The Haberdashery

I found another lovely teashop last week while I was out with Ella, this time in Crouch End (branching out!). The Haberdashery, on Middle Lane, has a really retro feel, a great selection of drinks (dandelion and burdock and beers as well as tea and coffee), delicious muffins (baked in little flowerpots) and a nice selection of handmade goods and art for sale, too. They even sell Ella's Organics baby food so definitely wee one friendly!

It was a bit of a random visit - James McAvoy was in there with his little boy and the owner was being interviewed by a reviewer, so I did a good bit of eavesdropping! - but even on a normal day I'm sure it still has the same relaxed, welcoming vibe. We'll definitely be popping in again next time we go for a wander.

Pretty little teasets

I popped into Drink Shop & Do yesterday after lunch with Helen and Barry at Camino (great tapas btw). I managed to avoid the cakes for once and followed the 'shop' rule instead.

They have a lovely collection of tea towels, and some quirky little brooches made from retro crockery. But what really caught my eye was a range of cups, saucers and teapots by Ali Miller. Miller takes vintage ceramics and 'upcycles' them, incorporating her own designs to breathe new life into neglected objects.

I like the bug-painted butter dish but my favourite is the butterfly teapot. Beautiful, I wish I'd seen it last month so I could have added it to my birthday wishlist!

Cake of the day #2: scone at Maison Blanc

I was going to take a brisk woodland walk today, instead of heading into Muswell for cake, but events (and toddlers) conspired against me so I found myself in Maison Blanc on the Broadway.

I was tempted by their amazing patisserie but eventually settled on a scone with clotted cream and strawberry jam, which seemed more satisfying. The scone was lovely and light, although not warmed the way I like them, but the clotted cream was too cold, so it wouldn't spread or stick to the scone - I do like my clotted cream sticky! It still tasted great though.

I was more excited about the tea - Jasmine Silver Needle white tea, which is beautifully fragrant. I love white tea and it's nice to see it on the menu. Not a bad cream tea for £4.50.

Cake of the day #1: plum sponge, Emporium tea room

I've never been one to turn down a slice of cake - afternoon tea is one of my favourite pastimes, after all - but since I had Ella I've been eating an awful lot more of it (hey, I'm breastfeeding, I'm allowed). So I've decided to justify continued cake bingeing by introducing a new blog feature. Hopefully it'll last as long as I decide I don't need to diet!



Today's inaugural cake is plum sponge, from the Emporium tea room on Fortis Green Road, Muswell Hill. It was really moist and sweet (almost too sweet, I'm not sure it needed the sugar crust - although I still ate it all!) and was washed down nicely with a pot of English breakfast tea.



Mismatched vintage china, Cath Kidston-style tablecloths, tea - and coffee - from Muswell institution W. Martyn and a selection of English staples - beans on toast, egg and soldiers, toasted teacake and crumpets - as well as more substantial lunch specials, accompanied by a '40s-era soundtrack, make Emporium a great destination for those seeking some homely comfort on a cold autumn day.



The walls are adorned with pieces by local artists, many of whom will take personalised commissions - I'm tempted by this Brigitte Herrod drawing. The shop also sells a nice mix of vintage tableware and cutesy gifts (I bought some great Christmas cake cases for £1.50).



They run craft workshops here too - knitting, sewing, storytelling, cream tea baking :) - and will host children's parties or hen nights. A birthday craft day might be in order soon.

Brighton's best tea shop

Sarada took me to Metrodeco in Kemp Town this morning, my new favourite place for tea and cake.

The choice of teas ranges from the normal (earl grey, lapsang or breakfast tea) to the exotic (we had green with chocolate and green with rose petals, both delicious), the cakes are inventive (chocolate with amaretto, toffee cupcakes, courgette and pistachio which was yummy) and it's furnished with a collection of antique 1920s chairs, tables and chandeliers, all available to buy.

More importantly though, the staff are lovely - happy to advise and not at all pretentious. I wish I lived closer!

High Tea

Mark and I escaped for an hour to sample the tea and cakes at High Tea in Highgate village. Lemon drizzle cake and Russian caravan tea in the garden is the perfect way to spend a Friday afternoon!

Eat cake!

Hmm, there's a definite theme developing today...

We went on a family outing to Stoke Newington Church Street on Saturday - I used to live there but I hadn't been back in about six years (I feel old...). It's still as shabby chic as ever, though there are a few more vintage shops and baby stores, the salsa bar and jazz place have gone, and the house prices have definitely gone up (no way we could afford it now!).

Anyway, the most exciting discovery of the day was a genuine old-fashioned tea room! Ok, it can only have been there a few years but it's the closest I've found in London to a proper tea and cake joint. Called The Tea Rooms, it does what it says on the tin - quaint little tablecloths, retro crockery (which it also sells), proper brown Betty teapots and cakes to die for.

I fell off the cake wagon last week (I was surrounded by birthday cakes, what's a girl to do?) and I was going to jump back on again but there's no way I could resist the offer of their afternoon tea. We had finger sandwiches (half of them veggie), scones with clotted cream and jam (not enough cream for Mark) and three miniature cakes (ginger, chocolate and a delicious heart-shaped carrot cake), plus a large pot of the house tea which was the perfect antidote to a rainy day.

At £10 for that little lot it was an absolute bargain (and much nicer than the giant Liberty's tea that's almost twice the price and nowhere near as authentic). It's not that easy to haul a buggy down to Stokey from our end of town but we'll definitely be making a return visit soon.