your right waring, the best tea I have had has been from elderly relatives that use tea leaves, a strainer, a china teapot and bone china cups n saucers, you know the ones that the handles are so articulate and small that you cant get the finger through the hole.

Muck

Another vote for the Georgian Room at Harrods. I can't bring myself to go to London now because of the exchange rate, but in every past trip, we've always had tea here at some point during the trip. It's just part of the travel experience! And, it really did replace a full dinner for that evening. If you're taking day trips outside of London, you also might be able to have the "tea experience" at a lower rate. Go for it!

Do they do treacle tart with condensed milk?

It's no wonder that we have such bad teeth if we eat treacle tart and condensed milk.

(I like Camp coffee with evaporated milk - I wonder if they'd knock me some of that up?)

Harrod's is a great place to take kids for tea or lunch, and my recollection is that it cost about as much as a nice dinner out. Therefore, you don't spring for a big dinner that evening (although you won't need one--the portions are very satisfying).

Isnt it funny that the Americans are ignoring our 'aufentik' tea drinking anecdotes.

Best cuppa you can have is sitting with your family and friends chatting over a steaming mug o Tetley's, with a plateful of chocolate digestives. Now thats the REAL british experience, not the poncy hyped up fantasy they are serving you up in the posh London hotels - do the waiters wear a Highwaymans costumes? ;-)

That's because non of you have invited cindysphinx over for a cuppa tea. And
Flanner won't even tell me where his restaurant is!

Nanabee: Given that the following is Flanneur's idea of food heaven, are you sure you want to go to his restaurant?

>>>>>Mashed-up tinned salmon (bones, skin and all), on the other hand, with a few dashes of brown malt vinegar, made into Hovis sandwiches, then left a couple of hours till ths bread's just beginning to get a bit curly and crispy. Now that's real food.

Sounds more like a greasy spoon caff LOL

hi audere est facere
believe me i'll try anything once!
and if i can eat my husband's cooking, i can survive anything.

It pretty much describes what we get for tea at my cricket club - but he missed out the cress.

Ah, this is my kind of discussion. Those pichard recipes look like the equivalent of American canned tuna recipes. Mayonnaise and frozen peas, anyone? Anyone?

Another favorite English tea tradition is the cup filled from a gigantic aluminum urn by a sexy -- and unbelievably hostile, and all the sexier for it -- 16-year-old girl from Poland or Estonia, in an ill-fitting grey uniform, exactly matching the color of the tea, in a provincial museum cafeteria with no one else in it.

So, is there a Fodorite consensus on milk first or after? After if you're using bags, of course, but with poured tea?

Any old-school caff recommendations for the north of England? Liverpool, Manchester, Wigan?

CindySphinx:

I think, since this is your first trip, you and your children should definately have tea. It may be expensive, but it may be the only chance to do this with all of your children.
The Orangery would be my recommendation. It is much less expensive that the Ritz or the Dorchester, but it is such a pretty place to enjoy tea, and then wander through the park. If you go late in the afternoon, it is very possible that you'll only want something light for dinner. It can be very filling.
It is 11.95 GBP for the set tea, but you can also order ala carte if you wish.

I am just lovin' this nostalgia...my parents spent years trying to quash the yearning for food stuffs/eating habits that marked them as working class Brits when they arrived in Canada. But when me and mine (Canadians and proud of it) return to the UK we are not interested in tea at F&M or its dinner/breakfast equivalent.

We want to find the hotel (and shared bath is just fine, thanks very much) that serves the full English breakfast, the "caff" that still knows how to put beans on toast without the use of olive oil and a pub that understands Scotch eggs.

My Mum would roll over in her grave if she knew I admit my favourite dessert is mashed banana with evaporated milk AND I put my milk in tea first.

So, my question is: have the tables turned to the extent that such a restaurant (consciously not-POSH) would work in contemporary London? Last time I was there we paid $150 for fish and chips at some wannabe place called North Sea (?). Bring on the Hovis sarnie for 10 pound a piece...

