Tea and Cake London

Book excerpt: Tea & Cake London is a comprehensive guide to the best places to enjoy tea and cake across London. Charming, knowledgeable and often surprising, this lovely book seeks out more than 70 cafés, bakeries and tearooms worth discovering, from iconic establishments to modern classics and undiscovered gems. Celebrating the history and ritual of taking tea, while embracing London's currently thriving independent café scene, it brings together an eclectic collection of venues, all beautifully illustrated with evocative photography. Whether you're looking for a traditional afternoon tea, a casual café in which to gossip over a brew, a bakery selling elite buttery treats, innocent vegan delights or an oddball tearoom with a twist, Tea & Cake London has the answer. The book has 6 chapters, each focusing on a different face of London's tea and cake scene, from formal afternoon teas, patisseries and bakeries, right down to market stalls selling cake. Each entry highlights a special destination, and tempts you to indulge in a much-loved and very British pastime. And why resist? After all, there's fewer pleasures as simple or appealing as settling somewhere cosy, tucking into a slice of something nice, and sipping on a well-brewed cup of tea.