London: Tea Time in Wonderland

I know and like my classics – Earl Grey, Souchong, maccha, a roasted tea. I particularly love nokcha these days. I curl up comfortably in an armchair, As if it were an old friend, a silent but intense converation then begins.

During the day, I want something festive, sparkling, surprising, extra-ordinary. I want to be amazed. I make stocks @ Mariages Freres and Theodor in Paris – there wasn’t much fun to be found in London teas.

A stroll to the Greenwich market has now saved me. I was immediately drawn to Inago’s stall – emerald notes, fun logo. Inago actually is a Japanese dish of grilled sweet grasshoppers. I first learnt about them in Africa – the crops were being destroyed by the insects, the local population starving. Grilling them was a survival option, really, but they found out it actually is quite tasty.

The philosophy’s quite simple: savouring excellent teas while taking time for yourself. Work with smaller tea gardens, respect traditions and real flavours. A reassuring vision but getting classical these days: I needed proof. Good for the soul has not always proved good for my tastebuds.

But Michael Grant has a real passion. You just have to see his smile when discusssing teas. Have a look at his website – he designed it entirely. Listen to him explain tea varieties, flavours, techniques, prepare your drink – he doesn’t even have to look, he knows each gesture so very well. And what an alchemist! I’m like a kid at Xmas: mint and jasmine? Mint and cardamom? Plum and apple? Apricot and honey?

Even better, you’ll find yummy declensions of green tea: scones, iced cocktails, milkshakes, even jelly! Do try the mean shake with sencha and a mint note, so very refreshing… The tea buzz even has gingerale in it! I tried this week-end a wonderful warm apple juice with plum. Just perfect for this autumn-ish weather.

Another little treasure – his honeydew tea – sweetened with the fruit nectar. Velvety. Such a lovely perfume to it that I wished I could spray it on me. Such a different taste!

Special award too for the biocup with a filter so you can enjoy a cup made with loose tea!

My only request: they need a teashop, quiiiiiiick!

This guy is to be followed. He’ll go far.

Inago

Every week-end @ the Greenwich Market
Stockwell St, London, SE10
Mean Shake £2.50

Cup of tea £1.50-£2

On Time Out‘s good advice, I rush to Freggo, one of the most famous Argentinian ice creamchains (but if you ever visit the country, do get tips from Elisa!)

Have they chosen the street on purpose: Swallow street?

Such a tiny parloir, a few stools, and hadful of tables outside. Purple deco – very Thierry Mugler. You feel more in a VIP club or in a glamour boudoir than in an ice-scream place. Definitely great with girlfriends!

I really wanted to try the dulce – a friend had strongly recommended the one with chocolate chips. Too bad, there’s none left. I am told this happens often, it’s a favourite. Why not get more stock then? Ah, but the desert is not made here. It is imported all the way from Argentina… I guess that does explain the price: £3.95 for two scoop. Maybe they should rename the street Hard to swallow!

Feeling adventurous, I’ll try the malbec and berries (Malbec is an Argentinian wine) with a portion of passionfruit.
A little sugary but so tastier than a sorbet, very refreshing. The cooked wine flavour is pretty surprising too. Tastebuds go mad at first not really understanding then explode with joy. I am even more amazed at how well it goes with the tangy passionfruit. I find here a real childhood memory – exactely the same taste, pips included as biting into the fruit…

Verdict: damn expensive but delicious. I do have to come back for the dulce as well as their milkshakes.  I will keep it for small celebrations though or even to surprise friends.

Note aux parents: given the price… not the best ice-cream for kids! But if you don’t mind paying: my 3 year old daughter cleverly stole half of my Malbec and cream portion. The waitress was ever so kind and gave her a free sample too. The street is a pedestrian one so sit outside and let the kids play safely.

Freggo
27-29 Swallow Street
London W1B 4QR
Tube: Piccadilly Circus

£3.95 for two scoops

Open till 02.00 Fridays and Saturdays

Choose a greyish, chilly day, wrap yourself tightly in your cardigan.

Run few errands on Oxford St and take shelter @ the Nordic Bakery – strongly scandinavian in deco, clear lines on which a dash of colour explodes wonderfully…

Order a coffee and a cinnamon bun. forget everything doe a minute or two, just smiling at the lovely dsign of the cinammon on the layers of dough… The inside is still warm and melting, the outside caramelised, almost crunchy. Your fingers will end up pretty sticky, but who cares when it’s so good?

