Belle Amie with belle amie

 

Today's trip was to Belle Amie in Earlsfield, there were no pictures of Simon Cowell in the window so we don't think it is at all related the the X Factor group.  I had to dig into my inner yummy mummy as buggies with Cath Kidston nappy bags set up camp around us but still really enjoyed the shabby chic feel.  The chocolate cake was the largest cake I've ever seen in my life.  It took three of my friends to finish a piece, it was delicious- moist and fudgey.  As Halloween is my second favourite time of year I chose a simple pumpkin gingerbread- it looked cute and tasted nice.  The tea came in what looked like a high-end bag but the water wasn't quite hot enough and was poured straight into the cup rather than a tea pot.  The milk didn't quite mix in properly and it wasn't hot enough for my liking.  Or big enough.  But I am a fussy tea drinker.  There were leaflets for craft evenings where you can, for example, knit a christmas scarf.  Gutted to learn I'll be away that evening.

Tea and cake rating 4 (excellent cakes, tea slightly disappointing)

Atmosphere 4



Arsenal 2 Tea 0

So no time for quaint teashops this weekend, was at the Emirates to see Arsenal beat Birmingham (just).  My stepmum had sent up some homemade tiffin so I purchased some Arsenal branded PG Tips with UHT for nearly 2 quid.  Reminded me of the time I was in the outback and had tea with powdered milk, maybe if I'd given it 20 more cups I would've adjusted- just as I did in Alice Springs.  Any kind of milk tastes amazing after you've just emptied the waste water from a campervan.

Tea and Cake rating: 2.5 (max for the cake, 0 for tea)
Atmosphere: 5

And so it begins....

I made a decision to excuse my tea and cake eating by writing about my adventures in tea shops across London and beyond.  Excuse to visit the first one came in the form of meeting up with my oldest friend, back in the UK temporarily after relocating to Australia.  When I say oldest friend, I don't mean she's 80, we met way back in infants school.  To give her a taste of real autumnal Mother England we decided to meet in Hampstead, fill up on tea and cake and then head to the Heath for the conker championships.  Finding a place in Hampstead would be a doddle, we thought.  Home of the yummy mummy there should've been cupcakes on every corner.  And there were a number of lovely looking cafes, but the unusually wonderful weather had brought everyone out onto the cobbled streets for their lattes and babycinos.  After almost giving up we found Louis Coffee and Tea Room.  It looked like something from the 50s, but not on purpose, no pretension here- I think it is genuinely stuck in a time warp.  We asked for a menu but were instead brought a tray stuffed with cream cakes.  We picked and a fresh one was brought over the table.  My tea came in a charming silver teapot with extra hot water, the heat made it a little hard to pour but it sure did look pretty.  A little old lady sat by a manual till by the door, her make-up and styling perfectly matching the surroundings.  One last treat before we left, the toilets are actually next door, up some stairs.  We felt like we'd snuck into a strangers house.  Rebels.
Tea and cake rating:  6
Atmosphere:  7