Tea Palace

Incredibly overpriced (but what did I expect?)! Really the teas are way too much, staff had little to no training about the tea, and several of the teas were labeled wrong.
For example; the Imperial Ceylon states that it is both a Dimbula (on the tea container) and a Uva region (on the tea list). While this isn’t a major mistake, clearly they need to update their list/​know what they are selling.

I love this place. It’s great for dinner and late night date nights! I think this is the restaurant I’ve visited the most since I moved here. And i love the coffee too! and the tea!

The perfect spot if you like tea. I haven’t seen wider selection of that many different types of leaves. I buy some for our home every now and then. The tea is great even as a gift to someone who is classy enough to accept it.

Stumbled on to this place while window shopping in Covent Garden and left with around 40GBP in small sample-​size tea tins. There were so many amazing choices in the shop, and I spent quite a bit of time sniffing jars in the downstairs display area.
Sample teas are also available in the downstairs portion of the shop. I tried the Smooth Caramel, which was absolutely delicious (and I had to buy some). Other hits were their Notting Hill blend and Palace Christmas blends. I’m looking forward to trying my Builders Brew tomorrow morning, as the coffee in the hotel is absolutely horrid.
Staffers were very nice and happy to answer questions. I’m especially pleased that they took the time to nicely label each of my tins and add a small tape tab to keep them closed so I don’t lose my newly acquired precious cargo enroute back to the hotel (and the USA).
Cheers!

Great choice of products but male member of staff was rude and abrupt and had far too much attitude! Made me feel a) stupid for asking a question and b) like he wanted me out of the shop. In this day and age with our economy the way it is, I find it amazing that shop staff can be rude to customers
Will order online in the future.

This is a very sweet tea shop with an amazing selection and friendly staff. It is also on of the very few places to stock flowering teas (my go-​to mother-​in-​law gift!).

Classy. Swanky. Posh.
This store put me off originally. I walked by and thought «That place spent so much money on fancy packaging, there is no way the tea is decent quality.»
As is it turns out, the tea is all loose leaf, stored in opaque caddies. You can smell/​have a look at all of them in store. The have a decent selection, with some organic options. I picked up some full leaf single estate black tea, and am enjoying a cup with my evening tea.
YAY LOOSE LEAF!!!

Fabulous space for exceptional tea!
It’s a shame that Tea Palace’s tea room in Notting Hill is a thing of the past, however it is a win for Covent Garden that the retail store has relocated to the fashionable Piazza.
Upstairs, staff fill caddies of loose leaf tea for each individual order, while downstairs provides a showcase of the Tea Palace range of tea, each tea with its own little bottle to allow you to sample the amazing aromas.

From my regular fix of builders tea, the colour of London brick, to a postprandial peppermint or jasmine green tea, I probably drink between six and ten cups of the stuff a day. And so, it was with some excitement that I scored an invite to a tea tasting run by Tea Palace.
There was a lot of interesting info about the provenance of the various teas as well as the processes involved in making black, green, oolong and white teas.
Something I hadn’t realised was that tea bag ‘dust’ was an waste product from the processing of tea. It basically seems like my builders’ tea is made from floor-​sweepings. Still, I do love a good cuppa, even if it isn’t tip-​top quality. I am an addict.
On to the good stuff. I got to shove my nose right into some of the finest teas around, ones I would not often come across. Darjeeling, yes I’ve had plenty. But first flush the equivalent (I think) of a grand cru classe from Bordeaux? That I’ve never tried.
The first batch were the black teas: the aforementioned first flushand a regular Darjeeling, an Assam and a Ceylon. I thought the Darjeelings had been slightly over brewed as they came out a wee bit bitter, but I could taste the fine smooth flavour nonetheless.
But what surprised me was that I preferred the Assam. It was strong and supple, with a slight nutty spiciness. And while the flavour was strong, there was no bitter edge. Grade A stuff.
Next up was a batch of Iron Goddess of Mercy oolong. While it sounded like a torture device involving spikes, screws and razor sharp edges, it tasted appropriately divine. Gently nutty, it had a strong flavour without the maltiness of black tea or the grassy taste of greens. And a lingering sweet aftertaste.
The greens came from China and Japan. Again, a surprise for me. I thought I would go for the Japanese tea, but it was a Chinese sencha that really grabbed me. It was a full body massage in a cup. I could feel tendrils of sweet grassyness wending their way through my body after my first sip. And the taste lingered delightfully.
Other greens included a delicate White Monkey (so called as the tea merchant who first sold it claimed his monkey picked it and then sold it at a premium did someone mention PG tips?), and a Japanese Bancha crisp and tasty.
The white teas were heavily flavoured with rose and jasmine and were the only disappointment. They were interesting, but the aromatics completely overwhelmed the tea. I found the same with a pineapple and aloe vera green tea and a vanilla– laced black. But then again, as a hardcore addict, I don’t want my tea adulterated. I want to mainline the pure stuff (even its dirty dust) when I can.
If this tasting was anything to go by, the teas at Tea Palace are very fine indeed. And importantly, there’s ones to suit every palate. Peppermint aside, I’m not an infusions person, but I know people who are and who would love the floral and fruity teas.
And, if like me, you love your Sencha and Assam, Oolong and Ceylon, you will be in tea-​addict nirvana. Well worth a visit.