Not ideal if the weather is hot (switch the coffee for a Pomegranate and apple juice) but other cakes are available on the counter, including a delicious orange and poppy seed one.

Unless you’d rather have something salty? How about an open rye bread sandwich?

Nordic Bakery also proposes a few deli products such as fruitjuice, biscuits, cordials…

Psssst! If the weather’s nice, why not order to go and sit in the Golden Square just in front?

Nordic Bakery
14A Golden square
London
W1F 9JG
Tube: Picadilly circus
£2/cinnamon roll

Quelle chance d’avoir des amies aussi gourmandes que moi!

Grace a Chloe, je pars a la chasse au cream puff sur Oxford street: une sorte de chou a la creme par une chaine japonaise . A quoi s’attendre? La creme sera t-elle a l’anglaise, ecoeurante et peu sucree?

La devanture toute simple prete a confusion – ce pecheur laisse plutot imaginer un fish’n'chips shop. L’interieur ne paie pas de mine non plus.

J’imagine les friandises de la taille d’une profiterole – un lot de 5 semble donc ideal. Elles sont au contraire enormes! La serveuse les emplit de creme vanillee devant vous, saupoudre de sucre glace, glisse un cube de glace enveloppe dans la boite pour plus de fraicheur s’ils sont a emporter. Selon les jours de la semaine (voyez le calendrier sur le site), vous pourrez egalement choisir un autre parfum: fraise, chocolat ou the vert.

Bien sur, la curiosite me perdra. Je ne passerai pas la porte avant d’en avoir goute un. J’ouvre la boite – chaque chou est enveloppe individuellement. Je croque. La creme est legere, assez aerienne. La pate est croquante. Je me leche les babines. Ca n’a certes pas la finesse d’une patisserie francaise mais ma foi, ca s’avale bien vite. Tout de meme, impossible d’en avaler plus de deux: ca cale! On me deculpabilise sur place: chaque cream puff contient 10 calories de moins qu’une barre de mars.

Verdict? Je n’en ferais pas un dessert mais une pause cafe. C’est un plaisir qui exige le partage, la convivialite. Vous savez, le lundi ou le vendredi matin, au bureau, lorsque la motivation manque? C’est un Beard Papa cream puff qu’il vous faut avec un espresso, accompagne de quelques bavardages avec collegues… Ou entre copines, avec une seance shopping sur Oxford Street, a emmener dans un plus joli cadre – les squares ne manquent pas alentours…

Beard Papa’s cream Puffs
143 Oxford Street
Marylebone
London
W1D 2JB
£6 pour une boite de 5 / £6 for a box of 5

How lucky to have friends as sweet-toothed as I am!

Thanks to Chloe, I wil be hunting Japanese cream puffs on Oxford street. What to expect? Will the filling be very British – all cream and little sugar, slightly sickening? Or sweet and melting?

The shop is easily passed unnoticed – the fisherman logo confuses it with a fish’n'chips shop. The inside also looks pretty basic.

I expected the puffs to be profiterole size – surely a box of 5 will go down quite fast. But those are huge! The waitress fills them with vanilla cream in front of me, adds a litle sugar icing on top and a wrapped ice cube in the box to keep them fresher. Each day of the week brings an additional flavour: strawberry, chocolate or green tea.

I’m too curious and will not leave the shop without tasting one. Each treat is individually wrapped. The cream is light and tasty but not too overwhelming with vanilla. The shell is nice and crunchy. This is not as refined as a French pastry but is much better than any French eclair on this side of the channel. I reach for another one gladly. It is very filling though, you cannot manage more than two in a row. No guilt: each puff counts 10 calories less than a mars bar.

Verdict? I would not make a desert of it but it’s just perfect for a coffee break. You know, on Mondays and Fridays when motivation just escapes you? A Beard Papa cream puff , an espresso shot and a little chat is just what you need. Sounds good with girlfriends too after a shopping spree on Oxford St, grab a coffee, head for one of the many squares around…

Ma quete du cupcake parfait continue.

Sur un conseil de Fabienne, je me precipite donc chez Ella’s bakery,  Ze new place to be a Covent Garden.

