London is the most famous city in the world associated with a cup of tea, but which serves the best? The best brews in town have been put to the test by one man on a mission.
Us Brits renowned for our tea-making prowess, with many of us having honed our skills over countless cups of our national beverage. With over 100 million cups of tea consumed daily across the UK, it is no wonder we take our brews seriously - and yes, there is a right and a wrong way to make one.
Tea first made its appearance in London coffee houses in the 17th century. The habit of tea drinking took root in the 1650s, with the first advertisement for tea appearing in a London newspaper in 1658.
Initially a luxury for the upper classes, tea gradually permeated all social strata to become a staple drink.
Fast forward to today, viral food reviewer, recipe creator and YouTube sensation, Harrison Webb, embarked on a quest to discover the finest cup of tea in London, judging establishments on taste, price, service, and crucially - biscuit 'dunkability'. He shared his comprehensive review on YouTube, with a brief summary on TikTok.
First on his list was Camden Tea Bar, boasting an impressive selection of over 100 different tea flavours.
At this location, he paid £2.65 for a cup of tea served in a tall glass and commented: "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 gave it a rating of 4.2/5.
At Andrews Café, he was impressed by the £1.50 price tag, stating: "I can't complain about that," Despite preferring a more premium tea bag, he noted the colour was "spot on" and praised the 'dunkability'. He rated this spot 3.8/5.
At Fortnum and Mason at Royal Exchange, he confessed: "I feel like this is going to be a boujee place for a cup of tea." Despite the £5.95 cost, he admitted it was "the nicest tea I've had so far", presented in a lovely cup and saucer set. He rated it 4.4/5.
Harrison also sampled a cup of tea at The Shard, one of London's most famous landmarks. Despite not seeing tea listed on the menu, he ordered it anyway and was served a chrome silver pot full of tea and a teacup.
While he felt the tea "isn't the best", he was impressed after dunking his biscuit in and approved of the great service and views. He paid £6.90 for the experience and rated it 4.2/5.
Harrison was left underwhelmed after shelling out £5.35 for a cup of tea that came with a fancy tea bag but was served in a takeaway cup, leaving the tea bag to stew. He lamented, "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 rating of 2.8 out of 5.
At the quaint English Rose Tea Shop in Victoria, adorned with floral china teacups, Harrison found the setting "very cute" and the tea experience pleasant, though not his top choice, saying, "Ah, that's not bad. It's not my favoured tea so far."
Despite this, he felt the £3.70 price tag was reasonable for the charming café, awarding it a 3.6/5 rating.
This fashion haven taught Harrison a lesson when he realised he had to order food to sit down. His bill for a cup of tea and a croissant came to £11.50, with the tea alone costing £6.50.
Served in a branded Prada teacup complete with Prada sugar sachets, he exclaimed, "Oooo that actually is quite delightful...that is a good cup of tea. What an eloquent cup of tea."
Yet, he couldn't help but notice the service was somewhat lacking in warmth, giving it a solid 4/5 rating.
Harrison, during his visit to Marchesi - one of Milan's oldest pastry shops that opened in London in 2019, was taken aback by the price of a pot of tea. He was charged £9.50.
"This better be some good tea," he remarked.
The branded tea bag, tea pot and sugar impressed him. After tasting it, Harrison admitted, "It's a nice one...that's surprisingly caught me off guard," However, he couldn't overlook the cost, adding, "But we can't ignore £9.50 for a cup of tea, pretty mental,". He gave it a rating of 4/5.
