RESTAURANT REVIEW: MARIAGE FRÈRES TEA EMPORIUM, COVENT GARDEN
We recently visited Mariage Frères’ Tea Emporium, a glorious treasure trove of teas in the heart of Covent Garden. Avid tea lovers will be aware that Mariage Frères offer the largest selection of teas on the planet, boasting 800 different teas from 36 tea-producing countries. They also sell an excellent range of tea-based accompaniments including chocolates, biscuits, sablés, gelées, plus accessories for expert tea preparation.
If you’re visiting Mariage Frères’ Tea Emporium for afternoon tea, you have two choices for an afternoon tea like no other. The Parisian Afternoon Tea is £29 per person, featuring French and English scones, three tea-infused savoury dishes and a range of teas. The Covent Garden Afternoon Tea is £39 per person, featuring French and English scones, five tea-infused savoury dishes and a range of teas.
Mariage Frères’ unique French brunch offering is £29 per person, including a pot of tea, homemade fresh orange juice, toasted brioche with tea jellies and butter; plus Scrambled Eggs Seasoned with Sel Matcha, with artisan marinated smoked salmon and shrimps, Japanese Matcha green tea fromage frais, herbs and a pomegranate glaze.
I was visiting for lunch with a good friend, so we had yet another enticing tea-inspired menu to explore. The tea menu is extensive, so with no idea where to begin, I called upon an expert! I eventually settled on Rouge Sahara®, a delightful mint and rose red rooibos tea. This South African tea is naturally free of theine, blended with mint leaves and rose petals. Beccy, a Champagne fiend, was won over by Mariage’s - a tea cocktail made with Marco Polo Rouge, red tea syrup and Champagne.
I then opted for one of the three available starters - Cashew Nut Hummus Infused with Pleine Lune Tea, served with lemon crisps. The generous portion of hummus has had a slight marzipan flavour and was incredibly moreish. Beccy ordered Thai-Style Prawn Consommé & Ratatouille with Sésame au Thé Vert, with courgettes, red bell peppers, aubergines, thyme, parsley and enoki mushrooms. This light and healthy starter was the perfect prelude to Beccy’s seafood main.
The four Cuisine Au Thè Main Dishes are the shining star of the lunch menu. The vegan-friendly Quinoa Salad Infused with Casablanca Tea caught my eye - white, red and black quinoa with cucumber, olive and pomegranate, encased in artfully thin slices of avocado. For an extremely healthy dish, this beautifully presented dish packs a punch. Beccy chose the Prawn Thermidor Infused with Nocturne Oriental Tea, served with jasmine rice, emmental and parsley. Between “mmms”, “ahhs” and sips of her Champagne cocktail, I figured she was in her culinary element.
If you’re feeling fun or you’re celebrating a special occasion, definitely try some Tea Cocktails. Opéra Sunrise is comprised of red fruit flavoured green tea, blueberries, lemon, basil, ginger and tequila served in a teapot; whilst Black Leopard Sour is a black tea smoked over guava leaves blended with lemon, red wine and whisky. You’ll struggle to find cocktails this multi-faceted and unusual anywhere else in London - tea lovers will become absolutely enthralled!
It wouldn’t be a successful outing without a sweet treat to end the day. I was offered a bespoke vegan option - strawberries, blackberries, cranberries and mint with a beautiful zesty green garnish. Beccy ran over to the patisserie counter for a gorgeous red glazed dessert with gold leaf that she had spotted on the way in. After another tea and another cocktail, we were feeling very French and enjoyed people watching from the first floor window as the after work crowd filled the streets of Covent Garden.
If you love tea and you have an adventurous taste palette, look no further than Mariage Frères. You’re in for a very unique and memorable afternoon out and you’ll probably leave with armfuls of tea-inspired delights from the beautiful shop floor.
Mariage Frères, 38 King St, London WC2E 8JS
020 7836 1854 | info@mariagefreres.com
