Bea’s of Bloomsbury

Super friendly staff available to explain meal deals and pastry offerings such as the phenomenon known as the «duffin,» a donut-​muffin hybrid, baked not fried, and filled with jelly or nutella. Espresso-​based drinks are amazing, and in the morning, you can get a hot drink with a duffin or cinnamon roll for about £2.80, which is totally worth it since the pastries are £2.50. Check out their other offerings from boxed macarons, their famous cupcakes topped with perfectly piped frosting, or cake slices such as Chocolate Guinness Loaf topped with rich creamy frosting. Interior is adorable and they also have afternoon tea offerings.
A must-​return to try all their hot drinks as well as rotating pastries and cupcake medleys.

My all time favourite cup cake shop, they have a few branches across London so every time I walk past one, I can’t resist. Some of my favourites include peanut butter which just melts in your mouth and it’s better than reese (trust me!) and ofcourse the classic red velvet. I like the fact that’s it’s not too heavy as some cup cakes can be and he icing isn’t too thick.
Definitely go to the bigger shops like near Kings cross or in St Pauls to devour their big cake slices with a lovely selection of tea.

I absolutely love this place ! I discovered it a few years ago when I was on holidays in London. I had spotted it in a blog (a little Internet research about where to eat is always helpful) and I really wanted to go. I remember a very long walk down the road to find the place, I was actually quite tired but I didn’t want to give up, I nearly missed it because it’s very small but it was really worth the efforts ! The cupcakes were truly gorgeous. I have tried quite a few places and sometimes I find that cupcakes can be quite «heavy» in your stomach, too «rich», too sugary but the ones in Bea’s are just perfect, really tasty but light !
The staff is really nice and helpful. There’s another Bea’s near St Paul’s, which might be handier in terms of location. I went there last year and I loved it too.

Oh my god!!! Nutella cupcake, raspberry cupcakes, double chocolate cupcakes and I could go on… There are about 20 different types of cupcakes in this tiny little shop just accross from the station! I of course had to stop to taste the nutella one… Oh my god! Describes it perfectly!

This is the perfect spot for a short tea break if you don’t have enough time for a full blown sit down champagne afternoon tea. I’ve been told the desserts here are excellent but I love the tea and scones in particular. Lather up the scones with silky smooth Devonshire cream and raspberry preserves and you’re in for a delicious experience.
Wasn’t too fond of the service; however, hence the deduction of a star.

This place is incredible. Amazing service and best scones I’ve had in my life. Everything we tried there was incredible. One cannot go wrong with Bea’s.

They said they were doing us a favor by squeezing us in with only a 45min window… then gave us no menu and told us we had to buy by the piece. Very generous (heavy sarcasm). Then they broke a three tier tray with another persons pastries right next us & we were showered with broken glass and powdered sugar. Only in Europe do they not only not apologize or comp you for such a wretched experience.

The Chocolate Peanut Butter cupcakes are heaven.
Chocolate and peanut butter oh God!
They are absolutely one of my favourite ones.
I simply feel happier when I come here and eat those. They can make even the worst day feel better.
Of course, I should not forget to mention the caramel sauce and the light mascarpone cheese cream frosting.
I’ll save you the details and let you discover the flavours on your own. You truly are missing a lot if you haven’t visited Bloomsbury yet.

If I’m not mistaken there are 3 (?) locations of Bea’s. But worry not, Bea is not spreading herself too thin… more quality Bea’s for all!
I’m a big fan of this bakery along Theobalds Road, which could easily be passed by as the buses whizz and people stomp around carrying their Pret bags during harried lunch hours. Bea’s in a bit of a calm port in that storm. Step in and you see a wide array of cakes available. Props to the selection: a PB&J bar that makes my US palate weep with joy, lemon slice, «killer» (sounds ominous… ly delicious!) brownie, sweet buns and an interesting creation called the «Duffin». MOVE OVER, CRONUT, THERE’S A NEW DONUT-​HYBRID IN TOWN! Pillowy and soft, with filling of jam or choco-hazelnut…this is the sweet marriage of donut and muffin. So, basically, a *totally legit breakfast option*.
My friends have gone here for full cream teas, but this is second-​hand information as I have never attended. That said, the reviews have all been stellar: pillowy savoury sandwiches, delicious scones with jam, and delightful presentation. Completely reasonably priced as well.
What I’d like to call out in particular is the range of coffee and tea options. Specifically, I think their chai latte deserves a special head-​nod of acknowledgment. It’s «homemade» (here I assume it refers to the spice blend) and is not syrupy… it brings some significant heat and warmth through the unique spicing. It’s not heavy, or sweet… chai it, you’ll like it (BAD PUNNING).
The space isn’t big for sitting in at this location, but the staff is a treat. Lovely, helpful, accommodating.
Unilocal note: scones not always available because… they sell out fast. Hasten scone-​wards!

