Ah, if it’s anything I most miss from London, it is teatime! If you’re baller, meaning you can afford to expend around 20 pound without a second thought, then well this blog isn’t really going to suit your case. But, if you’re poor, like me, you’ll want to hunt down some cheap places for tea time. One of these places is Patisserie Valerie and they have several chains throughout London. The two I went to were in Covent Garden and SoHo (go to this one as it’s elaborately furnished whereas the one in Covent Garden is furnished with plastic chairs and tables).
So before I get on explaining Patisserie Valerie, I have to explain what teatime consists of. Well of course, there’s a large pot of tea, and depending on the “tea time” you opt for, it comes with different fingerling foods, scones and so forth. I always get the traditional. At most places, they serve you two scones with a side of clotted cream and jam. There’s really no way to explain clotted cream- the nearest explanation I can think of is a cream cheese texture but with a higher fat content, giving it a more solid and cream flavor. It sounds disgusting, but once you spread it across a scone and add jam, those tastebuds start dancing.
So at Patisserie Valerie, that’s exactly what they serve you- a good pot of tea, 2 scones, clotted cream, and an assortment of jam. It comes out to a total of 5.95 pounds, which is the usual. While you could go to Harrods or the Ritz for some high class tea time and get unlimited scones and fingerling sandwiches, this is a fraction of the price. HOWEVER, do not expect to be wowed by Patisserie Valerie. I found the scones a bit dry and crumbly. However, the there is a great selection of SUKI tea and I really like the variety of jam they give you.
Patisserie Valeries are just about in every region of London. They also sell tarts and cakes, but again, they look better than they taste. I’d give Patisserie Valerie a 5 out of 10 and that’s really because I feel their baked goods are baked far too ahead of time and have a store-bought taste to them. However, others obviously disagree with me as they’ve consistently won Time Out awards.
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Posted in Chains in London, London
