The Best Tea Shop in London

I don't know why it's taken so long for me to write this post. I have been visiting this shop for quite a while now but something has stopped me writing it about it. Perhaps in some deep part of my soul I wanted to keep it just for myself; or maybe I was wary of sounding a bit too fawning. Either way, it can't carry on. I cannot write a blog about tea and not talk about the wonderful Postcard Teas.



Everything about this little "tea gallery" just off swanky Bond Street is lovely: a few well-chosen accessories; a display of beautiful handmade fans and tea caddies; and one large table that encourages you to chat to your fellow tea-drinkers. But there is no doubt that in this shop the star of the show is the tea. It's run by the delightful Tim d'Offay who travels all over Asia hunting out the very best teas from the finest plantations. And it shows. Every single tea I have tasted or bought in the shop has been fantastic.

Given the location, sampling tea in this temple to the brew is amazingly reasonable. The vast majority of teas cost around £1.50 a cup to drink. But if you then decide to buy that tea Tim takes the cost of the cuppa off of your final bill. So effectively you get a beautiful cup of tea for nothing! The only slight negative is that they have recently stopped serving cake which although disappointing does mean that nothing detracts from the taste of the tea.

There are so many fine teas in the shop that I couldn't possibly cover them all in one post. And the fantastic news is that they are not ridiculously expensive. For instance, my absolute desert island tea is a blend Tim created himself called Mayfair Breakfast. It's a blend of black teas from India & Sri Lanka mixed with a Taiwanese white tipped oolong which adds an amazingly refreshing quality. My dependence is so complete I can scarcely function in the morning without at least one cup. And at just £4.50 for a 50g refill pouch I don't have to deny myself. The price feels even more of a bargain when you consider that Tim has created teas for Harrods, Selfridges and luxury companies such as Asprey and Miller Harris.

Postcard Teas have leaves of every type and hue and all of them are very reasonably priced. They even have a couple of fantastic infusions. For real tea connoisseurs they stock a selection of Master Teas which I'm looking forward to progressing to, and to help me get there they also offer regular tea tastings. All in all it is the ultimate tea fan's destination in London. A place to go and share your enthusiasm not just with the helpful and very knowledgeable Tim but with the other enthusiasts who seem to frequent the shop.

If you're wondering about the name, it's possible, either in the shop or online, to buy your tea in a specially sealed pouch which can be written on and posted just like a normal postcard. It's a really nice idea and seems to me the perfect way to spread the word about this wonderful shop.

So there, I've done it. I've let you in on my tea secret. I really do urge you to get on down to the shop, or if you're too far away pay a visit to the website. I guarantee you will not be disappointed.