Tearoom Review: Yumchaa

I was tired and cranky after wandering all over London in search of a good cup of tea. After supper, my wife forced me to stop at Yumchaa in Soho. I really wasn’t expecting anything, but the fine folks behind the counter completely salvaged my day. Their tearoom selection is almost entirely flavored and scented blends, but they don’t restrict themselves to black tea as a base. They offer classics like Jasmine, gunpowder mint, and lapsangsouchong, but they also carry their own creations like Wanderlust (sencha, apple, cinnamon and almond) and Notting Hill (keemun, apricot, strawberry, marigold and cornflower).

Unlike most establishments in the UK, Yumchaa dumps the loose leaf tea and water into a pot with plenty of room the leaves to unfurl. Then they leave it to the customer strain the tea into their own larch tea cups. Finally, we found a tea room that treats tea with the love and care it deserves.

No British tearoom would be complete without sandwiches and cakes. Yumchaa lives up to anyone’s expectations in this regard. My only complaint is that their room as a bit small and gets crowded on a busy day.  Don’t let this put you off. It’s well worth the effort to drop by Yumchaa’s shop located between Tottenham and Oxford Circus tube stations.