London delights

There is this special place on earth for me where I know exactly what to expect, and even though it isn't always the same I end up liking it more and more after every visit. That place is called Sketch and is situated on Conduit Street in London. My husband and I have visited five times now (four times for afternoon tea and once for dinner), it truly became that spot for us after. Last time the maître d'hôtel took a moment to talk to us and learned that we are "regulars." We found it pretty flattering that a couple from Belgium that only gets to visit the place once to twice a year could be considered a regular. A couple of months ago, in Wild Rose meets Tea Rose, I had announced that I would be visiting London again. I expressed that there were many things I was looking forward to; our favorite restaurant for afternoon tea, Sketch, being one of them. It has been a mainstay for us since celebrating our first anniversary there in 2016. I had discovered the place through a news article about a place with a beautifully intriguing pink room. This time, for the first time we were sat near the bar, which gave us an entirely different view of the place. We finally got a closeup of the bar and we also got to see one of the artworks by Yinka Shonibare that's suspended from the ceiling at a different angle.

This year they had indeed changed some parts of their afternoon tea: they no longer serve JING Tea's sparkling jasmine pearl tea (now they serve alcohol-free sparkling wine) and they also have replaced the Victoria sponge cake with a seasonal clafoutis. The first change was a bit unfortunate, but the second one was definitely to our liking seeing as the Victoria sponge was just a bit too much at then end. We would usually be forced to take it to go because we were already too full up on the other delicacies. After having set even one foot on Belgian soil again, I was already missing their yellow fauteuils and Yellow Gold oolong tea. Just thinking back to that first sip while the string trio plays recognizable tunes makes all of my muscles come to a state of relaxation I seldomly feel. It's pretty hard to come to terms with the fact that I won't be eating as fine pastries until then. I think it's fairly obvious that I'm already looking forward to our next visit. For now, I'll have to settle with creating my own special tea moments. That's why my husband and I have decided to host a seasonal afternoon tea for just the two of us with the whole works: a display stand with finger sandwiches, scones with jam and cream, and sweets that all befit the season. Our next afternoon tea will be held in the middle of October and I have a feeling that pumpkin pie might be on the menu that day. I do also have a feeling that it might get scrapped from the menu as I'm almost one hundred percent sure that it might not be my husband's cup of tea. Whatever it is we settle upon, it has to suit the season.

Coord rundown:

• Head bow: Off-brand
• Earrings: Vivienne Westwood
• Necklace: Vivienne Westwood
• Blouse: Off-brand
• Watch: Marc by Marc Jacobs
• JSK: Baby, the Stars Shine Bright
• Bloomers: Off-brand
• OTKs: Baby, the Stars Shine Bright
• Shoes: Vivienne Westwood
• Bag: Kipling
• Bag: Baby, the Stars Shine Bright
• Umbrella: Baby, the Stars Shine Bright

Outfit rundown:

• Glasses: Matsuda
• Shirt: Y's for men
• Ring: Yohji Yamamoto Gothic Homme
• Belt: Dolce & Gabbana
• Pants: Dolce & Gabbana
• Socks: Y's for men
• Shoes: John Fluevog

Switching gears, if you're visiting London and feel like having a cup of tea, but you don't have time to sit down for it, I highly recommend visiting Hey Tea. Since my visit to London last year, it has become my go-to for tea to go. We even made it a stop on our way back from Southampton: we needed that Very Green Grape Crystal. They have a wide variety of fruit tea, pure tea and seasonal tea. I always try their seasonal teas because it seems they put some extra love and creativity in those. Their main selling point is that they use fresh fruit (in their Soho shop you can see them cut it in the back) and real milk. Naturally, for me this means I need to take a lactase pill because I'm lactose intolerant, but it's so worth it. My all-time favorite is their Creamy Cheese Strawberry Boom which is made with pureed strawberries, Hey Tea's signature Aqua Green jasmine tea, fat-free Bobo Pops and creamy cheese to top it off. From time to time, you'll get one of those Bobo Pops with your sip adding that perfect bit of crunchy texture to the drink. With me not being able to comprehend how one comes up with these drinks, I feel that all their teas are created by some mad tea scientist. I was lucky enough to receive a tote bag in their Camden Town shop so I can show the world how much I love them (not sponsored); everyday I pray they'll open a shop in Belgium. Even though these prayers have yet to be answered, I am still happy that they've got more than six stores in the UK since opening their first last year.

Orders in Hey Tea London (2024)

By now it should be obvious that I'm a sucker for sweets and my new obsession with Donutelier makes this very clear indeed. We had walked past this donut shop a couple of times when we went for a walk near Covent Garden. My husband kept telling me to try them out because he knows I'm a fan of donuts in every form: buñuelos, sfenj, beignets, churros - you name it! When I entered the shop I was immediately mesmerized by the colorful display of donuts and pastries. They were simply beautiful. They came in so many colors flavors, with and without toppings but all deliciously filled. Their pink delights caught my eye: Raspberry Marzipan Swirl and Pink Royale. They were the right choice for me as they ensured I paid the store a second visit during my stay in London. For that second visit I went with Apricot Crumble which turned out to be my favorite donut of theirs (for now). I will definitely be paying them another visit on our next trip to London. I'm definitely looking forward to discovering many more places with creative culinary experiences.

Thank you, and take care.