Pots of Tea Around the UK
I love tea. Hot or iced, black or green. Few things make me happier than having time to enjoy a cup of tea and a pastry in a cute coffee shop. So naturally, I took advantage of the UK's similar affinity and made time for tea as often as possible. You can get tea pretty much anywhere, but here are a few of the places I enjoyed most during our two weeks there.
OVER THE TOP: sketch, London
Afternoon tea at sketch was the best thing we did in London. It was ridiculous, unnecessary, and completely amazing. A proper high tea, this service included a caviar course, sandwiches and pastries, scones, and a slice of Victoria sponge. The whole experience lasted about two hours, long enough to sample three different teas. I enjoyed white, royal breakfast, and peppermint varieties.
CHILL VIBES: The Orchard Tea Garden, Grantchester
A true English tradition, people have been taking tea at The Orchard since 1897. Just outside of Cambridge, this was apparently the hang spot for people like Virginia Woolf, Bertrand Russell, and Alan Turing. We biked here with our Cambridge hosts and had a very chill afternoon sitting outside and enjoying tea and traditional scones. It was incredibly affordable and very popular.
A SIDE OF ART: Café Modern Two, Edinburgh
We stopped into the cafe at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art after browsing the work on view. We used their free wifi to help plot our next move and figured a cup of tea might be a good idea. We liked the cafe so much that we decided to stick around for lunch. The menu is small, but everything is made from scratch. The salted caramel brownie that we had was spectacular. This place also does a proper afternoon tea service if that's something you're into.
THE COFFEE SHOP: Brew Lab, Edinburgh
Chad was busy doing the Gin Jolly at Sumerhall Distillery, home of Pickering's Gin. Since I no longer drink alcohol, I decided to pass. I found this place on Yelp and it seemed like the perfect place to chill for an hour while Chad learned all about the recent history of gin production in Edinburgh. Brew Lab specializes in coffee, but the tea was good too. Honestly, it's a worth a visit for the millionaire's shortbread alone. They also had comfy seats and free wifi – always helpful.