The Brits and the Yanks are on the same thread but you'd never know it.

" It may be expensive, but it may be the only chance to do this with all of your children."

You really are completely missing the point, tea is served at home, and can be cobbled together in no time for next to nothing. Do it yourself!!

Alternatively I am sure Disney puts up an equivalent farce with fake fog, cap doffing lackeys with Dick Van Dyke accents and toffs in dearstalkers.

Waring, are you trying to suggest that "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" is not a documentary? I'm shocked. I'm appalled. I'm shock-alled.

LJ:

I'm confused.

I've been grabbing a handful of fish and chips from the North Sea in Leigh St for decades (one fitness regime had me walking home from the office, so I naturally had to recover half way). It might have changed its name sice the 70s, but there's always been a decent chippy halfway between Berkeley Sq and Islington. Whatever that chippy's weaknesses, pretension's never been one of them. Last time - about two months ago - haddock and chips was about £7.

Has the funny money they use over there realy devalued that much?

LJ - probably not the North sea - which is a fish and chip place and charges reasonable prices (and is for locals not tourists).

There are a small chain of pseudo caffs called S&M (it stands for Sausage and mash - not the other kind) which are exactly that.

No one has mentioned our puds yet - drowned babies and cat's bum custard (which isn't strictly a tea thing).

Right here goes for an authentic, no nonsense great cuppa:

1. Buy a box of Tetleys/PG Tips or Typhoo teabags from your local Spar or Tescos (costing a quid or two depending on the size of box)

2. Put kettle on.

3. Line up your favourite mugs, ones that say 'Worlds Favourite Dad; or 'Sex Kitten' etc etc....

4. Put the teabag in the mug. If you put the milk in first, the teabag gets clogged and the tea can't diffuse.

5. Pour boiling water onto teabag in the mug.

6. Let infuse for a minute or so whilst chatting about the football scores, weather, the cow of a boss at work, etc etc.

7. Mash the teabag against the side of the mug with the back of a teaspoon, to get the full flavour.

8. Dispose of the teabag in the bin.

9. Now put a splash of milk in the top, not too much or it will taste of hot milky muck. YUK

10. Stir and enjoy hot, hot hot!!

NOW, if you are making tea in a teapot, then you put in one bag per person (or one teaspoon of loose tea) plus traditionally 'one for the pot'. Although the strength of tea will dictate whether the pot needs one.

Let infuse and mash the bags or give the tea a stir in the pot.

With tea poured from the teapot, the milk should go in the mug FIRST this time!!! Just a splash, mind ;-)

Pour from the pot.

Stir, and enjoy!

He's right but a few pointers:

2. Note the use of the word kettle - yanks don't have kettles (this is a source of continuing wonderment to me - but they don't). You can't make tea without a kettle - as you need boiling water (not hot - boiling)

8. Englishone is obviously a bit houseproud, or female. Otherwise they'd do what all english men do and put the used bag on the draining board.

I think you guys have lost Cindysphinx.

Yes, sorry to say but it was the North Sea Restaurant on Leigh St., about a year ago . I just Googled it to make sure and our experience was not unique. Here is another digruntled customer.

"We had lunch at the North Sea fish restaurant on Saturday and my husband ordered a large middle of skate which they did not have and so ordered two small midlle of skate when the bill arrived the fish itself cost £19.00 which was very expensive. (the fish was nothing other than ordinary) The manager needs to go on a customer care course as she had a long face and absolutely no personality what so ever. The bill came to £57.00 for a fish and chip lunch. We will not be going to this restaurant again."

Sadly, couldn't of said it better myself despite the fact this place had been wonderful in the past...someone suggested it over-reached itself when it stopped being a chippy and became a sit-down with wine restaurant...sigh/I guess I should have known better.