Voila une adorable boutique, tres retro, tres girly. Les gateaux y sont presentes comme de petits bijoux; glacage en fleur, paillettes, decoration poses comme des diademes, juste la touche qu’il faut pour faire craquer les filles… Certains prennent d’ailleurs l’appellation Haute Couture. L’adresse a du succes, il vous faudra souvent faire la queue a l’exterieur. C’est tant mieux, tant le choix est difficile. On ne craque d’ailleurs pas tant pour le parfum que pour la decoration… J’ai d’ailleurs ecoute des clientes les choisir en fonction de leur tenue!

Une belle gamme de saveurs – les tres classiques vanille et chocolat, mais aussi un red velvet et quelques innovations gingembre, beurre de cacahuete, citron et framboise…

Un bon point pour les deux versions taille normale et mini, plus pratique pour tester les differents parfums et moins culpabilisant! ideal egalement pour les enfants ma fille de 3 ans est deja accroc. Ella’s est un arret obligatoire apres le Disney Store et the Bear’s factory…

Au gout, le gateau me semble equivalent en qualite a the Hummingbird Bakery, leger, moelleux (le secret est indique sur le site: un leger nappage de sirop a la vanille). Le glacage par contre est du haut de gamme. Ce derniere se revele vraiment fondant – tres nettement a base de cream cheese, mon prefere. Surtout, il accompagne le theme de la patisserie. Un glacage au gingembre confit, quelle merveille! Je meurs d’envie, a ma prochaine visite de tester celui au cafe.

Recompense au citron-framboise – la pate recele quantite de framboises fraiches et equilibre vraiment la couverture de sucre. Le cupcake parfait pour l’ete. Mon prefere, croyez-en ma longue experience…

Quelques tabourets sont disposes a l’interieur, quelques tables a l’exterieur. Le week-end, Covent Garden est bonde, prenez-donc a emporter et refugiez-vous donc dans le jardin de L’Actors’ church.

Longue vie a Lorraine Pascale, la creatrice, qui distribue deja chez Selfridge’s. Suivez-la sur Twitter! Elle saura vous faire saliver.

La boutique, victime de son succes, ferme de temps a autres plus tot que prevu, apres rupture de stock! Les clients en goutene un par curiosite puis viennent en rechercher une boite a ramener. Mieux vaudra prevoir votre visite le matin ou en debut d’apres-midi.

M’est avis que Primrose Bakery, a quelques rues de la et donc plus difficilement visible aux touristes, a du mourron a se faire.

Ella’s Bakehouse
20a The Piazza (next to Whistles)
The Market
WC2E 8RB
Metro/tube: Covent Garden
TWITTER: lorrainepascale
Paiement en liquide seulement pour l’instant / Cash only for the moment
Mini-cupcake £1, cupcake £2

My quest for the perfect cupcake goes on.

On Fabienne‘s advice I rush to Ella’s Bakery, THE new place to be @ Covent Garden.

Adorable shop, very retro, very girly. The cakes look like jewels: icing in a flower shape, glitters, decorations as precious as a brooch or crown, the perfect touch girls cannot resist… Some even are named Haute Couture. The address is pretty successful and you will often have to queue outside. For the best as choosing one will be pretty tough. I even overheard customers matching them to their outfit!

Nice range of flavours – classical vanilla and chocolate, my beloved red velvet but also innovations: peanut butter, ginger, lemon and raspberry…

Bonus points for the two sizes: normal and mini. So practical to taste a variety and so much less guilt! Ideal for kids too. My 3 year old daughter is already hooked. Her favourite vocabulary there is “Another one please!” (preferably with a pink flower). Ella’s already our headquarters just after a stop at Disney Store and Bear’s factory.

As for the taste? The cake seems equivalent in quality as the Hummingbird bakery’s. Light, moist ( the secret is indicated on the website: a light vanilla syrup brushed on the cake). The icing makes all the difference to me. Very melting – clearly cream cheese based, my favourite. It follows the theme of the treat. A ginger icing really is a feast! I can’t wait to try the coffee one next time. I’m going to munch my way to their selection…

Special award for the lemon-raspberry – the cake hides so many fresh raspberries and balances the sugary icing. My favourite cupcake for the summer. My favourite cupcake ever.