I recently attended a Spring tea tasting hosted by the Tea Palace at the Intercontinental (same event as mentioned in other comprehensive views below).
Simply put, it was decadent and a pure afternoon escape. I adored everything about it, and the generous hosts from the Tea Palace made it a very memorable experience.
A cosy (and lucky) group of us was guided through a range of teas — from Darjeeling to white tea. It was absolutely beautiful and perfectly complemented by the delectable treats prepared by the team at the Cookbook Café.
Fantastic descriptions and details have been written up by other reviewers so I won’t bore you.
However, I have to say that my favourite was the white tea we sampled — it had a mellow and distinctive flavour, and apparently has many health benefits — sounds like the perfect combination… I’ll most definitely visit the Tea Palace store in Covent Garden very soon. It’s the ideal gift (one for me, one for you) and I am curious about the custom blends. And their packaging is absolutely stunning.
I just adore tea and still feel spoiled by the experience from that afternoon.

Oh, how I love a good cuppa.
Once, it is true, I was satisfied with a cup of Yorkshire Tea with milk and sugar but these days I have a slightly more discerning palate and never have milk. It often causes confusion but that’s OK, because it prevents against complacency.
Anyway, what am I wittering on about? Tea Palace served a gang of Qypers at the Intercontinental Hotel’s Cookbook Café with a selection of Teas from their range.
Call it a Masterclass, tea tasting, excuse to knock off work early, whatever you will but it was a great opportunity to find somewhere new to purchase the wonderful leaf.
Tara took us through the tasting, telling us tantilising titbits about the history and different processes that take place.
I won’t go into too much detail about all the individual teas we tried — Uyen has done a much better job below than I ever could (Tea fanatic that she is) — but we went through a series of Black, green and finally white teas to give us a comparison.
One thing Tea Palace does is allow you to create your own tea, by adding flavourings (all natural be it little pieces of dried pineapple or vanilla or rose buds) and we tried the Number One Park Lane Blend which was created for the Hotel. Now on first tasting I wasn’t convinced — generally I want my tea to taste of, well, tea but the vanilla and marigold flavourings have grown on me as I have made it my breakfast cuppa this week.
Similarly I was a little disappointed that the two white teas we tried were both flavoured varieties, I like the delicate taste that white tea has in its purest form and I would have liked to try a really good quality cup without the addition of rose flavouring.
Still, a wonderful afternoon and I’ll certainly be considering Tea Palace when I run out because they are clearly a company with a dedication and passion for the drink and go the extra distance to make sure their product is up there with the best.
Finally a mention must go to some of the tins of tea on show that we didn’t get to try. The Chamomile with whole chamomile flowers looked incredible, like a magical field or something, would love to see how it tastes. The Lapsang Souchong smelt amazing; a tea for real men, its smoky flavour was overpowering in a good way, I’d like it as an aftershave please. It’s the sort of tea I picture myself drinking as my house burns down around me.

I attended the Afternoon Tea event hosted by Tea Palace, and was fascinated by the teas on offer. I have always been a fussy tea drinker, and usually forgo the chance of a cuppa rather than drink a dissapointing one.
The teas on offer all smell and look gorgeous, and come beautifully packaged in purple tins. We tried a wide range of Black, Green, White and Oolong teas, and I can happily say I enjoyed them all! My favourites would have to be the Assam Superior and Organic Chinese Sencha green tea. The teas are all loose leaf (no teabags in sight thankfully) and some look and smell good enough to eat, inparticular the blend made especially for the Intercontinental Hotel, Number One Park Lane, which has yummy vanilla flavours coming through.
I thought I was a tea snob before, but this event has confirmed this, I can only look at a teabag in disgust now. All the teas uses natural products with no artificial flavours in sight. Tara, the founder, certaintly knew her tea, and seemed thoroughly passionate and knowledgeable about everything tea related.
I will hopefully be buying a unique gift of the Tea Palace, a custom blend tea, which I think is a fab present, especially as you create the blend you want as well as the name, and can be recreated again and again. To’tea’lly fantastic!

