he was impressed by the £3.70 considering the location and beauty of the café. Harrison gave it a 3.6/5 rating.
Prada Café
Harrison quickly learnt that he had to order food in order to sit down in the Prada Café. He ordered a cup of tea and a croissant which set him back £11.50, with the price of tea being £6.50. His tea was presented in a branded Prada teacup, and he also got Prada branded sugar sachets.
Harrison said: “Oooo that actually is quite delightful…that is a good cup of tea. What an eloquent cup of tea.” However, he noted he found the service to be cold.
Rating: 4/5.
Marchesi
Finally, Harrison visited one of Milan’s oldest pastry shops, which came to London in 2019 – Marchesi. He was impressed by the menu, but was gobsmacked by how much a pot of tea cost. He was charged £9.50. “This better be some good tea,” he insisted.
He was impressed by the branded tea bag, tea pot and sugar. “It’s a nice one…that’s surprisingly caught me off guard,” Harrison said after trying it. “But we can’t ignore £9.50 for a cup of tea, pretty mental,” he added.
He offered a rating of 4/5.
Name the best place you’ve ever had a cup of tea in the comments below…
