How many times have you absentmindedly wandered around Covent Garden? Dozens, if not hundreds, we would guess. And yet, if you’re like us (embarrassingly), you may never have noticed that just a stone’s throw from the square sits Mariage Frères, a five-storey townhouse serving over 1,000 varieties of tea. Upstairs, the Salon de Thé offers afternoon tea, pastries, brunch plates and even cocktails.

We recently visited for a proper, very regal afternoon tea moment, and now we’re here to spill the tea. If you love the art of tea drinking and enjoy exploring new flavours, you’re in for a few treats.

What is Mariage Frères?

Mariage Frères is a luxury French tea house. Founded in 1854, it’s known for high-quality teas, beautiful boutiques, and that unmistakable Parisian flair that carries through everything from the store design to the cakes and teas on offer. Over the years, it has brought a touch of that elegance to London, Tokyo, and New York.

Covent Garden is home to its London flagship, a five-storey townhouse that’s part emporium, part museum. On the ground floor, nearly 1,000 teas from around the world line an almost whimsical, apothecary-style wall. Upstairs, the Salon de Thé turns afternoon tea into an experience, with pastries, brunch plates, and even tea‑inspired cocktails.

What’s included in the afternoon tea?

The afternoon tea is served as a set menu, with the theme rotating throughout the year. At the moment, they’re offering the Lucky Charm selection.

The Sweet Dream option (£36 per person) includes three tea-infused amuse-bouches, a Parisian scone served with tea-infused chantilly cream, and a tea of your choice (up to £8).

If you want to make more of an occasion of it, the Beautiful Tea menu (£58) adds four strikingly delicate tea-infused patisseries to the spread. And if you fancy a celebratory touch, you can add a glass of champagne for an extra £10.

Our experience

We started with a hot blue tea – a caffeine-free herbal infusion made from the Butterfly Pea plant (a fact we only learned that day) – and a cold orange tea. Before we could spend too long pretending to understand the menu, the waiter swooped in with a few confident recommendations of teas that would be “perfect for photos”. We were easily persuaded. While we’re committed tea drinkers, we’re hardly connoisseurs, so we were perfectly happy to follow his lead, admire the colours, and enjoy the drink without attempting to master the finer points of tea culture.

Soon after came a trio of tea-infused amuse-bouches: a crispy toast topped with avocado crema, a scone filled with tahini and almond paste, and a lovely piece of bread piled with thick matcha cream and pickled radishes. Note that these were made vegetarian for us, but the standard savoury amuse-bouches do include meat and fish.

The scone was the highlight – deeply flavoursome and nutty. There was clearly more to it than the notes we managed to jot down, so we briefly considered interrogating the waiter about the ingredients list, but thought better of it in the end. Some things are just meant to be enjoyed.

The patisserie

At this point, you’re considering undoing the top button of your jeans (or wondering why on earth you didn’t opt for the elasticated pair). But stay strong: the three-tier stand is on its way – the unmistakable afternoon tea centrepiece – and it means business.

The cakes included a red velvet madeleine, a strawberry sponge cake with a pistachio layer, a crumble muffin with pieces of apple tucked into the middle, and a deliciously stodgy coffee and caramel mini Bundt cake.

On the middle tier sat two scones, alongside a Wedding Imperial tea-infused mousse and a delicate jelly. It’s very much a DIY situation – layer your scone as you please and enjoy biting into a soft, buttery piece of homely heaven.

It’s unlikely you’ll finish all the cakes – but this is a marathon, not a sprint, so sit back and succumb to it. PS: there are takeaway bags available.

Verdict

Mariage Frères is a tasteful, refined place that exudes Parisian elegance everywhere you look – and in everything you eat and drink. It’s definitely a very Bridgerton-y experience, so it feels better suited to a celebratory moment than your usual monthly catch-up with a best friend.

Our teas weren’t the highlight, but only because the towering three-tier stand of patisserie could overshadow even a wedding cake. The pastries aren’t just princessy and delicate-looking; they taste genuinely delicious too.

At £68 with a glass of champagne, it’s an experience that’s well worth booking or gifting. And honestly, we would come here again over plenty of the more mainstream afternoon tea spots in London.

Key details

Address: 38 King St, London WC2E 8JS

Website: mariagefreres.com

Instagram: @mariagefreresofficial

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