I attended a tea tasting event organised by kristianak at the InterContinental. I am no tea aficionado and had very little to expect. Tea is very serious business and these people know their teas very well. They supply the InterContinental exclusively and that’s a pretty big deal.
Tara, the founder, gave us the low down on the each of the teas. After tasting about a dozen different varieties, I was soon speaking in Dajeelings, Lapsangs and Oolongs. Yes, a pleb like me! There were plenty blends to go around to suit every taste. I loved the presentation as well, with those posh strainers with cups attached. I love the InterConty! I think they had pu-​erh tea leaves (somebody correct me if I’m wrong) which were passed around (not for tasting) which I will go in to buy and try. I’d describe it a man-​tea, strong, pungent smell but it doesn’t taste as bad and it is good for you. Yes, guys! Even if you’re a hard nut dude, there’s a tea for you.
They also have great packaging, perfect for gifts. I already have friends lining up begging me to send them tea gifts (
). Thanks to these guys, tea for me will no longer be a functional beverage consumed for the sake of it. It’s a pretty cool brew. I’m done with tea bags and now have a tea pot to faff around with to take care of it and will enjoy it the proper way. Add with them as my supplier, I can’t go wrong.

I recently attended a tea tasting event hosted by Tea Palace and was treated to a wide range of top-​notch teas, my favourite being the white peony with pink rosebuds — lush!
I’m really glad I found out about this place. I used to live in a city with a superb tea shop and, up to now, was unable to find a place in London with a comparable range of quality teas (yes, this includes Harrods tea section).
And if you are looking for a special gift for a tea-​loving friend, Tea Palace will mix custom tea blends, what a great idea.
I certainly will be paying the shop a visit soon (the tasting took place at the Intercontinental Park Lane Hotel, to which Tea Palace are exclusive tea suppliers). I’m so happy to have found a shop that caters for the discerning tea drinker!

Good news tea afficionados! It’s not gone for good — just moved! Now you can find this gem of a tea shop in the covered Covent Garden Market.
This modern specialist tea trader offers the absolute finest loose leaf teas including; black, green teas from China and Japan, oolong teas from Taiwan and China and white tea as well as herbals and fruit blends.
In addition to tea they also stock a range of gift ideas like candles and packs, but my favourite idea is that you can create a blend of your own choice and have it named for someone. Great idea for a wedding gift or for a special occasion. Having tried at least 12 varieties I think my favourites were the white tea of Jasmine Silver Needle (super light and flowery but not overpowering) and the vanilla-​y One Park Lane — a special blend made solely for the InterContinental Park Lane.
So swish!
So have a look next time you’re there or online for gifts, I guarantee you won’t be able to resist sniffing and fondling the 130+ varieties!!!

I really enjoyed tea palace on Westborne Grove. My sister and I went for the full champagne afternoon tea. The scones were simply divine. My only small gripe is that the tea is not included in the overall price. See my full review at:

As a tea lover and teaholic, this place is just for me!
They have so many different variety of teas and I really wanted to try all.
Good aroma and pretty neat package, it is hard to resist!

tea??? scone?
???scone???

If you are a tea connoisseur this has more varieties than I ever dreamed existed. They have a shop section at the front of the store where you are able to browse and taste different teas at leisure. Behind the shop is the dining room laid with starched white table clothes giving it a very no-​nonsense demeanour. The afternoon tea menu here is fantastic and you feel like you are being transported back to a bygone era where people sat and enjoyed tea on a daily basis. You are bought a cake stand with tiny slivers of sumptuous cakes and tarts, little fingers of sandwiches and (if you so desire) creams and scones. Somewhere to take your mum or a friend who needs spoiling and if you are not a tea fan you can always have a glass of bubbly to accompany your cakes.

A delightful place for any tea lover.
Great selection for sale or a lovely place just to sit and have a cuppa and a cake. A wonderful contrast to the big corporate chains that now seem too dominate.