Mariage Frères, Covent Garden

The world’s most exclusive purveyor of luxury teas and France’s oldest tea house, Mariage Frères, opens its first UK tea emporium in Covent Garden this September. The brand has been a staple in Paris since it began operating out of the Marais district in 1854, when it was founded by brothers Henri and Edouard Mariage. Rather excitingly (for tea lovers), Mariage Frères new London branch is its largest to date and housed in a beautiful five-storey listed Georgian townhouse on King Street.

Boasting the largest collection of teas in the world, from vintage and rare to fruity and herbal, the new site hosts a retail space, a restaurant specialising in tea gastronomy, a tea museum and two private event spaces. The shop offers all things related to our favourite brew: from tea-scented candles to teacups, books and paraphernalia. Meanwhile, freshly brewed Mariage Frères teas are available alongside a selection of sweet and savoury pastries in the restaurant. Head chef Felix Richard will also be preparing larger tea-themed meals. Don’t forget to pay a visit to the second floor, where The Musée du Thé showcases tea antiques from around the world. Guests can mosey around the hand-illustrated tea chests, Chinese furniture, old archives and an array of curiosities promising to provide a fascinating insight into the history of tea.