Betty Blythe tearooms

We've been to Betty Blythe tearooms before and had such a fabulous time, we decided to go again. The tearooms are located inbetween Kensington Olympia and Shepard's Bush train stations, they can be slightly tricky to find, so make sure you bring a map.

More pictures under the cut:-

Time for Tea

Another good idea for a Christmas present is to treat a loved one to a spot of tea somewhere special. You could make an event of it, or do it as part of a day trip or shopping expedition.

Here are a couple of places I'd recommend in London and the south:-

Heybridge & Tiptree tea rooms

Heybridge is a pretty village, lovely old houses, waterways and a fantastic tearoom. Ideal for a weekend jaunt really. After our trip to Bradwell, we popped in for a cream tea.

Betty Blythe tea rooms.

For my mum's birthday we treated her to afternoon tea at Betty Blythe, in London.

It was so much fun. The tea party was held in the cosy basement of the tea rooms (upstairs is a drop in cafe), it was beautifully decorated, and private as there was only one other table of three guests. Depending how big your party is, you could hire out the whole room.

The best thing about Betty Blythe is the dressing up box- there is a collection of 1920's style clothes and accessories that are available for you to wear. My only criticism is that some of the them (especially the gloves)  could do with a bit of a wash. Still, we had the best time trying on turbans, feathers and fur stoles. We ended up with about 70 pictures of us preening like old fashioned movie stars and draped on the chaise lounge (we're all too camera shy to put them up on the internet-sorry!)

one of the costumes from the dressing up box. 

We spent a lot of time pretending to be various characters depending on our costumes- lady novelist committed to an asylum by her husband, scandalous lesbian lady-golfer, show-girl, débutante etc. My mum might now be in her 50s, but she's still proper daft. 

The Waiting Room, Totteridge and Whetstone

If you hungry and at the end of the Northern line, I recommend you pop into The Waiting Room, it's just up from the Totteridge and Whetstone station.

It is a quaint tea rooms which serves delicious home-made food.

 The décor is vintage, and what makes it really unique is that everything is for sale, from the cute little trinkets cluttering table tops, to the tables themselves.  All the furniture has been specially hand picked and I think it's a great idea that they're available to buy, though it does mean that your favourite chair, in which you enjoyed your cup of tea, might be gone next time you're in!

The Waiting Room is full of special touches, for example the menu is pasted into pre-loved books. Speaking of the menu, there is loads of choice, even for vegetarians.

egg soufflé, this was actually huge, like a giant fluffy pillow of egg. 

scones with jam and  loads cream 

pancakes with fruit and maple syrup, this was my choice (though I did have a taster of the other). It was flawless.  

We also took some sandwiches with us for later. I had brie on walnut bread, and it was sooooo good, the bread was really soft.

To drink, we had home-made pink lemonade, tea and hot chocolate. All were beautifully presented, the lemonade was in jam jars with co-coordinating straws and the tea was served in mis-matched china.

Tea strainers and sugar tongs- I felt like I was on Downton. 

The hot chocolate was traditional and proper rich- none of this cadburys instant malarkey. Unfortunately it got sent flying and completely obliterated a vintage tablecloth, but the staff were really lovely about it, and there was still plenty in the pot to enjoy.

Some people had sent up camp, and it is the ideal place to spend a lazy afternoon have a natter and indulge.

Eltham Palace and Gardens

I recently jollied off to the wonderful Eltham Palace and Gardens. It's a fascinating mismatch of architecture, there is a medieval great hall and then some glamorous art deco additions.

The beautiful wooden celling in the great hall 

The great hall was really impressive Built in the 1470's by Edward IV, the great hall still stands despite been bombed during WWII, the scorch marks from the incendiary bombs can still be seen.  

  

Eltham Palace was the boyhood home of Henry VIII, but as he favoured his palace at Greenwich, Eltham was neglected and the palace did not remain a royal residence . Various additions where made by owners throughout the years. In 1930's the extremely wealthy Stephen and Virginia Courtauld built a modern art deco extension adjacent to the great hall.    

The circular entrance hall, I can just imagine flappers lounging on the sofas having a smoke 

"In London, love and scandal are considered the best sweeteners of tea" - John Osborne

If you want to have a rummage around second hand and independent bookshops, one of the best areas you can go in London is around Leicester square.

There are loads of bookshops waiting to be discovered in the vicinity, we stumbled upon Cecil Court (WC2N 4EZ) completely by accident.

Established over 100 years ago Watkins specialises in occult books 

Alice Through the Looking Glass

After having a wander around the bookshops and The National Portrait Gallery we were parched, so went to probably one of the most unusual places we have ever had a cup of tea- the crypts of a church

Gifts for Tea Drinkers

Following on from my post from yesterday, and because I'am undoubtedly still in birthday mode I have a few suggestions of what to buy for the big tea drinker in your life:-

One:
It would be lovely to take that special person out for afternoon tea. A lot of the famous hotels in London do this, but I'm sure you'd be able to find somewhere local. Most places you need to book in advance and some offer gift vouchers. It is a quintessentially British activity and would be a real treat. Tea at The Ritz ranges in price from £47- 67 per person.

picture credit: The Ritz website 

Or, if you budget is restricted, why not host a fancy tea yourself? The Ritz is certainly out of my price range.  Scones and sandwiches are easy to make and I'm sure the birthday girl/boy will appreciate your efforts.

Cream tea

A mug of milky, sugary tea ...

scones smothered in butter, jam and cream 

    = absolute heaven

all that's missing is a good book!  Enjoyed at Tiptree Tea Rooms