Before coming to London, afternoon tea was probably the thing I was most excited about (that’s normal, right?). So a couple friends and I went on Unilocal one night, looked up afternoon tea places, and came across this one that seemed pretty highly rated. The pictures and website looked promising enough, so we made a reservation online and visited the next day.
The afternoon tea menu is pretty simple — I believe you’re given three options that only differ by the inclusion of «extra» drinks. I went with the basic option and ordered green tea. The food (on the stereotypically cute tower) came out relatively quickly, and at first glance I thought «ok, this is a reasonable amount of food.» But then 5 minutes later ANOTHER plate came out — this time with our sandwiches. And holy, these sandwiches are NOT your traditional «high tea» sandwiches with thin white bread. These were EXTREMELY bread-​heavy sandwiches (that were not cute at all… besides the point, but still worth mentioning).
I decided to try a sandwich first — big mistake. The bread was super salty and since it was so thick I also started feeling pretty full. But then we still had the tower of sweets. I tried the marshmallow next — pretty good. I wasn’t a fan of the meringue, and I definitely wasn’t a fan of the brownies, which I thought were too hard and one of which tasted like Snickers… I didn’t really like the cupcakes either — the texture of the frosting was a bit off and the cake part didn’t taste that great either.
The redeeming points of this place, in my opinion, are the scones and the service. The scones were by far my favorite, especially paired with the jam (didn’t really fancy the clotted cream). Oh, and the tea was pretty good too. I also really appreciated the service — the staff was so kind and definitely made our experience much better than it would have just based on the food.
Will I be back? Probably not. For 27 pounds per person, I’d like to get more than just good scones and service. (The place/​setting/​décor IS pretty cute though, I’ll admit.)

Cream. tea.
You’re not going to get a lovely, intimate tea room setting, but you WILL get the most delicious, buttery scones EVER that go perfectly with clotted cream and jam.
I honestly don’t remember what tea I ordered, but it doesn’t matter. Come for the scones, and be deliriously happy.

I came to Bea’s for afternoon tea having read reviews on blogs and Unilocal.I wish I hadn’t! It was disappointing.
I was given a really dirty plate, which grossed me out from the jump! I asked the girl behind the counter if I could have another, because mine was dirty. She grabbed it from me and shoved me another one, seeming annoyed! No apology. At least give a fake apology?! I should have walked out then… but I wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt.
The tea sandwiches were ho hum. All three were made with the exact same bread, which was lame. One of them basically just had cream cheese smeared onto it.
The desserts weren’t good. The mini fudge/​brownie was stale. The marshmallow is just a marshmallow. The chocolate and peanut butter cupcake was alright.
Charging 26 pounds for this afternoon tea is highway robbery.
P. S. If my arm was twisted, I would get a scone and tea. But hope to never go back. Sorry to say!

A perfect way to end our London trip on the way to the train station. The morning crowd had passed, which allowed for a relaxed experience in a quiet space. We ate way too much, but that’s ok, we were on vacation!
The PB&J slice was the best of the best. Unique, perfect balance of peanut butter richness and sweet fruit, and a unique crumbly texture. This was paired with a raspberry puffin and followed by the best scone and clotted cream I’ve ever had. In typical american fashion, each of us had a glass of ice cold milk as well.
All this and the staff was very pleasant. Couldn’t have asked for a nicer experience.

