Molly

My best friend and I are going to London in 6 weeks. We've both been there before with our spouses. This time we want to do lady type things such as tea and shopping etc. Would like some suggestions as to where to enjoy tea besides the Ritz, Harrod's, Marks and Spencer, etc. Also are the early morning street markets safe and worth checking out? Also any sugesstions for a good B & B. Wes Fowler & Ben Haines...if either of you have any ideas I would appreciate your input. Both of always have interesting suggestions. Thanks in advance to anyone that replies.

Herma

<BR>I had tea at the queen's grocer (forgot the name) a nice shop for food presents. The tea room is very busy and popular (touristy) but the tea is nice and affordable. Have a nice trip.

Cynthia

<BR>Molly -- A few suggestions: <BR> <BR>"Maids of Honour", if you plan to visit Kew Gardens. The tearoom is cozy, serving meat pies dating back to Henry VIII, with tea and other pastries served on traditional blue & white china. Rain or shine, a good choice -- fireplace was inviting on one rainy day visit. Nearby Kew Gardens indoor conservatories or outdoor blooms also allows flexibility with weather. <BR> <BR>"Brown's Hotel" afternoon tea deserves its great reputation if you want one formal afternoon outing. <BR> <BR>Afternoon lunch/tea at Hampton Court. Spring grounds are beautiful (especially if the daffodils are still in bloom). <BR> <BR>Lunch or Sunday jazz brunch at the V&A. <BR> <BR>Lunch/noon concert (M,Tu,F) at the Cafe in the Crypt at St. Martin-in-the-Fields church. <BR> <BR>Re: B&B's, depends on your budget & neighborhood preference, but on one "ladies in London" visit, we chose "Number Sixteen Sumner Place", 1 block from S. Kensington tube. A beautiful <BR>street with white Victorian townhouses; <BR>Number Sixteen has great public spaces and individual rooms, with the big plus of a sunny, comfortable conservatory overlooking a beautiful garden. <BR> <BR>Other award-winning B&B's on that same street are either "Astor House" or "Five Sumner Place". <BR> <BR>If you want to be closer to Knightsbridge shopping, you may want to consider the "Knightsbridge Green Hotel" close to Harrods. Or "The Sloane Hotel" near Sloan Square. Both are called hotels, but small and B&B-like in comfort, and have good reputations (although I've not stayed at either). <BR> <BR>One good resource is "London hotels of character, distinction & charm" (Prion Guides), which includes B&B's at different price levels.

elaine

<BR>Hi <BR>I think the writer above may have been thinking of tea at Fortnum and Mason's which does have a nice place. However, my vote for the nicest afternoon tea in London is at the Dorchester Hotel. <BR>It is as fine and proper as you would want, but not intimidating. You will be in the lap of luxury. Must reserve in advance. It is pricey, but the meal will be so substantial you will want just a nibble for dinner later, if that. <BR>I've had that tea before going to the theatre, and have wanted just a bite after the theatre. <BR> <BR>I second the vote for #16 Sumner Place. <BR>Very nice and wonderful location 2 blocks from the South Kensington tube stop on the Picadilly Line. <BR> <BR>enjoy.

Wanda

Molly, <BR> <BR>Don't know about the others mentioned above but Brown's Hotel has a wonderful afternoon tea. I believe you need to make reservations there also. <BR> <BR>

wes fowler

Molly, <BR> <BR>Brown's is THE place for tea, though pricey. The hotel is located at Albemarle and Dover Streets just off Piccadilly. Green Park, served by the Jubilee, Piccadilly and Victoria lines is the closest underground station. Reservations are required. Maids of Honor Tea Room also serves a sumptuous tea. It's located at 288 Kew Road in Richmond if you plan to tour there. <BR> <BR>If you're really interested in tea, the London Blue Guide makes mention of the Bramah Tea & Coffee Museum in the Clove Building, Maguire St, Butlers Wharf. The museum which is adjacent to the Design Museum has a collection of tea and coffee pots, china, caddies and samples of teas and coffees. <BR> <BR>The street markets are well worth a visit. If you're really serious about antiques, the Bermondsey Market at Long Lane and Bermondsey Sts. is the place to be early Friday morning (really early, it opens for serious collectors before 5 AM!). London Bridge or Borough, served by the Northern Line are the nearest underground stations. For something a little different, consider the Camden Lock Market, on Buck St. Camden Town on the Northern Line is the nearest tube station. Camden Lock Market open Thursdays and Fridays from 9 to 5, Saturdays and Sundays from 10 to 6 offers handmade crafts, fashions, books and antiques. It also features street performers and is located on the Regent's Canal. For an interesting diversion, take a canal boat ride from Camden Market to Little Venice, where you can pick up a bus or the underground at the Warwick St. station back to your hotel. Little Venice is a charming area with canals lined with houseboats and floating restaurants. <BR> <BR>Finally, you might want to check out the website www.londonbandb.com for some ideas on B&Bs. One of the advantages of this website is that it has local 800 numbers for reserving accommodations. <BR>

anne

Have you been to Liberty yet? It's my favorite London shopping experience! Enjoy! <BR>

leechase

<BR>I agree with Anne. I love to shop at Liberty. It's at the top of Regent Street. I also love Fortnum and Mason's for tea and food shopping. Have fun. <BR>Lee

Molly

Thanks to everyone with the great suggestions. We plan on using all of them. The Bramah Tea Museum sounds like a neat place to go. We both collect teapots and teacups so I'm certain we will enjoy the museum. If anyone thinks of anything else please feel free to send an email.

Jeff

Molly, My favorite place for tea is at the Orangery at Kensington. It sounds like it might be just the kind of thing you'd enjoy. It's not overly expensive, but it's very upscale. Have a great time!

Molly

Jeff, thanks for the suggestion. We are leaving Wednesday 3-24 and we will definitely check it out. Thanks again!

AG

Well, I have a recommendation for a place NOT to go for tea. I just returned from London a couple of days ago. Had tea at Harrods and would certainly not recommend it. The food was good but the service was extremely poor.

Annalynn

Wes, I just wanted to say "Thank you" for mentioning the Tea museum. In the 4 times I've been to Lodon I've never discovered this place, and I'm a huge collector of teapots. My kitchen has a tea theme, with teapot wallpaper, teapot tiles for a backsplash, teapot knobs on my cabinets, and teapots everywhere for accessories. I can hardly wait for December when I'll be in London next!

Ben Haines

I apologise: I missed this query. But many of you have given the advice I would have given, so little is lost. <BR> <BR>Ben Haines, London <BR>

Wendy

How pricey is "pricey" tea? What can we expect to pay? <BR>Thanks!

Molly

Thanks everyone! We thoroughly enjoyed London. Maids of Honour was great, we enjoyed the mear pies. The Bramah Tea and Coffee museum was fascinating and we wouldn't have known about it if it were for Wes Fowler...Thanks! We also had afternoon tea at Brown's. We both came home with lovely tea pots and cups and saucer that match. We also enjoyed shopping at Camden Lock Market. We had a great time...an amusing thought crossed my mind while we were there. I had printed out all of the reponses from this so wherever we were, we would comment that Wes Fowler said this was a nice place or that Cynthia suggested it..so it almost seemed as if you were there. ANYWAY THANKS AGAIN!!! No one steered us wrong.

lent

I thought it was neat that Molly took the time to find her thread after her trip and comment on the suggestions she decided to use. Nice closure.