The tea house experience begins with reading the cards to select your tea 

I first knew that our visit to Teanamu Chaya Tea House was going to be extra special when I discovered that the Tea Master Pei Wan while he was in China on tea buying trip. I realised that with Pei Wan's level of care in selecting the tea we were going to have a delightful experience.

My tea was called the Iron Goddess of Mercy - what a charming name

I’ll confess I was fascinated with the selection of little cards each giving a delightful description of the tea and how to prepare it. It was a hard choice to make but I selected Anxi Tie Guan Yin known as the Iron Goddess of Mercy.

This is what the Iron Goddess of Mercy looked like - all our teas were measured out and placed in small white bowls

Once all the orders were taken we were each presented with our own small bowl of tea leaves and it was surprising to see just how different everyone's tea looked.

Genmaicha - a green tea with rice  kernels

My tiny teapot and teacup - made me feel like they belonged to a doll's tea service

An assortment of teapots appeared each designed to best complement the different types of tea. My cute teapot was the smallest. Pei Wan prepared everyone's individual tea and explained how to prepare the refills ourselves. We were then left to enjoy the experience. I felt having had the process explained to me I was more aware of what I was tasting and noticed both the flavour and the colour intensified each time I topped up my tea. There are two set menu afternoon tea options, both of which are vegetarian and needless to say I decided to go for the full works.

    Wakame seaweed brown bread open sandwiches

L- R: 

Kumquat ginger preserve & mature cheddar (my favourite sandwich as the flavours were absolutely delicious together)

Garlic miso-pickled cream cheese with cucumber

Shichimi pepper and egg mayonnaise with chilli bamboo shoots

   Dim sum - vegetarian dumplings with sze chuan chilli oil  

Lo mai fan lotus leaf rice parcel  

 Warm scone with clotted cream & rose petal jam - scones are always my favourite part of afternoon tea and the jam had such a wonderful delicate flavour

A selection of sweets & pàtisserie

Top plate:  Hua sheng su peanut sesame cookie & yuzu marshmallows

Lower plate:  Oive oil lemon cake & mango curd & nutty choccy soft-set fudge 

 The delighful tea house is located on the ground floor of a house in a residential street

Teanamu is one of London's hidden gems and although it's tucked away discreetly in a residential area it's certainly worth visiting. It has an amazing selection of teas and a delicious  menu to enjoy. However for me what makes Teanamu extra special is the calm and relaxing atmosphere which makes it the perfect place to spend time with good friends. 

Practical Information 

Address:  Coach House,  14A St Luke’s Road, London W11 1DP

Nearest Tube Station:  Westbourne Park in Travelcard Zone 2 and is a 5 minute walk or Notting Hill Gate is in Zones 1/ 2 and is a 10 minute walk.

I enjoyed the ichi-go ichi-e afternoon tea for one, which at the time of writing cost £24 per person and payable by cash only. The menu is vegetarian.

Opening Hours:  Open Saturdays and Sundays. Please check website for opening times. Pre - booking advisable.

Website:  http://www.teanamu.com/

The author of this blog is a qualified City of London and City of Westminster Tour Guide who leads guided walks combining world famous landmarks with hidden treasures often missed by the crowds.

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