Hidden Tea Rooms

The Duke of Wellington, Hoxton, London, N1 7RD

Like stepping back twenty years and being thrown into the sewer that is Eastenders mixed with the cultural prowess of Ryan Air. We ordered a beer of some description to drink which my mind blocked out while we waited ten minutes to ensure we weren’t the first people to turn up at our next secret destination. Maybe I just wanted to get Hidden Tea Rooms but I just didn't like this place

Hidden Tea Room, (Secret Location), London, N1

After giving the password over the intercom we were met and lead through an absolute maze of corridors going up and down stairways we made it into the Hidden Tea Room’s, this felt like a long time coming since I met Lady Gray at The Shed and having spent the proceeding months trying to get a couple seats here. We were the last set of guests to arrive so sat in the two available seats at the large table seating a total of twelve enthusiastic visitors and were handed a glass of reasonably pleasant champagne which paled into insignificance compared to the delightful thick american cheese biscuits that accompanied them, I would have gladly eaten a whole bowlful.

We were then handed a menu which contained about thirty different varieties of teas, these varied from classic blends to much more exotic eastern blends and modern twists, I really wanted to try a high quality classic blend so went for ‘Earl Grey’ while my friend went for the much more adventurous ‘Rum’ – The rum flavour surprised me as you could taste the distinctive flavour to remind you of rum but without the burn of the alcohol it was strange, the Earl Grey was good but I slightly regretted my choice as it wasn’t that much better than normal supermarket bought stuff. The teas were served in individual plunge type pots with loose tea and did look really good and appealing.

A selection of freshly prepared finger sandwiches: Wiltshire Ham with Jarlsberg Cheese, Smoked Salmon, Fresh Chives and Cream Cheese and Marinated Cucumber and Cream Cheese We then had sandwiches which weren’t nearly as adventurous as I’d presumed or hoped and were very small but later I would be so glad that they were. They were good but lacked any type of wow factor. A palate cleanser then followed of mango and pineapple sorbet which did the exact what it said on the tin.

Warm Scones served with Clotted Cream and Strawberry Preserve

Scones served straight out of the oven are always such a delight and these were exceptionally good - light and with the correct amount crumble. The clotted cream and strawberry preserve were an ideal compliment to the warm scones and I would have gladly taken home a whole box full of them.

A Variety of home made pastries, cake and biscuits

Cake towers were then brought in with three different cakes to each of us of try, these included the classic lemon drizzle, very short shortbread biscuits and a brownie with a hint of peanut. They were all very well made with the lemon cake being the best executed. By this time eating anymore cakes seemed like a bad idea but by far the highlight was the sublime fairy cakes where the sponge was possibly the lightest I’ve ever eaten and the sugar cream just the right level of sweetness.

More individual pots of tea were served, this time we were all given Jasmine tea and told to leave for only a couple of minutes before plunging down, the jasmine flavour was more subtle that I’d imagined and I found it quite refreshing which I wouldn’t normally do with floral flavours but one cup was more than enough after the gallons it felt like we’d consumed already. Extremely rich chocolate truffles were brought to finish us off... literally.

I do want to make the point that I lack any hint of a sweet tooth and I did really enjoy tonight but the next day when we went to Broadway Market and saw the cake stand both our stomachs turned at the thought of any more cakes, you can definitely overdose on cakes and we felt like we had after leaving the Hidden Tea Room’s. Really worth going here but I think I had such unrealistic hopes that it could never have lived up to it.

Dalston Jazz Bar, Dalston, London, N16 8JN

Having popped into a friend’s party in North London we decided to head further to mine and go here as my friend had been the other week and enjoyed it, quite a strange and haphazard place with the bar itself just being a couple of stainless steel catering units and the bar staff all dressed like sailors, I liked it straight away. We ordered mojito’s which came in not very classy plastic pint glasses, generous on the cachaca these weren’t nearly the best mojito’s I’ve ever had but the hit the spot. After a couple more mojito’s and a few Jagermeisters to go with them it had transformed from a quietish place into a rammed jumping bar, the atmosphere was fantastic and the busyness of it didn’t bother us at all, in fact I seem to a foggy memory of us pogo-ing in the middle of the dance floor at one point. Great little bar and such a good way to end such a first-rate evening.

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