Pavilion Tea Company

You can’t really go wrong with expertly blended tea. Add on service that goes the extra mile, and you’ve got a four star take-​away tea house experience.
Cleverly disguised as a very sleekly designed mom n’ pop shop, Pavilion Tea Company is actually owned by momma Peyton and poppa Byrne. This is a turnoff for me, as from my brushes with Peyton and Byrne in the British Library and Wellcome Collection cafés, their food always manages to look way better than it tastes.
Pavilion Tea Company comes back for the victory with these elements:
— their tea list is huge and interesting
— they brew at different temperatures as appropriate to the type of blend, and mark it accordingly on the menu – as someone who has to wait half a day before her tea is cool enough for her, I found the 85 degree temperature to be perfect
— my white tea to take away to the gardens was deliciously floral and earthy
— my server offered to package up the tea bag she used for my take-​away so I could have another steep at home
— I impulse-​bought a little bag of loose leaf Sri Lankan chai, and it is definitely the best chai I have ever brewed myself
I think I’ll stay away from the beautifully presented pastries after bad past experiences, but it’s great to know there are lots of lovely teas waiting for me to try next time I’m in Brighton.