Tearoom Review: A. C. Perch Thehandel

A. C. Perch has been importing tea into Denmark since 1835. And a few years ago they opened their first tearooms in Copenhagen, Tokyo, and Osaka. The tearoom fits the Danish ideal of “cozy”, with warm wood tones and large copper tea tins lining the wall. Tea is served in large silver teapots and nice, but not amazing china.

Their menu offers a few dozen teas from around the world and a few tasty treats. I certainly enjoyed the scones with jam and clotted cream, but for those with more appetite they also offer “high tea” with a selection of cakes. I found their tea choices a bit odd. It looked like their menu was heavily weighted towards India. They go so far as to offer more oolongs from India than from more traditional sources. Their Darjeeling First Flush Oolong was very nice, but has a completely different flavor from what you’d expect from more traditional sources. They also carry a large number of blends. Unfortunately the Danish names don’t always mean much, and there’s no explanatory information in the menu. The staff was more than happy to help describe the few we asked after.

They offer more teas for sale online, and in the quaint shop downstairs. Each of the major tea regions are represented. We picked up the Kronprinsesse-Blanding (Crown Princess Blend) to try at home, and we’ll order a few more in the months to come. I have yet to give them my critical sencha test, but that will come soon enough.

Next time I’m in Copenhagen, I’ll definitely drop by for a second visit.