I'd often walk past and with my nose pressed up to the window mutter to myself why I've not made it in for tea and cake. So when the opportunity came up for afternoon tea I wasn't shy at expressing my glee. The table was booked for 3pm when we arrived we were greeted by the aroma of freshly baked bread and a warm welcome by Lena, the manager. I melted at the sight of our table laid out with Royal Albert china, Arthur Crupp cutlery and a hand written note saying 'reserved' - I knew then that this was going to be a great experience - I love that feeling of anticipation.

Walking through the small deli into the cafe decorated simply but elegantly with BTC wall lights and pastel coloured walls. Marble topped tables and bent wood chairs - this is a slice of France in Surbiton

First up - the tea. Earl Grey of course, from the London Tea Company. It came in the pot (loose leaf) along with individual tea strainers. This is seriously good tea.

Next came the main event; the cakes, patisseries and sandwiches. The mouth sized sandwiches were enough the kick start the salivation - Christmas Sandwich filled with moist turkey, bacon and real cranberries. Brie, chutney and tomato 'burger' - the chutney is homemade and just the right side of picante and the last savoury was the crayfish belini (very fresh). Quickly, we wolfed these delightful morsels down because we wanted to get to the hand made coconut and raspberry marshmallow - pillowy chewy fun, coconut roche, passion fruit mini tarts (the pastry was thin - good, crumbly and buttery) tasting of actual fresh passion fruit, pistachio eclairs (with pistachio green decoration - very tantalising on the eyes and tongue!), chocolate mousse (white and milk) with a surprising brownie base - scrumptious, Christmas peacan pie - mini and marvelous, carrot and walnut cake - moist fruity heaven, mini 'cornetto' filled with chocolate ganache and sprinkled with raspberry bits.

We were full and we were happy - but that wasn't the end of it. After another pot of reviving tea we had the homemade freshly baked scones, two each (plain and fruit) along with strawberry jam and clotted cream. I had to admit defeat and requested to take mine home - this was not problem at all.

All this for £14.50 it is great value without devaluing integrity and creativity. The service is second to none.

We agreed that this is probably in the top 3 places we had visited and came out above some of the well established high end hotels in central London. We loved our time spent that afternoon so much we went again the following day for a morning coffee (and darn good that was too). The French Tarte - you are truly spoiling us!

The way the cafe is decorated is a mixture of kitch and design that invoked childhood memories of my Nan's house in Brighton circa 1976. It was a pleasure sitting there knowing I was an adult and remembering myself as a child. Ms T and I had a great time chatting away. I loved this place and will go back again to sample something savoury and probably washed down with the fruity tea.

Mr B and I popped in on the off chance for a coffee and something a bit stronger. Very glad we did. As we walked off the busy Soho street into BBR we were welcomed by friendly staff. The first thing that struck us was the decor...just like being in first class on the Orient Express but with a twist. We were ushered to the bar area where we could see the whole room being worked by efficient staff.

We ordered two coffees and a 12 year old Macallan and sat back to enjoy the peace and quiet and to watch the food being served to the diners, especially the Beef Wellington. The coffee was good but the whiskey was better, we were served by a great bar tender who was really enthusiastic and knew his drinks. We got chatting with him and the restaurant manager Jeremiah, it was really refreshing to meet staff and management who were genuinely happy to see us and to answer our questions. We found out why Bob Bob Ricard was called Bob Bob Ricard, who the owners are, how many covers, how many rooms, opening times we were also invited to see the downstairs bar and more but alas another afternoon tea review was beckoning us over in Mayfair.

Before we left Jeremiah gave us the BBR afternoon tea menu and it looks great...Mr B and I are most definitely going back again. Who can resist some of these tempting examples from the menu; English Rose Profiterole / Battenburg / Raspberry & Custard Tart / Scones with homemade jam and clotted cream / a finger sandwich selection made with tantalising breads and a selection of teas to make you weep /AND an option of home made pink lemonade or the best champers ever - Pol Roger (if it's good enough for Winston Churchill, it's good enough for Teasemaid)....afternoon tea review coming soon x

We ordered a glass of Demoiselle Vranken Champagne and soaked up the atmosphere of the indulgent cocktail bar. The carpet was deep and soft, the chairs we were sitting in were white leather that enveloped you in comfort and ease. The room was bathed in diffused light with hints of greys, silver and white. The chandelier hung in the centre of the room effortlessly stylish and the ceiling was covered in silver gilt echoing the huge mirrors mounted onto every wall.

Tea came (EGT from Jing for me and Mr B ordred rose bud). As one would expect the crockery was specially made for The Bingham. When the food arrived it was a real sense of occassion - a lot of thought had been put into it.  The snadwiches were deleicate morsels of cucumber,  salmon, egg and ham. The second tier was host to the tastiest mini scones, shortbread and banana bread and the top tier was home to strawberry macarons, mini lemon meringue, fruit tart and the richest carrot cake ever to have been made. The whole experience was a delight. The service from the staff was impeccable. Even when the power went down!

