If there is ever a day to drink a lot of tea – it’s National Tea Day! If you’re near Tower Bridge and in need of some inspiration in the form of tea and cake – look no further than Teapod. As the café greets you ‘There is no trouble so great or grave that cannot be diminished by a nice cup of tea’ (Bernard-Paul Heroux).

Escape for a moment from the hustle and bustle and unwind. There is a tea for every mood – you will find a selection of Black, Green, and Herbal teas, as well as a number of other varieties to tickle your fancy. There is always a great selection of mouth-watering cakes too, served in generous portions. And if you’re looking for breakfast or lunch, there is a petite savoury menu.

The soundtrack is bound to get you reminiscing of the 80s/90s. Expect a mix of tunes from artists such as Michael Jackson, Spice Girls, Wheatus, Rusted Root, Amy Winehouse, and even musical numbers from Grease.

If you’re looking to satisfy your sweet craving in the form of a Black Tea?

Go for the Dark Vanilla Cream Tea. It’s rich in cocoa and natural vanilla – you may not even feel the need for sugar with this one.

A Black Tea to go with that sweet cake?

The Lapsang Souchong has a deliciously distinctive smoky taste and aroma – it takes you back to nights standing by the bonfire. If you’re going for the delightfully sweet Carrot and Walnut Cake, and don’t want a sugar overload, it makes a great combination.

If you love your healthy teas…

They have four varieties of Green Tea to choose from and even serve a Green Tea and Pistachio Brownie, which you’ll enjoy if you have a very sweet tooth (it has the familiar texture of a brownie, but with apricots instead of cocoa).

If you fancy a healthy alternative to Green Tea, then the Oolong Tea is a refreshing choice – a similarly light tea oozing with health benefits (it’s a semi-oxidised tea, said to promote good health, and weight loss).

There aren’t many downsides to this sweet café, except that they have yet to adopt the late evening opening hours you’ll find at many cafés around London (they close up at 5.30pm weekdays and 6.30pm weekends) – so, if you fancy a late night tea then you will have to go elsewhere. Or you can always buy one of their wonderful teapots for sale, and a bag of your favourite tea leaves, and enjoy their tea at home!

For those who love their technology as much as their tea: There’s free WiFi, but if you’re in need of a plug you’ll have to fight over the one socket.

Best time to go: between 3pm and close weekdays, when you can get any delicious pot of tea and any cake for a fiver.

Perks: They also have a tea loyalty card (your 10th tea is free) – so there’s no excuse not to try every tea on the menu!

Update: Sadly this café has now closed down – follow my microblog on Instagram: @camillalaake to keep up to date with all my fave spots to unwind over a tea or coffee. I also cover all things London, travel, beauty, health, self-care, fashion and lifestyle on there too.

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