The 5 best places for a cup of tea in London

Yauatcha is well known for its dim sum and wonderful loose leaf teas, of which there are more than 40 sourced from China and India. Afternoon tea is served with Chinese savoury delicacies. You can also take your tea with an exquisite range of patisserie, macarons and petits gateaux.

This landmark establishment on Piccadilly takes its tea very seriously and has done so for more than 300 years. A huge range of high quality teas are available, immaculately packaged in their signature eau de nil bleu and gold livery. For the quintessential English tearoom experience the Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon is the place to come.

Sketch is a high-concept restaurant and tearoom that undoubtedly has some of the best décor in London. Take their afternoon tea in The Gallery, a sumptuous low-lit pink room with unsettling humorous artworks by David Shrigley. There’s excellent service and a fun atmosphere.

One of the best places to buy tea in town. All 60 varieties, beautifully packaged, are fairly traded from small single estate farms. Real expertise has gone into creating and importing the selection available. They also sell postcards, filled with loose tea, which you can send anywhere in the world.

Cake Hole is a cheery cafe nestled at the back of a Columbia Road vintage shop that specialises in kitchen and tableware. Once past the array of retro crockery, glass and teacups, choose from a range of breakfast teas, black teas, herbal teas and ‘oddi-teas’ to accompany the plentiful home-baked cakes on offer.