Another reviewer wrote that «there are some kinks» and I couldn’t agree more. I had booked 24 hours prior to our visit, and yet, all that got us was the cramped table by the doorway. Aw!
The regular afternoon tea includes 2 marshmallows, meringues, cupcakes, brownies, scones (with jam and clotted cream), and sets of sandwiches. Also each one of you is given a teapot, a small teapot, quite small…
I thought the sandwiches were delicious, and very buttery (I think we had parma ham, cold cuts, and chicken). My main gripe was the clotted cream. I like it very clotted, and this had the consistency of margarine. The cupcakes were alright, but then I’m not a cupcake die-​hard. Should I recommend one, I’d say go for the dark chocolate and raspberry one, the nutella one is forgettable. The raspberry marshmallow is delicious though! We couldn’t finish all our tea tray, and the waitress gave us the remainder in a paper bag. No boxes? Eh, the service is a bit chilly, British experience I guess?
Oh and the price for afternoon tea is per person, which I didn’t get somehow, so that’ll set you back 50 quid for two. A dramatic increase from the past year it seems.

This review is for the wedding cake service because it’s not quite typical of the normal Bea’s experience. But no less special, that’s for sure.
We’d decided pretty much as soon as we got engaged that we wanted to get our wedding cake from Bea’s. We’d had their cakes so many times before and never been disappointed and they definitely seemed like they knew what they were doing bakery-​wise. I believe that even more now.
We entered their Bloomsbury store, the only place they do consultations, and were shown to a small table set with six cupcakes on a cake stand, two pots of tea and plates with napkins on it. VERY cute.
After a couple minutes, the woman who deals with wedding cakes appeared and talked us through the options. She was really understanding and helpful considering we didn’t know what we wanted and gave us some advice about what’d work and what wouldn’t when we suggested things. She seemed to know everything we needed to know and couldn’t have been nicer and more accommodating.
When it got to the cake tasting, she changed a couple of the options she’d put out so we could try the flavours we’d already mentioned we’d like, which was really lovely of her and meant we got to try ¾ flavours we wanted. She even went to the kitchen and got us a little pot of filling to try too.
We had six cupcakes to taste and didn’t quite manage to get through them all but as that’s a reflection of the types of cake they do, let me tell you that they were ALL delicious.
We had lemon with lemon curd, chocolate and pistachio, strawberry vanilla, chocolate vanilla, nutella and a plain vanilla one and by the end, we were feeling pretty sick but happy.
I think it’s safe to say that with how accommodating they were to what we wanted and the fact that the price was a LOT lower than we were expecting, we’ll definitely be going with them for our wedding cake. I couldn’t be happier and feel more at ease with the decision. Thanks, Bea!

Simply the best place for tea. I know I am a guy but living in London with fiancé makes me need to get tea (if I can plan my own golf and ski trips and not get grief).
Anyway the cream tea is all anyone really needs. The full tea can be split between two or among three. Just depends what sweets you want.
Crumpets are perfect and I always enjoy earl gray.
The girls liked the sweets but they are overpowering.

Duf*fin
(duffin)
Noun:
1. A muffin combined with a doughnut.
2. A receptacle of deliciousness, filled with jam or nutella
3. A reason to get up in the morning
All the pastries at Bea’s are delicious, and they’re served with a friendly smile. Grab your coffee and pastry here or take it to go and sit in Russell Square. Just be warned — the further you get from the shop, the longer it will be until you can eat one of their treats again.

So whilst beas are known for their cakes and believe me they are good, for me it’s all about the coffee. The coffee is square mile and is always delicious. Usually stop by on the way to work, as there aren’t many tables and usually gets really busy later in the day.
If you stop by, be sure to check out the cheesecake, the peanut butter cheesecake is like something of dreams. At almost 5 pounds, it may seem a little pricey for a snack, but it’s worth every penny. Quite simple some of the best cheesecake I’ve tasted in the UK.
Worth a visit if you’re in the area, but be prepared to wait if you go around lunchtime.

Bea’s is a sweet little bake shop! (No pun intended.) The desserts are amazing, both in taste and appearance; I am eager to come back, just to try everything on the menu. Now I realize why this place is always busy!
The menu is definitely a bit pricey, comparable to a high-​end bake shop. Do keep in mind, however, that every item is homemade and richly flavored.

Yummy cakes and tea in a very relaxed, informal environment.
The only downside for me were the prices, a bit on the high end. You pay 9 pounds for two scones with clotted cream and jam, plus a cup of tea. For 16 pounds if you can add 4 more items, chosen from brownies, cupcakes etc
Everything is good but, if you ask me, not worth a trip from the other side of the city.
Still, thumbs up.