And thank you English one...

haha, yes you are right, I'm a bird.

And I confess put my teabags on a cat shaped spoon rest - very girly lol

You forgot the most important thing rich tea biscuts!!!

No cup of tea is the same without them.

Dunking is optional (though recommended)

Unless things have changed in the last six months I don't see how you could possible spend sixty notes in the North Sea. You'd burst.

You are talking about the one in Leigh St?

Okay, A&F, I can see you are a cautious one-is it possible that North Sea has two sides...one a sit-down restaurant and one a proper chippy?

Caroline, even better are the chocolate digestives or hob nobs. Or My absolute favourites - Jaffa Cakes! What more do you need in life.

LJ - that's the place (plaice?). I'm just amazed you managed to spend so much.

I've always had good food there and found the prices perfectly reasonable.

Maybe you had an off-day when you went?

Jaffa cakes - they don't contain jaffas and they aren't cakes. 'nuff said.

Roses lime jelly on buttered toast!

Seriously, tea in a posh hotel is the equivalent of a cowboy cook-out at the Waldorf.

Should one use a knife and fork when dunking?

no waring you need to use a spoon, for digging all the mushy bits of the biscuts from the bottom of the mug.

Hi cindy,

I am here in England right now with my family. My daughter and I had tea at the Wolseleys..sp?? Next to the Ritz. It was 20£ each, and no it wasn't worth the money. Keep in mind these are different types of sandwiches, such as salmon and mayo, egg salad with may, cucumber and cream cheese etc. The perfect answer is to go to "Cream tea". It is served at the same time, but it is just 8£ perperson. It includes tea, scones and clotted cream and strawberry jam. This was our favorite part of the "high" tea. You can save $$$ nd still have the nice experience. Try the Wolseleys, next to the Ritz, great service and very authentic feel. Check my spelling it's not correct. Cheers!
Tina

Proper thing, Tinabina...we need to be brought to order and return this thread to its owners.

And speaking of ordering, A&F; next time Me and Mine come to London, we will call on you to go with us and order for us and with the money we save we can treat you...(perhaps it was the wine? I know it doesn't "go" but fish and chips cry out for a decent verdicchio...)

You all forgot Primula cheese spread in a toothpaste tube, tinned sardines, Mr Kipling Fondant Fancies and Battenberg cake. I hated Battenberg.

Cream teas are a good way to sample proper tea. They are served in tea rooms up and down the country for as little as 3 or 4 pounds. Very filling too. And I confess to enjoying the odd cream tea when out and about. Though clotted cream is not too good for the old cholesterol levels though
:O

"This was our favorite part of the "high" tea"

High tea is not the same thing as afternoon tea.

&quot;<i>Isnt it funny that the Americans are ignoring our 'aufentik' tea drinking anecdotes.</i>&quot;

Not really since most of us don't understand a bleeding word :) (being bi-lingual, I don't need an interpreter)

Hey everyone,

How about some kind allowances for us stupid Americans. Really, being here in GB right now, I have not met anyone as rude or picky as some of these posters. Most people are just trying to get a small sense of the many,many facets of the UK. Everyone I have encountered were gracious and helpful, that is what Cindy was looking for, not code and exclusion! I live in San Diego, and we certainly don't mock visitors for boogie boarding and frolicking in the Pacific, while planning a trip to Disneyland. Come on, let's lighten up a little and give each other a hand. Sorry about the &quot;high tea&quot; comment, sorry it was so offensive!

Thanks to those will helpful comments. We are here on a Home Swap on the Wirral and having the best time ever. People are lovely and generous. We even got the chance to experience &quot;tea&quot; at our homeowners parent's house. Lillian set out all sorts of tasty bites and bits, all outside on a lovely afternoon. Was it better than the afternoon tea in London? You bet!! But not everyone is as lucky to have such generous people looking out for them and inviting them into their home!! I am getting hooked on tea, as well as pints. Uh oh.