The Bingham is a boutique hotel nesting by the Thames near Richmond Bridge. The building itself harks back to the Georgian times, you can just imagine the parties that were had! There is a real sense of decadence and style. next time we visit I think Mr B has plans on staying for few nights xx

That about sums it up for Laduree. I swished on by with Mrs N after a hard days work. The place was quiet (for a change) and we had a choice of where to sit in a ladylike fashion perched on petite chairs. There are 2 'salons' a balcony and a terrace (as well as the shop) to choose from. We sat in our own salon and began to natter....I wish I could say in fluent French as befits the place, but alas my French is tres basic. I love the colours here, its like sitting in an edible room of confectionary; pistachio green, strawberry red, candyfloss pink and vanilla yellow. We didn't waste time in choosing what to eat and drink. Mrs N had the Mille-feuille citron/gingembre and a pot of blackcurrant tea. I plumbed for the St Honoree rose framboise and a pot of lapsang.

Now, when the said items arrived, the world stopped for a split second and went into kilter. The works of art on our plates deserved the respect of silence and a moments thought to the taleted pastry chefs who dedicated their time and effort into making these delights on a plate. Everything about our cakes was perfect, yes that's right - I said perfect. The mille-feuille, according to Mrs N, was flaky, zingy, and a  pleasure to eat and look at. My St Honoree was a liaisons dangereuses in pastry. I would have eloped with it. But I ate it instead trying not to make my exclamations of delight a cause for concern for Mrs N. The puff pastry was firm yet melted away in my mouth. The rose petal cream seductively slipped down my throat leaving a pleasant fragrant memory. The fresh raspberries (the queen of all fruit) tingled and burst into the raspberry compote. And then finally the Chantilly cream merged into oneness with the fresh velvety rose petal. I was left breathless. All that from a pastry...blinkin'eck.

Tea was served in silver pots with little handle covers and poured into bone chine teacup and saucers. The cutlery was silver and elaborate. If you fancy a bit of decadence in the middle of tourist Covent Garden this is the place to go to (if you can get in). The service is good (as expected)

There are two great things about this teashop, the first is that there is a fantastic display of all the cakes on offer laid out on their own cake stands and the second great thing about this place is the waitress who served us (I didn't get her name), she was really warm, genuine and had a great sense of humour. I also met the owner, Jane, her enthusiasm for her shop and the community was heartfelt. This is a great place to bring your mum or your granny (or dad!). It's also a super place to bring the girls for a gossip. Esher train station is right on the door step so its easy to get to.

The bakery is open on Sunday's only (along with the flower market) between 0800-1600. It is small, but as they say, all the best things come in small packages. If you can't wait 'til Sunday, you can always pop over to Harrods and pick up a selection of her cakes there.

And we managed to get two huge over the top, in your face, dalia plants...that'll give the neighbours something to talk about!

The place has an oriental feel about it, like something from the victorian times where some intrepid explorer has brought home their finds from overseas and displayed them around the shop. I chose to sit at the back where it was quite dark and cosy and I could see most of the shop as it was on a split level. The table and two chairs were Moroccan in style - a very sweet spot.

I ordered a pot of Darjeeling 2nd flush from the Margaret Hope Estate and a slice of ginger cake. When my order arrived it came with something I have never come across before; a tea timer which can assist the drinker in obtaining the perfect cuppa (see the pics below). I thought this was a really thoughtful touch...I knew then that the owners were serious about their tea. The tea is loose leaf and served in a white tea pot. The cup and saucer are bone china and mismatched (which I love). The cake was the best ginger cake I've had in a long time. So good was it that I murmoured out loud as I savoured the first bite.

The Tea Box is more than just somewhere to go for tea and cake (there is a fantastic selection of both available). There are weekly events held here such as comedy nights, poetry jams, knitting (social knitwork) and live music. It's also a very kid friendly place where they can have afternoon tea's created especially for them. The owners have come up with a  clever menu of snacks and nibbles and it is also licensed. There you can also indulge in 'tipsy teas' what a revelation! And champagne afternoon tea.

I met one of the owners (Gemma) and she kindly showed me their special selections of Earl Grey and Lapsang Souchong which they get directly from the suppliers in India and China. The smells from these teas were so evocative it transported me to another place for a moment. The staff here are very friendly and passionate about tea and cake, they are very easy to have a chat with and you'll probably learn something you didn't know before. Theyare also on hand to encourage you to blend your own tea depending on what you like. I'd probably have a blend of Earl Grey and Lapsang Souchong!

Bea's...Bea's... Bea's... What a place, it's totally dedicated to tea, cake and all the trimmings. We had a mooch about before deciding to have the afternoon tea. It was a very warm afternoon, too hot to sit outside so we made ourselves very comfortable upstairs, we had the place to ourselves so were able to make as much noise as possible (Lady S was regaling me about her night before, hence why she was sporting a huge hangover). When the afternoon tea arrived we were momentarily silent, there before us was the most cheekiest cake stand we had ever seen. The food also shut us up too, there was a selection of bite sized savoury rolls, the freshest clotted cream scones with fruity jam, the most moist cupcakes, mini meringues and chocolate brownies. I opted for Lapsang Souchong and Lady S had Earl Grey both served in cute silver teapots and white tea cup and saucers....a very reviving cuppa on a hot day. I love that about tea; it cools when it's hot and warms when it's cold.

The staff there are excellent, welcoming, knowledgeable and nothing is too much to ask of them. There were some really thoughtful touches such as the teapot light shades, the furniture is very comfortable and you can also order cakes for special occasions. The tea selection is comprehensive and comes from Jing. We had a very pleasant time at Bea's I'm sure you will too.