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