Book Review: Tea & Cake London

If you're looking for a cosy read this winter, you'll find no better winter warmer than Tea & Cake In London. After a lousy tea and cake experience, author Zena Alkayat looked for a book that pointed to the best venues in London, so that she could avoid making the same mistake twice. She ended up finding bits and pieces in magazine and food books, but nothing that solely dedicated itself to tea and cake in the capital. This was how her book was born. "I became fixated on rooting out these prized places myself and, before long, the pastime grew from a casual search for quality tea and cake, to a public and shared celebration of the establishments that offered a direct challenge to our greying world of chains."

In the world of publishing, timing is always essential. If you take a gander around Soho, Brick Lane, Portobello Road and Carnaby Street, you'll notice there is something of a tea and cake Renaissance taking place. So a book like this is striking at precisely the right moment. Alkayat showcases the best that the city has to offer, from quaint, tea-devoted shops, to naughty cake and pastry bakeries, to an Alice in Wonderland themed restaurant, filling the gap that she first noticed when this project began.

EssentialTravel Rating: 10/10

All The Right Ingredients

Alkayat has a fervent passion for food that shows in her writing. She manages to capture the very essence of every shop she visits, not only through the mouth watering descriptions of what she's eating, but also through her genuine interest in the owners of the places she visits. She makes a point of describing every proprietor, whether it be a single Irishman, a French couple or a pair of British siblings. The owners' origins and personalities shine in almost every review (usually relating to the kinds of food they serve) and this gives us readers a clearer idea of the general vibe of each shop.

There is a great balance between Alkayat's charming prose and the photography in the book - you can practically taste what you're reading about. The simple, but effective layout also makes it easy to read, look at the pictures, read some more, look at the pictures again, and so on, until you finally get up and go for some tea and cake. The book is also nicely divided into sections, giving order to the list of smashing eateries.

Cafes & Tea Rooms

Cafes & Tearooms, the first section of the book, is devoted to the sweeter things that accompany your afternoon cuppa. It's clear that she's done her homework and sought out the hidden nooks that go unnoticed by most people.

Let Them Eat Pie: Bakeries & Patisseries

The second section leans toward pastries and assorted savoury foods. Alkayat covers a range of traditional home baking eteries that are deliciously decadent and enough to make you walk out on any gluten-free diet. The spots mentioned in this section are dedicated to everyone who would, every once in a while, like to enjoy what feels like a home made snack, without the hassle of making it at home - which covers a pretty sizey portion of the world.

There is fantastic variety in this section, as Alkayat leads us through a range of venues that will tickle the stiffest taste buds. One of the great strengths of her choice of venues is her lack of prejudice - from celebrity hang outs, to hole in the wall surprises, there is something for everyone here.

Tea With A Twist: Alternative and Themed

Tea with a twist highlights stores that offer their own interpretation of traditional British teatime. This selection mirrors London's love of the unconventional and also the eagerness of Londoners themselves to try new things. It's here that she visits an Alice in Wonderland themed tea room. The tea served is aimed to replicate the Mad Hatter's Afternoon Tea and is done so with class, skill and eccentricity that would make Lewis Carroll proud. Exploring both sides of the fantasy spectrum, the reader is also taken on a tour of the "naughtier" celebrity tearoom and cake scene.

Virtuous Vices: Vegan and Allergy Friendly

The final chapter offers a few key suggestions to those with specialist diets. This includes bakeries that cater for veganism, food allergies and health nuts. These upmarket tearooms are beginning to pop up more and more around London, adding vegan, gluten-free, wheatfree and sugar-free cakes to their menus. The beauty of this is that this is all done without sacrificing any flavour.

In this section, you'll find out who believes that "just because a cake is vegan, gluten-free or even sugar-free, does not mean the recipe needs to be burdened with artificial ingredients" and runs a store that's as charismatic as the quaint kitchen of a 50's housewife.

Well Worth A Read - Especially Over A Cup Of Tea And Some Cake

Zena Alkayat writes so passionately about each and every one of these stores and is truly adamant that everyone should take the time to try each shop at least once for a series of blissful experiences. Tea & Cake London is well worth a read, especially if you're looking to find one of those hidden local tearoom gems.

You can order Tea & Cake In London from Black Dog Publishers here.