A few stools inside, a few tables outside. Covent Garden is crowded at the week-ends: why not escape to the Actors’ church garden to enjoy them?

Long lives Lorraine Pascale, the cupcake artist, who is already providing Selfridge’s with her treats. Follow her on Twitter! She’ll make your mouth water.

The shop is victim of its success and sometimes has to close a little earlier than planned, out of stock! Many customers try one out of curiosity, only to come back and order a box of them to take back home. Better to plan your visit in the morning or early afternoon.

Primrose Bakery, a few streets away and therefore out of sight, should be worried.

Le Barbican est en plein theme Radical Nature, destine a recreer un lien entre la nature et l’homme a travers l’art ou ici… l’architecture.

C’etait la ma premiere visite dans les labirynthes de beton de Barbican. Il faudrait presqu’avoir un GPS pour aller du parking a la reception de l’immeuble! Tant d’espace, de couloirs, un peu de confusion.

Le rez-de-chaussee s’ouvre sur une place entouree d’immeubles et transcendee par un une immense etendue d’eau, presqu’un lac, des fontaines et meme quelques canards… On l’imagine volontiers sous le soleil, avec un bon livre.

C’est la, sur le bord de l’eau,qu’est pose cet etrange pavillion. Deux domes de bois qui semblent tout droit sortis de l’esprit de Miyazaki. Une douceur dans la rondeur, une expression meme, dans ces fenetres en triangle, chaque detail a ete pense geometriquement, notemment avec ces innombrables tuiles en triangles.

L’oeuvre s’inspire de Fuller, passionne par la question de la survie de l’humanite, mais aussi l’inventeur du dome geodesique. Vocabulaire barbare? Pensez a ces spheres aux facettes en hexagone…

Entrez donc profiter d’un instant de calme. La lumiere y est tres douce, l’atmosphere zen… Servez-vous un the a l’hibiscus de l’enorme theiere en fer. Admirez le tableau exterieur, un triangle de verdure, une fontaine explosant en myriade de gouttes. On se prend a chuchoter pour ne pas rompre le charme… On en ferait bien son quartier general!

Note aux parents: la rampe interieure a ete pensee pour les poussettes. Les enfants adorent cette adorable maison et reclament la meme dans le jardin… Passez-donc nourrir les canards just’apres.

Pssst: le Riverside Cafe, just’a cote propose une tres belle gamme de gateaux, aussi beaux que bons. Miam!

Pssst (2): dans le meme theme, Radical Nature, vous trouverez une exposition payante au deuxieme etage mais qui vaut le detour.

Pssst (3): Montez aussi a l’etage du cinema et longer la baie sur la droite pour une tres belle vue sur l’immense serre!

Barbican Center, waterside
Silk Street
London
EC2Y 8DS
I am so sorry. Goodbye.
Jusqu’a / until 18 October 2009
Gratuit! Free!

The Barbican has launched a Radical Nature theme, meant to recreate the broken link between men and nature through art… or here, architecture.

This was my first visit to Barbican and its the giant concrete maze. You almost need a GPS to go from the parking to reception! So much space, so many corridors, a little confusion.

The ground flooor opens on a huge open space surrounded by tall building. You’ll find a huge waterpiece, almost a lake, fountains and even a few ducks. Must be really nice on a sunny day with a good book.

There, just on the waterside, is the sweetest wooden pavilion. You’d think Miyazaki drew that one. Very soft in its roundness, almost expressive with its triangular windows, each detail thought geometrically, like the thousands triangle tiles.

The shape was inspired from Fuller’s work who was very concerned with humanity’s survival but also invented the geodesic dome (a sphere made of geometrical shapes).

Step in for a little quietness. Soft light, zen atmosphere… Help yourself to some hibiscus tea from the huge inox teapot in the corner. Enjoy the view, triangular patches of green or framing a fountain… You soon will be whispering instinctively. wish this were my HQ!

Note to parents: rather than stairs, a soft slope has been thought for buggues. Children just love this house and will be asking for the same in the garden. It certainly is inspiring! Why not bring some bread and feed the ducks?

Pssst: the Riverside cafe nearby proposed a fantastic range of yummy cakes…

Pssst (2): Love the theme? There is a quite interesting exhibition on the second floor, worth the entry fee.

