Sunday, September 19, 2010

CC: Bea's of Bloomsbury

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What's does "CC" mean? Location visited: London, UK
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating:
6+ [
see key]



Afternoon tea is something I wish America embraced. Around 2 PM every weekday, I would love to stop working, break out the tea (or coffee) apparatus (not to mention tiny sandwiches) and simply relax. Some may argue that we have "coffee breaks" but that's like saying that AstroTurf feels like Kentucky Bluegrass.

Wanting to roll in the proverbial grass, I did my utmost to fit a true afternoon tea into my recent London exploits. I did a good chunk of research and after sorting through my options, the cafe that looked most smashing was a placed called Bea's of Bloomsbury. According to their website, they were not only Square Mile's first customer (hip hip for tea AND espresso) but they also offer one of the best (and most affordable) tea times in all London. Check and mate.

Bea's gets a lot of traffic so I actually was blown away when I found an open interior table on a sunny Sunday afternoon. The cafe has a gorgeous layout with black and lavender walls, an open kitchen in the rear and a fluidity that makes the space seem twice as large. I ordered up a Square Mile espresso (an espresso only place) and a pot of lemon verbena tea. The espresso was pulled short by trained hands, producing a bright coffee with notes of tart cocoa, grapefruit, fig, mint, almond and nutmeg. The tea was steeped well, had a balanced lemony flavor (like lemon grass) and a subtle natural sweetness. Both the espresso and tea provided exemplary experiences.

It should be noted that Bea's does some amazing things with food and bakery items (if you get a meringue, pace yourself because they are huge). All around Bea's met all of my high expectations for a good British tea time experience. You should go.


6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Check out the science behind coffee from Gizmodo.

http://gizmodo.com/5642561/seeking-mojo-chasing-the-perfect-cup-of-coffee-through-science

teamcookers.com (Custom Fire Pits) said...

Oh I would love to go to this place in London and have myself a cup of Joe!

BenP said...

Do you know if they serve intelligentsia coffee here or anywhere in the area for that matter?

Nikon said...

Excellent cafes, I often come here!

Anonymous said...

One thing I know,that is I know nothing.

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Carin Robert said...

Will the order be delivered soon or it takes time?