Anyone who has an interest in shopping or fine dining will of course need to venture down the vibrant and colorful Carnaby Street. Hidden just to the side of Regent's Street, Carnaby Street itself plays host to many hidden treasures in central London. Amongst trendy clothes shops and exclusive nightclubs and bars, you will come across the modest Kingly Court. At first it is easy to simply walk past its less than eye-catching exterior (a mistake we made many times), however, once inside, you become almost overwhelmed by the variety of restaurants combined with festive decoration and bubbly atmosphere!
On the top floor of the Food Court is where, we believe, Carnaby's best kept secret is located. Camellia's Tea House is a quaint and quirky tea room filled with kitsch decoration and every Tea flavour imaginable. It took only one visit for this to become our regular hideout on cold afternoons to relax and catchup whilst enjoying freshly made Kuchen (cakes) and exotic teas.
For a Kaffee blog, we were wondering if a tea house review was appropriate. But upon deliberation and extensive Tea addiction, we decided that it would be criminal to not share this with you! Camellia's offers a selection of over 50 teas, ranging from standard blends to more exotic fruit mixes and unusual blends such as chocolate or rose petal. Magali enjoyed 'sweet orange tea' whilst Sarah had a memorable pot of 'vanilla tea'. Without a doubt, tea lovers MUST visit this place!
Kuchen
At £3.95 a slice, the cakes are without a doubt... heavenly! There is no question that these are freshly made and the thick frosting just makes it all the more enjoyable. Magali chose a slice of classic chocolate cake and Sarah had a salted caramel cake; and after one slice we found ourselves full and satisfied.
AtmosphereThe Tea Rooms are decorated in a lovely fashion, with unusual and unique seats and tea pots. Its nice to know that you are not simply a part of a generic brand (like Starbucks), but an independent business which actively tries to give the customer an exclusive experience. One problem we did encounter, however, is the lack of space. So much so that when our friend came to join us (since we recommend it so highly), there was no where for her to sit and the staff weren't as flexible as we would have liked. All in all, we found the ambiance and the staff very welcoming.
Location
Without a shadow of a doubt we give this place 5 out of 5 stars! It's still very central and great after a day of shopping or to visit for a catchup with friends. However, as we mentioned before, the fact that it lies quite hidden away is something that we LOVE, because it gives us an escape from the often hectic streets of London!
Price
For a pot of tea for 1 its £3.95, and for 2 its £5.75 - a price we found quite reasonable and there was definitely enough to quench our thirst. As mentioned before, a slice of cake is £3.95, which is not too expensive for central London prices. At around £7.90 per person per visit, we have to say... WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!!!
Address:
Top Floor
2.12 Kingly CourtCarnaby Street
London
W1B 5PW
email: info@camelliasteahouse.com
tel: +44(0)207 734 9939
Opening Hours:
Monday to Saturday 12-7pm
Sunday 12-6pm