Pssst (3): Take the lift up to the cinema level and walk alongside the right windows, beautiful view on the huge glasshouse.

Les vitrines de Candycakes sont toujours epatantes.  Colorees, funky, une vraie fete d’anniversaire. Les fans d’Haribo ne peuvent passer devant sans saliver… Elle se reperent d’ailleurs de loin!

La trademark? Un muffin geant, avec glacage psychedelique et decoration en bonbon tout aussi fantastique. Le choix est large: citron-pavot, myrtille, pomme-raisins, baies-yaourt… Des parts de gateaux, enormes, couvertes de sucreries sont egalement disponibles. Willy Wonka serait fou de joie.

Le verdict? La pate est farineuse, peu gouteuse. Le glacage est extraordinairement chimique. Des 5 testeuses, 3 adultes et 2 enfants, aucun ne finira sa part.

Un festin… pour les yeux. Une belle occasion de delire, de photo.  Je recommanderais plutot, a quelques pas de la,  un cookie au double chocolat encore fondant de Ben’s ou un adorable cupcake chez Primrose Bakery. La, vous vous regalerez vraiment…

Candy Cakes
Unit 30Covent
Garden Piazza
London
WC2E 8RA
D’autres adresses sur Londres sur le site web
More addresses throughout London on the website
£2.90 – £3.50 / candycake

Candycakes windows always made me dream and dribble.  Such a party! Always colourful and funky: you cannot help but stop. You see them from meters away.

The trademark? A kind of big muffin, bright coloured icing, a Haribo sweet on top. And a wide choice of flavours: lemon-poppy, blueberry, apple-raisins, berries-yogurt… Huge slices of cakes, covered in sweets are also available. Willy Woonka would be mad with joy…

The verdict? Too floury for the cake, too chemical for the icing. Out of 5 testers, 3 adults and 2 kids, none will finish their treat.

A feast… for the eyes. An occasion for fun, for a cool picture with friends.

As for tastes, I would really recommend instead…. a (still warm and melting) double chocolate cookie from Ben’s or a cute cupcake from Primrose Bakery. Both are nearby and much more enjoyable.

J’avais deja petit-dejeune au Brompton Cafe. La qualite des produits – des viennoiseries a la francaise – etait parfaite. Le service avait ete lent, l’accueil un peu hautain.

Tout de meme, c’etait bon.

Je passe en voiture, apercoit sur la vitrine “la vie en rose”, regarde sur internet: il s’agit d’un afternoon tea, a base de fleurs, cree pour le Chelsea. A £14.95, une aubaine pour Londres!

Je decide de redonner une chance a cette adresse – apres tout, cette experience mitigee venait peut-etre juste de la serveuse.

Hop, nous nous lancons. Un serveur nour propose un choix de table, nous optons pour celle pres de la fenetre. Mal nous en prend: nous allons cuire….

Une serveuse nous amene le menu. Pas de trace de La vie en rose. Nous la rappelons, elle nous amene une carte separee. Une the au choix, les sandwichs classiques et un aux fleurs, une madeleine lavande et miel, une viennoiserie aux fleurs, un scone aux epinard et un classqieu qui sera servi avec de la gelee de rose… Ma foi, tout cela a l’air delicieux, la serveuse garantit que tout est compris, nous en commandons deux ainsi que de l’eau plate.

L’attente commence. Les deux tables a nos cotes, dont les clients sont arrives apres nous, recoivent leur boisson. Je fais signe a la serveuse qui me mime “1 minute”. Puis revient avec nos thes. Ah. Et notre eau? Elle va l’amener. Un serveur arrive avec deux verres d’eau bien fraiche…. pour la table a cote. J’interpelle. L’eau atterrit enfin devant nous.

Autour de nous, les verres se vident. La table a cote commande a manger.

Je rappelle le serveur: il va voir. C’est l’affaire de qq minutes, assure t-il, ils sont en train de couper les sandwichs.

Le serveur amene un hamburger a la table a cote. Un hamburger est plus vite pret ici qu’un sandwich?!

Plus tard, j’appelle le manager. Qui finit par amener le serviteur muet et les patisseries. Il etait temps: nous sommes cuites et je menace d’attaquer les plats des voisins.  Je me demandais meme si tomber dans les pommes ne serait pas une option plus rapide pour avoir a manger,

Mais…? Ou est le scone aux epinards? La gelee a la rose? La patisserie aux fleurs?

