Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

5 Secret And Hidden London Tearooms And Cafes

London's not short of cake shops and tearooms - something we're grateful for everyday - but when you're looking for somewhere a little off the beaten track, these are your best bets:

The Basement Tea Rooms, Camden Market

Photo: Camden Market

Unless someone told you about it, you'd be unlikely to ever stumble across the Basement Tea Rooms in Camden Market. In fact, even knowing about it, it can be tricky to find (go down the steps by the Amy Winehouse statue and The Cheese Bar, and when you get to the bottom do a U-turn to your left. Then follow your cakenose along the wooden-floored corridor to the very end. You're welcome.).

Among the street food stalls of the area, The Basement Tea Rooms is a refreshingly calm change.  This corner of Camden Stables Market is still configured like its namesake stables, and while you're not exactly dining on haystacks, the old-fashioned barriers, leather booths and floor-to-ceiling wood look more like something out of a western film than a trendy London market. Colourful bunting and rails of retro clothing ensure that you don't forget you're in Camden, while you tuck into coffee, cakes, afternoon tea or an all-day breakfast. There's often showtunes playing, portion sizes are generous, and the vintage china is an Instagram bonus.

Saucer & Spritz at Oasis, Tottenham Court Road

Image: Saucer & Spritz

That's right — fashion chain Oasis has a tea room tucked away upstairs in its Tottenham Court Road store. Saucer & Spritz deals in cakes and cocktails in equal measure, and although it describes itself as a cocktail bar foremost, we've always found the kitsch interiors perfectly conducive to a mid-shop cake stop.

Floral wallpaper, decadent lighting and colourfully-tiled tables make for a feminine atmosphere, while the delicate bars at one end of the mezzanine cafe give the illusion of eating in a giant bird cage, while shoppers browse below.

Afternoon tea needs to be pre-ordered, but cream teas, cakes, brunches and hot and cold drinks can be enjoyed on a walk-in basis. And if you do end up washing it down with a cocktail or two... well, who are we to judge?

Cake Hole at Vintage Heaven, Columbia Road

Photo: Cake Hole Cafe at Vintage Heaven

As with all of the best hidden treasures, we stumbled across this one quite by accident while wandering among the dying embers of Columbia Road flower market mid-afternoon one Sunday. Vintage Heaven is an independently-owned vintage shop specialising in crockery, china, glass and kitchenalia.

Of course, the next step for a place with so many dainty dishes, twee teapots and cute crockery is a vintage tearoom... and that's exactly what you'll find if you head to the rear of the shop. Cake Hole is a kitsch and cosy place, with vintage mirrors and artwork lining the walls, and a mixture of wooden chairs and church pew-style seating.

Photo: Vintage Heaven

The menu reads like a who's-who of the London cake scene: cakes from Primrose Bakery, scones from Rinkoff Bakery, and jam from English Preserves of Borough Market.

Note, Vintage Heaven and Cake Hole are only open at weekends, like many of the businesses on Columbia Road.

The Orangery at the Fan Museum, Greenwich

Image: The Orangery

Most people don't even know that London has a Fan Museum, let alone that said museum is home to a beautiful, elegant tea room. The Orangery is a conservatory-style dining room You need to pay museum admission in order to visit The Orangery, but once you're in, you find yourself tucking into traditional cakes, sandwiches and scones. You're surrounded by beautifully detailed murals and overlooking a secret, Japanese-style garden — and all just a five minute walk from Greenwich station.

Betty Blythe, Hammersmith

Upstairs at Betty Blythe

If you're at all familiar with Hammersmith, Betty Blythe will come as no surprise — the vintage tea room sits proudly on the corner of a residential road in Brook Green, tempting punters in with is cake counter and chandelier.

But unless you've been inside, you won't know about the gorgeous downstairs room, a beautifully decorated but petite space, which you might have completely to yourself if you time your visit right.

The downstairs room can host tea parties for adults or kids. Photo: Betty Blythe

It's themed like a private dressing room, with vintage clothes and jewellery strewn artistically about the place — items which you're allowed, nay, encouraged, to try on. The fancy dress box consists of dresses, hats and other garments from the 1920s and 1930s — plenty for you to hold a full-blown photoshoot between courses.

Also keep an eye out for... Soho's Secret Tea Rooms

Photo: Soho's Secret Tearoom

A time of writing, Soho's Secret Tea Rooms is closed due to the fact that the pub above which it resides has changed hands. Keep an eye on the Facebook page to find out where and when it'll make a comeback.

Last Updated 01 August 2019

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
×