Rappel du manager. Le scone? On ne le fait plus. On ne vous l’a pas dit? Allers et venues du boss qui tente d’echanger les desserts mais hors cadre fleurs. Il expliquera que cet afternoon tea ne se fait plus. Pourqui alors ne pas l’annoncer directement au client plutot que d’essayer de le bluffer? De le prendre pour un pigeon en lui refilant des produits qu’il n’a pas demande? Je fulmine.

Si le manager a tout de meme fait l’effort de nous proposer d’autres desserts au choix et de nous offrir une reduction… je reste sur une impression desastreuse. Entre l’attente demesuree, le desinteret des serveurs qui n’etaient pas debordes, l’arnaque du client et la qualite moyenne de la nourriture ce jour la (et Dieu sait que j’avais la dalle!), je conclue: FUYEZ!!

Brompton Cafe
225 brompton Rd
SW3 2EJ
www.bromptonquartercafe.com

I once had breakfast at the Brompton cafe. The quality of the pastries was just perfect – so very French. They also sold wonderful, mouthwatering breads. Service had been slow, barely polite.

But well, the food was good. Maybe the waitress had had a bad day.

Driving past, I notice an advertisement for “la vie en rose”. A look on the web tells me they’re offering a flower afternoon tea for the Chelsea Show. £14.95, what a deal for London!

I decide to give the cafe another try.

We chose a nice sunny day. A waiter offers a choice of tables – we’ll take the one close to the window. A big mistake: we’ll be steaming hot in no time.

A waitress brings a menu. Nowhere can we see the flower offer, we ask. She comes back with a different card. A tea from the list, classic and flower sandwiches, a honey and lavender madeleine, a spinach scone and a classic one with rose jelly, a signature flower pastry. Sounds yummy! And everything is included in the price. Wow! We’ll have two, please and two glasses of tap water.

And then… the wait begins. Two couples arrive, sit at tables next to us, get their drinks. I wave to the waitress who mimes a “one minute!”. And comes back with our teas. No sign of the water. She’ll bring it later. Yes, I can see it coming… But no, those glasses are for the next table. I wave again. Relief sigh, we finally get the water.

The table nearby orders food. I grab the waiter: he’ll check. Only a few minutes wait, he says, they’re cutting the sandwiches.

He comes back. With the next table’s dishes. A hamburger is quicker to fix here than a sandwich?!!

I call the manager. I’m fed up. He reappears with the classic tower filled with food. Yeaaaaah!

But…? Where is the spinach scone? The rose jelly? The flower pastry?

The manager is surprised. The spinach scone? Oh, they don’t do that one anymore – has nobody told us? He brings back different cakes. But not flower themed. In fact, they don’t do the flower theme anymore. Of course, why not lie to the customer and try to bluff him, let’s just replace everything, they won’t notice! hey, why would you care, right?

The manager did put the price down and replaced pastries. But we had come for a specific thing and we’ve been cheated. If you add the interminable wait, the waiters’ clear disinterest although they weren’t particularly busy, the bluff and the average quality of the food that day (and God knows I was starving), take my advice. Hungry? In a hurry? Feeling like a treat? STEP AWAY!

Another excellent address if you’re visiting the  Columbia Flower Market.

You must know me by now. Mention cupcakes and I’m rushing there.

What is it with those little cakes that seduce people? When you think about it, the recipe is quite basic. is it the icing? The colours? The decoration? They immediately make you think of a summer fete, children laughing, bunting, birthday candles… You can picture them coming out of the oven… children’s hands decorating them with sweets ou the baker transforming them into works of art…

Yes, they have the  flavour of childhood. They’re fun and so comforting in a evre busy and grey modernn world. They force you to stop and enjoy the moment.  They’re eaten in a few mouthfuls, the soft icing first, then the cake… My daughter like to turn them round, eat the sugar last. I prefere to dip them into a latte, the icing melting even further… and take them around the town for a sudden picnic!

Treacle has an irrisitible recipe: its home sweet home side. Wooden floor, wooden furniture, yesteryear feeling, drawers filled with minicupcakes… the impression of stepping into a fairy tale grandmother’s kitchen. Everything seems left naturally, but must have been very well thought. Simplicity is the most complex to achieve.  Soft hues, vintage products and always this feeling of a countryside house in the 5oies… As underline the BBC live magazine,  it holds an enyd Blyton touch.

The shop’s only open on Sundays for the flower market and is quickly crowded. Start with them, or the cakes will be soon gone! A simple but delicious range: jewel minicupcakes (vanilla, chocolate or lemon zest – same for the icing), a few layers cakes 9count £28-35 – 12 portions. Cales and cupcakes can be decorated as you wish on demand) including…

- chocolate with a vanilla heart, with chocolate on top!

- lemon layers with lemon cream and icing. And fresh raspberries on top…

- two layers of vanilla cake, strawberry jam, vanilla icing and strawberries on top…

(I could eat one right now…)

… and tea, of course: only one, Builder’s tea. Strong, not too sweet, perfect after such a sugary taste. Beware if you ever as for a coffee!

By the way, have you noticed? Cafes are always a bit serious. The colours, the newspapers on the side, the cups. A tearoom is always more fun – bubbly, summer shades, happy… Maybe linked to the sterotype coffee for business – tea with girlfriends?

The staff is great – they always have a nice word, a smile. Oh, and have a look at the posters… such as this version of the now famous Keep Calm and Carry on… My new motto: eat cake and carry on!

Treacle really is my cup of tea.. . Such a pity you can’t sit and have a bit of gossip over a slice (or two, or three) of cake!

Note to parents: the shop is often crowded. Leave the kids to play at the square down the road with their dad and bring back a box of cupcakes. Success guaranteed!

Treacle
110-112 Columbia Rd
London, E2 7RG

Only on Sundays!

Columbia Road is such a quiet street most of the week… On Sundays, she puts her dancing shoes, and oh, baby, the place rocks! Such a festival of colours and perfumes in the air!

Your’e bound to find happiness – from fresh cut flowers, plants in pot, banana trees, bulbes… A real market like in France: singing, vibrant, with the sellers calling you on the way for a good bargain…

Columbia Flower Market, it’s also such an atmosphere! The street becomes an urban jungle. Passers-by carry boxes and bags of plants – actually, anything goes to carry them..

And behind all the green, 60 shops or so, wooden type, very Victorian looking…

Delis, cafes as Vintage Heaven which also sells a selection of exquisite vintage cups… or Treacle with their exquisite minicupcakes and their sense of humour!

A lot of design shopping to be done too  and very varied: garden themed of course, but look out for extraordinary soaps – I found a carrot one, magical wall stickers, great mailboxes…

Oh, and don’t forget art galleries such as…

…Nelly Duff where you will find prints of Street Art Masters, including Eine and Mr Wim!

…Elphick’s where Sharon sells her creations (she uses it as her workshop the rest of the week) and alos sells art from great artists qui vend ses creations (la boutique lui sert d’atelier en semaine) et distribue d’autres artistes, entr’autres les oeuvres d’Helen Musselwhite…

…Columbia Road Gallery, more classical but you really feel like stepping in the painting and go there for a walk…

Here, no chain or Starbucks, originality wins!

It’s so… coulourful and lively. Difficult to picture the place when it was a covered market: 400 stalls, with a flat above in a gothic building. The railway project around never happened and the building finally was destroyed. Sellers prefered being outside anyway. The market survived… From being on Saturdays, it switched to Sundays, thanks to the Jewish community. It was more handy for sellers too: they could go to Covent Garden during the week, Spittafield Market on the Saturday and finish their stock here.  WWII was a hard time too… food was more important than flowers, obviously. And today? People will travel miles to come here and you will even see, from time to time, a TV crew filming for a gardening programme….

Note to parents: not the ideal place for buggies, so crowded! You’ll be better off with a scarf or a Bjorn type baby-carrier. No hysteria, people are happy to walk around and will let you go through if they can. Lots of cafes to stop at. At the beginning of the market, you’ll find a square with games for the kids. Oh, and do stop at Lapin & Me, a fantastic shop with lots of French products, colouring books and games!

Columbia Flower Market
Columbia Road
London, E2 7RG

Every Sunday from 08.00 to 14.00

Tube: Old Street  – 15mn walk to get there, take your map!